Boarded up your midlife dreams? Time to call on your inner Detroit...
If you’d asked me ten years ago, I would’ve sworn it was too late for Detroit. The city I grew up next to had been through so much—boarded-up windows, empty blocks, headlines about decline.
I left at 21, moved to Colorado, and barely looked back. So when two Australians I met in Portland told me Detroit was their favorite U.S. city—after NYC, LA, Austin, Vegas, Boston, San Francisco—I thought they were joking.
They weren’t.
After three days downtown for a coaching event, I finally got it.
Detroit is thriving. Coffee shops buzzing, record stores spinning, murals wrapping whole buildings. Four sports arenas within walking distance. Historic buildings restored beside shiny towers. And the Diego Rivera murals at the DIA—somehow I missed them my entire childhood—had my jaw on the floor.
Here’s what floored me: locals are just as in awe. Every Uber driver, barista, and hotel clerk said the same thing—“it’s only been in the last 10 years.” A massive transformation in a blink of time. Proof that it’s never too late to build something incredible. It wasn’t too late for Detroit. And it’s not too late for us, either. The timing of this coaching event was synchronistic—I was already in Michigan dropping off my daughter for her second year at the University of Michigan.
Last year, when both twins left, I cried A LOT.
This year?
Only one good cry.
Because instead of feeling torn down, I’m actually enjoying my own renaissance. So if you’re feeling untethered after loft-building and Target runs, sitting in that liminal space of sad/happy/surreal—remember: you will reimagine what’s next. It’s not too late. You’re not too old. And it won’t take too long. If you’ve been playing small, maybe it’s time to call on your own personal Detroit. You are resilient. You are resourceful. You are creative. You’ve got gorgeous architecture in your bones.
So what’s your boarded-up dream?
—Finally calling yourself an artist?
—Writing that memoir?
—Launching the business you’ve been sketching on napkins?
—Loving yourself in a big way?
It wasn’t too late for Detroit. It’s definitely not too late for you.
That’s the work I love in 1:1 coaching—helping midlife women dust off their “Detroit” and bring their souls roaring back to life. Whether you’re dropping kids off, crying in the grocery store aisle, dreading the same-old work week, or itching for something more purposeful—I’d love to help you build your next chapter with 1:1 coaching. I’ve got a few rare openings right now (first time since January!). Because your Motor City mojo? It’s already there—you might just need a coach like me to help you see it.
With awe (and grit),
Lizzie LaRock Creator of The Life Feast & Art of Life Creativity Retreats
P.S. If Eminem is still rocking over 50, it’s definitely not too late for us either. 😉