Welcome to LadyBoomer Living
Empowering you to live your best life.
Hi, I’m Heather, the founder of Ladyboomer Living. Like many of you I wanted to spend more time with my friends and family as well as have more time for my hobbies (interior design, refinishing furniture, reading chic-lit and writing). However, I always felt constrained by the worry of wondering if I was ever going to be able to afford to retire or, if I did retire, what was I going to do with my time and would I be able to finance my travel and other goals I still wanted to achieve.
After thirty-five years as a Registered Nurse, I was tired of the long and erratic hours, always having to schedule, and then often cancel lunch with friends as well as many other appointments. I was always under the pressure of being expected to work extra shifts at work to show I was a ‘team player’ while trying to achieve some kind of life-balance (whatever that looked like).
When I did have time for myself, I was usually too tired to do much, and frankly a PJ day and time to myself was a much enjoyed luxury. I was definitely stuck in a rut and not sure of the way forward.
But it wasn’t always like that.
After a relatively short career in retail, I went into nursing at age twenty-nine and quickly ascended through the ranks to clinical leadership and management. My nursing career has afforded me the opportunity to be a leader, a change agent, an entrepreneur, national speaker, presenter and author, as well as a bedside nurse, and it has been an interesting and rewarding journey.
Twenty years ago, at the age of forty-seven, I moved from Yorkshire, England to Florida, with my hubby of 47 years, not knowing what we would find here in the USA. I was ready for an adventure and a different working environment.
Our cultures are very different, but not necessarily in a bad way. At times it has been fun, other times bewildering, often challenging, but never boring. But as a British ex-pat I have embraced the challenge of living in the USA. despite missing a good plate of Fish and Chips and have yet to find anything as good in the USA as those from blighty.
During my time in the USA I have started two successful companies (one of which is now closed as I was travelling away from home too much for my liking), had 2 books published, have written many articles for academic journals, and still work as the Editor-in-Chief, of an international health care journal.
Along the way I also adopted my wonderful fur baby Buster- 24lbs of love and purring, who kept me company for many years until he suddenly passed 2 years ago. Now I have a 2-year-old ginger (what was I thinking of) called Haverty, who is constantly on the go and is affectionately known as “psycho” by my hubby.
So, what am I doing now? Like many of you I find myself caught in a situation determined by what I need to do rather than what I want to do, with financial reality often dictating my choices. Also, I’m not sure whether I even want to fully retire from nursing, even though I have so many other options I am wanting to pursue. The socialization of being part of a group through work is a strong pull for me. I am a people-person and I have to admit the extra money is very useful as well. Remember those bucket list goals?
In my decision- making process (which has been ongoing for a few years) I have made a very important realization about myself, and I think about other women of my age group. It’s not so much about what I am doing. It’s about how much control I have in doing it, and how empowered I feel to take back that control and make decisions that allow me to be who I want to be.
My goal for you. I have learnt so much in my empowerment journey and continue to learn each day. I’ve gathered some great resources along the way that I would like to share with you. My goal is to help you become the facilitator of your own change, on your terms in order that you can live your best life.
Remember! As women we are a powerful group, and as Ladyboomers we are a large, influential, and very significant portion of the population. I hope you will join me as we take the next steps in this process together- enjoying some fun times and trivia along the way.
Heather
It’s time to take back control, live your best life and embrace the challenges of this journey.
