About Baby Boomer Me
When I really think about it, I have been a devotee of the home based business for most of my life. Even when practicing law as a solo-practitioner, I had a formal office outside the home, complete with conference rooms, receptionists, leather couches and all the accoutrements a client would expect in their attorney. There, I met my clients, conducted meetings, depositions, conferences and interacted with my colleagues.
But my little secret was my home office, where along with kids and dogs and other animals du jour, I did most of my work,which for an attorney mostly involves long hours in front of a computer with Internet access, a phone and some other equipment. Since most of what I did was write and talk, I could do that from anywhere and given the choice, I would do it from home. If I didn’t have to get formal, I’d lie low in my sweats and pound out better work at any time of day or night than I could have all dolled up in a suit and high heels. Of course, all that was required when I had to go to court, but the amount of time a lawyer actually spends in court (depending on their practice) is low, compared to the time spent researching, writing and talking to people – solo activities easily done from home. As a young mom, that was perfect for me -but even when children were not a factor, it was my preferred manner of work. I was always more productive when the muse hit, and that could be and still is sometimes at 10 o’clock at night in my bathrobe.
I was introduced to the direct sales industry by one of my clients, and once I understood the potential – I was hooked. What always intrigued me was the endless possibilities the Internet offered for explosion of this type of business. This was while the Internet was still in its infancy (no Facebook, Twitter or any realization on the part of the general public that this would and will grow beyond our imaginations). Direct sales companies (due to lawyers, no doubt) were leery of the Internet and often for good reason. If their distributors claimed the product cured cancer, they could be in major trouble.
That has changed due to widespread acceptance and usage of the Internet by mainsteam companies and the versatility and lightening speed changes happening on the web almost daily. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, to name just a few, are household names – and places most households visit daily. “Google it” has become a verb – understood in at least 100 different languages, and the world shops online.
Now my years of experience in direct sales combined with my fascination with the Internet since Version 1.0 of America Online, have combined to allow me to follow my dreams of working fully from home and fully online.
Nowadays, it doesn’t take a person years to learn the craft of doing anything online – it has all been made so easy and commonplace, that the average person who knows how to send an e-mail can start an online business with a little training in a matter of weeks.
Life circumstances coalesced to bring me to this point. I no longer practice law after doing so for a long time in three states. Burnout is common in the profession, and that combined with many moves around the country and my interest in online marketing started the drift away. After an injury five years ago and last year a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, I knew the online marketing from home was my future – and I jumped in deeper than I had in the years before. Gladly, I might add.
What started out as a personal interest of mine, has become a mission of sorts. All those years of educating myself and marketing on the side, gave me a leg up in knowledge and competence in direct sales and online marketing. I also know, especially as I watch the constant change of the face of the Internet, that the learning curve I went through has been slashed to next to nothing for the newest of newbies.
I watched my elders navigate old age in a more isolated state that my generation will. As a young Baby Boomer, I already had friends around the country, Australia and Israel – people I’d never physically met. As my generation ages and the Internet provides more and more opportunities for connection to others, I see my generation’s older years as far more connected than generations past.
My diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis last year wasn’t really a sudden incapacitating event. Not receiving the diagnosis until I was 53 (a bit later than the majority of folks), and not understanding the disease at the time, once I delved into researching all I could about it, I could see how it has been with me my entire adult life, I just hadn’t realized it and it hadn’t been a major impediment to normal functioning. I am grateful I was blessed that way, but becoming a member of a community of people with what is sometimes referred to as an “invisible disease,” I added another “credential” to my life experience and started dreaming some more.
I am absolutely convinced that for Boomers and the disabled, that the Internet is the answer to social-connectedness, a life-long continued sense of purpose for those who are homebound, and the source of financial well-being for years to come. A person with little computer or business experience, who for reasons of age, incapacity, staying home with children, just simply wanting it – whatever reason, has no reason not to continue to participate in the economy and to grow their own economy through the Internet. Internet businesses are booming and will continue to grow.
With the state of the international economy, another stream of income has become a must for most people of whatever age or state of health. Over 740 million home businesses will start this year – most of them by people ages 54 to 65. Smart people, my generation.
I am so excited about what I have to share with the millions wanted to start their own businesses online, whether they are Boomers, disabled or not. Yet, especially to the Boomers and disabled, my mission is to be a guide through the sometimes scary world of the Internet, to lead folks towards the right people, to teach how easy it is to run a business online and stay connected and earn money when their hopes and dreams of that may have been shattered. There is no need for it, whatever your age or state in life, and that is what I hope to share with the many who still do not realize that.
For myself, I carefully chose several online opportunities that suited me and my goals. Whether a person partners with me or not is not the issue to me – they will if they want to. My goal is to guide and teach people so that they can find the opportunities and the connectedness that works for them.
That’s why my Baby Boomer motto is “These STILL are the good old days!”
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Hi Mary,
It was nice to connect with you on the Simple Freedom group on Facebook. Reading your story, I see that you have MS. My wife has had MS for over twenty years. I offer any sort of assistance you might need in getting yourself educated on the disease. Just shoot me a note.
Michael
Hi Mary Anne
I am so glad I stumbled upon your website. I am in the financial industry. Licensed in securities and insurance and burnt out. I have been considering TVI and a few other online business’s but was concerned about credibility and wondering if I could really earn enough to support myself with an online business. Reading your story has helped quite a bit. I have signed up for TVI but have not given it the attention I need to because I developed a case of cold feet…………thinking maybe I had made a mistake and it wasn’t going to work like I thought it would. Very concerned about credibility. Would love to discuss some of your thoughts and other online ideas.
I wish you the best and hope we can connect soon.
Thank you!
Carol
Carol,
Yes, I’d be glad to talk to you. My phone number is 203-439-1055 and my email is info@maryannenagy.com. There are a number of ops online that are real and TVI is one of them. Who did you join with?
Mary Anne
PS – boy do I know burn out.