Inspiration on how to move from one career to another at any age.

Question: A big obstacle many people have in chasing their second half of life rainbow is the fear of failure. You have lived a lifetime in various industries, i.e., fashion/food/design, etc., in multiple disciplines, some of which you had no prior experience in or knowledge of. What gave you the confidence and courage to take these challenges on?

The opportunity to take on new challenges, regardless of the industry, and embrace the unknown has always motivated me. It didn’t matter whether it was the relentless pressures of owning and operating a gourmet food store and cafe in Brooklyn, or the challenge of executive roles at iconic fashion companies like Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, or my most recent roles as a partner in an interior design business and a buyer/merchant for a well-known East End bakery and café.  I just embrace these challenges and learn on the go. Since I entered these roles without years of experience, it was important to really listen, put in the time, and do my homework, but “taking it on” has always been my driving force.

In the early 1980’s, when Calvin Klein decided to hire me, I assumed that I would be placed in a merchandising role aligning with my education and experience. On my first day of work, I was told that I was the new VP of Production & Manufacturing. I would also be in charge of the company’s denim factory in Kentucky and the company-owned laundry where the denim would undergo all the new and inventive washes & techniques.

My first instinct was to run. Fast.I did not have a clue how to run production, a factory, no less a laundry. I didn’t believe I was capable of fulfilling these responsibilities. I was then informed that Calvin wanted a merchant who was passionate about the product and not just someone who would be a “production guy”. Calvin had an instinct that I could do this job, and in the end, he was right.

Early on, John Varvatos, the head of design, questioned my unlikely role in this production position. When I explained how it all happened, he requested that I stay involved in their merchandising and design meetings as well. So ultimately, I got to fill both roles. I stayed in that dual position for almost 10  years.  When I left, I had the skill sets of multiple disciplines in my CV and was hired by LVMH to bring Donna Karen back to profitability.  Those multiple skill sets came in handy there, too. They came in handy for the next 12 years.

Question:  We talk about life layering a lot at ROAR; how to build extensions of you that can sustain a full and gratifying second half of life. Your entire career has already included these kinds of layers. Talk about your second half transition from a diverse career, one job at a time, to your current status of a smorgasbord of occupations all at the same time, and still looking for more?

In my last fashion role, I moved from NYC to California for a senior position at St John Knitwear, a well-established company that had innovative machinery to knit and weave textiles like those of Chanel. It was an amazing facility, and I was captivated by the opportunity to understand yet another part of the apparel business that I knew very little about. My family moved to Laguna Beach, and I added textile design and design operations to my experience.

Then COVID hit, and a sign materialized.

I learned that a unique, high-end cafe, bakery & gourmet pantry called Carissa’s was opening a new location just a short distance from my family’s home in Sag Harbor, NY. I had always wanted to work in a bakery. I romanticized what could be my new life, visualizing riding my bicycle to my new job, learning to bake bread, and carrying some baguettes in my bike basket (as if I were in Paris ). It didn’t quite happen that way.  I learned about Carissa’s vast product range, trained new employees, and got to meet a lot of the local community, as well as the throngs of summer vacationers. I spent countless hours on my feet behind the counter. After almost three years, it was time to get off my feet and take a new seat at the table.

I now buy all of Carissa’s pantry products, over 100 for its three stores, and I attend the international food shows and am always searching for the next food trend. I never wound up baking bread. While doing this, I took on helping a neighbor in her interior design business…My newest passion. In the last few years, I have designed a few big beautiful kitchens as well as many luxury bathrooms, a butler’s pantry, pool rooms, and pool houses in residential homes. I have loved almost every minute of yet another new and unexpected career. But I have also had many sleepless nights second-guessing my decisions, dreading that my lack of experience would catch up with me. But so far, my passion for learning overrides my insecurities. I have also come to realize that experience alone doesn’t guarantee success. After all, everything any of us has ever succeeded in started somewhere for the first time.

Question:  What advice can you share with our readers about how they can design their second half of life around their varied interests?

Do not get stuck in the “It’s too late” mindset. Embrace your passions, big or small. Try everything that interests you. You can always change your mind. Start by asking yourself, ” What’s your dream? How would you love to fill your life if the financial pressures no longer existed? Never stop learning. Never stop growing. And end every experience with “To be continued…