Lynne Beverly Strang's Blog, page 2

Late-Blooming Entrepreneurs Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On December 26, 2010, I launched this blog. My first story — a one-sentence post titled “Hello World!”– wasn’t exactly a barn burner. Yet it was gratifying to click on the “publish” button and watch the post go live.

My kids thought it was pretty funny. “Look,” one of them shouted gleefully. “Mom is starting a BLOG!”

I can’t blame them for having some good-natured fun at my expense. Having never written a blog before, I didn’t know what I was doing. But I did have a vision: to create a place whe...

5 Business Books to Read Over and Over

[image error] Photo by Dakota Corbin
on Unsplash

Each year, somewhere between 600,000 and one million books get published in the U.S. alone. With so many new titles to choose from, why would you want to re-read books that are already on your shelves?

Repetition makes things stick. Sometimes you need to read a book two or three times (or more) for its key ideas to sink in and take hold.  

You catch things you missed earlier. A standard business book is around 50,000-60,000 words, according to this blog post...

7 Online Communities for Older Entrepreneurs

Photo by My Life Through a Lens on Unsplash

In this time of social distancing, community matters big time for those who of us who are small business owners and solopreneurs. We need to brainstorm ideas, keep learning and stay connected with others. Being part of a group helps us cope with pandemic fatigue and stay positive about the future.

Shown below is a list of online communities where aspiring or current mid-life business owners can connect with one another. While one or two of these ...

From Academic to Food Entrepreneur: Pat Brown’s Impossible Journey

Impossible Foods founder Pat Brown believes “you have to bet on your own success.”

Why would a tenured professor in his late 50s leave a job he loved to start a company he never intended to create? Meet Pat Brown, who did just that.

By any measure, Brown is a smart guy. He has three degrees, including an M.D. and a Ph.D in Biochemistry, from the University of Chicago. He’s a world-renowned geneticist whose resume includes stints as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator and a prof...

Why Volunteering is a Good Thing for Entrepreneurs – Part Two

In January, I wrote this post about the many benefits that entrepreneurs gain from volunteering. Today’s post adds to this theme by sharing a recent interview conducted by Steve Gladis, Ph.D., a leadership speaker and executive coach based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Gladis’ guest is Len Forkas, who started both a company and a nonprofit in his 40s (you can learn more about his entrepreneurial journey from this post). In the interview, Forkas discusses how his upbringing shaped his views about volunte...

The Benefits of Trying Something New

Competing online in District 29 Toastmasters’ Tall Tales contest

Earlier this year, I decided to try my hand at a tall tales speech contest. It was a decision made with a touch of trepidation.

I had never given a tall tale before. Heck, I wasn’t sure what it was — but it sounded like fun. As someone who usually gives professional presentations, I was ready for a change.

The 2020 tall tales event was one of four speech contests held by District 29 of Toastmasters International, which teaches comm...

How to Find the Right Peeps for Your Business

By Lynne Beverly Strang, Late-Blooming Entrepreneurs

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Steve Fredlund (center) with some of his peeps

In March, Steve Fredlund drove from his home in Minnesota to give a talk at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. But this wasnt just any presentation. It was a TEDx talk, a locally-organized event where speakers share unique ideas that become globally accessible.

Although COVID-19 forced Fredlund to speak in front of an empty auditorium, determination mixed with nervous energy carried him...

Amid COVID-19, These Companies Stay True to Their 40-and-Older Founders

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Mary Kay Ash greets a group of admirers

People who start businesses later in life tend to be fanatics about customer service. It isnt hard to figure out why. When youve been a customer yourself for a few decades, you develop an appreciation for exceptional service and learn how to take care of your own customers.

These late-blooming entrepreneurs cultivate a culture and systems based upon their dedication to service. In larger organizations, this philosophy gets passed on to the next...

New to Video Conferencing? These Tips Might Help

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Photo by Van Tay Media on Unsplash

As concerns related to COVID-19 intensify, so are efforts to encourage social distancing. This, in turn, is fueling interest in video conferencing, which allows users in different locations to see and talk with each other in real time.

In the past, I wasnt a big fan of video conferencing, in part because the web camera perched on top of my computer screen never seemed to stay put. Now, computers and phones come equipped with built-in cameras and microphones,...

Video Conferencing Basics for Beginners

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Photo by Van Tay Media on Unsplash

As concerns related to COVID-19 intensify, so are efforts to encourage social distancing. This, in turn, is fueling interest in video conferencing, which allows users in different locations to see and talk with each other in real time.

In the past, I wasnt a big fan of video conferencing, in part because the web camera perched on top of my computer screen never seemed to stay put. Now, computers and phones come equipped with built-in cameras and microphones,...