You had a highly successful career in a president’s role at a number of well-known fashion companies and you decided to make a major pivot as a co-founder of One Kings Lane, which was a huge success. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur in midlife?
What are you waiting for? There is no better time than the present. If you think of this move as a big pivot, it can feel overwhelming. But if you think about this new venture as just your latest iteration it’ll seem like a more natural move. At this point in your life, you are very aware of your strengths and talents. Why not use those to start something new?
Here are 3 rules that I have found super helpful.
- Stay very focused. It’s so easy when you have an idea to get distracted and try to do too much. Stay focused on your big idea.
- Keep it super simple. We live in a crazy world where everyone is bombarded with tons of information. It is really important to keep things simple so people get it at a glance.
- Listen to your intuition. I really do believe in listening to your gut. Be honest with yourself and you’ll have your answer.
Oh, and have fun!
After you sold One Kings Lane, you kept your entrepreneurial spirit alive by launching In the Groove, a lifestyle destination for age-defying women. What prompted you to start this business four years ago?
In The Groove was born because all around me, women somewhere in the vicinity of their 50th year, were describing the same thing—in the middle of a mostly joyful life, these women all began to experience feelings of invisibility. The idea that you could go from a decade of feeling like a “world beater” to a decade where your stock was speedily approaching an expiration date just seemed crazy. I thought, “Where do women in this demo go online to get inspiration about how to navigate the challenges of growing older with style and grace?” After looking around, it became clear that our interests were not well represented. There were no online destinations for women our age that shared their keen intelligence, impeccable taste, hard-earned wisdom and most importantly their wicked sense of humor. So I thought, “Someone has got to make this right and it might as well be me.” Enter Get In The Groove—a lifestyle destination for age-defying women.
As a Reimagineer who is defying the script as to how we are supposed to live as we gain in years, what is your favorite future? How do you envision 60, 70, 80?
The truth is that we are all rewriting the script. We’re talking about aging more than ever—and the more we talk, the more we can change. Our generation is healthier, wealthier, and more engaged than any others before us. I want to believe that by staying curious, active, and healthy, I can keep doing more of what I have been doing the past few years. I’m three quarters through my 60s, and I hope that my 70s and 80s will be more of what I am doing now.
I love building our Get In The Groove community where like-minded women can come together. I want to travel and check off all the destinations I’ve dreamed of going to. And most importantly, I hope that I can spend time with my family and cherish each of those moments. And who knows maybe I have another venture in me.