Reinvention Isn't Optional: Lesley Jane Seymour on the FU 50s & Beyond

Women in the Arena

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Lesley Jane Seymour's remarkable career spans leadership roles at major women's magazines like More, Marie Claire, and Redbook—but it's what she's doing now that might be her most impactful work yet. In this candid conversation, Lesley shares how she convinced Michelle Obama to make history as the first First Lady to guest edit an entire magazine, generating 8.5 billion media impressions worldwide.
What drives a successful magazine editor to become an entrepreneur focused on women in midlife? Lesley explains her passion for helping women navigate what she calls "the FU 50s"—that liberating period when we finally stop seeking universal approval and embrace authentic self-expression. "I don't have time for that anymore," she explains. "Time is running out...you can't make people like you. And that is the biggest liberation of all."
The employment landscape for women over 40 is challenging, with statistics showing flat employment numbers while men's opportunities continue to grow. Lesley founded Covey Club to address this gap, creating a supportive community where women can upskill, network, and reinvent themselves. She delivers hard truths about technology skills gaps that hold many midlife women back: "95% of issues have to do with not understanding technology." Yet she approaches these challenges with compassion, teaching in ways that respect how this demographic learns.
Perhaps most surprising is Lesley's insight that reinvention often happens more successfully among strangers than with longtime friends. "Reinventing yourself with strangers is easier because you can show up day one as who you want to be," she explains. At Covey Club, women arrive without judgment or history, free to become whoever they choose next.
Whether you're facing empty nest syndrome, career transitions, or simply seeking your next chapter, Lesley's wisdom offers both practical guidance and emotional reassurance. As she says, "Midlife is not for sissies...don't go it alone." Ready to discover what's possible in your next act?

https://www.coveyclub.com/

Chapters

1. Reinvention Isn't Optional: Lesley Jane Seymour on the FU 50s & Beyond (00:00:00)

2. Meet Leslie Jane Seymour (00:01:16)

3. The Michelle Obama Magazine Breakthrough (00:09:09)

4. Why Focus on Midlife Women (00:21:57)

5. Building Covey Club's Supportive Community (00:30:44)

6. Technology Skills and Midlife Employment (00:39:30)

7. Embracing Discomfort and Learning Together (00:53:32)

8. The Empty Nest Surprise (01:02:50)