Episode 21

full
Published on:

25th Mar 2025

Events at 70 - Book Launches and Retreats

In this episode, we join Lucy and Lisette, two 70-year-old friends, as they discuss their recent events and experiences. Lisette shares the details of her 6th annual Eldest Daughter Retreat, a transformative gathering for women who are the eldest in their families. Meanwhile, Lucy discusses the launch of her latest book, ‘Book Magic’, which provides a strategic approach to writing nonfiction books. Through their conversation, we explore the power of community, the journey of self-discovery, and the joy of sharing one's expertise with the world.

Key Highlights:

* Writing Books as Self-Development

Lucy shares her journey as a prolific author, having written seven books on the topic of writing books. She emphasises how the process of writing can be a transformative experience, even if the book is not ultimately published – which of course she is not advocating - as it helps to clarify one's ideas and expertise.

* The Eldest Daughter Retreat

Lisette describes the origin of this annual retreat, which stemmed from her own experience as an eldest daughter and her desire to create a space for women in similar roles to connect, share, and support one another. She delves into the retreat's structure, activities, and the profound impact it has had on the participants.

* Turning Expertise into ‘Business Gold’

Lucy's latest book, ‘Book Magic’, is centred around the concept of helping entrepreneurs and experts leverage their knowledge and experience to create books that can serve as lead generators and authority pieces for their businesses. She outlines her metaphor of the ‘gold mine’ of expertise and the steps involved in turning it into a valuable ‘gold bar’ in the form of a book.

* The Power of Community and Shared Experiences

Both Lisette and Lucy highlight the importance of community and shared experiences in their respective events. Lisa's retreat provides a safe space for eldest daughters to connect and support one another, while Lucy's book launch event brought together a community of aspiring authors to celebrate her work.

Why you should listen

Lucy and Lisette describe how events like launches and retreats provide bonding experiences, although Lucy outlines her personal reasons for feeling a bit reluctant to engage in retreats. But when Lisette finishes outlining how flexible and open the Eldest Daughters Retreat is, she thinks she might take part in the next one to share experiences and perspectives on being the eldest child. Participating in the retreat helped Lisette gain insight into patterns she had been repeating in her work relationships, and how those patterns were connected to her relationship with her younger brother.

Join the Conversation

What events and celebrations are important to you, and do you enjoy coming together with others you don’t necessarily know to share experiences and perspectives? How does your place in your family of origin affect your relationships and the patterns that play out in your life?

If you enjoyed this fascinating discussion, as well as the personal journeys of these old (in every sense) friends, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap the bell icon to stay updated on new episodes of The Year of Being 70. Subscribe now and join the journey!

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About the Podcast

The Year of Being 70
Two childhood friends who turned 70 in 2024 look back on their lives, their journey, and their busy lives at 70t
Lucy McCarraher and Lisette Schuitemaker are childhood friends. Born one month apart in 1954, they both hit 70 in 2024. In this podcast they take the long view of their experiences, the changes that have taken place through their 70 years of existence in their own lives, their families, their countries and the world. Lucy is British; Lisette is Dutch. Both are authors, eldest daughters and founders of businesses. Every week they check in on each other, recall their younger selves, discuss an important issue, and laugh a lot.
You'll love this podcast if you enjoy:
* Honest discussions between good friends
* Social history from the 1950s to present day
* Memories of growing up in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s
* Living and working through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
* Hearing about families and relationships
* Entrepreneurship and business
* Writing and reading books
* A bit of politics from a personal point of view
* Women's issues and the changing face of feminism
* What it's like to be 70 in the 2020s

About your host

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Lisette Schuitemaker