After55:

My new website is up! www.silvervixens.com. The columnists are terrific, the rewards will be great, the neat women will be so cool, and on and on and on. I can see wonderful things happening if we can connect neat women, shine our lights, share our knowledge and have fun.

The process had ups and downs, took longer than expected–OK, so I was out of the country 31 days in the fall–and turned out to be quite complicated. But it is incredible to actually see what I have had in my head.

Please take a look at it. I hope you find it and its potential as exciting as I do. I would more than appreciate if you would tell anyone you know who fits the Woman of a Certain Age description. I hope you will join and consider giving the membership as a gift to a family member or girlfriend. The more of us, the merrier we can make it.

Dreams do come true–not to those who wait, but to those who work hard and persevere.

Do you read the newspaper announcements of promotions and new positions? I always do, both out of curiosity regarding what companies’ positions are experiencing changes and to see if anyone I know is mentioned.

What I have noticed more and more lately is that fewer women are pictured than men. This is not a scientific sampling. However, if there are four pictures, generally at least three will be men. One reason could be that the women don’t have a professional photograph at the ready to submit with their good news.

Have you ever had a professional photo taken? It’s great fun to be made up to look your best and then play fashion model for a while, looking this way and that. The cost is generally quite reasonable.

The most important benefit is that when opportunity knocks, you are ready with a great photo to share your good news with the world. A picture is worth a thousand words… How about making sure your picture tells a great story?

Remember when your mom told you to write your thank you notes?

The quickest way to “stand out in a crowd” is the handwritten note. Do you remember the last time you received one? Neither does your client, potential client or colleague. I admit to being a notecard and fun pen junkie. I can hardly walk by a display of colorful papers and pens, but that is part of the fun.

A quick thank you note takes about two minutes to write and one minute to address and stamp. The best part is you can even develop a formula if you like:

Dear ____,

Thank you for ___________ (taking the time to see me, your order, your help). It was a ______ (pleasure, very helpful, very interesting) to __________ (meet, learn more about your company). I look forward to ____________ (meeting again, working together).

________________ (Warm regards, Yours, truly),

See? That was easy. You’ll feel good, and the recipient will be shocked and will definitely remember you. Huge rewards for a small amount of time. Mom was right — it is a good thing to do.

I don’t usually use this precious space to rant, but owning a company named Silver Vixen Enterprises, I am understandably interested in articles about silver hair. I cannot believe that Time Magazine devoted four full pages in their September 10 issue to the topic! To give them a modicum of credit, men were mentioned, but the main import and most pictures were devoted to assessing how women would look with or without gray hair.

Surveys were done and it was determined that those with grey hair are perceived as less intelligent, less attractive, and less believable. They are also deemed at a disadvantage in their personal social life and in the workplace. Ugh! Not only do we have to worry about our age and weight, we also have to add our hair color! To compete, we need to look 20 years younger. So much for wisdom, experience, and street smarts.

After being at the forefront of the women’s movement, proving ourselves for over 30 years, leaping tall buildings, exceeding all standards for advancement — now “they” want to pick the color of our hair!!! Pardon me while I get off my soapbox.

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?