Episode #004 How to Unleash Your Style Goddess and Sparkle this Christmas as a Midlife Woman with Guest Sarah van Dort

As the Christmas countdown gathers pace, are you already saying “No” to invitations because you have lost your Midlife mojo and whatever you wear you just end up feeling “meh”?

Then take some Me Time and join your host Kate Porter – The Midlife Metamorphosis Coach® and her Guest Style Fairy Godmother Sarah van Dort for this episode of Midlife Unlimited® as they share tips and insights on how to step out of the shadows this Yuletide and sparkle in your gloriously perfect imperfection.

Kate and Sarah know what it feels like to want to hide away in black, baggy clothes. They’ve been there. 

And this episode is packed with practical advice and information as well as transformation stories to inspire you to unleash your “mwah” Midlife style goddess this Christmas – and beyond.

From understanding and falling in love with your Midlife body shape – droopy boobs and all – to identifying your Style Personality and rocking it your way, this episode of Midlife Unlimited® is guaranteed to help you add some vital zhuzh to make you feel fabulous inside and out this festive season.

Merry Christmas from Kate and Sarah!

You can contact Sarah at

https://www.sarahvandort.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahvandort/

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.vandort

 https://www.instagram.com/sarahvandort/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

Hello and welcome to Midlife Unlimited, the podcast for women who want more. I'm Kate Porter, the Midlife Metamorphosis Coach, and I know what it feels like to feel stuck navigating the midlife maze. I've been there. I've looked in the mirror and thought, who is that woman? So Midlife Unlimited, the podcast, is inspired by my mission to let extraordinary women everywhere know you're not alone. You don't have to put a brave face on it and put up with it. You don't have to play it safe. Midlife Unlimited is all about ripping off that mask and telling it like it really is with raw and real conversations, smashing stereotypes, busting myths and misbehaving because our second spring is our time to shine our way. So welcome to today's episode. With the festive countdown in full swing, I am delighted to be joined by Sarah Van Dort today, personal stylist and YourStyle fairy godmother, who's going to wave her magic wand as we get raw and real talking about how you can unleash your sparkling midlife style diva your way and shine this Christmas and beyond. So welcome, Sarah. please introduce yourself to our fabulous listeners.

SPEAKER_01: 1:39

Oh well thank you so much Kate. I love being the style fairy godmother and I have been called that and a wizard and all sorts of other things. So as you said I'm Sarah Van Dort. I've been a personal stylist now. It's 10 years next month. I celebrate my business birthday which is very exciting. I've come up through the ranks of you know working in offices and then decided 10 years ago to follow my passion. I'm actually 59 now. I have two boys who are 28 and 30 I have six grandchildren so I'm very well within your range and yeah I absolutely love helping my clients my clients generally are in midlife because you know I resonate with them they resonate with me and I'm paid for my honesty with them you know they want honest answers they want to find out how they can feel better and the only way to do that is saying it like it is so I'm the say it like it is stylist

SPEAKER_00: 2:38

and you're my kind of woman, Sarah. I mean, I was drawn to you, not anyone that's seen us together. And if you could see us now, we are style sisters. Red lipstick, red nails, leopard print. But more than that, it's our shared mission to help women in midlife feel fabulous, not just now, but moving forward.

SPEAKER_01: 3:03

Yeah, I completely agree. And we just feel so lost. So many of my clients come to me, they're just lost. They don't even really know what they're lost in or how they got lost or where it happened. And that's when I come in and I can help them see the way forward and they find their way forward. And it makes incredible changes to relationships, to relationships. careers to everything to understand the direction you're going not to keep looking backwards

SPEAKER_00: 3:32

oh that is so true and the reason I wanted to talk about festive style is I know there's no quick fix but I've been there it's the Christmas countdown in full swing and you find yourself saying no to invitations because you're worried about showing up You feel you've got it's not even just you haven't got anything to wear. You just feel dowdy, dumpy. And again, it's looking in the mirror thinking, who is this woman? Yeah. And it's also

SPEAKER_01: 4:05

you sort of you think the steps that you have to go to to look good, to feel go out. Is it really worth it? Are you? You have to decide what to wear. You have to think about putting some makeup on. You have to wash your hair. You have to do this. You have to do that. So having easy things. So if you have a wardrobe of things that you love and you go, oh, I'm excited. I've wanted to wear that for ages. But it's just about being authentic and not comparing yourself to anybody else because you're not anybody else. You are you. You are unique. And it's about, you know, not thinking of ways to not go out. you know, we give ourselves so many excuses not to go out. Oh, if I get there, they're all going to be dressed in this and they're all going to be really confident. I'm going to be feeling fed up. It's about turning that mindset and going, do you know what? Maybe I'll have a really good time. If I'm having a good time, does it matter if I don't feel, you know, like completely myself? So, you know, it's really important to be authentic. And if you own you, everybody else will be jealous. They'll be comparing

SPEAKER_00: 5:07

themselves to you. It is so true. And, it makes me feel quite emotional remembering how I used to feel about that. How many things I said no to when I desperately wanted to say yes, but I just felt so pooey. It wasn't, it wasn't depression. It was just, I just felt meh. I just, and outwardly people would probably still think I looked fine, but I didn't have that energy about myself that I feel now. It's just so... I hear you. Yeah, it impacts so many areas. I think we were chatting just before that I do like a survey. I do like some stats. I know you're all about the facts, but it's quite amusing. I mean, Tenor, good on them. They've conducted an age of confidence survey with women and 41% of the women surveyed said that having a negative relationship with their body affects their mental health. And I found that quite golly. And then us midlife women in particular, we lack, I don't know why I'm laughing because it's so sad. We don't like ourselves because of drooping boobs, grey hair, weight and wrinkles.

UNKNOWN: 6:33

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00: 6:34

Now, of those drooping boobs, hands up me, I actually make an announcement in my household when it's bra off o'clock because it sounds like the intro to Netflix. And my grey hair. I actually get more compliments now I've embraced the natural grey than when I was brunette. But the other day, there's a little... near where my dad lives that my son and I pop into just to get bits when we've been to see dad. And the other day I went in and Finlay was up in Birmingham seeing his girlfriend and the lovely cashier said, oh, where's the lovely boy today? I said, oh, he's the one. She goes, oh, you must be a really proud granny. Oh my goodness. But look at me. I'm a typical granny. I've got grey hair. I wear glasses. Stereotypical. Here's to smashing those stereotypes. How old was the girl that said that to you? Oh, probably about 30, actually. Old enough to know better. And Finlay, it's his birthday. Happy birthday, darling. He's 23 today. So it's not like he's six foot two. Love it. It is, isn't it? But that ties in because this survey also said 38% of women, they feel that they should, and you know how I feel about shoulds, they should be comparing themselves or trying to be like those gorgeous celebrities and models that we see all over social media, that whole unrealistic body standards. But that, impacts relationships all this pressure that we put on ourselves and two in three of the women and I know this is something that you've encountered recently with one of your clients said that negative relationship with how they feel about their body affects their personal relationships because if we're feeling it affects so please share this wonderful story

SPEAKER_01: 8:48

Yeah, it really does. And the interesting thing is where you were saying, Kate, you know, that you sort of, you took, just didn't let it stay on you when that lady said that to you. The problem is if you're already feeling bad about yourself, it's just going to be another nail making you feel even worse. And so, you know, it's, it's working on it before you get to that stage. So I had a lovely client who I've been working with and she, I did her colour analysis actually years ago and she wasn't ready to move forward. forward and she sent me a message and she was really not feeling very you know very much like herself she was feeling dowdy she didn't know what to wear she couldn't put outfits together she was feeling fat she was just she was just really sort of unhappy about everything about her and her appearance and she but she was ready to do something about it and she trusted me she trusted the process we did a full day color a full day style analysis we went to do her wardrobe and quite honestly she had virtually nothing that was going to do her service so we did some shopping only two hours and she bought some brilliant basics for her wardrobe I gave her some links to some other bits to add in as well she is feeling empowered her relationship she goes on more date nights than ever with her husband now she is looking at a new career she's just done an amazing three-day course it was actually a Marie Kondo course so if you're listening you'll know who you are to look at doing a new career um she's got something to wear for every single day when she did this course people were saying to her things like oh i thought you were a consultant already because you look so well put together and confident um they said when are you going for lunch i feel like we should be following you you're our lunch leader i mean just incredible confidence for somebody who had None. And now if she gets comments like that, she'll be able to take them and go, whatever, because she has that confidence in herself. So it really is just understanding yourself. She let me take her on a journey to see her through my eyes. She doesn't feel fat anymore, she said. The only reason she'd even look at her weight is health-wise because she feels so good. I mean, it's just life-changing, understanding yourself and accepting yourself.

SPEAKER_00: 11:09

I love it. so much so and I like exactly like you said the fact that I was able to laugh off that comment yes is it's because my energy about myself has changed and how I feel reflects itself and it's not just about how I look it's not a vanity thing but I really do I'll go by the whole let the judges judge anyone who wants me to celebrate to shame me for celebrating my wrinkles because they tell a story and sometimes I'll do a social media video and I do look back and I think oh dear that lighting wasn't particularly good but I think well it's me it's me yeah

SPEAKER_01: 11:49

and you had a

SPEAKER_00: 11:50

point to say and you've got your point across you know nobody is judging no and I'm more body confident now and in my own style at 55 and than I ever was in my 20s, 30s, 40s, because I know my worth now. And I think we really can be our own worst enemies. And I don't mean that in a flippant way, because I know that can really cause you to just want to pull on the black baggy clothes and just hide.

SPEAKER_01: 12:25

And that's just going to make you feel... And that's just going to make you feel worse because then you look in the mirror, you're covering all those great parts of your body. So we all have really, every single woman I've met has got fabulous parts of their body. And there's bits that, you know, they might not like so much. And then what they're doing is hiding all those fabulous bits as well as hiding the bits they don't want. And then they are never going to feel confident, but then they're judging themselves against somebody else. So they're out in big baggy black clothes, judging themselves against somebody who's, you know, got their stuff together purely by understanding their own body. And then they will put themselves down. And I say they, you know, been there, done that. You know, we put ourselves down when actually we're just in this circle then, a cycle, and you need help to get out of it.

SPEAKER_00: 13:20

And mindset changes. No, absolutely. Because I know when we were talking about doing this episode, there were three areas and you just brought them together beautifully. And it sounds tough. And that's where you come in. That's where I can help with just changing the way you think about yourself, focusing on the positive. positives being kind to your reflection yes you may be thinking who the heck is this woman but look into your eyes and actually think who am I who am I what do I want now and as you said brilliantly then celebrate the things you do love because there's going to be something even if it's your toes there's going to be something about you and that will help you offset your The things that you don't particularly like.

SPEAKER_01: 14:11

I completely agree. And I can generally find more than just toes that I like about people. But toes are still good. That's why I'm not the stylist. It might be ankles. I had a client the other day I went to and she was saying, you know, I've got stumpy legs. And I'm like, well, I don't think you've got stumpy legs. So I put her in some different trousers. Her legs went on and on. She didn't have stumpy legs. She was wearing trousers that made her legs look stumpy. And so this is the problem that it's if you wear clothes that aren't right for you, then that's going to happen because you're going to see something that is not, it's an illusion. You're not going to see the reality. So if I could just sort of say here that the things that happen when our bodies change is suddenly our clothes don't fit and they're not comfortable. The silhouette changes. So we have a little bit of a tummy. Our boobs, as you said, might be a little bit lower. We end up with a bit of a saggy arm, you know, all these little bits that we never had in our 20s, 30s, 40s. And we which is what knocks our confidence. And so the things we can do to counteract that is to accept our body for what it is. So you may still be the same size, but your body parts have moved. And we have to change... So we have to change the shapes that we're wearing. We need to change where clothes cut off. You know, we need to adapt our wardrobe for our changing needs. So if you have, say, an hourglass body shape with a good waist, but you get a bit of a tummy, if you try and cover that with something baggy, you're losing the waist at the sides. You're losing that beautiful curve at the back. So you need to be really aware of the good bits of your body as well as the bad bits if you want to feel empowered to own your body, your style and feel like you can go to those Christmas parties feeling amazing and that you deserve to be there.

SPEAKER_00: 16:10

I absolutely love that. It is all about celebrating. And that's one thing that the women I work with so often, we're not used to celebrating us. We spent so many years putting ourselves on the back burner, doing what we're told, behaving, following protocol. And now really is the time to shake things up a bit and start thinking, I can do it. I mean, if you told the old me that, that this season I would mostly be wearing a bright green faux fur coat, biker boots and a leopard print dress, I would have laughed in your face. But I'm rocking it. Well, I think I am. And that's the main thing. Oh, I

SPEAKER_01: 16:57

agree. I mean, look at people like Iris Apfel. I mean, what a style icon. And she celebrated her age as being able to do these, you know, be even more outrageous. Try things that she didn't care as much as she aged. She was less conscious because she was like, I'm me. I'm celebrating getting older. I mean, she was always, you know, and sort of creative, but she celebrated it even more. She cared even less about what other people thought about her. And I think we're so used to comparing ourselves to people in our 20s, 30s, 40s, that as we You know, as we hit 40s, 50s, you know, we don't really know what to do. We're a bit lost because we're not comparing ourselves to the 20, 30 year olds. We have to adapt our clothes. So, you know, we hit 40 and you pick a jumper up in a shop and you think that's nice. You turn it around. It's got no back. And suddenly you're like, oh, I can't wear that anymore. All those weird,

SPEAKER_00: 17:59

the weird side cutout bits. Oh, my gosh. On my boyfriend's, my boyfriend, my son's, my son's girlfriend looks fantastic. And you think, oh, no, I don't think I'll be wearing that. One thing that I really wanted to talk to you today, because I don't know much about it at all, but I know you're the expert. And that's one of the reasons I'm thrilled you're joining me for our festive episode. The six style personalities, Sarah, can you explain to me? Who am I? That's what I want to know. Oh,

SPEAKER_01: 18:35

well, now let me think. So the six style personalities, and let me be clear here, we're not putting anybody in a box. But this is all about when you look at something, it might fit you. It might, you know, be in all the right places, but you just don't like it. Maybe you've got something hanging in your wardrobe or maybe you try something on in a shop. This is what makes you unique. And you may have several and you might have your accessories of one and the clothes you wear is or another. So the first style personality is the creative. The lady who likes to mix and not match, who likes to be adventurous. You can't see this, but Kate has put her hand up. Absolutely, Kate. It's wearing those bright colors with lots of contrast. It's wearing, as you said, a green fur jacket with biker boots, but really owning it. And quite often people have been like that. that in the past as they've aged they've lost that and they don't know how to bring it into their age now and that's something that you know you can definitely do even if it's just little bits little bits of doing that the second one is the dramatic and for those of you that don't know me I am a dramatic I love a bright color I love to make an entrance I have sort of foofy blonde hair most of the time if I can I love a red lip and red nail varnish so I quite like that dramatic look So the next one is the romantic. So romantic ladies just enjoy a more feminine look. So overall, it's you might be drawn to pastels and florals and lace and bows and all those beautiful feminine, feminine parts. But actually, that can be really hard as you grow older, because you know, wearing sort of it looks a bit girly, and then you just have to adapt it to make it. I use the word age appropriate. I am not saying you're not. You need to, you know, in quotation marks, dress your age. But you do need to make it age appropriate. Then we go on to the classic. The classic is a traditional look. So you might enjoy wearing sort of if you're wearing jeans, you will always put a nice blazer with it. You may wear sort of comfortable brogues. You might like a cardigan. You know, it's very much matching. So, you know, matching your shoes and your handbag. So it's a very much classic look. Lots of women who have come up through working in offices Have that look. And actually, I am very much a classic dramatic. So I will have that look, but my jacket will be animal print or bright red. So we can mix and match. So the next one, the fifth style personality is the one I probably see 80% of the time in my studio is the natural. The natural is just a comfortable look. Practical. You don't want to be ironing your clothes. You just want to be able to run around. It's very lifestyle led, you know, especially when you get to midlife, you might have children you're running around after. You might have parents that you're running around after. So you need to be comfortable. So a lot of people come to me natural, but actually they want to bring a bit of the other style personalities into that, which is what we work on. And the last one is the city chic lady. And she is, I always liken it, you know, the wardrobe adverts where they have like five dresses and four blouses in silk and some lovely shoes. That's the city chic. You know, she's always going to look amazing. But she won't have a massive wardrobe. That's for the creatives, the dramatics, the romantics. But everything will go together beautifully. When you understand this about yourself, you don't compare yourself to others. So somebody might look at you, Kate, and go, oh, God, look, she puts all that together and she looks amazing. Oh, I couldn't do that. So I can't look stylish. But you actually think, no, I'm a classic. I love the way I look. I've got a nice blouse, nice jeans and shoes on. So that's why they are so vitally important to know your style personality.

SPEAKER_00: 22:42

I love that. I hope that's explained it. Oh, brilliantly. Well, I was just thinking, I think I'm a creative dramatic. Yes, I think so. bit of the two because i like i'm all about shaping things up so i do like a bit of a color clash or or a pattern clash but it it can be a bit like oh should i do this And I say the old me would have been like, no, no, no, no, no. But now I think we'll have a bit of fun. I'm all about having fun with it. What's the worst that can happen, right? And just keep a different jacket on the backseat of the car in case you get out there, catch sight of yourself. And that's another thing, actually, catching sight of ourselves, especially at this time of year. The dreaded selfies.

SPEAKER_01: 23:28

Right, can I please tell you, I go on a bit of a soapbox with this, Kate, so be fair with me. Your reflection is not an actual reflection of who you are. I've had people come to me and say, I've had a bit of a knock in my confidence recently. And I'm like, okay, tell me about it. And there was one really lovely lady who always looked gorgeous, actually. And I think she was 70. And she said she'd been on a night out with somebody and women girlfriends. And somebody had taken a photo and she said, I look terrible. And I didn't stand up and dance all evening. Everybody was dancing. I just sat in the corner all evening. And then she said she was on holiday somewhere very exotic, some island somewhere. And she'd got off a boat and her hair was a mess because they'd been swimming. And she had this dress thing on and she said, I looked enormous. And I'm like, what were you doing before you got off that boat? And she's like, well, we'd been swimming. We had a barbecue. I mean, it was exotic. It was amazing. And I said, well, what I want you to do is look at that photo as a representation of what you've done. You're not supposed to look like a model. You've got one angle and you look 2D in this photo. Selfies and photographs are not accurate representations of what we look like in real life, in in 3D. So please, please do not look at that. Look at the photos. Do you remember back in the day, Kate? We used to take a photo, send it off to be developed, got it back. If we didn't like it, we'd just rip it

SPEAKER_00: 25:07

up and throw it away. You've read my mind. You've read my mind. And nine times out of ten, the flash hadn't gone off

SPEAKER_01: 25:12

anyway. Half ahead. You know, just do not think a selfie is a representation of how you are looking if you look in I've done it myself don't get me wrong if you look in the mirror and then you ask somebody you know how do I look somebody that you trust and they say yeah you look great then you look great if you then see a selfie I've actually I actually don't even look at photographs of myself until after the evening somebody takes a photo I'm like oh great thank you I don't like it I ditch it simple Sorry, soapbox moment there. Please do not think that your

SPEAKER_00: 25:48

photos are reality. I think that's absolutely superb advice. And I couldn't agree more, actually, because it is. It's all about finding your style and doing it your way. Now, I am feeling festive and I think you are, too. We're both having a little sparkle here. So obviously, over the Christmas period, it's not all about parties. There are so many, like we were talking about, you know, whether it's drinks with neighbours, carols outside. That's one of our favourite things. We've got a common you might have seen in some of my posts. There's a duck pond up there and it's carols on the common. You had some brilliant ideas for just different ways to finish up. I like that word you used. I

SPEAKER_01: 26:36

love a zhuzh. I love a zhuzh. Yeah. And these are very practical ways. And, you know, whether you're at home, whether you're with friends, whatever you're doing, you deserve to feel good about yourself. And I'm not, saying get up in the morning and put a full face of makeup on that's that's not if that's if that's you if you're like a creative dramatic romantic you're going to do that my red lipstick is me so here is some really your red lipstick i bet that's on every day but that's because that makes you feel like you until you've got that on it's like oh now i'm kate now i'm in the world okay so um one of the things i want you to think about is celebrating your shape with confidence so it's not about trends it's just thinking what flatters you what makes you feel good what makes you feel comfortable you know at our you know in midlife you want to feel comfortable but you want to feel confident you want all of it and you can have all of it so think about having a waistline if you've got a great waist show your waist off if you've got you know a great legs show your legs off um Festive sparkle can be in moderation. You don't have to go top to toe and go, oh, everybody else will be wearing a glittery dress. You can go, I'm just going to put some pretty sparkly earrings on. Don't normally wear those. A sparkly necklace. Some shoes. You can buy these really gorgeous shoe brooches that will take a plain pair of shoes and just give them a bit of glamour. You don't have to buy a completely new pair of shoes. You can just go to Amazon and you'll find hundreds of them. A glitzy top or a scarf. A scarf tied around a handbag. So if you're a classic, you know, just a glittery scarf on your handbag, a brooch, something beautiful like that. So let's talk about footwear. We do not have to wear really, really uncomfortable shoes to look amazing. So flat shoes, there are so many beautiful ones around. Wearing a metallic is a really great way to bring a little bit of sparkle, a bit of zhuzh into your Christmas outfit. And think slippers. Why not get yourself a really beautiful pair of slippers that make you feel fabulous, even when you're just in your comfy clothes at home. Oh, here's a top tip. If you're going to somebody's house, with some drinks, don't wear holes in your socks because you might be asked to take your shoes off. Yes. This is a top tip I give people. Make sure you've got nice socks on if you're going to somebody's house for drinks.

SPEAKER_00: 28:58

That is such... I don't know if you've ever been asked

SPEAKER_01: 28:59

to take your shoes

SPEAKER_00: 29:00

off. Oh, no, I've had... Or odd socks.

SPEAKER_01: 29:04

Odd socks. Yes. You can own it if you're a creative. You can go, oh, yes, it's my creativity. Colour. Wear some fabulous colours. You know, even if you are... on the settee in your comfy cosies you don't have to be sitting in a boring grey t-shirt buy yourself a great great great great coloured t-shirt that will take you right the way through and beyond you know we don't want to be you know adding to fast fashion by keep buying new things just for Christmas and then buy new ones next year as well how about adding just a statement accessory you know necklace earrings brooch you know something that just gives you that little bit of an element of something fun an element of something exciting and and sparkly. Self-care. Think about your skincare, especially if you're going to be drinking, if you're going to be in enclosed spaces, heating, all of that this time of year. The better your skin is, the better your makeup is and the less makeup you need to wear. So think about your skin. Don't be dehydrated. Obviously, drinking lots of water. But more than anything, I would love you just to own your personal style. Just be yourself. Be authentic. You know, there is nobody else like you. And it doesn't matter which style personality you are. Just be you. Own it and enjoy and have fun. That's what I would say. Those are my top practical tips.

SPEAKER_00: 30:28

I think that is fabulous. And your magic wand has been well and truly waved. Gosh, all you fabulous ladies out there, I hope you're feeling inspired now to, even if it's just a little bit of sparkle your way, just to feel a bit and not just for Christmas. Feeling fabulous isn't just for Christmas. But looking ahead, we've got a little week and a bit left. Have you got your Christmas outfit planned yet, Sarah? Do you have multiple outfits?

SPEAKER_01: 31:05

Well, I'm not one for buying new ones because I'm very aware about sustainable fashion. And so I do have a couple of little Christmas jumpers, which I just bring out every year. And I am, you know, I'm a dramatic. So I have, you know, my favorite is just red with a glitter bow across the front because then I can put it with all sorts of fabulous things on the bottom half. I do have, you know, some I do have some nice sort of red boots. comfy cosies that I keep for Christmas time just because it makes me feel like I've got something new. If I wear those ones all year round, then I'll be bored and want to buy something new by Christmas. But I also have some dresses that I absolutely adore that make me feel comfortable that I could wear to literally anything by dressing up, dressing down. I'm a dress girl due very much to my proportions. That's a conversation for another day. And I love a red tartan at this time of year So you don't have to be, you know, gimmicky. I think, you know, there are so many fabulous patterns and things out there like a tartan that still feel very Christmassy, but don't make you feel like you're buying into, you know, too much of the, you know, I don't have to have a glittery this and a Christmas top with a Santa on it. So, yeah, whatever I do, I shall be elevating from my everyday look just to make it feel special.

SPEAKER_00: 32:29

I love that. Well, it won't come as any surprise to you or anyone that's getting to know me. What will you be wearing? I will be wearing, oh, it's fabulous, pre-loved. It's a 70s style, little bit abbery, green satin jumpsuit with gorgeous bat wing sleeves. And I've got some chunky silver heels. Oh my word. Well, they're block heels. I can't do stilettos. That was the funniest thing. I've just finished my beginner's salsa lessons and I loved it. But so many of them are in the spindly heels. I had a nice chunky heel because I'm embracing midlife my way and loving what I wear and wearing what I love. I feel Frank Sinatra.

UNKNOWN: 33:21

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 33:21

Actually, that's quite a good link in to my... Three questions that I'd like to end today's conversation with. And I really appreciate you. Raw and real. I think we've covered that off today. From boobs to sparkle. Not together. Well, maybe. We haven't got into the jaddles. We're all right. Best of booby sparkly bits. No. Right. I have three questions for you, lovely Sarah. And I'd be delighted if you would share your answers with our listeners on my son's birthday. Happy birthday. The first question is, and I really want to know this because I'm quite excited about this. What is your midlife anthem, your go-to song that fires you up? Okay,

SPEAKER_01: 34:14

so... I used to have. If you'd have asked me this five, ten years ago, I would have said I Am Woman by Helen Reddy. Because she talks about, in that song, it talks very much about, you know, I've been through a lot and it's made me who I am. My midlife anthem now is Unstoppable by Sia. I love that song. Whenever it comes on these days, because I don't listen to the radio, I put it on and I belt it out in the car. It's usually the first one that comes on. So, yeah, goodness, if anyone's next to me in my car, they get a bit of a shock.

SPEAKER_00: 34:49

Unstoppable by Sia. That's just such a fabulous feeling, is it? When you just go, oh, yes, I've got this. I've got this. So, which leads me into, gosh, I'm good with these segues. Your midlife... your midlife mantra the phrase that you live by Sarah is there a phrase you'd like to share with us

SPEAKER_01: 35:11

there absolutely is so my midlife mantra is live every day as if it's your last because one day you'll be right and I do literally I'm trying to make every single day count it's weeks go how often do you go isn't day again already and you think what have I achieved what have I done where have I been and I'm always trying to go new places meet new people so yeah live every day as if it's your last because one day you'll be right

SPEAKER_00: 35:42

I love that it's not in a

SPEAKER_01: 35:43

morbid way it's in a positive

SPEAKER_00: 35:44

way it sums up your glorious zest for life and that's just one of the things I love about you and gosh these segues keep coming talking of your life Sarah What's the title or what would be the title of your autobiography?

SPEAKER_01: 36:02

Yeah, it would be my autobiography would be square peg in a round hole. Because that is how I have felt all my life. You know, I've never quite fitted in ADHD brain here, never quite fitted in. But now I'm really happy that I don't fit in. That is now a bit of a superpower. You know, I, I am individual, I have unique ideas, I have unique creative thoughts. And I actually now like that about myself. Now I've got to a certain age where I'm comfortable in that. But I haven't always. And so square peg, round hole in my family, in my school, in jobs I've had where I've always been told off for laughing and being too happy and never fitted in. And now I feel like I'm there.

SPEAKER_00: 36:50

Brilliant. Well, you fitted in perfectly to Midlife Unlimited, Booboom. Not yet. You'll probably hear it. You're not that far away in real life. So anyone who's been inspired, who thinks I need to know Sarah, I need Sarah in my life. How can they contact you? Okay, so I

SPEAKER_01: 37:14

have a website, which is www.sarahvandort.co.uk. So you can go onto there and just see more about what I do. It is in the process of just being sort of redesigned, but everything is on there for you. I also like to make my services really accessible to people. You know, it doesn't have to be about spending lots of money. So every month I do a masterclass, a free masterclass. And actually in January on the 20th, 7.30 to 8.30, I'm going to be doing one called From Comfort to Confidence. Empower your style for 2025. So if you want to sign up for that, that is absolutely free. I have a weekly newsletter, just a bite-sized one. We don't want to be, you know, throwing loads of stuff at you, which is called The Style Lounge, which you can sign up for as well, which I know that you'll be popping links to. I also did a Changing Body Shape Masterclass. in October. And if anybody would like a recording of that, then please do drop me an email, sarahvandort.co.uk. And I would be very happy to send that out to you. And I'm also everywhere on social media. So lots of ways to get free advice. You don't have to have, you know, a big, you know, have to think I need a stylist to feel this.

SPEAKER_00: 38:39

No, I love that. I love how, because it's all about sharing, isn't it? I mean, that's one of the reasons we're doing this. We're all about the sharing. And if anyone would like to contact me, I'd love to hear from you, even what you think about the podcast. Drop me an email, kate at secondspringlifecoaching.com because that's the name of my life coaching company. Or let's connect on LinkedIn, Kate Porter Second Spring. So that just leads me to say, Sarah, a huge festive thank you for joining me today. You've been an absolute dream. I love being in your world. I love your style. I love your vibrancy. So thank you so much and wishing you a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for listening to Midlife Unlimited. Here's to being fabulous and flourishing together. And Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Thanks, Sarah. Thanks for listening, everyone. Bye.