Society tells us there’s a schedule: build a career in your twenties, settle down in your thirties, and ease into retirement around sixty. But what if that timeline is just another limiting belief? When an 81-year-old decides to publish his first book, or a successful beauty therapist launches a new business venture after 50, it challenges everything we think we know about age and ambition. Through Kerry Brownell’s journey from self-doubt to success, we discover that the best chapters of life – and business – might start exactly when conventional wisdom says they should end.
The Retirement Trap
Traditional views of aging follow a predictable script: slow down, step back, retire quietly. Kerry sees this differently. “For an entrepreneur, there’s no such thing as retirement,” she states firmly. “We just want to keep working and making money to fund our lifestyle and fund whatever business ventures we’re doing.” She views conventional retirement thinking as dangerous programming. “Retirement” is programming to shut a lot of people down and make them slow down and basically physically go into a decline because they’re no longer active,” Kerry explains. This mindset, she argues, artificially limits people’s potential just when they might have the most to offer.
Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt
The biggest barrier isn’t physical age – it’s accumulated fear. “The older you get, the more afraid or fearful we become,” Kerry observes. “Because you might want to call it the ego or it’s that voice in your head or it’s the subconscious mind saying to us ‘no we can’t do that’ or ‘what will people say?'” This contrasts sharply with youthful fearlessness. “Kids can be so reckless and just don’t give a s*** about anything because they don’t have as much fear,” she notes. The key isn’t trying to be reckless, but rather recapturing some of that youthful willingness to try new things. 
Breaking free from age-based limitations requires careful attention to your social circle. “Get surrounded by people that aren’t going to judge you and criticize you,” Kerry advises. “You need to take a good look at your circle of friends and maybe start getting rid of some of those people in your life, or start distancing yourself from them if they have a negative impact on you.” She’s seen how the right support system can transform someone’s sense of what’s possible at any age. Her father’s journey from thinking he was too old to write, to becoming a published author, shows the power of supportive encouragement over societal expectations.
Embracing New Beginnings at Any Age
Kerry’s own career pivots – from beauty therapist to makeup artist to flight attendant to successful styling business owner, demonstrating how artificial age-based career limitations are. Now, six years into her styling business, she’s launching a new venture in clothing hire. “You’re never ever too old to try something,” she insists, pointing to famous examples. “Colonel Sanders… tried so many recipes for Kentucky Fried Chicken before it eventually took off, by which time he was in his 60’s.”
Creating Your Own Timeline
Rather than following society’s prescribed timeline for slowing down, Kerry advocates creating your own schedule for growth. Her approach is practical: start with small steps, write down ideas, do basic research. The key is taking action rather than letting age become an excuse. Her father’s success at 81 isn’t an exception – it’s what’s possible when you reject arbitrary age limits. Through her styling business and upcoming ventures, Kerry continues proving that business success isn’t about age – it’s about having the courage to start, regardless of when that might be.
Her message is clear: the best time to start isn’t when you’re young – it’s when you’re ready. And you’re never too old to be ready.
Check out Kerry Brownell’s Instagram profile or visit her website to learn more about her.
