When was the last time you let yourself try something just because?

Pia Mailhot-Leichter has spent a lifetime steeped in creativity—from her early days growing up with an artist father in New York City, to her years as a successful creative director, to now coaching women around the world to reconnect with their own creative power. But as she so beautifully reminds us in this week’s episode, creativity isn’t just about what you produce—it’s a way of being.

Our conversation dives into the messy, beautiful space between what was and what’s next—that uncertain stretch of road that so many women find themselves standing on in midlife. Whether you’re being nudged toward a new career path, feeling called to start a passion project, or simply wondering, “What’s next for me?” Pia has wisdom (and warmth) to spare.

She shares her own turning point—leaving behind a high-powered role in advertising after the sudden loss of her mother—and how grief cracked her open to the life she really wanted. She didn’t have a step-by-step plan. She didn’t have guarantees. But she did have a deep desire to create from her own truth instead of someone else’s.

"Creativity isn’t just something we do—it’s how we see our lives, how we solve problems, how we choose to respond."

We talked about what it means to trust yourself in real time (spoiler: it’s a practice), how to hold space for uncertainty without trying to fill it too fast, and how to recognize when a version of you—your work, your identity, your way of being—has run its course.

And we also laughed. We celebrated kombucha-fueled sunsets, “beginner energy,” and those unexpected sparks of joy that show up when you give yourself permission to not know and move forward anyway.

Whether you’re thinking about pivoting, exploring your next chapter, or simply needing a reminder that you’re allowed to change—you’ll love this conversation.

Here are just a few takeaways you won’t want to miss:

• Why uncertainty is not just scary—it’s where possibility lives

• How Pia redefined creativity after burnout, loss, and reinvention

• What neuroscience says about new experiences and fresh ideas

• The connection between courage, joy, and experimentation

• How community and creative partnership can help you go further

If you’ve been feeling that little nudge to start something new, or return to something that used to light you up, this episode is your permission slip to explore, play, and begin again.

Want more like this?
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You’re not starting over—you’re starting from experience. And that’s powerful.

Connect with Pia: https://kollektiv.studio/