“A little chance encounter could be the one you’ve waited for.“ – Emma Stone, La La Land
Outfit Details:
White Skinny Jeans 1, White Skinny Jeans 2, Cardigan, Hat, Bright Color Blouse, White Blouse, Mont Joye Pearl Bracelet, Rex Cross Ring
In an early morning yoga class in December, as I lay there in savasana, inspiration poured through me with an energy that almost overtook me. Dashing off my yoga mat, I ran home and excitedly picked up the phone to call two of my favorite over 50 Fashion Bloggers, Cathy Williamson of The Middle Page and Shauna Robertson, ChicOver50 to share the inspiration. What came through was clarity with a sense of urgency. I had the idea to bring together 50 female bloggers over the age of 50 on the 50th day of the year in an annual celebration of one another while creating a collaborative, supportive community. Before I knew it, my girls hopped on a plane and met me in LA to begin planning the launch of the very first annual Fierce 50 Campaign!
Little did I know that a journey had begun that would lead to a Voice for the mature female demographic and a fabulous opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking Radio Show/Podcast!
What does it mean to be over 50? It means you’re a survivor! Reaching the half century mark is no small feat. You’ve likely seen your fair share of adversity and challenges, yet you’ve also experienced the many joyful highs that life brings your way. You’ve accumulated a lifetime of wisdom that fills your heart with a desire to share all that you’ve learned to help pave a road that’s a bit more gracious for those that follow. You’ve developed immense compassion for others and are finally showing yourself that very same compassion. You may have spent a lifetime putting others ahead of you: your children, your parents, your friends, and pretty much anyone that needs some loving kindness. If you have children, your heart has softened and yet you live with a fire to protect the innocence you see in others. Midlife isn’t what the media portrays and would like you to believe. Midlife isn’t a time for endings as it was for our Mother’s or Grandmother’s generations. Rather, there’s a new midlife happening that’s a time of new beginnings. With women over 50 starting more new businesses than any other demographic, combined with the purchasing power of the Baby Boomers holding 70 percent of the wealth of our nation, women at midlife are a force to be reckoned with!
February 19, 2017 marked a powerful turning point for women over 50 in the Blogging world. More than 50 women came together to share stories of one another while creating intimate bonds and authentic connections. Birthing what has now turned into a veritable “Fierce 50 Revolution” with women joining at record force, the community is on fire to show the world that they are done being discounted as this is a perception of an old reality, not the one they are living today. This is a generation of women whose voices have not been heard. This was the “yuppie” and “responsible” generation, defying the earlier hippies and protesters, and carving a path that was more confined as they hit the corporate track or stayed home to raise their children.
Chico’s is a brand that has focused on this powerful demographic since they day their doors opened in Florida. With a dedication to women of midlife, Chico’s had a vision to celebrate women for their hearts rather than their wrinkle free visages. Chico’s was started by a woman with a dream; a powerful woman who began slowly changing the concept of a woman in her second act. Helen Gralnick began selling in a small boutique on Sanibel Island. 30 years later, she continues her mission with a new vibrant fresh redesign to reflect the evolving woman of midlife. Designing clothing with midlife in mind, Chico’s went to work to help these women look and feel their most beautiful. Known for their impeccable personalized attention, it’s a brand that has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Creating distinctive designs of the highest quality, Chico’s is a brand this demographic has turned to as we are grateful to be embraced by such a beautiful company.
Back to that phone call…and the arrival of my new best friends hitting the ground in LA. Cathy arrived first. The naturally youthful flame haired beauty walked out the doors of baggage claim and couldn’t be missed. Drop dead gorgeous in the virtual world, this redheaded wonder took my breath away with her inner and outer beauty. Midlife brings with it an organic inward focus and Cathy Williamson embodies the natural beauty in spades. Refreshing, Cath is as authentic as they come. She’s a breath of fresh air in the Fashion Blogging world, always living to inspire those around her with her story. A triple negative breast cancer survivor, she’s a walking miracle and doesn’t let anything stop her. We bonded like childhood friends in an instant and haven’t let go.
Shauna Robertson is an ageless beauty who is also one of the kindest women I have ever met. Arriving at The Portofino Hotel Lobby, Shauna bounced in and captivated me with her radiant personality. Known as @chicover50, Shauna has naturally attracted a dedicated following that treats her like the Rockstar that she is. I recently traveled to Chicago for an Anthropologie Fashion Show where Shauna’s fans were out in force. Her youthful glow seems to radiate from her being. Known as one of the most supportive bloggers, Shauna always goes out of her way to find a kind word for everyone.
My vision was to create a beautiful community for women to share their voice. What better way than coming to LA to shoot a talk show. Luckily, my new friends were receptive to the idea. Living in La La Land gave inspiration for the journey. Meeting up in LA, we hit the town and had a blast creating our own La La Land experience. We headed down to the picturesque vistas in Palos Verdes to recreate our own version of the movie. With our talented videographer from Toronto, Elena in tow, we choreographed a little routine and laughed while we twirled and fell down. What you learn at midlife is that life may knock you down but the power is always right there inside to lift you back up. Much of the movie was shot in the South Bay and we did our best to follow the trail and embody the inspiration from the film. Elena is like one of the girls and we had a blast under her direction. Dancing in high heels is no easy feat in your mid 50’s and Elena had us laughing, mostly at ourselves!
Decked out in the latest Chico’s fashion, Shauna, Cath and I were more inspired than ever to break out and dance. Chico’s designs have evolved as we have and there’s a vibrant youthfulness to the designs. Incorporating the latest trends, this is a brand that stays true to it’s classic roots while bringing some fun into it’s latest designs. Wearing white skinny jeans with a sequined jacket and Chico’s hat, we hit Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach to find some colorful La La Land backgrounds. Cath is wearing a gorgeous blue silk blouse and white skinnies from Chico’s. Shauna chose the cutest look that has been coveted by all in the virtual world. Her white blouse is so fun and youthful along with white skinny jeans. There isn’t anything that doesn’t look good on these two yet Chico’s amazed us with looks that would look fabulous on any age.
Kathy Kaehler is the former Fitness Correspondent on The Today Show for 14 years. Kath is a force of her own, having trained some of the biggest and most iconic stars of our time. From Jane Fonda to Jennifer Aniston, Kathy has attracted top celebrities with her natural golden voice and sparkly, yet very down to earth, persona. Most women at Kathy’s level might have developed a bit of an ego yet Kathy has none. She’s as kind as they come, always celebrating the human being rather than the celebrity.
Sharing her message empowering women to lead fit and healthy lifestyles, Kathy has had her own radio show on LA Talk Radio called “Fit and Sexy for Life” for 3 years and has almost one million downloads . We met up at a Chico’s national campaign shoot and Kathy won all of us over with her candid personality and her kindness. We were women beginning to enter her world, sharing our voices, yet she set a very high bar with her golden voice and the highest level of professionalism.
We hope you enjoy our La La Land experience as we created this with YOU in mind. As you’ll see at the very end, Kathy Kaehler had her own agenda when she saw our video! We are so excited to announce that we have combined forces in our upcoming “Cat & Kaehler: Fiercely Empowering Women of All Ages Through the Lens of Midlife.” Cath and Shauna will be joining us from time to time as will the many women of The Fierce 50. “Cat & Kaehler” is the voice of The Fierce 50 and we invite you into the conversation. No matter your age, this show will apply to you. There’s a wealth of wisdom found at this age and we can’t wait to share all that we have learned. Launching May 30th, tune in and be ready for your life to change. We are prepared to rock your world both inside and out as we have rocked our own. What does it mean to be fierce? It means that we FIERCELY care about each and every one of you and we are fighting to empower you through our voices. Tune in to “Cat & Kaehler” beginning Tuesday, May 30th at 2 PM EST/11 AM PST. We have an all star line up as we will be diving into the stories and inner worlds of the fabulous guests we will be sharing with you. We will be sharing what they’ve learned by reaching this stage of life. Cheers beauties. Isn’t it time your voice was heard?
