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Gray is the New Green: Rock Your Revenues in the Longevity Economy
UPDATED EDITION 2022. The old story, that youth rules, no longer applies. Our future hinges on recognizing the needs and contributions of the 40-plus market, Most importantly, Ageless Boomer women who mean BIG business! A paradigm shifting business book for visionary leaders, savvy marketers, and innovative entrepreneurs who are ready to rock their revenues in the Longevity Economy by staying in sync with the people who keep them in business. Discover how demographic trends coupled with cutting-edge findings will positively influence your future leadership, business development, market reach, and succession planning. Learn why and how to communicate with the 40-plus market - how to leverage their talents as leaders, employees, and employers, how to develop products that serve their needs and how to market them to generate a positive purchasing response. If you snooze, you lose! Now is the time to drive your business or firm to join the innovative product developers, attuned marketers, savvy service providers, and future-forward employers who understand what is coming, leaping ahead to snatch up segments of this booming market. Leading GeroFuturistSM and thought leader on the Longevity Economy, Karen Sands shares her unique perspective to usher in an evolutionary change in the business community by engaging with the workforce and the marketplace to communicate with the 40-plus women's market. That's not all, she also guides the reader in how to leverage their talents as leaders, employees, and employers, how to develop products that serve their needs and how to market them to generate a positive purchasing response.
175 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2016
An Empowering Read for Women, Business Owners and Marketers
GeroFuturist Karen Sands’ book, “Gray is the New Green: Rock Your Revenues in the Longevity Economy” (2016) is THE book you need to read if you are a middle-aged career women, business owner or marketer and are looking for lucrative opportunities. This small but mighty book covers topics such as ageism in society, business trends, marketing, careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of aging, unretirement, reinvention, and visionaries. Sands intersperses loads of great data and statistics and references other thought leaders throughout the book, providing convincing evidence and support to her thoughts and ideas on “gray is the new green.” She encourages a narrative “re-storying” approach to positively changing the way we think about aging, careers and business.
She uses some familiar and unfamiliar terms such as:
- Longevity Economy
- Ageless Women
- Ageless Technology
- Conscious Aging
- Positive Aging
- Educational Gerontologist
- Age-Friendly Workplace
- Boomerpreneurs
- Solopreneurs
- Grannypreneurs
Hopefully these terms will be defined in Sands’ online glossary (not available at time of printing).
The book is sectioned into three chapters. The last chapter repeats most of what was in the first two. There were many topics that stood out for me as a 50-year-old woman. Sands talks about “The Change” (menopause) and embracing our “Inner Crone.” She empowers the reader when she tells us we can “radically reframe the stories we tell ourselves about aging.” It jolted me a bit when she proclaims 50 is universally “Over the Hill” according to Human Resource (HR) directors.
Sands challenges marketers to get beyond the rampant “malevolent ageism” in corporate marketing. She gives a few examples of how advertisers are inadvertently turning off women aged 50 and up who are the “highest increasing-spenders” in the fashion and beauty industries by creating offensive ads that portray older women in a negative way.
For businesses to succeed in this “Gray Tsunami” era, Sands recommends that diversity, gender equality and work-life balance initiatives must be welcomed and incorporated. She warns businesses that don’t adopt and welcome these changes will be left behind.
For those interested in working with or for the aging population, she states the “field of aging is evolving at warp speed.” She gives a listing of up-and-coming careers and opportunities in the aging field such as “cutting-edge age-friendly technology and devices, home design…and adult education.”
Sands sheds some light on the notion of retirement and how our extended middle-age is changing the way we view working in our later years. She says, “Aging does not mean retiring.” She discusses how people are reinventing themselves, or they are “unretiring.” Others are choosing not to retire. She predicts employees and leaders alike will be working until they die.
For those Boomer Women who want to reinvent themselves by starting up a new business, she provides lots of great advice and questions to think about in Chapter 2. She offers a great tip for a business idea, which is to offer a product or service that can help people save time. She tells women to “awaken their visionary voice” and states “it is never too late to be a visionary.” In Chapter 3 she states although some women may not be ready for this change yet, she encourages them to do the “prep work” now so that they can “leap with confidence” when they are ready.
Although there is not much new in Chapter 3, I love the advice she gives regarding aging. Sands writes, “Marketing, and society as a whole, need to understand that we no longer wish to be told that aging is something we need to be against. Agelessness is about embracing and enhancing who we are, not blindly following an outdated standard of who we should be.”
“Gray is the New Green” is an empowering book for women. It is a goldmine for those in business. It is a lifesaver for marketers and organizations.
Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Angela G. Gentile, MSW, RSW
www.AngelaGGentile.com
GeroFuturist Karen Sands’ book, “Gray is the New Green: Rock Your Revenues in the Longevity Economy” (2016) is THE book you need to read if you are a middle-aged career women, business owner or marketer and are looking for lucrative opportunities. This small but mighty book covers topics such as ageism in society, business trends, marketing, careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of aging, unretirement, reinvention, and visionaries. Sands intersperses loads of great data and statistics and references other thought leaders throughout the book, providing convincing evidence and support to her thoughts and ideas on “gray is the new green.” She encourages a narrative “re-storying” approach to positively changing the way we think about aging, careers and business.
She uses some familiar and unfamiliar terms such as:
- Longevity Economy
- Ageless Women
- Ageless Technology
- Conscious Aging
- Positive Aging
- Educational Gerontologist
- Age-Friendly Workplace
- Boomerpreneurs
- Solopreneurs
- Grannypreneurs
Hopefully these terms will be defined in Sands’ online glossary (not available at time of printing).
The book is sectioned into three chapters. The last chapter repeats most of what was in the first two. There were many topics that stood out for me as a 50-year-old woman. Sands talks about “The Change” (menopause) and embracing our “Inner Crone.” She empowers the reader when she tells us we can “radically reframe the stories we tell ourselves about aging.” It jolted me a bit when she proclaims 50 is universally “Over the Hill” according to Human Resource (HR) directors.
Sands challenges marketers to get beyond the rampant “malevolent ageism” in corporate marketing. She gives a few examples of how advertisers are inadvertently turning off women aged 50 and up who are the “highest increasing-spenders” in the fashion and beauty industries by creating offensive ads that portray older women in a negative way.
For businesses to succeed in this “Gray Tsunami” era, Sands recommends that diversity, gender equality and work-life balance initiatives must be welcomed and incorporated. She warns businesses that don’t adopt and welcome these changes will be left behind.
For those interested in working with or for the aging population, she states the “field of aging is evolving at warp speed.” She gives a listing of up-and-coming careers and opportunities in the aging field such as “cutting-edge age-friendly technology and devices, home design…and adult education.”
Sands sheds some light on the notion of retirement and how our extended middle-age is changing the way we view working in our later years. She says, “Aging does not mean retiring.” She discusses how people are reinventing themselves, or they are “unretiring.” Others are choosing not to retire. She predicts employees and leaders alike will be working until they die.
For those Boomer Women who want to reinvent themselves by starting up a new business, she provides lots of great advice and questions to think about in Chapter 2. She offers a great tip for a business idea, which is to offer a product or service that can help people save time. She tells women to “awaken their visionary voice” and states “it is never too late to be a visionary.” In Chapter 3 she states although some women may not be ready for this change yet, she encourages them to do the “prep work” now so that they can “leap with confidence” when they are ready.
Although there is not much new in Chapter 3, I love the advice she gives regarding aging. Sands writes, “Marketing, and society as a whole, need to understand that we no longer wish to be told that aging is something we need to be against. Agelessness is about embracing and enhancing who we are, not blindly following an outdated standard of who we should be.”
“Gray is the New Green” is an empowering book for women. It is a goldmine for those in business. It is a lifesaver for marketers and organizations.
Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Angela G. Gentile, MSW, RSW
www.AngelaGGentile.com
June 5, 2016
In Gray is the New Green, Karen Sands offers a fresh, thought-provoking perspective on successful adaptation to population aging. This book is at once a personal and societal rethink of the creative potential of changing demographics.
For many of us, the prospect of growing older feels like embarking on an adventure vacation. The terrain is unfamiliar, the course is uncharted, and our excitement about the new experience is tempered by the prospect of unpredictable disasters. In her new book, Gray is the New Green, Karen Sands is the guide we would hope to find for the adventure of a lifetime. She knows the terrain, challenges our unfounded fears, and teaches us how to navigate a unique path.
Sands presents a compelling case that opportunities abound in the longevity economy. She provides marketers and consumers a detailed analysis of the undervalued 50+ market, now over 108 million strong. Sands contends that “prime time” women, who drive much of America’s consumer spending, are uniquely positioned to demand and influence the development of products and services that fit their distinctive tastes and buying patterns.
To take advantage of these opportunities, we need to consider how longevity will reshape the life course and to capitalize on the benefits of a multigenerational society. Those interested in learning to engage creatively with the diverse 50+ market will find Sand’s slim volume packed with inspiration and concrete suggestions for finding a niche. Each chapter ends with prompts that help readers apply the content to their personal life and circumstances. Gray is the New Green urges each of us to think about the game-changing impact of population aging on the way we live, work, and interact across generations.
Read this book if you are looking for your place in the new realities of the 21st century marketplace.
For many of us, the prospect of growing older feels like embarking on an adventure vacation. The terrain is unfamiliar, the course is uncharted, and our excitement about the new experience is tempered by the prospect of unpredictable disasters. In her new book, Gray is the New Green, Karen Sands is the guide we would hope to find for the adventure of a lifetime. She knows the terrain, challenges our unfounded fears, and teaches us how to navigate a unique path.
Sands presents a compelling case that opportunities abound in the longevity economy. She provides marketers and consumers a detailed analysis of the undervalued 50+ market, now over 108 million strong. Sands contends that “prime time” women, who drive much of America’s consumer spending, are uniquely positioned to demand and influence the development of products and services that fit their distinctive tastes and buying patterns.
To take advantage of these opportunities, we need to consider how longevity will reshape the life course and to capitalize on the benefits of a multigenerational society. Those interested in learning to engage creatively with the diverse 50+ market will find Sand’s slim volume packed with inspiration and concrete suggestions for finding a niche. Each chapter ends with prompts that help readers apply the content to their personal life and circumstances. Gray is the New Green urges each of us to think about the game-changing impact of population aging on the way we live, work, and interact across generations.
Read this book if you are looking for your place in the new realities of the 21st century marketplace.
June 27, 2016
A Smart Road to Success
Karen Sands makes a convincing case that marketing to the aging Boomer generation is the smart road to success. GRAY IS THE NEW GREEN is replete with convincing statistics on the buying power and the buying habits of those who are now in late middle age or somewhat older. In addition, she includes valuable tips on reaching this market and wisdom from others who have written on this or similar topics.
Karen Sands makes a convincing case that marketing to the aging Boomer generation is the smart road to success. GRAY IS THE NEW GREEN is replete with convincing statistics on the buying power and the buying habits of those who are now in late middle age or somewhat older. In addition, she includes valuable tips on reaching this market and wisdom from others who have written on this or similar topics.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews