After55:

I had a delightful lunch last week with Holly Kahan, the owner of Holly Barry House. You and I have heard of a lot of gift basket companies , so I was a bit skeptical when I learned of her business. By the time our lunch was over I was ready to start pounding the pavement to bring in more accounts! Holly positions her company differently. Rather than be a gift basket company, Holly Berry House is a company that helps others celebrate the difference that people have made. Hers is a celebration company that offers gifts and gift baskets that are tailored to the recipient.

This really got me to thinking. First , here is a woman who has been in business for 10 years and still is excited about what she brings to the marketplace. Second, she has positioned her business uniquely and third., I love the premise of her business…acknowledging the people who are too often ignored. How do we recognize others for their help in myriad ways? Many times we simply don’t go to the trouble of publicly thanking someone for a job well done.

Think of how terrific you felt the last time you received acknowledgement of the effort you made. Do you communicate that same acknowledgement to those you come in contact with? The celebration concept has been getting a bit of a bad rap in the press lately because of younger workers seeming need for constant acknowledgment, but that is not what I am talking about. Acknowledgement can be looking a service worker in the eye, saying a heartfelt “Thank you” rather than a rote response, a simple true compliment on something that someone is wearing.

Kindness, courtesy, connection — call it what you will makes everything flow more smoothly and you feel great. I think Holly’s on to something — let’s celebrate the difference we make in each other’s lives.

Many times I am asked how I have started and grown my businesses.  I talk!  I absolutely love what I do and when asked what I do, I am off and running.  My enthusiasm and passion about the importance of women over 55 draws  people.  From casual meetings I have learned best practices, met new advocates, gotten great suggestions, and made wonderful contacts and referrals.  This is the same skill we honed in high school, college, first job and on the playground with other mothers.  Talk about what you do and love.  Remember Marsha Sinetar’s book “Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow”.  It’s just as true in launching your business — you never know who your conversation partner knows that will have important information you need!  it’s fun to see where the threads of connection lead.

Following up on an earlier post…I think we have finally come up with a good name for us After55-ers — the reinventors.  I like the accuracy — reinventing ourselves is what women do at this lifestage –and it speaks to our creativity in all areas and it is POSITIVE.  Market research tells us that women  define themselves less by age than by lifestage.  Now it is not important if our hair is still naturally brunette, if our waistlines might not be as trim as when we were thirty, or if we wear cute little glasses to read the fine print — okay, any print!  We are definitely reinventors.  I wonder what would be the ingredients in a Reinventor Martini!  Whatever they might be, the drink would be delicious.

Several weeks ago Crain’s Chicago Business published a cover story about Faye Pantazelos gaining sole control of the bank she had founded after a two year battle with dissident investors. This makes New Century Bank the only woman owned bank in Chicago. What a feather in her cap! Congratulations Faye!!

The bad news is that the story about this achievement repeatedly refers to Ms. Pantazelo’s weight and to her unmarried status. What on earth do those pieces of information have to do with her accomplishment? In the same article, the weight and marital status of the profiled dissident investor, male, are never mentioned. I can see from his picture that he is far from svelte, but no mention is made of how his weight, diet, or eating habits have affected his career. It seems that the article’s author isn’t comfortable with a successful woman — and the top business publication in Chicago is supporting his discomfort. Interestingly, Crain’s has just published an issue featuring Women to Watch. Is this talking out of both sides of their mouth?