59 and Still Building: Why One Woman Says Never to Retirement

When people ask Christina Daves when she plans to retire, they usually expect a number: 62, 65, maybe 70. Her answer tends to stop them in their tracks: Never.

At 59, Daves has no plans to slow down. In fact, she feels her most fulfilling work is just beginning. For decades, she followed the traditional playbook—building a career, raising two kids, and showing up for her family. But when her children grew up and moved out, the quiet house gave her space to ask a question she hadn't considered in years: What do I want now?

The answer surprised her. In her 50s, she launched a podcast with over 600,000 downloads, became a regular television co-host, and built a platform centered on the idea that midlife isn't a decline; it's an awakening. She has no retirement plans because her life and career didn't truly begin to unfold until her 50s. She feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things, and she's excited to see where her career will go next.

For most of her adult life, Christina Daves followed the traditional playbook. She built a career, raised two kids, showed up for her family, and did the responsible thing year after year. For a long time, her identity revolved around being needed—at home, at school, at sports, at work, everywhere.

Then her kids grew up and moved out. The house got quieter. And for the first time in decades, she had space to ask a question she hadn't considered in years: What do I want now?

That moment of quiet reflection became the catalyst for a profound shift. After decades of putting others first, she finally had permission to prioritize her own dreams. The traditional timeline of life—work, raise family, retire—felt outdated. She realized she had been waiting for permission to want more, to build something that was entirely hers.

I spent decades doing what I was 'supposed' to do.

What happened next surprised Christina Daves. In her 50s, she launched a podcast that quickly accumulated over 600,000 downloads. She became a regular television co-host and lifestyle contributor. She started writing for national outlets. She built a platform centered on women over 50 and the idea that midlife isn't a decline; it's an awakening.

None of this was part of a carefully mapped plan. It happened because she finally stopped waiting for permission. She stopped telling herself it was "too late." She stopped assuming the best years were behind her. She stopped shrinking her ambition to fit someone else's idea of what women her age should want.

The work she does now feels aligned in a way it never did in her earlier years—when she was juggling everything and everyone else. This wasn't a midlife crisis; it was a midlife awakening. She found that her most fulfilling work began after 50, precisely when she stopped following the rules and started writing her own.

One of the biggest myths about aging is that ambition fades. In Christina Daves's experience, it becomes more intentional. By the time you reach your 50s, you've lived enough life to know what doesn't matter. You've weathered disappointment. You've survived heartbreak. You've made mistakes and kept going anyway. That perspective changes how you show up.

She takes more risks now because she trusts herself more. She cares less about external validation. And she's far more willing to say yes to things that light her up and no to things that don't. That confidence didn't come from youth. It came from experience.

She doesn't see the next decades as the beginning of an ending. She sees them as chapters filled with curiosity, contribution, and creativity. She wants to keep learning, keep creating, and keep building meaningful work. The ambition she feels now is sharper and more focused than ever before.

I take more risks now because I trust myself more. I care less about external validation.

For many people, retirement is a reward—a long-awaited escape from work that drained them. Christina Daves understands that, but she's not running from her work. She's running toward it. She has intentionally designed a career that excites her, challenges her creatively, and allows her to grow.

Retirement wouldn't be a reward for her because she's not escaping anything. The work she does now feels aligned in a way it never did in her earlier years—when she was juggling everything and everyone else. Why would she want to step away from something that finally feels like hers?

Her perspective challenges the conventional narrative around aging and work. Instead of viewing her 50s, 60s, and beyond as the winding down of a career, she sees them as the prime of her creative and professional life. She has no retirement plans because she has no desire to stop doing work that fulfills her.

If her 50s taught Christina Daves anything, it's that the timeline we're given is outdated. Life doesn't peak at 30 or 40. Purpose doesn't expire at 50 or 60. Ambition doesn't have an age limit.

She doesn't know exactly what her work will look like in her 60s, 70s, or 80s, and that excites her. What she does know is this: She's not done building, she's not done learning, and she's certainly not done contributing.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that the most meaningful chapters of life can begin at any age. For those who feel they're too old to start something new, Daves offers a compelling counter-narrative: sometimes, the best is yet to come.