Rewriting the Script: Kimberley Ford on Reinvention at 40, Visibility & Choosing a Different Path

Some people follow a path. Kimberley Ford has rewritten hers - more than once.

From finance professional to actress.
From actress to director.
From director to founder of Kollab Kreate.

But when we sat down to talk on Notes from the Not There Yet Podcast, she didn’t start with her career highlights.

She started with this: “I’ve always felt like the wrong age.”

Too young.
Too old.
Too early.
Too late.

And that feeling - more than any job title - defines her journey.

From Finance to Acting: Leaving a Stable Career

Kimberley went straight into finance after school.

It was secure. Respected. Logical.

From the outside, she was successful. But internally, she kept asking herself:

“Is this it?”

She knew something wasn’t aligned.

“I didn’t want to look back and think I never even tried.”

So she left a stable career in finance to pursue acting.

That decision - leaving security for creativity - is one many people consider in their 20s and 30s. Few act on it.

Drama School, Class & Feeling Like an Outsider

At drama school, Kimberley felt different.

She spoke about being northern. About background. About noticing subtle class differences in the room.

“You just feel different.”

You can be talented and still feel like you don’t belong.

She didn’t complete her first year. The self-doubt became too loud.

That part of her story matters - because not every pivot works out the way you imagine. Sometimes stepping away is part of the process.

Reinventing Your Career in Your 30s

When the pandemic halted the performing arts industry, Kimberley reassessed her path again.

Instead of waiting for auditions to return, she stepped behind the camera.

She enrolled in a degree in independent film production - in her thirties.

“I was older than most of them.”

Going back to university later in life can trigger insecurity. Age comparison. The sense you’ve missed your window.

But this time, she didn’t let that narrative take over. She graduated with first-class honours.

This wasn’t about proving anything.
It was about alignment.

Founding Kollab Kreate: Female-Led Storytelling

In 2023, Kimberley founded Kollab Kreate, a female-led filmmaking company focused on cinematic brand storytelling.

Her background in finance gives her commercial understanding.
Her experience in acting gives her emotional awareness.
Her film training gives her technical craft.

She now helps female entrepreneurs and female-led brands use strategic video content to:

• Build trust
• Humanise their brand
• Generate leads
• Stand out online

For Kimberley, storytelling isn’t about going viral.
It’s about connection.

And connection builds businesses.

Being Child-Free in Your Late 30s & 40s

Another important part of Kimberley’s story is being child-free in her 40s.

She spoke openly about the social pressure women experience - particularly as they approach 40.

Marriage.
Children.
Timelines.

There is still an expectation that women will eventually “follow the script.”

Her life reflects what feels aligned - not what is expected.

And that decision sits alongside her career reinventions.

What Kimberley’s Story Teaches Us

Kimberley’s journey speaks to anyone who has ever:

• Considered leaving a stable job for something creative
• Felt out of place because of age or background
• Returned to education later in life
• Questioned societal timelines around motherhood
• Felt like they were “behind”

Her story reminds us:

You don’t waste experience.
You build from it.

There is no single script.

You can rewrite yours - at any stage.

Listen to Kimberley's full podcast episode

Themes Explored

• Feeling like the wrong age at different stages of life
• Leaving stability to follow something uncertain
• Starting again in your 30s and 40s
• Navigating self-doubt and not feeling like you belong
• Returning to education later in life
• Redefining success beyond external expectations
• Choosing alignment over societal timelines

Is it too late to change careers in your 30s?

No. Kimberley returned to university in her thirties and built a new career in filmmaking. Age can feel like a barrier, but it does not define capability.

What is it like going back to university later in life?

It can trigger comparison and insecurity, especially if you’re older than your peers. But maturity, experience and clarity often become strengths.

What does being child-free by choice mean?

Being child-free by choice means consciously deciding not to have children. For many women in their late 30s and 40s, this choice can come with social pressure — but it can also be deeply aligned and intentional.

How do you know when to leave a stable career?

There isn’t one formula. For Kimberley, it was the persistent feeling of misalignment and not wanting future regret.