“This book came out at the perfect time for me as I turn 60 this year and am asking, What’s next?

— Ann, a Climbing Down the Ladder Reader

Feeling lost or purposeless after retirement? Me too.

Growing up in image-conscious Miami, Laura, with her double chins, frizzy hair, and in the inability to squeeze into "regular" sized clothing, was an embarrassment to her beguiling, jet-setting mother and prominent, successful father. She climbed out of shame by focusing on brains rather than beauty, becoming a child entrepreneur, and rising all the way to the top ranks of business. Her ascent up the ladder as a mother of three forced her to make often painful choices as she navigated the myth of "having it all." Yet, she climbed those rungs with quantifiable goals measured by market-share and profitability.

In stark contrast, when she chose to end her career, her descent was marked by loss and marginalization. She no longer possessed CEO status, her children fled the nest for lives of their own, and she had to cope with the decline and eventual deaths of her parents. She also had to come to terms with the telltale markers of aging, from the mundane--bunions and lubricants--to a life-altering, near-death experience, all the while searching for relevance and purpose.

In the same way a generation of women lacked role models on the way up the career ladder, they lack them on the way down. Laura had to delve into her past for clues on moving forward and finding contentment and purpose without that all-encompassing level of productivity and achievement. In so doing she uncovered a richer, different kind of happy. This is her story. This is our story.

What Readers Are Saying

“I could not put this book down!”

— Ann M.

“The work is a must-read for all women in the middle of their lives. Black shares personal anecdotes on her struggles and the ultimate joy she found in her second chapter.”

— Baltimore Jewish Times

“This heartfelt memoir had me laughing and crying, as Ms. Black expertly wove her childhood story with the story of her achievements and showed us what she needed to let go of in order to reach fulfillment in retirement.”

— Desiree M.

“This book is brutally honest, courageous, and very funny. What an amazing life!! She truly took lemons and made lemonade. I could totally relate.”

— P. Smith

Climbing Down the Ladder was a magic carpet ride of humor, sadness, and everything in between that makes up life as we know it. The writing is sharp and witty, while also honest and vulnerable. Laura has a real story to tell.”

— Annie M.

“Been following Laura for years and this book tops it all!! Couldn't put it down!!!”

— LBC

About Laura Black

I am a part of the generation that led the great migration of women into professions. Like many of my peers, I set out to prove I could simultaneously shatter ceilings and parent precocious progenies. Also, like my contemporaries, in taking on new challenges, I did not abandon old responsibilities. We were to achieve from bedroom to boardroom, responsible for housekeeping, cooking, chauffeuring, nurturing, and more. Later, when our children moved out and we retired, we were left to fill crater-sized voids with purpose and meaning. Most of our role models share their achievements—few their challenges, pains, and anxieties. I seek to normalize our later life challenges by exposing the underbellies of our journeys. When we rid ourselves of unrealistic expectations, we are free to experience deep meaning and joy.

Excerpts from the Book