Starting Over in Your 50s

The other day a pal of mine indicated that people in my generation would not survive long enough for me to pursue an idea unrelated to business that I had imagined. We got a good laugh about that but their feedback caused me to reflect on other matters that baby boomers are facing, specifically reduced income caused by long-term unemployment.

People born between 1946 and 1955 are referred to as baby boomers, or more specifically older baby boomers. Demographically, I fall into that group. Ours is largely a generation of rebels who cast aside social norms during our development years. We challenged the need to wear underwear, the values of our government, the teachings of our educators and parents, the Viet Nam War, and the establishment in general. It was a fun time to come of age and a time of social enlightenment, even for our folks.

At some point in time, each of us who were rebels in the 60s grew weary of taking books from orange crate shelving, eating ramen noodles, and dusting wooden utility spindles so we gave into materialism. Working for Honeywell during the tail end of the Viet Nam War was difficult. The hippie inside cringed each time a large government contract was announced on the over head speakers but, as part of that machine, it was common.

Having the ability to enjoy a lifestyle sustained by the trappings that regular paychecks afforded propelled me forward toward corporate ladder climbing aspirations. I gained good altitude but it didn’t lead to a feeling of freedom. The responsibilities associated with leadership positions caused me to have to obfuscate facts that staff needed to have to make informed decisions for their own futures and this caused discomfort. Generally, I am a straight forward individual and had difficulty hiding my incredulousness at directions given from corner offices.

When a lucrative severance package was offered during a merger in 1999, there was no other decision for me. Management complained about my not pursuing the position they expected me to want but, to me, it seemed like another turn on a faulty wheel with no potential for growth. Floating gleefully out the door on that beautiful fall afternoon with my paperwork and confidence, I knew the rest of my life would be very different. I was finally free to choose whatever I wanted to do.

My former colleagues pursued interviews and regular jobs while I considered entrepreneurial options. Technology was still interesting but with IT outsourcing being trendy at that time, my motivation to remain independent led me to a Real Estate career and has since guided me toward my present role as an Online Branding Consultant and Website Designer.

Daily, I converse with people who are confronting changes they never could have imagined. When I sense their trepidation about the future, I can’t help but advise them to remain open to possibility and to introspect about the source of their real passions. This sort of coaching is not a service that I offer but my colleagues and clients do seem to appreciate it. Many of them are near or beyond my age and don’t know how to make themselves over again.

Starting over in one’s 50s is a common theme these days. Many baby boomers are turning to the internet for alternatives to traditional employment because, whether or not employers admit it, discrimination occurs when the qualifications are equal but salary expectations are weighted by age and experience. In all matters, perseverance is the key to getting what you want but it never hurts to have a Plan B.

If we don’t permit fear to cloud our judgment, we know we are never out of options. When considering yours, try listing all of the expertise that you have accumulated, no matter how trivial they seem, and juxtapose that with a second list of things that you most enjoy doing. While you do this, ensure that you are in a place where you cannot be distracted by family or phones. Although it is important to be realistic when you do this, try to not restrict yourself with arbitrary limits or well-meaning negativity you may have been forced to endure.

Another tactic to choosing a new direction is to connect with and talk to others who are in the industry that you want to pursue. Projected income is a secondary consideration at this phase. Ask these people about the nature of their work and try to imagine yourself in that role. If this person seems hypey in their responses, re-direct them with specific questions that will help you gain clarity as to whether or not you would look forward to getting up in the morning to do the things they are doing to be successful in their business. This is a very important consideration for an entrepreneur. If they will not answer your direct questions directly, you may not want to pursue what they are promoting.

Generally speaking, here are some guidelines associated with different business models:

Network Marketing includes talking and recruiting. Good MLM sponsors also provide tools for their downline teams that will help them differentiate themselves and grow their businesses. There are many Network Marketing companies to choose from and it is prudent to investigate MLM Watchdog for information about the opportunity. It also is important that you connect with the product that you will be asked to promote on some level because you’ll need to know about it in order to sell it, or the business opportunity that surrounds it. If you can casually bring up the benefits about your company’s products and business opportunity during conversation, it will seem less like a pitch.

Affiliate Marketing entails knowing where to find information about the affiliate product you are promoting and building a list so you can advance new offers to your responsive list members. Credibility is important in any business so don’t worry if they visit your page and don’t buy. If they have opted into your list, you will have a chance to impress them with your generosity and expertise through email over the course of time. There are other ways to promote an affiliate product and I always recommend having an optin site in front of the replicated sales page.

Perhaps you have niche expertise that others would like to know more about. In this instance, you may have an e-product that you could create and sell. There are many forms of media and you can package audio/video with a PDF file to increase the sales price. Creating a product is not as daunting a task as it might sound. It merely takes time and attention, as well as a venue for promotion and sales. Normally, this is a website.

Each of the business models available online could be posts, or books, in their own right. Thus, there is not a good way to provide all the details about each business type in a single blog post.

For those of you confronting changes caused by external forces outside your control, never stop believing in the power you have to create something new, regardless of your numerical age. As a thriving baby boomer, I have recreated my career path several times. If my dreams come true, there is another change on the horizon.

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my blog via feedburner or contact me directly if you want to converse with me further. As always, your readership and comments are always appreciated.