Why I wrote Prime Time—and what I hope it sparks
Well, it’s here. Prime Time isn’t just a podcast anymore - it’s now a book, and on day 1, it’s #8 on the overall Amazon bestseller list!
LATE UPDATE: It’s 10pm on Wednesday night and this podcast drops at sunrise. What I can’t tell you on the show’s audio but I can tell you here is that we’ve just finished day one of book launch at #8 on the entire Amazon Australia bestseller list! If you haven't got your copy yet and you feel like helping it go higher... please grab it today on Amazon. Here’s the link. And thank you - for being interested in learning about this stuff - and being a great community!
Now… on with the newsletter we prepared properly for this week’s podcast which drops today.
Why I wrote Prime Time—and what I hope it sparks
Well, it’s here. Prime Time isn’t just a podcast anymore - it’s now a book, and on day 1, it’s a bestseller!
Yep, Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife is officially out in the wild, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring you this behind-the-scenes episode. I’m joined by the incredible Sophie Hamley, my publisher from Hachette Australia and the woman who said yes (twice!) - first to How to Have an Epic Retirement and now to this book, which I’m calling ‘the prequel’ to an Epic Retirement. This new book is packed with all the things you’d have wished you knew earlier and put into action.
We’re digging into what this book is really about, how it came together, and why that bump so many people go through in midlife isn’t a crisis - it’s quite possibly the beginning of your prime time. If you’re anywhere between 47 and 70, still working, still juggling, still trying to figure out what the hell comes next… this is your episode.
It’s a casual, personal conversation. We actually recorded it as a ‘Prime Time live’ on launch day on Youtube —Wednesday 30 July — with all the anticipation and buzz that comes from two people who’ve poured so much into something and are finally watching it land. It’s real, it’s reflective, and it’s a bit of a celebration too. So have a listen, order a copy, and make YOUR Prime Time count.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Why I felt so strongly that this book had to be written—and why now is the perfect timing
How Prime Time is different to Epic Retirement, and why the lessons start much earlier than retirement.
What it means to reframe midlife as a time of power, not decline.
The six pillars that shape this stage of life: Power, Money, Health, Work, Family, and Adventure, plus why we start with power and end with action.
Why I believe practical, clear-headed financial knowledge belongs in everyone’s hands - and not hidden behind big ticket advice. In fact with better knowledge you’ll probably use your advisers better!
What I’ve learned from hundreds of interviews, readers, and experts, especially in areas like spending, strength, career pivots, and planning a life you actually want to live in, and won’t have to retire from unless you choose to.
The real age range for “prime time” and why that’s important, and how to use your Prime Time well.
We also talk travel, reinvention, burnout, muscle mass, mindset, and why being curious is the best way to break out of the grind.
This book launch has been huge, and your early support means the world. If you’ve preordered, cheered me on, sent messages, or just been listening to this podcast - thank you. This episode is for you. A huge thank you.
I’ve got two quick asks as we wrap up today. First—head into your local Big W, Kmart, Target, or bookstore and grab yourself a copy of Prime Time (and maybe buy one for a friend or someone who needs it). And second—if you love it (which I really hope you do!), please take a moment to leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon, depending on where you picked it up. Those reviews really matter. They help more people find the book and they feed those pesky algorithms that decide what gets seen. So if it spoke to you, tell the world. It makes a huge difference to me!
🎁 Bonus shoutout 🎁
There are some great extras waiting for you on my website if you’ve bought the book so make sure you look for the cues in the book and download our wonderful tools - we’ve put STACKS of work into them.
There’s the Prime Time Stories: Case Studies built with Financial Adviser David Lane to showcase how your Prime Time and Epic Retirement planning comes together
Then there’s the New Prime Time big financial picture spreadsheet - designed to help you build your financial foundations.
Where can you buy it?
Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife is available EVERYWHERE now: Big W, Kmart, Target, all your favourite indie bookstores, Amazon, Booktopia, all the major bookstore chains; ebook, audiobook… the lot. But, help me give Amazon a nudge - if you would today. 😉 That bestseller list number is exciting.
There’s a full list of stockists on my NEW website here. Thank you to all the booksellers for getting behind it.
How to revel in your new empty nest and the constant dance of letting go
The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald published an extract of Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife in Wednesday’s newspapers on 30 July 2025. Read it here
For many parents, the so-called empty nest can feel like an emotional rollercoaster – I’m right in the thick of it myself. One minute they’re home, then they’re gone! Suddenly, they’re back – but wait, now they’ve got other priorities. And just like that, they’re off again.
After years of focusing on the kids, the house suddenly feels quieter, and life shifts in ways that can feel unfamiliar. It is quieter, but remember, there was a life before kids when we loved this stillness and time to do things that were all about us. Sure, the transition might bring moments of grief or even a sense of loss, but it’s also packed with possibility – a chance to reframe, rediscover and redefine what this new chapter can be.
Of course, the empty nest isn’t a clean break for most people. It’s rarely a one-way ticket to freedom. Kids stay home for longer, then they bounce in and out, especially these days with those overseas trips, long university holidays, job changes and even boomerang moves back home. It’s a constant dance of letting go, then welcoming them back, which sometimes feels like a loop that should’ve ended but might never do so. Many people’s nests aren’t emptying quite as fast as they’d imagined.
So how do you find balance in this new reality? This stage of life is more about building bridges back to your kids than fully cutting ties. Yes, they’ve left, but they’re not gone, and relationships evolve. New family habits need to be set, creating space for their independence while maintaining a connection in a way that respects their adult life. What it’s really about is finding those moments to reconnect as equals rather than as parent and child. This is where you start to see your relationship with your kids in a whole new light, more collaborative than directive and easier to enjoy.
Read the rest of the article in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and WA Today.
Hi Bec. I bought the audible version of your books and am on my second listen, but I cannot work out how to access any bonus materials. Help!