Midlife Unleashed: Valerie Ritchie on Power & Purpose

Midlife is not a time to fade—it’s a time to rise. For Valerie Ritchie, early menopause, career upheaval, and personal loss became the catalyst for transformation. From powerlifting to redefining the Crone Goddess, she’s proving that midlife is an era of strength, wisdom, and unapologetic self-reclamation. In this exclusive, Valerie shares how women can embrace midlife as a time of power, purpose, and reinvention. She challenges outdated narratives and encourages women to step into their full potential. Her journey is a testament that midlife isn’t an ending—it’s the most powerful beginning.

Valerie, your journey is incredibly inspiring. What was the defining moment that made you decide to embrace midlife as a time of power and transformation?

For me, midlife arrived unannounced and unrelenting—early post-menopause at 42, redundancy from a career I had invested decades in, and the sudden collapse of my marriage. It was a moment of sheer upheaval, where everything I thought I knew about myself was stripped away. I had a choice: shrink into the shadows or rise.

But before I could rise, I had to fall.

The chaos wasn’t just external—it was internal, visceral, consuming. There were days I woke up feeling like a stranger in my own body, unsure of who I was without the titles I had worn for so long. There were nights when the weight of “what now?” crushed me. I wasn’t just restarting—I was unravelling, piece by piece until I barely resembled the woman I once was.

I tried to hold on—to make the old life fit, to patch together the ruins. But no matter how much I reached for what was familiar, it slipped further away. That was terrifying.

And that wasn’t a one-time decision—it was a battle. Some days, I fought to get out of bed. Other days, I fought against the voice in my head telling me I had failed.

The defining moment wasn’t a single grand awakening—it was a series of quiet rebellions against despair. Some days, it was choosing to show up for myself in the smallest ways. Other days, it was lifting my first weight, realising that strength wasn’t just physical—it was a mindset, a choice.

I reclaimed my body through powerlifting, my mind through deep self-inquiry, and my soul through the radical act of putting myself first.

I had to rebuild from the ground up—not just once, but over and over again, until I stopped searching for the old me and embraced the woman I was becoming.

Midlife isn’t a period of decline; it’s an initiation. And once I saw it that way, everything changed—not just for me, but for the women I now guide through their own transformations.

Many people associate the word “Crone” with negative connotations, yet you’ve reclaimed it as a symbol of wisdom and strength. What inspired you to embrace and redefine the Crone Goddess?

For centuries, the word “Crone” has been used to diminish women, painted as something to fear, to ridicule, to erase. But if you go back to its origins, the Crone was the wisest of all—the healer, the keeper of sacred knowledge, the one others sought out for guidance. She wasn’t cast aside. She was revered.

And yet, women in midlife today still find themselves fighting to be seen. Society tells us that once we are no longer young, we are no longer valuable. But I reject that. I refuse to disappear.

For most of my life, I wore the titles given to me—wife, leader, professional. They were my identity, my measure of worth. But what happens when those labels no longer apply? When the roles I had spent decades perfecting were stripped away, I had to ask myself:

Who am I without them?

The answer? I am me.

Not someone’s wife, not someone’s employee, not someone’s expectation. Just me.

And in that, I found my freedom.

To reclaim the Crone is to reclaim ourselves—to step fully into our wisdom and refuse to apologise for our power. The Crone is not a relic of the past; she is a force of nature. She is rooted in wisdom, rising in power.

You emphasise Self-Care, Self-Love, and Self-First. Why is it so hard for women, especially in midlife, to put themselves first?

From the moment we are born, we are taught to serve. To be the good daughter, the devoted partner, the tireless mother, the committed professional. We are taught that our worth is measured by how much of ourselves we give away.

By midlife, we have given everything.

And yet, society still demands more.

Women were told we could have it all—but somewhere along the way, that turned into we must do it all. Be successful, but not at the expense of family. Prioritise self-care, but don’t be selfish. Age gracefully, but stay youthful. The rules keep changing, but the pressure remains the same.

And we are exhausted.

That’s why It’s Time For Me exists. Not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

Self-Care, Self-Love, and Self-First are not acts of indulgence. They are acts of reclamation.

Because when a woman finally prioritises herself, something extraordinary happens. She stops waiting for permission. She stops feeling guilty for existing on her own terms. And she begins to thrive.

And when she thrives? Everyone around her benefits.

You’ve represented Great Britain as a powerlifter, proving that strength knows no age. How has powerlifting shaped your mindset about ageing and resilience?

Powerlifting taught me something I never learned in school, at work, or even in life—it taught me what strength really is.

We often think of strength as something we either have or don’t have. But true strength? It’s built. It’s trained. It’s earned.

When I first stepped onto the platform, I wasn’t just lifting weights—I was lifting years of self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and the outdated idea that women in midlife should be shrinking, not strengthening.

Physically, powerlifting is one of the most powerful things a woman can do as she ages. It strengthens bones, muscles, and joints, protecting against osteoporosis. It improves posture, balance, and mobility, ensuring we stay active and independent. Menopause may change the body, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose our power.

But beyond the physical, powerlifting shaped my resilience. It taught me that failure isn’t an endpoint—it’s part of the process. Every missed lift, every setback, every moment where I questioned my ability was an invitation to come back stronger.

Ageing is inevitable, but decline is a choice. And I choose strength.

You’re an Amazon International Bestselling author. How has writing been a tool for empowerment in your journey?

Writing has been more than just a form of expression—it has been a homecoming.

For most of my career, writing was purely academic—a means to an end, a structured way to present knowledge. It wasn’t personal. It wasn’t emotional. It was intellectual, but it wasn’t mine.

I never expected to fall in love with writing again. But when I stepped outside academia and into the world of storytelling, I rediscovered something powerful—writing wasn’t just about words on a page; it was about voice, truth, and transformation.

In Courage Under Siege, my chapter, From Silence to Symphony, was exactly that—a journey from being unheard to standing in my truth. And in The Power of Coaching: Inspiring Untold Stories for Business Growth and Life Transformations, I contributed my story, not just to share my experience, but to ignite something in others.

Because I believe that when a woman shares her story, she doesn’t just free herself—she empowers others.

Writing has allowed me to reflect, heal, and create an impact beyond the coaching room. Words have power—they can dismantle old narratives, ignite transformation, and give voice to the parts of ourselves we once hid.

And that’s why I encourage women to write—even if no one else ever reads it. Because sometimes, the person who needs to hear your truth the most is you.

What impact do you hope The Crone Goddess movement will have on future generations of women?

I want women to step into midlife with fire in their bellies, not fear in their hearts.

For too long, midlife has been framed as a time of decline, invisibility, and loss. A stage where women are expected to step back, fade out, and quietly accept that their best years are behind them. I reject that narrative.

The Crone Goddess movement isn’t just about this generation of women—it’s about every woman who follows. It’s about changing the conversations we have with our daughters, granddaughters, and the younger women who look to us for guidance.

Because midlife isn’t an ending—it’s the beginning of the life we were always meant to live.

This is the stage where we finally get to do what we truly want to do. No more playing by outdated rules. No more living for everyone else. This is our time to create, to lead, to take up space in ways we never have before.

The Crone Goddesses of today are not retreating—they are stepping forward as role models, leaders, and way-showers. They are building businesses, writing books, redefining industries, creating movements, and finally living boldly, unapologetically, and fully.

Imagine a world where a woman turning 50 isn’t met with sympathy, but with celebration. Where she isn’t told to reverse the signs of ageing but is instead honoured for the strength, wisdom, and resilience she carries.

The Crone Goddess movement is not about waiting for permission. We are ready. We are rising. We are taking on the world.

That’s the legacy I’m building. A movement where women don’t just age—they ascend.

Many women fear ageing due to societal pressures. How can they shift their perspective to see midlife as a time of empowerment rather than decline?

The first step is learning to love your body—not as it once was, but as it is now.

Society has spent decades telling women that our youth equals our worth—that our power fades with each wrinkle, each grey hair, each sign of change. But change is not the enemy. Resistance to change is.

Women need to understand, embrace, and work with the changes in their bodies rather than fight against them.

This is why I created Get Your Sexy Back and Beyond—a transformational approach that helps women rediscover their confidence, power, and self-worth in midlife. It’s not about turning back time; it’s about moving forward with strength, self-acceptance, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Midlife is not a countdown—it’s a call to rise.

If you could create one universal ritual or practice for midlife women to reclaim their power daily, what would it be?

A Power Pause.

Every day, I want women to stand in front of the mirror, look into their own eyes, and truly see themselves. Not with judgment, not with criticism—but with recognition and love.

The Power Pause is a moment of radical self-acceptance. A moment to stand still, breathe deeply, and acknowledge the woman staring back. To say:

“I see you. I honour you. I love you. I am proud of you.”

This isn’t just an affirmation—it’s a reclamation. Because when a woman can meet her own gaze with self-trust and self-respect, she stops waiting for external validation.

She no longer questions her worth.

She no longer plays small.

She steps into the world knowing exactly who she is.

And that? That changes everything.

Valerie J. Ritchie

The Crone Goddess

Rooted In Wisdom, Rising In Power.