Midlife Trenches
Rated 5 Stars on Amazon!
A toolkit for knackered public sector women leaders
You’re not broken. You’re evolving.
You’re not alone. There IS a way through.
The Stairs Story
The Stairs Story
I sat on the stairs at work, crying and unable to move.
A colleague sent me home. The GP told me to “go feed the ducks.”
“Feed the ducks?!” I thought. “I’ve got WORK to do!”
But I didn’t have work. I had permission to stop.
That moment changed everything.
It was the beginning of understanding that I wasn’t the problem – the system was. That “just cracking on” wasn’t resilience – it was denial. That I wasn’t alone in feeling this way.
That moment was the beginning of this book.
Is This Book For You?
Is This Book For You?
This book is for you if you’ve ever:
Cried on the stairs (or in your car, or in the bathroom) on the way to work
Put on more lippy and concealer to hide the exhaustion
Wondered "Is this it?"
Survived yet another restructure and questioned if anyone even notices how hard you work
Needed permission to be tired, to have boundaries, to change
You’re not the only one asking these questions.
In my 6 years of coaching midlife women in the public sector, I’ve heard the same whispers over and over:
“Is it just me?”
“Why can’t I cope anymore?”
“Am I the problem?”
NO. IT’S NOT JUST YOU.
Reviewed on Amazon (verified purchase)
Book review
Reviewed on Amazon (verified purchase)
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What's Inside
What's Inside
39 chapters of honest stories, practical tools, and permission-giving mantras.
Including:
📖 Raw, honest stories – The stairs. The toxic workplaces. The divorce. The anonymous letter. The moments that broke me and remade me.
💭 Reflection questions – Not the fluffy kind. The make-you-think, maybe-make-you-uncomfortable kind. The ones that help you decide what comes next.
💪 Mantras that matter – No toxic positivity. Just truth-telling, boundary-setting, permission-giving statements for midlife.
🤗 Solidarity – From someone who’s been there. For women who are there now.
What This Book Won't Do
What This Book Won't Do
❌ Tell you to “lean in”
❌ Offer another resilience training
❌ Give you a 10-step plan
❌ Pretend the system isn’t broken
❌ Serve up toxic positivity
What This Book Will Do
What This Book Will Do
Make you feel less alone
Help you see your options more clearly
Give you permission to lead better or leave well
Remind you that you're not broken - you're evolving
Reviewed on Amazon (verified purchase)
Book review
Reviewed on Amazon (verified purchase)
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From My Trenches To Yours
From My Trenches To Yours
This book is my contribution to the conversation we should have been having all along.
For every knackered woman who thought she was alone.
For every brilliant woman leaving the public sector or burning out while staying.
For every midlife woman who deserves more than just surviving until retirement.
You’re not broken. You’re evolving.
You’re not alone. There IS a way through.
