Guiding ‘Baby Boomers’ To A Second Career

There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you
bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap
this source, you will truly have defeated age.

– Sophia Loren

Second Careers for Baby Boomers

They are called Mid-Lifers, Baby Boomers, Seniors, and more. Two years ago I did my own non-scientific survey with people face-to-face and found that most people who were in the age group or close to the age group normally labeled one of the above did not like those labels at all.

After co-authoring the book, Forty and Wiser: Remarkable Insider Secrets from Women 40 and Wiser, I was reminded that women 50 and Wiser usually had even more wisdom to share.  Thus when a number of women heard the term 50 and Wiser, their eyes lit up and they told me they preferred that designation over many of the others.

This article in the Spokesman-Review presented some alternative fun titles for our age group. What do you think? Any resonate with you?

As a woman who is over 50 years old, you may not like my terminology either because it starts with a number. I invite you not to focus on the age, rather focus on the knowledge, experience, and wisdom you bring to the table. I am a woman 50 and Wiser who is a serial entrepreneur, a business owner, and a professional. I also represent my ideal client and have, for years, attracted clients who are in that age group. We speak a similar language.

Revisiting the Dream

Quite often women of this age-group are now empty-nesters, with the last child off to college, or they may no longer be responsible for anyone but themselves.

For many women and men 50 and Wiser, this may finally be the time that they can fulfill the dream they had when they were younger. Because of family responsibilities, or to be practical, they did what they were expected to do. They submerged themselves in careers and many achieved a great deal of success financially. However, many knew that there was a gap in their heart that remained unfulfilled because they were never able to focus on their true passion. Quite often women of this age-group are now empty-nesters, with the last child off to college, or they may no longer be responsible for anyone but themselves. They feel that they can now pursue something they’ve always wanted to do.

Living the Dream

What is remarkable is that at the age of 61 years, he made the decision to embark on a stand-up comedy career. Bold move? Yes, it was.

One person who comes to mind is Gil Pool. Never heard of him? You can read his story, available on Amazon: “Act Two & Beyond: Making the Rest of Your Life Spectacular “ – Kindle Edition. As a young person, all Gil wanted to do was to be a comedian. He studied all the comedians of his day on television. But he was not allowed to pursue that as ‘that was not a real job’. What is remarkable is that at the age of 61 years, he made the decision to embark on a stand-up comedy career. Bold move? Yes, it was. This was his heart’s desire which had gone unfulfilled all these years. He saw the door of opportunity standing wide open and walked right in. He now tours the world bringing laughter to people of all ages.

What Are You Passionate About?

What are you passionate about? What lights up your world? What do you feel you would be happy to get up each morning and do the rest of your life? Is it what you’re doing now? Is there some part of you that’s been lying dormant because you did not want to disturb that dream? Is your attitude, “Let sleeping dogs lie?” If you’re one who thinks that you should keep the status quo, you’re ‘too old to start something new’, let me remind you of some celebrities who did not come into their own until they were 50 and wiser.

Later Rather Than Sooner

Some had mini successes earlier, but they became household names later. People like Morgan Freeman, Betty White, Chris Gardener, a homeless man who became a business executive, Regis Philbin, Sharon Osbourne, and many more. What if they had said, No, when the opportunity opened up to them? If you want to join the ranks of the pre-retirees or retirees who want to sit back, enjoy your remaining years and do nothing, that’s fine. You still want to be sure that you keep active to avoid mental and physical atrophy.

Ready to Throw Off Limits?

However, if you are a woman who is 50 and wiser, are you ready to throw off the limiting beliefs and boundaries you’ve set for yourself, or have allowed society to set for you?

If you’re in a profession or a job that’s paying you well, I do not recommend that you make the jump without having certain things in place. There is actually a benefit to starting your business while you’re still employed so that you’re not under stress to see a profit in order to pay your bills immediately. At the same time, if you’re in a place in your life where you have a certain financial infrastructure in place, this may be a good time to take the leap of faith and discover if your dreams can become a reality and create a profitable business.

You are ready to rediscover the little girl dreams that have been pushed under the bushel. You are ready to SOAR into the second kind of career that brings joy and brings back the FUN in your life and business. Because, at this stage in your life, why should you not be able to combine business with FUN and enjoy what you do?

My Leap of Faith

At the age of 52, I took that leap of faith and walked away from Corporate America. Have I regretted it? No. However, looking back there are things I would have done differently.

So, whether you consider yourself a Baby Boomer, 50 and Wiser Woman, Mid-lifer, or Senior, If you’d like to speak with someone who took the leap of faith from employee to CEO, and speaks your language,I invite you to reach out to me and let’s have an open discussion on whether your dream can become a viable business, as well as some pitfalls to avoid.