Sarah Montague: An Example Of How Midlife Women Can Forge Resilience and Be An Example To The Next Generation
Midlife Renaissance
What happens when a successful woman reaches midlife and suddenly questions everything she thought she knew about herself? The answer might surprise you—and it's more powerful than you think.
The other day I had a wonderful conversation with the BBC journalist, Sarah Montague, as I interviewed her for my book on reclaiming your confident communication in midlife.
What struck me wasn't just her professional achievements, but how her journey mirrors the struggles and triumphs of countless women navigating the complex terrain of midlife reinvention.
The Art of Impossible Balance
Her experience of having three small children and a job where she was waking up at 3am to get to the studios, to be on air at 6am, reveals something profound about women's capacity for adaptation. She talked about it being a great set-up, as she would arrive home, post work, sleep for a few hours and then be able to pick them up from school.
I marvelled at her adaptability - but it's this ability so many women share: the strength to juggle countless demands by digging deep.
But here's what Sarah understood that many of us don't: she didn't try to be everything to everyone. Instead, she created a rhythm that worked for her family's unique needs.
How many of us exhaust ourselves trying to meet impossible standards instead of designing our lives around what actually matters?
The Weight of Perfectionism
Secondly, her resilience in the face of self-doubt - those moments when she felt she was never doing well enough. It's a feeling so many of us know too well: the sense that we're falling short, whether in our careers, our relationships, or as mothers.
We judge ourselves so harshly that we often forget to enjoy what we're actually doing. And in Sarah's case the stakes were even higher as any mistakes she made happened live, in front of millions of listeners. But as she so wisely put it, “success is built on the foundation of many failures”.
This resonates deeply with the women I coach. By midlife, we've accumulated decades of "shoulds" and "supposed tos". We carry the weight of others' expectations so heavily that we've forgotten our own voice.
Sarah's vulnerability in sharing her moments of doubt gives us permission to acknowledge our own—and more importantly, to see them as stepping stones rather than roadblocks.
Executive Presence: The Power of Women Supporting Women
Thirdly, she talked about how she had been supported when she first got the job on the Today programme. She told me that Sue MacGregor had been a great help, taking her out for lunches and advising her.
Now she is mentoring younger generations of women, both formally and informally, and so helping to hand on the baton.
This cycle of support is revolutionary. In a world that often pits women against each other, Sarah demonstrates the transformative power of intentional sisterhood. She didn't hoard her knowledge or protect her position—she shared it generously, creating a legacy that extends far beyond her own career.
What Sarah's Story Means for You
Sarah serves as a powerful role model for midlife women, embodying strength, resilience and the spirit of sisterhood. But more than that, she shows us that midlife isn't about accepting limitations—it's about leveraging decades of experience to create something extraordinary.
If you're reading this and recognising yourself in Sarah's story, you're not alone. The challenges of balancing impossible demands, battling self-doubt, and finding your authentic voice are universal experiences for women in midlife. But so is your capacity for resilience, adaptation, and growth.
The question isn't whether you have what it takes to navigate this transition—you absolutely do. The question is: what kind of support do you need to unlock your full potential?
Your Midlife Renaissance Awaits
At Vermillion Coaching, I work with women who are ready to stop role-playing life and start living purposefully. Women who want to transform their relationship with confidence, communication, and executive presence.
Women, who like Sarah, understand that their best chapters are still being written.
Your midlife story doesn't have to be about settling or stepping back. It can be about stepping up, speaking out, and showing the world—and yourself—what you're truly capable of.
Ready to discover what your next chapter looks like? Let's write it together.
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You will be able to read more of this interview when my book comes out later in the year. In the meantime, if Sarah's story has sparked something in you, I'd love to explore how coaching can help you reclaim your confident communication and create the midlife renaissance you deserve.
