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The Artist’s Way at 40: One Woman’s Unexpected Second Act | Calleen De Oliveira, Ep. 12

You’re good at your job, you’re juggling everything, and somewhere underneath all of it there’s a quiet question you haven’t answered yet: what do I actually want to do next? The problem isn’t that you don’t know how to work hard — it’s that no one ever taught you how to listen to yourself.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, Molly shares how The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron kept showing up in her life right when she needed it — and why that’s not as mystical as it sounds. Then she brings in Calleen De Oliveira, who used this exact book in her 40s to leave a 25-year advertising career, go to nursing school, and build a life she is proud of. What came out of those morning pages surprised even Calleen — and it went far beyond a career change. Plus: Molly announces the first Her Intentional Reset Experience: The Artist’s Way Creative Cluster, and is giving away eight copies of the book to listeners who want to join.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

  • [01:15] The three-day sequence that convinced Molly this book was worth paying attention to — and the neuroscience that explains why it happened
  • [06:52] What The Artist’s Way actually is — and why it’s not just for people who want to paint
  • [13:22] What morning pages did for Calleen that nothing else could: nursing school, sobriety, and a marriage she almost lost
  • [19:01] What a real Creative Cluster looks like — Calleen’s group of eight women stayed together for a decade
  • [24:15] The right mindset to bring into this 12-week practice (and what Calleen says to anyone who doesn’t want to commit)
  • [32:09] How to join the very first Her Intentional Reset Experience — The Artist’s Way Creative Cluster — and how to win one of eight free copies of the book

RESOURCES:

  • “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron |Amazon Link
  • “The Right to Write” by Julia Cameron |Amazon link here
  • Julia Cameron 12-Week Virtual Guide — will be available for HIRE: The Artist’s Way Creative Cluster participants only.

PODCAST REFERENCES:

  • Episode 11: HIR From Wall Street to Fashion Founder, Jennifer Conrad, Twigs
  • Episode 8: HIR From Spotify Exec to Solo Founder, Courtney Reimer
  • Mel Robbins Podcast: (on Reticular Activating System – RAS) 8 Things to Tell Yourself Every Morning

Her Intentional Reset Experience (HIRE): The Artist’s Way Creative Cluster

LOGISTICS: Her Intentional Reset Experience (HIRE)

  • Week 1 starts June 15th, 2026 – Week 12, Aug. 31st
  • June 17th, 2026 first virtual meeting
  • Bi-weekly virtual meetings through end of August
  • Come when you can. No pressure, no perfect attendance, no guilt.

If HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The Show

  • No pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend books and resources I genuinely use and believe in.

About the Show:

Her Intentional Reset is a midlife podcast for women navigating career change — honest, deep-dive conversations about career pivots, second acts, and reinvention with women who’ve actually lived it. This women’s empowerment podcast speaks to women in 30’s, 40, women over 50, Gen X women, working moms, empty nesters, and corporate women dealing with burnout — women redefining success and finding their why after a layoff, a career wall, or the moment work just stopped feeling right. Each episode traces a real transition story: the catalyst for change behind it, whether that’s a layoff story, career burnout, or hitting a wall; the steps and timeline behind how she actually made the change — quitting a corporate job, leaving corporate America, starting over professionally, and/or going from employee to entrepreneur; and an inside look at her industry along the way.

The conversations also get into the practical side most career-change content skips: transferable skills, upskilling and reskilling in midlife, starting a business with no experience, and career change without a degree. And because money is always part of the story, guests talk financial planning for a career change — paying yourself first, building a financial runway and safety net, income gaps, self-employed health insurance, saving for retirement while self-employed, and the money mindset it takes to trade a paycheck for financial freedom in midlife.

Guests share the career pivot lessons learned, the advice for career changers, and what they wish they’d known before quitting — then close out with a Rapid Round covering the real-life stuff: family recipes, book and show recommendations, a life motto, and a wellness or self-care tip for midlife women, because women are often each other’s best guides and teachers. It’s never too late to make a change, follow your intuition, and listen to that quiet voice — every episode leaves listeners feeling inspired and empowered to explore their own career pivot, second act, or next chapter, on their own terms. New episodes of this career change podcast and midlife podcast for women release biweekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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