Rockport Shoes: Stylish Hard Working Comfort for Career Reinvention

Career Reinvention later in life certainly is a challenge
clothed in moments of fear and anxiety. 
Yes, there are people out there who will scoff at age…there are people
we are invisible to…and there are businesses with new financial challenges which are restructured so most of the workforce is part time with no available
benefits.
I have to dig deeper than ever before to drink from the
perseverance well.  A second interview
with Valerie Ramsey last week was certainly timely in my life.  She is someone who persevered through many
challenges and has shared all of her lessons in two books. She reminded me of
the need for humility and a willingness to start at the bottom if
necessary.  She said, “Sometimes this is
the ladder to our dream career and we learn new skills in order to achieve what
we really want. It is often necessary to look backwards in order to step
forwards.”  She is someone who began in
her late 50s to work a cash register in the Pro-Golf Shop at Pebble Beach
Resort.  It became her ladder which would
lead to her to become Public Relations and Media Manager for the resort…then to
be discovered there as a professional model at age 63 and now an author and
inspirational speaker at 75.
So, I am giving her advice a try.  While I continue to fill out resumes,
freelance write, and blog, I also started last week to work the first retail
job since I was 16!  I went to one of my
all-time favorite stores, SOFT SURROUNDINGS, and I am currently training to be
a sales associate.  We will see how I
survive…this is hard work, ladies!!  I
have a new respect for everyone who works retail!! I am attempting to spin many
plates, so it really is a one day at a time walk!  But, I know I will learn much from it and
will be writing about those lessons.
Something you MUST have when working retail, are comfortable
shoes, so I was elated when ROCKPORT sent this LAND BOULEVARD CROSS SLIDE SANDAL IN PEACOAT BLUE.  I am allowed to wear sandals at work and
these are perfect…made my tired feet very happy and look great!  Such well-constructed, beautiful shoes.

Anyone else learning about humility these days??  Would you like to share your thoughts?

I am linking up today with SHOE AND TELLMONDAY MINGLE

Find out more about Rockport sandals HERE, and links to 
Valerie’s books below!

Disclaimer:  Rockport provided me the sandals, but the words of the post are entirely my own!

17 Comments

  1. I am officially in love with your blog. I love your content and your writing.I'll be sure to be a regular on here from now on. 🙂

    Thank you for taking the time to talk to me at Fashion Week South a few weeks ago. I'll be sure to keep in touch! I'm going to try to go to some more San Antonio Fashion Society meetings, so hopefully I will see you very soon!

    -Priscilla Ledesma
    http://www.CasaDeCosmo.com

  2. What a challenge – but you will overcome it. I find myself in the strange situation of running a medical practice again, at the age of 59. Only not now as a young administrator, but for my husband. My last job was lecturing at University, after putting myself through a degree in mid life – but there are no jobs in that field as you would know. So it's funny where we find ourselves. Good Luck…

  3. About comfortable shoes.. you are so right. It is back breaking if your feet don't get the necessary support while working in retail. Indeed you need perceverence, but at the same time, this is also adventure after adventure. Good for your brain too. New things make the time seem to go much slower. Routine makes the time go faster.
    Greetje

  4. You're smart to start off in comfortable shoes! That's a great quote. It's so easy to get stuck in our ways and think we know everything. You're attitude and great talents will take you far my friend!!!

  5. I think working at a store like Soft Surroundings would be great fun. Hard work of course, but great fun (and great clothes!) As I consider what I will do in retirement, going the retail route at a clothing store I like has been on and off the list many times! I know for sure what I DON'T want to do (what I've been doing for my entire working career), but to me, your interim job sounds like fun!

  6. comfortable shoes are an energy boost–much needed during a transition from a familiar and well-loved job to a new future. Have been going through that–everyone in my office [i was an editor and columnist] was fired when the magazine was sold to a new owner. everyone except the five youngest people (also the lowest salaries!). I'm still "managing" my transition–kind of holding onto what I had [a contract to edit and write part time with the new owner], doing some freelance and developing my blog on a very different subject. Sometimes I wish I had struck out into something completely different, like taking a retail job and learning a new industry, or, as you're doing, in an industry you love. It's never easy to replace what you had–especially when you loved what you were doing–but the world does open up and transitions do happen. There's still energy and excitement out there. Wishing you the best–and hoping you'll keep writing your blog. I really enjoy it.

  7. job hunting is definitely a lesson in humility – and being prepared to do something that we thought was less than we deserve can be hard too. But I'm also wondering if doing a job that doesn't drain all our energy leaves us with space to put that energy into what we truly enjoy. ~ Leanne

  8. Pam I love your courage. I hope you know you inspire many of us. The quote about remaining teachable is so true. I wish more people realized it.

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