65 Women of a Certain Age

Send us Fan Mail Women of a certain age often reach the height of their professional expertise while facing gendered ageism at work. In this episode of the Joyfully Unstoppable podcast, executive coach Becky Hamm explains how sexism and ageism affect women’s careers and what experienced women leaders can do to protect their professional power. You’ll learn how to: \-- Recognize gendered ageism in feedback, advancement, and succession decisions \-- Separate useful feedback from biased assumptions \-- Communicate your value to people with influence \-- Demonstrate your continued professional relevance \-- Evaluate whether your organization sees you in its future \-- Build career options from a position of leverage Gendered ageism can affect which women are hired, heard, developed, promoted, and retained. Middle-aged women bring decades of experience, judgment, relationships, and institutional knowledge to their organizations. This episode offers practical strategies for making that value visible and maintaining professional success throughout your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Joyfully Unstoppable 00:34 A personal update from Becky 02:37 What “women of a certain age” means at work 03:52 When professional experience starts working against women 06:51 What is gendered ageism? 10:46 How to separate bias from useful feedback 13:04 Four qualities of useful feedback 14:19 Questions to ask when feedback feels biased 17:09 How to make your professional value visible 22:28 How to demonstrate continued relevance 23:22 Three professional learning priorities 26:52 Does your organization still deserve your talent? 27:18 Signs your organization sees you in its future 27:55 Signs you may have reached the end of the road 29:54 Building your next chapter from a position of leverage 31:26 The professional value of women in middle age 32:47 Connect with Becky and preview the next episode If you are considering a career change, connect with Becky at @womenleadwell across all social platforms to schedule a complimentary 60-minute Leadership Strategy Consultation. How to Handle Criticism (blog post on growing from feedback): https://womenleadwell.net/how-to-handle-criticism/ #WomenOfACertainAge #GenderedAgeism #WomenInLeadership #AgeismAtWork #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerGrowth #WomenOver40 #WomenLeadWell #JoyfullyUnstoppable Joyfully Unstoppable: helping women succeed without the stress. **Subscribe so you never miss an episode!** ✨ **Let’s stay connected** Want more support as you lead with clarity, confidence, and joy? Here’s how we can keep growing together: 📋 Take the Executive Leader's Scorecard to find your leadership stage 📧 Join the Newsletter   and receive weekly leadership tips straight to your inbox! 🥳 Join the Women's Executive Leadership Lab 🌿 Meet Becky – Get to know the heart behind the mic 💼 Coaching for Women Leaders – Ready for personalized support? Explore 1:1 coaching 📚 Free Leadership Resources – Practical tools to help you lead (and live) well 🏡 Explore Women Lead Well – Learn more about Women Lead Well and everything we offer