Cheryl's Story

It’s Over. That’s exactly how I felt the day I had to close my interior design business. Done. Over. Kaput. Finished. Need I say more about the anguish I felt after putting in over 5 years building a business I loved and waking up one morning to the largest housing market crash in my lifetime? Within days projects were put on hold, vendors were shutting their doors, orders were being cancelled…But, bills still needed to be paid and half-finished projects needed to be completed. It was a total disaster and within a few months and $80,000 of credit card debt, it was over. To say the least, I was devastated and felt like a complete and utter failure.

How did this happen? How did I find myself at 50Something! looking at this much debt, unsure of whether I should keep the business open or close the doors, and if I closed it, would it be the end of my dream?

Does any of this sound familiar? Did you find yourself walking into an office where you worked night and day to make someone else’s business successful and then you’re handed a pink slip a few months before you are eligible to retire. How about finding yourself being interviewed by a 13-year-old for a job you don’t want and are overqualified for anyway. What about this? You’ve spent all your adult life raising your kids to be successful contributors to our society, kept a home for a husband who adores you and supported you taking the time to raise kids and keep a home. And now, they are all gone. He is more involved in work than ever, and YOU? You are ready to blossom but don’t know what to do, how to do it and if you can do it.

It’s over. Right?

Wrong!

It’s just beginning and the journey from that place of uncertainty and despair to where I am today has been the most awesome, bumpiest ride of my life. Being 50Something! did not mean that I was finished - that it was too late to fulfill dreams. It didn’t relegate me to accepting where I was in life and being thankful that I wasn’t in a worse place. It didn’t mean that I couldn’t get healthier and have more energy than in my 30’s and 40’s. It didn’t mean that I would have to work for a 13-year-old just to survive and pay the bills. It didn’t mean that I couldn’t start another business or get another career or go back to school or make a difference in the world.

This blog is about women who are 50Something! It is our turn. It is time to start that new business, be proactive about our health and our wealth, be independent and shine, shine, shine. You will meet women here who shine at 50Something! and beyond. You will learn about some of the innovative solutions for anti-aging and good overall health. You will be able to get coaching to help you transition into 50Something! whether it’s a new business, developing a new talent or finding ways to help your community.

It ain’t over til… (stay tuned for the rest of the story)