Inspiring Stories of Women Entrepreneurs
For many women, the second stage of life—often marked by an empty nest and newfound freedom—presents a unique opportunity to pursue long-held dreams and ambitions. Society has a tendency to mark us as “too old”. I personally don’t believe that age has a limit on us. I believe IF YOU HAVE A DREAM AND A PULSE, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY! Below I will talk about three very SUCCESSFUL women who followed their dreams, withstood pushback and started a business, one started at the age of 50!
Maureen Kelly: Tarte Cosmetics
Though Maureen Kelly began her entrepreneurial journey at 26, her story resonates with women in their second stage of life. Maureen used a childhood idea and turned that idea into a cheek stain to start her business. She was turned down by many chemists to help her formulate her products. She finally interacted with one chemist who took “one charity case a year” – and there was her opportunity. Maureen’s dream store was to be placed in Henri Mendel. She could not get their attention, so she told them they were competing with Bergdorf Goodman (which was not true).
Lesson I learned from researching Maureen Kelly: Believe so strongly in yourself, your product or service that you put everything on the line. I am not recommending lying 🙂
Sarah Blakely: Spanx
Sarah Blakely’s creation of Spanx is a testament to the power of innovation and resilience. Her creation was also to solve a problem, which is how many businesses get started. Sarah was wanting a smoother look when she wore her white pants. She creatively cut out the feet of her control top pantyhose to wear under the white pants. I also love the fact that she created the business while she was selling fax machines door-to-door. One of my favorite parts of Sarah’s story is that she had a meeting with a buyer rep from Neiman Marcus. During the meeting, Sarah could tell the rep just “didn’t get it”. Sarah then proceeded to show the buyer rep what her white pants looked like without the Spanx product and then she went and changed to show the rep her white pants on with the Spanx product underneath. The rest is history.
Lesson I learned from researching Sarah Blakely: I learned a few nuggets from Sarah’s story. I learned the importance of innovation and looking for a problem to solve. Secondly, I learned to be unapologetic about one’s ideas. Finally, be willing to SHOW the naysayers!
Martha Stewart: Martha Stewart Media
Martha Stewart’s transformation from a stockbroker, to a catering business in the mid-70’s, to starting a media company at 50 exemplifies the limitless potential of the second stage of life. Her story shows to us that it is never too late to start a business. Martha was approached by the Head of Crown Publishing Group to write a cookbook. From the depths of my memory, I believe she was catering an event and this person was at the event. I love the following quotes from Martha – “look what I’ve done since I was 50. I started my big business when I was 50”. Also this quote is really inspiring – “30 years later, I am still creating businesses, selling amazing products and writing my 100th book”.
Lessons I learned from researching Martha Stewart: I learned to work to get yourself in the right rooms. It seems Martha’s was happenstance with the Head of Crown Publishing, but we can be intentional. I knew this but Martha’s story reiterated by beliefs – you can reinvent or start at any age.
These stories of women entrepreneurs remind us that the second stage of life is a time of empowerment and possibility. Whether you’re navigating an empty nest or seeking new challenges, remember that with passion and determination, you can achieve your dreams.
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