“Why are you here?†The man speaking at the front of the room pointed his finger at me. For a moment I considered pretending he meant the woman sitting next to me, but that finger didn’t waffle even a little. I stopped breathing. As an introvert, being singled out in a room full of people is a nightmare that lingers far beyond the sound of the alarm clock.
I squirmed, sighed, and mumbled something like, “I’m here to discover options available to midlife women seeking to start their own business.†It was a pretty decent answer considering all the saliva in my mouth had disappeared.
The speaker retracted his finger. I could breathe again, but was a lot more careful about that darn eye contact. Social discomfort aside, I learned a few interesting things at this Women’s Venture meeting.
For instance, 50,000 businesses start each year in Minnesota. Yay! 80 percent fail within 5 years. Boo! And while we’re conditioned to believe it’s youthful energy igniting all of those businesses, statistically it’s the baby boomers who are once again shaking things up. Yay! Women’s Venture, Score, AARP, and the Small Business Association all have programs, training, and help for those of us who are looking to make the second half of life about dreams and not stagnating.
As I grow Aging Schmaging, I search for advice, help, and a network that supports my vision. Finding free resources and people extending their hands to help me do just that is phenomenal.
How about you?
What will your sunset look like? Who supports your goals? Please share with the rest of us!
As we support each other in our endeavors I like to think that our sun is not setting – it is just beginning to rise again! A new day, a new beginning and a new chapter in life! Happy to have you as a friend and supporter! Hugs
Amen to that, Janice. You make the adventure so much fun I don’t really care if we get lost from time to time!