The Power of Starting Late
I started my first business aged 21, while I was still a student. A national monthly theatre magazine in a country as big and as sparsely populated as Australia was perhaps not the most well thought through idea, but I was young, energetic, idealistic, driven by passion, not money, and arts grants were plentiful. It lasted for eight years, which was pretty good going.
But thirty-five years later, I started my most successful business at the age of 56. And then another at 68. And again, at 70.
If you’d told me in my 40s that I’d still be launching start-ups in my seventies, I might have raised an eyebrow. But I’ve discovered what many later-life entrepreneurs come to realise: age isn’t a limitation — it’s a superpower.
I co-founded Rethink Press, now the UK’s leading hybrid publisher of business books, in my mid-fifties with no funding and no exit strategy — just a passion for helping experts and entrepreneurs share their ideas in book form. At 68, I launched Book Magic AI, a ground-breaking app that helps users plan, write, and promote a business book with the power of human insight and artificial intelligence. And on my 70th birthday, I gave myself the gift of creative freedom: a podcast, The Year of Being 70, exploring the terrain of life at an age when society often expects you to slow down.
Each of these ventures has been a lesson in how age adds value. When you’ve been around the block — professionally and personally — you bring a wealth of wisdom, resilience, and perspective that no business degree can teach. You’ve seen cycles rise and fall, you’ve learned what matters, and (perhaps most valuably) you’re less afraid to fail. Because you already know that failure can be part of the game and while you celebrate the wins, you can also hold steady during any losses.
You can also add value by bringing something different to the table in your market, and confounding expectations. Most people imagine SaaS businesses to be run by thrusting young techbros. In photos of the Book Magic AI team, a small, white-haired woman shows that the opposite can be true; I was amused and flattered when someone called me a ‘techgran’ the other day!
If you’re considering starting a business later in life, don’t let the stereotypes hold you back. You are not “too old.” You are just right — and the world needs what only you can bring now.
Five Lessons for Later-Life Founders
The future of entrepreneurship isn’t just Gen Z in hoodies. It’s also Baby Boomers with bold ideas, big networks, and unshakeable drive.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never felt more alive, more relevant, or more determined to keep creating. So, if you’re standing at the edge of your next chapter, don’t ask “Am I too late?” Instead, ask: “What am I here to build now?”
About Lucy McCarraher
Lucy McCarraher is the UK’s most experienced business book mentor and has mentored over a thousand entrepreneurs, experts and business owners to write and publish their books. In 2011, McCarraher founded Rethink Press, the premier hybrid publisher of business books. She is also the founder and CEO of Book Magic AI, a unique AI-supported book-writing app, and founder of the Business Book Awards. McCarraher is a well-established author of fourteen books, including A Book of One’s Own — a manifesto for women to share their experience and make a difference, and Bookbuilder (with Joe Gregory). She is also the host of Mission Magic, a support and mentoring group for women entrepreneurs, the co-host of the ‘The Year of Being 70’ podcast, and a keynote speaker on books and writing. Lucy’s new book, Book Magic, is a galvanising call to action, empowering business owners to get their book out of their heads and into the world.
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