About Joanna Maxwell
Over the years I’ve become pretty well-qualified to write about changing identities, rethinking careers and what it takes to flourish as you grow older.
It all started as a small child, when I just knew I was an alien. I spent hours in our backyard scanning the night sky for the planet where my real family lived. Gradually, it dawned on me that I was in fact human and had a loving family here on earth. After a somewhat brutal adjustment period, I accepted my fate. But it took me many years to truly fit in on this planet, to find my tribe and develop a sense of belonging, let alone to feel I was flourishing, or even knew what that would look like.
In my working life, I meandered from a legal career, through academic teaching, freelance journalism, film writing, training as a therapist and working as a coach, teacher of adults and a consultant. I picked up qualifications in arts (B.A.), law (LL.B and LL.M), coaching (PCC), training (TAE), therapy and education (M.Ed.). (I like learning…)
In my early 40s, I founded my own business, which I ran for nearly 20 years. I ran career-change programs (a role for which I was clearly well qualified). I used creative thinking to teach people to think differently. I started to flourish. I started my blog and I kept on writing.
I ran a business startup program for migrant women in Lakemba for five years. I helped people over 40 who wanted to rethink their work, and I consulted with employers to help them appreciate and integrate several generations into their workforces. A real highlight was being resident coach on two series of Ray Martin’s The Road Next Travelled radio show, which focused on Aussies changing their lives in their 50s. I published a book on creative thinking and kept on writing.
Now I work to help older Australians of all ages and backgrounds feel they belong and have a way to contribute – and to flourish. That’s why I wrote Rethink your Career in your 40s, 50s and 60s (HarperCollins 2017). And that’s why I spent nearly 8 years at the Australian Human Rights Commission as a Director in the Age Discrimination and Human Rights teams.
Now I am writing my next book – Flourish as you Age. And I am running workshops and talks on flourishing, even doing some coaching. I am very open to interesting collaborations.
Watch this space.
Workshops
I love running workshops. These are interactive opportunities to understand what it takes to flourish as you age, no matter your circumstances. There’s plenty of scope to think about your own priorities, to discuss things with others and to ask questions.
I am running these for community groups, local councils and government agencies, for their older community members or for their staff.
I will also put on some public workshops in late 2026.
Please express interest in either kind of workshop through the button below and we can have a chat.
Speaking
I speak to organisations, community groups, events and conferences on a range of topics such as:
- How to flourish as you age
- Navigating your career in midlife and beyond
- Planning for what used to be called retirement
- Multigenerational teams
I can also tailor a presentation to your precise needs.
Get in touch using the button below, tell me what you are looking for, and we can arrange a chat.
Coaching
I have been coaching for 20 years and still love working one-on-one. I keep a few coaching slots for two kinds of individual clients:
- Those who are looking to rethink their career in midlife or later
- People who are interested in (non-financial) retirement planning or more broadly exploring how to flourish in their next stage
Get in touch using the button below, tell me what you are looking for, and we can arrange a chat.
