Rocking Midlife - Episode 79 Cat Culoccio
Like so many women who are also Mums, Cat had put her kids and husband first, right up the top of the Priority Totem Poll. Years were spent on the road delivering her elite sports kids to events, fundraising and on planes. She even home-schooled them towards the end of their high school years so they could juggle school and competing.
So when her daughter finished school and ”What now? Where next?” questions loomed large and loud in Cat’s life.
She was qualified teacher, but knew her purpose was no longer in the classroom. Instead she got curious, started researching and followed her heart…. Which led her to moving far out of her comfort zone, training to become a Personal Trainer, qualifying with a renewed sense of purpose and self-belief.
In an energising and wide-ranging conversation, Cat and I agree and resonate on so many levels as we encourage you t explore the bigger picture of what could be. I know you’ll love this chat.
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Show Notes
In her next chapter, Cat also added Life Coaching qualification and her new focus of “Rocking Midlife” and encouraging others to do the same began to emerge as her growing tribe rallied around her messages of possibility, energy and the pursuit of happiness.
Today Cat has moved further into her purpose, letting go of the PT work after many years and now identifying as a speaker and a motivator. “Find your thing” she says, “Find your thing and do it well, do it wholeheartedly – it will impact your whole world in ways you can’t even begin to imagine right now. Research ideas, reconnect to what brings you joy, get a coach, book tickets to events – whatever your heart tells you, just TAKE ACTION!. It’s time to back yourself”.
It’s ok to back yourself even without evidence of actual, immediate, tangible returns right now.
Live in the tension between satisfaction and dissatisfaction – between being happy with who and what you are and have now, but wanting more. That’s where possibility dwells and readies you for the next evolution of you.
Seek out community – it’s vital, especially as we enter new horizons to know you are not alone and your feelings are valid
Your desire for significance is very real and completely understandable – midlife is a time of introspection before expansion
Sometimes you really need tough talk to get yourself moving – don’t get stuck in the soft feelings
But don’t forget to PLAY!
About the speaker
Cat’s passion is to see women living fulfilled, joyful and purposeful lives – especially at midlife which can be such a tumultuous season. Through her speaking, writing and coaching she wants to provide midlife women with the encouragement, motivation and tools to enable you to truly ROCK their midlife.
As a life-long creative, Cat penned her first earth-shattering novel “The Purple Mouse” at the tender age of five. She’s, written all her life on the side, while recording and performing in front of thousands as a professional musician.
Cat has also worked with people of all ages in varying roles including as a high school teacher, a music director, a conductor, a lecturer, a principal of a tertiary training college and in what she described as her most important role – as a wife of nearly 30 years and a mother or two ( which included six years of homeschooling in their high school years.)
Once her youngest child headed off to university, Cat embarked on her own Midlife Reinvention. At age 44, she went back to school alongside classmates younger than her own children and graduated as a qualified personal trainer as top of her class.
She then spent the following seven year working on the gym floor in South Auckland, encouraging and challenging men and women to change their lives too – both IN and OUTSIDE the gym.
Over the years though, Cat found that many of her female clients were looking down the barrel of midlife, and realising that so many of them were entering this season of life in trepidation, she decided to focus her unique brand of tough-love coaching on encouraging and challenging women over 40 to embrace this season and live their best lives ever.
She offers speaking events, books and coaching for women who truly want to ROCK their Midlife.
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