You’re not starting over—you’re building on everything you’ve learned.
If you're in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and thinking, “What’s next for me?”—you’re not alone. Many midlife professionals are rethinking their careers, not because they failed, but because they’ve outgrown their current path.
Life coaching offers a unique opportunity: a fulfilling second act that leverages your experience, aligns with your values, and gives you the flexibility to build something truly meaningful.
Coaching isn’t just for 20-somethings with a dream and a laptop. In fact, the majority of coaching professionals fall between the ages of 40 and 59. That’s because coaching thrives on something you’ve been building for decades: experience.
Many professionals reach a point where success in the traditional sense—titles, promotions, paychecks—isn’t enough. They want their work to mean something. They want to make a difference. Coaching provides that outlet.
Whether it’s after a layoff, burnout, or simply a desire for more purpose, midlife career changers are choosing coaching because it offers a path to impact, income, and alignment—all without starting from scratch.
One of the biggest surprises for many new coaches is just how many of their existing skills translate beautifully into coaching.
If you’ve ever:
…then you’ve already been coaching—maybe without realizing it.
Skills like active listening, empathy, leadership, communication, and problem-solving are the foundation of great coaching. The difference is, with certification and training, you learn how to use them with intention, structure, and ethics.
Coaching offers more than a job title—it offers a new way of living and working.
You set your hours. You choose your clients. You work from home, a co-working space, or a quiet cabin in the woods. You get to work that actually energizes you instead of drains you.
But maybe the most powerful part? You get to reinvent yourself.
Coaching gives you the freedom to grow into a new version of your career—one that reflects your current values, your lived experience, and your future aspirations.
It’s not about discarding your past. It’s about finally putting it to work in a way that matters.
We’ve seen people from all walks of life transition into coaching after 40:
They didn’t need to start from scratch—they just needed the right training, structure, and support to step into a new identity with confidence.
Thinking about becoming a coach isn’t just a career question—it’s a life question.
Who do you want to become next?
How do you want to use your gifts?
What would it feel like to wake up excited to go to work?
If these questions resonate, coaching might be your answer.
The Certified Professional Empower Coach (CPEC) program through Oregon State University is designed for people just like you—professionals ready to shift into something more purposeful.
The program is ICF-accredited, neuroscience-informed, and led by expert coaches who’ve walked this path before. It’s flexible, supportive, and built to help you succeed—whether you want to coach full-time or integrate it into your current work.
🎓 Explore Oregon State and Empower’s Certified Life Coach Program today.
👉 Learn more and take the first step!
We’ve also put together a free guide to help you explore your options and take the next step.
FREE KIT DOWNLOAD
The Life Coaching Career Starter Pack
Includes:
* How to Become a Certified Life Coach
* Checklist — 7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Certification Program
* 5 Career Paths for Certified Coaches