One of the greatest privileges of my work is witnessing my clients and past clients step into meaningful leadership and bring forward work that challenges old assumptions and opens new possibilities for women.
This series, Movement Makers in Action, is a reflection of that.
Today, I’m honored to highlight Janine Vanderburg, who recently launched Build Your Own Boat™, a storytelling project dedicated to changing the narrative about what is possible for women in midlife and beyond.
In my work, we define what I call a One Message for the World—a thought leadership declaration that a woman is here to lead with. Janine’s is this:
“It’s not too late. Dreams don’t have an expiration date.”
Janine knows this journey firsthand. After building and eventually stepping away from a multi-million-dollar consulting business to launch a national anti-ageism initiative, she now helps others launch and grow businesses of their own that leverage their experience, insights and connections. Through her consulting work, she supports people who are ready to create meaningful work and build a business aligned with their experience, expertise, and purpose.
After years of working with experienced professionals and entrepreneurs, Janine recognized something important: we do not talk nearly enough about what is possible in the second half of life.
The prevailing narrative suggests our building days are behind us. Janine believes the opposite.
Through Build Your Own Boat™, she is sharing the stories of women who intentionally chose to build something new in midlife and beyond. Over the past several months, she interviewed more than 40 women, gathering honest stories about the doubts, pivots, risks, and courageous decisions required to create something new. The first episodes feature women building businesses, launching movements, creating new careers, and redefining success later in life. I’m honored to be one of the women featured in the series, sharing my own journey from corporate executive to entrepreneur.
At the heart of Janine’s work is a belief that midlife is not a wind-down. It is often the beginning of a powerful new chapter where wisdom, experience, and purpose come together in meaningful ways. Her work reminds women that they don’t have to start from scratch to start something new.
I’m continually inspired by the clients and past clients I have the privilege to work with and witness as they step into their next level of authority and influence.
You can learn more about Janine and the Build Your Own Boat™ series here.
