Before leaving for Milan to interview fashion expert, Melanie Payge, I asked the women in our community to send me their fashion questions. As I studied their emails, certain patterns emerged. For example, while the women in our community are wonderfully unique, their fashion concerns are strikingly similar. Read More

What was the happiest time of your life? If you’re like many women over 60, the answer is “right now.” After 60 years of looking after other people, many of us are exploring our independence and building new lives, full of possibility and adventure. Read More

When I asked the 44,000 members of the Sixty and Me community what was preventing them from starting a business, by far the most common response was “I don’t have a business idea.” As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, the first step to take when starting a business is to examine your own strengths. But, what next? Read More

Financial security is an important concern for a lot of women over 60. Many of us are still working and are in the final stages of planning for retirement. Others have already left the workforce and are looking for ways to make their retirement savings last longer. Some are living on pensions or fixed incomes. But, exactly how much money does it really take to find happiness in retirement? Read More

Most people think that successful businesses start with an idea. They don’t. Successful businesses start with a person. More specifically, they begin when a person recognizes his or her unique talents and sets out to improve the lives of others.

If this seems obvious, think about the number of people who never start a business because they “can’t think of an idea” or “don’t know where to start.” Many of these people could become successful freelancers, small business owners or entrepreneurs, if they examined themselves before looking for ideas. Read More

Myths are stories that create stereotypes. They are only true if we allow them to affect the way we live. This is true of the many myths about aging. If you believe what you see on TV, older people are forgetful, afraid of change, isolated, technophobic and weak. The problem is that these are not harmless perceptions. They may actually cause older women to live up to the expectations that society sets for them. Read More

Does the way we think about words like “retirement” and “bingo” change our behavior? Could aging stereotypes even have an impact on how many of us decide to start a business after 50?

According to a 1996 study by John Bargh, and published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, there is reason to believe that they do. As a result, it is more important than ever for us to redefine retirement and provide positive examples for each other of what we can accomplish in our 50s, 60s and beyond. Read More

I am a lifelong learner and avid reader. For the past 50 years I have tried to stay on top of new titles, waiting patiently for the latest books from my favorite authors. Having worked in bookstores for 10 years of my life, I have a deep respect for physical books.

There is something so substantial about the weight and texture of a “real” book. Turning the pages with deliberate reflection and intention has its own magical feeling. So, I was pretty skeptical when I first tried audio books. Boy, was I wrong! Read More

Dementia caregivers face unique challenges. They are often so focused on multiple tasks that caring for someone with Alzheimer’s becomes a stressful and high pressure responsibility. So, it is critical to find ways to maintain a sense of balance. Read More

People like simple explanations to difficult problems. We know that relationships are complicated but we like to believe that “love conquers all.” We understand that starting a business requires passion, discipline, value creation and luck, but, it’s so much more pleasant to believe that if you “do what you love the money will follow.”

The problem is that half-truths are often more destructive than lies. They wrap our desires in a warm blanket of believability and prevent us from making rational choices. Nowhere is this truer than in the myth of the successful hobby-business. Read More