I am the author of Find Joy in the Middle, the guide that redefines what it means to be in the middle. I aim to offer fresh perspectives, real-life stories, and actionable advice to help you embrace this space with confidence. Instead of seeing it as a stage to endure, the book helps you recognise the hidden potential of life’s ‘middle moments’ and turn them into your greatest advantage.

The book is a timely and empowering guide for anyone who has ever felt stuck, overlooked, or uncertain in life’s ‘in-between’ spaces. From middle age to middle management, we reclaim the often-dismissed middle ground and reframe it as a place of strength, insight, and opportunity.

Society tends to downplay the middle—portraying it as ordinary, confusing, or uninspiring. But what if the middle is actually where growth happens? Find Joy in the Middle offers a fresh perspective, helping readers see the value in where they are, not just where they’re going.

A New Lens on Life’s Most Common (and Misunderstood) Stage

This is not a book about reaching the top or starting over—it’s about thriving right where you are. Whether you’re navigating middle age, middle management, or the feeling of being in-between in relationships, roles, or class systems, Find Joy in the Middle delivers clarity, encouragement, and practical steps for making the most of it.

I hope you will learn how to:

• Reframe the middle as a phase of power, reflection, and potential.
• Find meaning and momentum in your current place, not just future goals.
• Embrace your identity—whether as a middle child, middle manager, or mid-lifer.
• Spot hidden opportunities for growth, leadership, and self-connection.
• Cultivate joy, purpose, and self-acceptance in all areas of your life

I have spent the past 35 years or so working in the UK’s children’s sector and am a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion. A qualified teacher and psychotherapist, I founded Hempsall’s in 1999 and we became a pioneering consultancy committed to sustainable change in early education and childcare. My work has shaped local and national policies, improved access to services, and inspired new standards of excellence across the sector. In 2023, Hempsall’s joined the Coram Group—the UK’s oldest children’s charity, strengthening our joint mission to support children and families.

The book draws upon the lessons I have learned, the experiences I have had, and the observations I have made. Here you will find thoughts about the middle, and all things work and life. All designed to share approaches, alternatives, and maybe even some advice on navigating the modern world, life, family, employment, or being at home.