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On today’s show, I get to speak with Jackie Leonard, a retired IRS manager turned inspirational author who is living her best life after 50.
Originally from the small town of Ferriday, La., Jackie spent decades serving the public as a revenue officer and later as a manager for the Internal Revenue Service.
But it was only after retiring and navigating a painful divorce that she discovered a new purpose, which is to encourage other women through faith-filled writing, volunteerism and joyful living.
Here are three key takeaways from my conversation with Jackie:
First, it’s never too late to start over. Jackie reinvented her life after 50 by leaving an abusive marriage, leaning into her faith, and reconnecting with family and old friends.
Second, purpose can be found in small, daily joys. Whether it’s working out, journaling, or volunteering at Goodwill and a women’s shelter, Jackie embraces each day with gratitude and intention.
Third, your pain can become someone else’s healing. Through her two books, “Positive Words for Painful Times” and “LOL: Loving Our Lord,” Jackie shares her story to help other women find strength, hope and healing.
Jackie’s life is a beautiful testimony to the power of faith, resilience and starting fresh in the second half of life.
After turning 50, Jackie didn’t slow down. Rather, she stepped into a life filled with meaning and joy.
Her first book, “Positive Words for Painful Times: Triumph Through Divorce,” offers encouragement to women going through the trauma of divorce or abuse. Jackie wrote it to share how God sustained her during one of the darkest seasons of her life.
With candor and warmth, she recounts how she left an abusive marriage “in silence” and with confidence, choosing to trust God with each step forward.
One powerful gesture – leaving her wedding dress on the curb for trash pickup – symbolized her decision to start fresh and to take back her life and dignity.
Her second book, “LOL: Loving Our Lord – Walking in God’s Goodness,” picks up where her first book left off. It’s a celebration of healing, faith and purpose after pain. Jackie calls this season her “best life” because it is filled with peace, laughter and an unshakeable relationship with God.
She journals every day, volunteers regularly, and frequently travels home to help care for her aging parents.
She also lives with deep gratitude for the second chance at love God gave her. Jackie and her husband, Mitchell, who she first dated in college, recently celebrated 10 years of marriage. It works because Mitchell lets Jackie be Jackie by respecting her and supporting things she likes to do.
Jackie pours that same love into others through her volunteer work at Goodwill, a women’s shelter, and soon, a local nursing home. The residents rarely get visitors, and she wants them to know they are still seen and valued.
Her advice for people over 50 looking for more meaning is to do whatever makes them happy. There is no need to wait on someone else to find your joy.
Jackie’s story is a beautiful reminder that God’s purpose for our lives doesn’t stop at 50. It may just be beginning.
If you’d like to connect with Jackie or order a signed copy of one of her books, you can find her on Facebook under Jacqueline Leonard or visit her website at aqueensvictory.wixsite.com. Her books are also available on Amazon and in other bookstores.
Jackie’s story will undoubtedly inspire many more women to believe in healing, second chances and the goodness of God.
That’s all for this week’s show. If you’d like to start living a more meaningful life, I encourage you to download our free guide to finding purpose, which is available at www.forwardfrom50.com.
I’ll have another inspirational interview on the next episode of the Forward From 50 podcast. Thanks for listening. If you like this show, please consider leaving a review wherever you download the episodes.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.