I turned 64 this year. Retired from the U.S. Navy. Building businesses. And I still hear people say — sometimes out loud, sometimes just in the quiet corners of their own heads — isn't it a little late for that?
Let me be straight with you: that's one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves.
We've built this story that certain opportunities belong to certain ages. Young people start businesses. Older people slow down. Twenty-somethings chase dreams; sixty-somethings chase grandkids. It's a tidy little narrative — and it's almost entirely wrong.
Every Chapter Gives You Something
Youth gives you energy. That's real. I remember it. You can outwork anyone, stay up all night, bounce back fast. But energy without direction is just noise.
Experience gives you perspective. After decades of service, of leading sailors through hard situations, of running operations where mistakes had real consequences — I see things a 25-year-old simply can't yet. Not because they're not smart. Because they haven't lived it.
Wisdom comes from combining the two. When you bring the hunger to keep growing together with the knowledge of what actually works, something powerful happens. You stop making the same beginner mistakes. You move with purpose. You know which battles matter.
Did you know the average age of a first-time entrepreneur is 42 — and that founders over 50 are statistically more likely to build companies that last? Experience isn't a liability. It's leverage.
Starting New Doesn't Mean Starting Over
Here's what I've learned: starting something new doesn't mean you're ignoring your past. It means you're using everything you've learned to create what comes next. Every tour of duty, every leadership decision, every failure and every win — it all goes in the pack you carry into whatever you build now.
Your previous chapters don't disqualify you. They prepare you.
I've watched people in their 50s launch their first business and absolutely crush it. I've seen people in their 70s learn new skills and discover new passions. And I've seen people in their 30s convince themselves they've already missed their window. The age on your driver's license is not the variable that determines your future. Your willingness is.
The question isn't whether you're too old. The question is whether you're still willing.
So What Are You Waiting For?
If you've been sitting on an idea, a project, a business, a skill you want to develop — stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for the right age, the right moment, the right circumstances. Those things don't show up on a schedule.
You have everything you need right now: the life you've lived, the lessons you've earned, and the time that's still in front of you. Use it.
This is part of an ongoing series called The Journey Continues.
Keep learning. Keep building. Because the journey continues.