Porsha Williams’ Sequin Duster Jacket in Greece

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 12 Episode 17 Fashion

Porsha Williams’ sequin duster jacket in Greece was so glam and gorgeous. And I’d say when we first saw Porsha in this it was her best moment of the episode, however, her confessional about the pussy galore stray cats has to be one of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen on Bravo. Down the road I think if being on Housewives doesn’t work out for Porsha for some reason, she totally has a future in stand up comedy. And she’s even got the perfect sequin lewk to wear on stage.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Free People Sequin Duster

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Originally posted at: Porsha Williams’ Sequin Duster Jacket

When I talk with other people of my generation about starting a business, the most common response that I get is along the lines of “I’d love to start a business… but, I have no idea what to do.”

This answer always surprises me because, for the most part, people in their 40s, 50s and 60s have more experience, skills and financial resources than any other age group. With decades in the workforce shouldn’t we see opportunities in every direction?

As I dig a little deeper, I usually find that there is a core assumption that holds people back from finding profitable business ideas – they believe that they need to find new business ideas that no-one has ever thought of before.

Given the way that business success stories are portrayed on TV, I’m not surprised that so many of us feel this way. After all, Silicon Valley is all about “disruption” of existing (old and boring) industries and companies like Uber, eBay, PayPal and Facebook are held up as the quintessential examples of start-up success.

In reality, the great majority of successful businesses will never be the next billion-dollar company – and that’s OK! Most of us, especially those of us in our 40s, 50s or better aren’t looking to take over the world… we just want to take control of our world.

If we abandon the idea that we need to build something big to be successful, we find that the process of coming up with a business idea is not as hard as it sounds.

The first X questions will help you to identify your strengths. Then, I’ll introduce some questions that will help you to find the intersection point between your passions and other people’s pains.

First, let’s talk about how to identify your passions.

3 Questions to Help You Identify Your Skills and Passions

What business skills have you acquired to date?

One of the things that is different about starting a business at 50 – as opposed to 20 – is that you already three decades of experience to draw on.

Unlike college students, who often find themselves having to develop radical ideas to make up for their lack of experience, older entrepreneurs can identify opportunities for incremental improvement.

Start with tangible skills, like engineering, graphic design or copywriting. Then, move on to less tangle skills and personality traits such as an ability to solve complex problems or creative thinking and brainstorming skills.

What are you passionate about?

Another way of asking this question is “What activities do you take part in that leave you feeling energized?”

A quick word of warning: try not to list things just because they sound good. For some reason that I cannot explain, people always tend to list at least one sport in their list of passions. Many of these same people see their chosen physical activity as a “necessary evil.”

Don’t fall into this trap. Write down the activities that you are genuinely passionate about, without thinking about what others would think. Do you read into the early hours of the morning? Do you create websites for fun? Are you passionate about politics? Do you get a charge from helping people? It’s time to get writing!

What do your friends ask you to help them with?

This may sound like a strange question, but, in many cases, it can trigger new business ideas. For example, I have a friend who can fix anything mechanical. From toasters to PCs, all he needs is a little time and he can have your broken item fixed in no time. Another friend of mind is always being asked to give feedback on other peoples’ websites. My friends always come to me for advice about starting a business. What do your friends ask you to help with?

Now, let’s talk about how to identify new business ideas.

3 Questions to Help You Generate New Business Ideas

If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that I am not a big fan of the “do what you love” school of thought when it comes to starting a business. Far too often, I find that this approach either results in crappy businesses or, worse, it kills peoples’ passions.

Good new business ideas are built at the place where your passions and other people’s pains meet. In other words, what can you do to help other people? Here are a few questions to help you start converting your passions into profit.

What do people who share your passions struggle with?

Before starting any new business, I would recommend spending several months researching your potential target market. Get involved in discussion forums. Go to meetups. Attend conferences. Do whatever it takes to gather information about what people want and need.

Start to create a list of all of the complaints that you hear. For example, let’s say that you currently work as a veterinary assistant. You are thinking of starting your own pet-related business, but, you don’t know where to start.

Of course, the first thing to do would be to start paying attention to the conversations that you have with your patients. Do they complain about having to clean the cat’s toilette? Are their animals having behavior problems? Are their dogs too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter? Any one of these questions could lead to a profitable business – some services based and some requiring product development.

What problems have you always wished someone would solve?

You need to be careful when asking this question. There is a fundamental bias that each of us has to assume that everyone around us thinks the same way that we do. As a result, if you only think about your own frustrations, you might assume that the demand for a particular product or service is higher than it really is.

So, once you have a list your own frustrations and problems written down, be sure to verify them with your potential target audience. Ask other people on forums and in person if they are facing the same challenge.

Another word of warning: many people are happy to write down the problems that they think someone should solve. Fewer are willing to research whether someone has actually solve them! Maybe they don’t want to know that they face competition. Or, maybe brainstorming is simply more fun than research. Whatever the reason, don’t fall into this trap!

Remember that competition is not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it is an indication that a market exists for your potential product or service. The goal is to find a place that you can incrementally add value. So, research your competitors and ask yourself what you could do better.

Where do your passions meet other peoples’ pains?

Businesses make money by reducing other peoples’ pains. It’s that simple. Along the way, they capture some of the value that they create by making other peoples’ lives better.

In some ways, the most fun part of brainstorming new business ideas is coming up with ideas for improving other peoples’ lives, using your own skills and passions.

Let’s go back to our veterinary assistant.

Maybe she studied engineering at university before dedicating her life to looking after our furry friends. Could she invent a better cat toillete? Maybe.

Perhaps she has been studying dog training for years and feels that large dog owners could benefit from a series of educational videos helping them to take control.

Maybe she volunteers at a youth center and sees an opportunity to start a pet walking business in which she would connect teenagers looking for work with busy pet owners looking for help.

The opportunities are endless and, as this example shows, your skills don’t have to be limited to things that you can do yourself. If you are good at coordinating others, this can form the basis for a profitable business.

I hope that you find these questions useful as you begin the process of brainstorming your own new business ideas. Do you have any other techniques for developing business ideas? Please let us know in the comments below.

Would you like to start a business? What techniques have you used to start to generate new business ideas? What advice would you give to the members of our community who are thinking about starting a new business for the first time? Please join the conversation.

By the time we
reach our 50s and 60s, we finally realize that the best way to become a
millionaire in retirement is to start investing 10% of everything you make in
your 20s. Now, if someone could just invent a time machine so that we could go
back and give ourselves a good talking to, we would be set!

Unfortunately,
time being the tricky thing that it is, we are stuck with our past financial
decisions and can only look to the future. But, beyond doubling-down on saving,
what can we do to improve our financial situation in the years leading up to (and
during) retirement?

The answer is
simple… we just don’t want to admit it. The only way to create true wealth,
when you don’t have decades to let compound interest do its work, is to start a
business.

The good news
is that many of us have tangible skills that we can use to build a profitable
business. We also have a rolodex (remember those?) filled to the brim with
business contacts, old colleagues and personal acquaintances. And, compared to
the teenagers who are living on Ramen noodles, while they build their next app,
we are positively flush with cash.

So, why, if we
have so many things going for us, do so few older adults take the plunge and
start businesses. Through my conversations with hundreds of men and women over
50, I have identified 4 excuses that hold us back. I hope that sharing them
here will help you to have the confidence to build something great.

“I Don’t Have an Idea for a Business”

There is an
old saying that “if you do what you love, the money will follow.” This is only
half true.

Choosing a
business idea that you are excited to work on every day is essential.
Otherwise, you are likely to burn out and quit in the first year. But, by
itself, passion isn’t enough. You also need to have a product or service that
makes other people’s lives better.

In other
words, building a profitable business is about finding the sweetspot between
what you love and what others are willing to pay for.

In a previous
article, on our sister site, Sixty and Me, I gave 6
questions that anyone can use to generate business ideas. I’ve included the
questions here, but, I also encourage you to read the original article, which
goes into much more detail about each.

First, here
are 3 questions to help you identify your skills and passions:

What business
skills have you acquired to date?

What are you
passionate about? Or, what activities do you look forward to?

What do your
friends, family members or colleagues ask you to help them with?

Next, here
are 3 questions to help you generate business ideas:

What do people
who share your passions struggle with?

What problems
have you always wished someone would solve?

What are other
people already being paid to do that you could do better?

“No One Will Fund My Business… VCs are Totally Ageist”

Like our
younger counterparts, many potential entrepreneurs and small business owners
think that starting a company is all about getting funded. And, who can blame
them? Spend 10 minutes on a site like TechCrunch and you could be forgiven for
believing that VCs (venture capital companies) are handing our $10-million
checks like T-shirts at a technology conference.

The truth is that
the vast majority of startup ideas are never funded. And those that are funded
usually have some kind of traction before the best companies are willing to
back them. So, if you are waiting for someone to fund your idea, you will likely
be waiting for a loooooong time!

Even if you
have a background in IT or development and want to create a software or app
company, the startup costs that you will face are literally 100 times less than
just a decade ago. And, if you can’t find $5,000 – $10,000 to get started with
your company, it was probably never going to work out.

Besides, the
majority of older adults that I talk to don’t want to start technology
companies. More often, they want to make money from the skills that they
already have, as a consultant or freelancer. And, if all you need is a simple
website and some business cards, financial freedom could be just a few $100
(and a ton of sweat, blood and tears) away.

“I’m Too Old to Start a Business”

Well, if you
really feel that way… you probably ARE too old to start a business, but, not
because of the number of candles on your birthday cake. You are not being held back
by how old you are. You are being held back by how old you feel!

Think you’re
too old to start a business? Tell that to Leo Goodwin, who started GEICO at age
50. Or, Harland David Sanders, who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 62.
Or, Wally Blume, who started Denali Flavors in his 50s.

Better yet,
tell the thousands of Baby Boomers who start successful consulting business or
open a franchise every year that you are “too old to start something new.” I
hope that they can convince you better than I can that age really is just a
number.

“I’m Too Tired to Start a Business… I Just Want to Rest a
Bit”

For some
people, self-esteem isn’t the problem; it is the feeling that they have worked
for long enough and that now, in “retirement” or “semi-retirement,” they are
ready to relax.

Whenever
someone gives me this excuse, my response is always the same… “give it time!”
Most of us approach retirement after decades working for someone else. Some of
us loved our jobs, but, most didn’t. The hours were long and the rewards “just
ok.” Is it any surprise that the idea of working any more (even for ourselves)
is about as enticing as a trip to the dentist’s office?

For the first
year or two of retirement are what I call the “honeymoon phase or retirement.”
This is the time when most people travel a bit (if they can afford it), spend
time with the grandkids, read and catch up on their hobbies.

But, for many
of us, something strange starts to happen in the third or forth year in
retirement; we start to miss working. We don’t necessarily miss our old jobs,
but, we do miss feeling important, connected to others and needed. And, boy do
we miss having a little extra cash in our pockets at the end of the month!

Now, I’m not
saying that starting a business is for everyone. All I’m saying is that you
might want to assume that you will want to do some extra work in retirement, even
if you plan on relaxing in the first few years.

Let me give you a quick example. As most people approach retirement age, they just can’t help sharing their plans with their friends and co-workers. But, as I wrote in a previous article, making a big deal about your retirement can close off potential revenue streams in the future.

So, even if you never plan on returning to the business world, you might want to act like you do. Stay in touch with your colleagues and business partners on LinkedIn. Do a little part-time consulting, even if it is just for a few hours a week. Read the trade journals occasionally, even if it is just to smile at all of the BS that you don’t need to put up with anymore.

Basically, stay engaged, just in case you want to work again at some point in the future.

Want to Start a Business After 50? Go for it!

There is a
reason that older entrepreneurs tend to be more successful than their younger
counterparts. We have the skills, contacts, money and experience necessary to
succeed. The only thing holding ourselves back is… ourselves.

If you are 50
years old today, you might have 40-50 more years on this planet. You are not “old!”
You are just getting started.

How you choose to give back is up to you, but, if you have the time and skills, I would highly encourage you to at least consider starting a business.

This is one of the best ways to shape the world in your image and to ensure that your grandkids have a better shot at the American Dream than you did!

Have you
ever thought about starting a business after 50? Did you make it happen? If so,
how would you describe your experience starting a business? If not, what held
you back? Let’s have a conversation!

As I dance with this decade known as my thirties, I find that my number one skincare priority has shifted. No longer am I burdened by hormonal breakouts (shoutout to spironolactone). My chief concern is how to firm my skin at home, in order to maintain my complexion’s texture and elasticity. I basically want you to be able to throw cooked spaghetti at my face and have it bounce right back off. That’s a mixed metaphor, but I hope it still paints a seductive mental picture of super bouncy skin.

My career as a beauty editor has led me to amalgamate a decade’s amount of skin wisdom from top dermatologists with my own personal experience. I’ve functioned as a beauty guinea pig, testing the thousands of products that arrive on my desk. Unfortunately, you’re probably going to balk at my advice, because it’s not fun at all: Forget the 10-step skincare routine, put down the cute packaging and drop your coins on active, proven ingredients.

You will find that most truly efficacious products come in unsexy yet airtight containers, which keep their powerful ingredients potent for as long as possible. You will also find that these products command a much higher price tag than your average impulse buy, and they don’t smell like rose petals mixed with kitten feet. However, if you choose to eschew superfluous products in lieu of performance-based ones, you might find that your overall beauty budget will benefit–and your skin will look as fantastic as possible.

Doctors agree with me. “For firm skin, I recommend looking for products that contain growth factors and peptides. Growth factors are essential as they trigger collagen and elastin production which are essential to the skin’s matrix,” says Dr. David Shafer, of Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. “Peptides are amino acids that make up the building blocks of our skin which are also necessary for skin structure.”

Without further ado, my time-honed advice for maintaining your skin’s supple factor for the long haul. 

Play the long game with growth factors

SkinMedica.

Buy: SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum $281

Yes, this serum is expensive, but it’s one of the few topical products worth the sticker price: it boasts natural growth factors that spur skin to act and look younger. I’ve been using it for years, and my skin is consistently heralded with compliments. My own testimony aside, it’s one of the most doctor-endorsed products around. “SkinMedica’s groundbreaking research resulted in a formula comprised of naturally occurring growth factors (proteins), cytokines, antioxidants and matrix proteins that are responsible for healing the skin, and naturally boost the skin’s ability to rejuvenate itself,” says Dr. Shafer. Even though growth factors work over time to repair skin at a cellular level, I notice my skin looks younger and fresher within a few days of use. 

Apply peptides overnight for an instant boost

Elemis.

Buy: Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial $65

Combining growth factors with peptides provides the ideal one-two punch against sagging skin. Peptides are chains of amino acids that signal your skin to create new collagen, which is a very important structural protein for your skin. You may have heard of the ingestible collagen craze with its gummies and drink mixes, but there is actually zero research that proves that ingested collagen travels to your skin cells and fosters skin firmness. Zero. The best way to reap the benefits of collagen (other than a healthy diet) is to signal your skin to produce more of it with topical peptides. This silky overnight mask from Elemis acts like spackle for your skin. I wake up with glowy and plump skin in the morning, even after I’ve imbibed too many glasses of Sambuca.

Micro-needle one to two times a week

Sdara.

Buy: Sdara Microneedle Derma Roller $20

The benefits of micro-needling are twofold: first, poking tiny holes into your epidermis spurs skin to repair itself, sending fresh collagen and elastin to the surface. Secondly, micro-needling after applying a skincare product (such as the serums above) with active ingredients helps those ingredients penetrate deeper into your skin. If you’re forking over the cash for premium ingredients, you want to be absolutely certain you’re getting the maximum absorption and mileage out of them. While micro-needling may look scary, it’s not in the slightest, as long as you purchase a derm-approved tool laced with either stainless steel (more affordable) or gold-plated needles (less affordable) to assure cleanliness. I don’t always remember to microneedle my skin, but I try to do it at least once a week with the Environ Gold Roll. Whenever I do, my skin looks firmer and more even by the very next morning.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

As I dance with this decade known as my thirties, I find that my number one skincare priority has shifted. No longer am I burdened by hormonal breakouts (shoutout to spironolactone). My chief concern is how to firm my skin at home, in order to maintain my complexion’s texture and elasticity. I basically want you to be able to throw cooked spaghetti at my face and have it bounce right back off. That’s a mixed metaphor, but I hope it still paints a seductive mental picture of super bouncy skin.

My career as a beauty editor has led me to amalgamate a decade’s amount of skin wisdom from top dermatologists with my own personal experience. I’ve functioned as a beauty guinea pig, testing the thousands of products that arrive on my desk. Unfortunately, you’re probably going to balk at my advice, because it’s not fun at all: Forget the 10-step skincare routine, put down the cute packaging and drop your coins on active, proven ingredients.

You will find that most truly efficacious products come in unsexy yet airtight containers, which keep their powerful ingredients potent for as long as possible. You will also find that these products command a much higher price tag than your average impulse buy, and they don’t smell like rose petals mixed with kitten feet. However, if you choose to eschew superfluous products in lieu of performance-based ones, you might find that your overall beauty budget will benefit–and your skin will look as fantastic as possible.

Doctors agree with me. “For firm skin, I recommend looking for products that contain growth factors and peptides. Growth factors are essential as they trigger collagen and elastin production which are essential to the skin’s matrix,” says Dr. David Shafer, of Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. “Peptides are amino acids that make up the building blocks of our skin which are also necessary for skin structure.”

Without further ado, my time-honed advice for maintaining your skin’s supple factor for the long haul. 

Play the long game with growth factors

SkinMedica.

Buy: SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum $281

Yes, this serum is expensive, but it’s one of the few topical products worth the sticker price: it boasts natural growth factors that spur skin to act and look younger. I’ve been using it for years, and my skin is consistently heralded with compliments. My own testimony aside, it’s one of the most doctor-endorsed products around. “SkinMedica’s groundbreaking research resulted in a formula comprised of naturally occurring growth factors (proteins), cytokines, antioxidants and matrix proteins that are responsible for healing the skin, and naturally boost the skin’s ability to rejuvenate itself,” says Dr. Shafer. Even though growth factors work over time to repair skin at a cellular level, I notice my skin looks younger and fresher within a few days of use. 

Apply peptides overnight for an instant boost

Elemis.

Buy: Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial $65

Combining growth factors with peptides provides the ideal one-two punch against sagging skin. Peptides are chains of amino acids that signal your skin to create new collagen, which is a very important structural protein for your skin. You may have heard of the ingestible collagen craze with its gummies and drink mixes, but there is actually zero research that proves that ingested collagen travels to your skin cells and fosters skin firmness. Zero. The best way to reap the benefits of collagen (other than a healthy diet) is to signal your skin to produce more of it with topical peptides. This silky overnight mask from Elemis acts like spackle for your skin. I wake up with glowy and plump skin in the morning, even after I’ve imbibed too many glasses of Sambuca.

Micro-needle one to two times a week

Sdara.

Buy: Sdara Microneedle Derma Roller $20

The benefits of micro-needling are twofold: first, poking tiny holes into your epidermis spurs skin to repair itself, sending fresh collagen and elastin to the surface. Secondly, micro-needling after applying a skincare product (such as the serums above) with active ingredients helps those ingredients penetrate deeper into your skin. If you’re forking over the cash for premium ingredients, you want to be absolutely certain you’re getting the maximum absorption and mileage out of them. While micro-needling may look scary, it’s not in the slightest, as long as you purchase a derm-approved tool laced with either stainless steel (more affordable) or gold-plated needles (less affordable) to assure cleanliness. I don’t always remember to microneedle my skin, but I try to do it at least once a week with the Environ Gold Roll. Whenever I do, my skin looks firmer and more even by the very next morning.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.