{"id":4426,"date":"2015-03-13T07:21:28","date_gmt":"2015-03-13T11:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4426"},"modified":"2015-03-13T07:21:28","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T11:21:28","slug":"its-time-to-get-bolder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=4426","title":{"rendered":"It’s Time to Get Bolder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"next-ave\"<\/a>Women power is center stage these days.<\/p>\n

We saw it in Oscar winner Patricia Arquette\u2019s rousing equal pay for women shoutout <\/a>at the Academy Awards (with Meryl Streep lending her fist shaking in support). We\u2019ve seen it in Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg\u2019s push for women to \u201cLean In<\/a>\u201d and become leaders in business.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not suggesting it\u2019s a redux of the sweeping women\u2019s movement<\/a> of the 1960s, but something is clearly shifting \u2014 particularly for women over 50.<\/p>\n

(MORE<\/strong>: Sheryl Sandberg\u2019s Best \u2018Lean In\u2019 Tips<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Shattering Stereotypes of Older Women<\/strong><\/p>\n

Increasingly, this band of sisters is joining together in membership groups, signing up for women\u2019s empowerment workshops and online newsletters and launching websites for and about 50+ women. A primary goal: to shatter stereotypes of older women<\/a> lurking in the business world and American culture.<\/p>\n

Meet Enid Weishaus, founder of the Smarter, Bolder, Older, Workshop for Women Redefining Life After 50 and an ex-staffer for former Senator Hillary Clinton and current Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen are craving community and support,\u201d Weishaus told me. \u201cThey are looking for help with their finances and starting businesses. They don’t know where to go get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Weishaus, a trainer for the Women’s Economic Development Center<\/a> in Westchester County, N.Y. (assisting prospective entrepreneurs), has been working with a few female friends on a new offering to serve 50+ women, called Live Bold<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve set up a Facebook page<\/a>, but the official launch is waiting in the wings while they wrestle with how, what and when to launch. I\u2019ll fill you in about Live Bold in a minute.<\/p>\n

Live Bold will be the latest in a variety of women-only networking models that have been steadily gaining loyal followers and members.<\/p>\n

(MORE<\/strong>: 9 Best Things About Being Over 50<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The Transition Network<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my personal favorites, which I\u2019ve been a member of, is The Transition Network<\/a>, a national nonprofit for women over 50 that offers programs and workshops for its 12 local chapters; basic membership is $100 a year.<\/p>\n

As I wrote in this Next Avenue post, \u201cWhy Women Should Join Networking Groups<\/a>,\u201d The Transition Network co-founders Charlotte Frank and Christine Millen launched a grassroots movement that \u201creimagines retirement,\u201d a period they define as a series of transitions \u2014 a bridge from one career to another or from employment to volunteerism, advocacy or community service.<\/p>\n

Sixty and Me and Boomerly<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the always interesting Sixty and Me<\/a>, a free website community \u201cdedicated to helping women over 60 create independent, healthy and financially secure lives,\u201d according to founder Margaret Manning, a marketing consultant. Manning just launched a new blog via Sixty and Me called Boomerly<\/a> \u2014 for women and men; she’s working on adding a service to it for people to make friends with others sharing similar interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my Sixty and Me Community \u2014 it is full of women searching, dreaming, scheming \u2014 trying to reinvent their lives,\u201d Manning told me. \u201cBut many are alone and sad. Many are in state of what they consider \u2018forced\u2019 reinvention and really struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n

After hearing one too many heartbreaking stories and surveying over 1,000 boomers, Manning decided she wanted to help curb loneliness among older adults<\/a>. \u201cBoomerly will provide a new way for baby boomers to make friends with like-minded people. It will also inspire people to live better lives and contribute financially to aging and loneliness-related causes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Why Weishaus Is Undeterred<\/strong><\/p>\n

I genuinely applaud all of these efforts, but from my viewpoint, trying to get women over 50 to unite behind a single cause or a community these days is a murky proposition. Some are looking for a network to find a book club with other women or a troop to take in an art exhibit. Others want serious help learning about investing<\/a> or landing a job. This diffusion of interests makes it hard for new 50+ women’s groups to survive and grow.<\/p>\n

Weishaus is undeterred. She envisions Live Bold as a fee-based membership venture and is convinced the demand is there. Her inspiration began a little over four years ago when she was turning 60 and had just lost her job working for the federal government. \u201cI was thinking: \u2018OK, now what? What the hell am I going to do?\u2019,\u201d Weishaus recalls.<\/p>\n

(MORE<\/strong>: The Good News About Women Working After 60<\/a>)<\/p>\n

That got her thinking. \u201cI saw that things were changing for me and I got very excited about creating a dialogue for other women to come together and explore who they are and who they want to be and what this time of life looks like,\u201d she explained.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s about redefining life after 50. Our mission is to encourage women to continue to live bold, to grow, to continue with adventure, take risks, start businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Live Bold group, Weishaus hopes, will let members network together, support each other and attend webinars with savvy speakers. But it\u2019s been hard for her to get a bead on who these women are, exactly what they\u2019d want and how much they\u2019d pay to belong, she said.<\/p>\n

3 Tips to Go Bolder<\/strong><\/p>\n

While she\u2019s figuring things out, Weishaus wanted to pass along three tips that she thinks can help 50+ women lead bolder lives:<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t be afraid to dream.<\/strong> \u201cAsk yourself these questions: What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to create? What\u2019s important to you at 50+ and how is it different than in previous years. What have you always longed to do?,\u201d says Weishaus. \u201cGo after it. Take a risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Talk about your age.<\/strong> \u201cThere\u2019s a stereotype that you shouldn\u2019t talk about your age<\/a> when you\u2019re over 50. Do it! We\u2019re extraordinary. Why hide that?,\u201d she says. \u201cWe all age, but for women, it\u2019s like a disease. We need to get rid of that whole concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Know where you stand financially.<\/strong> \u201cIf there are things you don’t know about money, find out. Do the research. Connect with other women,\u201d says Weishaus. \u201cWhat are you going to need, in terms of savings<\/a>, to live a long life? How are you going to reach that goal?\u201d<\/p>\n

And be sure you know the ins and outs of your household\u2019s investments, insurance, estate plans and overall finances, she says. \u201cWe have all heard stories of women whose husbands drop dead and they don\u2019t know where anything is. Get educated. Know where things are and how they all work,\u201d advises Weishaus.<\/p>\n

Now that\u2019s some bold advice I can get behind.<\/p>\n

posted by Kerry Hannon<\/a>, March 6, 2015 More by this author<\/a><\/p>\n

\"EnidKerry Hannon has spent more than 25 years covering personal finance for Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today. She is the author of What’s Next? Follow Your Passion<\/em><\/a>and Find Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond<\/a>;<\/em> Great Jobs for Everyone 50+<\/a> andSuddenly Single: Money Skills for Divorcees and Widows<\/em><\/a>. Her website is kerryhannon.com<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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