February 19, 2025 • 13 mins
🎙️ Episode Description: 40 Lessons in 40 Years (Part 1)
🚨 I’m turning 40! 🚨 And let me tell you—getting here has been a ride.
In this episode, I’m sharing the first 20 lessons I’ve learned over the last 40 years. Some are hard-earned, some are unexpected, and some might be exactly what you need to hear today.
đź’ˇ Why peace is the real flex
💡 The truth about failure (hint: you’re not failing, you’re becoming)
đź’ˇ The biggest lie we tell ourselves about success
đź’ˇ What I wish I had learned sooner about anxiety, boundaries, and trust
These lessons aren’t just about looking back—they’re about stepping into what’s next. Because if the first 40 years held this much transformation, just imagine what’s ahead.
🎧 Hit play and let’s dive in.
🔥 What’s one lesson YOU would tell your younger self? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear.
👉 And don’t forget—Part 2 is coming soon!
#GlassCeilingsAndStickyFloors #LifeLessons #40ThingsIn40Years #Growth #WomenWhoLead
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Yeti X & FaceTime HD Camera (00:00):
Oh my gosh, y'all.
(00:01):
I am turning 40.
The big 4 0 in, in just a day.
If you're listening to this,when this drops tomorrow,
February 20th is my 40thbirthday.
Holy shit, y'all.
But whenever I think aboutturning 40, I just go back to
(00:22):
thinking when I was younger.
How old it felt, how old 40seemed, like, that just felt so
geriatric, right?
Like, orthopedic shoes and fibersupplements, and I mean, hey, I
take magnesium at night, whatcan I say?
But, now that I'm here, holymoly, like, I, I'm so excited.
(00:46):
I'm so excited.
I'm so thrilled.
I feel just limitless.
Like infinite possibilities areahead.
And I've got 40 things.
40 hard earned, soul shaking,life altering lessons that I'm
going to share with you.
So buckle up because thisepisode is packed.
(01:08):
But I am so glad that you arehere with me.
Welcome to the Glass Ceiling andSticky Floor Podcast, the show
that's here to empower you tobreak free from limiting
beliefs.
Ditch toxic behaviors and unlockthe infinite possibilities
waiting for you.
This is your time to live yourbest life unapologetically.
(01:30):
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
where they belong.
If you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt, and
build a career and lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance, you're in the rightplace.
Here's the deal.
(01:50):
We talk about the hard stuffhere.
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, and
burnout.
You name it, it's raw, it'shonest, and it's exactly what
you need to level up.
So grab a seat, pop in anearbud, And let's dive in.
All right, welcome back, welcomeback.
(02:11):
Y'all, can you believe that thisis my 40th birthday?
It's such, it's such a big one.
It's a whole new decade and Ithink about the last time I had
a big decade birthday, I waspregnant with Hudson, so it
like, wasn't that exciting itfelt like.
But, anyways, I wanted to pop inhere and talk about this whole
(02:35):
birthday thing because I justfeel so much more alive and so
much more like myself than Ithink I ever have.
And it's like I finally get it.
So today I want to share withyou 40 of the most powerful, the
(02:56):
most gut wrenching and gamechanging lessons that I have
learned over the past 40 years.
Now, some of these you're goingto be nodding along saying, heck
yes, Erica, totally get it.
Some of these, they're going tomake you nod along, like, heck
yes, Erica, totally get it.
Some of them are going to hityou in the feels, I'm sure.
(03:16):
And some of them, I think, aregoing to be exactly what you
need to hear today.
So let's go.
40 things in 40 years.
Number one, everyone is notgoing to like you.
That was a big one for me.
I spent years, decades of mylife shape shifting myself,
(03:37):
changing myself with thesmallest of things just to fit
in, just to belong.
So, that was a big lesson forme.
I remind myself every day,people are not going to like
you.
That's not an opinion, that is afact.
And the sooner that I acceptthat, The freer I become.
(03:57):
Number two, nothing is evercertain.
If you think you are walking onepath, boom! All of a sudden,
life is going to hand you a leftturn.
Might be frustrating, might makeyou want to pull your hair out,
you might just feel like you'regoing crazy sometimes.
But, other times, it leads youexactly where you need to go.
Third lesson, life is hard.
(04:19):
That's it.
Life is hard.
No one escapes pain, loss, orheartbreak.
Okay, but those are the momentsthat are really going to shape
the person you become.
The next lesson, the lows makethe highs even sweeter.
So all of those hard times, theydon't mean you're failing, they
(04:40):
don't mean you're bad atsomething, it just means that
you are learning and that youare growing.
Another lesson, wine is not yourfriend.
I know a lot of people don'twant to agree with me on this,
but listen, wine numbs you out,it isolates you, and it makes
you check out instead of leaningin.
And life is meant to be felt.
It's not meant to be numbed out.
(05:00):
So wine is not your friend.
Next lesson, find your tribe andlove them hard.
The right people, the rightpeople for you, they're not
going to require you to changewho you are.
They are not going to requireyou to constantly prove your
worth.
So when you find those people.
(05:21):
Those are the people you cantext every day or you can text
once a quarter.
It doesn't matter.
They've got your back.
Find them.
Love them hard.
Lesson number seven, yourfitness routine does not have to
be all out all the time.
Move your body because you getto, not because you have to.
Lesson number eight, your jobtitle does not define you.
(05:46):
For years, I spent climbing thecorporate ladder, just reaching
for the next title, the nextsalary, the next paycheck.
And, and that's great to want togrow and to want to challenge
yourself, but not if you'retying your worth to your
paycheck.
Not if you're tying your worthto your job title, because at
the end of the day, what happenswhen all of that gets stripped
(06:06):
away?
Who are you if you don't havethose things?
So do not let your job title oryour paycheck define you.
It means nothing if it iscrushing your soul.
Lesson number nine.
The real flex here, this is abig one.
The real flex is peace.
You don't have to prove yourselfto anyone else.
(06:29):
Just prove yourself to you.
That's it.
Prove yourself to you.
No one else.
Lesson number ten.
Anxiety is not your enemy.
I don't think I really learnedthat one until this past year,
but she is not someone to fight.
She's not someone to duke outand go up against.
She is a part of you.
(06:50):
And if you're someone that hasanxiety, or struggles with
depression and all of that, whenyou stop running from those
things and you embrace them aspart of who you are, you can
start to harness those thingsfor good.
And everything will shift.
Now lesson number 11.
Kind of goes with this themehere, but stop worrying about
what other people think.
(07:12):
Oh, it's a hard one, right?
Like, it is a hard one becausewe are hardwired to want to
belong.
But the moment that you stopliving for approval of others,
it's the moment that youactually start living.
That's when you start to feelthat peace.
Okay?
Lesson number 12, you can dohard things.
(07:34):
The book you never thought you'dwrite.
The podcast you never thoughtyou'd start.
Look at you now! Yes! Now ofcourse those are my
accomplishments and they're forme.
But you too, you do hard things.
Right?
You overcome incredibly hardthings and challenges.
So give yourself a pat on theback.
Lesson number 13.
(07:55):
Respect is greater than titles.
If your leaders and peers don'trespect you, Get yourself out
the door.
You always have a choice.
You don't have to stay there.
Now I'm not saying be crazy andbe reckless, right?
Head in the clouds, boots on theground.
Be smart.
Lesson number 14.
Closed doors lead to betterones.
(08:18):
Stop staring at the one that'sshut.
Turn around.
Find that open window.
Lesson number 15, do whatmatters to you.
Not what society says you shoulddo.
Lesson number 16, you don't haveto fix every relationship.
Some things are not yours torepair.
(08:39):
If, if you have a badrelationship with somebody right
now, maybe that's okay, right?
If someone else in your familyhas a conflicting relationship
with each other, it is not yourjob to repair that, right?
Everyone here is an adult.
Let them be their own adultselves and fix their own
relationships.
(08:59):
Lesson number 17.
Boundaries are your best friend.
Set them.
Keep them.
Love them.
Honor them.
Evaluate them.
Reinstate them.
Do what you gotta do, but getyourself some boundaries.
Lesson number 18.
Self trust comes from keepingyour word.
(09:20):
Don't be the person who shows upfor everyone but you.
And you know exactly what I'mtalking about.
Lesson number 19 is do thething.
The scary thing.
The big thing.
Because that thing will lead toso many more possibilities.
Now lesson number 20.
You will never know all thethings.
(09:43):
So I want you to stop pretendinglike you do.
And instead, I want you to staycurious.
Right?
This world is filled with somuch that we don't know, and the
more we can dig deep and askquestions, the better it is.
And you know what, guys?
I know I said that I was goingto give you all 40 of these life
(10:07):
lessons today, but I've alreadybeen talking for like 10
minutes, and I feel like that'sprobably enough of you hearing
This mouth chitter chatter allday long.
So I'm gonna plug it there.
The next one that is dropped byme will be the next 20 lessons
that I learned as I gracefullygo into these 40s of mine.
(10:27):
But y'all, how crazy is this,right?
I feel like I am just on theedge on the verge of something
amazing and incredible and I'mjust so glad that I because 40
years like this is what it'sbeen so far.
I can only imagine what the next40 are going to be like.
(10:49):
But what I can tell you now isthat is that at 40 I know my
worth.
I don't settle.
I don't let fear dictate mydecisions, right?
Or my life.
But the biggest realization thatI had right in turning 40.
One of the biggest is that thebest is yet to come.
(11:12):
It really is.
And there's going to be highsand there's going to be lows and
there's going to be all thischaos and mess in between.
But all of that is the beauty ofit.
And so if you're struggling, Iget it.
Right?
It's hard sometimes.
And you can't be all positiveand rainbows and butterflies.
(11:32):
But just know that if you are ina low season right now and if
you are struggling, That it'sokay, because without those
tough seasons, without thosechallenges, like, you would
never know the hives, you wouldnever know the amazing parts
about what is going on.
So, I don't know, happy birthdayto me, thank you for being here
(11:54):
with me, thank you for being onthis journey with me.
Stay tuned for the next episode,which will have the next 20
lessons that I have learned as Iapproach 40.
So thank you for listening tothe Glass Ceiling and Sticky
Floor Podcast.
If you liked this podcast,please do me a favor, rate,
review, and subscribe to thepodcast because it truly helps
(12:14):
it land in the hand of the womanwho's made to hear it most.
Thanks Now, if you enjoyed thispodcast and you want more
community, more powerful women,more Erica in your life, sign up
for her collective.
That is an online digitalcommunity filled with incredible
(12:35):
women who are looking to grow,connect and climb the corporate
ladder without sacrificing theirsanity for their success.
We are having a blast.
We have weekly coaching calls.
We have monthly masterclasses.
All sorts of amazing activities.
We're kicking off a challenge inMarch, so that would be a great
(12:55):
time for you to join.
And I hope to see you in there.
If you are interested, head tojoinhercollective.
com.
That's www.
joinhercollective.
com.
Oh my gosh, y'all.
(00:01):
I am turning 40.
The big 4 0 in, in just a day.
If you're listening to this,when this drops tomorrow,
February 20th is my 40thbirthday.
Holy shit, y'all.
But whenever I think aboutturning 40, I just go back to
(00:22):
thinking when I was younger.
How old it felt, how old 40seemed, like, that just felt so
geriatric, right?
Like, orthopedic shoes and fibersupplements, and I mean, hey, I
take magnesium at night, whatcan I say?
But, now that I'm here, holymoly, like, I, I'm so excited.
(00:46):
I'm so excited.
I'm so thrilled.
I feel just limitless.
Like infinite possibilities areahead.
And I've got 40 things.
40 hard earned, soul shaking,life altering lessons that I'm
going to share with you.
So buckle up because thisepisode is packed.
(01:08):
But I am so glad that you arehere with me.
Welcome to the Glass Ceiling andSticky Floor Podcast, the show
that's here to empower you tobreak free from limiting
beliefs.
Ditch toxic behaviors and unlockthe infinite possibilities
waiting for you.
This is your time to live yourbest life unapologetically.
(01:30):
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
where they belong.
If you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt, and
build a career and lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance, you're in the rightplace.
Here's the deal.
(01:50):
We talk about the hard stuffhere.
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, and
burnout.
You name it, it's raw, it'shonest, and it's exactly what
you need to level up.
So grab a seat, pop in anearbud, And let's dive in.
All right, welcome back, welcomeback.
(02:11):
Y'all, can you believe that thisis my 40th birthday?
It's such, it's such a big one.
It's a whole new decade and Ithink about the last time I had
a big decade birthday, I waspregnant with Hudson, so it
like, wasn't that exciting itfelt like.
But, anyways, I wanted to pop inhere and talk about this whole
(02:35):
birthday thing because I justfeel so much more alive and so
much more like myself than Ithink I ever have.
And it's like I finally get it.
So today I want to share withyou 40 of the most powerful, the
(02:56):
most gut wrenching and gamechanging lessons that I have
learned over the past 40 years.
Now, some of these you're goingto be nodding along saying, heck
yes, Erica, totally get it.
Some of these, they're going tomake you nod along, like, heck
yes, Erica, totally get it.
Some of them are going to hityou in the feels, I'm sure.
(03:16):
And some of them, I think, aregoing to be exactly what you
need to hear today.
So let's go.
40 things in 40 years.
Number one, everyone is notgoing to like you.
That was a big one for me.
I spent years, decades of mylife shape shifting myself,
(03:37):
changing myself with thesmallest of things just to fit
in, just to belong.
So, that was a big lesson forme.
I remind myself every day,people are not going to like
you.
That's not an opinion, that is afact.
And the sooner that I acceptthat, The freer I become.
(03:57):
Number two, nothing is evercertain.
If you think you are walking onepath, boom! All of a sudden,
life is going to hand you a leftturn.
Might be frustrating, might makeyou want to pull your hair out,
you might just feel like you'regoing crazy sometimes.
But, other times, it leads youexactly where you need to go.
Third lesson, life is hard.
(04:19):
That's it.
Life is hard.
No one escapes pain, loss, orheartbreak.
Okay, but those are the momentsthat are really going to shape
the person you become.
The next lesson, the lows makethe highs even sweeter.
So all of those hard times, theydon't mean you're failing, they
(04:40):
don't mean you're bad atsomething, it just means that
you are learning and that youare growing.
Another lesson, wine is not yourfriend.
I know a lot of people don'twant to agree with me on this,
but listen, wine numbs you out,it isolates you, and it makes
you check out instead of leaningin.
And life is meant to be felt.
It's not meant to be numbed out.
(05:00):
So wine is not your friend.
Next lesson, find your tribe andlove them hard.
The right people, the rightpeople for you, they're not
going to require you to changewho you are.
They are not going to requireyou to constantly prove your
worth.
So when you find those people.
(05:21):
Those are the people you cantext every day or you can text
once a quarter.
It doesn't matter.
They've got your back.
Find them.
Love them hard.
Lesson number seven, yourfitness routine does not have to
be all out all the time.
Move your body because you getto, not because you have to.
Lesson number eight, your jobtitle does not define you.
(05:46):
For years, I spent climbing thecorporate ladder, just reaching
for the next title, the nextsalary, the next paycheck.
And, and that's great to want togrow and to want to challenge
yourself, but not if you'retying your worth to your
paycheck.
Not if you're tying your worthto your job title, because at
the end of the day, what happenswhen all of that gets stripped
(06:06):
away?
Who are you if you don't havethose things?
So do not let your job title oryour paycheck define you.
It means nothing if it iscrushing your soul.
Lesson number nine.
The real flex here, this is abig one.
The real flex is peace.
You don't have to prove yourselfto anyone else.
(06:29):
Just prove yourself to you.
That's it.
Prove yourself to you.
No one else.
Lesson number ten.
Anxiety is not your enemy.
I don't think I really learnedthat one until this past year,
but she is not someone to fight.
She's not someone to duke outand go up against.
She is a part of you.
(06:50):
And if you're someone that hasanxiety, or struggles with
depression and all of that, whenyou stop running from those
things and you embrace them aspart of who you are, you can
start to harness those thingsfor good.
And everything will shift.
Now lesson number 11.
Kind of goes with this themehere, but stop worrying about
what other people think.
(07:12):
Oh, it's a hard one, right?
Like, it is a hard one becausewe are hardwired to want to
belong.
But the moment that you stopliving for approval of others,
it's the moment that youactually start living.
That's when you start to feelthat peace.
Okay?
Lesson number 12, you can dohard things.
(07:34):
The book you never thought you'dwrite.
The podcast you never thoughtyou'd start.
Look at you now! Yes! Now ofcourse those are my
accomplishments and they're forme.
But you too, you do hard things.
Right?
You overcome incredibly hardthings and challenges.
So give yourself a pat on theback.
Lesson number 13.
(07:55):
Respect is greater than titles.
If your leaders and peers don'trespect you, Get yourself out
the door.
You always have a choice.
You don't have to stay there.
Now I'm not saying be crazy andbe reckless, right?
Head in the clouds, boots on theground.
Be smart.
Lesson number 14.
Closed doors lead to betterones.
(08:18):
Stop staring at the one that'sshut.
Turn around.
Find that open window.
Lesson number 15, do whatmatters to you.
Not what society says you shoulddo.
Lesson number 16, you don't haveto fix every relationship.
Some things are not yours torepair.
(08:39):
If, if you have a badrelationship with somebody right
now, maybe that's okay, right?
If someone else in your familyhas a conflicting relationship
with each other, it is not yourjob to repair that, right?
Everyone here is an adult.
Let them be their own adultselves and fix their own
relationships.
(08:59):
Lesson number 17.
Boundaries are your best friend.
Set them.
Keep them.
Love them.
Honor them.
Evaluate them.
Reinstate them.
Do what you gotta do, but getyourself some boundaries.
Lesson number 18.
Self trust comes from keepingyour word.
(09:20):
Don't be the person who shows upfor everyone but you.
And you know exactly what I'mtalking about.
Lesson number 19 is do thething.
The scary thing.
The big thing.
Because that thing will lead toso many more possibilities.
Now lesson number 20.
You will never know all thethings.
(09:43):
So I want you to stop pretendinglike you do.
And instead, I want you to staycurious.
Right?
This world is filled with somuch that we don't know, and the
more we can dig deep and askquestions, the better it is.
And you know what, guys?
I know I said that I was goingto give you all 40 of these life
(10:07):
lessons today, but I've alreadybeen talking for like 10
minutes, and I feel like that'sprobably enough of you hearing
This mouth chitter chatter allday long.
So I'm gonna plug it there.
The next one that is dropped byme will be the next 20 lessons
that I learned as I gracefullygo into these 40s of mine.
(10:27):
But y'all, how crazy is this,right?
I feel like I am just on theedge on the verge of something
amazing and incredible and I'mjust so glad that I because 40
years like this is what it'sbeen so far.
I can only imagine what the next40 are going to be like.
(10:49):
But what I can tell you now isthat is that at 40 I know my
worth.
I don't settle.
I don't let fear dictate mydecisions, right?
Or my life.
But the biggest realization thatI had right in turning 40.
One of the biggest is that thebest is yet to come.
(11:12):
It really is.
And there's going to be highsand there's going to be lows and
there's going to be all thischaos and mess in between.
But all of that is the beauty ofit.
And so if you're struggling, Iget it.
Right?
It's hard sometimes.
And you can't be all positiveand rainbows and butterflies.
(11:32):
But just know that if you are ina low season right now and if
you are struggling, That it'sokay, because without those
tough seasons, without thosechallenges, like, you would
never know the hives, you wouldnever know the amazing parts
about what is going on.
So, I don't know, happy birthdayto me, thank you for being here
(11:54):
with me, thank you for being onthis journey with me.
Stay tuned for the next episode,which will have the next 20
lessons that I have learned as Iapproach 40.
So thank you for listening tothe Glass Ceiling and Sticky
Floor Podcast.
If you liked this podcast,please do me a favor, rate,
review, and subscribe to thepodcast because it truly helps
(12:14):
it land in the hand of the womanwho's made to hear it most.
Thanks Now, if you enjoyed thispodcast and you want more
community, more powerful women,more Erica in your life, sign up
for her collective.
That is an online digitalcommunity filled with incredible
(12:35):
women who are looking to grow,connect and climb the corporate
ladder without sacrificing theirsanity for their success.
We are having a blast.
We have weekly coaching calls.
We have monthly masterclasses.
All sorts of amazing activities.
We're kicking off a challenge inMarch, so that would be a great
(12:55):
time for you to join.
And I hope to see you in there.
If you are interested, head tojoinhercollective.
com.
That's www.
joinhercollective.
com.
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