Two over-50 success stories to brighten your day

We love bringing you stories of people who have really made something great happen even as they passed the 50 year mark.

The fact is, at an age when many are considering retirement, there’s plenty of time left to start a new business and begin a new life, no matter what you want to do.

Everyone is always looks at wealthy whiz kids who do great things in their 20′s, and those are inspiring stories, but we wanted to take a look at some whiz seniors who showed how a great business can be built just as well as anyone else.

Carol Gardner

Carol Gardner, 66, is a former advertising executive that decided she wanted to get out of the corporate life and start her own business. At 52, with very little money to her name, she entered a Christmas card contest and won.

Next thing you know, Gardner now owns her own company with 24 different greeting card designs. She’s sold over a million cards and now licenses her designs.

Franny Martin

Now 65, Franny Martin was also a marketing professional who tired of her same old slog in the Domino’s Pizza back office. So, just shy of 56, she left the company to pursue a baking passion.

Today, her business Cookies on Call, ships over 40 cookie varieties all over the world. Even better, she provides work for over a dozen employees, both full- and part-time.

You see, not everyone is a whiz kid. There’s plenty of whiz seniors out there starting something new and making the decision that it’s not quite time to grab the cribbage board and turn on the weather channel. Are you one of them?