In this episode of Nomads 50+, Chris Kalaboukis sits down with Lori McGregor, a communications veteran who spent 25+ years navigating the evolving media landscape—from traditional PR in New York City to digital and social storytelling in Los Angeles.
Her career followed a familiar trajectory:
Agency → in-house brand roles
Beauty and skincare → corporate communications
Product storytelling → human-centered narratives
But like many professionals in midlife, everything changed in 2024.
👉 She was laid off.
What could have been an ending became something else entirely: a recalibration.
Instead of rushing back into another corporate role, Lori paused and asked a harder question:
What kind of work actually matters now?
That question led to the creation of The Reignition Project—a Substack where she interviews people who have pivoted into purpose-driven second acts.
But this isn’t a neat success story.
This episode is about the messy middle:
Balancing passion projects with the need for income
Taking on consulting and copywriting work while building something new
Navigating the identity shift from employee → solopreneur
Letting go of structure while learning to create your own
Lori is candid about the challenges:
👉 Being your own marketer
👉 Managing admin work you never had to think about before
👉 Questioning whether you’re “doing it right”
👉 Missing the rhythm and clarity of corporate life
And yet, there’s something deeper happening underneath it all:
👉 A move toward purpose over prestige
Her shift from product PR to human storytelling wasn’t accidental. It was a signal.
Now, she’s leaning fully into that direction—helping purpose-driven brands and nonprofits communicate more meaningfully while building a platform that reflects her own values.
This conversation also touches on broader cultural shifts:
The changing nature of media and storytelling
Why audiences connect more with authenticity than polish
Subtle lifestyle shifts (like declining alcohol consumption) and what they say about modern priorities
But at its core, this episode is about one thing:
👉 Reignition.
Not starting over from scratch, but using everything you’ve built to move in a new, more aligned direction.
If you’re navigating a layoff, questioning your career, or feeling the pull toward more meaningful work, this conversation will resonate.
💬 Subscribe for more conversations on midlife recalibration, purpose-driven work, and designing a second act that actually fits your life.
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