Boomers Use Business to Express Creativity

Being captain of your own ship appeals to many people, and especially older people, according to a recent article in the AARP Bulletin.

“Nearly half the country's self-employed workers—7.4 million—are Boomers, reports the U.S. Department of Labor. And that figure is expected to climb as people retire from one career to start another, lose their jobs or simply want the independence and flexibility of working for themselves,” says author Carole Fleck.

The reality of having your own business sometimes holds people back at any age. Older people especially have to look at issues such as the time, energy and money it can take to start out on their own. But those issues can be handled, said Linda Geldermann, age 44, who had been home raising four children for 15 years before she added her own business to her repertoire.

She recently told More, "As a stay-at-home mom, I assumed that working people always knew exactly what to do," she recalls. "That held me back." Then she worked at a local real estate title company, and gained confidence. "I realized that nearly everyone makes it up as they go along," she said.

Despite the challenges and setbacks, Geldermann is proud of her rug-making business, and being able to show her kids the power of following a dream.

Another Boomer/career changer, Judi Henderson-Townsend, 49, took two jumps before creating her own successful business. After the first attempt, she found herself back in a big-company job.

"I was surrounded by serial entrepreneurs, and many of their ventures had not been successful," she told More. "But unlike me, they didn't assume that their business failures meant that they were failures. They just saw it as part of a learning curve. That got my entrepreneurial juices flowing again."

Henderson-Townsend got some management training, then went out into another business of her own, and this time she flew. "Intention combined with preparation leads to serendipity,” she said.

After five years, her business of recycling mannequins is thriving. The company is in the black and she pays herself a salary. She says her story should reassure anyone who wants to turn a creative idea into a thriving venture: "I am living proof it's possible."

Lisa Yee, 46, now a successful children’s book author, has also found fulfillment in the world of self-employment. She told More, “In my 20s and 30s, success had to do with proving something to the world. Now it's more about proving something to myself."

Compiled and written by Sally Kimbel