What turning 45 taught me about success in business

I just turned 45.

It’s a weird number. Feels like it belongs to someone else. Someone older, someone who knows what they’re doing with their life. 

Someone mentioned it was the 45th anniversary of the Mt. St. Helens eruption, and I immediately thought, “That can’t be right. It wasn’t that long ago!”

Then I remembered ... it happened four days after I was born.

This occurred to me right after I blew out the 4 and 5-shaped candles on my cake.

Cue the existential crisis.

I’ve been looking back at all the different versions of me: the student, newspaper reporter, traveler, newlywed, brand-new mom, business starter, business builder, and wondering: How did I get here?

Here being midlife. The middle.

The space where you're no longer surprised to hear yourself say things like "Why is the music so loud?" at a church service or "I think I pulled something tying my shoe." When you find yourself wearing fanny packs and visors because they are so practical. 

44 was the year I stopped getting carded. The year people stopped saying, “No way!” when I told them my age. The year I started experiencing a few of those charming little whispers of perimenopause.

But it was also the year my business helped us buy a beautiful new home. The year I lost 20 pounds of baby weight from my “geriatric pregnancy.” And the year I finally … finally … figured out meal planning.

So no, I wouldn’t go back. But if I could, it would only be if I could bring a few of the lessons I’ve learned with me. And since time travel isn’t on the menu, maybe I can pass them along to you.

Here are five things turning 45 taught me about success in business (and life).

1. Everything takes longer than you think it will.

And it’s not the actual timeline that’s hard. It’s the expectation that it should be faster that makes it feel like torture.

We live in a world of 2-day shipping and overnight results. So when business growth, income goals, or visibility don’t happen right now, we get discouraged.

I’m someone who’s naturally a slow and calculated mover. I save up for things. I plan. I have to think about things first. And yet, even I struggle with the slow burn of building a business.

But in the slowness, I've learned the most. As someone of faith, it’s also when I’ve leaned the hardest on God. I’m starting to think He designed it that way on purpose.

So let go of your timeline. Set it down. Progress is progress, even when it’s not fast. Especially when it’s not fast.

2. No matter what happened to you, it’s your responsibility to move forward.

This one’s tough love.

The most successful people I know take full ownership of their lives. Even when bad things happen (and they do), they don’t stay stuck. They process. They heal. They get back up.

On the flip side, I’ve seen people chain themselves to their past. Waiting for someone else to fix it. Spoiler: that person isn’t coming.

If someone punches you in the face and gives you a bloody nose, it’s not your fault, but you still have to clean yourself up.

Pain is real. But wallowing won’t move you forward. Let the hard things be the rocks you stand on, not the ones you tie around your ankles.

3. The boring stuff in the short term is what makes life not boring in the long term.

I wish this weren’t true. But it is.

Consistency is really unsexy. It’s not glamorous. It rarely goes viral. But it’s what builds everything worth having.

Want to get fit? Eat well and move your body. Over and over. 

Want to grow a business? Show up, even on the “meh” days. 

Want to master something? Practice, even when you don’t feel like it.

After years of boring, you get to live the exciting outcome: The body that lets you chase your kids. The business that gives you freedom. The skills that open doors. The finances that give you options.

So yeah, boring is good. Boring is rich. Be boring.

4. You are your best investment. (And yes, it pays to learn.)

Why will someone drop $1,000 on a phone that depreciates the moment they open the box, but hesitate to invest in learning something that could earn them 10x that?

I used to hold back too, especially in the early days of my business. I was afraid. I pinched pennies. And I slowed myself down because of it.

Not every investment will be perfect. But even a mediocre course or coach can be the stepping stone to the next right thing. It’s still progress.

Don’t throw money around, obviously. But if it’s a thoughtful investment that’ll move your business forward, go for it.

You’re worth betting on.

5. People matter most.

A few years ago, my husband and I moved to Sandpoint and bought a fixer-upper. It consumed us. Then COVID hit. Then I spent five months on bedrest during my aforementioned geriatric pregnancy. (Turns out pregnancy at 42 is hard on your body).

We got so wrapped up in survival mode, we stopped seeing people. And at some point, we looked around and realized our people had moved on.

It was lonely. And we learned: life isn’t as fun without your friends.

You can build the most beautiful business, buy the house, reach the goals, see success in business, but if you don’t have community, it all feels a little hollow.

So check in with your people. Prioritize relationships. Celebrate the wins with others.

The rest will fall into place.

I don’t know what your age is, or what your journey looks like, but I do know this: there’s still time. To grow. To learn. To pivot. To start again.

Midlife isn’t the middle of the end. It’s just the middle. 

And it is entirely possible the best part of the story starts here.

Tell me what lesson are you learning in your life or business?