Why are 50+ women the new "entrepreneurial superpower"?

Yes, you read that right.

Forbes magazine, who recently published their first "50 over 50" List  of suitably impressive women, has claimed that women over the age of 50 are the "new entrepreneurial superpower" .

Once-upon-our-mother's-generation women over 50 were heading for retirement. I remember taking out my first retirement annuity at around 22 (thanks to my late Dad for that wisdom/instruction) and thinking "Oh my God 55 is ages away!". Here I am - what feels like only ten years later - in my early fifties and nowhere near retiring.  In fact I've just started a new venture, so this Forbes claim is giving me a psychological boost.

I mean, Forbes says it, so it must be so, right?

Removing the outliers from the equation - the Oprah's, Sheryl Sandbergs and Ariana Huffingtons of the world - we "ordinary" women in our 50's and beyond are still poised for success in our ventures because..... life!

You don't get to this age without being resilient. Being part of our generation, if you've worked or are working for someone else, you've probably experienced age and gender discrimination.  You've had your heart broken and made it through. You may have survived the energy drain and demands of motherhood. You possibly made it through a divorce. You've had more than a few jobs, some better than others. 

Resilience. It's a badge of honour but also a helpful trait when it comes to running a business. We're not going to let little things derail us. No way.  We've come through a lot worse with our heads held high (think of those perms of the 80's as a prime example).

And whilst time has been our teacher, it is now also our great motivator. 

We're at that "it's now or never" phase. There's a degree of urgency and determination that creeps in. We're not as scared of failure - in fact we become more scared of not starting.

These Second Act ventures also give us a sense of purpose, and that purpose is a key driver to success.  So whether we're doing it for our family's future, or to contribute to a greater good, or for some other deeply personal reason, that purpose lights a fire in our belly and spurs us on.

It would seem as if the pandemic is also changing the way we think about things.  A recent US study shows that more than 50% of us are now considering a career change. People are reimagining their work, lifestyles and priorities. Our generation is no exception.  

I love that we're having these conversations and that women of our generation are being celebrated for being kick-ass entrepreneurs.  I love that what we thought were our weaknesses are actually the reasons for our success. And I love that we can continue to redefine what middle-age means.