Navigating Transitions with Gwendolyn Bounds and Joanne Lipman

What’s Next!? Strategies for a Powerful Pivot

Apr 14 - Apr 19, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA

Led by: Gwendolyn Bounds, Joanne Lipman, Daniel 'DL' Landes

Financial aid is available. Apply Here.

Unlock your ability to master new skills and reimagine your limits as you embrace your next chapter

How do you break the cycle of sameness and inertia in midlife to reach for what’s next?

There’s a myth that the pursuit of bold pivots is best left to the young. But science and research strongly indicates otherwise.

Indeed, midlife is often the optimal time to pursue reinvention and mastery of a new skill, talent or pastime — particularly if you possess the right toolkit and trust that you are capable of achieving more than you ever thought possible.

How can you harness science and a deep understanding of your key attributes to change direction and tackle new challenges you’ve previously believed were beyond your capacity to achieve?

How do you overcome perceived limitations and navigate such a shift successfully – while developing the resilience and motivation to weather the dips and plateaus on your journey?

And, most importantly: who and what will you become once you decide it’s “Not Too Late” for you to realize your wildest dreams?

In this Navigating Transitions workshop co-facilitated with Gwendolyn Bounds and author Joanne Lipman, you’ll work side-by-side with two former Wall Street Journal editors and acclaimed authors to pinpoint your bold pivot, understand and overcome your obstacles, and get the inspiration you need to embark on your own midlife journey of self-mastery and achievement.

What you’ll gain

Through these kinds of activities, you will:

Tap into intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and “trust your gut” when it comes to reinvention
Build the skill of “moving before you actually move” in your life or work pivot to gain valuable traction
Discover and master the art of Unlearning and Relearning to shed old stories and embrace new possibilities
Harness the power of “Not Yet” to fuel your mastery journey and maintain your motivation in the face of roadblocks
Learn to cultivate your personal “edges and equalizers” that can jumpstart growth in a new pastime
Anticipate and ride waves of change as you embrace the unknown and take inspired control of your future.

By the end of your five days with Bounds and Lipman, you’ll have amassed the toolkit needed to reinvent how you live and work, pursue mastery of something you love while harnessing age as a secret weapon.

Meet your faculty

Gwendolyn Bounds

Award-winning Journalist | Speaker | Author

Gwendolyn “Wendy” Bounds is an award-winning journalist, speaker and author whose career and writing spans media brands including The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Consumer Reports, CNBC and more. She is currently Vice President of Content & Media Partnerships at SmartNews.

Gwendolyn’s most recent book, “NOT TOO LATE: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age,” is a compelling account about her midlife transformation into a competitive athlete—and what science shows about the benefits of embracing new challenges at any life stage.

Her journey offers inspiration and a road map for anyone craving more out of life – especially if you’re in the second half of life and questioning your capacity to achieve the ambitious goals you dream of accomplishing. She is passionate about helping you reimagine your limits and expand your understanding of who you think you are.

Joanne Lipman

Award-winning Journalist | Speaker | Bestselling Author

Joanne Lipman is a pioneering journalist who has served as Editor-in-Chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal's Weekend Journal, leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. She is also the author of the number-one bestseller, That's What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together.

A frequent speaker and television commentator, Joanne is an on-air contributor at CNBC and journalism lecturer at Yale University. She was also named the inaugural Distinguished Journalism Fellow at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study.

In her bestselling author of NEXT! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work, she offers a thrilling argument: by harnessing the science and understanding the process, we can better understand how to reinvent our career or change the direction of our lives.

From the laboratories of neuroscientists to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, to the frontlines of the social justice movement, she explores how and why transformations succeed – and how to make meaningful change in your own life.

This workshop is for you if...

You are tired of feeling like you’re in a rut and ready to make a bold pivot in your life

You’re excited to explore the idea of reinvention and master a new skill or endeavor

You’re eager to let go of perceived limitations and reimagine what you’re capable of achieving

You’re looking for science-backed support to help you navigate your bold pilot and develop resilience in the face of obstacles

You’re looking for proven strategies to accelerate your ability to get results in a new pastime or skillset

You’re excited to unleash your full potential and push past your boundaries to create a life that challenges and fulfills you

Do this powerful work on our beautiful regenerative ranch in Santa Fe

Santa Fe, USA

Rising Circle Ranch

An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.

Big-sky desert country
Breathtaking nature
Interaction with horses and donkeys
Evenings around the campfire
Star-gazing

Meet your MEA facilitators

In addition to the powerful sessions conducted by Gwendolyn and Joanne, you will be guided through the core MEA Navigating Transitions curriculum by our faculty members:

Daniel 'DL' Landes

Experience Facilitator

Before joining MEA, Daniel “DL” Landes spent decades as a restauranteur, author, and publisher. As the owner of multiple restaurants in Denver, CO – and then a hostel in Mexico – he dedicated himself to creating environments where people could work out their humanity while eating and drinking (which is why he fits in so well at MEA).

Now relocated to Santa Fe, DL says that “living in the Galisteo Basin impresses a unique and humbling perspective. Under the expansive, enchanted New Mexican sky I can feel so small and so big. I made a career of kicking up dust; living in the storm until the storm lived in me. When the dust settled two guideposts appeared: Spend more nights under the stars; provide a service.”

You will appreciate his dedication to creating memorable experiences during your time in Santa Fe.

It’s never too late to pursue your dreams and discover what you’re truly capable of achieving

No matter how old you are or what you currently believe about your own abilities and limitations, you have the capacity to redefine your potential and achieve more than you imagine is possible.

All you need to do is take the first step and get the support you need to conquer your fears and go the extra mile – and the mile after that. You have everything to gain and only your own perceived boundaries to lose!

Are you ready to discover the power of pushing past your limits at any age?

People come for the workshops,
but they stay for the community

This is truly MEA’s “secret sauce” and something you can only experience in person: the powerful connections you will make, not only with your fellow participants and the incredible MEA faculty, but also the deeper sense of connection you will feel to your own inner self and the natural world around you.

Research into aging shows that your relationships play a HUGE role in your health and wellbeing later in life. At MEA, you will make deep and lasting connections and become part of a larger community that will make your life richer and more meaningful.

Many of our alumni cohorts have stayed in close touch for years after their workshop and we have a growing number of local alumni chapters all over the world. It’s a joy for us to see them continuing to offer each other community, friendship, and support as they create thriving midlives for themselves. So if you have been feeling at all disconnected or isolated on your journey, we would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned the food?

The MEA experience is designed in part by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, which means the food is amazing.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced, organic, and made from scratch in our kitchens by hand-picked chefs. The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention the blended drinks made with fresh fruit and other top-shelf ingredients.

Each retreat center has multiple kitchens that always have snacks and beverages available. At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious!

Your Workshop Includes

5 days and nights of lodging at our boutique luxury retreat center in Baja or Santa Fe with all of your meals, snacks, drinks and other amenities included
Daily sessions and experiential activities to help you connect with your inner self, envision your desired experience, and release what no longer serves you
Meditation covering a range of practices to soothe your nervous system and help you cultivate greater mindfulness and presence in the moment.

Movement to get the energy flowing and build your strength and agility as you chart your course forward to the life you want to live.
Incredible bonding experiences with the most amazing humans you’ll ever meet.
Three delicious, chef-prepared meals plus snacks throughout the day prepared from scratch with the freshest local ingredients.
Festive gatherings to cultivate connection and celebrate the joy and beauty of life.

Tuition starts at $4,000

Ready to start your journey?