ROSS KEATING Is A Firm Believer & Proof That “Age Is Only A Number And Not To Let A Number Hold You Back,” Or A Midlife Redundancy, Hold You Back From Creating A New Life & Business

Mature Preneurs Talk with Diana Todd-Banks

Ross Keating experienced redundancy a few times in his corporate career, and that, in itself can hold you back from moving forward. But for Ross the saying “Age is only a number. Don’t let a number hold you back,” is a thought he lives by in fact, it has helped him move forward.

At the age of 50, Ross and his family moved to Australia and he decided to establish a consulting practice, which he called The Client Orchardist. Having previously experienced redundancy a few times in his corporate career, Ross learnt the importance of identifying and clearly understanding what your transferable skills are. That’s not easy when suffering from the effects of redundancy and neither is the next step deciding where you want to end up!

To identify where your opportunities may lie, start by looking at your past work experiences and personal interests. Taking time on this step is important as it sets the tone for the next step, says Ross, which is learning simple ways to set goals. Doing this, will help you focus on your new ventures so you can work towards your goals.

Applying for jobs when you’re over 50 and not being successful is tough and demoralizing which Ross knows well, and is why he talks about how to overcome these challenges and start again in business, whatever your age.

Using the analogy of growing an orchard of trees Ross highlights a key to this process, is in understanding what you want from life and how a business venture is a part of the “orchard” to make it happen, and how to tend to “your orchard” to bring your dreams and goals to fruition.

You can learn more about Ross on his LinkedIn profile and through his blogs, workshops, webinars, mentoring and coaching programs.