Recently I had the good fortune to spend some time with a couple of people who were clearly doing their finest work… and frankly, neither was a spring chicken.
This got me thinking about all the older entrepreneurs I know who are doing some really wonderful stuff later in life. They may not have started out as opinion leaders and ground-breaking entrepreneurs, but years of learning and growing is now starting to pay dividends.
I hopped online in search of others. Here are a few older entrepreneurs you’ll recognise:
Back to chickens, I was surprised to discover that Colonel Sanders didn’t get KFC going until he was in his sixties – unlike whippersnapper Ray Kroc who launched the first McDonald’s franchise at age fifty-nine.
Delving further back in time, what about Cézanne? Evidently he was a pretty lousy artist until he was well into his forties, and Roget dragged his heels on his thesaurus until he was pushing seventy.
And so the list goes on. The thing with all of this is to remember that some things take time and most things need time.
As the year gains momentum, let’s take care to enjoy the journey.
In our own business, results rarely come at the precise pace we’d like and frankly, if we’re having fun, what’s the hurry?
Go on, give it to me straight and share your blooming thoughts.
“ I was surprised to discover that Colonel Sanders didn’t get KFC going until he was in his sixties. ”
Robert Gerrish is one of the Flying Solo crew and supports soloists as a coach and consultant. He presents at conferences and networking events and bangs on to the media or anyone who listens, about all things micro. Along with Sam Leader and Peter Crocker, he's the co-author of Flying Solo – How to go it alone in business.
