I'm pleased to expand on some of "boomer trends" that Dr. Carol Osborn, author and CEO of BoomerInfluence.com, shared at the "Forward with Ford" conference I attended in Detroit in June. After a long weekend of enjoying sun and fun, I'm back from my "condo on the corner at the beach," ready to blog in my home office. (I just love my new IKEA desk and new IKEA bookcases in my new loft. So glad I simplified my life, sold my huge house and made the move to townhouse living.)
Carol says "boomers want to be different than their parents." She says "boomers are defying the stereotypes." She says that "when a boomer woman hits her 50s and 60s she starts living for herself." (I agree. It's not always about what my kids want. Maybe, maybe, maybe, that's why I was so excited to go to the Nordstrom pre-fall sale, one of my favorite shopping events of the year. I was so excited to see all the fall fashion trends for boomer women. I treated myself to a Burberry cape, one of the big trends for fall 2011. Ponchos are back too. Wish I saved some of my crocheted ponchos from the 70s.)
According to Carol, as we look at an elongated lifespan, boomers are going to be doing things differently. "It is inevitable that when you hit 85-90, things will falter," says Carol. "However, in between 60-80, you will have more vitality than your parents did." (If Carol is correct, I may have more than one midlife crisis in my lifetime -- I may be having a midlife crisis every five years.)
Here are some of the other boomer trends, Carol shared:
- Elongated life-span. (Do you know that in 2046 the first boomer will turn 100? I will be 88 in 2046. Zow-wee!!! How old will you be?)
- Multi-tasking products and services. (I do want my products to taste good and do good things for me. I eat Activia yogurt every morning for my probiotics and I add sliced bananas for my potassium and throw in a few blueberries for my antioxidants. Then I have a bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, which is almost like taking a vitamin pill. Oh, yes, I also take a vitamin pill designed especially for women who are 50-plus, and I top off breakfast with my fish oil to keep my heart healthy. So much to remember every morning -- wish I had another pill or product to prevent memory loss.)
- Simplicity denotes status, luxury is being redefined. (I agree. I'm much more into the simple life now. I want to live simply, yet with style. Speaking of style, check out these two upcoming books that will be on the market soon: The Right Color by Eve Ashcraft, will help you find the perfect palette for every room in your home. And Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney is a great DIY book to make your home look fabulous. Heard Grace has one of the best design sites at Design*Sponge.
- Connected Technology. (Move over millennials. Who do you think you are talking to?) Carol is right. I grew up with technology -- VCRs, DVDs, answering machines, and computers. I learned how to use them all. You should see me work the remote on my television and turn it on. I can juggle three remotes and watch a DVD movie all in one night. My boyfriend L will attest to my dexterity. I'm learning Facebook too. Make sure you become a fan of Judi Boomer Girl.
There are a whole lot more trends, from "inward bound to the rise of entrepreneurship, from shifting from anti-aging to aspirational aging, from reality tempered by resourcefulness and creativity to increased antipathy between generations, and finally, one of the most important of all -- the growing awareness of the importance of boomer women as influencers." Boomer women are a large and growing population and we will continue to live longer than our male counterparts. Carol says, "women have found each other online and we're influencing decision making -- from wrinkle creams, to clothing, to green living, to the cars we buy."
What power boomer women have... can you hear us roar?
Finally, Carol says "boomers, including both boomer women and boomer men, have tremendous ability to make our voices known. We have power to make big changes that will be important to our legacy. While we are self-absorbed, we are also concerned about the future not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren."
It's so great to be a boomer woman. There is so much I want to do, share and learn during the second half of my life.