Podcast Summary: The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode Title: Reinventing Life After 50: Belonging, Storytelling, and Midlife Empowerment with Shari

Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Sherry (Sherry Lead)
Date: December 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mitch Carson sits down with Sherry Lead, a former attorney turned author, speaker, and founder of the “Flip the Box” movement. Together, they tackle the profound themes of personal reinvention after fifty, the power of storytelling, connection, finding belonging, and navigating midlife transitions. Through candid stories about adoption, divorce, and dating, Sherry illustrates how challenging life events can become platforms for purpose and empowerment—especially for women embarking on new chapters in midlife.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sherry’s Unique Background and Early Years

• Adoption Story: Sherry was abandoned in Seoul, South Korea as a baby and found in a cardboard box with no name, birthdate, or identifying information.
  • “All of my life, this box was sort of a symbol that reminded me that I didn’t belong or I wasn’t connected.” (15:57)
• Sherry was adopted by Japanese-American parents in the U.S., themselves survivors of WWII internment camps.
• She had “very little connection” to Korean culture, only trying Korean food at age 40.
  • “I didn’t have a Korean dinner until I turned 40.” (02:33)

2. Journey of Reinvention: From Law to Midlife Empowerment

• Professional Path: Criminal prosecutor ➔ Civil litigation lawyer ➔ Stay-at-home mom ➔ Martial arts fitness instructor ➔ Author/Speaker/Retreat Leader.
• At age 49-50, she met individually with 50 women from her life, conversations that became a book and new career pivot.
  • “All after age 50, this whole life has opened up for me.” (06:10)
• Sherry reframes “midlife crisis” as “reinvention.” (06:16)

3. Midlife Divorce, Dating, and Self-Discovery

• Married for 27 years; filed for divorce at 53. Navigated dating apps (e.g., Tinder) for the first time in her 50s.
  • “I end up, Tinder gives me a free subscription at that point.” (07:17)
• Initially committed to only going on first dates during divorce process to learn about the landscape and herself.
• Noted how finances influence midlife dating more than in early adulthood, and the interplay of vulnerability and self-reliance in this stage.
  • “A lot of men my age feel that are very cautious because they feel they’ve been burned in their divorces...” (12:18)
  • “The fact that the financial piece plays in… I actually don’t really quite understand how to wrap my head around that yet.” (11:59)

4. The “Flip the Box” Movement: Creating Belonging Through Story and Community

• Origin: Her birth story—abandoned in a box—became a metaphor for perceived disconnection. But after purposeful interactions and shared meals with women across the U.S., she flipped the narrative:
  • “I had symbolically taken that box... and I had flipped it, and it had become a table where connection and belonging were found.” (16:39)
• Advocates for sharing meals as a tool for fostering genuine connection and belonging.
  • March 5 now recognized as “Flip the Box” Day by the National Archives. (17:49)
• “While most retreats take you away, this one will bring you home.” (18:09)

5. Identity, Trauma, and Storytelling

• Discovered the circumstances of her abandonment and manufactured birthdate during high school.
• Emphasized how not knowing one's story can lead to inventing different narratives about oneself.
  • “When you don’t know your own birth story, you start making them up.” (22:10)
  • “I’ve had three birth stories in my life.” (22:35)
• Navigated unique cultural dynamics being a Korean adoptee raised by Japanese-American parents.

6. Podcasting and Public Sharing as a Tool for Growth

• Launched her podcast, “An Imperfectly Perfect Life,” during divorce to document and share the rawness of transition and growth.
  • “Start ugly—it’s so much easier to make something ugly, pretty. You can’t make perfection better.” (23:08)
• Current season documents her move, solo homeownership, and ongoing self-reinvention at 55.

7. Writing and Becoming an Authority

• Authored several books:
  • The Friendship Series (inspired by 50 lunches)
  • "Make Your Mess Your Message"
  • "Ask Yourself This"
  • “Table for 51”: Details sharing a meal with a stranger in every U.S. state.
    • “I’m the 51st table. …Table for—I’m the 51. Because I sat with 50 different women, one woman in each state.” (26:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reinvention:
  • “Let’s call it reinvention. Reinvention sounds a lot better than midlife crisis.” (06:16, Sherry)
• On Financial Shifts Post-Divorce:
  • “I had to scale back considerably... All of a sudden from being well off to having to watch what I spent...” (09:36, Mitch)
• On Flipping the Box:
  • “I had symbolically taken that box... and I had flipped it, and it had become a table where connection and belonging were found.” (16:39, Sherry)
• On Starting Over:
  • “Just start. Start ugly. It’s so much easier to make something ugly, pretty. You can’t make perfection better.” (23:08, Sherry)
• On Dating in Midlife:
  • “Competing with the 30-year-old women, you know, that are 20 years younger than me for the same attention... there’s an ego stroke for these men...” (13:55, Sherry)
  • “I said, is your dad single?” [When asked about wanting kids by a much younger man] (15:27, Sherry)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Adoption and Early Years: 01:30–04:17
• Career Journey/Reinvention: 04:19–06:13
• Divorce & Midlife Dating: 06:24–15:30
• Flip the Box Movement & Belonging: 15:53–18:09
• Learning About Her Adoption: 18:09–22:10
• Storytelling, Identity Formation: 22:10–23:02
• Podcast Creation: 23:02–25:21
• Books and Authority Building: 25:38–27:14
• Closing Reflections (Host & Guest): 27:14–29:54

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, insightful, and often humorous—balancing vulnerability with empowerment. Both Mitch and Sherry lean into personal stories with self-deprecation and warmth, making heavy themes relatable, authentic, and inspirational.

Useful For

• Listeners exploring reinvention after 50.
• Women (and men) navigating midlife transitions and seeking community.
• Anyone interested in storytelling, belonging, and finding empowerment in adversity.
• Aspiring authors, coaches, and speakers looking to build authority via personal narrative.

Find Sherry Lead at: sherryleid.com
Podcast: An Imperfectly Perfect Life
Books: “Table for 51”, “Make Your Mess Your Message”, and The Friendship Series.