This panel conversation explores how learning at midlife is shaped less by what we are taught and more by what we have had to face, unlearn and reframe along the way.

Hosted by Remi Baker, founder of The Third Chapter, this session brings together three women in conversation. Not as experts delivering advice, but as people reflecting honestly on what life and work have taught them about themselves, and how that self‑knowledge continues to shape how they learn, adapt and contribute.

What each guest does professionally is secondary. The focus is on insight gained through experience, reflection and change.

What this session is about

This panel supports the Learning at Work Week theme Learn for Life by exploring how self‑knowledge developed through lived experience becomes a foundation for ongoing learning.

At midlife, learning often looks different. It is less about accumulation and more about discernment. Less about external validation and more about internal alignment. This conversation creates space to explore that shift openly and thoughtfully.

The emphasis is on personable dialogue rather than expert commentary, with scope for guests to respond to and build on one another’s reflections.

The conversation will explore

Each panel guest will be invited to reflect on a core question drawn from themes such as:

• What feels most different about how they see themselves in this chapter of life
• What they have had to let go of – an expectation, identity or way of being – in order to move forward
• How their relationship with learning, change and adaptation has evolved over time
• Moments when something old no longer fit, and what they did with that realisation
• What has helped them stay open and curious through uncertainty
• What they are carrying forward into the next chapter, and what they are leaving behind

What you’ll take away

This session is not about prescriptions or answers. It is about perspective.

Participants will leave with:

• A deeper appreciation of learning through lived experience
• Language to reflect on their own transitions and adaptations
• Reassurance that learning continues, even when paths become less linear
• Practical prompts to support reflection, growth and curiosity in their own lives and work

Who this session is for

This panel will resonate with anyone reflecting on change, growth and learning over time, particularly:

• HR and People leaders supporting diverse career journeys
• Leaders navigating transition, reinvention or recalibration
• Professionals at midlife asking different questions of work and learning
• Anyone interested in learning that extends beyond formal development

Why this conversation matters now

As careers lengthen and working lives evolve, learning can no longer be treated as something that happens only at the start or in neat stages.

Midlife is often where assumptions are challenged, identities are reshaped and new forms of learning emerge. Creating space for honest conversations about that experience is essential if organisations are serious about lifelong learning, inclusion and sustainable contribution.

This panel offers that space.

Get in touch with Let’s Talk Talent to find out more about how we support learning at every stage of your people’s careers.