Lynne Beverly Strang's Blog

Bill Mould

A note from Lynne: Bill Mould passed away recently. This post first appeared in 2011. I am resharing it as a tribute to Bill, a man with many interests who thoroughly enjoyed his second act as a builder of custom bicycle wheels. 

Many cyclists, especially recreational riders, are just fine with factory-built, standard wheels.  Then there are the racers, triathletes, commuters, and others who are particular about how their bike rubber me...

By Lynne Beverly Strang, Late Blooming Entrepreneurs

Mara Perlmutter launched Trelawear in 2019 to offer good-looking emergency alert wearables for women like her mother.

Mara Perlmutter’s entrepreneurial journey began seven years ago in a very ordinary place: the living room of her parents, Bernie and Sally.

Concerned that Sally’s declining health put her at risk for a fall, Bernie ordered five different emergency alert devices and had them delivered to his home in Bergen County, NJ. He asked M...

Jenny Doan, Missouri Star Quilt Company

Who would think you could reinvent your whole life at age 50? It’s a question Jenny Doan still ponders, even though she did just that.

Jenny is a co-founder of the Missouri Star Quilt Company, which offers over 30,000 bolts of fabric along with hundreds of its own quilting patterns, quilt kits, a quilting magazine (called BLOCK), and a huge selection of precut quilting fabrics. She’s also the star of the company’s free YouTube tutorials about quilting that...

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

For entrepreneurs, there’s nothing like the excitement that comes with creating a new company, a new service or a new product. Or maybe a new process that’s better than an existing one.

But here’s the problem: People fall in love with their ideas. Eager to get started, they rush forward with the idea without taking the time to vet its viability.

In many business circles, this vetting process is known as “proof of concept.” Although definitions vary, I especially lik...

Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash

A few weeks ago, I was a guest speaker at a meeting held by the Dallas Chapter of Women of Visionary Influence (WoVi), whose mission is “to empower women to lead and mentor.” Each member has access to a mentor to help her achieve, succeed and prosper in her chosen path in life.

My participation in the WoVi meeting was a powerful reminder of the importance of mentoring for achieving goals. That’s especially the case when it comes to starting a business or launchin...

A proud moment for Ivy Vaughn and her family at the official opening of Sleepy Jean’s Candle Co.

When Ivy Vaughn held her August 3 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Sleepy Jean’s Candle Co., she wasn’t just celebrating the opening of her new candle business. She also paid tribute to her mother, Barbara Jean, who passed away in 2020.

As explained in this TimesNews article, Barbara Jean loved The Monkeys’ 1968 recording of “Daydream Believer” and the song’s catchy refrain (“Cheer up sleepy Jean/Oh what ...

Mark Twain once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

For some lucky people, “the day you find out why” arrives at an early age. But for many of us, finding our passion takes longer.

Vera Wang was 40 when she launched her beautiful line of bridal wear.

Pat Brown was almost 60 when he decided to find a way to produce delicious, affordable meat and dairy products directly from plants....

Photo by Kadir Celep on Unsplash

For business owners, COVID-19 brought many, many challenges. Yet the last year or so was also a time when some aspiring 40-and-older entrepreneurs decided to act. In some cases, these entrepreneurs moved forward on business ideas they’ve thought about for years. In others, they pursued new causes that presented themselves as a direct result of the pandemic.

Here’s a sampling of these businesses:  

Shakadi Arts – A paint-and-sip concept streamed via Zoom b...

Photo by theverticalstory on Unsplash

For entrepreneurs, a key trait for success is resilience. While that’s always been the case, an ability to weather tough times matters more than ever as the pandemic continues to upend the world.

To boost your resilience, consider these suggestions:

1) Think long-term. As seen from such disrupting events as 9/11, the 2008 mortgage meltdown – and now COVID-19 — a crisis changes the way we live and operate. This disruption, in turn, creates new needs – and new...

By Lynne Beverly Strang, Late Blooming Entrepreneurs

As Stuckey’s CEO, Stephanie Stuckey aims to continue the legacy started by her grandparents.

For almost three decades, Ethel “Stephanie” Stuckey had a successful career in environmental law, sustainability and politics. Now she’s gone in a totally different direction for her next chapter.

In 2019, Stephanie became a first-time business owner at age 53 when she bought Stuckey’s, the roadside pecan stores begun in Eastman, Georgia by her grandpa...