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Former C-Suite gone feral
Building a portfolio business in midlife
Feral C-Suite • @wild.duchess • @watermillcottage.somerset
LA | Somerset

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I’ve been thinking a lot about sovereignty lately.

The last 14 months have been an ongoing obsession with ownership over my own time, work and location.

But when you step away from an intense industry and career, it can feel like early retirement, and not always in a good way. A forced slow-down.

Don’t get me wrong. You know I love rambling around in the woods, being lost in the countryside, and I would do ANYTHING to delete these platforms and live happily ever-after offline.

Yet despite that, I am still very ambitious.

I still have this vision for my life that often seems so far off, that requires insane amounts of income or funding to achieve, which means either OPM (other people’s money) which I don’t particularly want, or old-fashioned bootstrapping - which is more my speed.

My ambition might not look like kissing the VC rings for a swift exit in 5 years. A decade ago, that’s what I wanted, but not anymore.

My ambition is stewardship of land, and ownership of IP. That’s mine. That is not for sale.

A place to steward and invite and curate from.

That’s mine. That’s mine. That’s mine.

Where no one employer or client determines my fate.

Where force majeure might be my only downfall.

Where I make my own luck. Where nature giveth and taketh away. Not man.

And so many of us have our own, albeit very different, versions of that.

A quest for independence. Ownership of whatever time we have here. Time with our loved ones. Time with our animals. Time to actually live.

So many of us reach this point with decades of experience behind us and plenty of working life still ahead, thinking, “well what’s next?”.

Sometimes this shift is forced upon us, and sometimes we orchestrate it. Parents get older. Relationships change. Companies restructure. Priorities move.

So what do we do with everything we’ve accumulated?

How do we use our experience to weather whatever millennial firestorm seasons we find ourselves in?

I don’t know how this experiment I’m living ends. I’m very much in the middle of figuring it out myself.

Comment MOORS and I’ll send the essay straight to your DMs.

📷 @jrcmccord

#futureofwork by @stormewg

$What if “one day” never comes? My dad died a day after his 70th. 6 years into retirement. 6 years in his dream countryside cottage away from the city he’d worked his whole life in. That lit a fire under me. A reason to not keep waiting to pursue the life I want to build. To not be tied to a city or office or a single employer. Yes, rebuilding income in your 40s is terrifying. But so is dying a few years into the retirement you waited your whole life for. I know we can’t all just “figure it out.” Aging parents. Expensive divorces. Kids and pets who rely on us. But the way we work is changing. The cull of senior executives and rise of fractionals isn’t a coincidence. Build your audience now. Keep your network engaged. Package your expertise. Give yourself options. Options so you can work from anywhere. And never worry about being replaced again. Life’s too short to keep waiting for “one day”🌿 #womenover40 #careerpivot #careerchange #middleage #portfoliocareer by @stormewg$

The cottage is finally ready 🤍⁠
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After months of work, long summer renovation days, early morning builder calls from LA as we put finishing touches together, so many tears, a ton of belly-hurting laughs, finding out the electrics were held together with duct tape (thanks, Dad) which meant axing my dream bathroom plans (for now), and way too many dips into my savings, my Watermill Cottage in Somerset is now back to it’s old ways as an idyllic, cozy, little bolt hole in Exmoor, Somerset.⁠
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Built in the 1850s, tucked inside the National Park, with the river running past the front door and waterfalls trickling throughout the property line, it’s no mystery as to why I’m obsessed with this place. ⁠
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From the ancient woodland at the back of the house, to the battering weather that comes at you sideways in the winter, to neighbours popping by for tea on their horses, to all the new friends I’ve made in the village because of this project… I can't quite explain it, but this place does something to me. Even from my desk here in LA right now, my chest tightens yearning to get back there.⁠
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I've lovingly restored pieces from 1990s @mulberryengland interiors collections my father had, and added pieces from @sohohome, all wrapped in gifted luxury heritage paint from @craigandrosepaints.⁠
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But for now, when I’m out of town, friends and family can stay and enjoy this magical place. ⁠There's still more details, furnishings and styling to add this year, as well as landscaping my tiny plot of land, which is currently covered in brambles. I might stain the kitchen floorboards, and add another paint colour (and texture) in. And the builders were right - I need backsplashes which I was adamant I did not (lesson learned).⁠
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If you want to know more about the cottage, the village, and things to do on Exmoor, check the link in bio 🌿⁠
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(I’ll also start posting the reno. process again on @watermillcottage.somerset. I had a huge backlog of content that was completely overwhelming to sift through. So if you like that kinda thing, you can follow along there.) ⁠ by @stormewg

Our last California ride before we head to Montana for winter, and probably beyond.

Ooooordrey, my literal horsey ride or die friend. You helped me through such hard times, loss of confidence, and all the tears and issues with Bu, and you helped me build my confidence back.

You found Sprocket, the greatest, most reliable guy I’ve ever known. I would ride into battle with him, and he’s brought my lust for adventure back.

You’ve been the best adventure pal, and made me pee my pants laughing far too many times on horse adventures.

Especially when I fell off in a river with my foot stuck in the stirrup, as you yelled from the safety of solid ground “swim further… go deeper” 😂 I’ll never forget that day 🤍

We’ve laughed and cried, and I’m gonna miss your fake english accent every time I call you panicking if my horses are dying for absolutely no reason.

I’ll miss you risking your neck riding babies, yelling at me to slow down because Spock and I love to take off 😂

I can’t wait for you to come and ride out in Montana, and know I’m going to bug you all the time to cuddle Bu and speak to her in my accent, until it’s warm enough to bring her out to join Sprocket, Logi, and me in Spring.

I can never thank you enough for teaching me so much and encouraging me to keep going when I was at a loss with Bu. You’ve given me so much more than friendship and horse training 🤍

Luckily for @audrey_e_martinez I’ve got FaceTime, so I can still call her Every 👏Single 👏 Day 👏

It’s the end of an era. But there’s new ones ahead ✨ by @stormewg

$This is for anyone caught up in the recent music industry layoffs. I know how brutal this can feel after dedicating decades to an industry we all got into through sheer passion and obsession with music. I went through my first re-org last year, at 44, after 25 years in the industry. Do these things before you email’s turned off: → Get independent advice. Speak to an employment attorney or exit negotiator before assuming your package isn’t negotiable. → Ask for more COBRA coverage. Offered 3 months? Ask for 8. You might get 6. → Take ownership of YOUR network now. Get your contacts onto a newsletter before your work email shuts off. Those relationships might become your next clients, collaborators or introductions. → Ask about other stipends. If you’re offered career coaching, but want to start a business or consult, ask if you can take the budget and choose who you work with instead. → Think about how your expertise translates. Adjacent industries have different names for the work we’ve spent decades doing in music. I was an artist manager then CCO, but outside people say I’m a “commercial strategist”. And finally: Use my free time. I’m offering free 30-min strategy calls in November for people affected by the layoffs. Over the last six months I’ve helped experienced executives turn their expertise into independent businesses. About 70% of my clients are ex-music industry. I’m not a career coach & can’t help with your CV. But if you’re considering consultancy, fractional work or repositioning in a different industry, this is my sweet spot. We can talk through: -> what you can offer, -> who might pay for it, -> how to position yourself -> how to leverage your network I don’t need anything in return. No testimonial, no mailing list signup, no sales pitch. I’ve rinsed my own network since leaving music, so I have a cosmic debt to pay forward. If I can connect some dots or make intros, I’m happy to. Your value and expertise don’t disappear just because your job title has. Grab a free strategy call - link in my bio. Share this with anyone affected who’s considering a different way of working. by @stormewg$

Get 35% off Wild Duchess items until Midnight Tuesday! ⁠
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My cross-country moving chaos is your gain 🌿⁠
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I’ve unearthed a box of the Wild Duchess 'The Navy Range' of hoodies, collegiate sweatshirts, and t-shirts from our first seasonal drop last year.⁠
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✨ Use code FLASH35 until midnight on Tuesday October 22nd, for 35% OFF all items in the Wild Duchess Shop ✨⁠
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📬 Spend over $200 and you’ll also get free domestic shipping.⁠
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I obsessed over the quality of this small but mighty drop, and I'm so glad I did. ⁠
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These are the coziest hoodies that have stood up to riding horses in all kinds of weather, barn chores, walking the dog, and staying cosy on a lazy afternoon. ⁠
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They've kept their shape and comfort with all the washing and drying too. ⁠
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We won't be reprinting this exact range, so if you’ve had your eye on one of those sumptuous navy blue hoodies, or a t-shirt, now’s your time to stock up, or get those holiday gifts sorted!⁠ ⁠
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S/o the coolest model, horse trainer, baddie @audrey_e_martinez ✨⁠
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#womenowned #smallbusinesslove #womanownedbusiness #femalefounded #supportsmallbusiness by @stormewg

New Aging Boss Unlocked 👓✨

Who else is on this progressive eyewear train? Because holy eyesight Batman, I CAN SEEEEEEE!

I tried multifocal contacts earlier this year and hated them, but this is a whole new set of eyeballs.

How the hell was I going about my day with my previous glasses on?

#midlife #womenover40 #midlifewomen #perimenopause #blindasabat by @stormewg

Sunday Scaries Begone 👊

Ps he’s not really ferocious, just a jerk.

#careerchange #getoutside #midlifewomen #corporateescape #womenownedbusinesses by @stormewg

It’s really happening. I’ve mentioned this in recent posts, which got me in lots of trouble with friends I hadn’t told. But I finally found a place in Montana.

So, I’m leaving Los Angeles, after 15 years.

Middle-age and solo, building on my own.

Heading out West (but East) into the winter tundra. Horses and dog in tow. Like an absolute insane person.

But those mountains are calling.

Just like the glacier called when I moved to Reykjavik as a 19 year old university drop out in 2000.

That move changed the trajectory of my life.

None of us know how much time we’ve got. I need to see my horses outside my window before life throws a curveball.

For years, I had dreamt this move would be with a husband in tow, riding off to build our homestead and family and herd, working with the land as we’d phase-out our exciting music industry lives.

But after a decade + in this town, living through the major highs and personal lows, I’m done waiting for the right time, or the right person, to do it with.

If I don’t try now whilst I’m strong and healthy enough to (badly) mend a fence, haul hay bales, and magically regrow my fingers in rope accidents, I’ll never do it.

So I’ll be leasing a place on a ranch for 4 months this winter with my animals. There are even mini donkeys on site, which I’m very excited to meet.

It’s a temporary stop, whilst I determine if I could survive out there on my own property next year.

I figure it’s best to do it in the worst months of the year to see what I’m made of.

I’ve been known to bite off more than I can chew, and believe I could make it pretty far on ‘Alone’. (Spoiler - I absolutely couldn’t.)

Either way, this should be a wild and entertaining ride.

The hope is, by summer I’ll have my own location to host Wild Duchess Field Trips and Feral C-Suite workshops, plus lots of other fun outdoorsy, hands-on, get-out-your-work-head things for us ambitious types.

The alternative is, I ‘fail’ and come back to sunny Cali, or recover in my cottage in Somerset. Both seem like actual wins to me.

Either way, I will absolutely fall on my butt - at the very least physically, if not metaphorically.

Saddle up. We ride end of Oct. by @stormewg

The hay won this round. 🌿

#womenover40 #midlifereinvention #midlifejourney by @stormewg

No need to be afraid of the unknown. We grew up in a time when Ross told us to PIVOT. If the worst happens, you know what to do.

By now, we’ve all weathered so many storms, whether that’s mental, emotional, financial, or physical, and we’ve come through the other side.

If things are heavy right now, or you’re worrying about the future, remember you’ve gotten through it before, and you will get through it again.

Don’t underestimate the PIVOT. ✌️

#careerpivot #careerchange #portfoliocareer #midlife #womenover40 by @stormewg

September ~ When the leaves start to change, the occasional fire is lit, the evening gets crisp and light starts to shift.

Autumn is my favourite time of year when in the UK.

The final harvest for nature, but also a time to think about our personal reaping of the seeds we’ve sown throughout the months before.

A window of time of gathering, preparing, and battoning down the hatches, before nature asks us to slow for Winter.

Outside the cities and away from constant connectivity, the land and the people who steward it still move in time with the seasons and weather.

Something I’m personally striving toward too.

If you want a little city escape, with patchy mobile service, the sound of the river, wild ponies and sheep all over the place, we have some availability for autumn 🍁

Comment or DM the word COTTAGE & I’ll send you more info 🌿

P.s we do have WiFi though for those WFHers.

Maybe one day I’ll turn that off and only have a landline again. The dream. Who’s with me?

#englishcottage #somersetlife #escapetothecountry #southwestengland #exmoor by @stormewg

Storme

@stormewg