b'SCRIPTURESecond Act Women 40 & 50+T he following definition of an olderorganization,SecondActWomenforties and new friend-womanwasrecentlyofferedbyWomen 40 & 50+. shipsthislifestage Google.com:AlthoughtherearenoWhatspurredtheirdecisioncre- brings.preciseages,thewomanisusuallyate Second Act Women?Not gettingReceivingtheir 35 years or older with the man morehired,repliedBarbarabluntly.TheofficialLLCstatus than eight years her junior. [AuthorsinabilitytogetbackintoCorporatein2019,Second emphasis.] America at the age of 51.Her formi- ActWomenbecame While clearly having no clear defini- dable career experience in media andanetworksitefor tion of an older woman, the websiteadvertising sales werent enough to getwomenwhohad clearly staed that her Significant Otherbeyond pure, unadulterated ageism.madethechoiceto had to be eight years or more youngerConversationswithLupe(whomusetheirlifeexpe-thanMs.OlderWomansundefinedBarbara had worked with at a previousriencesandcreate age!Then Google then went on to thecompany)yieldedmoreofthesame:anewlifeandnew specific definition for a cougar.stories of women who had experiencedcareer paths, Second Who asked about her relationships? being cutback/laid off only to discoverActsmembershipis Meet Barbara Brooks and Guadalupea younger person doing the same job,aspectrumofages, (Lupe)Hirt,twoprofessionalwomenthelackofassistanceinstart-ups,races, and locations: who have taken the socially-presumedrejected for entrepreneurial loans, etc.the latest member isBarbara Brooks & Guadalupe Hirtnegativesaboutolderwomen,andMoreover, women of color were notablyBritishandlivesin createdapositiveandprogressivelaunching more small businesses thanthe United Kingdom. ing because women have traditionally anyotherdemographicgroup,butTheir goal is to move businesswomencreatedcareers,centeredtheirlives receivinglesshelpfromthegovern- 40-50+forwardinbusiness,intheiraroundtheirfamily,theirkids,their ment. careers,inlife:anything.Tobethecommunity,etc.Wearenowstep-Asopposedtogrousingaboutthestepping stone in helping women findping into our own: what we like in our and own their purpose in life.Creating Their goal is to moveproblem,Brooksdecidedtoactivelyit, designing it, and living it - on theirlives,whatwevewantedtodofora move on an idea that that been sittingterms.long time.With women swiveling and in her mind for a while.She and Lupe businesswomenhad been hosting various brainstorm- Membershipstatsarealloverthepivoting into the new careers, women can now be true to themselves in this ing sessions for women who had madeboard:Kids, no kids, married, single,life stage.40-50+ forward inthechoicetopursueanewchapterdivorced.However,onestatistichasAs with every company around the in their lives, and the pair made thebeenveryconsistent:65-70%areon business, in theirmajor decision to fulfill a need. their way to becoming entrepreneurs,world,COVID-19hasalsoaffected whetherfulltimeorasasidegig.SecondAct.Intheorganizations In 2016, Barbara and Lupe createdplans,theyhavehadtoreformu-careers, in life:SecondActforWomen40&50+,aThese women have decided that theylateanddelayedtheirfutureplans. membership community rallying busi- are no longer willing to work for some- Potential partnerships are on hold, in-anything. nesswomeninsecondacttoproud- one else, and want to use their timepersonnetworkingeventshavebeen lyowntheir"chapter"numberandand experience to hire themselves. postponed,andtheabilitytomake receive the gifts, learnings, opportuni- Lupe added, This life stage is excit- Continued on Page 8BODY OF CHRIST NEWS MARCH 2021 7'