Globally Grounded: Episode 17
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In this episode, Kyra explores the reality of midlife career pivots and why reinvention is both increasingly common and surprisingly difficult depending on where you live. She breaks down how cultural attitudes and safety nets shape who gets to pivot (and who doesn't) across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Sharing her own journey from international development to consulting to tech to entrepreneurship, Kyra gets honest about what these transitions actually required. She tackles the harder questions too, like whether reinvention is a privilege or necessity, how we define success after a pivot, and what it would take to make career changes less risky for everyone. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start over at 40+, this episode will challenge that assumption.
Episode Takeaways
Midlife pivots are shaped by systems, not just courage. Where you live determines your ability to reinvent; this includes healthcare tied to employment, safety nets, and cultural attitudes toward age and risk all play a massive role in whether pivoting feels possible or punishing.
Your skills travel, even when your job title doesn't. The fear when switching industries is that our experience won't be relevant, but transferable skills (e.g., managing complexity, navigating ambiguity, communicating clearly) matter more than our CVās industry labels.
You're not starting from zero; you're starting from everything you've built. By the time you're 40 or 50, you have perspective, experience, and a body of work. Reinvention isn't abandoning your past, it's putting it to better use.
Success after a pivot doesn't always look like a promotion. Sometimes it's more flexibility, better alignment with your values, or work that doesn't drain you. Letting go of conventional markers of success is hard, but often necessary.
Not everyone can pivot, and we need to talk about that (more!). Glorifying reinvention without acknowledging barriers like financial instability, caregiving responsibilities, or lack of safety nets risks shaming people for staying when that's the most responsible and practical choice they can make in that moment.
Sources
AARP
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Harvard Business Review
World Economic Forum
McKinsey & Company
Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training
European Commission/Eurostat
ILO (International Labour Organization)
