The Midlife Entrepreneur

Jo Glynn-Smith
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

The Midlife Entrepreneur is the podcast for women who are building businesses later in life. Hosted by Jo Glynn-Smith, career transitions expert, coach and entrepreneur, who works with founders every day, each week Jo sits down with a different business owner to unpack the real stories, turning points and hard-won lessons behind their ventures.  The show also features the 15 Minute Masterclass, where seasoned experts share practical advice designed to help entrepreneurs at every stage. Honest, inspiring and genuinely useful, this is the show that proves it is never too late to back yourself.  Top 15% of podcasts globally and charting on Apple's Entrepreneurship category. New episodes every Tuesday.

  1. 5d ago

    EP59: Molly Mahon, Founder and Creative Director of Molly Mahon, the British luxury interior brand known for combining block printing techniques with contemporary design.

    Jo Glynn-Smith welcomes Molly Mahon, founder and creative director of British luxury interior brand Molly Mahon, which blends traditional Indian hand block printing with contemporary design. After working in events and taking time out to raise three children, Molly discovered block printing as a creative outlet at her kitchen table, began selling stationery and home items at the curated Hand Sale in Notting Hill, and gradually expanded into wallpaper and fabric, including a breakthrough showroom opportunity at Tissus D’Hélène. Research trips to India led her to Bagru near Jaipur and later to a Delhi-based studio with Rajasthan block carvers and water-based, air-dried printing, enabling greater scale. As the business grew, Molly was diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy over about nine months while continuing to build the company, with her husband Rollo joining full-time to support operations. The brand, now 10 years old, is recognized by the Sunday Telegraph, is part of Walpole, and has collaborations including Boden and Estée Lauder, with Instagram playing a key role in visibility and opportunities. 00:00 Welcome and Subscribe 00:30 Meet Molly Mahon 01:52 Cancer Diagnosis Shock 03:07 Treatment and Coping 03:47 Kitchen Table Beginnings 05:27 First Sales and Markets 06:35 From Shed to Showroom 09:29 India Inspiration Bagru 12:32 Scaling Production Delhi 15:26 Founder Skills and Learning 18:29 Team Size and Next Stage 22:28 Pinch Me Moments Collabs 24:52 Collabs Drive Growth 25:27 Boden Pattern Breakthrough 26:16 Instagram Control And Delegation 28:07 Founder Worries And Cashflow 29:25 Rollo Joins During Cancer 30:38 Working With Your Husband 32:33 Creativity As Therapy 32:57 Workshops And Full Circle Studio 34:20 Restoring Energy And Book Picks 35:18 Three Two Ones Reflections 38:59 Next Decade Vision 41:08 Positive Energy And Farewell   Visit https://mollymahon.com/ Follow on insta @mollymahonblockprinting Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  2. Oct 20

    EP58: 15 Minute Masterclass: 3 Ways to Turn One Area of Expertise into Multiple Income Streams with Abbie Bennington, Wine Expert & Founder of Vintage People.

    This week Jo speaks with Abbie Bennington, a wine journalist, broadcaster, educator, and founder of Vintage People, about three ways to turn one area of expertise into multiple income streams. Abbie’s first advice is to hone in on what you’re genuinely good at and enjoy, sharing how she left BBC television news, retrained at Leiths, and discovered she excelled in wine exams. Second, she stresses building credibility over time through formal qualifications, including completing the WSET Diploma and training as a WSET certified educator, which strengthened her confidence and authority. Third, she recommends creating something you own, describing how she combined her wine expertise with her political journalism background to launch Vintage Politics, a non-combative podcast pairing conversations with “wines of their life,” and using it as the basis for growing a wider community and ecosystem.   00:00 Welcome to Masterclass 00:37 Finding Your Expertise 02:40 Career Leap of Faith 04:07 Credentials Build Trust 07:39 Own Your Platform 09:00 Vintage Politics Origin 12:20 Ecosystem Expansion Vision 13:19 Wine as Storytelling 14:55 Final Recap and Farewell https://www.abvtastings.com/ Follow Vintage Politics @vintagepoliticspod Follow Abbie @abvtastings and @wineeducators Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  3. Oct 13

    EP57: Katherine Swift, Founder of OMGTea, one of the first people to bring premium Japanese matcha into the UK market.

    Jo Glynn-Smith interviews Katherine Swift, founder of OMG Tea, an early importer of premium Japanese matcha to the UK. Katherine’s entrepreneurial drive began in Manchester watching her mother run a seamstress business, later working in events and at Breast Cancer Now on a multimillion-pound appeal, where she met Professor Michael Lisanti and discovered matcha’s potential. She launched OMG Tea from her Brighton kitchen table in 2014 and it has since become a leading UK premium matcha brand, certified B Corp and Soil Association organic, with Great Taste recognition and major stockists including Selfridges, Whole Foods, Holland & Barrett and Ocado. Katherine recounts a demanding 2018 Dragons’ Den experience, the emotional aftermath, and lessons in resilience and financial due diligence. She explains matcha production, quality consistency, and why premium matcha should be drunk straight, and discusses education, sustainability, logistics, subscriptions, and growth, including AIYA’s 2023 investment after a long-term partnership. 00:00 Show Welcome 00:30 Meet Katherine Swift 02:13 Dragon's Den Invite 03:39 Behind the Scenes Filming 05:30 In the Den Pressure 08:11 No Deal Fallout 12:52 Lessons and Resilience 14:41 Finding AIYA Partner 16:28 Matcha Explained 18:19 How to Drink Matcha 20:26 Matcha in Food Trends 22:01 Retail Growth and Stockists 22:40 Breaking Into Retail 23:06 Instagram Matcha Boom 24:44 Staying True Amid Competition 26:09 Premium Positioning Values 28:02 Dreaming of a Matcha Shop 29:00 Warehousing Logistics Stress 30:56 Sustainability Packaging Tradeoffs 32:24 Subscription Daily Ritual 33:01 321s Mindset Wins Future 38:01 Supplier Invests Big Win 39:57 Final Thanks Wrap Up https://omgteas.co.uk/ Follow on Insta @omgmatchatea Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  4. Oct 6

    EP56: 15 Minute Masterclass: 3 Ways to Build a Business People Talk About with Olivia Falcon, Founder of The Editor's List, the UK's leading cosmetic concierge service.

    Jo interviews Olivia Falcon, beauty journalist and founder of The Editors’ List, a UK cosmetic concierge service that advises clients on trusted surgeons, doctors, and wellness practitioners. Olivia shares three ways to build a talked-about business: create experiences rather than transactions (including an annual London event offering mini treatments and face-to-face expert consults, grown from small garden gatherings over 10 years); don’t try to appeal to everyone, develop a clear point of view, say no often, and build trust through a focused niche; and give people stories they’ll tell their friends, prioritizing word of mouth and quality over quantity in a luxury, fee-for-time model with no kickbacks. She warns about wasting money on questionable growth services, discusses careful, responsible AI use with sensitive client data, notes recent growth driven by mainstreaming of cosmetic procedures, and emphasises avoiding burnout by taking breaks and asking for help. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:34 Advice One Create Experiences 02:30 Start Small Stay Patient 03:57 Advice Two Niche and Trust 06:45 Advice Three Word of Mouth 07:44 Luxury Model No Kickbacks 08:57 Trusted Guidance and AI 10:49 Recap Three Key Lessons 12:50 Turning Point and Growth 14:28 Burnout Kindness and Outro https://editorslist.co.uk/ Follow on Instagram @theeditorslist   Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  5. Sep 29

    EP55: Marielle Wyse, Founder of Wyse London, the contemporary womenswear brand known for joyful, luxury, wardrobe essentials.

    This week Jo Glynn-Smith interviews Marielle Wyse, founder of Wyse London, launched in 2014 from five cashmere jumpers after a TV production career and a separation at 49 prompted her to rethink finances. With no formal training and a small loan from her father, she took her designs to a factory, sold £15,000 of stock at a June trade fair, repeated it in November, and saw sales grow from 15 to 75, later building a business now with six UK stores, 170,000 Instagram followers, and over £18 million turnover with no outside investment. Wyse says COVID drove major growth by dropping wholesale, selling direct via honest Instagram content, and navigating chaotic stock demands, growing fivefold from about £2M to £10M. She describes post-COVID pressures, losing money after hiring “experts,” opening her first store in Marylebone, focusing on customer experience for midlife women, prioritizing fitness, adding a CEO for structure, and shifting from pre-orders to holding more stock while emphasising kindness and team development. 00:00 Welcome and Subscribe 00:30 Meet Marielle Wyse 01:54 From Mum to Founder 05:42 Leading Left Field 08:18 COVID Growth Surge 10:20 Chaos and Customer Connection 15:35 After the Boom Lessons 17:41 Opening Physical Stores 21:05 Design Structure and Teams 22:04 What She Loves Now 23:04 Just Do It Mindset 23:25 Founder Leadership Challenges 26:21 Building Trust and Safety 27:38 Surviving a Tough Market 29:36 Energy Fitness and Rest 31:43 Hiring a CEO for Structure 33:31 Three Two One Reflections 37:40 Kindness and Proud Wins 39:20 What Comes Next 40:28 Closing and Listener Call https://www.wyselondon.com/ Follow on insta @wyselondon Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  6. Aug 18

    EP54: Claire Burrows, Founder of Air & Grace, the footwear brand created around the idea that women shouldn't have to choose between style and comfort.

    This week Jo sits down with Claire Burrows, founder of London footwear brand Air & Grace, to discuss building a business in midlife by solving the style-versus-comfort problem. Claire shares how redundancy pushed her to launch in 2014 after 20+ years in buying, design, and product development, funding early work with her life savings, renting out her home, and borrowing money. She explains developing the patented Tender Loving Air technology with technologist Kevin Ban, including setbacks like rejecting the first production run, running out of money, and later winning a Metro Newspaper competition that enabled a pivot from a failed wholesale plan to direct-to-consumer via Shopify. Claire describes learning marketing, e-commerce, and cashflow management, using consumer events to drive early sales and feedback, and later refocusing online. Her advice highlights investing in legal support and knowledge, keeping teams lean, and trusting red flags earlier.   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:47 Redundancy Sparks the Leap 02:39 Finding the Comfort Gap 04:25 Building the First Prototype Team 08:02 Naming Air and Grace 09:21 First Product and Early Setbacks 12:51 Tender Loving Air Tech 15:03 Funding and Cost Realities 16:38 Pivot to Direct to Consumer 19:24 Shopify Site and Winning Investment 21:04 Learning D2C Marketing and Finance 22:40 Money Mindset Shift 22:57 First Hire Milestone 23:22 Selling Comfort Online 23:42 Consumer Events Playbook 25:30 Trade Show Chaos Story 26:18 Online Focus Tipping Point 26:59 Back To In Person 27:40 New Product Evolution 28:22 Best Selling Flat 29:27 Color Range Strategy 30:12 Surviving Tough Markets 31:51 Streamlining For Growth 32:54 Team Culture Energy 33:33 Business Owner Surprises 34:40 Shoemaking Complexity 35:46 Three Two One Framework 36:06 Worth Every Penny 40:44 Team Size Regrets 42:25 Quit Earlier Lesson 44:07 Thanking The Technologist 45:02 Final Wrap And Goodbye Visit at https://airandgracelondon.com/ Follow on Instagram @airandgrace Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  7. Aug 11

    EP53: 15 Minute Masterclass: 3 Ways to Innovate when Everyone is Copying You with Melisse Shaban, CEO of Aramore skincare, a US based longevity science company.

    This week Jo sits down with Melisse Shaban, CEO of Aramore, a US-based longevity science company, to share three ways to innovate when everyone else is copying you in a low-barrier, noisy market. First, Melisse advises pursuing technical innovation by identifying unmet, unknown, or evolving needs, and reframing familiar problems (such as “longevity” versus “anti-aging”) while staying open to new formats and delivery systems across categories, from GLP-1s and peptides to sleep and recovery tools. Second, she stresses being honest and authentic in a world where it’s hard to tell what’s real, arguing that trust and truth-telling drive meaningful innovation. Third, she recommends constant discovery—looking in unexpected places, staying curious, and using practices like affirmation—while remaining focused and credible, as Aramore does by targeting cellular health in skin through long-term science.   00:00 Welcome to Masterclass 00:34 Why Copycats Win 01:04 Unmet Needs Drive Innovation 01:27 New Longevity Mindset 03:46 Formats and Recovery Trends 04:56 Authenticity in Noisy Markets 07:24 Brave Truth Tellers 08:11 Discovery and Self Belief 12:02 Aramore Inside Out Skin 14:08 First to Market Focus 15:18 Science Led Differentiation 16:13 Wrap Up and Subscribe Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

  8. Aug 4

    EP52: Antonia Philp, Paediatric Nurse & Co-Founder of Nursem, the award-winning skincare brand created on a hospital ward.

    This week Jo speaks with Antonia Philips, a pediatric nurse and co-founder of Nursem, an award-winning handcare brand created to solve the cracked, bleeding hands caused by constant handwashing with harsh antiseptics. Antonia shares how she and her husband Jonny spent seven years researching and testing products (including Manuka honey) while raising three children and continuing her nursing career, eventually moving to flexible bank shifts after burnout. They discuss finding support through the Newcastle Science City incubator, standing out in a saturated skincare market, listening to customers via a 2,000-person testing panel requiring 90% approval, and scaling a small team as they aim to enter grocery. Antonia explains the Nursem Promise, donating a month of free handcare per product sold, with 700,000 promises delivered and a million targeted by 2027, and reflects on working with her husband, managing energy, and planning for an investor exit without losing purpose.  00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:50 Balancing Nursing and Business 04:15 Staying Connected to Nursing 07:31 Handwashing Damage Explained 09:01 Searching for a Real Solution 11:46 Building the Formula and Testing 14:57 Packaging and Early Feedback 16:13 Funding and Incubator Support 17:07 Launch and Giving Back 18:38 Burnout and Energy Management 23:36 Sleep and Support 24:13 Running as Therapy 24:24 Standing Out in Skincare 25:58 Customer Led Product Expansion 27:40 Working With Your Spouse 31:36 Team Growth and Grocery Plans 33:38 Exit Pressure and Purpose 39:59 Three Two One Reflections 45:45 Final Thanks and Wrap Up https://www.nursem.co.uk/   Support the show Edited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BX For bookings: eightworks@eightclub.co.uk Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneur Contact: enquiries@joglynnsmith.com www.joglynnsmith.com MUSIC CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.io PHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com

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About

The Midlife Entrepreneur is the podcast for women who are building businesses later in life. Hosted by Jo Glynn-Smith, career transitions expert, coach and entrepreneur, who works with founders every day, each week Jo sits down with a different business owner to unpack the real stories, turning points and hard-won lessons behind their ventures.  The show also features the 15 Minute Masterclass, where seasoned experts share practical advice designed to help entrepreneurs at every stage. Honest, inspiring and genuinely useful, this is the show that proves it is never too late to back yourself.  Top 15% of podcasts globally and charting on Apple's Entrepreneurship category. New episodes every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Jo Glynn-Smith
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Midlife Entrepreneur
  • Show Website
    The Midlife Entrepreneur

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