Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerri Devine
Hi Kerri, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a writer and essayist, with a long career in marketing. I was a ghostwriter and public speaking coach for CEOs and public figures. Today I am the founder of the midlife community HotInCharleston and the producer of Midlife Monologues, a groundbreaking story sharing event to help women feel seen and supported in their life’s journey..
My own journey led me down this path to focus on midlife, peri/menopause, and the larger question of who we are after decades of devoting ourselves to the roles we play.
Nearing 50, moved from NYC to Charleston. In a new town with no support structure, a new career, I begin to no longer recognize myself. Anxiety. Sleeplessness. Mood Swings. Rage. I actually had a meltdown in a craft superstore. I was suddenly flooded with a surge of physical and emotional intensity that I had not experienced before. It was a wake up call. A friend said “check your levels.” “Levels?” “Yeah, you’re probably in menopause.” It had never even occurred to me of course because our mothers and doctors have told us very little about this. The irony was here I was a crisis manager that I spent decades writing everyone else’s scripts for them, cleaning up their messes, giving them the perfect spin. I responded to Wall Street scandals, employee firings, September 11th. But when it came to my own midlife crisis, I had few answers. So I built my own playbook.
I fired all my clients and went back to school for an MFA in creative writing. I knew I wanted to investigate this time that comprises a third of our lives and happens during other ruptures, from divorce to aging parents, to the empty nest.
I knew if I was struggling with emotional and relational problems, other women were too; they just hadn’t found the invitation and space to talk about it.That’s when I knew I would use storytelling to find my own voice and help other women find theirs
I began with research, 100 women ages 35 to 65. And what that research revealed was that we needed to spark a conversation, a national dialogue, intergenerational, on a woman’s journey. 99% of them said they were either unprepared for perimenopause, or didn’t know what the term meant. 75% said they wanted to hear stories from other women going through the same things they were.
I hosted a World Menopause Day with doctors and memoirists and when I saw the demand from the community, from women in their 20s to their 70s, I knew I had to take this conversation to the stage. I started a showcase, part play-part pep rally, called Midlife Monologues with PURE Theater in Charleston that is currently in its second year. This year’s show features a national cast of authors, actors, singers and artists and reaches 1,000 women of three generations in Charleston March 12 and more via a national livestream (midlife-monologues.com). Then the show goes to NY and LA with a new original script under the passion project of actor Constance Zimmer and documentary filmmaker Abby Epstein.
I believe storytelling is medicine. Patricia Hampl, a famous memoirist, said “you tell me your story, and somehow I get mine.” This philosophy inspires my work. I believe sharing our stories fosters the kind of empathy and connection that can change the life trajectory of women, no matter who they are or where they are in their journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Creating this concept of Midlife Monologues, hiring the cast, and managing all of the threads, from marketing and PR to the script, to fundraising, promotion, etc. has been a labor of love. I’m calling on all the skill sets I’ve developed during my career, and I am fortunate to have a great team of talented women alongside me.
One thing we all struggle with, especially women, is self care. How do you have routine when you are working 9am to 2am? Women put their loves before themselves, whether career, family, or both.
During the empty nest phase I am now in, I definitely struggled with the question “who am I now?” That is the ultimate question, and I think all of us should ask that of ourselves as we move forward in life. No matter our age, there are always new chapters to write.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have always been a storyteller.
In many ways my current work is a natural extension of a long career helping companies, nonprofits and their leaders develop a deeper connection with others. I have written speeches, op-eds, and scripts for former presidents, CEOs, philanthropists, and other public figures. As an executive on Wall Street, I responded to many crises, none more profound than being part of a team whose job was to build a communications strategy to coalesce a global family of employees and clients in the wake of 9/11.
Now I am proud to bring my lifelong talent for purposeful expression to help women celebrate their shared humanity. I was proud when one of my favorite authors described me like this: “Kerri will not only charm and entertain you, she will help you discover yourself right alongside her.”
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Having clarity about who precisely you are, what you want and, as beloved poet, the late Mary Oliver said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Then having the courage to do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kerridevine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotincharleston/
