STANDING TALL
Years ago, people would say that women over 50 are “over the hill.” Today, women who are 50 plus are not only NOT over the hill but are in fact standing tall on a majestic mountaintop looking out at innumerable possibilities for the rest of their lives. One interesting possibility for our success and satisfaction is entrepreneurship.
Recent data show that the 55-to-64-year-old age group has the highest rate of entrepreneurship among Americans[1]. And, experts say that businesses started by women over 50 have a higher rate of success in the first five years than firms started by millennials.
Women Over 50
Whether we decide to start our own businesses or pursue other endeavors, we women over 50 are destined to live more fulfilling lives and contribute more to society.
Here are a few reasons why[2]:
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Our years of life and work experience make us stronger.
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We have stood the tests of time and are prepared to take on new challenges with excitement, maturity, and wisdom.
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Women over 50 dare to be bold and create the change that we want to see in the world.
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We are brave enough to fail. Accordingly, we take risks even if things may not go exactly as planned.
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Women at a certain station in life understand that the most impenetrable barriers to happiness are constructed by themselves.
As award-winning journalist Adaora Udoli said, “The pain of getting it wrong doesn’t last nearly as long as it used to. … Life is about being perfectly imperfect, and I know for certain more is possible today than I ever realized before.”
Perhaps the best gift of this age is a singular sense of confidence. And, with our confidence comes a state of calm. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t embrace the urgency of the moments before us, nor does it mean that we don’t worry about what’s next because we do. In fact, women over 50 are confident, calm and committed.
Accordingly, it means that what is most urgent to us is a need for purpose in our lives – a purpose that is greater than ourselves. One of the founding feminists, Marie Wilson, said a purpose is something that we can and must do.[3]
As women over 50, we must always stay hopeful and keep scaling the mountaintop and seizing new opportunities. We must always #MakeAnImpact!
Cheryl McCants, Your Marketing Momma
[1] Why Women Over 50 Make Better Entrepreneurs, Sharon Bush, Huffington Post
[2] 10 Women Over 50 Who Are Redefining the Entrepreneurial Spirit, Melissa Walker, Good Housekeeping, April 19, 2018
[3] 10 Women Who Prove It’s Never Too Late to Change the World, Melissa Walker, Good Housekeeping, March 2018
