All tagged Ageism
Getting older is something all of us have to deal with. And, especially in today's hyper-competitive, social media driven environment, it comes with its own challenges.
But, as I discuss in today's episode, the reality isn't quiet so black and white, which is heartening, because life is full of nuances. As are each of us.
You might have noticed the uproar this week over a video of Sanna Marin, Finland’s Prime Minister.
It showed the politician dancing with friends at a private party (in someone’s residence) over the summer. She was enjoying herself and, as you might expect at such parties, letting loose. Well, somehow, the video was leaked online and the uproar it caused was relentless and global, as you might expect in today’s social-media driven world.
I started playing golf back in 1996, while I was on a long term consulting assignment in Melbourne, Australia. I needed something to do on the weekends by myself, so I took a few lessons (not enough) and then started to play a local course a couple of times a month.
I remember one Saturday, I went out to the course with my friend and (former) colleague, Ben, and, as is normal, we were asked to pair up with another couple of golfers, who we didn’t know, so that we’d form a group of four.
I don’t mean to oversimplify (though I’m about to), but it seems to me that the biggest thing about getting older is that you begin to run out of excuses.
What I mean by that is that, as the years go on, as our experiences educate us, and as we start to realize what we value, we realize that the only reason we aren’t where we want to be, is because of us. Of the choices we’ve made.
This month kicks off 2021 with a few thoughts on mindset - and specifically getting our heads straight as we look forward to our goals and what we want to get done over the next 12 months.
In today's episode, I go on a bit of a rant about this idea of "age-appropriate". I don't know who came up with this idea but, frankly, it's nonsense and in this show, I talk about why.
So what’s the average age of successful entrepreneurs in the US? Not just entrepreneurs in general, but the founders at the fastest growing new ventures?
45.
That’s right. The average successful, high growth entrepreneur is, at founding, far older than conventional wisdom and the mainstream media would have us believe.
In my post on Monday (Are You Too Old?), I argued that, as an experienced professional, you had to lean into your age and experience instead of trying to downplay or avoid it. As such, you either look for those who value your experience and work with them, or take matters into your own hands, and do something for yourself. In other words, take it as a Call To Action and do what you want.
The interesting thing is that in trying to do what we want, many of us are hounded - constrained - by the same conventional wisdom that drove us to this point in the first place.
I recently came across a survey of US Tech Start-Up Founders by the venture-capital firm, First Round Capital, that yielded an insight that I think most of us, explicitly or implicitly, know to be the case:
37% said age is the strongest investor bias against founders, while 28% cited gender and 26% cited race.
Age is the strongest investor bias. No surprise there. And while the survey was focused on Tech, I don’t think it would be a stretch to envision this to be the case across start ups in other sectors as well.
