How Valerie Jacqueline Ritchie Guides Women Through Midlife Transitions

Valerie Jacqueline Ritchie is not just a coach; she is a beacon of transformation for women navigating midlife transitions. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced during this phase, Valerie helps women embrace change, reclaim their confidence, and step into their true power. Through her work, she empowers women to redefine midlife not as a crisis, but as an opportunity for growth, wisdom, and self-discovery. Whether it’s overcoming self-doubt, embracing new beginnings, or connecting with their inner strength, Valerie is committed to guiding women through this transformative journey with clarity, purpose, and unwavering support.

As Regional Director of Global Woman Club Liverpool, what vision do you hold for women in your community, and how do you see your role in bringing that vision to life?

My vision for Global Woman Club Liverpool is to create a hub where women not only network but truly grow their businesses and their confidence. This is a place for women who are ready to think bigger: to move from local visibility to global impact.

The heart of our meetings is masterminding—because I believe every woman deserves her own unofficial board of directors. At Global Woman Club Liverpool, that’s exactly what we create. Unlike other networking spaces that stop at introductions and business cards, we go deeper. Each woman brings her real challenges and opportunities to the table, and the collective wisdom of the room becomes her board—advising, brainstorming, and cheering her on.

For solopreneurs and small business owners, this is a game-changer. Instead of carrying every role alone—CEO, marketer, sales team, administrator—you suddenly have a group of women acting as thought partners, accountability allies, and vision expanders. That’s what makes Global Woman Club Liverpool different: it’s not just a club, it’s your boardroom without the walls.
As Regional Director, my role is to curate this environment and ensure every woman has the space to be heard. I’m here to open doors, to connect local business owners with global opportunities, and to remind each member that collaboration will always take us further than competition.

My vision is that every woman who joins leaves not only with new contacts but with a clearer path to scaling her business and a community that has her back.

Global Woman is built on connection and collaboration—how do you foster a culture of empowerment and partnership among the women you lead?

Empowerment at Global Woman Club Liverpool isn’t just a feeling—it’s a practice. We create it through structure. Every meeting is designed to maximise both personal growth and business results. From curated masterminding sessions to networking exercises with purpose, the focus is always on collaboration that leads to action.

We don’t just exchange business cards—we problem-solve. A woman might walk in with a challenge in marketing, finance, or confidence, and walk out with five fresh strategies from peers who have been there. That collective problem-solving is how we accelerate growth.

I also bring in clear frameworks: accountability check-ins, visibility opportunities, and focused discussions that allow women to share expertise and support one another. This turns the room into more than a meeting—it becomes a laboratory of ideas and a launchpad for business.

The result is a culture where women feel safe enough to be honest about what they need, and strong enough to offer what they know. That balance of giving and receiving is what makes collaboration real—and why women leave our meetings not only inspired, but with tangible next steps for their business.

You call yourself a Midlife Empowerment Coach and an Advocate for Crone Goddesses. What does embracing the “Crone” archetype mean for women today?

For centuries, the word Crone has been misused, distorted into something ugly—literally. In many cultures, especially in the West, the word evokes a negative visual: an old, hunched woman, shrivelled, irrelevant, perhaps even wicked. The “old hag” of fairytales. But that’s not how the word began.

Crone originally signified a crowned one—a wise elder woman, respected for her life experience, intuition, and power. Somewhere along the way, patriarchal systems stripped her of that crown, turning her into a caricature of decline and ridicule.

I’m here to change the narrative.

To reclaim the Crone is to reclaim the truth: that a woman does not become less with age—she becomes more. More grounded. More discerning. More radiant in her knowing.

In today’s world, women are waking up to the truth that midlife is not a crisis—it’s a portal. The Crone archetype invites us into that portal. She shows us how to lead from depth, to rest without guilt, to speak without apology, and to age without shame.

Embracing the Crone is not just for women in midlife. It’s a cultural and spiritual shift that invites all of us—regardless of age or gender—to value wisdom, soul, and sovereignty over surface.

Many women struggle with transitions in midlife. What are the most common challenges you see, and how do you guide women through them?

Midlife is often painted as a crisis, but what I see is women navigating a series of layered transitions—physical, emotional, and identity-based—that rarely get the support they deserve. What looks like loss is often the start of liberation. The most common challenges I encounter are:

Loss of identity: Women ask, “Who am I now, beyond the roles I’ve carried for decades?”

Body changes: Menopause, weight gain, or declining energy can lead to frustration and shame.

Confidence and visibility: Many women feel sidelined, as though their time to shine has passed.

Overwhelm: Trying to juggle careers, families, and ageing parents while carrying unspoken emotional loads.

My approach is to move women from Chaos to Harmony using the Five Rs of my coaching framework: Reawaken, Reconnect, Realign, Rebalance, and Reclaim. Each stage builds the bridge from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confidence.

A practical example is my programme Get Your Sexy Back and Beyond (GYSBAB), which is designed for women who feel disconnected from their bodies, their energy, and their sense of self. In six weeks, we focus on confidence, sensuality, vitality, and creating lasting self-care rituals. It’s not about turning back the clock—it’s about redefining what “sexy” means in midlife and beyond: feeling at home in your body, fully alive, and unapologetically yourself.

When women go through Get Your Sexy Back and Beyond, the shifts are visible. They start to show up differently in business meetings, in relationships, and even in how they look in the mirror. They carry themselves with presence rather than apology. That ripple effect touches every part of their lives.

Ultimately, my role is to create the space for women to trust themselves again. The transitions of midlife don’t have to diminish us—they can be the very portal that empowers us to rise.

You often speak about aligning with the natural cycles of the body. Can you share why this harmony is so vital for women’s empowerment?

We live in a world that worships consistency and productivity, but women’s bodies were never built to be linear. We are cyclical beings—moving through seasons, phases, and emotional tides. Yet for generations, we’ve been taught to ignore these rhythms, to push through, to override our bodies in the name of success, caregiving, or simply survival.

That disconnection costs us. It leads to burnout, resentment, loss of libido, anxiety, and the sense that we’re not enough because we can’t keep up with a rhythm that was never ours to begin with.

When a woman reconnects with her natural cycles—whether that’s her menstrual rhythm, her hormonal shifts through menopause, or even her emotional and energetic tides—she begins to reclaim her agency. She learns to rest when needed, to create when inspired, and to lead from a place of embodiment, not exhaustion.

In my coaching, I often say, “Power doesn’t come from pushing. It comes from presence.” And presence begins in the body. This is why true empowerment must include the body—not just mindset, strategy, or vision.

When a woman trusts her inner rhythm, she becomes unstoppable—not in the masculine sense of force, but in the feminine sense of flow. And that flow, when honoured in leadership, becomes a revolution.

That intelligence isn’t just a personal practice—it’s a leadership model. When women in leadership align with their natural rhythms, they show others what it means to lead sustainably, intuitively, and with emotional intelligence. They model a different way of being: one that values recovery as much as output, softness as much as strength. In doing so, they create healthier teams, deeper impact, and a legacy rooted not in burnout, but in embodied wisdom.

You’ve built an impressive career as a coach, mentor, educator, and writer. What inspired you to focus your work on midlife women specifically?

My focus on midlife women came directly from lived experience. I didn’t set out to become a Midlife Empowerment Coach—it was the midlife journey itself that called me here. Like many women, I faced a series of upheavals: redundancy, divorce, bereavement, and the physical and emotional shifts of menopause. Each one stripped away a layer of identity I thought defined me. What I discovered was both painful and liberating: the roles and labels I had carried for years were never the full truth of who I was.

In that raw space of “Who am I now?” I began to see how many other women were asking the same question, often silently. Midlife is a stage that society rarely celebrates. We’re told it’s a decline, a crisis, a winding down. But I came to see it as a gateway into deeper wisdom, greater authenticity, and renewed power.

My career as a coach, speaker, and writer evolved naturally from that realisation. I wanted to use both my training and my story to create the kind of space I wish I’d had: one where women could be honest about their struggles, supported in their transitions, and reminded that they are not alone.

This isn’t just my story—it’s the story of countless women worldwide, and it’s why I chose to dedicate my work to this stage of life. Because when a woman in midlife chooses herself again—when she says, “It’s Time For Me”—she doesn’t just change her own life. She shifts her family, her business, her community. She becomes rooted in wisdom and rises into power. And that is the ripple effect I want to leave in the world. My legacy.

Your clients report renewed confidence, clarity, and resilience. Can you share a transformation story that deeply moved you?

One client, Fiona, began this year with a resolution to say “yes” to new opportunities. That decision led her to me and to the Embrace Pathway. When we first met, she described feeling stuck: stuck in her situation, stuck in her head, unable to see a way forward.

Through our work together, Fiona experienced a profound shift. She later reflected on just how significant it was, saying:

“Before our work together, I felt stuck. Valerie helped me shift that. She guided me to reconnect with myself, to trust my instincts, and to truly recognise and appreciate my own value. Reflecting on that now, I realise just how significant that transformation has been.”

What moved me most wasn’t just the progress she made in setting clear goals or stepping into her power—it was watching her embrace her self-worth. That’s the moment everything changes: when a woman realises she is enough, as she is.

I often say that my role is to create the space for women to trust themselves again. Fiona’s story is a beautiful reminder of why that matters—and why I do this work.

You are a strong advocate of Self-care, Self-love, Self-first, and Sangha (community). How do these principles work together in practice?

I see these four principles as threads in the same fabric—when woven together, they create a life that feels whole. Let me give you an example.

Imagine a woman who is constantly giving: to her work, her family, her community. She’s exhausted but keeps going, because that’s what she’s always done. The turning point comes when she permits herself to pause, even briefly. That pause is Self-care—choosing rest, nourishment, or reflection instead of running on empty.

From that pause, something deeper begins to grow: Self-love. She recognises that her worth isn’t tied to how much she does for others, but to the simple fact of who she is. That recognition softens her inner critic and allows her to meet herself with kindness.

Then comes Self-first—the courageous decision to prioritise what truly matters to her, even if it means saying “no” to old expectations or roles. It isn’t selfish—it’s selfull, it’s sovereignty. By putting herself first, she creates the energy and clarity to serve others from a place of fullness instead of depletion.

And finally, Sangha—community. Because transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. When women gather in a safe and supportive space, they reflect each other’s strength like mirrors. They remind one another of their brilliance and hold each other accountable to keep rising.

This is how the four principles work together in practice: Self-care creates the pause, Self-love deepens the relationship with the self, Self-first anchors new choices, and Sangha ensures that no woman walks the path alone.

You’ve been recognised as a Top 3 Emerging Speaker in the UK & Ireland. What message do you most love sharing from the stage?

When I step onto a stage, I’m speaking to the woman who has carried roles and labels for so long she can’t quite remember where they end and she begins. She’s been the mother, the wife, the leader, the carer—and yet she wonders: “Where did I go?”

My message to her is simple and powerful: “It’s Time For Me.”

That doesn’t mean abandoning responsibilities or relationships. It means finally permitting herself to exist outside of the expectations placed upon her. It’s about dropping the labels society has given her and reclaiming the presence of the woman she already is.

One of the stories I often share is about my divorce. Many see divorce as an ending, but for me, it was an act of self-love—a declaration that I was no longer willing to abandon myself. From there, I began to rebuild my confidence, reclaim my sensuality, and remember who I was beyond the labels placed upon me.

My keynote talk, “You Got It!”, is designed to be a wake-up call. I want every woman listening to leave with the unshakable belief that she already has everything she needs within her. I create the mirror, the pause, the space—until she sees it.

“It’s Time For Me” isn’t just a message—it’s the heartbeat of my work, and the title of my upcoming book. It’s a call for every woman to reclaim herself and step into her own presence.

What I love most about speaking is witnessing that shift—the collective intake of breath, the nods, the lightbulb moments—when women realise midlife isn’t the beginning of the end, but the start of becoming who they were always meant to be.

Your mission is to inspire women to step into their divine feminine power. If you could leave women with one truth to carry forward, what would it be?

The greatest power you will ever claim is the power of being yourself. Not the roles, not the titles, not the expectations—but the truth of you. That is where the divine feminine rises.

And here’s the deeper truth: divine feminine power is not something you earn or acquire—it’s something you remember. It has always been within you, waiting for the moment you trust yourself enough to live it.