My dearest entrepreneurial sisters,
How are you?
I’m writing to let you know I’m thinking of you and that I’m so glad we’re on this entrepreneurial journey together. Because, as you know, it can definitely have its ups and downs.
We share so much, you and I — including memories of what life was like before cellphones, the internet and streaming video.
When we were growing up, there weren’t video games or texts or emails that kept us glued to screens. Instead, we played outside from morning until dusk during the summer—only going in the house for absolute necessities (like food and bathroom breaks). We turned our bedrooms into forests or distant planets or veterinary offices — making tents out of blankets and performing operations on our stuffed animals. No one had to tell us to use our imagination. We just did. And it was magical.
Most of us had one television in the house. And the local ABC, NBC and CBS stations made up the extent of our choices. If we were lucky, we also had the local PBS channel and maybe a UHF channel.
Rotary phones were the only phones we had. There was no call waiting. The only waiting going on was waiting your turn to use the phone. And there was the cord that ran from the handset into the wall or table unit, tethering you to a distance of about three feet or so — five if you really stretched it.
This was the world we grew up in. And it was enough.
For some of our younger entrepreneurial sisters, all of this probably sounds like something from another century. (Oh, wait, it IS from a different century!) They probably can’t imagine living in an analog world that didn’t include all of the technologies today’s kids are seemingly born knowing how to use. And it might even sound a bit scary.
But here’s what they don’t realize: Growing up when we did helped us develop superpowers that put us ahead of the game in being successful entrepreneurs. We have advantages over younger entrepreneurs who never had to do things like ask a friend for a quarter to call their parents from the payphone at the mall.
The Advantages of Being a 50+ Entrepreneur
According to an article on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website, a recent study found that “successful entrepreneurs are middle-aged, not young. We find no evidence to suggest that founders in their 20s are especially likely to
succeed. Rather, all evidence points to founders being especially
successful when starting businesses in middle age or beyond, while young
founders appear disadvantaged.”
How about them apples??
Frankly, I was completely shocked when I read this piece — written by Robert Roy Britt. And I also felt so SEEN.
As I prepare to turn 57 this year, I’m certainly no longer showing up in the “young” category—unless you’re comparing me to someone who’s around 140. But, guess what? I don’t care.
As an entrepreneur, being 57 makes me what the cool kids call “fire” — which is a good thing, BTW. And, if you’re thinking about starting a business (or have already made the jump) — then you’re “fire”, too, my friend.
We know how to figure things out.
“Don’t know how to spell it? Go look it up in the dictionary.”
I don’t know about you, but I heard that response MANY times when I was a kid who was just trying to get her homework done. Webster’s New World Dictionary was my friend — even though it didn’t always feel that way. I mean, how do you look up a word if you don’t know how to spell it?
We also had a set of World Book Encyclopedias sitting on the bookshelf in our den. (We were missing a volume, though. I think it was the “M” one.) My brother and I were constantly using them for school projects — or just because we were interested in something.
We couldn’t just do a quick search on the internet to find an answer. (Internet? What’s that?) Instead, we had to really LOOK for it using the prehistoric tools we had at the time — including the beloved card catalog in the school library. Answers didn’t come instantaneously. And we didn’t expect them to.
My point here is that we grew up knowing that we had to figure things out — often on our own. And we did.
As entrepreneurs, this serves us well. Why? Because there’s a LOT for us to learn and so many new skills for us to develop. But none of that scares us. Because we know we can figure it out — just like we always have.
We have more (and often better) stories to tell.
One of the best things about growing older is the stories that we accumulate over the years.
Just think about all of the things that have happened in your life. Celebrations, disappointments, friendships, marriages, divorces, successes, failures, heartbreaks, joy, moments of awe, and moments of utter disbelief.
Collectively and individually, every experience you’ve had during the decades you’ve lived in this world makes you more understanding, more empathetic, more insightful and more courageous.
As a woman — and as an entrepreneur — who’s over 50, you have an endless supply of stories you can pull from to create amazing content that will help you connect with your audience.
Even if you’re much older (or younger) than those you serve, there are still ways to use your own stories to teach, enlighten and inspire.
The richness and depth of our story supply is something that can only be built with time and experience. And we’ve got TONS of both!
As a woman — and an entrepreneur — over 50, you have an endless supply of stories you can pull from to create amazing content that will connect you to your audience.
We don’t have the time OR patience to pretend we’re someone we’re not.
But, try as I might, I’m not like them. At. All.
But, finally, I’m in a place where I’m like, “Hey. This is me. Take it or leave it.”
We don’t let change throw us off our game — at least not for long.
We understand that “overnight success” is total B.S.
I just needed to buy one more book, one more course, one more program and I’d blast by everyone who didn’t know the secrets I was learning.
There was no overnight success.
We’ve earned the right to do things OUR way.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
In closing, I just want to offer you my sincerest congratulations — regardless of where you are on your entrepreneurial journey. You’ve FINALLY reached the PERFECT age to start a business of your own! Plus, being 50+ looks AWESOME on you!
With much love and admiration,
Michele
Header photo by Liam Truong on Unsplash
