When I first heard about Sharon Macey, it was through a networking group, Entreprenista. I asked if anyone knew women doing interesting things in midlife. Stephanie Cartin immediately said, “You need to talk to Sharon from Mom to More.”
I looked up her podcast, listened to a few episodes, and I wanted to bring her story here.
Sharon is the mind behind Mom to More, an award-winning, top 2 percent globally ranked podcast that helps women rediscover purpose and build a new chapter after the hands-on parenting years. Before that, she spent more than 20 years in advertising and brand storytelling.
She also spent nearly that long raising three kids while trying to keep a creative spark alive between carpools, volunteering, and everything that comes with motherhood.
“What am I going to do when my kids grow up?”
For years Sharon thought she was asking herself, “What will I do when I grow up?” Eventually she realized the real question was, “What will I do when my kids grow up?”
She had stepped away from traditional work to raise her kids while juggling a few clients, serving on school boards, co-chairing galas, and living in her car like many of us did when our kids were little.
The idea that a stay-at-home mom “isn’t working” is something she wishes we would retire for good.
Becoming an empty nester
Her youngest left for college in 2020. Her older two were already out of the house. She cried each time they left because who doesn’t (I know I did), but she also felt something else. She felt ready and, more importantly, her children felt ready too.
“I wasn’t standing there wondering what I would do next,” she told me. “I already had things in my life I was excited about.”
Her advice for women before their kids leave is to start something that is yours now so you do not feel like the ground disappears underneath you later.
Navigating menopause while parenting teens
Sharon suspects she went through perimenopause while she still had a baby on her hip. Imagine new-mom fatigue mixed with hot flashes and hormone chaos. At the time she did not name it. She just labeled it “life is crazy.”
Later, when the kids were older, she realized her hormones needed real support. Today she uses hormone therapy that includes progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. It has made a difference in her sleep, her mood, and her sexual health.
We both believe these conversations should feel normal. Sexual health does not vanish because we are in our fifties or sixties. In many ways it becomes more important.
Staying strong through midlife
Movement is a central part of Sharon’s life. She strength trains three times a week, does high intensity intervals once or twice a week, and competes in Latin ballroom dancing.
She recently lifted 185 pounds on a hex bar deadlift. That tells me everything I need to know!
Strength training is a non-negotiable for her. It is essential for women our age. It supports bone density, muscle retention, balance, mood, and longevity.
Many women fear “bulking up.” Sharon is clear that this fear holds us back. You do not bulk up from lifting a few times a week. What you do is stay strong, mobile, and independent.
One of my favorite things she said was this:
“Decide how you want to be in your nineties and then reverse engineer your life now so you can get there.”
How brands get older women wrong
Before Mom to More, Sharon lived in the world of advertising. Now that she is in the demographic brands often ignore, she sees the disconnect clearly.
Women in their fifties and sixties often have more disposable income than ever. We are loyal. We buy for ourselves, our homes, our partners, our parents, and sometimes our grown kids.
Yet we are advertised to as if we are fragile or on the brink of decline. I (Lorraine) get more pitches about Medicare, senior living, and incontinence than anything else. These are real topics and I am happy to raise awareness about health issues, especially heart health given my own SVT (supraventricular tachycardia diagnosis and past colon cancer scares. But it cannot be the full picture.
As Sharon says, we travel, lift, hike, dance, start businesses and live fully. Brands should show that.
“They have a massive misconception about who we are and what we are capable of,” Sharon said, and I agree.
The joy of dance
Dance has been part of Sharon’s life for decades. After stepping away while her kids were young, she found her way back through adult classes and eventually discovered Latin ballroom.
She began competing seven years ago and won her category at nationals in 2022. She has moved up from bronze to silver and continues to train.
She did not start as an expert. She often joined classes that were above her level and figured things out inch by inch until she found her rhythm again.
Her advice for women who feel a pull toward something new is simple. Try it. You never know what might stick.
Reinvention is lifelong
When I asked Sharon what she wants most for the women who listen to her podcast, she knew exactly what to say.
“You already did the hardest job on the planet. If you can raise human beings, you can do anything.”
Her goals now are to grow Mom to More, bring on more sponsors, submit the show for more awards, and keep reaching women who are ready for their next chapter even if they do not feel ready yet.
She said, “You do not become ready before you start. You become ready because you start.”
If you struggle to believe in yourself, you can borrow someone else’s belief until yours catches up. I lived that myself when I was a single mom rebuilding from scratch.
Her podcast is on all major platforms. Search for Mom to More and you will find conversations with women building new chapters in their own lives.
