This week begins a five-part series on finding your workforce and developing talent for your organization. Today’s episode is all about becoming a Silver Entrepreneur. In fact, I share some of my own journey and how I became a Silver Entrepreneur.  

I experienced a very full and rewarding career in manufacturing for 41 years. As I became eligible for retirement, I decided to reinvent myself and start a new career. Once I embarked on consulting, I realized that the actual practice required “practice” and the book learning was only the beginning. After many lessons, trials, and mistakes, I made the transition from manufacturing employee to Silver Entrepreneur. I am still on a journey, but I’m getting farther along down the road! Today, I will share with you what has worked (and is still working), as well as some of my missteps and practices, so that you too can become a Silver Entrepreneur (or begin to understand the mindset of one).  

Now for some next steps, take some time this week to develop an action and learning plan. Join a startup program, a weekend program, or check out Steve Blank’s website and the other resources found below.  Next week I will shift generations a little bit and talk about how to understand and speak with Millenials. 

We’ll dive deeper into these concepts:

• What I mean by Silver Entrepreneur and how I embraced the title

• The 4 steps to becoming a Silver Entrepreneur

• Developing your teachable point of view 

• The skill sets for an Expertise Business

• Knowing when to bring on employees or contractors; determining what to outsource

• Some ways to make it easy to find, connect, and work with you; including choosing your platform (blogs, podcasts, etc) and mindset shifts

Resources and links mentioned:

”Platform” by Michael Hyatt

Brand You Podcast with Mike Kim

Leading the Factory Forward podcast

NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory and accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic-research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization.

Steve Blank’s website

In 2011 at the request of the National Science Foundation, Steve Blank modified his Lean Launchpad class and it became the curriculum for the NSF I-Corps. 86 universities now teach the class.

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn

Facebook

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I thank you so much for being here and I’ll see ya next time on Leading the Factory Forward.

— Lynn