Why Women Over 40 Need to Rethink Income in an AI World

How can women turn experience, insight and emerging technologies into additional and new sources of income?

Income is the foundation of wealth creation. A woman who is gainfully employed or generating a profit from a business she has created has greater capacity to provide for her loved ones, invest in her future and contribute to her community.

However, for many women over 40, the question of earning becomes more complex. Years of professional experience may sit alongside career interruptions, changing family responsibilities, redundancy, a desire for greater flexibility or the realisation that the career path once imagined no longer fits.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate, how work is organised and what employers value. Some women are experiencing redundancy, others feel stuck in work that no longer fulfils them, while many are questioning how their skills and experience will remain relevant as industries and occupations evolve.

These circumstances can create uncertainty, but they also make it important to reconsider how women approach earning and where new opportunities might lie.

The challenge is not simply to keep up with technology. It is to understand where your experience, capabilities and judgement can create value in an economy that is changing around you. It means being strategic about these changes, identifying opportunities and finding ways to bring your capabilities to the market.

Earning in the AI era requires more than finding employment. It calls for creativity, an entrepreneurial mindset, curiosity, a willingness to start, and the initiative to turn what you know into something that creates value for others.

It also means learning to use technology as a tool and a source of leverage not only to become more productive, but to create. Technology can help women develop ideas, test solutions, reach customers, build new capabilities and explore different forms of work and income.

And this is a conversation women over 40 need to be part of.

The experience advantage: what do you bring to the table?

Women often underestimate the economic value of what they already know.

Consider the experience accumulated over 15, 20 or 30 years: managing people, understanding customers, negotiating, solving problems, navigating difficult situations, building relationships, managing budgets, developing businesses or delivering complex projects.

These capabilities do not automatically translate into a new opportunity. They need to be recognised, articulated and connected to a market that values them.

Start by looking beyond your job title.

Instead, ask:

What problems have I learned to solve?
What do people regularly ask me for help with?
Which decisions can I make confidently because of my experience?
What knowledge have I accumulated that could be useful to another organisation or group of people?
Which of my capabilities could be applied in a different industry?
What could I do today that I could not do ten years ago?

This is an exercise in identifying your economic value.

Your previous job title describes where you have worked. Your capabilities help reveal where you could go next.

Stop waiting for a vacancy: create an opportunity

One of the most interesting examples of entrepreneurial career thinking comes from Nicole Vanderbilt, featured in the Financial Times film The Infinite Career: Why We Can’t Retire.

Following redundancy from Etsy, where she had worked for eight years, Vanderbilt began considering how she might bring her experience in consumer internet businesses into the world of books. She had always been interested in working in the book industry. During the pandemic, she noticed that Bookshop.org had launched in the United States and recognised that its model could work in other markets.

She did not wait for an advertised position.

She contacted the company’s founder and CEO, explained the connection between her experience at Etsy and the opportunity she had identified, and expressed her interest in helping the business expand internationally.

Her approach offers an important lesson: you do not always have to find an existing job. Sometimes you can identify a business need and propose how you could help address it.

This is not about sending unsolicited messages asking someone to hire you. It is about doing your homework, identifying a genuine opportunity and making a credible business case for your contribution.

For women with substantial experience, this can be a powerful way to approach a career transition.

When the opportunity is something you build yourself

Not every woman who encounters barriers in employment will respond in the same way. Some will continue to pursue a role within an organisation. Others may discover that the problem they are experiencing points to a wider need that is not being addressed.

Stacey Duguid’s story illustrates this second route.

After a long career in fashion and publishing, Duguid found herself out of work for an extended period. At 52, and after 16 months of unsuccessful attempts to return to employment, she spoke publicly about her experience. Her account resonated with women who recognised their own experiences of age bias, rejection and difficulty re-entering the workforce.

With support and encouragement, she helped create Her Encore, a community for women navigating unemployment, underemployment and career transitions in midlife.

Her story is significant because she turned an individual experience into a collective platform. She identified a need for connection, resources, visibility and advocacy, and helped build a community around it.

There is also a direct connection to the AI conversation. Duguid has raised concerns about automated recruitment systems and AI screening potentially reinforcing age bias. Her example reminds us that technology can create new opportunities, but it can also reproduce existing inequalities when the systems are not designed or used fairly.

Her Encore is not simply a story about starting a business. It is also a story about recognising a wider social and economic problem and creating a response.

Your challenge may be someone else’s unmet need

We often look outside ourselves for opportunities: a new employer, a different industry, a business partner, a vacancy or a new market.

But sometimes we overlook something much closer to home.

The challenges we experience can reveal needs that other people share. And those needs may have economic and social value.

Consider Stacey Duguid. Her difficulty returning to work in midlife was not simply an individual career problem. The response to her public account revealed that many other women were experiencing similar difficulties. What began as a personal challenge became the basis for a community, shared resources and advocacy through Her Encore.

This illustrates an important form of entrepreneurial thinking: recognising a problem, understanding who else experiences it and considering what could be created in response.

That response might take different forms:

A product: something that addresses a practical problem.
A service: expertise or support that helps people overcome a challenge.
A platform or community: a space that connects people, resources and opportunities.
Advocacy: an organised effort to change practices, policies or systems.
A business: a financially sustainable solution to a need that customers are willing to pay to address.

Not every challenge will become a business, and not every valuable response will generate personal income. Community initiatives and advocacy may require partnerships, grants, donations or other funding models. A commercial idea also needs to be tested for demand, delivery costs and financial viability.

But the starting point is worth remembering:

Your lived experience is not only something you bring to a job interview. It may also give you insight into a problem that the market has yet to solve.

Rather than asking only, “Where are the opportunities?”, ask:

“What problem do I understand particularly well, who else experiences it, and what could I create that would make a difference?”

This is where experience, curiosity and entrepreneurial thinking meet.

Experience can become entrepreneurial capital

Fiona Hudson-Kelly offers another perspective.

A technology entrepreneur who had already established and run businesses, Hudson-Kelly decided to launch a third company at the age of 50. The business developed a digital platform that allowed apprenticeship providers and apprentices to complete paperwork online.

What is interesting about her story is how she describes the value of accumulated experience. Having built businesses before, she understood more about establishing a company culture, recruiting people, marketing a product and selling to customers.

She was not starting with the same knowledge or perspective she had at the beginning of her career. She was bringing years of learning into a new venture.

Her experience challenges the assumption that entrepreneurship belongs primarily to the young. It also shows that professional experience can become an important form of entrepreneurial capital.

Starting again with AI and technology

Jana Rose Stewart provides a more direct example of the intersection between midlife experience and emerging technology.

At 53, after a corporate career and years as a professional athlete, Stewart says she began building VelaHR, a digital workplace platform focused on helping employers create menopause-ready workplaces.

She describes learning no-code and AI tools as a beginner, drawing on her own experience and recognising a workplace need that she believed was not being adequately addressed.

Her story is particularly relevant because it brings together three elements: lived experience, an identified market need and a willingness to learn new technology in order to develop a solution.

It is not necessary to have spent a career in technology to begin exploring what technology can make possible. But it does require curiosity, learning and a clear understanding of the problem you want to solve.

These stories should not be mistaken for proof that every new venture will succeed or generate a sustainable income. They demonstrate different routes worth examining, not guaranteed outcomes.

Looking at the bigger commercial picture: Emma Grede

Emma Grede, co-founder of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS, is another compelling example of a woman who recognised a market opportunity and built businesses around it.

Her story is different from those of Duguid, Hudson-Kelly and Stewart. Grede built her entrepreneurial career relatively early, first establishing a talent and brand partnership business before using her experience and relationships to develop consumer brands.

With Good American, she identified an underserved market in fashion: women who were not adequately represented by conventional sizing. She brought together commercial insight, partnerships and a product proposition designed to address that gap.

Grede is not a like-for-like example of a woman over 50 reinventing her career. Nor should her scale of success become the standard against which women on the move measure themselves.

But her entrepreneurial approach offers a useful lesson: look for the customer or market need that others have overlooked, understand the opportunity and build a solution that creates value.

The principle is relevant whether the opportunity is a global consumer brand, a specialist consultancy, a digital service or a new professional role.

Seven ways to create your next income opportunity

There is no single route to earning. A traditional job may be the right choice for one woman; a portfolio of professional activities may suit another. Some may want to establish a business, while others may combine employment with independent work.

The important thing is to recognise that there is more than one route.

1. Raise your hand for an opportunity that does not yet have a job title

Look at companies, organisations and sectors you want to work with. Research their business models, expansion plans, operational challenges and emerging needs.

Then ask: where could my experience make a difference?

For example:

A company expanding into a new market may need someone who understands that market.
A growing business may need help professionalising its operations.
A founder may need an experienced person to develop partnerships or open new distribution channels.
An organisation adopting AI may need someone who understands its customers, processes and people, as well as the technology.

Develop a short proposal explaining the opportunity you see, the problem you could help solve and the value you could contribute.

Your message should communicate more than your availability. It should demonstrate your understanding of the business.

The strategy: approach organisations with an opportunity, not simply an application.

2. Reposition your experience for a different industry

Your experience may be more transferable than you think.

A finance professional may have the skills to work in fintech, business operations, risk, education or financial technology implementation.

A former teacher may bring valuable capabilities to learning design, corporate training, education technology or talent development.

A marketing professional may move into customer experience, brand strategy, partnerships or business development.

Identify three industries where your capabilities could be relevant. Study the language used in their job advertisements, identify the skills they require and establish what you need to learn.

Do not assume that changing industries means starting from zero.

The strategy: move your expertise into a market where it can create new value.

3. Build a portfolio career

A career does not have to depend on one employer.

A portfolio career combines different forms of professional activity. Depending on your experience and circumstances, this might include:

Part-time or full-time employment.
Consulting or independent advisory work.
Teaching, mentoring or professional training.
Speaking, writing or research.
Project-based assignments.
Non-executive or advisory roles, where appropriately qualified.

The combination can evolve. One activity may provide predictable income, while another builds a reputation or develops a new market.

This approach requires careful attention to workload, contracts, taxes, pricing and income volatility. It is not necessarily less work, but it can offer different ways to use your capabilities.

The strategy: diversify the ways your expertise generates income.

4. Turn your expertise into a service or business

You do not necessarily need a completely new business idea.

Start with a problem you understand particularly well.

Could you help small businesses improve their financial processes? Could you offer specialist training? Could you advise organisations navigating a particular market? Could you develop a service for a group whose needs are underserved?

A practical starting point is to define:

The customer you want to serve.
The problem they need solved.
The service or solution you could offer.
The evidence that customers are willing to pay for it.
How you will reach those customers.
What it will cost to deliver the service and what you need to charge.

Test the idea before making substantial financial commitments.

Entrepreneurship is not simply about being your own boss. It is about understanding customers, creating value, managing risk and building a financially viable activity.

The strategy: turn accumulated knowledge into something the market is willing to pay for.

5. Make your expertise visible

Being good at what you do and being recognised for it are not the same thing.

A strong professional profile can help people understand what you know, what you stand for and how you can contribute.

You might:

Publish a short article about a problem in your industry.
Share a case study demonstrating how you solved a challenge.
Speak at a professional event.
Participate in industry discussions.
Contribute to a specialist community.
Create a short presentation or practical guide.
Develop a focused professional website or portfolio.

You do not need to become an influencer. You need to make your expertise discoverable and credible.

A useful question is: if someone searched for the problem I solve, would they find evidence that I can help?

The strategy: build visibility around your expertise, not just your employment history.

6. Use AI to expand your capabilities

AI is changing the economics of work. It can help individuals research markets, prepare proposals, analyse information, develop content, automate selected tasks and experiment with new services.

For an experienced professional, the opportunity is not necessarily to become an AI engineer. It may be to combine existing expertise with the ability to use AI responsibly.

For example:

A consultant can use AI to support research and prepare an initial analysis.
A trainer can use AI to develop learning materials and adapt content for different audiences.
An entrepreneur can use AI tools to test ideas, improve customer communications and streamline selected business processes.
A professional returning to employment can use AI to research roles, identify skill gaps and prepare for interviews.

But technology should complement human judgement, not replace it.

Learn how to check AI-generated information, protect confidential data, recognise inaccuracies and understand the limitations of the tools you use.

The strategy: become the professional who knows how to combine experience, judgement and technology.

7. Build relationships before you need them

Opportunities often emerge through professional relationships, industry communities, former colleagues, clients, suppliers and people who understand your capabilities.

But networking should not become a series of requests for employment.

Approach it as an exchange of knowledge and value.

Reconnect with former colleagues. Attend events in sectors you want to understand. Ask informed questions. Offer to contribute to a discussion. Share useful research. Introduce people who could benefit from knowing each other.

And when you meet someone doing interesting work, be curious about the business problem they are trying to solve.

Your next opportunity may emerge from a conversation that begins with learning rather than asking.

The strategy: cultivate relationships that create access to information, collaboration and opportunity.

Your AI-era income strategy: think beyond one source

The traditional career model often assumes that income comes from one employer, through one role, along one relatively predictable path.

That model remains relevant for many people, but it is not the only possibility.

Women can explore different combinations of income:

Income pathway	What it may involve
Employment income	Salary, wages, bonuses and benefits
Professional income	Consulting, advisory work, freelance and project fees
Business income	Revenue generated by a business or enterprise
Knowledge-based income	Training, teaching, licensing, publications and intellectual property
Investment income	Income from financial or other productive assets, subject to risk

These categories are not interchangeable. They have different requirements, risks, costs, tax treatment and levels of predictability.

Nor does every woman need to pursue all of them.

The objective is to understand which combination makes sense for your circumstances, capabilities, financial needs and stage of life.

A practical exercise: design your next income opportunity

Rather than beginning with the question, “What job can I get?”, begin with a broader question:

What value can I create, and who might be willing to pay for it?

Take a sheet of paper and work through these five steps.

1. Identify your assets

List your professional experience, technical skills, relationships, industry knowledge, qualifications and transferable capabilities.

2. Identify market needs

Research organisations, customers and sectors where those capabilities could be useful. Look for problems, not just job advertisements.

3. Choose three possible routes

For example: a new employed role, an independent service and a proposal to an organisation whose business you understand.

4. Test one opportunity

Speak to potential customers, decision-makers or people in the industry. Ask questions. Validate demand before investing significant time or money.

5. Set an income action target

Choose a measurable action for the next 30 days: approach five organisations with a relevant proposal, arrange three industry conversations, publish one specialist article or test one paid service.

The aim is to move from reflection to action.

Earning is also a behavioural system

Knowing what you could do is only the beginning. Building income capacity requires consistent action.

It means making time to develop skills, researching opportunities, communicating your value, following up, negotiating and reviewing what is working.

It also means recognising the behavioural barriers that can hold women back: underpricing their expertise, waiting until they feel completely ready, avoiding negotiation, or assuming that a career transition must follow a conventional path.

Confidence matters, but confidence alone is not a strategy.

Create a system that supports action:

Awareness: recognise your capabilities, beliefs and financial needs.
Intention: decide what kind of income opportunity you want to pursue.
Action: take visible, measurable steps.
Consistency: make opportunity development part of your routine.
Feedback: assess responses, results and what you are learning.
Adaptation: adjust your approach as markets, technology and circumstances change.

The bigger picture: earning is the foundation of wealth creation

Earning more is not the same as building wealth. Income must be managed, retained, invested and protected.

But income capacity matters because it influences how much money a woman can allocate towards her immediate needs, financial resilience, investments and longer-term goals.

For women over 40, this is especially important. A longer working life may require a different approach to career planning, income generation and financial preparation.

The AI economy will create opportunities, transform existing roles and introduce new challenges. It will not affect every industry or worker in the same way. And technology alone will not remove the structural barriers women face in employment and business.

We need to address those barriers while equipping women to act with greater economic agency.

It is important to recognise that entrepreneurship is not the answer to every employment challenge. Women should not have to become founders simply because employers fail to recognise their value. Fair recruitment, age-inclusive workplaces and equal access to opportunity remain essential.

At the same time, women can equip themselves to recognise opportunities, make informed choices and create new forms of economic participation.

The next chapter of your working life does not have to be a repetition of the last.

You can reposition your experience. You can learn new capabilities. You can propose opportunities. You can build a business. You can combine different forms of work.

You can become more intentional about how you earn.

Your experience is an asset. Your ability to keep learning is an advantage. And your capacity to create income is something you can continue to develop.

WEMatter reflection

What if you stopped asking whether someone would give you a job and started asking where your experience could create value?

And what if the challenge you have been navigating is pointing you towards a need that you could help address?

EARN. KEEP. GROW. PRESERVE.

Because building wealth begins with building the capacity to earn.