Promotional graphic for 'No Filter Fridays' with text about women's experiences and a quote from 'The Mama Assembly'.

blog

Real talk on reinvention, resilience, and building life after corporate.

I’m Gill Townsend, mum, creative, and founder of The Mama Assembly™.

After years of corporate restructures and one very silent miscarriage, I decided I was done waiting to be chosen.

No Filter Fridays is my unfiltered series about what happens next, the messy, hilarious, and often liberating process of rebuilding life and business after 40.

Each Friday I share stories From Redundancy to Reinvention, the wins, the fails, and the caffeine-fuelled lessons in between.

☕ Subscribe below to join hundreds of women redefining success and building their own version of “enough.”

No Filter Fridays – Mum Life, Midlife & Reinvention with Gill Townsend

Real talk on mum life, midlife & reinvention - served with caffeine and honesty.

Read the latest issue or join hundreds of women finding their next chapter.
Motion-blurred road at sunrise with bold text reading “Permission Slips for January” and the tagline “Momentum, Not Mastery.”
Permission Slips For January | Season #3, Issue 1
January didn’t ease us in — it dropped us straight into motion. This No Filter Fridays reflection is about permission, momentum, and finding your footing while everything is still unfolding. Read more...
Bold coral text reading ‘When Your Systems Are Shiny But You’re Still Knackered’ over a spinning carousel background, representing the chaos of juggling tools and life in The Mama Assembly newsletter.
The Year I Found Myself Again | Season #2, Issue 7
Think redundancy, reinvention, midlife clarity… and the unexpected plot twist of actually feeling lighter. If you’re sensing change brewing in your own world, this one will show you how to... Read more...
Cover image for No Filter Fridays: Gill holding a backwards-printed Pocket Guide during a chaotic TikTok Live, with warm orange overlay and the title ‘How I Became G.
Somehow I Became “G” | Season #2, Issue 6
A TikTok Live gone wrong, a midlife reinvention in motion, a printer out of ink — and somehow I walked away with a new title: “G.” Here’s what really happened,... Read more...
Women forming heart shapes with their hands at sunset, with text reading “The Great Midlife Unleashing – Season 2, Issue 5” and The Mama Assembly logo.
The Great Midlife Unleashing | Season #2, Issue 5
Women aren’t having a midlife crisis. They’re plotting. After my first shaky TikTok Live, women started sharing the plans they’ve kept quiet for years. This issue dives into the quiet... Read more...
A bold No Filter Fridays cover featuring an afro-haired woman taking a selfie against a peach background with large text that reads ‘I Tried Content Clusters For One Week.’ The Mama Assembly branding appears in the centre.
I Tried Content Clusters for One Week. Here’s What Happened. | Series 2, Issue 4
I spent one week testing content clusters on TikTok to see if they actually work… and the results surprised me. Here’s what shifted, what flopped, what spiked, and what I’m... Read more...
Bold coral text reading ‘When Your Systems Are Shiny But You’re Still Knackered’ over a spinning carousel background, representing the chaos of juggling tools and life in The Mama Assembly newsletter.
When Your Systems Are Shiny (But You’re Still Knackered) | Series 2, Issue 3
This week’s No Filter Fridays is hitting your inbox a little later than usual… because I completely forgot to write it. Which is funny, considering I’ve spent the entire week... Read more...
Ballet dancer mid-pirouette in golden light with text “From Pivot to Pirouette – The Mama Assembly, No Filter Fridays Issue #2.
From Pivot to Pirouette: If You’re Going to the Dance, Get on the Damn Floor | Season 2, Issue 2
From redundancy to reinvention, this week’s No Filter Fridays is all about finding your rhythm - and the reality behind writing, posting, and building a brand from scratch. I’m sharing... Read more...
Confident woman in sunglasses with ‘The Epiphany to Pivot’ title, symbolising midlife reinvention and creative freedom.
The Epiphany to Pivot: From Redundancy to Reinvention | Season 2, Issue 1
Somewhere between a lukewarm latte and a long to-do list, I realised it was time to pivot. To blend creativity, motherhood, and messy brilliance into one unapologetic direction. Read more...
Trophy on a soccer field representing celebrating wins and rethinking praise in parenting — final issue of No Filter Fridays Season 1.
Issue 14: Celebrating Wins – Why We Need to Rethink “Good Job, Sweetie.”
Why constant praise can backfire. This week’s No Filter Fridays dives into parenting with love and standards — letting kids fail, learn, and grow so they find pride in effort,... Read more...
issue 13: the one-on-one for no filter fridays
Issue 13: The One-on-One - Why Kids Need Them as Much as Teams Do
When my kids ask, “Mum, can we have a private chat?”, I know to stop what I’m doing and just listen. These one-on-one moments teach them, and us, what presence... Read more...
Woman sitting in a parked Kia Carnival at night, working on a laptop with a soccer field in the background. Text overlay reads: “The Car Is My Office (And My Therapy Space) – Issue #12 No Filter Fridays.”
Issue 12: The Car Is My Office (And My Therapy Space)
My Kia Carnival isn’t just a mum taxi—it’s my office, my therapy space, and sometimes the only quiet I get all week. Here’s why car time has become leadership time. Read more...
Mother with two children against a bright yellow background, all with surprised expressions. A speech bubble reads “Your hair looks weird,” highlighting the theme of kids giving brutally honest feedback.
Issue 11: Feedback, But Make It Mum Life
Kids don’t sugarcoat. From “Your hair looks weird” to “I like your fit,” motherhood delivers the rawest feedback of all. But here’s the truth: if you can handle that, you... Read more...

Join me as I figure it out in real time - building a business from scratch and sharing what actually works (and what doesn’t).

Promotional graphic for 'No Filter Fridays' with text about women's experiences and a quote from 'The Mama Assembly'.