Nechumah Getz
BETTER OUTSIDE TOGETHER
MD | DC | VA
Sometimes a midlife pivot starts with a dream you’ve had forever. Other times, life pushes you in a direction you never expected.
For Nechumah Getz, it was a little bit of both.
After 15 years in management consulting, Nechumah moved into the nonprofit world and eventually became a COO. But after two unexpected career shakeups in two years, she found herself at 53 trying to figure out what she wanted to do next.
She was also an empty nester who had moved three times in four years because of her husband’s career as a Naval Officer and was finally back “home” in the DC area.
Career transition. Empty nest. New community. There was a lot changing at once.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, an idea started to take shape.
Today, Nechumah is the founder of Better Outside Together, a hiking community for women in midlife built around two things many of us could use a little more of: movement and real connection.
This is her Blooming in Midlife story.
Get to Know Nechumah…
What’s your go-to coffee or tea order?
Decaf latte with almond milk.
Go-to cocktail?
Mojito.
Current midlife guilty pleasure?
Massages.
What’s always in your bag?
Chapstick and a mint.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird.
If you could have dinner with any woman, who would it be?
Michelle Obama. The way she appears to be authentic and stands up for what she believes in really resonates with me.
Now Let’s Talk About Nechumah’s Midlife Pivot…
What was your “aha” moment?
After leaving the nonprofit world, I started researching becoming a consultant or interim COO and joined women’s networking groups.
I realized women were spending a lot of money to join these groups because what they really wanted was community.
I was in a transition myself. I was an empty nester, had moved three times in four years, and was finally back home in the DC area trying to figure out my own community.
I had always loved hiking, and during the pandemic I created informal weekly hiking groups with friends. I even took them backpacking — and they loved it.
One day I was sitting on a Zoom call watching women in the chat talk about paying $1,000 a year to join a networking group, and I thought: instead of going back to consulting, I’m going to build my dream.
A community where women in midlife can build connections, get exercise and experience the relaxation of being in nature.
So I did.
How old were you when you made this pivot?
53
Tell us about Better Outside Together.
Better Outside Together is a hiking community for women in midlife in the DC area. We have a full schedule of planned hikes so women can make exercise and connection a consistent part of their lives.
Hiking with women in the same stage of life makes you forget you’re working out. Between the fresh air, the scenery and the conversation, you’ll keep coming back.
Because health and longevity can’t be found in a bottle. It’s already waiting for you outside, with the right people beside you.
Building Something New
What’s the best part of your midlife pivot?
Meeting amazing women!
I love meeting women through networking, partnering and hiking with them. It’s amazing what getting outside of your bubble can teach you about yourself and the world.
And the most challenging?
Being patient.
I’m a go-getter, and communities take time to grow organically. Waiting for that growth is hard, but every day it grows a little, so I know it will succeed.
What skills from your earlier career prepared you for this?
As a COO, I ran businesses and had to solve logistical problems every day. I knew how to create and run the business.
What would you tell yourself right before making this pivot?
Give yourself the confidence to ignore the doubters and the toxic people. Don’t let their actions hurt you.
The Best Part of This Chapter
What’s your favorite thing about this stage of life that you never expected?
My confidence.
I love that I feel capable of creating something new. I don’t know that I would have had the confidence to do this in my 40s.
What have you stopped caring about?
Looking a certain way.
I really enjoy the hippie look, and previously I thought I had to dress for the corporate world. Slowly, I’m buying clothes that I like and not worrying about whether they’re the most in style or look the best on me.
I’m dressing for who I want to be.
The same goes for makeup. I stopped wearing it during the pandemic except for lipstick. Being comfortable with how I look naturally is a journey, but it’s one I want to take.
What does success look like now compared with your 20s and 30s?
Financial stability is still important. But now in my 50s, I’m realizing that being happy with what you do is more important than working at a well-respected organization.
I succeeded at working at PwC. I succeeded at being a COO. Now I want to be happy, even if I make a lot less money than I did as an executive.
What’s Still Ahead?
What’s on your bucket list?
Making money at my business and having this be a financially viable endeavor — and going to New Zealand!
What’s been your biggest source of inspiration?
Other women who have created and pivoted. Nature. And meeting amazing women on my hikes who finish and say, “Wow, I needed that,” or “I’ve lived here 30 years and didn’t know this existed.”
I like helping people feel good.
How do you celebrate the small wins?
I tell my close friends about them.
What’s currently speaking to your soul?
The Mel Robbins Podcast and The No Magic Pill with Blake Mycoskie.
Wisdom to Share
What would you tell another woman considering her own midlife pivot?
Make sure you have some savings so you can stop working and put your all into it.
I don’t think I would have been able to move this quickly or attend as many networking events if I were also working. I’m fortunate that I saved for many years and had a cushion that allowed me to do this.
And know that it takes LOTS of time and networking to really work.
Nechumah’s story is a reminder that sometimes the thing you’re looking for in midlife is the very thing you’re meant to create.
She wanted community. She wanted to get outside. She wanted work that made her happy.
So she put on her hiking shoes and started building it. 🥾💗
Ready to get outside with Nechumah? Visit Better Outside Together [here].