Back in my day, you could count on one hand the number of women in my Bachelor of Business Administration classes at my alma mater, Ohio State University.  We were veritable anomalies in the School of Commerce.  And, boy, did we have a rough row to hoe when it came to finding a job.  It really irked me to hear the interviewer across the desk, ask me, “How many words per minute can you type?”.  Good heavens, I wasn’t there to “type”!  I had a business degree from an accredited University and had fought my own war to earn that “badge of honor”.  I wanted  my own secretary to do that typing to which he was referring – just like my male counterparts seated in the reception area awaiting their turn to be grilled by this man.  “Do you have immediate marriage plans?” he asked me. Well, no, I didn’t.  But, what business was it of his to ask, anyway? “We are looking for someone who will be committed to this company and to this position… and not quitting in a short while to raise a baby.”  Yes, that’s how it was a lifetime ago. It wasn’t long after my 3-year stint in corporate America that I knew I had to forge my own path, make my own decisions and be my own boss.

An entrepreneur is someone who “enters” into business.  It’s a term applied to a type of person, who comes up with the idea, who gathers the necessary resources, organizes those resources and willingly accepts full responsibility for the success or failure of the new enterprise/venture they have created in exchange for the opportunity to make a profit.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that women who started their own businesses were something of an oddity.  We were breaking ground in a “man’s world” and knew that we were carefully and systematically “being watched” to see how we’d do.  I’d bet that there were bets being wagered.

More than ever, women realized they had to have the right attitude, the business acumen, the right mix of tools and the skills, and the know-how to have a chance at being successful entrepreneurs.  We knew, as business-savvy baby boomer women, that we had additional challenges to overcome on our chosen road to success.  We learned and implemented finely-honed skills in locating resources, in establishing networks and in lending each other support.  We were ready to make our mark!

And make our mark, we did!  Now, more and more women of the baby boomer generation are leaping feet first into the role of entrepreneur – and continuing to make our mark:

• According to the Labor Department, baby boomers and older make up 54% of the self-employed.
• The number of women-owned companies has doubled in the last 25 years.
• Women now account for 55-60% of new startups.
• The number of women starting businesses today is double the number of men.
• According to the Center for Women’s Business and Research, there are over 10 million businesses owned by women in the US that generate sales of $2.32 trillion.

Why are baby boomer women taking the path of entrepreneurship?

Many boomer women believe that through entrepreneurship, they can circumvent the “glass ceiling” upon which they’ve been hitting their heads all of their working life.  They can implement their own ideas and most likely make more money by going out on their own.

This becomes important considerations as they start looking closer at retirement and the reality that if they’re going to do “it”…then, there’s no time like the present because time waits for no one.

Some boomer women find themselves in a two-income household and can try starting a business and plowing back every cent into the business while relying on their partner for living expenses and support.  Others are action-oriented people who feel strongly called to follow their passions.

We  know right now that the self-employed trends of today are spear-headed by Boomers – what account for 54% of all new business start-ups in the USA….and that baby boomer women entrepreneurs are being well-represented by Boomer Babes At Work.

“Knowing that more than a third of all internet users are adults between 45 and 64 years old, we saw an opportunity to work with Procter & Gamble to create a site network that can actively fuel this age group,” said  Devin Johnson, VP of NBC Digital Networks. “With expert content that ranges from care-giving for both kids and older parents to fashion trend ‘don’ts’ to a look at apps for grown-ups, we’re confident that Life Goes Strong will deliver on its promise to celebrate the interests of mid-lifers.”

It seems that NBC has realized something we Boomers have known for a long time; not only are we still an integral part of this nation’s consumer economy, but we’re also a harbinger of the future. We live on the line where the analog world meets the digital one; and we’ve embraced both, making us a valuable asset to companies like NBC in their transition from strictly aired content to an online approach to visual media. We’ve brought our first-hand experience with change to today’s media, and NBC has taken notice.

As a child I can remember discovering my mother’s stash of 45 rpm singles and listening to the Everly Brothers crooning “Cathy’s Clown” and Connie Francis’ “Where the Boys Are”. My classmates thought I was crazy listening to ‘that old stuff’, but my Mom would always smile and sing along with me. In music we had a common bond.

Mom, like me, was a true music lover and found that she liked ‘my’ music as I hit my teens and started listening to the likes of Rush and Aerosmith. And then I went through my country phase and introduced her to Alabama and George Strait. We even attended a few concerts together.

Now I see my mother in me, as I find enjoyment both in the music of today and in the music of yesterday. I’ve attended concerts with my children (The White Stripes for one) and my son is an avid Rush and The Who fan. My daughter is going through that country phase and just introduced me to the Zac Brown Band–think ‘Chicken Fried’. It’s not a myth that music brings generations together.

Regardless of what ‘generation’ of music I find myself listening to , my day would be much less productive without it playing in the background as I work. But I will admit that every once in awhile I’ll stumble across songs from my past that for just a few minutes seem to transport me back in time. Like now…Bruce Springsteen is singing “Born to Run” and I’m on the back of a motorcycle just for a few minutes until the last notes of the song fade away…

And what about you? Do you have songs that bring back memories? We’d love to have you share them with us. Leave us a comment or write about it in the Boomer Voices section.

What signals spring for you? Is it the new leaves budding on the trees?  The first blossoms?  For many it’s being able to get out and preparing their gardens.  Whether it’s flowers, vegetables, herbs or a combination of all of them, there is just something about digging in and planting that is therapeutic.  In fact there are plenty of articles out there that will tell you exactly what the benefits of gardening can be, for example, stress relief.

Even me, someone who has long come to realize my thumb is far from green, can find enjoyment in adding small plants to containers and watching them grow and bloom.  Are you anxious to get your garden on?  Share it with us in the comments section below or via your own post in the Boomer Voices section.  And don’t forget, Baby Boomer News has a section called “Can You Dig It” for those gardeners among us.

I know I’m not alone in my techno-boomer status, because I’ve seen plenty of my contemporaries with iPhones and Blackberries, working on laptops from local coffee shops and sitting in airports with the recognizable white iPod headphones.

But what about you?  What technology have you embraced and what have you rejected?

Are you excited about the iPad or do you see it as just another high priced techno-toy?

Do you depend on techno gadgets?   Are you a Techno-Boomer?  Share your thoughts on the latest techno gadgets right here in the comments section or write your own post about it in the Boomer Voices section.

I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the less enthusiasm I have regarding New Years Resolutions.  Of course it could be my history of breaking them before Valentine’s Day.

Regardless of my lack of enthusiasm, it doesn’t stop me from making them.
This year the old standby to lose weight is there disguised as ‘eat healthier’ and ‘get more exercise’.  Another repeat is to give back to my community in some way, shape or form.
I’ve added a few new ones too, like staying in touch with family and friends better. I’ve even taken action on that one by building a family website where all of us can check in on each other.
I’ve decided to try to look upon them less as yet another resolution and see them more as goals to enrich my life this year and beyond.
How about you?  Do you make resolutions for the New Year?  If so, we’d love to hear about them.  Leave a comment or share it in the Boomer Voices section.

I remember the Mystery Date game. It was my aunt’s favorite game and I can remember playing it with her often. I also remember several gifts that I practically begged Santa to bring me for Christmas.

The first was the Barbie Camper Van. I was big into Barbie as a 7or 8 year old, and my own family had the neatest VW camper van, so it stood to reason I wanted my Barbies to have one too. I can remember not only sending a request on my letter to Santa, I also passed it along when I sat on Santa’s lap.

The second gift that I remember feeling was the most important thing in the world for me to have was a bicycle. But not just any bicycle, a pink bicycle with a banana seat. Remember those? I was on my very best behavior from October through December in the hopes that being good would convince Santa Claus that I should be the proud owner of that bike.

Luckily, I didn’t suffer the same fate as Laura and Neil in the movie, they didn’t get their special gifts and stopped believing in Santa. Santa came through for me. In fact, I can still remember the excitement of seeing that camper van, left unwrapped under the sparkling tree with a live action barbie to go with it. A few years later my banana seat bike stood reflecting the colored lights of the Christmas tree. That’s right, I still believe in Santa Claus.

How about you, can you remember a gift or gifts you just knew Santa would bring you?

I’m thrilled to announce that the December issue of The Baby Boomer News Magazine is now available online!  That’s right. Now those of you that don’t live in the publication area can enjoy the great stuff that fills our pages.  See why The Baby Boomer News is fast becoming a Boomer favorite!

Look for the December issue in our sidebar t o the right or click here to read it today.

Boomer-preneurs.

Many of us are starting our own businesses for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it’s to supplement our retirement funds or to follow a dream.  For others it may be a way to give back to their community, turn a hobby into extra cash or deal with being laid off.  Whatever the reason, we’ve become the largest growing segment to become entrepreneurs.
And it only makes sense.  We have years of experience and expertise to bring to the table.
So what about you? Are you a  boomer-preneur?  Do you want to be?  Did you/are you starting a business to supplement your retirement income or to follow a dream of being your own boss?
Whatever the reason, we want to hear about it.  Leave a comment on this post or share your story in Your Boomer Voices.

“I read your magazine when I got home.  Really enjoyed it.  Keep up the good work.  Two stories hit me.  The first, Woodstock.  I was there.  I was a flower child.  Totally brought me back to the moment.  Also pg 28.  “We are the Baby Boomers”.  Oh, yes we are!!!  I was cheering with that one.  I felt like I was standing on a mountain top saying, “I am a baby boomer and proud of it.  Check me out at 60.  I am not my grandmother!  No housedress, apron and rocking chair for me.  NO THANK YOU.  Although, I certainly honor and admire the woman she was in her time.” Sandi Dickinson

“Recently my wife and I relocated to Huntersville, from snowy Syracuse, for semi-retirement purposes.  Upon our visit to Harris Teeter, in Cornelius yesterday, we were both delighted to first see  your magazine in the rack at that store.  In Syracuse we were regular readers of the 50Plus Magazine which is a Central NY Publication that many people look forward to on a monthly basis.  After we both consumed your publication we both feel that void is now filled.  Many useful articles as well as an ad for something we want to do this weekend (The Festival at Latta Plantation).  Thanks much for making us both feel  more at home.” Joe Starociak

“Congratulations on your first issue! This is great what you are doing, and I look forward to contributing in some way, especially for those of us who are parents of young adults and wondering how to do this well…

How can I get a hardcopy of the print magazine if I am in New England?” Susan Alle