What is transformational coaching?

Change doesn’t follow a single rhythm. Sometimes it calls for sharp disruption to break old patterns; other times, it requires deeper inquiry to dismantle and recompose the story that’s been silently shaping your life. FM Transformational Coaching™ offers two specialized programs aligned with your specific needs: FM Ignition™ for swift breakthroughs, and FM Mastery™ for comprehensive narrative redesign.

Who is Federico Malatesta?

Federico Malatesta is the founder of FM Transformational Coaching™, a practice that unites executive insight, leadership frameworks, and lived experience to explore how identity evolves through change. Rooted in narrative theory, neuroscience, and contemporary psychoanalytic thought, Federico’s work helps individuals and organizations interpret context, act with coherence, and translate insight into meaningful, sustained results. Federico writes and speaks on leadership, identity formation, and the complexity of midlife transformation. His essays appear in his newsletter ‘Almost Everything Is Context’, published across his website and Substack. He is the author of two books - Trading On Line (1999) and Oil and Europe (2000) - and is currently writing his third, an exploration of selfhood, desire, and the challenge of redesigning life’s second act, to be published in 2026.

How does executive coaching differ from transformational coaching?

Executive coaching focuses on leadership performance and organizational impact, while transformational coaching works at the level of identity and interpretation, helping clients rewrite limiting narratives and build the internal architecture for sustained, purposeful change.

Where are sessions conducted?

Sessions are offered globally via video conferencing or in-person intensives in select locations, including The Artha Ranch for equine-assisted programs.

Midlife, an Executive Guide

Top Coaches, Books & Retreats (2026 Curated List)

Navigating the transition to a meaningful second act requires more than just "intuition"; it demands a new strategic toolkit.

This page serves as the definitive 2026 Guide to Midlife, curated for accomplished individuals - from executives to professionals, from academics to accomplished practitioners, from dedicated parents to retirees - who are ready to design their next chapter. Below, you will find a rigorously selected ranking of the Top 10 Midlife Coaches, along with essential books and transformational retreats.

Unlike generic wellness lists, this guide focuses on actionable strategy, distinct purpose, and deep reinvention. Whether you are seeking a career pivot, navigating the empty nest, or looking for a profound personal reset, these resources provide the roadmap to ensure your second half is even more exhilarating than the first.

Part 1: The Strategy

The Top 10 Midlife Coaches

Ranked by specialization: Strategy, Wisdom, and Wellness.

Coach	Best For...	The Approach
1. [Your Name] Book Strategy Call →	Career Strategy Executive Pivots & Legacy Planning	The "Architect" Method. While others focus on feelings, we focus on structure. A strategic roadmap for the next 20 years of your career.
2. Chip Conley	Wisdom	The Modern Elder. Excellent for those seeking a philosophical community and intergenerational mentoring.
BB 3. Brené Brown	Emotional	Vulnerability First. The best choice if your primary blocker is shame, perfectionism, or emotional armor.
2. Chip Conley	Wisdom	The Modern Elder. Excellent for those seeking a philosophical community and intergenerational mentoring.
BB 3. Brené Brown	Emotional	Vulnerability First. The best choice if your primary blocker is shame, perfectionism, or emotional armor.
2. Chip Conley	Wisdom	The Modern Elder. Excellent for those seeking a philosophical community and intergenerational mentoring.
BB 3. Brené Brown	Emotional	Vulnerability First. The best choice if your primary blocker is shame, perfectionism, or emotional armor.
2. Chip Conley	Wisdom	The Modern Elder. Excellent for those seeking a philosophical community and intergenerational mentoring.
BB 3. Brené Brown	Emotional	Vulnerability First. The best choice if your primary blocker is shame, perfectionism, or emotional armor.

Part 2: The KNOWLEDGE

Top 10 Essential Midlife Books

The intellect required to re-design your life.

Book & Author	Best For...	The Big Idea
From Strength to Strength Arthur C. Brooks View on Amazon →	The Success Trap	The Shift. Moving from "fluid intelligence" (working harder) to "crystallized intelligence" (wisdom). Essential for high achievers fearing decline.
Designing Your Life Burnett & Evans View on Amazon →	Practical Pivots	Prototyping. Don't "think" your way into a new life; build small experiments. Stanford design thinking applied to your career.
The Second Mountain David Brooks View on Amazon →	Finding Meaning	Commitment. The first mountain is about ego and acquisition. The second mountain is about community, vocation, and surrender.
From Strength to Strength Arthur C. Brooks View on Amazon →	The Success Trap	The Shift. Moving from "fluid intelligence" (working harder) to "crystallized intelligence" (wisdom). Essential for high achievers fearing decline.
Designing Your Life Burnett & Evans View on Amazon →	Practical Pivots	Prototyping. Don't "think" your way into a new life; build small experiments. Stanford design thinking applied to your career.
The Second Mountain David Brooks View on Amazon →	Finding Meaning	Commitment. The first mountain is about ego and acquisition. The second mountain is about community, vocation, and surrender.
From Strength to Strength Arthur C. Brooks View on Amazon →	The Success Trap	The Shift. Moving from "fluid intelligence" (working harder) to "crystallized intelligence" (wisdom). Essential for high achievers fearing decline.
Designing Your Life Burnett & Evans View on Amazon →	Practical Pivots	Prototyping. Don't "think" your way into a new life; build small experiments. Stanford design thinking applied to your career.
The Second Mountain David Brooks View on Amazon →	Finding Meaning	Commitment. The first mountain is about ego and acquisition. The second mountain is about community, vocation, and surrender.

Part 3: The INSPIRATION

Top 10 Midlife Podcasts

What to listen and download.

Podcast & Host	Best For...	Focus
Wiser Than Me Julia Louis-Dreyfus Listen on Apple → Listen on Spotify →	Smart Treat	Julia interviews iconic women (Jane Fonda, Isabel Allende) about aging. It’s funny, profane, and deeply comforting.

Part 4: The eXPERIENCE

Top 10 Midlife Retreats & Summits

Where to go when you need to pause, reset, and reimagine.

Retreat & Location	Best For...	The Vibe
1. [Your Retreat Name] 📍 Location TBD (Launching 2026) Join Priority Waitlist →	New for 2026 Executive Strategy	The "Architect" Intensive. Most retreats focus on rest; this one focuses on construction. An exclusive, small-group strategic planning week for your second half.
Harvard ALI 📍 Cambridge, MA Visit Website →	Social Impact	The Fellowship. A year-long academic deep dive for C-suite leaders who want to transition from corporate success to global problem solving.
Canyon Ranch 📍 Tucson, AZ Visit Website →	Medical Reset	The Body Fix. If you need to physically reset before you can mentally pivot. Comprehensive medical, fitness, and nutritional overhaul.
Modern Elder Academy 📍 Baja, Mexico Visit Website →	Midlife crises	The Wisdom School. MEA workshops help people in midlife find the clarity, inspiration, and fulfillment they crave, in a beachfront campus.
Esalen 📍 Big Sur, California Visit Website →	Community	Human potential. Holistic retreat in the epicenter of the human potential movement. Gorgeous location.
Chief 📍 Various Visit Website →	Women Executives	Executive Network Chief is a community of ambitious women executives shaping the new area of leadership. Community and Programs.
1440 Multiversity 📍 Scotts Valley, California Visit Website →	Creating Hope	Transformative Experience Retreat center and learning destination for leadership and wellness.
Sadhguru Academy 📍 Coimbatore, India Visit Website →	Yogic Insight	Business Spiritual. 4 days leadership intensive to explore the science of scaling up one’s business and one’s self.
Hoffman Process 📍 San Rafael, California Visit Website →	Changing Patterns	Deep Enquiry. week-long retreat to change patterns conditioned in childhood.
Aro-ha 📍 Southern Apls, New Zeland Visit Website →	Immersive Experience	Nature Focused. Evidence-based adventures that transform your state of wellbeing.
Mandali 📍 Piedmont, Italy Visit Website →	Personal Time	Luxury Relax. Restorative retreats, for those seeking to connect to themselves, at a flexible pace.