About Maria Leonard Olsen:
Maria Leonard Olsen practices law as a commercial litigator in Washington, DC. She is an author (50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life), podcaster (“Becoming Your Best Version”), journalist, TEDx speaker (“Turning Life’s Challenges into a Force for Good”), book marketing coach for female authors and mentor to women in recovery.
Maria served as a political appointee in the Clinton Justice Department and on numerous boards. She writes for several women in midlife publications(including AARP’s The Ethel, The Midst, KuelLife and CrunchyTales) and is a frequent public speaker on wellness issues.
Her next books will be DNA Test Surprises: What To Do Before and After You Open the Pandora’s Box of Consumer DNA Testing (Bloomsbury 2026) and 60 After 60: Finding Serenity in Your 60s or at Any Age.
To learn more about Maria Leonard Olsen and her book, “50 After 50”, please go to her website: https://www.marialeonardolsen.com/
Follow Maria on Social Media: @FiftyAfter50
Living Your Bucket List
In this inspiring episode of Life is Now… Do It While You Can Show, Suzanne Oshima, Life Coach for Women in Midlife, sits down with Maria Leonard Olsen — attorney, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author of 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life.
At midlife, Maria faced major transitions — divorce, sobriety, and becoming an empty nester. Instead of shrinking back, she created her own bucket list and challenged herself to try 50 new things. From volunteering in Nepal to practicing meditation, her journey is proof that you can reinvent yourself, embrace change, and thrive in midlife.
This conversation is a powerful reminder from a life coach who helps women in midlife every day: you don’t have to wait for the “right” time to live fully. Your bucket list isn’t just for later — your life is happening now. It’s time to live life with no regrets.
Key Takeaways
- Midlife can be a turning point: Transitions like divorce, sobriety, or empty nesting are opportunities to grow, not shrink.
- Your bucket list matters NOW: Living fully doesn’t have to wait for retirement or “someday.”
- Fear isn’t the end: Courage in midlife means feeling the fear and moving forward anyway.
- Life is happening now: Don’t wait. Start living your bucket list today.
