What’s the thing you’ve been telling yourself you’ll do someday?

Write the book.
Start the business.
Take the trip.
Sing on the stage.
Launch the idea.

And someday keeps… moving.

This week on the podcast, I sat down with Susan Lienau — a 65-year-young small-town powerhouse from northeast Iowa who spent more than 40 years running a bar with her husband before finally doing the thing she’d dreamed about her entire life:

She wrote a children’s book.

Not because she retired.
Not because life slowed down.
Not because someone gave her permission.

But because she realized: If not now, when?

And honestly? That question is for you, too.

Is 65 Too Late to Start Something New?

No. And I want you to really hear that.

There is no expiration date on creativity. There is no age limit on purpose. And there is absolutely no rule that says reinvention is only for your 20s or 30s.

In fact, many women experience their most aligned work later in life — after raising children, building careers, supporting spouses, and putting everyone else first.

By 60, you have:

• Experience

• Resilience

• Emotional intelligence

• Perspective

• Stories

That’s not “too late.”
That’s power.

Susan didn’t write her first book until 65. She’s since sold thousands of copies and is working on book three.

So no — it’s not too late. It might actually be perfect timing.

Why Do So Many Women Put Their Dreams on Hold?

Because we’re good women.

We’re responsible. We’re loyal. We show up.

Susan raised four boys. She worked long hours in the family bar. She served on the city council. She helped start a museum in her town of fewer than 1,000 people. She co-owns an Airbnb. She volunteers. She leads.

Sound familiar?

So many midlife women have spent decades in service of others. And somewhere along the way, that creative spark — the book idea, the business idea, the art, the music — gets quietly shelved.

Not because we aren’t capable.

But because we convince ourselves:

• “It’s not practical.”

• “I’m not qualified.”

• “Who would care?”

• “Maybe later.”

And later turns into decades.

From Bar Owner to Children’s Author

Susan had always dreamed of writing a children’s book. She loved reading to her sons. She’d think, “I could write something like this.”

But she didn’t.

Until one day, she did.

Inspired by the famous Decorah eagles, she created a character named Ruford — a young eagle who goes on adventures across Iowa and beyond. She illustrated the books herself with crayons. She wrote about places and people she loved. She poured her heart into it.

At first, it was just for her grandkids.

Then 123 people asked for copies.

She’s now sold over 4,000 books.

And here’s my favorite part: she still sometimes struggles to call herself an “author.”

That right there? That’s the mindset piece.

What If You Don’t Feel “Qualified” Enough?

This is where I’m going to say something with love.

Get over yourself.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

You do not need a new degree.
You do not need a perfectly curated brand.
You do not need 10,000 followers.
You do not need to feel 100% confident.

You need courage. And you need action.

Susan didn’t wait until she felt worthy of the title “author.” She wrote the book first.

Confidence comes after movement — not before it.

How Do You Reinvent Yourself in Midlife?

Midlife reinvention doesn’t require burning your life down.

Sometimes it simply means adding the thing that’s been calling you.

For Susan, that looked like:

• Writing at the end of the bar between customers

• Sketching illustrations in crayon

• Talking about her book before it was “big”

• Starting before she felt fully ready

Reinvention can start small.

It can start messy.

It can start quietly.

But it has to start.

The Bigger Lesson

This episode isn’t just about a children’s book.

It’s about modeling courage for the next generation.

It’s about showing your daughters and granddaughters what’s possible.

It’s about refusing to shrink yourself just because you’ve hit a certain birthday.

And it’s about understanding that your dreams were given to you for a reason.

Not to tease you.
Not to mock you.
Not to sit on a shelf.

To be lived.

A Gentle Nudge for You

If there’s something tugging at you, ask yourself:

• What dream have I quietly postponed?

• What would “book one” look like for me?

• Who would benefit from seeing me try?

• What’s one small step I could take this month?

You don’t have to overhaul your life.

You just have to stop waiting for someday.

Because someday has a sneaky way of becoming never.

And as Susan would say — and as she signs every one of her books —

Follow your dreams.

It’s not too late.

If this conversation stirred something in you, I’d love to hear it. And if you need someone in your corner reminding you that visibility is service and your voice matters… you know where to find me.

~Penny

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