I Changed My Career After 50 and You Can Too!

Trading Business Travel for Watercolor Class!

Like many other people who were laid off during the recent recession, I decided I needed to make a radical change in my life, and my career. If you are thinking about starting your own business or changing your career, I will share some of my process with you to help you make the transition from employee to entrepreneur.

First take the initial step of making a list of your interests and talents and look at as many options for your future as possible to see what really resonates with your inner calling. I always felt I should be doing work that somehow made the world a better place, even if it was just making one person's life happier or more fulfilling each day-but your motivation may be entirely different than mine. Everyone must find their own spark that lights a fire in their soul (and under their butt).

Spend time investigating all your options. After I spent months doing online research, considering getting a Masters in Gerontology or other certifications--I eventually settled on creating my own pilot program in a Nursing Home introducing Horticultural Therapy to the Senior community.

Learn as much as you can about the industry and its culture that you can. How will you grow your business? Does your industry rely heavily on referrals? Should you advertise, make formal sales calls? Are there organizations or networking groups to join so that you can become known in your business community?

While I concentrated my efforts on the pilot program, I learned more about the industry and how things really worked. I learned every Nursing Home, Assisted Living Residence, Memory Care Center and Independent Living Community provides activities for their residents. And since the Activity Directors cannot do everything by themselves, they hire outside contractors to help fill up their calendars and provide variety and high quality experiences for their residents. So I decided there was a need to fill- and I was happy to step in to fill the need.

Be flexible and lean into the process. Things may not go as quickly as you would like and you may have to change your business model as you go along. I found that after a few months of relatively slow but steady growth, I had to expand the types of classes I offered and changed my business' focus from strictly gardening related activities to art, music and garden related activities. First I added nature arts and crafts to the mix and have tried several different combinations of class offerings over the past 19 months. Now I change my class offerings in the "Fall Semester" and "Spring Semester" to keep things interesting and new.

Enjoy yourself! When you get to do something that is meaningful to you it will make going to work each day something to really look forward to. For me, every day is different--just as unique as the Seniors I work with. And I don't even mind that I work practically 24/7 for peanuts. I'm happier now than I have ever been.

My path may not be your path, and frankly it probably isn't. But if you are not happy with your life and you want to feel fulfilled in your day to day experience you must take a leap of faith and be willing to take a risk.

Do your research. Figure out what your strengths are. See what sources you have available to you. Create a business plan, do your due diligence. Search your heart for the things that make your heart sing.

I won't lie and say it will be easy. It isn't. You probably will have to change your life significantly (financially) in the beginning. Most likely, you won't be able to travel, pick up that cute trendy pair of shoes or possibly even pay for some of the basics in the beginning. You may want to throw the towel in every day (maybe twice a day)because it is so hard.

But if you really want to be your "authentic self" summon up your courage and take the leap. Like they said in the Kevin Costner movie, "If you build it, they will come," your customers will come and eventually so will the money!