What I Know Now: 10 Things I’d Tell the Woman Starting Over
I was 42.
Divorced.
Starting over in a city where no one knew my name, with nothing but a broken phone, a few lifelines from my fashion days, and a gut feeling that I wasn’t done.
I didn’t have a business plan.
I didn’t have a mentor or a roadmap.
But I had grit. I had instincts. And I had no other option but to figure it out.
Looking back now - after years of rebuilding, reinvention, and moving millions in luxury real estate - there are a few things I wish someone would’ve told me.
So this is for the woman who’s starting over. Whether you're 32, 42, or 62.
Whether it's a divorce, a career pivot, a total identity crisis, or all of the above - here's what I know now.
You’re not behind. You’re just getting honest.
The second you realize the life you built doesn’t fit anymore - that’s the real beginning. Not the end.
Starting over doesn’t mean starting small.
Just because you’re in a rebuilding season doesn’t mean you shrink. Go big. Take the meeting. Ask the question. Say yes before you feel ready.
Silence doesn’t mean failure.
The quiet seasons will scare you. The slow days. The ghosted emails. The canceled meetings. But those are the days that force your foundation. Stay in it.
People will underestimate you. Let them.
The beauty of reinvention is that no one sees you coming. Let your past speak for itself - and let your next chapter speak louder.
Experience is your edge.
You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from wisdom. Everything you’ve walked through counts. Use it.
You don’t need a plan. You need momentum.
I didn’t map out a five-year business model. I said yes to a $3.2M listing, then figured it out by showing up, watching the pros, and outworking everyone in the room.
Grief and ambition can coexist.
You can miss your old life and still build something better. You can cry in the car and then close the deal. That’s not weakness. That’s power.
There will be people who want the “old you” back.
They’ll want the quieter version. The people-pleaser. The woman who didn’t take up space. Ignore them. You don’t owe anyone your past self.
Reinvention isn’t a trend. It’s a fight.
This isn’t a TikTok glow-up montage. It’s lonely. It’s unglamorous. It’s real. But it’s also yours - and that’s what makes it beautiful.
You don’t need permission. You just need to decide.
Stop waiting to feel qualified. You don’t need to earn your way into the next version of yourself. Claim it. Then back it up with action.
Final word?
The woman I was at 42 was terrified.
She felt invisible. Behind. Too late. Too tired.
But she showed up anyway. And that changed everything.
So if you’re in that same place - starting over, scared, uncertain - know this:
You’re not broken.
You’re not done.
You’re just becoming.
Now go build something only you could build.
– G
