How Old is Too Old to Be a Leader?

As a Baby Boomer, I have the mindset that you're never too old to set new goals and accomplish your dreams.  You know what they say, "Age is nothing but a number," and "Live your life and forget your age."  

Well Donald Trump is changing my attitude about how old is too old to do certain things--in this case TOO OLD to be President of the United States.  This man was born in 1946, making him a part of the first way of the baby boomer generation.  The year he was born, Jim Crow laws were in full effect. One month after his birth, two black couples were murdered by the KKK in Monroe, GA.  It is interesting to note that in 1927, Trump's father, Fred, was reportedly arrested during a KKK riot in Queens, NY.  Exactly what role he played is unclear although #45 vehemently denies his father had any ties to the Klan back then. (Washington Post article)

The point I'm trying to make here is growing older doesn't always make you wiser.  Many older people get stuck in their ways and in their past.  Some become senile.  Some are resistant to change--always referring back to the 'good ol' days' and wanting to 'Make America Great Again!'

#45 is a 70-year-old man who grew up in a golden bubble, where he was immune to the struggles of everyday Americans---especially minorities and immigrants.  The world he lives in has little tolerance for those who truly need a helping hand.  Yes, he vowed to take care of his supporter base but since he has no real connection to or understanding of them, he is going to rely heavily on white nationalist Stephen K. Bannon (age 63) to guide him along. And if I may say so, Bannon looks like he truly came out of rural white America. 

The behavior of #45 makes one question if he is mentally all there.  Some psychiatrists have actually come out and said he exhibits signs of mental illness.  Perhaps, he is on the road to dementia, since his own father developed Alzheimer's late in his life.   His temperamental behavior at press briefings leads me to believe he's just cantankerous, which is an adjective to describe old people.  

Whatever the case might be, he is too old to be in office and, personally, I think it's time to revisit a portion of the Constitution:

Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

• No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

LIMIT the age you're able to run to 60.

Whatever Happened to Dress to Impress

For those of you who are regular readers of my blog you know that I have been in and out of the workforce for the past 10 years. As much as I love having my own business and calling the shots, I still have to keep a roof over my head and food on the table, without solely passing the buck onto my "I've got your back" husband.

In August of this year, I started training for a position in a Company I prefer not to mention.  From Day One, I was shocked to see how my Millennial co-workers chose to come to work.  Some looked as though they had just gotten out of bed and threw the first thing on they could find.  Others wore clothes so tight I thought for sure they would split something somewhere.

The icing on the cake was a dress down day called Wacky Wednesday, where you were invited to wear the most outlandish outfit you could find.  I decided to participate to show I could be a team player.  I wore a T-shirt with a copy of the cover of my book on the front (shameless advertising), some blue jean capris, mix-match tennis shoes and socks.  For me, it was totally wacky because I would never been seen dressing like that for work or anywhere else for that matter.  

As I looked around to see who else was participating and who wasn't, I had a hard time figuring it out so I didn't dare say anything to anyone for fear of insulting them.  

It's obvious business attire has changed significantly over the years, especially in the last 20 years. Too many people have forgotten why proper business attire is important. It seems as though the younger you are, the less you care about the idea of "dressing to impress" in the workplace. The philosophy could be, "As long as I do my job, what I choose to wear should be no big deal." 

I do believe there are dress codes in place in the workplace for a reason and there should be a difference between the way you dress for work and the way you dress at home or when you go to the club.

But on the other hand, maybe these are Millennials who are just starting out and really don't know what dressing to impress means.  They don't know how their attire brands them.  Maybe they don't have the money to afford what is classified as real business attire or maybe they just can't invest because they have other obligations like "family."

Perhaps being an aging baby boomer has turned me into an old-fashioned, judgmental cynic who is trying to raise everyone else's dress code standards based on my own.  After all, I've been in the workforce more nearly 40 years so I ought to know a thing or two about dressing to impress, right?  

Whatever else we think about dressing for success, we need to be reminded that first impressions are everything, and we only get one chance to make a positive first impression. 

What Happens When Your Entrepreneurial Light Starts to Fade After 50

My last day in a television newsroom was March 26, 2006. I decided to take a huge leap of faith and do what I love on my own terms. Plus I was totally sick of “breaking news” and the sensationalism and inaccuracy of the news business.

Three months later, my first book was published: Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age. It told my life story as a 40-something year-old woman dealing with subjects like working for younger know-it-alls, being back on the dating scene after 40 and suffering through menopause---all kinds of drama. With the book came a book tour, television appearances and speaking engagements. All of a sudden I was a go-to gal for baby boomers and I became a baby boomer expert. Life was good. PLUS the book became a best seller on Amazon.

From there, I created Boomer Diva Nation and started connecting with other women in my age group who were doing wonderful things to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. I also became an entrepreneur and formed a consulting start-up known as BAMedia. As a media consultant, I offered my expertise to my fellow boomers to help them get a leg up in their businesses. My motto was: “If it’s your time to shine, I can help you turn on the spotlight.”

I was networking my behind off. If there was an event, I was there trying to be seen AND heard. I wanted others to see my gifts, talents and expertise. I wanted them to know I had what they needed. I wanted to help them.

Two things I know FOR SURE about me: 1) I am a natural when it comes to being able to communicate. 2) I love helping others shine and helping them tell their own stories.

I was so sure this was the journey I was supposed to on. But as they say, a funny thing happened on the way to.....
In my case, a not-so-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-success.

I thought I had an entrepreneurial spirit that was shining so brightly that people around me would have to wear sunglasses just to be in my presence. But little did I know, spirit is not the same as heart.

So what went wrong? Stay tuned for the next post.

Solar Shades are Hip for Baby Boomer Divas

Recently, I was invited to try a new style of sunglasses offered by Solar Shield®. The sunglasses are designed to be worn over your own prescription frames and provide ultimate sun protection for eyeglass wearers. There were more than a dozen to choose from. Since red is my signature color I chose the designer temples.

I tried them on first without my eyeglasses and knew I was looking cute! Then I tested them with my prescription glasses. Sadly, they did not fit over my Michael Kors. That brings me to this point: When shopping for sunglasses, it may be wise to actually try them on instead of purchasing them without knowing specifically if it will be the right fit and style for your face. I'm sure if I had purchased them, the Company would've reimbursed me or allowed me to select another pair.

If you are planning to make a purchase of the solar shades, my recommendation would be to contact the Company directly FIRST to make sure you are ordering the right size for your prescription glasses. And they make it easy for you on their website:

Customer Service: 800.959.9038
Live representative available from 8:00am-5:00pm EST

Even if you don't get the sunglasses, you can also buy some Solar Shield® ClipOns and they also have a sizing guide on their website to help you find the correct fit.

I still absolutely love the solar shades I received from Solar Shield® and I will be sporting them while hanging out in the sun. No one has to know whether I can truly see or not. I just want to look like a cute and hip baby boomer diva!

Please note: I was offered compensation for my review of this product as a member of the Vibrant Nation Influencer Network.

Baby Boomer Facts about Social Security, Divorce and Death

Today on my Boomer Beat Radio Show, my guest (a retirement financial planner) told me something I was unaware of. He said if I divorced and never remarried, I would be entitled to the social security benefits of my ex upon his death.

Furthermore, according to the Social Security Administration website, if you are divorced, but your marriage lasted 10 years or longer, you can receive benefits on your ex-spouse's record (even if he or she has REMARRIED) if:

You are unmarried;
You are age 62 or older;
Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits and the benefit you are entitled to receive based on your own work is less than the benefit you would receive based on your ex-spouse's work.

And that's not all......if you remarry and that marriage ends by death, divorce or annulment you may still collect SS benefits from your ex.

To learn more about ex spouses and social security, check out this retirement blog

The Death of a Baby Boomer in Social Media

I am one of those baby boomers who's all over the internet. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter (@bevmahone), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Plus, Boomer Authority, Blogger, ShoutLife and yes, even MySpace.

I am a bonafide boomer and media go-to-gal with plenty to say but what happens to my social networking life when I'm no longer around. According to an article by the AARP, if you die without leaving specific instructions, the online service where the data is stored determines what to do with your information and content.

Once the folks at Facebook find out someone on the site has died, they give the family two options. They can deactivate the user's profile or "memorialize" it. A memorialized page will allow friends and family to continue to see the profile and post messages on the wall, but no one can log into the account, and the deceased's page will not show up in a search.

So you and I will not only have to decide how and who we want handling our financial affairs after we die, we also have to think about how we want our digital estate to be handled.

Would you like your Facebook friends to be able to see and post on your page after your death, or would you feel more comfortable if your profile is removed?

Baby Boomer Obesity and Paula Deen

In case you haven't heard, baby boomers are becoming known for more than being the "greatest generation." According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a unhealthy percentage of us are being treated for obesity. And who might we have to thank for that?

Some are now pointing their bellies, hips and thighs to the queen of southern cooking: Paula Deen. This week, Deen announced she has Type 2 Diabetes---even though she continues to promote her high fat, high calorie recipes as the "best tasting, finger-lickin' good" food you'd ever want to eat. It's no secret she has made millions off of non-suspecting baby boomers with her products and best selling book, Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible.

But now get this: Paula says she is now teaming up with Novo Nordisk to endorse the company's diabetes drug Victoza. Victoza is an injectable drug used with diet and exercise to control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. She also claims she will be donating a portion to the American Diabetes Association.

I wonder if the portion she plans to donate will be as hefty as those southern "kill me with a heart attack, hypertension, diabetes" dishes she's served up to us gullible boomers.

Baby Boomer Moms Need a Wake Up Call

There's a new survey out indicating more than half of baby boomer generation mothers support adult children financially. Of the women with children over age 18, nine percent said they had adult children living back home for indefinite periods. Twelve percent were primarily responsible for their adult child or their children's financial well-being and 31 percent said they had children who returned home, relied on them but expected to become independent.

The survey, based out of Orlando, Florida by The Kitchens Group only polled 441 women, which is a very miniscule number when you take into consideration there are nearly 40 million female baby boomers in the United Statessiut

So the question is, is this survey really a reflection of what is happening between boomer women and their grown children or is this a symptom of a weak economy? Or did some boomer parents give their children too much growing up, while failing to teach them how to get out and survive on their own terms?

Baby Boomer Mom Gives Birth to Her Own Grandson

Sixty-one-year-old Kristine Casey has a new grandson and it's one she gave birth to herself. The baby boomer mom gave birth to Finnean Lee Connell, her first grandchild, by way of a Cesarean section last week at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illionois after undergoing special hormone therapy leading up to the in-vitro fertilization.

Casey’s 35-year-old daughter asked her mother if she would carry the embryo she and her husband created from their own egg and sperm after several of her pregnancies failed to come to term.

Casey, who went through menopause 10 years ago, may have unofficially become the oldest woman in Illinois history to give birth after serving as a surrogate for her daughter, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Question is: Would you be a surrogate for your daughter in yur 50s or 60s?

A Baby Boomer's View of Memorial Day

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember Memorial Day as a time when we remembered the soldiers who fought and died for our country. My Uncle Bob was a WWII veteran. He was one of the lucky ones. He returned home from the war---even though he was shell-shocked. As a child, I didn’t understand the terminology but upon observing my uncle’s subsequent behavior over the years, I knew it had something to do with his inability to cope mentally back into society.

As a baby boomer, I have memories of Vietnam but I never knew anyone who died in the war. As a television reporter stationed at Camp Lejeune, I covered many stories of Marines preparing for Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm. I covered Memorials and some of the happy homecomings.

On this Memorial Day I have decided I am not going to mourn over the dead. Yes---I will pray for their souls and hope they discovered who God is---but on this particular day I choose to pray for the living. I will pray for the men and women who are in harm’s way daily. I will pray for their safekeeping until they are able to return home to loved ones.

More importantly, I will pray for peace.

First Annual Baby Boomer Girlfriend's Spring Break a Success

After spending a FABULOUS weekend in Daytona Beach for the First Annual Baby Boomer Girlfriend’s Spring Break, I am CONVINCED there are many of us out here who are doing great things. We many not be recognized by the masses but we are still a force to be reckoned with!!!

I want to personally thank those of you who believed in my vision and helped make it a reality. Baby Boomer actress Bern Nadette Stanis deserves a **special** thank you for her participation.

I am inviting you to become a member of Boomer Diva Nation and join us now and beyond as we work to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

See some of the pictures from the event at: http://www.enjoyyourmenopause.com

Are You A "Make-Do" Baby Boomer Woman?

Every now and then a "floating" email catches my attention---like this one did. It got me to thinking about the kind of woman I've become. Beverly Mahone is living fabulous at fifty and not lamenting on the would've, should've, could've of life. I'm NOT a "make-do" woman. I'm a "make-time" woman. What about you? If you identify with the type of woman described here, it's definitely time for a change.

When I was preparing to get married (the first time around more than 20 years ago), I started getting all sorts of advice especially at bridal showers and things like that from family and friends. But one of the most interesting "lessons" came from a woman I met for the first time, just a few weeks before the big day.

She said, "Honey, whatever you do, don't ever let yourself become a "make-do" woman" I had no idea what she meant, but, of course, she was about to explain.

She continued, "men" don't deny themselves anything. Whatever they want to buy, they buy. Whatever they want to do, they do. Meanwhile, there is the wife, making do with her hair not being done, her clothes from yesteryear, her nails in need, never had a pedicure, scraping the bottom of her tube of lipstick! Oh, I could go on and on with how "we" make do.

And why? Because the car needs fixing, this Bill is behind, we have to use our time to take care of this, or take care of that; we're saving for this, working, cooking, cleaning, raising, etc." She warned me to never become a make-do woman, because she says if you start, it is hard to stop and one could easily find themselves making-do for the rest of their lives.

I vowed it would never happen to me. I didn't think much more of the conversation until one day, I began to take notice, she was right. Men are a lot better at being good to themselves. Some call it being selfish, there has to be another word for it. Tell me if you know. Whatever you call it. It does have its place.

When they want to play ball, or golf, or fish, they go! When they want to buy clothes, or equipment, or video games, or whatever their "thing" is, they buy! Have you ever tried to stop one? Has anyone ever been able to stop one? Let me know! When I look around, I see a whole heap of make-do women, married or not, with or without children, they are all over the place!

I have decided that I am going to make my best effort to become a "make-time" woman! I will make the time to do what I need to do to be good to myself, whether that's a trip to the salon, or the gym or the mall. This time I'm going to take a lesson from the guys!

All right ladies, single and married... Let's NOT be a "MAKE-DO" Women!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

This is the time of year when we can expect to see holiday specials on just about every channel. Most of them I don’t bother to watch anymore-----but I can never get enough of A Charlie Brown Christmas. What baby boomer hasn’t sat and watched it at least a half dozen times?

I was eight-years-old when the Charles Schutlz classic made its debut on television. Year after year, I have watched it. I’ve danced during the piano rehearsal scene and cried when Charlie and the Peanuts gang gather around the tree at the end and sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” When my daughter was born, it became a tradition in my home to watch it together.

It came on again tonight. This time it was extra special because I got to watch it for the first time with my grandson. It's cool to be a baby boomer---to have grown up during a time when watching television was fun!

Where will you retire, baby boomer?

AARP, The Magazine recently announced its top five retirement communities. Since I’m a baby boomer who will eventually retire some day, I was eager to see the cities named. After reviewing the list, I wondered how they came up with those particular cities. Editor Steve Sloan says they looked at a variety of things including: "mass-transit systems so residents can drive less, expanded sidewalks to encourage walking, better health care, and a wide range of mixed use housing."

See for yourself:

Top Five Cities to Live in for 2007:

Atlanta, GA: A sophisticated metropolis with southern charm, Atlanta offers abundant volunteer and cultural opportunities. Retirees also appreciate the wide range of housing options.

My thoughts: Atlanta is, indeed, a metropolis---way too busy for me with traffic that would make you want to commit road rage or have a heart attack.

Beacon Hill in Boston, MA: This historically genteel part of Boston is full of culture and great restaurants. The Beacon Hill Village provides concierge style access to a network of support services for aging residents including transportation, healthcare and entertainment.

My thoughts: I’ve lived in Boston and know exactly where Beacon Hill is. It was EXPENSIVE to live there back then and I can’t imagine that its changed much. I certainly don’t want to use up all of my retirement money just trying to keep a roof over my head.

Chandler, AZ: Gracious desert living combined with an activist twist that encourages residents to get involved with the spirit of the town. A city climate and plenty of parks and open space provide ample recreation opportunities.

My thoughts: Never been there but the word “desert” doesn’t sit well for me with “hot flashes.”

Milwaukee, WI: An example of urban renewal at its best, Milwaukee features picturesque river walks and affordable water-front living.

My thoughts: Beer is brewed there, isn’t it?

Portland, OR: European charm meets environmental nirvana in this environmentally progressive city. 50-plus residents love the miles of safe bike lanes and the revitalized Pearl District.

My thoughts: I can’t see myself riding for miles on a bicycle; besides, I haven’t been on one in years.

OK…so here are my Top Five Places to Retire---in no particular order:

Asheville, NC
New Bern, NC
Merrimack, NH
St. Lucia (in the Caribbean)
Sedona, Arizona

What are YOUR Top 5?