Editor’s Note:
Geopolitics Is Personal. Whether We Like It or Not.
Geopolitics. It's a word we hear almost daily. Politicians use it, business leaders debate it, and journalists invoke it to explain everything from wars to the price of groceries. But how many of us really understand what it means, and more importantly, why it matters?
Historically, geopolitics was about geography, borders, military might and the balance of power between nations. Today, it's about something far more immediate: how decisions made thousands of miles away can influence almost every aspect of our lives.
The price of petrol. The security of our jobs. The performance of our pensions. The technology we use. Even the information we consume.
For women, the implications are particularly significant. We are business leaders, entrepreneurs, mothers, caregivers and financial decision-makers. We are also navigating a world where hard-won progress on equality is being challenged, economic uncertainty is growing, and political decisions increasingly determine the opportunities available to us.
Consider America's midterm elections on November 3.
Traditionally, voters have focused on domestic issues: jobs, healthcare, inflation and taxes. But increasingly, foreign policy is domestic policy. Tariffs, international conflicts, energy security and shifting global alliances are finding their way into American households and influencing how voters judge their leaders.
And what happens in America rarely stays in America.
My latest She Means Business guest, geopolitical strategist Tina Fordham, has spent more than 25 years studying these shifts in global power. In her new book, Mad World, she argues that the relatively stable international order many of us grew up taking for granted was the exception, not the rule.
Her warning is striking: "This is not a storm that will pass. It is the climate changing."
But there's an important distinction between being informed and being overwhelmed.
We don't need to become geopolitical experts, nor should we allow a relentless cycle of alarming headlines to dictate how we feel about the future. What we do need is curiosity, critical thinking and the willingness to question what we're being told.
Because understanding geopolitics isn't simply about knowing what's happening in Washington, Moscow or Beijing. It's about recognising how those decisions shape our choices, our opportunities and our futures.
Knowledge doesn't eliminate uncertainty. But it gives us the confidence to navigate it. And that, ladies, is power.
Lynn x
Episode XIII: She Means Business & Tina Fordham
Tina Fordham has spent more than 25 years studying what happens when politics, power, business and uncertainty collide.
Power Play Picks
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Where The Pancakes Are
Thirty years ago, I met my dear friend Patricia Trijbits in Los Angeles. She was producing films with Trudie Styler; I was a television presenter. We've shared plenty of life's adventures since, including moving to London around the same time, marrying film producers and reinventing ourselves professionally.
But when Patricia, who is Dutch, announced a decade ago that she was opening a proper American-style pancake house, I thought she'd gone completely mad!
Well, who's laughing now?
Her brilliant creation, Where The Pancakes Are, has just celebrated ten delicious years, with thriving restaurants in Borough and Battersea Power Station. And the accolades keep coming. BBC Good Food ranked it London's number-one pancake destination for 2026, while Time Out consistently includes it among the capital's best.
The pancakes? Quite possibly the best in Britain. Fluffy, indulgent, beautifully made, with irresistible sweet and savoury combinations.
I'm enormously proud of Patricia. She's proof that reinvention, passion and a little audacity can produce something extraordinary.
Trust me, these pancakes are worth the trip!
Mad World by Tina Fordham
Tina Fordham's Mad World: A Geostrategy Survival Guide for Leaders has arrived in bookshops at precisely the right moment. In these times of global instability, geopolitics has become part of our everyday vocabulary, whether we fully understand it or not.
I've always followed global politics, long before my days as a journalist, and I'm certainly paying attention now, both as a leader and someone who coaches leaders.
What makes Mad World so compelling is Tina's argument that the relatively stable world we've grown accustomed to was actually the exception, not the rule. We're entering a prolonged period of uncertainty, and waiting for things to return to normal simply isn't a strategy.
It's intelligent, timely and refreshingly pragmatic. And while written with leaders in mind, its lessons extend well beyond the boardroom.
In a mad world, knowledge, perspective and preparedness are powerful assets. This is a book worth reading.
The Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar
Chock-full of fabulous beauty products, the Stylist Advent Calendar is the perfect little treat to yourself in the run-up to the holidays. After all, what better way to get into the festive spirit than opening a little pressie every day? And who says all the presents have to be for someone else?
This year's calendar is a beauty lover's dream, featuring 34 products, an impressive 31 of them full-sized, from brands including Drunk Elephant, Gisou, Laneige, Rituals and Morphe. We're talking gorgeous skincare, makeup, haircare and fragrances, with plenty of opportunities to discover a new favourite.
And here's the really good news. While Liberty's famous beauty Advent Calendar will set you back £285, the Stylist version costs a much more manageable £169, with nearly £650 worth of goodies inside. Become a Stylist VIP and you can save another £40!
A little daily indulgence without quite so much financial guilt? Yes, please! The holidays may be about giving, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself, ladies!