Episode #029 How to Rip of the Mask as a Midlife Woman with Guest Joanna Wood

Do you find yourself thinking “I wish I could do that again…” but then making excuses to yourself why you can’t? All those reasons why that thing is just not doable now… in Midlife.

The result? We hold ourselves back. We play it small. We stop daring to dream. We choose to stay being comfortable to avoid the potential minefield of “What ifs” that accompany reawakening that challenge… rekindling that desire. We don’t let the real us shine through.

If this resonates with how you are feeling, join your host Kate Porter The Midlife Metamorphosis Coach® and her guest Creative Director and Branding Portrait Photographer Joanna Wood for Episode 029 of Midlife Unlimited® as they talk about How to Rip of the Mask as a Midlife woman.

An alternative title for their episode could have been How to start playing it big. Because, like Kate, Joanna is an advocate of showing up how we really are – not diluting ourselves by pretending to be someone we’re not.

Joanna shares with Kate her metamorphosis from conforming and being perceived as shy, to boldly unleashing her creativity has enabled her to step out of the shadows both personally and professionally. And she talks through her lessons learned for how to show up as we really are and rip off the mask as Midlife women.

Tune in too to find out how Joanna’s fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of her mother shows how we can find a way to keep doing what lights us up and saying “yes” to challenges that help us make a difference.

Connect with Joanna

www.joannawoodphotography.co.uk

www.instagram.com/joannawoodphotography

www.facebook.com/joanna.wood.13

www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-wood-photography-6747a7235/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:01

Welcome to Midlife Unlimited, the podcast for women who want more. I'm your host, Kate Porter, the Midlife Metamorphosis Coach, and I know what it's like to feel stuck navigating the midlife maze. I've looked in the mirror and thought, who is that woman? So Midlife Unlimited is here to let you know you are not alone. You don't have to put on a brave face and put up with it. You don't have to play it safe. Midlife Unlimited is all about ripping off that mask and telling midlife how it really is. Nothing is off limits because together there's no limit to what we can achieve. So welcome to today's episode. Now, do you ever find yourself thinking, I wish I could do that again? But then making excuses to yourself why you can't. All those reasons why that thing is just not doable now in midlife. The result? We hold ourselves back. We play it small. We stop daring to dream. We choose to stay being comfortable, to avoid the potential minefield of what-ifs that accompany reawakening that challenge, rekindling that desire. We don't let the real us shine through. So, I'm delighted to be joined by my guest today. Joanna Wood, Creative Director and Branding Portrait Photographer, to talk about how to rip off that mask. So welcome Joanna, it's lovely to have you here.

SPEAKER_01: 1:45

Hello, how

SPEAKER_00: 1:47

are you? I'm good, I'm looking forward to this one because as I always say every intro, Midlife Unlimited, it's about ripping off that mask and we're going to be ripping off that mask throughout this episode and building up to some rather exciting news that you've got but more of that later on I think an alternative title for our episode could be how to start playing it big because we're done with playing it small aren't we we've done that a hundred percent

SPEAKER_01: 2:20

yeah I think everyone says oh playing it too small but why not change it up and go let's make it freaking big

SPEAKER_00: 2:28

No, absolutely. And you're with me as well. Obviously, it's what you do. It's your passion. It's how you help people shine and tell their stories. But it's all about showing up as the real us, isn't it? Showing up as we really are. Yeah,

SPEAKER_01: 2:46

100%. I think we all tend to... don't know what's the word we all tend to just be different people around different people it's like I know I've done that oh 100% I could be so many different people with so many different people because you want to try and fit in but you get to 40 plus and you think like what's the point it's tiring you don't like me you don't like me exactly yeah

SPEAKER_00: 3:25

And you can almost forget. It's like wearing all these different hats. And it's not that we're not lying. We're not pretending. We're just almost... Dialing down

SPEAKER_01: 3:38

parts. Yeah. Yeah. Dialing down the parts of us that we don't think we should show because it's not the right thing to do. So, you know, if you go up into some events where there's been a lot of very... well-spoken people with a lot of money and you think i'm gonna have to be that person whereas actually they probably can give a yeah but you feel like you've got to speak properly and pretend like you've got money so you can fit in but actually no you don't need to no

SPEAKER_00: 4:14

because i think there's two things there firstly diluting our fabulousness really whatever our quirks are No, we don't want to be doing that. Sorry, I'm not telling you what to do, listener, but I am. And the other two things are the words beige and vanilla, which are perfectly all right. But really, why do that when you could be hazelnut, you could be pistachio, you could be strawberry. Find the flavour. What's your

SPEAKER_03: 4:47

vanilla?

SPEAKER_01: 4:49

Oh, Madagascar. Yeah.

UNKNOWN: 4:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 4:52

Be a Madagascan vanilla pod.

SPEAKER_00: 4:55

Yeah. But do you know what I mean, though? It's like we all feel all, you know, safe. It's back to safe again, isn't it? You do the flavour that, I mean, I don't know. I definitely think I'd be a little bit of pistachio. I think I'm a caramel swirl. Oh, hazelnut caramel. I'm thinking chocolate now. Oh, a boost bar. But talking about diluting and obviously in the intro and the title of the episode, mask wearing. I'm delighted that later on you're going to be sharing your top tips for how to rip off that mask, both professionally and personally, because it's important. that we come together and talk about it rather than just sitting there thinking, I wish I could be the real me. I wish I could just stop. And I say, it's not even pretending really, is it? It's just thinking no one's going to like me perhaps as I really am.

SPEAKER_01: 6:02

I think we're all worried about what people think. And to a point, I think we all have to be mindful of what people think because...

SPEAKER_00: 6:16

Yeah, because it's the whole professional side of things and not wanting to upset people.

SPEAKER_01: 6:22

And I said the other day to a networking event we were at, don't be a twat. That's all you need to be. Andrea Rainsford actually says, don't

SPEAKER_00: 6:34

be a dick. Yeah, yeah. She said it on our International Women's Day episode right here on Midlife Unlimited. But yeah,

SPEAKER_01: 6:42

if you're going to be a twat, then... do it somewhere else but you don't have to be yeah you don't have to be

SPEAKER_00: 6:51

because to me as well that that that goes beyond being yourself isn't it that that that encompasses not really reading the room not really getting what other people are about and making it about you rather than being a cheerleader and I know you and I are both on the same page cheerleading all day every day don't piss on someone's parade if someone's doing better and I'm using inverted commas here than you good for her good for him because it all comes around and life's too short to be like oh I'm not going to talk to them because they're having a really great month and I'm actually not

SPEAKER_01: 7:34

whereas last month they probably had a pretty shitty month but didn't talk about it

SPEAKER_00: 7:38

yeah I love this quote and I say I nicked it from one of your posts and I'm not quite sure who Case Kenny is but I just love the I just love it so I'm going to quote it right back at you and say thank you for this but life's well I'm the queen I'll set this up I am the queen of perfect imperfection that's that's what I do and this quote just ties in perfectly because life is not about being perfect. It's about being ridiculously passionate. So people think you're a little crazy. And I'm all for that. I'd say absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: 8:17

Exactly. And if you can't be a little bit crazy, what's the point?

SPEAKER_00: 8:23

No, absolutely. But I say we're going to be talking more about ripping off that mask later on. And I love this three, I put my teeth in this theme because it just, it means a lot to me and it means a lot. I work with so many women who are in that situation where they're tired of it. They really are. They've done it. They've conformed. But I think delving into your story, and I hope you don't mind, I'm going to be a bit nosy now and find out more about you. I think conforming perhaps is a word, that's fair to say applies to your journey as well in the early days. A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01: 9:05

Yeah. It was even at school. I was always classed as the person who would, I was always, I wasn't Miss goody two shoes cause I was a little bit naughty sometimes, but I hated getting in trouble.

SPEAKER_03: 9:18

Oh

SPEAKER_01: 9:18

yeah. Yeah. Hate to get in trouble. Um, and I'd always tell the line and my husband jokes that, um, If I do something a little bit off kilter, he takes the mickey out of me. Because he's like, oh, you wouldn't normally do that.

SPEAKER_00: 9:38

But I think, yeah, as I get

SPEAKER_01: 9:39

older, I might push the boundaries a bit more. But yeah, going back to being a kid at school, I was always the peacemaker. I hated anyone... falling out I was always getting people friends back together um I hated disharmony in the friendship group it was it was it just didn't sit right with me so um but then the conforming part oh crumbs I think it was being normal I think I don't know if I was a normal kid. I didn't have a normal family, so I definitely wasn't a normal kid. Who does? I think you just try and fit in as much as you possibly can at

SPEAKER_00: 10:37

school. But you said there was this innate, almost creative streak that you had, but you almost dumbed it down. Is it fair to say that?

SPEAKER_01: 10:48

Yeah, I loved art. I was always drawing. I always had a colouring book in my hand, pens, paints. And then I started secondary school. And then you just, it's all about the boys, isn't it? Going out, your friends. And you stop doing the things you actually loved doing when you were a kid. Yeah. Because you have to get a boyfriend. You have to have your friends. You have to go to the parties. You have to do all this.

UNKNOWN: 11:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 11:17

And that's, again, another conforming, isn't it? You have to do all those things to fit in rather than going and enjoying what you did two years previous. You can't do it now. You're in upper school because your friends will think you're an idiot. No. I think we carry this. Yeah. Through most of my life, it's trying to be the person that fit in and not being a bit different and not I actually got told by a friend. I had a very small group of friends when I was at college and we used to go to the same pub. And my friend's boyfriend at the time, I think we must have been about 18, 19, he said to me, I was very quiet. I was a huge introvert. So I had my clothes in it of friends. But my 30th birthday party, I'd not long met my now husband and he came along. And I invited my friends who I'd lost touch with previously because of my ex-husband. They came to my 30th birthday party. And obviously I got a lot more confident from when I'd seen them last. And so he came and we sat, we were having a chat and we were, you know, catching up and everything. He went, God, you used to be really boring.

UNKNOWN: 12:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 12:44

I said, oh, cheers, mate. Thanks very much. I said, no, I wasn't boring. I just, I really struggled to talk to people, to have deeper conversations than the normal chit chat you have. I really struggled to convey my emotions when I was younger. And to have, to talk to people, I really struggled with it. So I always used to get called shy or boring or actually got told once that I was up myself.

SPEAKER_00: 13:25

I used to get that.

SPEAKER_01: 13:26

Because I was quiet.

SPEAKER_00: 13:28

Oh,

SPEAKER_01: 13:28

she's so up herself. She loves herself. No, actually, I'm sitting here hiding because I don't actually know what to say to anyone.

SPEAKER_00: 13:38

No, that resonates massively.

SPEAKER_01: 13:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 13:41

Someone actually carved that on my desk at high school, actually.

SPEAKER_03: 13:46

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00: 13:47

Yeah. I love myself and I was up myself. And I'm like, if only you knew, if only you knew what was going on up here. Yeah, exactly. It is. But then you always, you said as a nanny, I don't think we actually mentioned that. That's how your career started as a nanny. But you said you always had, camera to hand it never went away that creative urge no I

SPEAKER_01: 14:17

actually went through some old photographs that we went to Thailand when I was eight I was eight no I was 10 wow 98 1987 I worked with my parents and there's pictures of me with this old Kodak camera around my neck and I think I took most of the pictures on that holiday but I'd always had a camera And it wasn't until I was 21, I got my first proper film camera, like the proper DSLR. And that went everywhere to work with me. So I spent 15 years, 13 years, taking pictures of the kids and the family and we'd go out and do stuff. And I was always taking photos.

SPEAKER_00: 15:04

No, I do. I mean, I'm no photographer, but I am a huge fan. taking photos and I love the kind of the whole reportage and yeah we'll we'll come back and talk more because you've got so many tips but and also horses played a part in your your transformation to where you are now didn't they

SPEAKER_01: 15:26

yeah so I've always been a horse nut ever since I was about four um when we came back to the UK from living abroad and I saw my first horse and I was hooked. It was just, I don't know. And my grandma had horses in the backfield that used to butt onto her garden. So I was always hanging over the fence somewhere. And then I started riding and then I gave up and my mum wouldn't let me get a pony because it was just her. She's like, I'm not looking after a bloody pony. And... Your parents do. I'm only looking after it. So I didn't really get my horsey fix until I was 13, 13, 2, when I went back to riding. Yeah. There is an end to this story, by the way. No, I bought my own horse. I bought my own horse. And I met so many wonderful friends who I'm still friends with now, probably for the past 13 years. We've got this really tight-knit group, even though I don't have a horse anymore. But I had my own photo shoot with my horse. This is what kicked it all off.

SPEAKER_00: 16:45

Oh, right.

SPEAKER_01: 16:46

And they were beautiful. And I adore them. I've still got someone, I've got one on the wall. They're still sitting in my laptop. What was his or her name? His name's Jack. And he was just,

SPEAKER_00: 16:59

he was amazing. I'm picturing, I'm picturing, I'm sure the listeners are as well.

SPEAKER_01: 17:04

He was by Black Beauty. He had a heart on his forehead that then dribbled down. He was beautiful. And yeah, I bought him in 2008. 2013 2000 no 2015 and I had him for four years and then he suddenly passed away but we had so much fun but I'd had this photo shoot this girl came to the yard um she did a load of other girls that were there as well with their horses and I just fell in love with the way that she'd photographed it's like how do I do that I want to be able to do that I love it and that just reignited that fire in me that I actually wanted to go and dig out my camera and go and learn how to do all these things. Like she did one with just a headshot and all the background was black. And I was like, oh God, how do I do that? And I studied and I

SPEAKER_00: 17:58

researched and I went online. So did you go back to college or was it a club that you joined or how did you? Because that's what so many women would be thinking. It's all very well to have this idea, to have this dream, to think, oh yeah. But it's the practical steps that make it happen, isn't it? It's actually saying, right, what do I need to do to enable me to do this? And that's where we can get lost sometimes, I think, isn't it? In kind of translating it.

SPEAKER_01: 18:29

Yeah. So I worked out. So I did a couple of course. I obviously knew how to take pictures. I knew how to use my camera. But it was then the technical stuff I didn't know. Yeah. Yeah. and how you can actually use the physical stuff on your camera to create certain things in certain ways. So I did a couple of in-person courses back in 2017, I think it was. And then I spent the whole time online just studying different people's photos and going on YouTube and stuff. you know, all the usual stuff that you pick up tips and tricks and things. Yeah, exactly. And then I wrote to my poor friends to do shoots with at the yard with air horses to then obviously try and build up my technique. And I started, well, I started my website in the beginning of 2019 after a complete mental breakdown because of my stuff we were going through with my husband's business, which eventually rectified itself, thank God. And I was like, well, okay, now I want to do something because I'd worked with him for 12 years. So I'm fed up with motorbikes. I need to do something I want to do. You know, I was 42. You know, I'm not getting any younger. funny I want to go and do what I want to do so I set up a website I juggled between families babies I think every photographer does this families babies uh I did a wedding um but I just wasn't really feeling it I didn't it wasn't the it wasn't passionate about it um And then I was like, I just need to carry on with the horse stuff. And I did a couple of in-person photography things with other equestrian photographers because they're out there. Most people don't know they are, but after COVID, there was loads of them. Everyone picked up their camera and started taking pictures of their horses. As you do. And Yeah, I worked really hard. I got roped in friends and I got bookings with clients in Surrey, some 16th birthday shoot. So I had a 14th birthday shoot. And then I decided that I was going to apply for So I was part of the British Institute of Professional Photographers. They call themselves the BIP. And they've been around for I don't know how many years. So you can be a member and then you can apply for qualifications. So I had to get a panel of images from all the shoots that I'd done, my best work, print them. I printed them myself and then go all the way up to Preston and produce this artwork. Wow. To a panel of six or seven of the people who run this professional photography. Body. Yeah. Couldn't find the word then. And then get criticized, judged. And then I also had to produce a bloody book from how my business started, what I want to achieve. how I deal with clients. It was the whole shebang. I mean, it was like more than a business plan almost. It was bigger than a business plan. And then I had to do a little speech in front of all these people and then go downstairs and wait with my husband going, Oh my God.

SPEAKER_00: 22:42

Oh, it's the waiting for worse, isn't

SPEAKER_01: 22:44

it? Oh, it was hideous. I was so nervous to have all these amazing photographers who'd been doing it for years and critique my work and say you've passed or you haven't or you've got your qualification or you haven't so yes I did get my qualification so I got a licentiate ship in equestrian portraiture which is oh it's on my shelf in my bedroom

SPEAKER_00: 23:12

how did that feel

SPEAKER_01: 23:14

oh god it was incredible so all that hard work of choosing the right photo and actually printing them myself because they critique the print as well. So it's all about the fine detail. So if there's something wrong with the print, that's it, you're done. So I taught myself how to print on this massive Canon printer that prints to A3. All the papers, I went on courses, I've done it all. So I know how to print, professional print, big images, which I never, I forget to talk about.

UNKNOWN: 23:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 23:51

um so yeah I got that and then uh I was having a call with someone and she's like why are you holding yourself just into that really niche market because because there's so many photographers out there now doing equine dog and all that sort of stuff she's like why don't you work with business women and I'll go

SPEAKER_00: 24:17

It's quite a bit of a polar opposite. Yeah,

SPEAKER_01: 24:21

absolutely. Although, to be fair, some of the women I photographed with their horses had their own businesses. Oh,

SPEAKER_00: 24:28

yeah. So that was it.

SPEAKER_01: 24:29

So it's sort of, yeah. So I was like, right, okay. So that was two years ago. And it's just sort of grown from there, really. I think I spent the past two years wondering how I could use my fine art skills and creative skills from the equine into then doing that with the business solopreneurs because that's the way branding photography is at the moment. It's so completely different to anything that I did before. And how can I bring that in to be creative and think differently and do the artistic stuff How's that going to translate? And I think the shoot with Danny really pushed my creativity to then go, this is what people need to be doing with their brands. This is the imagery that they need, the impactful. Which shoot was this? With Danny Wallace.

SPEAKER_00: 25:36

Yeah, I just thought for the

SPEAKER_01: 25:37

listeners, I

SPEAKER_00: 25:38

thought... Sorry. Were there bees in bee costumes involved?

SPEAKER_01: 25:44

No, no, this was all about her being true and real and raw because she's so very loud and very big. I wanted to strip that Danny back a bit more. They

SPEAKER_00: 26:02

are amazing. Yeah, amazing.

SPEAKER_01: 26:04

She put a post up the other day with one of the photos. She's like, this is just, this was the shoot of the decade. And I'm like, I love you.

SPEAKER_00: 26:13

But it is, I mean, you can definitely see the fine arts background. But to me, it's like magazine work. You would expect that. it just takes branding to a different level. And I think that's one reason why I wanted to have this conversation. A, I love everything about you, but B, it is time to really rethink and ditch the photo of the laptop and the coffee cup. Because if we're all just showing up like that, and I know it's not just about brand photography, but it really is about telling our story, isn't it? And as you said yourself, you used to hate having your photo taken, didn't you?

UNKNOWN: 26:54

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00: 26:55

Yeah, 100%, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 26:57

Awful. There's actually a picture of me somewhere that my husband took, and I'm like this. I'm like, hand over my face. We're covering our faces,

SPEAKER_00: 27:05

listeners, with our hands. Spot Joanna, that's the back of her head over there. Yeah. But am I right in saying there might have been a boudoir shoot somewhere in the recent past? Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01: 27:20

Yes, I was a lot slimmer and a lot younger then. I was about 10. Not that. We need to do another one. Yeah, my husband bought it for me for a birthday present. And I was so nervous. And the amount of makeup they put on me and I was like, what the hell? why have I got so much makeup on? It's like going back to a mask almost, isn't it? Yeah, it's so much makeup. But then you realise that because of all the lighting and stuff, you need a lot of makeup because otherwise...

SPEAKER_00: 27:54

It's like being on TV or whatever, isn't it? It's more about contrast rather than plastering it on to make us look pretty. Yeah. Yeah. It's more about, especially if it's, I'm guessing if it's black and white photography as well. Yeah, it was. It was all very

SPEAKER_03: 28:09

dark

SPEAKER_00: 28:09

and moody.

SPEAKER_01: 28:11

So I had to buy some nice lingerie, which I did. I had three different outfits. What were they? Oh, I'm getting inspiration. I had a basky top. With a pair of knickers. I can't believe I'm talking about this. A pair of knickers. And then I had a really pretty, fully turquoise-y thing. And then I had red bra and red pants. So you had the usual, like, standing up against the wall with your back arched. I'm like, put in these positions. I can't breathe and I can't move. And by the end of it, I think it was probably about an hour's shoot. And by the end of it, she's like, okay, we're going to do the last session. Do you want to get your clothes off? Like bra and knickers. And I was like, I'll take my bra off. And I was just like, you know, you lie down and you put your hands underneath your boobs or whatever. And you take your underwear off.

UNKNOWN: 29:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 29:14

Fuck it. Yeah. Why not? Yeah. I felt so comfortable with her. She obviously, she wasn't looking at me. She wasn't judging me. She was just there to take some lovely photographs and I got naked. You don't see all of it. It's just lines and butt cheeks and shoes on you. You know, it's very, very tactful.

SPEAKER_00: 29:37

Do you think it was one of those situations where if you hadn't done it, I mean, I don't, I don't do regrets, but sometimes you think, oh, I wish I'd just ripped my knickers off and gone for it. Anyone tuning in now will think, what on earth are you talking about? Get them off, get them

SPEAKER_01: 29:55

off, get them off. Yeah. You've inspired me. Yeah, it was very freeing. And being the quiet, shy-ish person I was back then, yeah, it was a big thing for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 30:10

I want to see them now. No, I think anyone... Who fancies finding out more. Obviously, Jo, if you're up for doing pictures for women listening as well. Yeah, I mean. Yeah, well, we'll be giving your contact details later. But I'd like to change tactics just slightly, change the subject a little bit, because in the introduction, I did mention about that feeling of, I wish I could do that again. And although obviously, boudoir photo shoots are something that, Perhaps we wish we had done, but it's not too late. It's a good time to do it now. Something that you are another great example of is. You're with your Alzheimer walks, the fact that you've kept it going, but you've evolved over 15 years since you did your

SPEAKER_01: 31:04

first one. Yeah, 2010, September 2010.

SPEAKER_00: 31:09

It's my first one. And that was a marathon walk, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01: 31:14

That was a marathon walk, so that was 26.2 miles. So I started training for that in the... My mum had just been put into a hospice-type care home in the January, and I signed up in the February, and I started my training in April, I think.

SPEAKER_00: 31:38

That was 2000, you're right. Was it... Stonehenge then?

SPEAKER_01: 31:42

Yes, yeah. I walked from Amesbury, Stonehenge. It's all over the Salisbury Plains. It was amazing. Yeah, and I raised, I think, about two and a half thousand for that. Three thousand pounds for that.

SPEAKER_00: 32:00

But sadly, you lost your mum not long after that.

SPEAKER_01: 32:03

Literally. So I was on my walk. I must have been halfway through it. And I had a phone call from from the care home saying that she'd stopped eating. She hadn't drunk anything and she was sleeping a lot. And then I went to see her on the Friday after my walk. This was the Saturday. The Friday I went to see her, it was pretty much a goodbye because the Saturday morning she was gone. So literally a week to the day of the walk she passed away. Which was, yeah. But you carried on.

SPEAKER_00: 32:41

Yeah. Yeah. You carried on her memory, though. Yeah. Because you then, that wasn't enough, the marathon. I

SPEAKER_01: 32:51

know.

SPEAKER_00: 32:51

No, no. I'm trying to do my maths here almost five times. Or is it four times? I can't do the maths.

SPEAKER_01: 32:59

100K. 100K. Where are you? Yeah, I decided that, oh God, what year was that? That was the year I turned 40, was it? No, 39. 2018. That was 41. 40, yes. Oh God, I don't know where the years go. It was something. Oh, so it was seven years, eight years after mum had gone. I was like, something popped up. It always pops up on Facebook. I don't know why. Always pops up on Facebook. Come and join the marathon walk, blah, blah, blah. And it was like, oh, it's an ultra walk. Okay. So I started reading it. It's 100K. Oh, Christ. So I said to my husband, should I do it? He went, yeah, why not? We'll come with you. Okay. So I started training for that. The longest walk I did for that was 20 miles. and then I went into it oh my god it's the hardest thing I've ever done so we started somewhere in London can't remember and we walked the whole of the Thames path which goes all the way through London all the way through Windsor and then it went to Marlow then Henley which is 60 miles but by So we started at 8 o'clock in the morning. And obviously we have stops and breaks. My husband and two of his mates met me on a quarter of the way through the walk on their electric bikes, which is really sweet of them. So they followed me for a few miles and then disappeared and went to the pub. Thanks, guys. And where did we get to? I managed to tag along with this other lady. It was dark at this point. I think it must've been about eight o'clock, nine o'clock. And I ended up walking in with this group of people. I had no idea where in the hell I was. We were coming to Windsor somewhere. It was pitch black. We all had head torches and, you know, you've got your poles and we're all walking along and we got on so well, but I didn't realize, you know, how far we'd gone probably been walking a couple of hours and I got to the next checkpoint and my left knee was an absolute bit I don't know what was going on and that was at a 40 mile point my husband's like you need to stop now you're gonna hurt yourself

SPEAKER_00: 35:47

yeah

SPEAKER_01: 35:49

so I had to give up when I was it was this it was midnight at this point so I've been walking for I

SPEAKER_02: 35:56

don't

SPEAKER_01: 35:57

know how many hours that was 14 hours And you're doing it again. I did it again, but I'm only doing 13 this time. Only? I think... 13's easy.

SPEAKER_00: 36:13

So how's it going? How's the training? That's August coming up, isn't it? And I will say that all your contact details will be in the show notes and on the Midlife Unlimited podcast website. So anyone that would like to support you, support the cause. So yeah, how's the training going?

UNKNOWN: 36:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 36:31

So I did sort of start in March, but the weather's been so shitty and so cold. It's just, it's not very motivating. But I, they actually sent a training plan by a PDF, which I downloaded the week before last. So I've got that now to give me a kick up the bum. So I did an hour and a half yesterday. I did some couple of walks last week and it just gets harder from each week gets harder.

SPEAKER_00: 37:00

I love the fact you're listening to Midlife Unlimited as you go as well. Yes, I am. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

SPEAKER_01: 37:06

So what's the date in August? 9th of August, up in the Peak District.

SPEAKER_00: 37:13

What I'll do is anyone who comes and joins the Midlife Unlimited podcast Facebook group, I think it'd be great if you could start doing a little how you're getting on updates in there as well. Yeah. Get us all cheering you on. but talking and I do like a segue you know I like a segue talking of cheering you on before we get to your top tips for ripping off the mask you've got something rather exciting coming up and I'd love it if you could share some details because I'm quite intrigued and I love the fact that It was inspired by a conversation you had with another future Midlife Unlimited guest, Jenny. So what are you up to now, young lady? So batshit bonkers.

SPEAKER_01: 38:02

It's amazing what networking meetings can bring up. It was an event with Andrew. It was Andrew's, yeah. So we'd all gone round the room and had a little chat about, you know, bits and bobs and Jenny was on about unmasking and if anybody ever says anything to me about things they've done things they're doing or bits of their business my head my head fires off with lots of different ideas like creative ideas like oh that'd be a really good shoot and that's exactly what I thought she was on about unmasking I'm like oh my god this would just be epic

SPEAKER_00: 38:43

This is Jenny Gordon, listeners, who is coming up, I think her episode's in July. Anyway, sorry, but back to what you were saying, you and Jenny.

SPEAKER_01: 38:50

Yeah, so she's talking, I'm like, oh my God, I need to do an exhibition. I don't know where that came from. Just popped in my head. I need to do an unmasking exhibition. Right, okay, where do we go from there? So I had to start spreading the whole of the networking event, making notes in my phone.

SPEAKER_00: 39:07

I can read them out to you. Are you like me? I type mine. but other people like Xena, previous guest, how to be your own best friend. She does voice notes to herself.

SPEAKER_01: 39:22

Yeah. I couldn't really voice note when everyone else was talking. So I just had to get my notes out. Yeah. Think through. So yeah, my notes, I put women with masks exhibition, masks, what could we use? Personal to each person, unmasking, black and white event, exhibition, entry fee, studio hire, invite people, PR, marketing, women in business, strip back, who to invite. And then obviously print cost, venue hire. This was all while Jenny was still talking. Yeah. Yeah.

UNKNOWN: 40:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 40:02

But I'm like you, it's all about the perfect and perfect action. You've had the idea, the spark's there, strike, go for it. So anyone wants to find out more?

SPEAKER_01: 40:12

Because I'd spoken to the ladies on the table about it, that I had to do something about it. I had to start making a plan or just at least start writing notes because otherwise it wouldn't happen. The more I talked about it, the more people were like, oh,

SPEAKER_02: 40:33

my God,

SPEAKER_01: 40:33

that'd be amazing. The more I had to go, I'm like, okay, I need to really think about this

SPEAKER_00: 40:38

now. So where are we now? We're a couple of weeks, two or three weeks into May. Are you looking summertime, is it, or autumn time? How's it coming together? So the

SPEAKER_01: 40:52

plan is to have the shoot in September.

SPEAKER_03: 40:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 40:56

the doors will close on the 1st of June

SPEAKER_00: 41:02

are you going to have

SPEAKER_01: 41:03

one to one chats with people to see if they're yeah they want to book in a call and have a chat and see if it's for them amazing if they just want to book in then amazing but obviously it's all about telling their story so they have to give up part of that as well

SPEAKER_00: 41:25

That's the whole thing. And we're going to go into your tips in a minute. But I think when you first mentioned it to me, this opportunity to tell your story, you've got to be up for it, haven't you? It's not just another photo shoot. It's not just another computer and cup of coffee photo shoot.

SPEAKER_01: 41:45

Oh, absolutely not. There's going to be hair and makeup one day, but it's not about the hair. it's a little bit about the makeup because obviously we want you to make you look nice enhance your features

SPEAKER_00: 41:59

but you said as well about shadows and contrast and all sorts

SPEAKER_01: 42:03

yeah it's um it's just about being raw and real really and and being able to tell your story without fear or judgment because all the people in the group are going to be in the same situation so everyone's going to be able to get to know each other on a more personal level and hopefully they can make connections with each other and moving forward so it's obviously a good networking opportunity as well

SPEAKER_00: 42:27

I'm looking forward to the actual exhibition as well I think that's going to be

SPEAKER_01: 42:30

yeah that's yet to be decided where that's going to be but everyone is going to have their individual photograph displayed with their story underneath and then they're obviously invited to the exhibition with then to bring one of their business besties with them So that's obviously the more connections. And the lovely Olivia Marco has given me a four-page spread in Brand New Magazine.

SPEAKER_00: 43:01

Oh, superb.

SPEAKER_01: 43:03

Or December and January's edition.

SPEAKER_00: 43:05

Oh, yeah. What a way to round off 2025 and start. I almost forgot what year it was then. I still write 2024. Don't ask. So, obviously, for anyone interested in finding out more, as I say, your contact details are in the show notes and on the Midlife Unlimited podcast website where you've got your guest profile. But I'm going to ask you now to share your top tips for ripping off that mask and showing up as yourself. us telling our story because as we just said it it's tough sometimes isn't it it's tough to actually show up as us and i'm not just talking in business i'm talking about as we said earlier about walking into a room and thinking does anyone really want to talk to me would anyone be interested but i know you're like me don't feel you have to pretend to be someone you're not no it's been too long doing

SPEAKER_01: 44:13

that and it just gets you nowhere If they like you, they like you. If they don't, they don't. I think that's how you have to live your life nowadays, as you get older especially.

SPEAKER_00: 44:24

I'm absolutely with you. I think I'd probably say it on most episodes, but way before the whole let them resurgence, my midlife mantra, and I'll be asking yours in a bit so you don't escape, has been let the judges judge because I've wasted too much time and energy And I'm 56 in June. I'm not going to spend any more worrying about what other people are thinking about me. Like you just said, if you like me, double thumbs up. If you don't, there's plenty of other people out there for you to go and enjoy company, you know, enjoy the company. You're not going to upset me. It's honestly, it's absolutely fine. If I'm not for you, perfect.

SPEAKER_01: 45:08

Yeah. What was I going to say then? gonna say something i can't remember now

SPEAKER_00: 45:14

but it's about your vibe isn't it finding your vibe and your voice yeah and

SPEAKER_01: 45:18

i think last year i spent a lot of time going oh god what am i doing why am i doing this i don't know what i'm doing and in after christmas come january it's like okay i need to stop being a twat I get out of my own way and just be me and go and meet people and talk to people and, and show what the past four months have been superb because I'm, I've been to so many lovely groups. I'm part of groups online on Facebook that if I hadn't gone, Oh, well, it's just, it's me. I'll just go over yourself and get on with it. I wouldn't be where I am at this particular moment in time.

SPEAKER_00: 46:02

No. Well, that's, I mean, that's your, that's your second tip, which is, Do what makes you you. Tease with your expertise. That is one of my favourite quotes of yours ever, I think. But yeah, our quirks, our big, bold vision, just be us. Don't try and be someone else.

SPEAKER_01: 46:19

Yeah. If you're not the loudest person in the room, don't be the loudest person. That's not you. Don't be something that you can't be all the time.

SPEAKER_00: 46:31

And it's tiring. It's tiring. It's tiring. But I think your third point, I love this because it's quite poignant, really. But embrace what you've got because you're only here once. And as you said about ripping off your knickers in your photo shoot, if you don't do it, don't not do it and then down the line think, I wish I'd done that.

SPEAKER_01: 47:02

Yeah, I think... I think my mum had a lot of regrets from not doing stuff that she wanted to do. She had a great life until she was probably 20. Well, maybe late 20s, early 30s, just before she had me. Her sister had a massive car accident and she was brain damaged and she spent the rest of her life and my life, my nan's life, looking after my nan and her. So I think she felt like she was obligated to do it. So she didn't, I don't think she spent the rest of her days before she died doing what she really loved. I don't know. She never really spoke about it, but I don't want to have the regrets of not trying something just because, well, I guess just because you're scared to do it anyway. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 48:06

That's it. And you've given such great advice about literally it's the nitty gritty often, isn't it? It's the asking. And that's what I say to the women I work with. It's saying, right, OK, this is what I want to do. But it's then literally asking, what do I need to get there? And that's what turns the I can't or I shouldn't or what would people think or I'm not ready into. Yeah. OK. Step by step. this is actually starting to sound feasible. It's not sounding like some big, crazy pie in the sky idea. It is something that I can actually do. And this is how I'm

SPEAKER_01: 48:44

going.

SPEAKER_00: 48:45

And that is the huge transformation moment. I think it's a bit like with this exhibition

SPEAKER_01: 48:50

that I got really overwhelmed with the end product, whereas rather than going, okay, these are all the little steps I need to make to get to the big one, I was always going... That's the end goal. That's the end goal. I can't see it. Can't do it. It's too much. Don't do it. Rather than breaking it down into small manageable pieces, because my brain was always like, what's going to happen at the end? What's going to happen? It's just

SPEAKER_00: 49:15

so big, isn't it? I think sometimes it's just good to actually not let go of, but to switch off the big picture and just focus on the small things, because that's, as you just said, by looking at the big picture, it can just send you into it. That's when you get overwhelmed. Yeah. And then you just go, no, I'm not going to do it. It's too big. It's too hard. Too scary. I can't. Yeah, I'm all about turning I can't into I can. Yeah, I will. Absolutely. And here we go. Another little segue. One thing that you will be doing now is answering. The same three questions that I ask each of my fabulous female guests. So if you're still sitting comfortably, I will ask the first question, which is what is your midlife anthem? The piece of music or song or sound that when you hear it, you punch the air and you say, Joanna, today is going to be a good day. Good day.

SPEAKER_01: 50:24

So my, I adore Becky Hill, um, I came across a couple of her songs a little while ago on Spotify. And one really resonates with me because I love drum and bass. I love drum and bass, R&B, dance music. I was that person in the late 90s, early 2000s, who was going raving with my mates and going to Ayia Napa and all that sort of stuff. Even though I was very self-conscious about dancing, I did dance. Good. I'd have to have a few sherbets first, but not anymore. Anyway. It's a banger. It's called Disconnect. And it really takes me back to those days that I adored with my friends going out clubbing. And yeah, you have to put it out loud. I love it.

SPEAKER_00: 51:11

Love it, love it, love it. Do you play music when you're doing or taking photos? Or does

SPEAKER_01: 51:18

it depend? I'd love to do a shoot where it was just, we were all rocking to dance music.

UNKNOWN: 51:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 51:28

as opposed to a studio setting and not

SPEAKER_00: 51:30

practicing outside

SPEAKER_01: 51:32

no but like yeah even if you just if you know if you've got long hair you could put headphones in and you could cover them up with your hair and you could be dancing down the road like a Froot Loop like the silent disco the silent photo shoot exactly yeah music lifts you up massively and if I can incorporate music into a shoot then yeah bring it on I'd love it

SPEAKER_00: 51:58

oh yeah no i love that i'd also

SPEAKER_01: 52:04

i'd also like to do a red carpet shoot but that's another topic

SPEAKER_00: 52:09

i do like the sound of that one we do like red carpet treatment so now my mind's thinking red carpet treatment now what is Is your midlife, and I'm intrigued by this one, your midlife mantra, the phrase that you live your life by? And I think this is going to be a good one. I've got a feeling.

SPEAKER_01: 52:34

It is, fuck it. Full stop. I swear rather a lot. Fuck it. Fuck it, exclamation mark.

SPEAKER_00: 52:45

Oh, exclamation mark. Excellent. Fuck it.

SPEAKER_01: 52:49

Ah, fuck it. That's what I say to myself most days. Oh, fuck it. Why not? As you say, what's the worst that can happen? Yeah. It's like coming on here a few years ago. I'd be like, oh, no. 100% not. Ah, fuck it.

SPEAKER_00: 53:08

I'm not that scary. No. Not all the time. Now, obviously, you are... the wonderful woman behind so many amazing images. But when it comes to words, it might be a picture book, actually, thinking about it. But I'd love to know, as your final question, what would be the title of your autobiography? And would it be a picture book? Well, do you know what? I'd

SPEAKER_01: 53:37

love to bring out a book. I'd love to bring out a book to inspire other photographers, like... who work with business owners to inspire them to think differently. Yeah, a picture book. I've always wanted to write a book, mostly a storybook. I used to love writing. Sorry, where was the question going? Your autobiography. Autobiography would be the same as my middle name.

UNKNOWN: 54:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 54:10

you can't well you could because i was gonna say i can see your picture book being like a beautiful coffee table book and it would be definitely i'd have to do two yeah well no one's gonna say the fuck it as a coffee table book would be quite a good conversation starter maybe hide it when granny comes around but no i think that could many an after dinner conversation could be sparked by that yeah yeah

SPEAKER_01: 54:39

Or

SPEAKER_00: 54:40

put me down

SPEAKER_01: 54:40

for a copy. Could design a... Oh, sorry. See, my brain's going off on a tangent now. Oh, I did that. I did that. Thinking about books. Yeah. No, just think what we could have started here. I know. There's a really good book by a lady called Alexandra Potter who I found a couple of years ago when I got back from seeing my dad in Florida and it was on the bookshelf and it was called The Forty Something Fuck Up. Oh, I've not read that. And it's a brilliant book and she's brought out a second one. And you have to read it. It's just, it's

SPEAKER_00: 55:22

brilliant. They're both brilliant. Oh, listeners, let me know if you've read it as well. No, we're going to have to go and dig that one out and put some links to it in the Midlife Unlimited podcast. It made me laugh out loud. Oh, I like that. We like a bit of laughter. Laughter is a very precious commodity. It

SPEAKER_01: 55:43

is, and I've actually got on my bedroom wall, a good laugh

SPEAKER_00: 55:49

and a long sleep will

SPEAKER_01: 55:50

cure just about anything.

SPEAKER_00: 55:52

No, you're absolutely right. And I think at the moment, in midlife, we're probably more likely to get a good laugh than we are a long night's sleep, aren't we? So let's all have a good laugh together. Well, anyone that would like to come and have a laugh with you, Or find out more about ripping off the mask, or just start getting a bit more Joanna in their world. Obviously, as I say, all your details and links will be in the, or are in the show notes and on your guest profile on the Midlife Unlimited podcast website. But just talk us through how people can get into contact with you.

SPEAKER_01: 56:28

They can find me on the wonderful places of Instagram, at I use it as at Joanna Wood. Facebook is a bit weird because, well, I've got my business page, but I don't really use that because I don't know. I think personal pages work a bit better now for businesses. So I think that's Joanna.Wood13, I think. And LinkedIn as well,

SPEAKER_00: 57:00

Joanna Wood Photography. And what's your website? Is that the best place as well? That is www.joannawoodphotography.co.uk. Fantastic. It's like you've said that before. And I'd like to say... Any feedback on this episode, please get in touch. So you can either leave a review. That would be amazing. Or you can email or text me via the link in the show notes and come and join the Midlife Unlimited podcast Facebook group that I keep talking about. Joanna's in there and we're going to start having the ideas for books. And I've already forgotten what the other idea we had was. don't know can't remember but we'll have to rewind and there was definitely something uh and also yeah and also uh you'll find the website link as well where you'll find Joanna's guest profile so oh and details of my midlife unlimited midlife unlimited I'm losing it today losing the plot good and proper midlife metamorphosis coaching um so thank you for joining me today Joanna Joanna, it's been an absolute pleasure and I hope I wasn't too scary. Thank you for listening. I look forward to tuning in next week because don't forget Midlife Unlimited has a new episode every Thursday available wherever you listen to your podcasts. So here's to being fabulous and flourishing together and to living Midlife Unlimited.

SPEAKER_03: 58:35

Thanks

SPEAKER_00: 58:36

ever so much, Joanna. Take care. Thank you.

UNKNOWN: 58:40

Bye.