Welcome to 47 Plus: Defeat FOMO!

Posted on 03/09/2017 0 CommentPosted by Christine Hogan in News

Hello and welcome to the first edition of 47 Plus, the website and newsletter designed to create and curate content of interest to our community, to keep you in the loop (no more FOMO) and up to date with what is both interesting to you – and inspiring.

47 Plus is the website dedicated to those who have hit their late 40’s and beyond and who understand exactly what “The U-bend of life: Why, beyond middle age, people get happier as they get older” in The Economist is talking about. Have a look here.

It has been created by journalist, writer, TV producer, and digital communications specialist, Christine Hogan. (Find out about her professional background on LinkedIn.)

Why 47 Plus?

“It’s such an arbitrary number, 47,” said Christine Hogan. ” We had long debates about the number, but in the end it comes down to two things. 47 Plus is about passion and a state of mind. It is the time when you say to yourself, I am going to live my life, do what I need to do to ensure I am living an authentic life. and am a true version of myself as a human being.

“The image time line in this post tells a story, I think. When I was at university and in my late 20’s, I was reflecting what I thought I was expected to be. That looks a bit like Twiggy in the first shot (always useful to have a fantastic photographer for a brother), and a Dynasty emanation when I was the Deputy Editor (News) of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

“But as I got older, I grew bolder. And more daring. I broke out of my print journalism career (before so many were forced out), wrote five books, became a television producer and a head of TV network publicity; I travelled, and learned (sometimes I studied while I travelled), sometimes before so I could communicate when I got there.

“After I went to the Sahara to write a story, I went back again to write a book. And, inspired by who I met and what I found there, I kept going back.”

Older and bolder, not over and out

“I have lost many of the people I have loved, treasure those who remain. I have spent years in the careful understanding of my psychologist to ensure my mind is healthy. My bike is at the bike shop being overhauled for Spring, and we have just launched this website, so there is a lot of interesting stuff happening.

“I am now so keen to create a place where a virtual community can come together on line to share their interests, their views, and their obsessions, to be informed and inspired, enthused and encouraged, motivated and moved… ”

Meet our Head of Marketing… Elzanne Strydom

Working with Christine Hogan, the Founder and Publisher of 47 Plus, is Marketing Director, Elzanne  Strydom, an executive with a marketing,  sales management and advertising background and considerable experience in a variety of senior management positions – the last 19 years in the marketing and media with a strong core focus on all things digital.

Between the two of them, Christine and Elzanne have more than 60 years experience in print and digital publishing — though on different sides of the ledger. Christine has worked as a journalist, editor and publisher in Australia and the United States, while Elzanne has worked in Sales and Marketing in her native South Africa, New Zealand, and now Australia.

They first met when they worked together at Church Resources, where 0 supported by Elzanne – Christine steered the organisation’s digital publications connected to Australia’s leading faith-based publication, CathNews, to unprecedented critical acclaim and levels of advertising revenue. Based on a conviction of Christine’s that the CathNews model would work for the procurement side of Church Resources, they  also developed and set up NFP News, a newsletter for the not-for-profit sector which delivers more than half a million visits a month to the website. At the same time, they were expanding other revenue streams, and making the publishing side of the business extremely successful.

Elzanne wrote of 47 Plus:  “It’s great to be working with Christine again. It’s us sharing the things which evoke passion within us, and which inspire us.

“I am excited to be part of the project and keen to see this lifestyle brand create a like-minded community.”

You will find more about Elzanne (below at the Opera House and inspired by both her husband and Versailles) here on her LinkedIn profile.

Back to The Economist article. In brief,  going through the U-bend of life means you can start to act now on what makes you happy.

Take responsibility for your own happiness

“Four main factors, it seems: gender, personality, external circumstances and age, Women, by and large, are slightly happier than men. But they are also more susceptible to depression: A fifth to a quarter of women experience depression at some point in their lives, compared with around a tenth of men. Which suggests either that women are more likely to experience more extreme emotions, or that a few women are more miserable than men, while most are more cheerful.”

So prepare yourself to be happier – 47 Plus is the brain food you need to keep FOMO at bay and you in the loop.

Read the piece. But it will tell you simply this: Make yourself happy. The time of your life starts now.

How do you do that? Subscribe to 47 Plus, get reading and get cracking with us!