FIERCE:  BOLD, FEROCIOUS, FIERY, INTENSE, PASSIONATE, POWERFUL, SAVAGE, STRONG

 

 

 

Just one year ago, during a yoga session, Catherine Grace O’Connell had a tiny glimmer – a spark of genius really – to create a community of 50 women over the age of 50 and have them support, encourage and share their midlife journey.  And so a Midlife Revolution began and The Fierce 50 was born setting forth the mission to EMPOWER Women around the world.

As the community grew (5000 and counting in Just ONE Year!),  it broadened as well, including all women at midlife and beyond and is now known as FOREVER FIERCE.  As this sisterhood continues, like-minded women across the globe come together to share trials and triumphs alike as they journey with this new midlife mindset.

I am so honored to be one of 50 bloggers chosen to be included in today’s Forever Fierce Campaign because they represent the Most Important Piece of Being a Woman Of ANY Age – their pursuit to embody a kind, compassionate spirit and a beautiful heart.  Our quest today was to reach out to Non-Bloggers with an opportunity to have their voices heard as they answer the question, “What Does Being Fierce In Midlife Mean To You?”

Their answers will make you smile.  You can almost feel their determination and passion as they each share what they feel makes them FIERCE as they continue to journey, carrying a torch for women everywhere that says, “There Is An AMAZING Adventure To Travel Into Midlife And Beyond!”   

 

 

I am so thrilled to introduce these lovely ladies to you – each unique to the others BUT So Ahhmazing in her own right!  Before you hear from them, I wanted to give you a little background on how I met them and why sharing their walk was so very important to me.

Alida ~  When you’ve Done It ALL and Done It Well, YOU may think there’s very little left to do . . . BUT, if you’re a savvy New Yorker named Alida, you decide to take your experience, talent and love for others on a road trip, serving women on a whole new level.   Finding her passion in caring for others, this Superwoman uses her Superpower to spread  JOY to those who may feel forgotten and unimportant.  Her nonprofit, My Makeover Mission, is not only a gift of complete selflessness and compassion but a Mission to ensure that ALL women know how FIERCE they truly are!

Christi ~ Instagram I Love Ya!  Christi and I met through a mutual friend, (real world for her and instafriend for me), Terri @iamterrib .  I felt an instant connection upon meeting her.   With such a kind-heart and sincerity about her, I knew immediately her friendship was a true gift. Shaking things up and creating a whole new world FOR Herself BY Herself is her latest Fierce move (literally) and my admiration and respect for how she navigates her life is beyond compare.

Cristy ~ On a scale of 1 to 10, this amazing woman is a 25!  We became “friends” through Instagram – I was drawn in by her humble kind spirit – and I quickly realized this woman was the real deal!  Kind though she was, this One posses a resilience and discipline that can only be described as jaw-dropping!  Oh, and did I mention she’s Drop-Dead Gorgeous . . . yeah, there’s that too!

Debbie ~ This Beauty has been one of my closest friends for over 10 years.  Not only does she have a heart of gold, her wisdom (and boldness to share it!) and determination makes her one of the Fiercest Women I’ve ever known.  Her “Just Do It” mentality impacts Every Woman she encounters and she does it all with a wink and a smile!   I am ever grateful to have this one in my Tribe ~ you won’t find a truer friend.

Lisa ~ This amazing woman is a Rockstar on so many levels!  Lisa and I met through a fashion collaboration for her amazing boutique.  This gorgeous blonde is the best stylist I know, with impeccable taste and an ability to transform mediocre into masterpiece in the blink of an eye.  I can’t even imagine the countless women who leave her Luxe Angel Boutique feeling beautifully brand new all because SHE pushed forward to follow her dream!

Lulu ~ With her warm smile and sparkling eyes, at first glance, Lulu may appear to be just another Gorgeous southern doll ~  BUT move over Scarlett O’Hara cause this Belle is a WARRIOR.  She’s won more battles in a week than most of us will fight in a lifetime.  Aside from that, she is one of the Sweetest and carries more creativity in her little finger than my whole body could possibly hold!  LuluKelloggAtelier

Patti ~ One of my first “InstaFriends”, Patti is an Overcomer in the greatest sense of the word!  Her talents in the home décor arena are only surpassed by her ability to spread kindness like wildfire.   Watching as this beautiful woman gracefully maneuvers her way through whatever life throws in her direction, she is certainly one of the most AMAZING women in my world – NO Wait – In THE World!

 

“WHAT DOES BEING FIERCE IN MIDLIFE MEAN TO YOU?”

 

 

Alida 

New York, NY

Instagram:  @alidastyle

Instagram:  @mymakeovermission

Website:  My Makeover Mission

I’m way past midlife, but thankfully, I can still remember turning 50! I never thought about the number then and I don’t now.

For me, my life was just beginning…I have always loved architecture so I started a career selling real estate in the jungle, better known as NYC. My colleagues were considerably younger and more experienced. I was older sure, but I had a spirit and humor that made people think I was younger than I was. I also had two key ingredients that worked to my advantage, wisdom and life experience! And, with those attributes I carved a niche for myself and turned my passion into profits!!

I believe if you have vision and passion, you can create your own reality. I speak from experience and most recently started my nonprofit charity My Makeover Mission, queen for a day! It all started with me giving my mother a makeover at her nursing home. I did it to take a picture for what could be the last time I saw her looking beautiful. I didn’t look at the pictures until I was on the plane going home. When I saw how beautiful she looked I had my Ah, Ha moment (thank you Oprah)!

I called a nursing home two days after getting home and asked if I could do makeovers for their women. I was asked what my credentials were. I said “I’m a certified Image Consultant” and one week later I gave my first makeover to the often forgotten women in nursing homes. And now, after all I had to do to get my charity approved and ready I’m doing it! This is my new reality!

Here’s my takeaway for all of you ladies already 50 like my own daughter, or those that will soon be there….

If you live your life by the numbers then you should probably be playing roulette. But, if you live your life without letting your age define you, you can do anything!

 

 

Christi O.

Age: 52

Davidson, NC (Formerly from Michigan)

Admittedly, I am not a lover of change. Getting “fierce in midlife” has been ME recently.

I have always been fashion forward, loved fitness, had a great job, great family, great friends, nice house on a lake, boat — and on the outside looked like I had my life together.

Inside my guts were churning with life not feeling settled and dealing with some hard knocks.

Getting fierce at this time in my life means trusting in God, letting go of fear and most important – believing in myself. HARD, HARD stuff!

I threw chance to the wind a month ago, left my home and 90% of its content, moved to a different state, cut my hair off, started a new job…… it’s scary, but I know I can do it.

With age comes knowledge, confidence and an attitude that most times youth cannot offer.

I’m embracing it with all my heart and soul.  Embracing FIERCE!

 

 

Cristy H.

Age: 41

Kansas

Instagram: @cristy_____

For myself, being fierce took on a whole new meaning as I approached the age of 40. Four years ago, at age 37, I found myself severely out of shape, overweight and pre-diabetic.

I felt anything but fierce. I knew I needed to make a change, for both myself and for my six daughters.

My goal was to be in the best shape of my life by the age of 40. I decided to take my life back…and to never look back. I made a complete lifestyle change and in the process, health and fitness became my passion.

Four years later, at the age of 41, I can now say that I Met That Goal.

103 pounds and 10 dress sizes gone, I have taken back my Fierceness.

Being FIERCE is finding your voice and your true self and not being afraid to share it.

 

Debbie W.

Age: 61

Charlotte, NC

First of all; what is Fierce?  FIERCE – having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness; showing a heartfelt and powerful intensity.

Through sorrow and the realization that I was terrified to live life on my own; I chose to develop the character to be fierce, bold and alive beginning at the age of 46. I must say I didn’t just stand up and get it right, but beginning in 2006 standing in front of my bathroom mirror with tears streaming down my face and through my fear to do it on my own I said, “You’ve got to do this!”

I had been in commercial real estate since the early ‘80’s, but was the background person; hidden behind a man who was ferociously in charge of my life, but who was no longer here. I had a choice to make – was I going to find someone else to be in control or was I going to get with it and do it on my own. That’s when I decided to be FIERCE and become a successful professional in the commercial real estate world. Was it easy? …no! But with desire, determination and diligence success came. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

In June, 2007, I accepted a position with a commercial real estate firm which offered me a draw on future commissions and I was off to the race! Life was good, things appeared to be going well, but then in October, 2007, the economic recession came with a vengeance that lasted for years to come and I was suddenly faced with the decision to continue in a market that was in a huge financial downturn. There was only one decision to make if I had any hope of having a successful career; and , that was to stay the course, continue the race and work with a vengeance and passion to be successful in this field. With only a high school education, there were not a lot of career options that could afford me such opportunities. And, yes, success did come! I’m happy to share that at the age of 61 I have a very successful career in the commercial real estate community, sit on the Commercial Real Estate Board and have received many awards and gained much success through networking in my community and being fierce and passionate about what I love to do!

Yes, always see the glass half full and seek your passion; love what you do and go for it with a fierce vengeance. No one can stop you – and only you can make it happen!

 

 

Lisa J.

Age: 42

Huntersville, NC

Instagram:  @luxeangel_boutique

Website:  Luxe Angel Boutique

I was 39 and still wishing that one day I could live my dream of opening my very own boutique. I had been in retail for almost 25 years and we were coming up to another Holiday Season of which meant long days and hardly any family time.

I woke up one morning and decided This Was The Day I Was Going To Make A Change.

I went to work and literally quit my job. I was able to spend some holiday time with family and not stress out at all. It was amazing.

Then on January 3rd I sat down at my computer and googled “how do you open a boutique”?  I made a binder and just followed everything I could find and started my planning.

August of this year will be THREE YEARS OF OWNING Luxe Angel Boutique and I haven’t looked back yet!

Be Fierce!

 

 

Lulu K.

Age:  58

South Carolina

Instagram:  @lulukelloggatelier

Etsy Shop:  LuLu Kellogg Atelier

Fierce. This is the word my Mother told me to always be Fierce.

It has resonated with me my whole life. Going through breast cancer, a 226 pound weight loss, losing all my hair that never grew back and now two years into being diagnosed with Lupus has made the word Fierce just a part of my daily life.

I have to be Fierce each day. With my Autoimmune one day it may be massive hives that cover my entire body and the next day it could feel like my feet and legs have been beat with a baseball bat. It is an unknown from day to day what this Autoimmune will bring with it BUT as I begin each day I can still can hear my Mother’s words in my ear, “Be Fierce.”

So FIERCE I Will Continue To Be!

 

 

Patti A.

Age:  55

Chino Hills, CA

Instagram:  @italianblonde1

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

We can’t always control what life brings us; be it wrinkles, gray hair, or a life altering illness, however, we ”can” control our reactions to them.

We should lead by example so that we may encourage and inspire others who are experiencing similar things.

Life is too short to dwell on things that don’t show who we are on the inside.

Therefore, I choose to dwell on my femininity, the beautiful things in life, and most importantly a strong faith in God.

I hope you choose the same.

 

 

 

And don’t forget, you can find all 50 Bloggers and their posts for this amazing campaign on the Forever Fierce Day Campaign Page.  We invite YOU TO JOIN IN  and share your voice by answering the question,  “What does it mean to be Fierce…at any age?”  Being sure to use our dedicated hashtags #ForeverFierce and #ForeverFierceDay!

JOIN TODAY – The  Forever Fierce on Facebook  was created with a community of women Just Like YOU, supporting and encouraging one another through this midlife journey!  It is the perfect forum to share YOUR THOUGHTS and YOUR STORY!

A Special THANK YOU to Catherine, Mike and the entire leadership of the Forever Fierce Campaign!  I am honored to be included and constantly amazed at your determination, hard work and passion to create the change for women worldwide.

And Thank You my sweet friends for allowing me to share the journey of these amazing women!  I know they have been an inspiration for you to Live Your Truth As YOU JOURNEY TO, THROUGH, AND BEYOND MIDLIFE!!

 

~Barbi xoxo

 

With Special Thanks To These Amazing Talents:

Amanda Lee Photography    @amandalee.photo

Beth Briggs Illustration   @bethbriggsillustration

 

 

 

 

 

“Live Every Day With Attention To Intention, Pouring Your Passion So That You Might Find Joy In The Journey.”