A short reflection on reading Dr Angela Robertson’s book ‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+’
I think that some of my friends know that I am preoccupied at the moment in a piece of writing relating to our spiritual lives post retirement. It has happily emerged out of a number of conversations where colleagues and students have asked me to define my use of the word generativity in older age. This book landed on my desk as part of that research. It is a book that explores why individuals in the second half of life choose to change gears and to set up a business for the first time in later life. Dr Robertson indicates that it is not insignificant that this has been steadily increasing since the onset of Covid.
I suppose there may be a number of provisos to name for any of you tempted to pick up this short book which definitely falls into the how to do it category of those tantalising books that line the shelves of airport bookshops and newsagents. It is clearly written and invitational in its tone and approach. It features a number of short stories of what she describes as every day in New Zealanders. they are a varied bunch who share one thing in common- they have all started up a new venture in the second half of their lives.
Eleven chapters map the geography with admirable clarity and brevity. Motivation, mindset, challenges, and the possibility in midlife of an identifying both gaps and opportunities in the marketplace are core issues. These might be described as people who simply didn’t want to face the oblivion of retirement and were ready to plunge straight into the water to try something new. It wasn’t all about money, though, some have succeeded and been rewarded in their endeavours.
So what do we learn about these 33 interviews in relation to the decision to move from the edge of the water and take a dive into an uncertain pool of possibility and opportunity?
They share a resilience and positivity about maturing years. They show us that older age does not mean the narrowing down of perspective, ambition or choice. There was no template to follow. Some of these individuals spent significant amount of time doing their homework and research but others simply took the plunge.
Four factors shape the crafting a new adventure.
1. A life changing experience. Visiting a different continent might have shifted the very ground that gave them comfort or security. This experience was so fundamentally significant that they knew they must do something different.
2. They have experienced illness or tragedy and perhaps aware that they like us have a limited lifespan. They seize the moment for a new opportunity.
3. Another factor is midlife. These individuals looked back at what their lives have been like and then forward with the realisation that they simply did not need to do keep on doing what they were doing!
4. Finally some of the entrepreneurial spirit is born out of an opportunity they had spotted, a gap in the market that needed filling!
There may be other factors associated with the way in which older age makes us bolder and ready perhaps to take some risks for adventure, fulfilment and even leaving the world a better place for our small contribution.
What Robertson very skilfully succeeds in doing is to use these stories to offer practical advice to any reader who might want to think about what they need to do to change your mindset, where the challenges and potential pitfalls might be in setting up a new business. the book is full of tips and techniques alongside some useful websites.
The mantra “You can turn your hand to anything or learn new things if you believe you can.” lands and generatively throughout these pages and from that perspective it’s a useful read for anyone who wishes to think about their lives, their losses and aspirations, their hopes and fears especially in relation to the shape and purpose of the second half of our lifespan.
I’m not sure quite that I’m ready to set up a new business, but I do think that Robertson succeeds in inviting us all into a different perspective on aging. I’m intrigued about living legacy and wondering if I were to set up a new business in my early 60s what it might be! Watch this space….
For further information about the work of Angela Robertson visit her website