Ernestine Shepherd, 78, world’s oldest female bodybuilder started at the age of 56:
Ernestine started working out when she was 56, thanks to her sister for that inspiration. Today, she takes classes for mostly senior women and older men. She started her classes with just 10 people and now some mornings people can’t get in the room.
Say these words each day: I can do it. I will do. I am doing it! Now get up and keep moving!
Lorraine Campman found her career in her passion at the age of 56:
Uninspired by office jobs, Lorraine, an independent piano teacher since 1977, attended entrepreneurial training classes offered by Women’s Opportunities Resource Center in 2007. After many ups and downs she finally, started her music center, which teaches group piano to adults.
“Don’t let the music die inside of you. If you have a dream, find a way of fulfilling that dream, and there are going to be rough spots in the road along the way, but you have to persevere, accept the help that’s available out there and do what you can to make it happen.”
Lorraine Campman
Marcia Duhart, creating entrepreneurial solutions after the age of 50:
During her final years at Merrill Lynch, where she trained people to use computers, she devoted several days off to testing her idea of teaching computer skills to the elderly. She realised elderly people felt out of the loop when everyone is talking about emails.
After retiring from Merrill Lynch in 1998, she founded CyberSenior Services, teaching at senior centers and giving one-on-one classes for $35 to $45 an hour.
“My business spread by word of mouth , I’ve had students up to 90. I’m 67 now, and I have a lot of energy to do this because I do what I love. I love teaching people.”
Marcia Duhart
Deborah Ramsey is an Inspirational Woman Wsurvived layoffs with her entrepreneurial skills at 56:
After suffering through a couple of corporate layoffs Deborah became a business founder. In 2008, she opened Natural Wellness and Spa which offers services and products to women and seniors.
“Life doesn’t always allow the opportunity to change up but when it does and the opportunity to change comes, don’t dismiss it. Just say what can I do with this.”
Deborah Ramsey
Kemi Oloyede, Founded Sew London Project in East London, before her 50th birthday:
More than 20 years ago, Oloyede worked as a seamstress in a wedding shop, before working as a secondary school teacher of art and textiles. With the demands of having children, she got sucked into the rigmarole of the nine-to-five and the guaranteed salary. But she has always had that itch to run her own business.
Just before her 50th birthday, she used about £2,000 of savings to launch the Sew London Project, where she upcycles old textiles and turns them into new clothes and accessories under the brand recyclothes.com, as well as running sewing courses.
“I have to stop myself from working because I love what I do. I thought this would happen when I was much younger, but now my kids are older, and I’m in a really good place head-wise and emotion-wise – and I’m at peace with myself.”
Kemi Oloyede
Karen Stubbings started The Wood Pile inspired by her son, at 51:
After 13 years as a regional manager for a national charity, Stubbings took redundancy. Despite her experience, without a degree she struggled to find another job, so, with encouragement from her husband and two sons, she started her own business.
Stubbings’s older son, Daniel, 29, a sports coordinator, has cerebral palsy, and this was her driving force. She opened The Wood Pile in July 2014, with £8,000 from her redundancy pay and £35,000 in grants, to help people with disabilities into employment by giving them practical work experience.
“I had massive concerns about my age – I never expected that, at 51, I would be humping and lumping wood into the back of the van – but without all my experience, I would have really struggled.”
Karen Stubbings
Susan Wright, Started Eco Republic in Derbyshire in her late 50’s:
When Wright was on her way to work earlier this year, she noticed a shop with a notice in the window that read: “Business for sale.” It set her heart racing.
With £15,000 in savings and a business loan of £20,000, she bought the shop, and opened the doors in June.
“I’m sure people think that your late 50s is the time to start thinking about retirement, but frankly that’s the last thing on my mind. I’m excited to come to work every morning.”
Susan Wright
CONCLUSION:
NB: Every morning, take 5-10 minutes to review and reflect upon these life stories of women, who struggled in the beginning yet persevered to achieve the life they dreamed of, though they were by then in their 50’s or beyond.
These stories are astonishing and profound, you’ll feel inspired to make your own success story. If they can do it in their 50’s, so can you! Embrace their success stories as your inspiration and watch similar success manifest in your life.
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