So, I’ve spent the past five posts talking about young entrepreneurs, which is—of course—awesome, but to finish off the semester, I want to talk about something different. Young entrepreneurs are great, but in a culture that’s so obsessively focused on youth, I sometimes feel like as I get older, I won’t be able to start learning or doing anything new. Obviously, this is not true, and I found someone to prove it.

I would like you all to meet Noreen Davies, an 84 year old who decided to pick up learning the trombone at age 72. I don’t know about you, but I rarely hear about people learning new skills at age 72. In fact, I often hear that if I haven’t started a skill (whether it be an instrument, sport, or something else) at a young age, I have missed my chance to learn it. So, it was a pleasant surprise for me to learn about someone who decided not to listen to the narrative and pick up a new skill anyway. And not only did Davies pick up a new skill; she got good enough to pick up gigs at local shops with other musicians.

It may not be a business, but the ability to find something you love and make it work for you is surely a foundation of entrepreneurship. You know what they say, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second best time is now!” So go try new things and plant some trees; its not too late!

You can read more about Noreen Davies here.