Midlife Man Rising

Men After 50: The Passion Pivot for Midlife Reinvention (Part 2 of the Midlife Plan B Series)

Nelson Pahl, Ph.D.

How to escape the career that’s killing your soul—and pivot toward purpose, freedom, and fulfillment.

For men after 50, midlife can feel like a slow unraveling—success on paper but emptiness underneath. The career that once fueled pride has become a quiet cage.

In this episode of Midlife Man Rising, Dr. Nelson Pahl continues the Midlife Plan B Series with a focus on The Passion Pivot—how to trade the grind for meaningful work that actually aligns with who you’ve become.

You’ll learn how to identify your Paying Passion Project, leverage decades of skill and wisdom, and make your midlife reinvention practical, not theoretical.

It’s not about quitting—it’s about realigning.

Because the man who pivots with purpose during his midlife crisis doesn’t just survive—he rises.


Episode Highlights

  • The hidden grief behind midlife burnout
  • Why so many men feel stuck in “career prison”
  • How purpose becomes the path to freedom
  • Three questions to find your Paying Passion Project
  • Pivoting toward reinvention—without burning bridges


Healing Links

All Three Options: Midlife Plan B
5-Day Challenge: Resurrection Camp


Supporting Links

Research Article: Values Alignment and Career Satisfaction
Empirical Research: Career Transitions and Transferable Skills
Professional Research: Midlife As Opportunity


Next Episode:
Men After 50: Part 3 of the Midlife Plan B Series


About the Host

Nelson Pahl, Ph.D. is an experiential psychologist that helps midlife men move from midlife crisis depression to midlife reinvention. Through his proprietary approaches — Resurrection Camp, the Midlife Plan B, and his Legacy Lab — he guides men after 50 through identity loss, midlife transformation, and personal reinvention. He's also author of the book, Escaping Sartre's Hell: A Guide for Self-Validation in Midlife.


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Ready to build your own Plan B?

Midlife Plan B offers three ways to reinvent your work, identity, and direction:

  •  A 4-week private coaching immersion for men ready to design a life that truly fits who they’ve become 
  •  A 4-week guided reset challenge for structured self-reinvention
  •  A single-session breakthrough intensive for men seeking focused clarity and momentum.

 Visit Midlife Plan B to find the path that fits your next chapter.