This 57-year-old wants women to stop thinking of midlife as the beginning of the end: ‘There’s more to this’

Anna Tan, a 57-year-old entrepreneur, co-founded The AM Club to encourage women to embrace a new phase of life after their children have grown and careers have plateaued. Tan, who moved to Singapore from the UK in 2011, noticed that many accomplished women were experiencing a form of loneliness associated with midlife. Inspired by the idea that midlife is not a decline but a second spring, Tan and her friends created a community where women could reinvent themselves, seek adventure, and be unapologetic about their desires.

The club's framework draws on Traditional Chinese Medicine, viewing menopause as a period of growth and renewal rather than decline. Tan developed a quiz to help women identify their current season, which could be Wild Phoenix, Free Wanderer, Intrepid Explorer, Sovereign Wolf, Radiant Empress, or Wise Alchemist. Based on their results, women can join a Circle for guided identity shifting.

The club's expeditions, or rebellions, are designed to be transformative experiences that incorporate inner work alongside luxury travel. The first expedition, in September 2027, will take participants to China's Guilin, Yangshuo, and Longji rice terraces, focusing on reinvention. Subsequent expeditions are planned for Kenya and Peru, each with its own theme of reclamation and revelation.

Tan emphasizes that The AM Club is not a support group for struggling women but for those who are already emotionally steady and financially independent. The club aims to challenge the societal perception that women in midlife are past their prime and to inspire women to view this phase as an opportunity for growth and adventure.