What Women in Their 40s Are Really Talking About (And Why It Matters) with Catherine Zack

First official solo episode. Just Cath today & she pulls back the curtain on what's emerging across the first arc of The 40 Portal: the themes, the feedback, and what it actually feels like to be in the middle of building something for women in their 40s that took her completely by surprise.Creativity. Identity. Motherhood and the versions of it that don't get airtime. The myth that we're always behind. Fawning. The achievement generation. The freedom of saying I'm doing this because I want to.She also reads a piece of submitted wisdom from an upcoming guest. And makes the case for why doing this inner work IRL, in community hits different than anything you'll find online. Two spots remain for her women's retreat in the Hudson Valley, June 17–19. Details in the links below.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Welcome 02:17 — On being bad at tech and being okay with it03:51 — 40 Portal origin story08:21 — Real-life community, and why this project is bigger than Cath16:07 — The question of midlife crisis bangs19:20 — Ep 1: Kate Schmieding on creativity, friendship, and being cool because you're you26:22 — Ep 2: Clara Artschwager on full plates, "no there there," and the hamster wheel31:54 — Ep 6: Francesca Choy-Kee Damico on not being late, just right on time35:07 — Ep 3: Dinah Alobeid on existential crises and creativity as resistance38:03 — Ep 5: Alison Matheny on grief, freedom, and childless by circumstance41:40 — Ep 4: Becca Piastrelli on why we don't disappear after 4047:59 — Cath's own story: Big Law, leaving at 28, building from the inside out51:01 — The June retreat: what you'll experience, two spots left55:51 — Reading live from the portal: Emily Drake's submitted wisdomLINKS:Submit your voice to the portal: https://forms.gle/FpqHwYgZ1HBFK1kr5 Follow on Substack: https://substack.com/@the40portal June retreat application (2 spots left): https://forms.gle/WbWLniPEqbhGKg699 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The40Portal Kate Schmieding, Ep 1: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-187232233 Clara Artschwager, Ep 2: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-188033477 Dinah Alobeid, Ep 3: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-188791730 Becca Piastrelli, Ep 4: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-189474363 Alison Matheny, Ep 5: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-191769410 Francesca Choy-Kee Damico, Ep 6: https://substack.com/@the40portal/p-192511535