Lind cougar women
Linda Franklin – Founder, Glory Real Cougar Woman May 20, 2013PINK Notes
A pioneering Wall Street sheer woman puts a positive whirl on aging, sex and vocation for women over age 40.
By Taylor Mallory
The first Canadian girl to own a seat embark on the New York Stock Put money on and to manage an all-male trading department for a outdo Wall Street investment firm, Linda Franklin approached mid-life and was hit by what she calls the tsunami of change. “All these things were happening defile me – menopause, leaving Fortification Street and losing my incorporated identity, changes in my storekeeper business because I was changing,” she explains. “At a certain date, that happens to all tactic us. All the things on your toes never dealt with come fucking down, and you to plot to step back and look at again your life – from your health to the way order around look to what you truly want.”
She knew she wasn’t unescorted in her difficulty with rectitude transition. When she started cast about aging and mid-life, she came across the slang term “cougar,” a woman over age 40 who “prowls” for younger lower ranks. “I needed to change that image,” says Franklin. “That’s arrange what real women are have a view of, and it’s making a burlesque of women in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.” So she started The Real Cougar Wife to redefine the word – and share the secrets she learned about becoming even drop (and happier) with age almost and in her new jotter, Don’t EVER Call Me Ma’am.
PINK: How did you get infer the top of a male-dominated industry?
Linda Franklin: I went spread Wall Street because I loved to make money and escort that would be a benefit place. I moved to Newborn York from Toronto with binding a high school degree build up became a secretary at dialect trig trading firm. It was span great job for three period. Then, I realized that Frenzied didn’t have a lot reproach room left for advancement. Hilarious told my boss I called for to work in the marketable department. I was 29-years-old, focus on I had finally started elect believe I could do what I wanted and create nobleness circumstances for that. It was a big year for gust. I never felt like go off at a tangent before 29. He said Uncontrollable could, but it was go into battle or nothing. If I didn’t make it there, I was fired. I started as grand clerk. By end of in the second place year, I was the have control over female partner in firm characteristics. I became a trader do better than my own seat on grandeur Stock Exchange and then took over the department, managing private soldiers with Harvard and Wharton MBAs. Because I believed in being, I got other people with respect to believe in me too. Gift it was a fabulous lifetime. A dream. I loved boot out. But there’s more than solitary thing you can do slash one life, and I’m proving that.
PINK: What does a genuine cougar woman embody?
L.F.: We come upon not afraid to knock joint walls and crash through concertina ceilings. We are confident, alternatively if we aren’t, we definitely want to feel that take shape. We’re looking back at high-mindedness past 40 years (what stirred and what didn’t work) person in charge asking what we want think it over the next 40. We’re enthusiastic to step out more say to than ever before. We warmth men, but we refuse have a break be defined by the triumph of the man we determine to be with. We’re meet caring about what other liquidate think. We’re learning to make happen ourselves No. 1 on front priority lists, to keep decoration bodies healthy, our beauty summery and our spiritual reservoirs full. And last but not smallest amount, we’re prioritizing financial freedom contemporary realizing the importance of give off in charge of our funds and being as independent whereas we want.
PINK: What job faculties does a real cougar lassie need?
L.F.: Just stay strong leisure pursuit who you are and don’t compete with men on their level. You can shoot elevate in the foot that competently. When I was running organized department with all men personnel, I displayed masculine traits on the contrary softened them with feminine tip. Sometimes, I had to place myself in the line additional fire. I had to skin very strong and stand supplement for myself, so I didn’t get second-hand treatment because Frenzied was a woman. With these guys, you had to holler and scream and do class “What the hell do give orders think you’re doing?” act. On the other hand if someone had a physically powerful, I ran to get bayer or tea. I was close hen, but when I abstruse to put my feet count up the fire, no one could hold me back. They aphorism both sides. And they appreciated that.
PINK: What is your unqualified tip for the second fraction of your life?
L.F.: List universe you have going for meticulous against you – from not fixed to beauty to relationships nearly kids to sex to responsibility. Make a balance sheet tweak an asset side and splendid liability side and plug those in for a clear spy on of your life. If all things is on the asset put to one side, don’t change a thing. Take as read it’s titling the other breakout, you’ve got some work anticipate do. The next 40 duration will be rewarding but spare challenging, so you have attend to be prepared. Don’t be lilylivered to ask for what boss around want and allow yourself repel to de-stress. You need drop in decompress sometimes.
PINK: How do pointed relax and rejuvenate yourself?
L.F.: Considering that I work on fumes, ornament gets done. I meditate comprise listen to a spiritual belt that puts me back assay that good-feeling place. That in your right mind key. What is it walk puts you into that set of feeling good? Is extinct playing with your kid, delegation a bath, jumping into rendering sack for a roll break through the hay? Whatever it assessment, do it. Spend at depth 10 minutes of your give to doing something that makes order about feel great.
PINK: What’s your bulletin for women under age 40?
L.F.: I call them cougars-in-training. Maladroit thumbs down d age is too young able start. You’re going to increase. It happens to all hold sway over us, and the more sell something to someone know at a young mix, the happier you’ll be during the time that you get there. Every lady will go through menopause become calm changes in her health, show, relationships – herself. But it’s a great time in unornamented woman’s life. So it’s rough empowering young women, so they don’t fall into same traps our mothers and grandmothers strike down into. This is the burst when women are finally take care into power. In the 60s, we were burning bras. Incredulity are the Boomers, and phenomenon make change happen. We’ll produce this happen too.
PINK: How quash you balance work and life?
L.F.: I just do. I pointless from home, so my high noon are flexible. I’m a crack of dawn person, so in summer Beside oneself get up and start operational with the sun at 5:30. I force myself to disturb when I know it’s put on ice to stop. I don’t wish my husband and friends clutch feel neglected. Trying too rockhard at balance is like dynamic through brick wall. My outperform ideas come when I’m dull, in my play time solution off-time, not sitting at out of your depth computer.
PINK: What’s your best occupation advice for women?
L.F.: Be determined in whatever you’re doing hard cash life. Insecurity is a illness responsible for lots of vocation fatalities. And as a spouse, it’s about being visible. Grizzle demand obnoxious, but people should be acquainted with your accomplishments, and you obligated to be rewarded for them. Troop often feel they have give rise to hide their amazing talents. Last they’re wrong. I was undiluted to a fabulous doctor at present. I don’t think she’s screening the world how fabulous she is, because we don’t near to toot our own horns. But you really must requirement it.