The Midlife Hub is a brand new, Brighton based social enterprise that aims to inspire people to take an action-based approach to their midlife. New to Brighton Chamber, I caught up with co-founders, Rosi Viljoen and Deb Pasley to find out more about their exciting new venture.

Tell us a bit about The Midlife Hub – what is it and who’s it for?
We want to help people make a midlife plan, and we’ve brought together businesses and events that will help them make that plan a reality. On our web- site, (www.themidlifehub.com) people can find midlife related services and events; anything from yoga teachers and nutritionists, to career coaches and talking therapists, to fitness instructors and financial advisors. All the businesses listed have passed our six-point quality check to ensure they are trusted and reliable.

Everyone is welcome, basically anyone who feels like they need inspiration or support in their midlife. Our doors are open.

What was the inspiration behind creating The Midlife Hub?
We wanted to create something that we felt was missing when we reached our own midlives, because we felt we didn’t get the support we needed. Like many people, we only realised how the changes that midlife bring were affecting us once we were experiencing our own midlife crises.

We’d met for a coffee (which turned into a beer) and as we started talking and sharing our stories, we realised we both had a passion to help other people have a better experience than us.

How have you found starting a business at this time, during a global pandemic?
Many of the people we’ve talked to have said despite the lockdown turning much of their life sideways, one silver lining is that they found it has given them more time to stop and reflect, to think about their needs, and how they want to spend their time in future. Because so much of what we champion is about emotional and physical well- being, we’ve found that people have been open to the services we’re providing during this time.

What’s been the most difficult aspect of launching The Midlife Hub?
I think one of our biggest challenges to start with was to engage people in our idea when it was just an ‘idea'. Luckily we had lots of ‘early adopters’ who really believed in our concept and were happy to join us. They really gave us the encouragement to forge ahead with our mission.

How’s it going so far?
We’ve had really positive responses from everyone so far. The midlife businesses we are working with (many of whom are small businesses or sole traders) are happy to be associated with other like-minded people and to be reaching a wider audience through our site and marketing platforms.

Visitors to the website have told us they love the fact that they can access a range of information and support across different aspects of midlife, all in one place.

What’s your ultimate goal?
There’s usually a negative association with reaching your midlife. We want to inspire people in their 30’s+ to plan ahead, and for people in their 40s and 50s to really make their midlife an exciting adventure.

Rosi and Deb are on a mission to reinvent the midlife. If you are, or know of a midlife business that would like to get involved, get in touch on hello@themidlifehub.com 

To learn more about The Midlife Hub and the resources available, visit www.themidlifehub.com