One of the best things about producing a regional magazine is the opportunity it affords to shine a spotlight on local people doing amazing things. Like Patsy Day whose podcast, The Wobbly Middle, reached number one on the Apple UK Careers podcast charts and was also recognised in Spotify Wrapped 2025 as A Marathon Show, A Most Talked About Show and A Most Shared Show.
Aimed at women rethinking their careers in midlife, it started as a joint project between Patsy and her friend, former hedge fund manager Susannah De Jager. Now it is in its third season, with just Patsy at the helm. Described as “a thoughtful exploration of midlife, blending personal stories, insight and humour to illuminate a period of reinvention and growth”, it is clear that Patsy is an accomplished host and experienced at shaping a conversation into a narrative. In fact, when we speak all that’s really needed is the odd interjection as she describes what caused her middle to wobble, and how a podcast helped firm it up.
“Four years ago, I quit my job. I had this really deep fatigue in my body, and I needed some time off. I was an intellectual property lawyer, and it was a very fulfilling role: working with lawyers from all around the world. I spent about 14 months in the Ho Chi Minh office, and it was exciting. I did everything from anti-counterfeiting to managing people's trademark portfolios, and then I ended up in publishing. It was very stimulating and social, and I loved it. Even so, I ran out of steam. It was the pandemic, there was home schooling, and I was also caring long distance for my uncle in New York. The anxiety was growing and I needed a break.
We now have much longer careers – working for so much longer, so it makes sense that we're going to have some peaks and troughs. Stats show that people are changing roles much more often, and the roles that fitted us when we were younger are no longer going to fit us as we change. I think women in their 40s and 50s change a lot: our hormones are changing, the way we see the world changes – our tolerance levels are changing! – we're all constantly evolving. It makes sense that our attitudes to work, what we find interesting, and where our curiosity takes us is going to change as well.
I read this article by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talking about the different shape of women's careers, and how at some point in our 30s, [particularly] if we have children or other caring commitments, the way we thought our careers would look crashes into the reality of family life and real-world commitments. However, studies show that women's careers might have this dip or disruption and then they can climb again. It was such an exciting moment to think this wasn't just me: it was the shape of things. I wanted to start exploring the different shape of women's careers and was discussing this with my friend Susannah, who had a podcast of her own. We were as one with the idea that there's a whole cohort of [women like] us. We're all having the same conversations, and what we want to know is what comes next.
I feel very lucky to live in Oxford; it is really special. You can walk onto Port Meadow, and there's magic there: it's such a gift of a place. And I also feel that lots of women are doing exciting things here. There’s lots of men doing exciting things here too, obviously, but on The Wobbly Middle I always like to interview Oxford women, because I feel it has relevance. [That said] we interview women from all around the world; I'm just interested in women's lives.
We launched The Wobbly Middle to find out from other women how they have pivoted in their careers. I love that a podcast can take you anywhere and you can always learn something from a podcast. There's always a nugget in there. I feel like the women I interview, are helping me to learn, step by step. It's now season three, and The Wobbly Middle has a sponsor now – that's been very validating.
As I've taken small steps to build the podcast, the momentum has taken me forward. The first season was just exploring this idea of ‘the wobbly middle’, and then in season two I wanted to think about transferable skills. Season three launched in January, and that's a good time to think about going back to school or career returners, like Oxford-based Pip Symington, who was made redundant, went on to do a PhD and has become a magistrate.”
In addition to Pip, The Wobbly Middle has spoken to comedians, psychologists and business builders. It has mused on neuroscience and the efficacy of vision boards and has featured former civil engineers-turned-entrepreneurs, and one journey from academia to community hero. We wanted to know what has surprised Patsy the most from such a diverse group of guests.
“The time it takes to pivot. It takes time to establish something, and to work out what you want to do. But that's okay, because if we accept that and we just go step by step by step, we will get there. The common themes that came through in everyone, whether you had been financier and were moving into different worlds or stay-at-home mum learning how to become a photographer, was that you needed to find the time to think about it, and then to start doing those small things. Confidence comes from action, not the other way around.”
As our time together draws to a close, there’s just one question left to ask: ‘Patsy, have you now navigated your ‘wobbly middle’? “I don't think it's cut and dried, but this is now the day job. I would love to do a narrative podcast. I'd like to learn more about journalism. There is still lots I'd like to explore and learn, but for now I'm really feeling very lucky and just enjoying what I'm doing.”
You can find The Wobbly Middle on podcast streaming services including Spotify and Apple, and also via thewobblymiddle.substack.com.
