December wordy round-up

Stuff I think you might love

Sue Moore

Dec 31, 2024

Cutting it fine to make 2024, but here we go. In this message -

Current must-watches starring midlife women.
A nostalgic concert.
A seriously beautiful product. I think your eyes might light up.
Retro business cards. I’ve still got mine from 23 years ago.
Coming up - my directory of midlife women who are doing their own thing in business. Want to be in it?

📺 Watching

I’ve been keeping my eyes on screen for well-rounded, non-tokenistic “women of a certain age” 😉

Here’s a couple of recommendations for any idle hours over the next few weeks (may you have many).

Bad Sisters

The Bad Sisters are back on Apple TV. Eva mentions having a menopause coach. So 2024. The sisters teach us a new insult - wagon - Irish for an obnoxious woman. Interchangeable with a dose. I’m not saying I stand by these female-specific insults, just reporting the facts.

The last time I saw the aforementioned wagon, Fiona Shaw, she was moisturising her dry arms in Fleabag. Now she’s fabulously clawing as the harpy Angelica.

If you haven’t watched Bad Sisters yet, start with series one. It’s worth it.

Mountain Queen

If documentaries are more your thing, try Mountain Queen on Netflix.

It’s the story of Lhakpa Sherpa, record-holder for the most summits of Everest by a woman. A total of 10. So far. Born in 1973 and withheld an education, this mother of three and survivor of domestic violence shows astonishing grit and resilience. As a child, she literally carried her brother to school for two hours on her back, waited for him to get his education, then carried him back. Quite some symbolism right there.

✍🏻 Reading & listening

I only ever bunked off school once, in sixth form, to see The Hothouse Flowers at the Students’ Union in Belfast. At that point, it was probably one of the most exciting days of my life. We got chatting to the band afterwards and one friend got them to autograph her A Level copy of Hamlet. Yes, we still giggle about how nerdy we were. Fast forward three decades, and we saw them again.

If you’re unfamiliar, they sang at Eurovision in 1988 (not as the Irish entry, just in the interval, a bit like Riverdance). Don’t Go is their best known song, but then and now, you could’ve heard a pin drop during If You Go. If you’re curious, start with the uplifting It’ll Be Easier in the Morning. The lead singer didn’t look too different to his 80s persona, just with added spectacles. Don’t we all? Like Jesus in varifocals. A resounding nostalgic success.

Have you ever revisited a favourite from your youth and delightedly found it not wanting? If you’re up for it, share with us in the comments.

✨ Admiring

Jessica Cadzow-Collins and I worked together two years ago on messaging during pre-launch of her new ethical jewellery business, Juraster. Jessica was a Bond Street gemmologist who made celebrities and royals sparkle in her previous roles at Asprey, Chaumet, Garrard and Harrods. Juraster is her own midlife-built brand. Her jewels have just been featured in one of the big Sunday magazines here in the UK. She also created this piece of magic - the Selkie. Ring or pendant? The wearer decides. Beautiful, isn’t it?

The Selkie, designer by gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins, founder of Juraster

🤔 Looking back

My most popular post of 2024 on LinkedIn was the one about my retro business cards.

Business cards then (2001) and now (2024)

I still have the postcard from 2001 that launched my freelance career. It had a smart-arsey quote from M*A*S*H on it - “If you bring that sentence in for a fitting, I can have it shortened by Wednesday.” Still don’t hate it, to be honest. Anyway, it landed on the desks of some of Belfast’s finest Creative Directors, and I got my first self-employed copywriting work from it.

Me with my throwback business (post)card from 2001

Fast forward 23 years. 2024’s postcard has a pic I took in Porto of a vintage shop cash register (peony, my own).

The reverse looks like I dyed it with a teabag, pirate map style.

What do you think? Are you Team online business card or Team hold-in-your-hand card?

Looking forward

I’m booked for Atomicon in June 2025 as a first-timer. If you’re not familiar, it’s a massive sales and marketing conference in the UK. Some amazing midlife women are keynoting - Fearne Cotton, Laura Belgray and Saira Khan for starters. Plus midlife men like Rory Sutherland and Seth Godin.

Apparently it’s almost sold out. Happy to share my affiliate link with you - check out Atomicon here.

Shining a spotlight on midlife women

I wrote 25 profiles of midlife women running their own business as an alternative advent calendar this month. Turns out there are more of you than anticipated, so I’m going to expand this cheerleading into a business directory. It’s coming soon in 2025 - if you want to be part of it, just message me and I’ll get you involved. It’s free to be listed.

I love making other midlife women catch the light. Writing the profiles was a revelation. You had interesting thoughts about how brands market to us, plus stellar advice for your younger selves.

Here’s where you can explore the 25 profiles. One common thread - midlife women often set up on their own because corporate life just didn’t work for them.

🐦‍⬛ In 2025, I can help you work out how to present your business to the world.

Because, unfortunately, our brilliant work doesn’t simply speak for itself.

If you want to talk about positioning your work, messaging strategy, web copy or email marketing, just say hello and we can set up a chat. You can reach me at inktank@substack.com

Anything you’d like to recommend? Feel free to share in the comments. Your stuff if you like - always happy to see you shine.