Photo by Dawn Bowery
Many people view their later years as a time to slow down. Society often suggests that entrepreneurship and digital media belong strictly to the youth. This mindset ignores a wealth of experience and discourages older generations from pursuing new passions. However, age should never prevent anyone from starting a business or sharing stories with a global audience.
Dr. Angie McCartney, stepmother to Sir Paul McCartney, breaks these traditional expectations. At 96 years old, she is the founder of Mrs. McCartney's Teas and co-host of the TeaFlix podcast. While her daughter Ruth and son-in-law Martin Nethercutt manage the technical side of the family’s digital media businesses, Angie focuses on her love for tea and storytelling. In this interview, we ask Dr. McCartney about launching an organic tea brand, hosting a podcast, and staying active in business at 96.
Q: You founded Mrs. McCartney's Teas later in life, proving that business has no age limit. What inspired you to start an organic tea company instead of enjoying a quiet retirement?
Dr. Angie McCartney: At a 4th July house party a few years back, I offered a cocktail to one of my guests who said he was “on the wagon” but would love a cup of tea, which I happily made in my big old Brown Betty teapot which has travelled around the globe with me.
He went on to say “What is more British than tea, and what is more Liverpool-ish than The Beatles” and so the idea for Mrs.McCartney’s Teas was born.
Ruth and I spent a considerable time researching the world of teas, with emphasis on ensuring that we only pursue growers who were fair trade, meaning that they did not use child labor.
We ultimately settled on a supplier who also adhered strictly to that policy, and launched Mrs. McCartney’s Teas with a range of flavours, to which we decided to give names that reflected Beatles related subjects.
Since then, we have since expanded the range. You can find lots more about it by logging onto: www.mrsmccartneysteas.com. There you will find a lot of information about the varieties, their history, benefits, and how to order etc. It also contains lots of quotations from world wide tea drinkers which I regularly collect.
We also donate to The Linda McCartney Breast Cancer Center via The Royal Liverpool Hospital, where we had the privilege of visiting when I launched my frst book in 2013.
At that time, I was only the ripe young age of 82. I am now putting the finishing touches to my eighth book, which is a light hearted look at the idiosyncrasies of being British. It’s called “Becoming British for Beginners” and will debut in October.
Q: Your life includes surviving World War II and sharing breakfast with John Lennon. How do your personal memories and the history of the Beatles influence your tea blends today?
Dr. Angie McCartney: From my early life in Liverpool to my current daily life, a good cuppa has always been a mainstay of daily living. Tea is a staple of British life. It is a panacea for all ills, a way of welcoming visitors, and a way to breach barriers and result in a good old chin wag.
When my late husband, Jim McCartney and I would welcome house guests at Rembrandt, (the house Paul bought his Dad on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside), he would sometimes bring John Lennon for a week-end break and John would love a cup of tea at all times.
The first thing you do when visitors arrive is put the kettle on!
Q: You also co-host the TeaFlix podcast with your daughter, Ruth. What made you decide to step into podcasting, and what do you enjoy most about these weekly conversations?
Dr. Angie McCartney: Teaflix Tuesdays has over 250 episodes “in the can” and attracts viewers from all over the States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Scotland, Wales and, of course, England. Needless to say, we have a loyal following of Scousers. We started podcasting before it was even really a thing. It was just a great way to stay in touch during Covid. Zoom meetings became the thing so I think Podcasting was the next natural extension.
Many of our viewers and listeners have struck up friendships with one another and developed their own little community. Martin Nethercutt, Ruth’s husband, (“Herr Producer”) puts the show up on our @McCartneyStudios YouTube channel later in the day, and Ruth shares it with several streaming outlets, and we have a pretty good global response to our various interesting guests. We have featured many Beatles book authors and those live on a forever link at our McCartney Time/Beatle Blog at www.mccartney.com.
Q: While you focus on tea and podcasting, Ruth and your son-in-law Martin run the day-to-day operations of your family's tech companies. How does this partnership support your current projects?
Dr. Angie McCartney: Ruth, Martin and I all live and work together. Ruth and I, as you may have guessed, are joined at the hip, and yes, we finish one another’s sentences. I work full time for the McCartney Group of companies. I take care of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receiveable. (I am the ankle biter who chases the cash flow!). Scheduling of appointments, research for many of the projects that Ruth and Martin spearhead. And of course, continuing to write books. There ain't no stopping me now.
Ruth and Martin run the McCartney group of companies, and Martin (in addition to his personal Geist Musik project), as the wizard of graphic design, video editing, McCartney.ai and he takes care of all the promotional side of things for my tea, my books, and of course, TEAFLIX Tuesdays.
Ruth is the Digital Diva, with skills too many to mention. You can see a link to more about her at the end of this piece.
It is a joy to be able to learn so much online, as my formal schooling in Liverpool during World War II ended when I was 11 years of age, due to the nightly bombing, when so many people lost their homes that the schools were taken over for families to live in. After that, until leaving (age 14) we met our teacher for half a day a week at a private house nearby.
Fortunately, during World War II, my Mum was insistent on drilling us with spelling bees, crossword puzzles, word games, as well as singalongs. My big Brother Bob had gone away to war, and I wrote to him weekly letters, which in those days went to an Army Post Office address, so I never knew where he was. He would mark my letters with a red pen and give me grades out of ten! He would write “5 out of 10 – could do better,” or correct my spelling. I was mortified. It was probably why I aspired to become a writer!
Q: Your book, "There Are Faces I Remember," shares stories from your diaries during the Beatles era. Why did you decide to publish these personal memories now?
Dr. Angie McCartney: My TEAFLIX friends would ask me if I had ever met this celebrity or that rock star, so I decided to thumb through all of my old diaries, (which I have taken around the world ever since), and I came up with the idea for “There Are Faces I Remember.” Our wonderful friend the artist Shannon MacDonald painted the cover and Ruth created all of the character illustrations inside using a combination of Adobe illustrator, Photoshop, layered line drawings, AI for the coloring and styling, etc. each one took her a whole day to create.
Q: Many people feel it is too late to start a new project or learn a new medium. What advice do you have for older adults who want to pursue a new passion?
Dr. Angie McCartney: Let me just say, where, in the Bible, does it say anything about Retirement? I have always believed that you just keep going until you don’t!
In my Secretarial working years, it horrified me that when someone reached 60 (for women) and 65 (for men) they were put out to graze and given either a grandfather clock or a gold watch so that they could count the days until they went to meet their maker. Poppycock!
Dr. Angie McCartney proves that lifelong passion easily translates into new business opportunities, regardless of age. By relying on her family's technical expertise while focusing on her love for tea and storytelling, she built a thriving brand. Her journey from the historic Beatles era to modern podcasting highlights the value of sharing our experiences and remaining curious.
As digital tools become easier to use, creators of all ages can reach global audiences. Embracing platforms like podcasting allows older generations to preserve their stories and build meaningful connections. Dr. McCartney stands as a clear example that with a good cup of tea and a willingness to try, you can build a successful venture at any stage of life.
To learn more visit:
Https://mccartney-multimedia.com
And Martin’s immersive music world at https://geistmusik.com