Ageless Authors on 2nd Acts, Pivoting, and Reinventing

As the phrase goes, "You're not tool old, and it's never too late."  What's in your "tool box" that could help propel you to your second or third act?  Many of us are rediscovering our talents and/or working well into the "traditional" retirement age, and we're doing it with vigor and purpose.

Some of the co-authors of the Amazon best selling anthology,  "Ageless Glamour Girls: Reflections on Aging," are among that group .  You may have "met" them in our virtual LIVE event on the Ageless Glamour Girls YouTube channel, or other platforms. Naturally, we had to also feature them in an AGG Podcast episode. They're LISA BEDIAN … CIRIACA YOLANDA SABIO … DIONNE JONES  … LYNN VENHAUS AND  MARIAN R. FEATHERSON.  Be prepared to be motivated, inspired, and more. #widsomwithage #secondact #agelesswisdom

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hello everybody. Welcome to the Age Glamour Girls Podcast. I'm your host, Marquita Curtis Haynes. I'm also CEO and founder of the lifestyle brand Ageless Glamour Girls. I love our tagline. Both beautiful brilliant. This is episode 26, season three. Now, I just want to give you a background. We're going to revisit some of the co-authors of our Amazon best-selling book, Ageless Glamour Girls Reflections on Aging. Here it is, right here. It's available on Amazon and every place else. Selfless Plug. It's okay. It's okay. And so you may recall in February, in February, in Fairbury, we featured our first live virtual event. And we called it our Galantine's Day special. And some of the co-authors read from their chapters that whose themes revolved around connections and engagement and the importance of just finding your people, finding your group. You cannot go through this world alone, especially as women as we get older. And so we have that special and we feature some of those co-authors. And now our second live event was last month. It was called our Ageless Glamour Girls Day Celebration, a Friday night affair. It was, you know, a happy hour of sorts, you know, with or without alcohol. It doesn't matter, but it was fun because that one focused on second acts, pivoting, and reinventing. You know, all of us can relate to that, right? Just like the first group, all of us can relate to the need and the urgency of belonging and connecting with women. So that's one of the things I love about our book. But I digress. Not really, but that's one of the things I love about our book. So many of the topics are so relatable. So now, so that one, as I said, was last month. And that one featured Lisa Bedian, Siriaka, Yolanda Sabio, Deion Jones, Lynn Vinhouse, Marion R. And Marion R. Featherson, all read from their chapters. And I'm not sure if I put that up on YouTube's, on Asian's Clamour Girl YouTube channel, but I will if I have not done so. But lucky you, here they are on our more intimate platform right now as part of our podcast. Um, Lisa Bedian and Lynn Vinhouse will join us, hopefully mom momentarily. Moment momentarily. Frog mouth. Anyway, so we're so happy that you ladies are here with us today. Welcome to the Aegis Glamour Girls Podcast. Thank you. Good to be here. All right. And here again, I just mentioned all the great topics that you guys um cover. But thanks again. We're about to um talk about some of those subjects. So I want to start with Siriaca. Now, Siriaca, and you guys please forgive me because I'm on this little screen. Siriaca's chapter is aha, chapter five. It's called Choosing Health Span and Not Just Lifespan. Siriaca, what was your motivation um behind your chapter? And tell us about how did it come about and um what it is about specifically?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Sure. First of all, I want to say thank you, Marquita, for the opportunity to be on your podcast again and to be with my co-authors. Thank you. Uh yeah, my chapter is called Choosing Health Span and Not Just Lifespan. And I and the impetus to that really goes all the way back to my mother passing away at the age of 48. So she didn't really have a lifespan, you know, and um she died of a stroke and way back then they didn't they didn't have the advances that we have now. So that really left an imprint in me on my mind about health. And I think it's really, really important as we age that we really focus on our health that will keep us independent going forward. So true. You know, I have lived more than 50 years than my mother did in my early 70s, and I know how it's I'm every day I hear about my peers no longer being here.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Girl, right. You see it on social media, uh everywhere, you know. You get a phone call or text, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

And I look, I look at their ages. That's what I always want to look. How old are they? Right, right, right. You know, and then they're not too much either they're younger or they're not too much older than me. So really health span is really what is important as we age so that we can do all the things that we have ahead of us so that we can remain independent.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Exactly. Because according for according to one study after another, we're all living longer, you know, especially women.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

You know, it's like, whoa, we are out, you know, we women have always outlived men, you know, from what I understand from all the studies. And, you know, I I ask ourselves, you know, ladies, you know, how are we living? Are we able to do the things that we love to do? And let me just give you one example. You know, it doesn't come from my chapter because it just happened to me recently in my life. Um, I was on a 10-day trip to China with 20 other black women. And one of the things that we did was climb the Great Wall in Beijing. Wow. You know, and it was not easy. Now, well, of course, we didn't do the whole great, well, no one does, but you know, we did what we're supposed to do. And, you know, as we were walking, I said to one of the other ladies, engage your core. And she said, Yeah, that's what my my PT tells me, because that is what's going to give you that strength, that fortitude to keep on going and you know, keep walking. It wasn't easy. You know, that's what I'm talking about. Really, uh, my message is to all season sisters, you know, older women to really focus on your health, really, really focus on those things that you can do every single day. That doesn't mean you have to go to the gym. If that's your thing, you can do that. But it doesn't have to be that, but you can do things that keep you functionally healthy so that you don't have those falls that affect us. That you can walk up and down stairs. All of those things, you know, the reality of what life can be like for us as we age. We really have to, you know, encourage and embrace a healthy lifestyle so that we don't have, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

And you just made me think of something else. That's why I'm always pushing in the A's Cafe. I'm like, do those squats. Because you think when you think about women, we're we have to be in a squatted position on a regular basis for the rest of our lives.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Can I add to that, Marquita? In China, the public toilets are all squat toilets. They don't, you know, they don't have the European toilets. So talk about the importance of squat.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Wow. Wow. Wow. Thank you for all of that. And you and forgive me, but I forgot to properly introduce Siriaka. Siriaki Siriaka, she's a health coach and CEO of Wise and Fit 2. She offers corporate wellness programs to look for local businesses and helps women 55 plus live their healthiest lives yet. Thank you, Siriaca, for all that you do. And thank you so much for being a co-author in the um in our anthology, Ages Glamour Girls Reflections on Aging.

unknown 8:13

Woo!

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Thank you. And I want to say, ladies, if you want to chime in while somebody's uh doing their thing, feel free. It's a conversation. I appreciate you guys. Thank you, Siriaka.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Oh my goodness, Seriaka, you're my hero.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

I know, I know. I love it. I love it. That's why you have to stand, you have to climb stairs. You have to, you know, um, yeah, we got a squat. Yeah. Um, from there, we are going to go to uh Marion Featherson. Um, she wrote chapter 11, butterflies. Love it. Um, Marion is a wife, mother, and gainfully employed over 37 years with the same company on my ad. Whoop, whoop, whoop. Always grateful and hopeful. Um, as she says, she'll tell you butterflies represent hope and they are symbols of transformation, freedom, and rebirth. I know I stole some of your live light. I'm so sorry about that, Mary. So, Mary, who was your inspiration and tell us about you and your chapter. Thanks.

SPEAKER_05 9:10

So, what inspired me? First of all, thanks for um having me on your podcast today, and thanks for um inviting me to be a part of the uh Ageless Glamour Girls uh reflections on aging. So um I got my inspiration from just the people around me. Growing up, um I was a model professionally trained, I was uh an instructor for models, and I always had people coming in or talking about me because I never was one that had a lot of weight on me. I finally gained a couple of pounds and it's noticeable now. They say you gain two pounds. But you know, as women, women always say, you know, I wish I was this size, or I wish I could do this, or look at my hands, or look at my elbow, or my back, or my whatever. You know, we always try to find something that we want to change just a little bit or improve, or if I could. So it was the same way um with some of my um models that came into my class. I had some plus size models that came in, and uh the way they came to my class, um they might have missed their original uh class and they wanted to make the class up. So the times that I had was convenient for them. And so I have to say, once they came into my class, they never did want to go back to their class because what I always say say and said to them is let's just work with what you have. And they didn't understand that.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

So I should have met you years ago. Oh, sorry. Sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 11:11

You know, I I let them know, you know, they're looking at me. Well, what are you worried about? If you don't have it, yeah. I I'm not worried about too much, but there are some things that I want to enhance. There are some things that I wish I can change. And I would just say, let's work with what you have. And so we would go from the hair down to the feet, and I very quick story. They, you know, as a model, you're looking at um the clothing they wear, but you're also looking at their hair. You know, hair is a big thing now. You're looking at the makeup, and then you're looking at the feet, and I would tell them, you know what? I almost made it out perfect, and then here are my feet. And what I would do is just take my shoes off. I hey, I was almost perfect. I would let them know here are my feet. So this is what we're gonna do. So I showed my feet, and you know, they're like, Well, you still, you know, so I start working with the hands, I work with the feet, and what I mean working with them, I wasn't talking about giving them massages or anything like that. I showed them how to cover up some of the imperfections. And one thing that I did, and I won't give away those little secrets, when they came to my class, I said, and next time I want you to bring your foundation, I want you to bring your favorite nail polish, and I want you to bring your favorite perfume. And they looked at me like I was crazy. You know, favorite perfume. So, what I did with this particular thing was once we finish our uh feet and we did our hands, they said, Well, what about the perfume? I say, now take the perfume and spray it right there on the inside of your ankles and go on home and tell me how it works out. And they thought that was just the funniest thing. So, with that being said, I always, and I and I'm into fashion, want to encourage people, encourage women. And being in the same company for over 37 years, you know, you meet different people, different personalities, sometimes a whole lot of attitude, and you wonder why. You sometimes you never figure it out. And and I start telling people, you know, sometimes people will hate you because you're beautiful. Yes, they will. Once you start doing a self-check, you check yourself out. Hey, I'm good, I don't remember saying anything to hurt someone's feeling, I didn't do anything. So that lets me know that sometimes people just need some type of encouragement, right? They need to know how to embrace and embrace themselves. So that's why I um started talking about the butterflies. Butterflies are so beautiful to me. And in my chapter, I say, I've never seen an ugly butterfly. It's springtime, so start watching the butterflies. Each one is different, they're floating about, they're not harming anyone. If you could catch one and just keep it forever, that's what you want to do. And so in my chapter, I talk about the different stages of a butterfly. You know, butterflies don't start out flying, they're crawling around. Some of them are fuzzy and hairy because they're caterpillars. And once I start researching and and really researching and writing this chapter, I start researching butterflies. I had never done that before. Um, some turn out certain colors, some might turn out to be moths, but guess what? They go through a transformation. And I related that to women. As a woman, we go through so much. And in my chapter, you'll uh see one page where I name all the different hats that we wear, all the different things that we do, and then we go about doing things, and maybe it goes unnoticed because we make things look easy. And you I said in my chapter, if you stop or if you stop moving, that's when it will go noticed. That's when someone will realize, wait a minute, something's wrong, or either something's wrong with you. So um, in my chapter, I talk about the different stages. I talk about how you um, as a caterpillar, you're crawling around, but then you wrap yourself in silk and you're in your cocoon, and there is a transformation that you cannot uh hurry. That's the way we are with life. No matter how much you want to do something, you have to go through some type of transformation or changing changes so that in the end you are who you are. So um, in my chapter, I talk about some of the things that you can do to just um make yourself happy and make yourself feel good.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Find your joy, right?

SPEAKER_05 16:14

Yeah, and that's what I I am about. You know, I even included in the chapter, and I know we've all done this before. Oh, I'm just gonna run up the street to the store, or I just need to go and pick this up. So you just kind of throw on something and go out, and I'm telling you, that's when you see people that you didn't expect to run into years. And so you're ducking and dodging. Uh, you see people that are looking, and you wonder, like, okay, what are they looking at? Don't look at me, I'm looking at my words. But in my chapter, I talk about that's when a lot of people find you to be natural, they find you to be appealing, and no matter what, you are still beautiful. At the end of my chapter, I think inside and out, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Right. How I said inside and out, beautiful inside, yeah, inside and out.

SPEAKER_05 17:06

So I throw out all of those different words and different things to make you think, um, make you think about the things that you've been hiding behind. You know, I don't have a favorite color, and I talk about it in my chapter. I question what's your favorite color. A lot of people, I won't say most, a lot of people will hide behind the color black or the color white or the color gray or blue. Give me a color and I'm gonna work with it. Um so I let them know that sometimes you have to step outside of what you are most comfortable with so that you can truly show the beauty that you truly possess. That's it. And I challenge people to just step out, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Especially you have you have another choice when you get older, right?

SPEAKER_05 17:56

When you get older, it's like it is what it is. You have a choice, but you make that choice, and hey, but I I challenge them and I and I ask people to step outside of the comfort zone. And most of the time, once you step out and say, Hey, why have I been hiding behind this all the time? Right. You shouldn't be hiding behind it. Right. Uh, one thing that I wrote in the chapter um was about uh I like flowers just like a butterfly. Butterflies go from flower to flower to flower. And I have noticed um in the 37 years where people would uh purchase flowers for themselves. Oh, yeah. Nothing's wrong with that, but they would send them to themselves at work, and I asked the question well, who are you trying to impress or who are you trying to fool? So I wanted to kick it up a notch into each zone. I wanted to kick it up a notch. Why wait until Valentine's Day to buy yourself some flowers or send them to yourself? That extra $40 that they're charging you on Valentine's Day, that's another bouquet of flowers for next week. And so in my chapter, I talk about I'm the type of person this week I might feel like tulips. I got my purple on today, I'm feeling like a tulip. Uh, next week I might feel like roses, or I might feel like sunflowers sprinkled with something else that you don't normally sprinkle with sunflowers. Right, right. But I just encourage people to look at the beauty in almost everything and everything.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Everything that's there in and you know it's all along our paths, right? Yeah, the beauty, yes, it is all along our paths. Remind me when I was in my 20s and I got my first corporate job, my first job at TV and TV. I used to buy myself a bouquet of fresh flowers every single week, right? I had arrived, and now um I have to get back to that.

SPEAKER_05 19:58

I have to get back to that little things like that to help you, you know, age well or or feel good day. Just feel good that day, no matter what's going on. So the last part of my chapter, and then I am done, unless you want to add something else about the chapter. Um, I put down um 10 my 10 things to stay ready. You know, when we wrote our chapter, we were uh acknowledging those important people in our lives and those people that just encouraged us and been there every step of the way. And so I have had so many people around me, and now I have new friends and the co-authors. I said, you know what, I can't name all of the people that uh have been an inspiration to me. So I'm gonna do something with this last page of my chapter. So my 10 things to stay ready, and I'm just gonna go through some of them. One of them says walk in the place like you own it. Even when you don't know where you're going. I used to tell people that all the time. Uh, I don't go out unless it's a special occasion, you know, to the clubs or whatever, unless it's a special occasion now, but I would go out and dance back uh about 20, 30 years ago. And so people will walk in and they had no confidence. I would tell my little sisters, walk in a place like you, own the place, walk in, don't stop walking until you get in there, and then you figure out where you're going. So when they read this chapter, they'll know I'm talking about them, and I'm saying, Hey, I don't, I haven't forgotten you. Another one says, try something unique. I have a uh friend that has a catering business and it's called something unique catering for oh, catering, okay. And and what she does is set up uh for Um a couple whatever they want to eat. Um, she'll sprinkle the roses and all that kind of stuff. She lets them know I've done all of this, and all you need to do is just bring the love. Another one is um know that some people around you are working with limitations, they are giving it all that they've got. So sometimes we want people to think like us, act like us, be like us. No, they need to be the best person that they can be, right? And they you already know it's hard being you, it's hard being them as well. So they're working with what they're working with. That's right. That's right. Take a breath, uh, take a break sometimes, and I'm doing that today, as soon as I finish talking.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

I know I'm shocked that you're on this this podcast because I know you work like a dog, you're always working. I saw that you were going to be here. I'm like, she's taking a break to be with us.

SPEAKER_05 22:59

That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm taking a break, breathe. And in order to say this word, you have to take a break, breathe, and just say, Well, well, sometimes that's all you can do is say well.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

That's right.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

The last thing, and I won't go down my list because the um listeners and our supporters, I know we'll be purchasing more of our um our books. That's right. I I talk about having good home training because I was born in the South, and one thing they said is don't wear out your welcome. So even in the chapter, after I've messed around and meddled around in everybody's business, I put my one finger up like we used to do in church, and you know, eased on out. But I thank them for welcoming me into their space. Um last thing, Maya Angelou. I know we just finished celebrating women last month, but we celebrate every day. That's right. This goes back to the butterflies. We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. Amen, man, amen. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Here again dropping all this knowledge and inspiring me. I know that much it's like, oh my god, because you and you reminded me of something my mother used to say, or maybe I ran across it later on. It's like you might have some doubt, or you're you're like picking yourself apart, and everybody else, no one sees that. No one don't see it, don't bring it to their attention, you know. Keep it moving, yeah, keep it moving. Exactly. Thank you, Marion, so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_04 24:48

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

All right, Dion. I'm still waiting for Lynn and uh Lisa to join in any second, but we're just gonna keep rolling right right through. Or they back soon, and uh Dion is next. Let me give you a little bit about Dion. Um Dion Jones, the unicorn. That's she loves unicorns like like Mary was was to the uh the uh butterflies. Dion, the unicorn, a symbol of rarity, has always resonated with her spirit. Um, and she says as she navigates this journal journey of life, she's grateful for the rarity that is her. Dion, Dion Jones, the name of her chapter, chapter seven, is The Unicorn, a journey of grace, healing, and rarity. I love it. Thank you so much. Thank you for being a court and thank you for coming on the podcast, well, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

I am grateful to be here. I learned so much from each of you all every time we get together. I am inspired. Um, I smile a lot because you all are good for the soul. So thank you.

SPEAKER_04 25:59

Oh my gosh, so nice.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

Thank you. I know Siri, I can every time you say your age, I'm like, no, you're not.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

I know, I know, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

And her and her Facebook group, every yes, go ahead. We'll talk about that in a few, but go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Um I didn't know that Miss Marion was a model. Now all I can just hear in my head is Sasha away, Sasha. But we can see it's like, ooh, yeah, oh my goodness, this is so awesome. Thank you. Because for one, as women, we don't get the recognition that we deserve unless we toot our own horns, and we know as black women is even more challenging. So to be in this space with you all today is powerful. So thank you. Like I said, women's history, black history is 365 when it comes to us because we live it. Right, right, right. Yes, right. So my chapter, um, it began as a a directive to write my life into a movie. I had um presented at a film festival at the encouragement of a friend, and you had to do a little brief spiel, something to get the attention of the producers that are part of the panel. So I had never done this before, and um I just said spirit just guide me. So I shared a portion of what is in the book, but I was pitching a show called Age with Vibrancy because that's I had done some things on Instagram, and that's what the lady who put on the film festival saw, and she said, You need to turn that into a show, but aha, God had other plans. He said, It's time for you to share your story so you can help other women heal because in our community we don't talk about abuse a lot, but it happens, it happens from the pulpit to the uncle to whatever, and we go on and we hide it, we cover it up. Some people turn to substance abuse, some people turn to other addictions, and some people just wither away. I've watched people wither away, I've watched people become addicts, but for some reason, God was like, Nope, I'm gonna protect your mind, I'm gonna protect your spirit, and when it's time, you'll be ready to heal others. So that's how we got the unicorn as a child going through that experience. I just remember hearing something my grandfather taught to me about, he would always teach me about different countries and different parts of the world. So she said in China they had this mythical creature, and it wasn't called a unicorn, it was called something else. But it was it when I did more research, like Marion said, you find out that basically it was a unicorn, it was a horse with a horn, and they sought the horn because it protected people from evil and it extended people's lifespans. Wow. Going right, going back to what Siriaka said, the hell span. I was just thinking about that, right? That's why as a child I didn't know, but for me, it was something magical, something protective, something that I could escape with and to. So as I became older, I was like, oh, it was about protection. That's what that horn was doing, and God it was protecting my spirit and my mind. So I'm sharing my story. Um, I know some days I cry, some days I don't. Yeah. But to hear women who have been through it, and to know that I was just a part of getting them to talk about it is powerful. I didn't choose this, I didn't choose to be Esther, as my grandmother would always say, such a time as this. But it's my Esther moment, and today is emotional. I yes, it's okay. Some days I get through it, some days I'm like, okay, I'm here to help others, and like today, it's just it's hitting me because I'm a survivor, that's right. And I don't give myself enough credit for that, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Right.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

So my chapter is to it's a it can it can trigger some people, but um I'm blessed to be a social worker as well, so I know how to help people through the trigger because I help myself sometimes, but um I want women to know that it's okay, it wasn't your fault, but you can't hide from it, you have to seek healing, you have to forgive. You don't forget, and some people may not change their behavior, but that's not your burden to carry. Your burden is to get it out of your system before it becomes disease because anything that we hold in our system, it has nowhere else to go, it starts leaking out of your organs, and you see people with autoimmune diseases, lupus and cancer, and a lot of that is right, right, and not addressing right, we keep stuffing it down, we keep stuffing it down, it has nowhere else to go, but it does turn into disease, so I didn't want that for myself, and I don't want that for any person. I have other family members that I'm working with now. Um, through I've connected them to a third party because for my life, insure I can't, but I just wanted them to know that we we can't keep hiding from this because it's it's destructive.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Girl, oh my god, God chose you. I'm sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

Go ahead. Oh no, so yeah, like I said, today is emotional, but I'm grateful because it's so funny. I had a two o'clock podcast today that I kind of forgot about because I never got the email to confirm. I don't know where it went, but she sent a text of like five minutes to ten minutes to two, and I was like, I was like, I'm gonna double book myself today because I like my piece, and it is spring break, and I don't have to deal with maturing in the evening. Oh, some cheering. Oh my gosh. So the fact that um I've gotten to share twice a day lets me know that it's an alignment. Yes, it is my purpose, and I no longer choose to run from it, but to face it and to help other women face it as well, and some men I will refer to as well because men have been through it as well.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Yes, and and I'm so thankful that that you and I met and you you shared this story, your story in our book, and and you God put this on you to help others, and you are you have taken it and just run with it, and I and I I can I look forward to continuing to hear the stories and help and and um and see the women and men that you're gonna help because you you're there.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Oh my gosh, I know it isn't my plan, but best laid plans, like I say, he uses you where he sees fit.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

That's right. Woo! About I believe that too. We're all born with different kinds of cells, and if you the more you hold it in, more you know, negative negativity will take hold and woo turn into other stuff, but yeah, you got to get it out somehow. And and um, you know, a lot of us turn to food, you know. I'm what you know, I eat you eat your way through it, you drink your way through it, and you even have sex, you know, you do you do things, you cry out, and um, but it's always great to have somebody you can relate to who's been there, been there, did that, and that and and here is how I can try to help you through that too on this journey. And I just I'm so thankful we met. I'm just so thankful we met. And we're insta friends, I never met her, I've never met Dion, you guys. It's just like I never met Siriac in person, I met Marion only once, and it's like to meet everyone.

SPEAKER_04 35:11

Can't wait to do that.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Yeah, so thank you so, so much. I appreciate you, appreciate you. Thank you. And uh and I have to say that Lisa, who snuck away from a commitment, has just joined us. Lisa, are you there? Can you hear us?

SPEAKER_06 35:32

I am here, thank you so much, and I apologize. My I'm having issues with the camera, but uh, I'm glad to be with you and glad to listen to the last few minutes there with what Dion was sharing. It was awesome. And um, I I completely agree with her that we're in the right place at the right time for a reason. And so that's what's been so wonderful about you know getting to know the the ladies from the book, as well as you know, getting back in touch with folks I haven't talked to for a while and kind of hearing these different perspectives, right?

SPEAKER_00 36:02

Right. And let me give Lisa the introduce introduction, guys. Sorry about that. She this is from her bio, a passionate, and I agree with everything on here, a passionate storyteller and lifelong learner. I love that, a lifelong learner. Uh she's an a women, any Emmy Award-winning broadcaster with more and and she also has more than 20 tele awards. She's a strategy and communications executive and sports marketing professor.

unknown 36:27

Woo!

SPEAKER_00 36:28

That's how Lisa and I met at our first TV station together in St. Louis uh back in the day. I was in regular news and she was in sports. I loved it. She took me to my first uh only, but my first hockey game, St. Louis.

unknown 36:40

Woo!

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Anyway, so her chapter is chapter six. Um, and then I love her chapter just like I love all the chapters. Um, her the title of it is on On Second and Third Acts. Pull out your transferable skills to box. Yeah. Lisa, tell us about your chapter.

SPEAKER_06 36:59

I even over the last few weeks, I've had some conversations with with uh women I know and women I haven't known for that long about looking at the next chapter they want to do in their life and be some of them are a little bit anxious, others are like, you know, I've got this exciting thing I want to try. And I'm like, what's stopping you? What's stopping you? Because what we have to remember is we don't have anything to prove to anybody at this point. You know, I think um that if they're thinking about, I want to start this business or I want to, I want to get a degree, maybe a graduate degree, maybe the degree I never got because I was raising kids or doing whatever it was. And and so what's stopping you? And try it. There's nothing, there's nothing that should be stopping you. But we we overlook that toolbox that we have and all the skills that we've been putting in it. And I and I'm a firm believer, and that's kind of what I talk about some in the chapter, is that no matter what the situation is, you can learn something from that that you can take and apply with one of these new opportunities, and it's going to give you that competitive advantage, it's going to give you that leg up to be successful in that new chapter, in that new adventure. And whether it's an adventure that you do for six months or six years, that toolbox is so valuable. You know, even like I'll be teaching a class of I'm I'm teaching one right now in graduate MBA program, and I talk to the students and it's tell me about yourself. If I'm a future employer, tell me what is your competitive advantage because you're all at entry level. And they're like, oh, I don't know. Well, you've you've already been a successful project manager, right? You're in graduate school. That means you got your bachelor's degree. Has anyone had a situation where getting your degree was easy, where you didn't have to take a class that um the class that you needed wasn't offered when you needed it. You did all of these things to get together to finally get that piece of paper. And I hope you walked across the stage because it wasn't just you walking across the stage to pick up that piece of paper. It was your family, it was your friends, it was the teachers, people who believed in you and helped pull you along the way. They were all up there with you. And they're like, Well, I never thought about it that way. And it's really just kind of a switch at how you look about it. And so when I talk about filling that toolbox, it's even like I said, you can learn from maybe it's not your favorite job or your favorite situation, but there's still going to be some value that you can pour into yourself from that to make your next steps be successful.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Lisa, that you know how they say we go into different directions or different fields. It's like you were meant to lead and teach. Oh my God, because you know, you often say, you know, it only takes one, it only takes that one teacher or that one auntie. Auntie, oh, or just that, just that you know, that one person that you know that's gonna say something to you to help you along your your journey, you know, help you along the way. And uh think I love the way you you're taking such a vested interest. Of course, you know, they're professors and they're professors and leaders, and and they're doing their thing, but some go further than others, like you. You go further than others, and uh I love that. And the stuff where you're saying about the toolbox, come on, come on, the toolbox, you know. I was reading an article that was talking about how more, you know, some retirees are coming out of retiree retirement to go back to work, um, you know, either from they're being bored or they're uh they need extra cash, you know, and um so it's like and a lot of people like what are we gonna do? It's like what's in your toolbox, right? What's in your toolbox? Is there something in there that that will help you become a consultant in your field, an expert in your field, you know? Um, and then other times, you know, life makes us just pivot all together. You know, you go to something totally different. I like what Marion said earlier today about the woman, I think she was a retiree, right, Marion? Or anyway, she switched careers. She went into catering. Is that the right woman? She went to catering.

SPEAKER_05 41:06

She's got a couple of careers, but catering is her um passion. I'll say that. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Right. And sometimes you just have to reinvent yourself. You just got to go back in and um and do your thing. And I love it. I'm reading where women 70 and even 80 years old are doing their thing. One of our co-authors uh is 88. Um, she'll be you'll meet her next month. Um, just amazing. She's doing her thing, and and and you know, and uh who was that who was a lifetime learner? Oh, Lisa, lifetime learner. I mean, I love that. A lifetime learner. Um try new things, do new things. Um, go back to school. You ever you can do it online, right? Right.

SPEAKER_06 41:48

You could you can do it online, you can do it in person. There, there are some uh universities or community colleges that also for uh senior, senior, I guess we'll call ourselves or vintage learners, um, they'll give you a huge discount, could be as much as 50%.

SPEAKER_04 42:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 42:04

Just because it's I I think again, as a professor or or as a student, when I was getting my master's degree, I liked having people of different ages and experiences in the class because we all learn from each other. It's really hard to make an assumption about a person, what they look like, who you think they are, or whatever, when they're sitting right next to you and hopefully you're engaging in a in a healthy discussion. You know, um, one of my favorite quotes is from Thomas Jefferson and is that a candle loses nothing when it lights another candle. Oh, and that is so true because when you're sharing information or you're learning information from somebody else, you're not your glow is just getting brighter on both sides of that. It's not diminishing. And so when you go back to that toolbox and you think about the things that you have learned, it's going to propel you into trying new things. And it also helps you understand, you know, and who hasn't had a less than we'll say happy or joyful work experience at some point in their career, right? And so if all you do is focus on the negative of that, as as Dion was talking before about what that does for you, you've got to think about, well, you know what, this part of this may not be much fun, but look at what I've learned. And I'm gonna take that and at the next point, it's gonna make me that much more valuable. One of the other things I think that particularly women um of our of our uh target audience that we're talking about with with ageless glamour girls, is that um, you know, people might say, Oh, you want to try this job? Well, you're overqualified. And I like to answer with that, oh no, I'm extraordinarily qualified. Love it. Love it. I mean, I mean, think about that because something I think a lot of women. Who are a little apprehensive about, you know, I would like to keep working, but I don't want to be the person who runs everything. Maybe I want to take a step back. I still like to write, but I don't want to be the person who's uh organizing the magazine or or leading the communication strategy or whatever it is. But say, I want to try something different. You've got to think in those ways that don't sell yourself short. You know, one of the other things I like to say is that everyone in a room is the smartest person in the room at something. But nobody in a room is the smartest person in the room at everything.

SPEAKER_00 44:36

Right. So the people in the back of the room can hear that. No. Wow.

SPEAKER_06 44:44

And and that that is a perspective that I think it makes us pause, and you know, if you want to get in the biblical sense, it's everybody brings their talents to the table. But but I think the flip side of that also is we need to respect those talents that everyone has at the table. You know, and um and and figure how much stronger we are when we do recognize and respect those talents in order to accomplish that goal. And so those talents, that toolbox, it all goes together.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

So true, Lisa. Lisa, thank you. Thank you for that. Um, I was reading an article recently about um, you know, some companies are now, you know, they're looking, you know, for for good people for leaders and this and that. And there, and now they find themselves saying, Oh, wait, we used to have somebody who retired a couple of years ago. Let's see if that person wants to come back, you know, because age hashtag ageless wisdom or wisdom with age, right? Um, we're filling a lot of gaps because we we have so much to offer, still so much to offer. We're still relevant.

unknown 45:50

Woo!

SPEAKER_00 45:51

Thank God we have communities to talk this stuff through and uh uh support. We have to support each other to talk this stuff through because nobody can be do it alone, as we know. Does anyone else have anything to contribute to our theme? Reinventing, pivoting?

SPEAKER_02 46:09

I just want to say that you know, each and every one of us, this there's such a nice um intertwine of everything that we all have said, and you know, again, we are a bunch of really fabulous, extraordinary women, you know, and I'm so glad that we are able to you know share this with the world through you, Marquita. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

No, thank you. I'm just just God and the universe just place all of us together. I just couldn't have chosen a better uh group of women. It's like, you know, oh my god, I'm so we're so blessed. I'm so blessed. And uh thank you guys so much. Um, again, our book, Ageless Glamour Girls, Reflections on Aging, a best best selling. I don't have I have a new an older version, it doesn't have the skill that says best selling, Amazon. Um, thank you. Thank you for those who have bought our book, and thank you for those who will buy our book in the future. And we're looking for we look forward to your reviews. I spoke to a couple of people uh within the past couple of days, like, oh my gosh, I'm in the middle of process of writing my review. I'm like, it doesn't have to be all extravagant, just speak from your heart and no negative stuff. I'm just kidding. Our book is so doing relatable, it just covers so many different subjects. It's relatable, inspirational, all of that. Like I said earlier, all the things. Um, you can get it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, um, ordered through Barza Noble and other booksellers around the world, as a matter of fact. Now, our third group, we have one more set of women, fabulous co-authors, um, that you you're gonna have to meet. And they're coming up on we're having a brunch, a Saturday afternoon brunch this time. It's gonna be April the 13th at 1 p.m. Eastern. And here again, it's gonna be a live virtual event um with those uh co-authors. I think we have like four or five remaining. Um, I'm not good at math. And um, and they're they too will read from their chapters. It's gonna be live, like I said, a live virtual event. It's gonna be um available on Instagram, on the Age of Scammer Girls Facebook page, and on um Agent Scramber Girls YouTube page. No excuses, right? You can just go online and just Google it, and there we will be. Um, so make sure you tune in and we'll we'll um be talking about that. Um, trust me, I'll let you know when it's coming up again through social media, uh, yeah, through posts or whatever. We're gonna let you all of us. That's what I love about the anthology. It's a huge support group. I love it. I love these ladies, love these ladies. So again, that is 1 p.m. Eastern on April 13th, our um Saturday afternoon brunch. And the theme is living your best ageless life. And I love that, you know, uh, whatever you have to do to do it, you know, um, let's do it, let's move forward, let's let's support each other and love all over each other, as we did on um women's history. My as someone mentioned, we're gonna do that every day, year round, every day. Um, so thanks again, ladies. Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming on the podcast. I so appreciate all of you. You have been listening to the Ageless Glamour Girls Podcast. I'm your host, Marquita Curtis Haynes. I'm also CEO and founder of the lifestyle brand Ageless Glamour Girls, which celebrates women 50 plus and helps them on, helps them navigate this ageless, aging journey. And we have a podcast and we talk about everything, and nothing is off limits besides politics. And don't forget to join us in the cafe, the Ageless Cafe on Facebook. We have fun there, we share stuff there. Um, I will put up the social media handles for these women on the podcast so you can visit them because let me tell you, they are amazing and you know, some art, they have great organizations and groups as well on their own. Uh, I'm just so thankful for so many things. So that is it for now. Uh, I think I covered everything. Um, here's to healthy aging and joyful living. We'll see you guys again real soon. Thanks for joining us. Bye bye.