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#25

Martha Silcott

Founder and CEO of FabLittleBag

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

Every day, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed down the toilet contributing to record pollution levels in our rivers and oceans. Step forward Martha Silcott who is addressing the problem of sanitary disposal head on.  She is the founder of FabLittleBag and their mission is to convert the flushers into binners and empower women and girls to feel relaxed and in control when they dispose of their tampons and pads in the bin. 

The FabLittleBag is a little opaque, sustainably sourced disposal bag that women can use to dispose of their products quickly and easily and place in the bin. Innovatively designed to be used with one hand, the bag is fully sealable so when there's no bin in the toilet, it can be put in a handbag or pocket and placed in a bin elsewhere. 

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

Talking to Martha was an eye opener for me. I'm a menopausal woman who hasn't had a period for some time now and as a result, there wasn't a bin in my downstairs toilet. Unforgivable for someone who regularly has other women and girls in her home, talk about an oversight.   I now have a bin in there along with some Fab Little Bags and I encourage you all to do the same.

Martha also does a lot of work with the sports industry and has designed Eco Coach's Bags filled with period products for sportswomen and girls to access through their coach in a discreet black bag.  She says she wants all the products a girl might need when she's on her period to be accessible without having to directly approach a coach (especially a male one which could make some girls feel less comfortable). The bag should just be there with all the other kit for easy access, no questions asked. 

Read on to find out how the product came into being and to hear some wise words from Martha about running a business and life over 40. Huge thanks to Martha for taking part in the 40 OVER 40 project. 

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

What was the “aha” moment that led to the creation of FabLittleBag?

Being in someone else's house and having to change my tampon in the downstairs loo as a binner only to find that there was no bin at all and I was forced to wrap up the used tampon in extra toilet roll and put it up my sleeve and smuggle it back to the table and put it in my handbag to take home. This led to discussions with my friends. Half of them told me even more horror stories involving dogs taking used pads out of bins with no lids and then chasing dogs around people's houses trying to rescue their pad and other friends who looked confused and asked me why I don't flush them down the toilet because that's what they do. There was suddenly a realisation that flushers and binners coexist, everyone assuming they're doing the same thing as everyone else. 

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

Do you think there are advantages to launching a business over 40?

I wouldn't necessarily put an absolute number on it but clearly the older you are the more experiences you have and arguably the more lessons you may have learned that you can bring to the table. There is an exchange however of naivety and experience and actually I think you need both. To me it's more of a mindset than a particular age or number. However, there are many advantages of starting a business in latter years not only your experience but your network is more developed and you've probably already had some failures to dust yourself down from and hopefully you are more confident in yourself. Tenacity, confidence, belief are key attributes needed for any business alongside of course grit.

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

Did you ever battle self-doubt or imposter syndrome, and how did you handle it?

Does anyone not have self-doubt at certain points? I think it's part of being a human being that self-doubt creeps in from time to time. Also as Founders you are continually putting yourself in positions which are outside of any comfort zone so yes self doubt is a frequent feeling I have. Imposter syndrome less so as I just don't like it as a concept. If you're doing something in a space and you have knowledge and experience then you are equipped to be at the table.

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone thinking of starting a business and what do you wish you knew when you first started?

Stress test your idea thoroughly before you leave your employed job with all its security. There are loads of good ideas but is it commercially viable? Do people really want it? Will they pay for it? What are the barriers you will need to jump through that you can identify already to make your business the success you want it to be? Do not listen to friends and family, they love you and will tell you whatever they think you want to hear. Also, there is big difference between a hobby business and a business where you are planning to scale and exit. Both are completely valid and worthwhile. You just need to be clear which one yours is. There are pros and cons of having cofounders. I personally wish I had always had a cofounder. It wasn't something I was particularly aware of and I would've appreciated a conversation with somebody about that at the start.

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

You’re trying to get your products into companies operated largely by men. What have those challenges been like? 

They continue to be numerous and slightly frustrating. Firstly, and there is no blame at all for this, men do not have empathy as they have never tried to sit on the edge of the toilet somewhere and change a tampon or pad in a tricky environment and then do the handbag smuggle. On the other hand they are in a position of power and decision-making in areas that impact this experience and therefore they arguably could be more educated about what women experience and the impact that flushing has on the rivers and oceans and aquatic environment. Because it's a taboo subject and not something that directly affects men in that way I often have to provide a lot of education to men as a precursor to getting to the solution that FabLittleBag provides. Most men I find are very open to being educated and enlightened, however this is not always the case which adds a layer of difficulty and frustration to the selling process with larger companies in particular.

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Wear sunscreen every day

Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith

Thank you Martha for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.

I think it's fair to say our hormones have affected us all at some time or another.  If you fancy a bit of a laugh, check out my podcast, Dear Hormones where women share their hormonal stories, the good the bad and the ugly - listen here.
 

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#24

Caroline Norris

BAFTA winning Comedy Producer

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Caroline Norris is a BAFTA award winning comedy producer, the woman responsible for bringing the ground breaking Horrible Histories children's TV show to our screens.  The show was and is a touch of genius, teaching kids (and adults) about history in such an entertaining and memorable way that I wonder if it should just be shown in schools across the land to give our undervalued teachers a well earned break.  But she's also behind so many more TV shows, such as Motherland which she also won a BAFTA for. 

Caroline told me during our session that she doesn't enjoy being in front of the camera, hence why she's a producer, but that she's trying to overcome this fear and I hope that our shoot and these gorgeous photos have helped her see that being front and centre can be fun too.

Please read on to hear more from Caroline who has really opened up about her life and career. 

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Can you give us a brief insight into creating Horrible Histories for TV?  Was there an 'ah ha' moment when brainstorming ideas? 

I’d missed the books growing up because they came out after I left school so when I was asked to create a TV show from them in 2007, I bought a couple. At the time I was reluctant to do more kids’ tv because the budgets are small and you need a certain kind of energy for that challenge. As soon as I read the books, though, I knew what the show should be. It was clearly a sketch show and I loved Terry & Martin’s way of making facts subversive.  The feeling that we could make a mischievous show drawing on influences like Monty Python and Blackadder was really exciting. My co-creator, Dominic Brigstocke, felt exactly the same way and we agreed that if we were going to do it, we’d make it like any prime time sketch show just with no swearing. Everything would be from the perspective of children (no innuendo that left them out) and we’d bring in the best people we knew from mainstream comedy to make something we’d want to watch too. I said at the beginning that my ambition was to make a show that everyone said was too good for kids’ TV, and that was the standard we set ourselves throughout.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Any special memories or anecdotes from that time you can share?

Everything about the show was fun. It was incredibly hard work developing the best scripts, making sure they were factually accurate, shooting them really fast (because of the budget) and then weaving them into a show in the edit. The whole process took a year for every series and the more successful the show became, the more pressure we felt to up our game. But we had the best team, the best writers, and the best cast. It was a privilege and we laughed A LOT. I have so many stories and fun memories from that time so every time I watch a sketch I can remember the day it was filmed. I loved the letters we got sent. One from a mother saying she’d had a new baby and told her 5 year old son that they were calling him William, to which the 5 year old said “Like William the Conqueror?”. She asked him where he’d got that from and he said Horrible Histories. I loved it when we heard from kids delighted that they’d come downstairs to find their Dad watching Horrible Histories on his own. That’s what we wanted - for kids to be able to introduce adults to something they could share. One of the best things about the show was that if we got the scripts right, we knew the cast would elevate them with their performances. Finding the voice for Charles II was a challenge. Mat tried him as Eminem (to match the song parody) and said it just didn’t feel right. Then he tried it cockney, then posh but we still felt something was missing. We talked about who Charles was and what might work and in the end decided that since he loved a party, maybe he was always just a bit pissed. So Mat did him as a posh drunk man and it was perfect. I loved that process. Jim’s Richard III is him doing a Tony Blair impression for some reason known only to Jim, but it’s very funny. Larry was one of the main writers and became a key member of the cast as we went along. When he wrote something like “there’s a man covered in poo” I would cast him in that part because, you know, he’d written it. He started writing “there’s a man - who looks nothing like Laurence Rickard - covered in poo”. Didn’t work though. If you watch the outtakes (which are online) I think you get a very good sense of what it was like to make the show. Serious fun, I think I’d call it!

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Do you think women in comedy and TV production are treated differently as they age?  Also, over the years what has it been like working in comedy which for so long was a male dominated arena?

I feel like I was lucky because a lot of brilliant women had blazed a trail before me so being a female producer in comedy didn’t feel too alien by the time I got there. Beryl Vertue, Victoria Pile, Caroline Leddy, Jo Sergeant, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, Lucy Lumsden and more behind the scenes meant the world felt like it was opening up. I could see people like me on the road ahead. We’ve made a concerted effort to staff shows with a more representative balance in all areas in my time as a producer but there’s more work to do... 

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

...I don’t think I ever felt a glass ceiling until I got into my late 40s/early 50s. There are fewer jobs for people at a senior level and lots of women have to take career breaks or stay mid-level while they have families, meaning there are fewer women in the senior mix. I’ve noticed that it’s lonelier here and that men seem better at elbowing their way into top positions so we still need to push for equality. That said, there’s (tragically) not much comedy being made at the moment because of the crisis in TV production. Most comedy doesn’t sell internationally so it’s losing out to drama which attracts international co-funding. It’s a huge shame, partly because great comedy is so loved and endlessly repeatable, and partly because some of the best dramas of recent years have come from Jesse Armstrong (Succession), Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) and Will Smith (Slow Horses) who all have a comedy background. I hope comedy rises again soon. We all need a good laugh.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Is there anything that’s improved with age that no one told you about?

Oh God, to be free from periods is just the best! I got straight on the HRT as soon as the hot flushes appeared and I’ve been lucky to get through the whole shebang pretty unscathed. I’m loving my 50s. Old enough to know my own mind, young and fit enough to enjoy life. Obviously I’ve started sea swimming and retraining as a psychotherapist because I’m a massive cliche. I’m also rediscovering the joys of my youth like getting back into horse riding and cycling. I feel less weighed down by the need to achieve, succeed and keep up, and more focussed on making the most of my time. I have a lovely husband and step daughter, an elderly sausage dog, a rescue cat and a part-time horse so I’m usually covered in hair. I have great family, friends and I’m healthy so I feel very lucky. I like being invisible, if I’m honest. It means you can do whatever the hell you like.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Is there anything you worried about when you were younger that turned out to be completely irrelevant?

I thought I had to learn to network and couldn’t figure out how people made connections with all these important people. Turns out all you have to do is be nice and get older and the people you started out with become important people who you happen to know. It’s funny seeing people I’ve known forever running companies or even countries. It makes the world seem more human, which is important at the moment when parts of it feel completely and utterly alien.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Has your definition of success changed since you started in the industry?  

Success for me is producing a show that people love; a show that connects with audiences, surprises them and makes them laugh. That takes teamwork so success comes from working with great people in real collaboration at every level. I’m in awe of what was achieved on Adolescence and the teamwork that made that possible - it must have been such a buzz. I’m always learning and always trying to figure out how to do the best work in the kindest and most inclusive way. These days success is less about my own career and more about discovering and mentoring new talent when I have time - there’s nothing better than being a springboard for someone brilliant. I give my time to be a mentor on the NFTS Comedy Writing & Production course and have met some great new writers through that. I also do talks for Speakers for Schools to help children believe that you can go from an ordinary comprehensive school to the Bafta stage without any contacts or hothousing - I’ve managed to make a career out of watching TV and you can’t get better than that! 

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Is there any advice you would give your younger self?

My Dad was bipolar which was traumatic and meant I spent a lot of my time feeling guilty or scared. I loved him but his illness trapped me. When he died in 2007 I felt a huge weight lifted and I wish my younger self could have felt that freedom. I think I’d give my younger self a massive hug, help her talk about her feelings and tell her it’s not her fault - people aren’t judging her as harshly as she’s judging herself. 

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Any advice for women who want to make it in the industry?

Do it! Get in any way you can, find what you love (there are loads of jobs you wouldn’t know existed unless you’re on the inside) and enjoy it. My first job was working in HR at Granada TV. I’d applied for a programme making traineeship and didn’t get it, but they offered me a job with HR. Possibly because I’d turned up in a suit! It wasn’t what I’d imagined doing at all, but I figured I’d learn more from the inside than from waitressing in Bella Pasta so I took it and it was a brilliant start. Granada was an incredible, bonkers place to work and I met so many amazing people. I got opportunities to go and see shows being made and to help out on a few productions. My first boss, Ian Critchley, was a huge support when I wanted to move into programme making and has remained a huge support throughout my career. Any chance you get to work on a production of any size will give you a sense of how things are made. I started off in kids telly, became a producer and then moved into comedy, so you don’t have to stay where you start out. All experience is valuable. Don’t put up with bullying or harassment - report them to someone you trust. TV should be challenging but fun and it’s us who make it that way. Middle class women of a certain age are your ally.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Anything else you’d like to say?

I’ve had dark times in this business and being freelance at the moment is really, really tough. So although I adore my job and my time of life, I take anti-depressants and have regular therapy to deal with the other stuff. It’s all a balance so don’t be fooled into thinking someone else’s experience is 100% rosy. I’m currently working on a project that really excites me with talented, inspirational people so I’m feeling very positive. When I’m out of work or in a job that’s a grind, it’s a lot less fun. But overall it’s definitely worth it. I get to work with brilliant and bizarre people telling wild stories, making jokes and building worlds. It can be all consuming but it’s never boring. It’s also hilariously unglamorous. People imagine red carpets and champagne when 99% of filming is standing around in the rain, or crammed into someone’s downstairs toilet so you’re not in shot, watching tiny monitors and waiting for a plane to piss off so you can record sound. If that sounds like your idea of fun, this is the life for you.

Caroline Norrisby Jenny Smith

Thank you Caroline for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.

I think it's fair to say our hormones have affected us all at some time or another.  If you fancy a bit of a laugh, check out my podcast, Dear Hormones where women share their hormonal stories, the good the bad and the ugly - listen here.
 

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#23

Edwina Dunn

Founder of The Female Lead

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Edwina Dunn is a passionate advocate for empowering women and an absolute trailblazer in data science.  Her previous company revolutionised customer loyalty programmes with the creation of the Tesco Clubcard which transformed retail and data analytics forever. 

Edwina has since turned her expertise toward championing female leadership and representation. She is the founder of The Female Lead, a non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing inspiring women from diverse backgrounds and giving them a platform to tell their stories. Through educational resources, research, and storytelling, The Female Lead aims to broaden career horizons for women and girls and highlight the varied paths to success.

Edwina is also the author of When She’s in the Room, a compelling book helping women to achieve their full potential. It's about how women, at every age and stage strive to create balance in life and in work.  How women's priorities change and how they constantly adapt. By understanding this, she hopes our leaders, who are still mostly men, could see women as a bonus and not a hinderance or threat.  

Basically, Edwina sums up everything the 40 OVER 40 project is all about and it's an absolute honour to have her be part of it. 

Please read on to hear some inspirational words from Edwina and see more of the photographs we took together. 

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

What motivated you to start The Female Lead and what impact do you feel it is having?

When I was at school, we were told about women who were wonderful - like Florence Nightingale and Marie Curie - but they were old and dead.  I couldn’t understand why we didn’t talk about amazing women who are alive today - as we do with Richard Branson and James Dyson.  Also, when we started to work with retailers across the world (including Tesco) I was normally the only woman in the Boardroom.  I believe that ‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’.  So The Female Lead is all about celebrating inspiring Role Models who are shaping our world today.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Can you share one of the most rewarding moments you’ve had since launching The Female Lead?

I met Oprah Winfrey.  In fact I was on a panel with her.  She was great - as warm and interesting ‘behind the scenes’ as on stage.  She shared that the main reason she was successful today was because she’d always been under-estimated which I totally related to.  She spoke the truth and that is incredibly powerful.

I also love that everywhere I go, people old and young, invisible or famous, will tell me that they follow The Female Lead.  And they always smile.  That’s enough for me.  Amazingly, we touch 9 million women’s lives.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

What are the biggest barriers still holding women and girls back in business and leadership?

Societal structures.  The workplace was designed by men, for men.  Women and girls are not the problem but if you get told often enough that you can’t or shouldn’t or that your place is in the home, its hard to keep faith in your abilities and remain confident, especially when there are a number of very real, practical hurdles - like raising a family and caring for elderly parents at the same time as holding down a job/career.  Unpaid caring work most often falls to women.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

What advice would you give to women entering male-dominated industries?

Be bold, be brave, be you.  Have confidence that you and your skills matter and that although your way of working, your style and approach might be different, never doubt that you can make a difference if you work hard enough.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Tell us about your involvement in the Tesco Clubcard and did you realise at the time how revolutionary it would be? 

Tesco wanted to create a Thank You for their customers but they didn’t know if doing so would be good for them in the long run.  I helped to prove that thanking customers encouraged them to return to Tesco more than they would a competitor.  Importantly, we made Clubcard a practical reality.  At the time of launch, no one else could do what we were doing with technology and huge amounts of data.  We had created new tools and a personalised approach (AI you’d call it now).  It was a truly new capability and it doubled Tesco’s marketshare in less than 3 years.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

What advice would you give to women wanting to break into the tech industry?

Men aren’t better at technology than women.  They just use language that can turn women off.  Make your own narrative.  If you want it, you can be it.  It won’t be easy but it’s a lot more fun than giving up.  And success brings freedom and choice which hasn’t always been a reality for women.  You can’t have it all, all at the same time but if you are smart, you can find a way to have a life and a career.

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

This project is about inspirational women over the age of 40, what’s the best thing about being in this demographic?

At The Female Lead, we call life after 40, PrimeTime.  I believe at this age and above, women are beginning to see how they can have a life AND a career.  This stage of life can be exciting and fulfilling. You know who you are and what you want.  You are not ‘past it’.  Quite the opposite.  You’re just getting (re)started.  

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?

Don't worry about where you start, just keep going, be opportunistic and work hard.  Be brave and bold and challenge yourself as much as you can.  You grow when you’re out of your comfort zone.  Most important of all is pick your life partner wisely.  Their support and respect may help to make or break your career ambitions.  
 

Edwina Dunnby Jenny Smith

Thank you Edwina for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.

I think it's fair to say our hormones have affected us all at some time or another.  If you fancy a bit of a laugh, check out my podcast, Dear Hormones where women share their hormonal stories, the good the bad and the ugly - listen here.