Reinventing Yourself Over 40 Isn’t Easy, But It Sure Is Worth It!

By Jackie Pilossoph, Creator and Editor-in-chief, Divorced Girl Smiling site, podcast and app, Love Essentially columnist and author

Almost every woman I know is in the same situation: We had a career before we had kids, and now we want to (or have to) go back to work and don’t know what the heck we’re supposed to do! Women over 40 want flexibility and they want to feel good and be passionate about what they do professionally. So, that usually means reinventing yourself, and anyone who has ever experienced it will tell you that reinventing yourself over 40 isn’t easy.

This week’s Love Essentially is the story of New York real estate agent, Annette Akers, who reinvented herself and is as happy as can be. Here is the article, which includes tips on reinventing yourself over 40!

Do you love yourself enough to reinvent yourself?

by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group

Eleven years ago, when Annette Akers up and moved to New York City after living her entire life in Illinois (19 years in Chicago), she was optimistic it was going to be great for her career.

“It was exciting, and I felt like moving to that market would help me grow with the company,” said Akers, who at the time was working in sales for a large medical device company.

But life took an unexpected turn. Claiming to this day that she was “bullied out of the company” by a male coworker who felt financially threatened by her success, Akers found herself out of a job two years later. A double whammy: It was during the 2007 recession.

“At first I wasn’t too worried about finding another job because it had always been easy for me in the past,” said Akers, who is now 50. “But when I started looking this time, I would always lose out to someone younger, and who was usually a male.”

During the years that followed, Akers tried starting her own company and performed contract work for medical companies. She ended up landing another medical sales job, but said it didn’t feel challenging or fulfilling. Akers said she felt frustrated and stuck. Then, one day, she had a realization. (click here to read the rest of the article, published in the Chicago Tribune and other major publications across the country.)

Like this article? Check out, “8 Job Searching Tips For Moms Going Back To Work After Divorce”

And, check out West Side Wednesdays, a creative marketing tool that Akers said has helped her business immensely!

 

 

 

Listen to the Divorced Girl Smiling podcast View the DGS trusted divorce professionals! Divorced Girl Smiling is now offering a private, no-cost, one-on-one phone consult

Sign up for the Divorced Girl Smiling newsletter to get articles on divorce and dating.

Sign up


    Gmail

    LinkedIn
    Divorced Girl Smiling welcome video
    Get a free consultation
    Joanne Litman - Eagle Strategies LLC
    Listen to the Divorced Girl Smiling Podcast
    Buy novels by Jackie Pilossoph Our Family Wizard

    Jackie Pilossoph

    Editor-in-chief: Jackie Pilossoph

    Divorced Girl Smiling is here to empower, connect and inspire you. Jackie Pilossoph is the creator and Editor-In-Chief of Divorced Girl Smiling, the site, the podcast and the app. A former television journalist and newspaper features reporter, Pilossoph is also the author of four novels and the writer of her weekly relationship column, Love Essentially. Pilossoph holds a Masters degree in journalism and lives in Chicago with her two teenagers. The author of the novels, Divorced Girl Smiling and Free Gift With Purchase, Pilossoph also writes the weekly dating and relationships advice column, “Love Essentially”, published in the Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press and the Chicago Tribune online. Additionally, she is a Huffington Post contributor. Pilossoph holds a Masters degree in journalism from Boston University.

    One Response to “Reinventing Yourself Over 40 Isn’t Easy, But It Sure Is Worth It!”

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *