The permission slip she signed herself

Profile of Karen Bennett, winner in The Hidden Gem category of The Plot Twist Awards

The Plot Twist Awards happened because

Sarah Knight

and I were frankly bored of seeing the same old success stories (usually involving some 25-year-old who "discovered their purpose" after precisely three minutes of soul-searching). Instead, we've rounded up 30-plus genuinely fascinating midlife women who've zigged when life zagged, created brilliant second acts or simply refused to shuffle into beige cardigans. These are all women with stories worth stealing courage from. We've hosted a celebration party. Now we’re sharing these gems, as well as plotting a coffee table book that won't end up as a dust collector.

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Let’s hear from Karen Bennett, nominated by Maria Harper, who found her artistic wings in midlife.

The permission slip she signed herself

While some people leap into creative careers straight from art school, this graphic designer took the scenic route - navigating marketing, motherhood and a global pandemic - before finally embracing her true calling. From Ireland to Glasgow to building a community of female entrepreneurs, her path proves that sometimes the most meaningful careers emerge from life's unexpected turns.

Growing up in Ireland during the troubles, Karen experienced profound loss when her father died while she was young. She followed a conventional path through Glasgow University and into the finance sector, where she built a solid marketing career that ticked all the right boxes – except fulfillment.

When success isn't enough

As the years accumulated, something inside Karen kept whispering that there must be more. The birth of her two daughters shifted her perspective further, highlighting what really mattered. She wanted to connect with other women and have a bigger impact on their businesses.

When COVID arrived with its global pause button, Karen didn't just bake sourdough like the most of us. Instead she seized the opportunity to completely reinvent her professional identity, retraining in graphic design and laying the groundwork for a business focused on helping other women.

Designing her way back to a megaphone

For someone self-described as an introvert, launching a business required stepping well outside her comfort zone. But Karen found her voice through design, creating brands that help female entrepreneurs showcase their values and vision authentically.

As her nominee Maria Harper said - "Karen is friendly and trustworthy, making you feel at ease from the first time you meet her. She can make the journey to discover your brand very intuitive and authentic to who you are, a totally key element for a successful business."

Building community, not just portfolios

Perhaps most remarkable is that Karen hasn't just built a design business – she's created a supportive ecosystem for other women, connecting clients with each other and fostering meaningful collaborations.

"Karen believes in the power of community and how supporting each other will make this world a better place. Once you meet her she will make you part of her community and will be around to support and cheer your business on."

That generosity of spirit transforms one-off design projects into lasting relationships, as her nominator discovered firsthand -

"We met at a networking event last year and have now formed a lovely friendship. Karen has introduced me to her circle of women in business and made me feel very welcome. She is always there for me and I'm always there for her."

With her unique combination of savvy, design talent and genuine care for other business owners, Karen has found her sweet spot – creating visual identities that help women step confidently into their own professional stories.

Her journey to design wasn't just a career change. It was a realignment of work with values, proving that sometimes the best brandbuilders are those who've taken the winding path to find themselves first.

As Maria says, "We need more Karens in the world."

Your turn: what expertise from your previous life might bring unexpected value to your current path?

Many of us see our career changes as complete reinventions, leaving behind our former skills and knowledge. But like Karen, who brings marketing acumen to her design work, could your past experiences actually be your hidden superpower in your current field?

Karen Bennett

Connect with Karen

Karen Bennett on LinkedIn

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Want us to work together?

🐦‍⬛ I help midlife women talk about their business and position their skills so that other people want to pay for them. I do it with messaging/positioning strategy and copywriting. And I work with midlife women because I'm convinced we should take over the world and all would be well. Not even half-joking 😂

If you want to talk about positioning your work, messaging strategy, web copy or email marketing, we can have a zero-pressure chat. You can reach me (Sue Moore) at inktank@substack.com

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I’m Sue Moore, The Midlife Messaging Strategist & Copywriter. I share smart stuff for writers, plus musings on building a business in midlife.