Ep. #68 Thriving After 40 with Barbara Brooks
Barbara Brooks: [00:00:00] The idea that you can come together and find or be a part of a community that gets it. And we can laugh about it all, but we can also be there to not judge because I think we're all sort of past that judging part of our lives. If you were that person where we can be real, we could be honest and vulnerable.
Barbara Brooks: And also understand when you are in that community that it is a fucking okay, excuse my French to ask for help, to ask for help. It is okay. A matter of fact, within my community, I encourage it.
Michelle Fox: Welcome to Nourish with Michelle Fox, your guide to a vibrant life If consistency has been a challenge for you and you occasionally forget self-care, you, my friend are in the right place. Tune in for weekly inspiration to nourish your mind. I know your plate's full and I want to help you support a [00:01:00] life and a body that you adore. Let's dig in.
Michelle Fox: You are probably very well aware right now that I am hosting a retreat in Costa Rica in February. And the reason why I bring this up at the top of This episode is because our friend Barbara Brooks is with us today. And you know, if we're talking about Second Act Women, we are going to talk about healthy aging, ageism, ways that we can support women over 40.
Michelle Fox: And what that has to do with the retreat is that I'm getting a little pushback from my friends who are under 40.
Barbara Brooks: who just don't understand. And it's occurred to me, I'm like, huh, I remember a story actually when I was in the shower this morning that came to me, it felt a little random, but I don't believe in random.
Michelle Fox: I absolutely believe in divine timing. And so the shower story that came to me is I remember it was right around the time I was turning 40. So [00:02:00] before I actually turned 40 and I was going through a divorce and I was actually towards the end, my husband at the time and I, we waited a little bit longer, like we lived separately.
Michelle Fox: but we wanted to wait because at the time we hadn't finalized our adoption of our daughter, our beautiful daughter, Angel. And so we just didn't want to mix things up. We didn't want any confusion. So we were living separate, having separate lives. So everything was clean and clear there. So I just want to share that to say, I was dating a man at the time and his sister said, be careful with this woman.
Michelle Fox: People who are going through separation are crazy. And I remember when he shared that with me, I was so taken aback. I was like, what do you mean? I'm what's wrong with your sister? She's wrong. I'm not crazy. And you know, fast forward 10 years down the line, now that I am 50 and happily married in a blended family, I'm like, yeah, the sister was right.
Michelle Fox: I was a little crazy back then. [00:03:00] And so, not to say I believe women under 40 are crazy. Please hear me out. That is not what I'm saying. What I am saying is, what I know now, I could have never have known that I would know what I know now, back then, and so I try to share in the most gracious way possible to my friends who are under 40, that hey, we are going to be here this retreat will be an annual retreat so when you are over 40, you will understand why I am so protective of this circle of women.
Michelle Fox: So, with all that said. We have Barbara Brooks here, who is one of the leading voices in supporting women over 40 and 50 plus.
Michelle Fox: So let me read Barb's bio to you because you know, I am so excited to get into the juiciness of this conversation in ways that we can support women over 40.
Michelle Fox: And so my friend, Barbara Brooks, the [00:04:00] age of 57, I love that she always opens with that. She is a leading voice in helping us to be proud of our age. I know I've shared it a few times on this podcast. I am a very happy and proud 50 year old woman. So Barbara Brooks, 57, is a pro age speaker, advocate, and the founder and CEO of Second Act Women.
Michelle Fox: Second Act Women is a social enterprise built to boost middlessent women's encore career and life at 40 plus. Second Act Women helps fuel their big ideas and small businesses and encore careers of women, delivering peer to peer professional and personal development events and conferences, tools, and curated content for her community of over 17, 000 females
Michelle Fox: and our allies, of course, An influencer in aging by PBS's Next Avenue, Barbara has been featured in [00:05:00] Forbes, Market Watch, Fast Company, The Denver Post, Colorado Biz, and Colorado Public Radio, and we recently celebrated her award of being the top 25 most powerful women here in Colorado. Barb graduated from Colorado State University,
Michelle Fox: is a Sigma Kappa sorority alum and as mom to five pound pup, Riley B, who we might be seeing a little bit later from my friends who are watching this on Facebook and or YouTube. And like 19 percent of Americans today, she is also a caregiver to her beautiful 86 year old mom post stroke.
Michelle Fox: So Barb, welcome to the show.
Barbara Brooks: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm so happy to do this. The last time that you and I got together, we were cooking in your kitchen. Well, that wasn't the last time, but that was the last time we did a podcast and I, you had sort of, I think just started it. So we were making [00:06:00] food and having some fun.
Michelle Fox: Yes. I think that was the last time we were Live on the camera together. Yes, but I'm happy to share with our listeners that Barb and I are girlfriends in real life. So we are texting. We are on the phone. We are in real life spending time together. So I am going to try my best to keep this podcast episode as professional as possible, but please know.
Michelle Fox: We are home girls, so let's see where this conversation goes. So with that Barb, I would love to invite you to play a game of rapid fire. Are you in?
Barbara Brooks: Hey, I'm in. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Okay, let's do it.
Michelle Fox: Okay. I'll start with the softball. Because I know you are biz woman plus when you think of your inbox, are you inbox zero or inbox 10, 000?
Barbara Brooks: Zero. Zero. I, that's the organizational side of me. Oh yeah, zero. Right now [00:07:00] it's sitting at about 20. I just cleaned it out this morning. Yeah.
Michelle Fox: Well, that makes sense. Next, if I say sweet, salty, or savory, what pops up for you?
Barbara Brooks: Sweet and salty. And what's odd is I used to love savory. I used to love spice. And I used to carry the little miniature Tabasco bottles with me.
Barbara Brooks: It was that much. I get it from my dad. And then as I got older, I did, I like sweet and salty. Yeah.
Michelle Fox: Last rapid fire question. Would you be willing to share a story from your childhood in the kitchen?
Barbara Brooks: So the story in the kitchen for me is. And it's really, really wonderful considering where I am today in my life with my mother and caregiving is that the first, snow in Colorado.
Barbara Brooks: So I'm from Colorado Springs. She would call from work on the big old phone with the long cord, stretched [00:08:00] out cord, you know, to tell me that, she'll be home to pick me up. And the reason is our, Our routine was the first snow, she would take me to Safeway, pick up all the ingredients to make sugar cookies.
Barbara Brooks: So we would go down on the first snow, no matter how bad it was or how little it was and head down and pick up, ingredients and then come home and make a big old batch of sugar cookies or something sweet, but mostly it was sugar cookies. And that happened. I don't know how that tradition started. But that, that's, that's my, that's my kitchen story and I,
Michelle Fox: yeah, I can smell the burning, like burning in a good way, the nice, crispy, sugary
Michelle Fox: parts of the sugar cookies.
Barbara Brooks: My mom's such a good cook. So is my brother. that, Oh gosh. Yeah. That's my memory.
Michelle Fox: now that our hearts are all warm and fuzzy, I would love to start off just by asking you. Second Act [00:09:00] Women has truly, it's been a true gift to watch it grow from your Idea where you were like crowdsourcing your amazing network.
Michelle Fox: Like, I think I have this idea. This is what I want to do to now, three to four years later, you're like reached over 17, 000 people. And so can you take us back and just let us know, like, what was the genesis of your journey? And then can you just give us a few key points of how you got to where you are today?
Barbara Brooks: Yeah. I was 51 in 2018 and my business partner, Guadalupe and I, decided, that we had had two companies to get together, two marketing and PR companies together, and, for quite some time, well, but in 20, 18, we both wanted, I wanted to go back to corporate America and Lupe, who hadn't. had always been an entrepreneur, wanted to go into corporate America sort of for the first time.
Barbara Brooks: So we had sort of consciously uncoupled and I thought it was going to be very easy for me to find a job back in [00:10:00] marketing PR and community marketing communications. And it was difficult. I, I just couldn't land a job and I was 51 at the time. And I'll be frank and saying that I, this was before DE and I was a.
Barbara Brooks: thing. literally a thing in corporate America. I was that person that would purposely put my photo on my resume, accepted it when you're in marketing to be a little kitsch. So I would put my photo on my, on the resume, hoping honestly that I would get in the door because they would, you know, need to interview someone of another color.
Barbara Brooks: And then I can prove to them that regardless of my color, I'm the right person for the job. So, that. That always worked for me, although most of my jobs that I'd gotten, I'd say 90 percent of the jobs I've gotten in the past were always through connections and or growth within the same company. So what happened was I couldn't find a job and I thought, Oh my gosh.
Barbara Brooks: So I basically took an idea off the shelf. I had been, I wanted to create a women's, A women's event [00:11:00] company where we provided all sorts of, business events. Cause I, I love, I love producing events and bringing people together. It's always been a part of my DNA and I think I get it from my mother. So I took this idea off the shelf.
Barbara Brooks: I bought up all the URLs for women's business week. com. org dot everything. And, I started as a marketer.
Barbara Brooks: looking into
Barbara Brooks: were
Barbara Brooks: what
Barbara Brooks: kind of companies this was going to be and what kind of subjects and topics was I going to cover and, sure enough, as I'm doing as I'm three sessions in
Barbara Brooks: brainstorm
Barbara Brooks: brainstorm sessions in I'm hearing some of the same thing, because most of the women in the room, 90 percent of them were over 40 and they thought, Oh, wouldn't it be nice?
Barbara Brooks: Here she comes. Wouldn't it be nice to have.
Barbara Brooks: to haveWasn't that, wouldn't it be nice to have a company that's focused on women over a certain age? It was just every time I go to a conference and because I'm over 40, 50, I feel like there's a lot of [00:12:00] clicks and I don't feel wanted or welcomed sometimes. I had my Oprah, my Oprah aha moment. It was like, Oh my God, that's it.
Barbara Brooks: I'm going to put women's business week on the shelf. Cause it was going to sort of be like South by Southwest meets, Denver startup week, which is a big deal. yeah. And I put it on the shelf. Next thing, you know, I begged Lupe to come back. She gave me 20 percent of her time because she too was still trying to find her next thing.
Barbara Brooks: Yeah. And then Second Act Women. It was large. We didn't have a name. We didn't have a name for it. We went through several names. It was called green light. It was called this or that. We didn't know what it was. We just knew we're going to produce the first conference, which the first conference was Biz+LifeCon.
Barbara Brooks: And then. We'll, we'll, I guess we'll talk about how it, you know, it turned into what it, where it is today, six years later, almost.
Michelle Fox: And let's stay there for a moment, Biz+LifeCon. This is what now you've [00:13:00] done, correct me if I'm wrong,
Barbara Brooks: or I would have done six now. Yeah. Yeah. And the next one, the seventh one is in April.
Michelle Fox: Yeah. Absolutely. Put the links. In the show notes for the April event, because yes, I want all the women and allies in our community to come and learn. And so in April, what will we be learning?
Barbara Brooks: So, you know, I have to tell you, so Biz+LifeCon, just taking a step back for a moment, this company launched with that, right.
Barbara Brooks: And again, it was going to be an event company. I have to tell you our first obstacle was selling tickets. It seems as though women either didn't want to be in the same room or, or acknowledge they were a certain age, or maybe they just didn't get the concepts. What? There's an event that's for women over 40 just for me, and it's about business and starting up and career and life and la la la.
Barbara Brooks: It was [00:14:00] different. It was the first of its kind really in the nation. Cause you know, I'm, I'm a marketer, so I Google and I love research. so the first time we had Biz+LifeCon, we actually had to post, we had to move it a week out. We had only sold 25 tickets a week out and we had Microsoft as a sponsor.
Barbara Brooks: we had, Colorado magazine. Biz magazine as a sponsor. We had citywide banks as a, as a sponsor. We had major sponsors who had came to the table who said, I get you. I get you in that. I understand the value of a woman over 40. I understand what you're looking to achieve, and we want to be a part of it.
Barbara Brooks: And. The sad thing is that our guests, our, our event guests didn't get it. So we had to make the calls to the, to the sponsors first and say, will you still support us if we move this event and we move it a month, a month back, up back, back. They said, absolutely. We're with you. We get it. Let's do it.
Barbara Brooks: We're count on us. So we did [00:15:00] that and our venue, the art, hotel. So we landed on a new date and, And it was a week before the event and all of a sudden the tickets started rolling in and we hit we more than succeeded hit our number. We are our target number in terms of how, you know, we speak, our target number was 100 guests in the room and we had 139.
Barbara Brooks: And, the
Michelle Fox: first event that's huge because when you said 25 people, I'm like, for a lot of us, that's a big number when we put on an event for our first time, but not only me,
Barbara Brooks: but it's also a big number because. You know, you have to hit the number that that revenue number in order to pay for the event and then hopefully pay for yourself, but more than likely, the first couple of events, you're not going to be able to pay yourself.
Barbara Brooks: You're more or less paying, you know, all of the expenses that come with the event. so. Yeah. And next thing you [00:16:00] know, it was a hit and the responses and the testimonials and the kudos that we got was, I've never experienced anything like this. This is an event that I will be at every year and thank you for bringing us together.
Barbara Brooks: Thank you for seeing us. Thank you. You know, it was just, I mean, the next morning I had to take a moment and just like sit quiet. Which is, you know, kind of hard for me because, you know, I'm loud and, you know, I like to be with people. I know that side of
Michelle Fox: Barb. The quiet part.
Barbara Brooks: They don't know that part, but I love it.
Barbara Brooks: So yeah. So that's what happened.
Michelle Fox: So Second Act Women as a group, as far as the events you're hosting, I know you do BizLifeCon.
Michelle Fox: Is that twice per year?
Barbara Brooks: Well, okay, so here's the hiccup. It was twice per year for the two, first two years. Okay. So we had the event in April of 2019. Then we, the, at the hotel, then Microsoft Denver headquarters hosted us, 2019, fall of 2019, November, [00:17:00] then 2020 happens and we know what happens. So we then move the event to July because we thought.
Barbara Brooks: Surely this thing that's going around is going to be done and we could be live again. We didn't. So we produced a show and you were a part of that, a matter of fact. I think said that's bird you to do like, cause we went, we opened with you,doing a live smoothie or something to get the women ready to go.
Michelle Fox: You were the first organization to trust me to teach their community, how to cook and we filmed right here live in my kitchen. That was exhilarating. It was exhilarating.
Barbara Brooks: You did so well. And so we ended up doing two streams. So July stream, November stream. And then, uh, and then we didn't bring it back in 2022 or 2023.
Barbara Brooks: We. were trying to figure out where the company was [00:18:00] going because of, COVID and people getting zoomed out, but we're, but not everybody is still going live live completely. Like it was, it was, things were still so up in the air. So we took a break and I'm glad we did. So now, the event came back in October of 2023, and then we're, I added more events on because I actually have taken a step back as a business owner and sort of rewrote our business model in a sense, slightly edited what I want to do, how I want to serve my community, and what are my revenue streams, because I personally need to stop carrying the company on my, on my back, not on my back, but I, I, I need to also now stop being the cobbler with shoes, which by the way, my high school intern said, what do peaches have to do with shoes?
Barbara Brooks: Cause she didn't know what a cobbler
Michelle Fox: was. I'm guessing the intern is under 40. [00:19:00]
Barbara Brooks: She was a high schooler and I'm surprised she even knew what a cobbler was.
Michelle Fox: That is actually really
Barbara Brooks: cute. I said, okay, well, a shoemaker, I'm the shoemaker without shoes. And I'm really great at making shoes. So, so now I'm focused in streamlining on what is my revenue stream?
Barbara Brooks: How am I serving these two pieces of the pie, which I'm sure we'll get into later. So now the company is more going to be focused on more conferences versus the one off workshops. So I now have introduced, we introduced CareerCon. So the third CareerCon happens February 24th. And then because of what happened with my mother and I'm a new caregiver, having had to sell her home of 50 years, moved her to Denver from Colorado Springs, even though she's a Texan, I create, I'm creating a caregiver event and yes.
Barbara Brooks: And so then Biz+LifeCon will be moved back to April, the original, [00:20:00] and then the caregiver event will happen in the fall of 2024. And then I'm, I'm going to bring back a retreat that we did once in 2022 called unplugged. and so we're going to do, it's called the unplugged retreat. And so that will be coming back, in, which I hope to take it to a mountain town in the summer or something.
Barbara Brooks: So yeah, so I'm looking at, you know, I've got, that's how I'm serving my community.
Michelle Fox: Don't tell me that you're letting go of cocktails and conversations. I feel like that's like taking a life of its own, which I have absolutely thoroughly enjoyed. I
Barbara Brooks: am keeping that. I love it. I love the conversations. I love us being us being in the same room.
Barbara Brooks: I want to figure out a way that I can actually also broadcast it to the, to the, my community that don't live in Denver, can't make it from Fort Collins. so I have ways and I bought new tech and stuff like that to figure that out. But yeah, that is a mainstay.
Michelle Fox: For [00:21:00] people who are listening, tell us more, like, what is cocktails and conversations
Barbara Brooks: and conversations.
Barbara Brooks: So what I'm discovering as being now as a community builder, which is what people now are say are using the term when they describe me is, it's a chance to bring community leaders and business leaders and women and allies who've done really amazing things, but have also not had some of them not had it easy.
Barbara Brooks: And so they've gotten to where they are today because of obstacles. And some have not experienced any obstacles like my guest last weekend, who is just, who just leads a really amazing community organization. So. It's a chance to bring women and allies, but mostly it's been women over a certain age, but again, we welcome anybody to have these deep conversations.
Barbara Brooks: Literally there'll be times where, and I got to bring this one back for my next guest. Cause she's going to be, she'll be good to do this with. Is to say, what [00:22:00] was the, you know, show number 7 picture on your cell phone and we're going to hope it's clean.
Michelle Fox: Oh, that would be a fun icebreaker. Maybe we'll try that one here on the pod.
Michelle Fox: Right?
Barbara Brooks: So, so it's a chance to come together and have these deep conversations and I'll also cocktail it or mocktail it. And then do dinner after, and it's always held at Clayton, which is Clayton members club and hotel here in Denver, Colorado, which is very similar to other social upscale social clubs.
Barbara Brooks: Although this one's, brand values are not about money and how much you make, even though it sits in the heart of where money, you know, is, you know, Cherry Creek is known for money and all of that. It's, it's just a really great place to host, and be a member of and co work from. And so. So that's not going away i'm adding more programming there are more Getting our community, even with our insiders, we, I've now introduced where we're, we're coming together at, at homes,[00:23:00] because what didn't work was the only one that worked was that I had the, the coaches event in the summer of 2023, where I brought you and others together and we had about 12 or 15 of you over, over lunch.
Barbara Brooks: The other time that I tried to bring other industries together, it just didn't work. They're so busy. They're, they, whatever it may be. So I decided, you know what, I'm, I'm going to bring our insiders, which are paid members together and we're going to potluck it and do happy hour at homes throughout Colorado because that gives us a really great chance to get to know each other.
Barbara Brooks: And then we'll open it up, those opportunities to non paid members so they can get to know their sisters from
Barbara Brooks: other misters and
Barbara Brooks: in.
Michelle Fox: One of the things that I absolutely love about you, my friend, Barbara Brooks, is that you are an innovator. Like, you're not afraid to keep asking the questions and creating community.
Michelle Fox: And I'm so grateful to witness that you are taking on the title of community builder because it comes so [00:24:00] naturally to you. And we all do kind of flock to you because when we're in your aura we Well, I'll speak for myself. I always. Either meet somebody new, learn something new or expand my knowledge base.
Michelle Fox: And so thank you for doing that. And as you are doing that and being this leader for a lot of us, what are some other ways that women in our age group can find community? And would you also be able to kind of riff on why community is so important at this time in our lives?
Barbara Brooks: Community? So, so the first part of the question, what was the first part again?
Barbara Brooks: My, my apologies. The first part of the first question.
Michelle Fox: That was my fault. I smashed pretty much two big questions together. So actually, if you'd be able just to speak on first, why do you believe that community is so important at this time in our lives?
Barbara Brooks: I think community for women, as [00:25:00] a whole, but I'm going to, of course, speak to women over 40, 50, 60 plus.
Barbara Brooks: It's so incredibly important for us to gather and come together and share and lean on each other for exactly all of those reasons. It's to be with one another, to understand we're, we're not alone. To be seen, to be heard, to be valued, amongst our own, amongst our peers, to understand and be with these, these women, no matter our shades of color or, you know, who we love, regardless of all of that, it's really important for us to gravitate
Barbara Brooks: and, or find these communities, these groups of women, there's something that it helps you pull out of the, I don't feel good about myself. it helps you pull out of the idea that imposter slash lack of confidence, is [00:26:00] You know, invading your brain and when you're around other women and you don't feel good enough, you don't feel as if people understand you, you're hot flashing and nobody in your family understands it, you're experiencing one of the 32 symptoms of menopause, but they don't get it.
Barbara Brooks: The idea that you can come together and find or be a part of a community that gets it. And we can laugh about it all, but we can also be there to not judge because I think we're all sort of past that judging part of our lives. If you were that person where we can be real, we could be honest and vulnerable.
Barbara Brooks: And also understand when you are in that community that it is a fucking okay, excuse my French to ask for help, to ask for help. It is okay. A matter of fact, within my community, I encourage it. I. Who used to be that human who would be the one that people [00:27:00] would come to because I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm judgment free and I, I would be that friend and I still am where people, people can come to me and open up and share who they are.
Barbara Brooks: I wouldn't do that with some of the things that I'm struggling with in life, like my depression. Like my suicidal ideation that I've had twice in my entire life, one as a full fledged adult, just a few years ago, not during COVID and once during college that I can now talk about those and, you know, you've experienced it.
Barbara Brooks: Well, I'll go into our, our WhatsApp with our sisters and I'll do this with some of my other close friends and say, hey, I'm going through it. I'm like down and out. And next thing you know, I'm getting a text or a call or just, uh, I'm thinking of you, that's what community does. That's the power of community and specifically the power of community by women, by and for women.
Barbara Brooks: [00:28:00] It's important.
Michelle Fox: And you are receiving the support back because you are also giving that support. And so it's this beautiful circle that you've been a part of and a part of creating and many women's lives. And so the first part of that question originally was how can other women find community? obviously we're going to join Second Act Women as Insider members if we are not already, but what are some other great ways that you have seen or that you can think of that other women might, might
Michelle Fox: consider?
Barbara Brooks: So I would say, okay, so a couple of things I would say, find, go online, go to Facebook, you know, old school it, which is that go on Facebook because that's now old schooling it and Google the type of community that you're looking for, whether it's women who are in marketing, women who are in PR, women who are accountants, women who have, um, there's [00:29:00] communities that are, have you dated the same guy?
Barbara Brooks: Literally, that's a thing. go to there, if, if you are struggling with anything and, or just simply want to find your own. Google it inside of, because, you know, I say Google it inside of Facebook. That's like saying Kleenex, uh, for napkins. but
Michelle Fox: we're tracking, we're following you.
Barbara Brooks: Go inside and plug in what you're looking for and find it.
Barbara Brooks: And don't be afraid to find it. also look for that support that you may need. And by that, I really mean a support group, the term support group. I just. Yesterday, I admitted to myself, I needed a support group for caregiving. And so I will be looking for that because after visiting my mother yesterday, at her new home, you know, I still have guilt.
Barbara Brooks: I have a lot of guilt that I carry with me. Did I stay too long? Did I do enough? Did I, you know, whatever it may be, so, uh, so I say [00:30:00] find it and don't be afraid to enter the room, virtually and or live wherever you may be in the world to find that source that will help pull you out of and or support you, or just
Barbara Brooks: help you grow in whatever way you want, or you're going to be there to inspire or motivate people because that's, you know, who you are. It's not always that you're struggling. There is some, you know, some of these groups I'm in on Facebook or, you know, learning pods or I'm in one that's called celebrate the gray because, of my gray, you know, and so.
Barbara Brooks: Yeah. And so I'm in that one. It's for women and she's a modeling agency, Stephanie O'Dell. And so I joined it and now I'm one of her models slash, content creators. And you know, it's funny because she started the group, I think, with women that really went all gray. And then there's some like me that, that decided to
Barbara Brooks: keep a piece of gray. Um, and so, um, [00:31:00] yeah, I say, I say it's called find it. You can Google 100 percent of everything and you will find it. Thank you for that.
Michelle Fox: And then as we're winding down, I just wanted to circle back to the amazing, fabulous name that is Second Act Women. With the women that you have been working with over these past six, seven years, I know there have been a ton of success stories because they were brave enough to engage in the community and use the resources that you and your original co founder Lupe have created for us.
Michelle Fox: And so, as I say that. Can you think of any woman's story that really stands out to you that you saw that perhaps she came in maybe doubting herself or maybe just not being where she wanted to be to now using the resources that you've provided and she feels like she is a success out in the world?
Barbara Brooks: I can name a few Bonnie.
Barbara Brooks: Shuts is one of [00:32:00] them. Yes. You know, here's this woman who, in 2019 saw me at my very first Denver startup week and was there in the audience. And she's in a lot of, she's in, um, actually a crowd shot that I use in a lot of my marketing fast forward to now. and she has a virtual assistant company.
Barbara Brooks: She was an executive assistant for most of her adult life. Fast forward five years, my fifth year having made it to Denver Startup Week, and she's on the panel.
Michelle Fox: Yes. Yes. Yes. Go Bonnie. Go Bonnie. Well, actually we'll link her in the show notes as well. I hear those
Barbara Brooks: kinds of stories within my community of women who've collaborated, who've come together.
Barbara Brooks: I almost gave up this company earlier in the year of 2023 to go back into corporate America.[00:33:00] Jackie and Mimi of Modern Gen X Women Are the ones who, uh, and Lupe, of course, she had already left the company by then who were the ones who brought me back and made me understand the power of what I've created.
Barbara Brooks: So the question really gets me because I hear this all the time when I'm out and about when I hear women say. Oh my God, I've heard of you. Oh my God. I've heard of Second Act Women. I love what you do. Keep it up. It's so great. I'm and the fact that now women within this community are saying their age and owning it and owning this chapter number because we.
Barbara Brooks: Friends, we just age 45 minutes, an hour just now, and it, life is still the same life is going on. I don't feel any different. I feel, uh, you know, 56 or I'm sorry, 57. It's the new 57 is how I say it. And so when I hear that people are proud of, of that chapter now, and they'll say it, and then they've collaborated with one another and companies were born out of it.
Barbara Brooks: [00:34:00] And ideas were born out of it and podcasts were born out of the idea of just, of literally deciding that I'm going to focus on women over a certain age because they've seen this company come about and do that. It's been a blessing. It's been a blessing. And these women uplift me as you do and Consuela and Valencia and all these, and my cousin Miyoko and all these other people, Angie Veman and Verona, you know, I could go on and on and on.
Barbara Brooks: Um, so, yeah, so a question got me because it's, it's hard to explain,but I'm very proud of what I've done. I'm very, you know, there have been some broke down days. And by that, I mean, literally broke and, um, you know, but it's all worth it. It's all worth it. And my legacy that I will leave. Is one that I would be [00:35:00] proud of one, that I hope that people will scream from the rafters that she did so much for so many, and even though she has ADHD, she can be moody at times because of ADHD, which I love that.
Barbara Brooks: I figured out that's why I get these mood swings because that's how my brain works. Um, but
Michelle Fox: anyway, yeah. And I love that you own it.
Michelle Fox: And yes, bring all the emotions because I'm over here giving you the standing ovation because yes, Barbara Brooks, you absolutely deserve your flowers for working this like it has not been easy as an entrepreneur.
Michelle Fox: I mean that Entrepreneur journey to begin with period is just not easy, but I have seen you go from up and down and up and down and you here and you've shown up for us and you've raised your hand saying, yes, I stand for women and their rights and their humanity over the age [00:36:00] of 40. So, yes, I applaud you and the work that you are doing.
Michelle Fox: So thank you for continuing to show up for us. I'm so grateful.
Barbara Brooks: Can I say that I thank you for, I feel like ever since I started this company, we've grown closer because we ran in the same circle of friends, for so long. I don't even know how many years, but I have to say, I really appreciate you and your friendship because, if there is one person that you could go to and absolutely not feel judged whatsoever, and you can be free to say who you are.
Barbara Brooks: And you can be free to be yourself. It's it. It's you and I. Mm-Hmm. I just wanna say thank you. I do appreciate your friendship. I appreciate you who you are. I love what you're doing. I love that this new podcast is called, or Not new. This podcast is now called Nourish, and that's it. I love it. It's you and you are [00:37:00] doing the Lord's work as well, my friend.
Barbara Brooks: So I just wanna give kudos back to you. Thank you.
Michelle Fox: Thank you.
Michelle Fox: So that was the perfect segue in using the word nourish the name of this podcast and truly my heart's desire to nourish my community. So as we wind down. I would love to ask you, how are you going to nourish yourself today, Barbara Brooks?
Barbara Brooks: I love that question.
Barbara Brooks: I am. So I love the holidays. So, I am going to see what for me, sometimes, I will just take off, an hour or two, or I'll just go off the clock early or nourish myself today. I am probably going to do something off my live life list. Because every year and especially every holiday, I create a November to December list of things that I [00:38:00] want to do, whether it's going to Hammond's Candies and taking a tour or building a gingerbread house, which has been on that damn list for years.
Barbara Brooks: And I need to finally do it. And I don't want to cheat and get one at Target that's halfway made and you just spin it together. so I. I'm glad you asked that question. I'm challenging myself to, once we're done here, I'm going to do something off my live life list. By the way, it is bucket list to other people, but I hate that term because who wants to do anything fun while they're checking something off a death list?
Barbara Brooks: Right, man. So it's a little reminder. Yeah, I have a long life list and I create one. I try to create one. I should say, every quarter and especially for the holiday. So take something off of that list. I'm going to do, that's how I'm going to nourish myself because I don't take. time for myself enough.
Barbara Brooks: Thank
Michelle Fox: you See my friends, do you see why I [00:39:00] wanted Barbara Brooks on this podcast so badly? So Barbara, how can my community come find you and plug into all of your yumminess?
Barbara Brooks: I love, by the way, that I'm still carrying over the tears from our earlier part of our conversation, and that my lashes have stayed on.
Michelle Fox: That is a win. Good job.
Barbara Brooks: Um, but, they can find me at secondactwomen.com spelled out SecondActWomen.com, but join us. We talked about community. Join us inside of the Facebook community, where we talk about
Barbara Brooks: it all menopause, mental health, careering. We have women who've said who, you know, who have, have expressed, they can't find a job or they found a job.
Barbara Brooks: Now I don't feel, they don't feel like it's the right job or you've started up or do I start up? So we talk about it all. And what I love, it's like 5, 001 or 5, 000 to 6, 000, teachers. You know, inside of that group or, [00:40:00] or, consultants in a sense and friends that are all there to lift you up. So there's that it's 2nd Act Women 40, 50 plus, and then for the business side of things, find us on LinkedIn inside of our business page for 2nd Act Women.
Barbara Brooks: That's where we really get down and dirty, where we talk about, you know, we really try to provide information on, on careering, on core careers and starting at. And then lastly, please find me on my new, channel, YouTube channel, and it's just Barbara Brooks. So find me at Barbara Brooks on YouTube.
Barbara Brooks: So glad my name was still available on YouTube, just Barbara Brooks.
Michelle Fox: Beautiful. Where I put all of that in the show notes so that my community can come love you up, but also get loved back. So Barb, thank you so much for being here. And thank you for being my friend.
Barbara Brooks: Thank you. You are a blessing to the world and your hot husband.
Barbara Brooks: That's what he's called everybody. He's called the hot husband.
Michelle Fox: [00:41:00] That was a
Barbara Brooks: great way. Don't nobody know Steve's name. It's hot husband.
Michelle Fox: Exactly. We don't need to know his name. He, he, he's a, he's a, well, I was going to say he's okay being objectified, but then I'm like, maybe he's not, but you know, we can't help because he's hot. And there you go.
Michelle Fox: thanks so much for listening to Nourish. Have you been driving, doing laundry or walking around the neighborhood? Sweet. I've got show notes for you. Hop on over to michellefox.com/podcast. When you are ready. I will let you know that on the page, you will find resources to support what you just learned on today's show. And then of course you can grab some health supportive freebies as well.
Michelle Fox: If you enjoyed this episode, I would be honored. If you would leave a review on whichever podcast platform you are listening on. It will help me with my mission to build healthier communities. [00:42:00] One person at a time and it will help you because you will be part of that mission.
Michelle Fox: I'll be back next week and I encourage you to keep showing up for yourself and know that you and your health matter. Big love!
