This Week at The After Party: Rewrite the Script

 🥂 Opening Toast 

To the women rewriting midlife as the main plot twist.

For a long time, reinvention was treated like a last resort, something you did when life fell apart or the story you were writing stopped making sense. But what if reinvention isn’t the sequel? What if it’s the story?

Reinvention isn’t a crisis; it’s a calling. It’s that quiet nudge that whispers, You’ve outgrown this version of yourself. It’s what happens when your soul wants more than stability, it wants truth.

We’ve been told our 40s and 50s are about maintenance: keep the career steady, keep the relationships smooth, keep it all together. But some of the most magnetic women I know are the ones tearing up the old script entirely, and writing a better one.

They’re launching new companies, divorcing what no longer fits (in business and in life), changing careers, finding their voices, and reclaiming their power with the kind of clarity that only comes from lived experience.

⭐️ Look at Vera Wang, who didn’t design her first wedding dress until she was 40.
⭐️ Or Julia Child, who didn’t step in front of a camera or publish her first cookbook until her late 40s.
⭐️ Or Robin Arzón, who left a law career to become a Peloton instructor and executive, proving that sometimes the next chapter isn’t a continuation, it’s a rebirth.

These women didn’t “start over.” They started true.

That’s the beauty of midlife, you finally stop performing for approval and start living with intention. You trade “Should I?” for “Why not?” and realize that the best parts of your story are still being written.

So here’s to the women who no longer wait for permission slips.
Who choose curiosity over comfort.
Who understand that every version of us, even the messy ones, led us right here.

This isn’t your comeback story.
It’s your becoming story.

💋
— Robyn Cohen & The After Party Crew

🎤 Mic Drop

The world keeps telling women over 40 to “pivot quietly,” to make their moves gracefully, without disrupting the narrative. But here’s the truth: reinvention is disruptive by design. It shakes the table. It challenges the idea that success is a straight line.

And it’s not just anecdotal, it’s universal. Studies show that women over 45 are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America. They’re leaving jobs that no longer align, starting new ventures, going back to school, launching podcasts, and leading companies with wisdom that can’t be faked.

The takeaway? Reinvention isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about becoming fully you.

🔍 Ask Yourself

• What story about “what’s too late” have I been telling myself, and is it even true?

• Where have I been playing a role that no longer fits, and what would it look like to rewrite that scene?

• What would my next chapter look like if I let curiosity lead instead of fear?

✍️ Challenge of The Week

Do one thing your past self would have been afraid to try:

• Send the pitch.

• Sign up for the class.

• Post the thing you’ve been overthinking.

Prove to yourself that bravery is a muscle, and midlife is its training ground.

📚 Want To Go Deeper?

Here are a couple of great articles that reinforce this week’s theme:

• 📈 Over 40? Here’s Why It’s Time To Launch That Side Hustle — Forbes

• 🧠 The Art of Reinvention — Creative Alchemy

• 🔥 Top Ten Career Paths for Women Over 50 — Beyond the Dream Board

🪞 Note to Self

Every version of me was right for her time.

👑 The Guest List

Bobbi Brown — Makeup Artist, Beauty Mogul, Reinvention Icon

When you think about reinvention with intention, Bobbi Brown’s story offers a vivid blueprint. She began her career as a makeup artist, graduating from Emerson College with a degree in theatrical makeup and photography, then moving to New York in 1980 to work professionally.

In 1991, she co-founded her namesake brand, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, with the goal of creating makeup that looked natural and lived beautifully on real women, starting with ten lipstick shades she developed herself.

What began as a small idea quickly became a global phenomenon. In 1995, Estée Lauder Companies purchased her brand, and by 2014 her line represented roughly 10% of the company’s total sales.

But here’s where reinvention truly kicks in: in 2016 she stepped away from her namesake company. Instead of resting on her legacy, she refocused, obtaining certification as a health coach, launching a wellness-lifestyle company (Evolution_18), and later debuting a new clean-beauty brand, Jones Road, in 2020.

Her career arc is not about one big win. It’s about continual pivots, respecting what she built while making space for what’s next. At age 63 and beyond, she models exactly what this week’s theme is all about: rewriting the script and making reinvention a lifestyle rather than a one-time act.

Here’s what to take from Bobbi’s journey:

• She leveraged experience but didn’t allow it to become a cage.

• She shifted focus from beauty to wellness, from founder to creator, from the masses to leadership in a new space.

• She bridged continuity and change, maintaining her values of simplicity and authenticity, even when the business model evolved.

When we think of Bobbi Brown, the message that comes to mind is: mid-life, or any life stage, is the perfect moment to ask: What’s next, and how am I going to build it differently?

🔍 Want to learn more about Bobbi Brown? Check out the links below! 

📚 Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention — Bobbi reveals how a young girl from suburban Chicago who was bored at school but had a budding entrepreneurial spirit that she inherited from her Papa Sam, grew up to become a makeup artist to the stars and a beauty industry icon who built two juggernaut brands.

🎙️ Inside the mind of a beauty industry rebel: Bobbi Brown, On with Kara Swisher — On this podcast with Kara Swisher, Bobbi opens up about: building Bobbi Brown Cosmetics into a household name, what really happened when she left Estée Lauder, launching Jones Road in the middle of the pandemic, competing in today’s beauty world dominated by influencers, celebrities, and AI, and her lessons on confidence, resilience, and staying true to your vision

🎥 Bobbi Brown on Reinvention, Resilience, and the Power of Starting Over, Today Show — Bobbi opens up to Hoda about her mother’s struggle with mental illness, her unlikely path to becoming a world-renowned makeup artist, and the moment she walked away from the brand that bore her name

 🎁 Party Favors

This week’s party favors are all about helping you step into your reinvention era:

💄 Try it! The Makeup Travel Kit 2.0 by Jones Road — Achieve a glowing, suntanned look all year long with The Makeup Travel Kit 2.0. It has all the essentials for a weekend getaway, with products for your complexion; cheeks, eyes, and lips, along with a brush for easy application on the go.

📚 Use it! Life Reinvention Planner & Workbook by Handcrafted Adventure — Ready for a fresh start? The Life Reinvention Planner & Workbook (Printable PDF) helps you reflect, reset, and create a life that feels intentional. Whether you’re navigating a career change, an empty nest, or simply craving new direction, this guided workbook gives you structure and clarity to move forward with confidence.

👚 Wear It! Italian Leather Diamond Stitch Tote by Quince — This tote redefines the timeless with an air of refined elegance. Expertly crafted from buttery soft Italian leather, this tote seamlessly blends style and utility, making it a perfect companion for the modern professional.

📣 Last Call…

Before we turn the lights up...

You’re part of a growing circle of women rewriting midlife—and that’s worth celebrating. Here’s how to keep the movement alive:

💌 Add [email protected] to your contacts so you never miss a Sunday drop.

💛 Invite your friends to join The After Party: SUBSCRIBE HERE!

💬 Hit reply and tell us what you’re reinventing this week, we might feature your story in an upcoming issue.

📲 Stay connected on Instagram and LinkedIn.

(Products featured are handpicked by The After Party crew. Purchases through links may earn us a small commission—it’s how we keep the champagne chilled.)

Until next week,