44, and just getting started

Boss(y) from the beginning. So I’m told.

Today, I turn 44.

And you know what? There still seems to be this old-school narrative that says women in midlife should sit down and shut up. Use their inside voice. At least in some circles.

Can’t say I agree 😉

Society has fed us this idea that ageing, for women, means fading into the background. That men in their 40s are stepping into their “prime,” while for women, their prime has been and gone, now they're expected to become invisible. Smile politely. Take a step back. Make room for the next generation.

Even to have fun playing in their cute little "hobby" business. It's not a "real" business, how could it be? Yes, it wasn't that long ago I was asked when I was going to "go and get a real job and support my husband in making money...."

Let's disregard that memo.

Starting my first business in my early 30s, and Nota Bene at 38(ish) was equal parts terrifying and liberating. It's not my time to quiet down, it's my time to step up. I know what I care about, who I help, and why I’m here.

And I’m not alone. I’m surrounded by incredible women raising families, running their own business, lifting communities and those around them, and leading change, all while navigating this "interesting" season of life with tenacity and grace. I admire them. I learn from them. I wanna be like them.

They're not just showing up. They’re taking up space.

Maybe it’s life experience. Maybe it’s giving fewer f*cks.

Maybe it’s realising that the version of success we were sold in our 20s and early 30s wasn’t designed for women like us.

Whatever it is - this season feels full of promise. Opportunity is everywhere.

I’m not ready to slow down. I’m not shrinking to fit someone else’s idea of an “appropriate" woman in her mid-40s.

I’ve got plans. Energy. Ambition. Purpose.

Our daughter is 13, and she is already dead-set on owning her own business, being her own boss and doing what is meaningful to her, in a way that suits her, and that means the world to me. The girls growing up now really do have the world at their feet.

So here I am - 44 and (ok, maybe not entirely) fearless. Not dimming my light. Not softening my voice. Not fading away. Also not shutting up 😉

I'm just getting started.