No Retirement in Sight!
“Why is it that as you grow older, life seems to become more boring.” If you are old enough, you will most probably remember the first RAV4 advert that flighted somewhere around 1994. I came across it earlier this week while constructing the next blog article for AddShine. Spoiler alert: life does not have to become boring as you grow older. Over 50 Entrepreneur adventures await you, brimming with excitement and potential. You can either start collecting crochet patterns or you could start planning your next business adventure.
My Apologies to the Crochet Crowd
Before you want to throw me with your needle and thread, there is absolutely nothing wrong with crocheting. In fact, I have crocheted a number of scarfs for my daughter who went on Rotary Youth Exchange in Denmark a couple of years ago. Apart from impressing the socks off my daughter, it is definitely an amazing way to destress and relax. But in the end, everything we do could be either wholesome or detrimental to our psyche and our health. It is ultimately up to us to keep the flame of over 50 entrepreneurship adventures alive and well.
The Magic of Time Running Out
I don’t know about you, but I prefer it if I have fewer chances available to me. Somehow, in my brain, I just don’t act when I have too many options available to me. When there is an entire year to train for the Otter, the pressure is just not there. Yes, we are all different. I do however believe there are a large percentage of people who, like me, just don’t take things too seriously if they know they have a gazillion of years left to make their mark. And yes, we have got no idea how many days are left, but that’s all the more reason to seize every moment for our over 50 entrepreneurship adventures.. My Dad worked until he was 86 and loved it. Let’s use every opportunity we have to leave a legacy.
Real-Life Examples of Over 50 Entrepreneur Success Stories
The Sam Walton Story – Active Till The End
Did you know that Sam Walton only opened his first retail store at the age of 44! And that Walton’s only went public when Sam was 54! Sam Walton had 10 simple rules for building a better business that he implemented in his Walmart journey. The one I absolutely love is rule number 10: Swim Upstream. “Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction.” Sam passed away at the age of 77, while still very active in the company. A brilliant testament to over 50 entrepreneurship adventures!
Imagine A Life Without Knowing Warren Buffet
Would we have known who Warren Buffet is, if he had retired at the standard age of 65 years? Nope, not likely. Over 99% of Warren Buffet’s wealth was generated after age 56 through the power of compounding.
Buffett, who is currently 94 years old, has led Berkshire Hathaway since 1965 and believes that retiring at 65 would have cut his legendary investing career and his ability to grow Berkshire Hathaway into the massive conglomerate it is today. Buffett’s story shows the value of pursuing work you enjoy and being willing to work past traditional retirement ages.
The Abbreviated Ariana Huffington Story
Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of The Huffington Post, started her first major media company at the age of 55 in 2005. Prior to that, she had a varied career as a conservative commentator in the 1990s, before shifting to more liberal views in the late 1990s. She also ran unsuccessfully for governor of California in 2003.
Huffington’s path to entrepreneurship was not a straight one. She was married to Republican congressman Michael Huffington until their amicable divorce in 1997, after he told her he was bisexual.
In 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million and made Huffington the president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. She stepped down from that role in 2016 to focus on a new startup, Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company.
Huffington herself has said that the path to being a 50-something founder can be unexpected but fulfilling.
Your Destination as an Over 50 Entrepreneur Remains Your Choice
I don’t know about you, but I find it super inspiring to read about over 50 Entrepreneurs and their adventures. You can see life as becoming more boring as you get older, or you can change the status quo right now. If you have a dream of becoming an entrepreneur or an even bigger entrepreneur, there is only one person who can make it happen and that is you.
Yes, it definitely does help to have an Over 50 Entrepreneur Coach who understands your situation and can help you to navigate the biggest bumps and treacherous sand pits, but in the end, you are driving the vehicle. And yes, you might have started your entrepreneurial journey a long time ago. But the road does not have to end there. Or here.
Your story might only be halfway right now.
