Older Women Rule

When my Mom built her last company, she was in her mid-50s. Like many women who are told they look haggard in the mirror (thank you, media), they turn to Botox, eye-lifts, and facelifts. My Mom had a facelift because, as she put it, I am building a sales company, and I need to look young and energetic, and nobody needs to know how old I am. I get it as someone who has worked in industries where I am the oldest in the room.

I have had the joy of working with countless strong, impressive women. I have watched them come into themselves as they became more successful, older, and wise, and how that has changed their mojo. Those who pitched a seed round differed significantly from when they pitched the C and D rounds.

Each decade layers on one’s experience, which changes the game, the confidence, knowledge, and ownership of oneself. I have friends who have gone back to school and completely changed their careers in their 50s. Instead of being slackers, they now get straight A’s. And getting started in this new career is no biggie. They are friends who own their lives more substantially than they have in the past.

I read last week that women’s confidence and self-esteem rise in their 50s, compared to men, who plateau. This creates different dynamics, and many women’s priorities change after 50, reflected in taking care of their needs.

Perhaps this is one of the joys of humans living much older. More women are coming into themselves at such a later date, and younger generations are witnessing that. Although many Americans seem hellbent on keeping women at home or giving them rungless ladders so we can’t step up to be top of our game and want to control our bodies, women make up over 50% of the workforce. We are building companies, we are sitting on boards, we are running publicly traded companies, we are running universities, we are making films and art. It is rare to see a company without female representation these days.

All of these points rolled up into one are positive ones that I hope continue to change the game for all women regardless of age.