THE FIRST 45 NOT OUT NEWSLETTER
Welcome! It's great to have you here and I hope the newsletter brings some value to you and your life :)
THE FIRST 45 NOT OUT PODCAST NEWSLETTER!!!
WHAT 45NOTOUT IS; WHY I STARTED IT AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR
Hello!
Great to have you here - the newsletter that accompanies the 45NotOut podcast. Wondering why you’re here?
The title 45 Not Out gives it away, really. It’s about life issues that affect all women (and men too, occasionally) aged 45 and over. Those issues involve not only work & career but also home, family, physical and mental health and relationships.
So why did I start the podcast?
As someone who is well over 45, I know first hand that life changes once you hit middle-age and you are “seen” differently too. In a lot of cases, you aren’t as “visible” at work and you can struggle to be taken seriously in other areas too. Also not much importance is given to the life issues, physical and emotional upheaval that can occur at this stage in life. Issues such as being overlooked for promotion at work; empty nest syndrome; looking after elderly, frail parents and all the other life changes that occur.
These are the issues I want to try and alleviate in 45NotOut - both the podcast and the newsletter. If you love this issue why not share it to like-minded friends
MY STORYWhy did I start this? Well, as a business owner who returned to self employment to have a second go at self employment in her early 50’s, I found I was treated very differently than I was when I was firstly self employed in my early 30’s. (Incidentally, the reason for the gap was I had a family along the way).
I started to attend networking events as a 50-something business owner, and on speaking to other attendees I realised what I had to say wasn’t taken very seriously. Invariably, other attendees were quite a bit younger than me and didn’t really relate to what I had to say. And that was a bitter pill to swallow. I struggled on for a few years and grew my business gaining clients along the way by working incredibly hard and over-delivering. But I kept my mouth firmly closed about the unfairness I felt about the ageism that existed on the business circuit.
Then, on attending the PodsUpNorth conference in November 19, the germ for my 45 Not Out podcast began to flourish. Over time, I realised this “thorn in my side” could be a great topic for a podcast. So over Christmas 2019, I did my research and, after three weeks of nervous deliberating and a good dose of imposter syndrome, I published the trailer to my podcast. It got a great response, and I continue to put out relevant episodes each month. You can find the podcast here
And then I realised that a newsletter would be the perfect companion to my podcast. Of course, it would also cover issues that are important to the 45NotOut community, but could be more immediate and responsive to important and relevant events etc. And it would allow me to be more involved with the community I’m curating and, on a personal level, allow me to exercise my love of writing and communication.
So, what can you expect as a subscriber?
Well, firstly - a major thanks from me for trusting me enough to sign up to receive the newsletter. Secondly, you can expect a fortnightly digest of issues that matter to us at this age. And that will be very diverse. I aim to include business issues, health solutions and suggestions, cultural stuff (although with the pandemic this might be a bit restricted) and, one thing dear to my heart, inspiring stories or reports of mid-life women smashing it in the workplace or life in general. We keep the world turning, don’t we?
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW. NOW!
It would seem even high-flying journalists are experiencing the same prejudice that the rest of us face. Eleanor Mills, award winning editor of the Sunday Times, got so fed up with the situation, she published a fabulous article in The Guardian that really, really put how we’re perceived into perspective. She also talks about why she’s launched the ground-breaking online platform, NOON, aimed at women like us and, god, does she talk my language! Do yourself a favour and take a look here
“WOMEN ARE SOCIALLY CONDITIONED TO FEEL LESS ENTITLED THAN MEN”.
A recent article in Glamour magazine looked at why the gender pay-gap perpetuates. The article included a rash of studies that included statistics such as “45% of women had never negotiated a pay rise with their employer as they didn’t feel comfortable asking - compared to 34% of men who said the same thing.”
The article goes on to say that it’s that this social conditioning, and ultimately our default mindset, that leads to the belief that subconsciously women don’t deserve equality. Bringing in experts to offer solutions to change both the status quo (and our mindsets), the article is well worth spending 10 minutes or so it will take you to read. Find it here
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
THE COMPARISON COACH by Lucy Sheridan
Who hasn’t looked through their social media feeds and felt a tinge of hot envy or made to feel less than perfect because you don’t quite match up to the lifestyle your friends seem to be having? Me, loads of times!
It can be very destructive and too much of it can lead to a whole host of rubbish states of mind. So, I was delighted when I came across a book written by the only Comparison Coach (that we know of) Lucy Sheridan. Through the book she claims to help you leave your unhelpful self behind and launch into someone only focused on you and, to quote Lucy “doesn’t give two hoots about what others do or think”.
At the time of writing, I’m only halfway through the book - it’s a bit meaty and there are a few exercises to do that make you think. But already, I’ve noticed changes in my “default thinking” for the better, and bit by bit I’m getting a bit bolder.
Launching this newsletter is definitely one of those “bolder” things I’ve done (imposter syndrome, anyone?).
So, if you suffer from the odd moment of stomach-dropping angst when you scroll your social feeds, I’d recommend giving this book some time.
You can order the book here on trusty Amazon :)
So that’s that first issue. What do you think? Love it enough to sign up and become a much cherished subscriber? In Issue#2 I’ll be including more inspirational and uplifting content, with a bit of fun thrown in, to keep you going during this challenging time.
If you aren’t already a subscriber but would like to be, please hit the button below and join us
Thank you for being here.
Stay safe, well & strong
Una x