Reinventing Yourself After 60, from a Woman Who Has Built Twice

People sometimes talk about turning 60 as if it is the beginning of slowing down. I see it differently. For me, it has been a time to look at everything I have learned, everything I have survived, and everything I still want to do, and ask, “What can I build now?”

I have built twice before, and both times I stepped into something unfamiliar.

Getting Laid Off Was the Start, Not the End

The first time came after I was laid off from my engineering job at Lockheed Martin in the late 1990s. It felt like a major setback. I had earned my degrees in electrical engineering and followed the path I thought would give me a stable career. Then that chapter ended.

I did not know it then but losing that job would push me toward work that would change my life and the lives of many other women.

The Problem I Could Not Stop Noticing

I founded Family Care Solutions, a nonprofit that helped low-income women with children stay in college. As a mother and former engineering student, I understood how hard it is to balance school, work, family, and childcare. These women were doing everything they could to build a better future, but the cost of childcare stood between them and a degree.

I saw a problem that needed a solution, so I created one.

Family Care Solutions went on to award more than $3 million in childcare scholarships. That experience taught me that changing someone’s life does not always require a grand idea. Sometimes it begins with paying attention to the obstacle that keeps getting in the way.

From Engineer to Inventor

Years later, I entered an entirely different world and became an inventor.

The idea for MinkeeBlue came from a problem in my own life that I call “overload bag syndrome.” Like many busy women, I carried two or three bags to get through the day. A purse, a laptop bag, a lunch bag, and sometimes a separate bag for my shoes. I juggled all of it between work, meetings, errands, and home.

I searched for one stylish bag that could organize it all and could not find it. I wanted a bag that reflected the way women actually live. Our roles change several times in a single day. We may be executives, commuters, mothers, caregivers, and travelers, sometimes all before dinner.

So I decided to design it myself.

My background was in electrical engineering, not fashion. I did not know how to manufacture a handbag, select fabrics, or present a product to retailers. What I did understand was how to look at a problem, break it into parts, and build a solution. I used that engineering mindset to create the compartment system inside the bag, which separates shoes, lunch, and personal items from everything else, so women can carry what they need without looking or feeling overwhelmed.

My First Prototype Came from Target

My first prototype was far from glamorous. I bought a bag from Target, took it apart, then cut, taped, stapled, and glued it back together to show how I wanted the compartments to work. It was rough, but it turned the idea in my head into something I could see, touch, and explain to others.

That taught me another lesson. You do not have to wait until everything is perfect to begin.

Designing the bag was only the beginning. I had to learn product development, manufacturing, patents, branding, ecommerce, and retail. I made mistakes. I worked with the wrong people. I spent money I did not need to spend. There were delays, disappointments, and moments when I questioned whether to keep going.

But I did keep going.

That handmade prototype became a patented brand featured on the Today Show, the Katie Couric Show, QVC, and America’s Big Deal, and sold through major retailers including Macy’s. Seeing MinkeeBlue at Macy’s was especially meaningful because I knew where it started: a store-bought bag, a pair of scissors, tape, staples, glue, and my belief that I could make something better.

Learning AI at 64

Now, in my 60s, I am learning and building again. This time it is artificial intelligence.

I am not a coder, and I did not grow up with this technology. When I started learning about AI, I often felt confused and overwhelmed. The language seemed unnecessarily technical, and most of the education was made for younger people or for those who already understood technology.

I could have decided that AI was not for me. Instead, I became curious.

I asked questions, experimented with different tools, and built projects even when I was not sure what I was doing. Every mistake taught me something. Eventually, that led me to create LizzyTeachAI, a platform that helps beginners, especially people over 50, understand and use AI without all the technical language.

The process felt familiar. Once again, I saw people being left behind. Once again, I believed I could help. And once again, I had to give myself permission to become a beginner.

Being a Beginner Is Not a Weakness

That may be the hardest part of reinventing yourself after 60. By this age, we are used to being experienced. Starting something new can make us feel awkward, uncertain, or even embarrassed.

But being a beginner is not a weakness. It is proof that you are still growing.

Reinventing yourself does not mean erasing who you were. It means bringing all of your knowledge, courage, disappointments, relationships, and lessons into something new. My engineering experience helped me design MinkeeBlue. My nonprofit experience taught me how to build around a real need. My years as an entrepreneur now shape how I approach AI.

Every chapter prepared me for the next one, even when I could not see the connection at the time.

You Are Not Starting from Scratch

If you are over 60 and thinking about starting something new, you do not need anyone’s permission. You are not too old, and you have not missed your opportunity. You may need to learn new tools, ask for help, or take smaller steps than you did when you were younger. That is fine.

Start with a problem you care about. Follow your curiosity. Let yourself learn as you go.

After 60, you are not starting from scratch. You are starting from experience.

And that may be your greatest advantage.

Over to You:

What problem in your own life keeps nagging at you? Could it be the start of something?