TRIGGER WARNING: Mental health, being labeled weird, self doubt, confidence, teen wounds

Host Chris Melville talks with personal stylist and style coach Abbey Booth, who works mainly with midlife professional women. She has just published her book, Don’t Save It For Best.

Abbey shares how she moved from a long-held dream into running a women’s boutique, starting with pop-ups and a Facebook page designed to feel like getting ready in a friend’s bedroom. She shares how that experience became an “MBA” in women’s psychology, shaping her styling work.

They discuss an adventurous retreat walk that highlighted feeling “seen,” Abbey’s painful school years and being labeled “weird,” and how those experiences fed self-doubt like “I’m not the sort of person who….” Abbey explains building confidence through moving to London, her “squiggly” career, why midlife women face unique challenges, and offers advice to people-watch offline for style inspiration, plus details on her online group program Brave.

00:00 Welcome to No Small Talk

00:24 Meet Abbey Booth

01:05 From Boutique Dream to Reality

02:55 Creating a Safe Shopping Space

04:23 The Muddy Retreat Adventure

07:58 School Years and the Weird Label

12:05 Teenage Wounds and Confidence Layers

17:08 Moving to London Saying Yes

20:56 Squiggly Career Into Styling

25:08 Why Midlife Women Need Style

28:16 The Book and Brave Program

30:16 People Watching Style Tip

31:35 Final Thanks and Goodbye

Connect with Chris Melville

Email

Instagram

Connect with Abbey Booth

Email

Instagram

Producer’s credits:

• Chris Melville - Podcast Host
• Nicole George - Podcast Executive
• Ariane Lim - Podcast Producer + Engineer
• Sara Wagle - Audio Efficiency & Flow Manager