The 49er – Something we can all agree on

Well, after the outcome of the US election left plenty of people in shock (and plenty of others with the result that they voted for), I’ve been thinking about how we seek to understand those who hold wildly differing opinions and beliefs from our own. It prompted some push back on Facebook which is great […]

The 49er – Deep and meaningful

I had a conversation today with someone I’ve never met before and yet felt I could trust enough to share some incredibly personal truths 1:1 in a way that I wouldn’t even do onstage (if you’ve taken part in a Q&A after one of my talks, you’ll know you can Ask Me Anything!). It was […]

The 49er – What women really want!

A photograph of Toni delivering a keynote speech. she is pointing with her left hand and looks like she's saying "get out of my pub". This is what the 49er wants!

In my quest to record what it’s like to be a ’49er’, I recently asked listeners of the podcast “what questions did you ask yourself as you approach(ed) 50?” . The responses have been illuminating, thought-provoking, funny and bittersweet. The 49er and what women want If you want to skip straight to hearing me talk […]

The 49er – Health and Wellbeing

a picture of Toni after she's been for a run. her hair is tied back and she is holding a tomato next to her bright red face

My original intention for today’s episode was that it would be an exploration of the kinds of questions we ask ourselves as we get older, questions like: Should I be leaping out of planes? Should I get a tattoo? Should I send off a swab to a lab somewhere to check my propensity for horrible […]

The 49er – Pick n Mix!

a picture of a pick and mix - lots of sweets in open boxes with a hand reaching in to take a sweet!

A mixed bag today on the podcast, recorded during a walk with Luna Bhuna. To tie it into the ‘midlife’ / 49er theme I guess there are some things that kick in during midlife so you get a bit of:   My knee not happy at being exercised Being delighted at the knowledge that my […]

The 49er – The joy of dogs

One of the many dogs - King Nigel in his little house under the stairs

Well, you try to talk about the serious things that impact women in midlife and…..what really gets a conversation going is whether dogs are allowed in the bedroom or not! Dogs in the bedroom – yay or nay? In our house, it’s a big fat NAY. Unless they’re being sent upstairs to wake our son […]

The 49er – Class, culture and bad behaviour

Toni as a teenager - she is smiling mischievously

Would you ever celebrate the fact that you once smashed up a restaurant? Turns out that if you’ve got the money (honey), this is a perfectly acceptable thing to do! High / low – closer than you might think…? In today’s episode of the podcast (see embedded episode at the bottom of this post), I’m […]

The 49er – Sort your bloody midlife out!

Ever end up distracting yourself doing small things to convince yourself you’ve achieved something? Lots of mid- to long-term things to sort out in my life but instead, I’m deleting photos from my phone…what’s that all about? Don’t sweat the small stuff? We are told not to fret and worry about little things but at […]

The 49er – Who am I?

Toni is looking thoughtful and wondering who am I?

Ever felt like you don’t know who you are? Well, you’re not alone. A couple of years ago I reached that point to the extent that I sought out therapy (you can listen to an earlier podcast episode about that here). The death of my mother, fractioning of family and after effects of COVID left […]

The 49er – Test Valley Business Awards

Toni Kent at the Test Valley Business Awards

In the words of Frankie Valli… ‘Oh what a night!’. So let’s unpack it shall we? First up, if you want to hear me talk about the evening, head straight for today’s podcast episode which you’ll find below (contains swearing, but we’re all grown-ups here aren’t we?).     You’re in the Army now The […]