Welcome to Your Next Chapter
If you’re new here, welcome.
I believe our most extraordinary chapter doesn’t begin when life finally settles down.
It begins the moment we decide to design it on purpose.
I’m Sharri Harmel, and after years of working with women navigating life after fifty—and after navigating plenty of my own unexpected chapters—I’ve become convinced of one thing:
The women who thrive aren’t waiting for clarity.
They’re creating it.
Because after fifty, life changes.
Children grow up.
Careers evolve or come to an end.
Marriages deepen, change, or sometimes end altogether.
Parents age.
Friendships shift.
Dreams we once held tightly may no longer fit, while entirely new possibilities quietly begin to appear.
The question becomes...
What now?
Or perhaps an even better question is...
How do I make sure the next ten years become my best ten years?
None of us gets these years back.
I don’t want to wake up ten years from now wishing I had been more intentional about how I lived them—and I suspect you don’t either.
That’s what this publication is about.
Through stories, travel, books, beautiful homes, gardens, style, thoughtful conversations, and the occasional hard-earned life lesson, we explore what it means to intentionally design a life that feels meaningful, joyful, and unmistakably your own.
Some weeks we’ll wander through a London bookshop.
Other weeks we’ll sit in a Paris café, visit a garden in the English countryside, admire a beautifully set table, or have an honest conversation about loneliness, courage, family, purpose, or the unexpected turns life takes.
This isn’t about becoming someone new.
It’s about becoming more fully yourself.
More Than a Newsletter
If I’m honest...
What I’m really hoping to create isn’t simply a newsletter.
It’s a gathering place.
Many women arrive at this stage of life after decades spent building careers, raising families, supporting partners, caring for parents, volunteering, solving problems, and showing up for everyone else.
Then one day they realize they’re craving something different.
Not more information.
Not another expert telling them how to live.
They’re looking for thoughtful conversation.
Fresh ideas.
Encouragement.
Friendship.
And a sense that they aren’t figuring this stage of life out alone.
That’s my hope for this community.
Why I Call It The Next Chapter Salon
No...not a hair salon.
Historically, salons were gatherings where people came together to discuss books, ideas, culture, art, and life.
Some of history’s most fascinating conversations happened around salon tables.
That’s the spirit I hope to create here.
I picture a beautiful table.
A pot of tea.
Interesting women.
Thoughtful questions.
Laughter.
Books stacked in the middle.
Ideas shared generously.
Conversations that continue long after the cups are empty.
The Salon isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about asking better questions.
What do I want now?
What dreams still matter?
What no longer fits?
How do I create a life that reflects who I am today—not who I was twenty years ago?
How do I age with curiosity, purpose, beauty, and joy?
Start Here
If you’re new, you might enjoy beginning with:
Your journey begins with the book. You can purchase it here: Design Your Fabulous Next Chapter: 7 Steps to a Life with More Joy and Fulfillment
Complimentary Resources
The following resources will only make sense and be useful for you if you have purchased the book. They are considered a set.
Design Your Fabulous Next Chapter Workbook
Join The Next Chapter Salon
Free subscribers receive my letters—stories, observations, and ideas designed to help you think differently about this season of life.
If you’re ready to move beyond simply thinking about your next chapter and begin intentionally creating it, I’d love to welcome you into The Next Chapter Salon.
Salon members receive:
• Saturday Notes from the Salon Table—more personal letters with stories, books, travel, beauty, behind-the-scenes moments, and the ideas I’m exploring.
• Practical guides and resources to help you make thoughtful decisions about what comes next.
• Private videos and exclusive content that I don’t share publicly.
• A growing community of women who believe these years aren’t meant to be drifted through—they’re meant to be designed.
Because this isn’t a place to simply consume ideas.
It’s a place to use them.
To make decisions.
To experiment.
To edit.
To choose differently.
To build a life that fits who you are now—not who you were twenty years ago.
One thoughtful decision at a time.
Pull up a chair.
There’s always room at the table.
With gratitude,
Sharri Harmel
To Access the Salon Resources, upgrade to the paid Substack membership (The Next Chapter Salon)