At 60 years old, most people have their eye on retirement, dreaming of slow mornings and leisurely lunches – but not Sarah Abel.
For the grandmother-of-Four, life has never been busier – or more fulfilling.
The entrepreneur from Folkestone, Kent, juggles running a million-pound training business, with regularly looking after her grandchildren, Betsy, nine, Bloom, seven, Arlo, three, and Hugo, nine months.
In her high-pressured day job, she mentors entrepreneurs in the hair and beauty industry on how to access government funding to scale their business and has secured more than £6 million in funding since 2008.
When she’s not busy being grinding, the grandmother then switches to ‘fun nana’ mode, which involves juggling the ‘beautiful chaos’ of helping looking after the little ones of her and her husband Andy’s daughter, Naomi, 35, and son Rhys, 33.
But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘I know so many people my age who feel they have to slow down because society tells them they should and they’re told they’re “getting old”. But why?’ she questioned.
‘I’m 60, and I still have boundless energy, ideas and ambition. Retiring now would feel like cutting my story short when there’s still so much more to do. I don’t run my business just for the money – I do it because I love seeing people transform their lives through education and entrepreneurship.
Sarah, from Folkestone, Kent, juggles running a million-pound training business, with regularly looking after her grandchildren, Betsy, nine, Bloom, seven, Arlo, three, and Hugo, nine months (pictured)
In her high-pressured day job, she mentors entrepreneurs in the hair and beauty industry on how to access government funding to scale their business and has secured more than £6 million in funding since 2008 (pictured with her husband, Andy and grandchildren, Betsy, nine, and Bloom, seven)
‘Having your own business gives you a level of freedom that traditional retirement can’t. I choose when and how I work.
‘If I need to take a break for a school play or a family holiday, I can. That’s the beauty of building something that works for you rather than being tied to a 9-5 job.’
It’s taken decades for Sarah to get to this stage.
Having had a challenging childhood which saw her mother Enid being diagnosed with MS when Sarah was four, and her father, Tony, taking his own life when she was seven, she was left in the care of her grandparents along with her younger sister.
Sarah left school at 16 and flitted from job to job. By the time she was 21, Sarah had met her now husband Andy and the pair had married and began to start a family.
It was also around this time that she tragically lost her mother, Enid.
Sarah pictured while in Las Vegas. Sarah left school at 16 and flitted from job to job. By the time she was 21, Sarah had met her now husband Andy and the pair had married and began to start a family
Sarah left school at 16 and flitted from job to job. By the time she was 21, Sarah had met her now husband Andy and the pair had married and began to start a family (Sarah pictured with her now husband Andy)
But due to what Sarah now knows to be undiagnosed ADHD, she was constantly living ‘beyond her means’ and was regularly splashing the cash by going on luxury holidays and buying posh cars.
Then in 2000, when she was 36-years-old, Sarah’s life changed forever on a sporadic trip to her favourite nail salon.
Sarah had a ‘good job’ working at Avon at the time, but after hearing that the owner of the salon was having to sell the shop, she suddenly had a ‘lightbulb moment’ and saw the potential to build something of her own.
Seizing the opportunity, Sarah decided on ‘a whim’ that she would buy and take over the business.
Much to her delight, she was able to secure a bank loan of £20,000, which she was able to invest in purchasing the business.
‘I had a good job with Avon at the time, but I knew I wanted more. I wanted to build something of my own that would have a lasting impact,’ she explained.
‘My mum died when I was 21, and she never got the chance to spend time with me as an adult, or to see her grandchildren – I knew I wanted to create a life for me in which that would be possible.
‘I had no money, was in debt and had little knowledge of running a business, but I had resilience – and Andy believed in me. So, I applied for a £20,000 loan from a bank – and got it.
She also helped her daughter Naomi who joined her straight from school studying qualifications in nails and beauty (Sarah pictured with her daughter, Naomi)
Sarah pictured with her husband, Andy, on her wedding day aged 21 – she is now 60 but has no plans to retire
‘I was terrified and apprehensive. What was I doing? But I also had the inner confidence that I knew I could make this work. And I did. At one stage we owned five salons.
‘The change came in 2008, when I discovered I could apply for government funding for training for her own staff with apprenticeships – it was a lightbulb moment. I knew this was a way in which I could help others do the same.’
In £75,000 of debt and aged 44, Sarah pivoted her business to focus on education, using funding to offer training programmes in hair, nails and beauty.
She also helped her daughter Naomi who joined her straight from school studying qualifications in nails and beauty. She went on to start her own business.
Sarah opened a funding business called TNB Skills Training in Kent, helping people of all ages to access government money and fund training.
She also implemented a debt management plan – and worked hard to pay off all she owed. By 2022, at 58, she was debt free for the first time in her adult life.
‘The sense of accomplishment was euphoric! And thanks to all this hard work, my business turnover shifted and reached seven figures. Yes, I was nearly 60, but there’s no way I could have been ready to do this sooner,’ the grandmother said.
‘Thanks to my son Rhys coming to work in the business in 2021, I’ve been able to take time off to be with my grandchildren. It’s important to me to spend time with them – they’re definitely a handful.
Sarah’s first ever nail salon. Sarah opened a funding business called TNB Skills Training in Kent, helping people of all ages to access government money and fund training
Sarah pictured when she was pregnant with Naomi. She structures her day by getting up at 6am. She then mediates, schedules meetings for set times, and often works in the evening
Sarah pictured with Noami. Sarah said her biggest goal has always been to build a cash-flowing business that runs efficiently and generates consistent profits, and allows her to invest in wealth-building strategies, such as property
Sarah opened a funding business called TNB Skills Training in Kent, helping people of all ages to access government money and fund training
This year, she published her first book The Power Of Funding, which became a bestseller in just hours
‘My business is thriving, and my role as a grandmother is just as important. I never wanted to be the kind of businesswoman who was too busy for family. Finding the balance has been a challenge, but it’s also what keeps me going.
‘People often ask, ‘How do you do it all?’ The truth is, you can’t do everything yourself, but you can make it work with the right systems in place.’
Sarah structures her day by getting up at 6am. She then mediates, schedules meetings for set times, and often works in the evening.
This year, she published her first book The Power Of Funding, which became a bestseller in just hours.
But she keeps at least a day a week free to spend with her grandchildren.
‘Being a grandmother is a bit like being a magician – one minute you’re wiping sticky hands, the next, you’re building a rocket ship out of cardboard boxes,’ she mused.
‘My time with my grandkids is always an adventure, filled with laughter, surprises, and the occasional sugar-fuelled mayhem.
‘The best thing is saying yes when parents say no. I’ve let them eat ice cream for breakfast – it’s just frozen milk – played hide and seek in the supermarket, and we only lost each other once!
‘We’ve also had full-blown dance parties at bedtime. My own children sometimes question me but I remind them that I did a good job with them.
‘And the grandkids say I’m the coolest nan, and I think that’s because I understand the most important rule – childhood should be magical.’
Sarah’s business has taken her around the world and has even seen her flying first class to places such as Las Vegas.
She said her biggest goal has always been to build a cash-flowing business that runs efficiently and generates consistent profits, and allows her to invest in wealth-building strategies, such as property.
And she’s not ready to slow down just yet.
The grandmother insisted she is not ready to retire, and believes other people her age should consider staying in work they are ‘passionate’ about.
‘If you love what you do, why stop? Retirement shouldn’t be about age; it should be about choice. If you’re still passionate about your work, if you still feel you have value to offer, then why walk away?’ she expressed.
‘Of course, this doesn’t mean working yourself into the ground. It’s about finding a way to continue making an impact while also enjoying life. For me, that means mentoring business owners, writing, speaking at events, and spending time with my family – all on my own terms.
‘I’ll keep growing, mentoring, and building—while making time for school runs and bedtime stories. Because this isn’t the end of my journey. It’s just another exciting chapter.
‘And if you’re thinking about retiring just because it’s ‘what you’re supposed to do’ – maybe it’s time to rethink that.’
