The Wobbly Middle: Women's Career Crossroads In Midlife

One night Wendy Welpton woke up in agony. She was a fit and healthy runner who had always taken good care of herself. Four years of chronic pain followed, with no clear answer from anyone on how to fix herself.
What eventually changed things was a book, a lot of reading, and going back to study in midlife: first anatomy and physiology, then a movement certification. Out of that came Reclaim Movement and her book, Move Well For Life.
This a conversation about noticing the signs and about making changes through small shifts.
Links
Read: Move Well For Life: Unlock the life-changing power of everyday movement by Wendy Welpton
Wendy also mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk
Visit Reclaim Movement's website here.
Key Topics
Reaching a career crossroads in midlife without choosing it
A maternity leave career gap, and three or four senior interviews that ended in a quick no
Keeping an entrepreneurial drive alive at home: knee patches, a wellbeing business, and a park campaign that raised £50,000
Career change after injury, and what four years of chronic pain does to your sense of the future
Going back to study in midlife
Retraining in midlife when you have no formal background in the field
What natural movement actually means, and the other fifteen hours of the day
Why the body is at its best moving frequently and through its ranges
Building a business on Instagram, and what happens when a reel goes viral
Small steps, trial and error, and building confidence through action
Second career after children: turning a personal problem into a business

More from The Wobbly Middle
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep37-wendy-welpton
New to The Wobbly Middle? Find out what we're about: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep37-wendy-welpton
If You Enjoyed This Episode
If you enjoyed it, I'd recommend going back to Season 1 for our conversation with menopause doctors Susanne Hooper and Mel Hacking. Or, if you're exploring how to find your purpose, then the episodes with teacher turned psychologist Carri Simmons, and former CEO to hypnotherapist Heather Makepeace will certainly nourish you.
Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two ways you can make a real difference:
Leave a review here — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
Share this episode with a friend — if you know someone who might be at a midlife career crossroads, please send this to them. Knowing that they are on this road with others can help build momentum.
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasts.
Share Your Story
Made a left turn in your career? We'd love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com, Your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.
About The Host
Join lawyer Patsy Day as she navigates her own midlife career crossroads in real time. A penny dropped for her when she realised that the restless feeling she'd been having was returning ambition, and she began actively questioning her direction. The Wobbly Middle is that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward.
Each season, Patsy sits down with women who share their career pivot stories — leaving corporate life and building businesses, breaking back in after career breaks, going back to study, and taking their long-neglected dreams seriously.
In Season 4, she's speaking to the women who changed direction in midlife to build the things that make our summers: the holidays we book, the books we read, the swimwear we brave, and the financial confidence to enjoy it.
This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.

How do you turn a conversation into a £68m turnover business? Helen Cannon started a managed travel co in her late 30s (with five children at home!) off the back of a conversation in a restaurant. While the whole industry was pushing clients onto booking tools and stripping out the human contact, Helen saw that her ability to build good, lasting relationships would set Ison Travel apart.
In a little over a decade, Helen has grown Ison into a super-scaler operating across five countries, with a workforce that is 70% women. Within that, 25% are over 55, and 5% over 65.
We discuss Helen’s people-first, tech-second philosophy and building a high-growth business on the basis of a flexible working, part-time workforce.
Helen shares precious insights into what’s holding women founders back from scaling their businesses and how we all need to be 1-% braver.
She also reflects on how the pandemic, which paralysed the travel industry, became the inflection point on which ISON took flight.
Listen to bolster your entrepreneurial resolve and to help you be a little braver.
The Wobbly Middle is a podcast for women rethinking their careers in midlife. New episodes every other Tuesday.
Key Topics
Starting a business in midlife — middle-to-late thirties, five children, a six-month-old, and the realisation that no employer was going to be able to cope with her life
Flexible working — hiring on ability rather than hours or postcode, job shares, school hours, and part-timers who became full-timers as their children grew
Female founders — how female-founded businesses deliver higher returns and why women should not be scared to knock on the doors
Scaling up — inflection points, the multiplier effect past £10 million, and why each step gets bigger rather than simply doubling
10% braver — a philosophy that can mean building a company or can mean getting out of bed and taking one small step
Purpose before profit — "you can't have profit without purpose", and changing the workplace for good
Trusting your gut — "your gut instincts are your guardian angels", and asking what's the worst that can happen
Links
ISON Travel: https://isontravel.com
The SuperScalers: https://www.superscalers.world — Sam Smith's programme for female founders scaling their businesses, which Helen discusses in the episode
Everywoman: https://www.everywoman.com
The Women's Chapter: https://womenschapter.com
More from The Wobbly Middle
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep36-helen-cannon
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep36-helen-cannon
If You Enjoyed This Episode
We've had other extraordinary female founders who have built boldly. Listen to Debbie Wosskow OBE (Season 1), who has founded and exited multiple businesses, and Rachael Newton (Season 2), a hedge fund lawyer who walked away to found period care company, Nixit.
Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two ways you can make a real difference:
Leave a review here — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
Share this episode with a friend — if you know someone who might be at a midlife career crossroads, please send this to them. Knowing that they are on this road with others can help build momentum.
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasts.
Share Your Story
Made a left turn in your career? We'd love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com, Your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.
About The Host
Join lawyer Patsy Day as she navigates her own midlife career crossroads in real time. A penny dropped for her when she realised that the restless feeling she'd been having was returning ambition, and she began actively questioning her direction. The Wobbly Middle is that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward.
Each season, Patsy sits down with women who share their career pivot stories — leaving corporate life and building businesses, breaking back in after career breaks, going back to study, and taking their long-neglected dreams seriously.
In Season 4, she's speaking to the women who changed direction in midlife to build the things that make our summers: the holidays we book, the books we read, the swimwear we brave, and the financial confidence to enjoy it.
This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.

After over a decade in the family business, Heather took the painful decision to close its doors and change careers. The decision was long in the making but the relief was quick in flooding her senses. Now in her 40s, Heather retrained as a hypnotherapist, starting from scratch with zero clients and, in her words, imposter syndrome through the roof.
Propelled by her purpose-led approach, Heather now works with everyone from burnt-out professionals to Comrades ultramarathon runners.
In this episode Heather and Patsy talk about what hypnotherapy actually is (nothing to do with being made to cluck like a chicken); they pop the lid on confidence issues; and discuss how a purpose-led life gives you something to navigate by when you're at a career crossroads or the imposter voice starts up.
Links
You can find Heather at https://mindofpeacehypno.com/
Heather's Book recommendation for practical tools to work out your own purpose: There Is a Reason You Are Here by Gavin Lund.
If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love The Wobbly Middle Episode with investigative wellness journalist, Rebecca Newman, on the neuroscience of action boards (Season 3).
We've also been lucky enough to have other remarkable South African women on the show, like Carri Simmons, who left teaching to retrain as a clinical psychologist. and Donna Crous — a stay-at-home mum and self-taught photographer who became Nikon's first-ever food photography ambassador. Both conversations are well worth going back for. Until next time.
Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two ways you can make a real difference:
Leave a review here. It only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
Share this episode with a friend. If you know someone who might be in their own wobbly middle, please send this to them. Knowing that they are on this road with others can help build momentum.
Want more from Patsy between episodes? Subscribe to the newsletter — it's where the conversation continues: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep35-heather-makepeace
New to The Wobbly Middle? Find out what we're all about:https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep35-heather-makepeace
Thank you for listening and for supporting independent podcasts.

“From the very earliest point of your career, you're building a wonderful mental Rolodex of people who might roll into any future part of your life, and I could've been more confident with that.” Dolly Jones, former editor of vogue.com, now an author building a portfolio career, reassures and encourages those of us at a career crossroads to get in touch with old friends and colleagues for encouragement and guidance.
For twelve years Dolly Jones ran vogue.com, at exactly the moment the fashion world looked most like The Devil Wears Prada. When she returned to work after her first baby, she was ready to go but could not find a roadmap to help her navigate the way forward.
That experience became Leaving the Ladder Down: How to Combine Career and Motherhood, from the Women Who’ve Done It, a book built on the voices of women who’ve made it work, and on the euphoria of working parenthood that needs to be celebrated.
In this episode Dolly and Patsy talk about returning to work; the confidence to say “this is my livelihood” when it comes to money; women’s professional networks and why building your network in midlife is less daunting than it sounds; and the bedtime trick a therapist gave Dolly for quietening the voices in your head.
About Dolly Jones
Dolly Jones is a journalist and digital strategist who edited British Vogue’s digital platforms running vogue.com before being promoted to Content & Strategy Director across Condé Nast’s wider portfolio. She left Condé Nast in 2018 after two decades to set up her own consultancy. Her debut book, Leaving the Ladder Down: How to Combine Career and Motherhood, from the Women Who’ve Done It, was published by 4th Estate. She is a trustee of Advance, a charity supporting women and young people affected by domestic abuse, and a primary school governor.
Links
Leaving the Ladder Down: https://www.4thestate.co.uk/products/leaving-the-ladder-down-dolly-jones-9780008431402/ — Dolly’s book, published by 4th Estate
Also mentioned: Julia Samuel, psychotherapist; June Angelides, venture capitalist
Dolly’s summer read: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Where to Follow Dolly Jones
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolly-jones/
Instagram: @dolly_jones

If You Enjoyed This Episode
You might also love our episode Books and Chocolate with Georgina Atwell (Season 4). Georgina was made redundant while on maternity leave and built two book businesses from her kitchen table.
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle:
The Wobbly Middle is a podcast for women rethinking their careers in midlife. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.
You can find out more on our Substack page: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep34-dolly-jones
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep34-dolly-jones
Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two ways you can make a real difference:
Leave a review here — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
Share this episode with a friend— if you know someone who might be in their own wobbly middle, please send this to them. Knowing that they are on this road with others can help build momentum.
Share Your Story
Made a left turn in your career? We'd love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com — your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.
About The Host
Join recovering lawyer Patsy Day as she navigates her own midlife career crossroads in real time. A penny dropped for her when she realised that the restless feeling she'd been having was returning ambition, and she began actively questioning her direction. The Wobbly Middle is that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward.
Each season, Patsy sits down with women who share their career pivot stories — leaving corporate life and building businesses, breaking back in after career breaks, going back to study, and taking their long-neglected dreams seriously.
In Season 4, she's speaking to the women who changed direction in midlife to build the things that make our summers: the holidays we book, the books we read, the swimwear we brave, and the financial confidence to enjoy it.
This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.

Values-led and commercially minded Georgina Atwell turned a career crossroads moment and her knowledge of the publishing industry into two book businesses that give back.
Georgina grew up with chocolate and books running through her veins — a family chocolate business on one side, a lifelong love of reading on the other. She spent eight happy years at Penguin, then was made redundant while on maternity leave.
From her kitchen table she built Toppsta, a platform where children recommend books to each other, now home to more than 160,000 reviews. She did it on a shoestring: starting on Facebook, teaching herself newsletters, social media and the "dark art" of SEO from an online course.
Now Georgina has launched Readerama, a second-hand books marketplace that channels funds back into authors, festivals and schools. Listen for her advice on starting something new, building businesses on a shoestring, the power of SEO and, of course, our best 2026 summer reads.
If you enjoyed his episode:
Make sure you follow us so you don't miss our episode with Wendy Welpton who tells us how she used social media to build her Reclaim Movement Programme.
You might also love The Accidental Influencer: Hut-to-Hut Hikes, Night Trains and Going Viral with Bea Searle (Season 4). Like Georgina, travel blogger Bea built an online business from scratch around something she genuinely loved.
Links
Toppsta: https://toppsta.com/
Readerama: https://readerama.com/
Georgina Atwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginaatwell/
Find out more about The Wobbly Middle:
The Wobbly Middle is a podcast for women rethinking their careers in midlife. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.
You can find out more on our Substack page: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep32-bea-searle
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep32-bea-searle
The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643
The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv
Help Us Grow
If this episode resonated with you, here are two ways you can make a real difference:
Leave a review here — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
Share this episode with a friend— if you know someone who might be in their own wobbly middle, please send this to them. Knowing that they are on this road with others can help build momentum.
Share Your Story
Made a left turn in your career? We'd love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com — your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.
About The Host
Join recovering lawyer Patsy Day as she navigates her own midlife career crossroads in real time. A penny dropped for her when she realised that the restless feeling she'd been having was returning ambition, and she began actively questioning her direction. The Wobbly Middle is that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward.
Each season, Patsy sits down with women who share their career pivot stories — leaving corporate life and building businesses, breaking back in after career breaks, going back to study, and taking their long-neglected dreams seriously.
In Season 4, she's speaking to the women who changed direction in midlife to build the things that make our summers: the holidays we book, the books we read, the swimwear we brave, and the financial confidence to enjoy it.
This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.