About Linda Franklin
I understand firsthand what it means to re-invent yourself after forty. I was born in Toronto and moved to New York City in my early twenties. Never having finished college, I had to work extra hard and also adopt a belief system that made it possible to succeed. Of course, being the right place and the right time never hurts.
Wall Street in the late 70’s was not a woman friendly environment but I used that to my advantage. At age 28 I began to construct a dream career that lasted for over 20 years. I became the first Canadian woman to own a seat on The New York Stock Exchange. I also managed an all-male trading department for a leading Wall Street investment firm.
Then at 48 my life changed drastically. Due to a number of circumstances I decided to leave Wall Street. That transition was a devastating blow to my psyche. I didn’t realize how much of my identity I had attached to my work. Retirement had never been a thought in my mind and I had no idea of how to cope with not having a good reason to get up in the morning.
When I could no longer stand wallowing in self pity, I made the conscious decision to take back my power and my life. Over the next two years, I went on a quest to find the answers that would help me with my relationships, menopause, maintaining a healthy body, looking fabulous, starting a new career and filling my spiritual reservoir. That journey, as tough as it was, turned out to be a blessing. It re-ignited my passion and allowed me to get excited about the act two of my life. It was then I made the decision to share what I had learned with other women who were going through similar changes in their lives.
Many people ask why I decided to call my blog The Real Cougar Woman. It wasn't planned and happened after I started to read a slew of unflattering articles about women over 40. They were being called “cougars”, and portrayed as predators on the prowl for young men. This negative spin upset me and I wanted to focus on the many virtues of real women not the media's idea of women over 40. So I coined the term Real Cougar as my way of celebrating our age, our accomplishments, our independence, and our passion for life. I make it clear that a Real Cougar refuses to be defined by the age of the man she chooses to be with. Today, three years later I am still doing everything I can to make “cougar” a designer label that women all over the world are proud to wear.
My best selling book Don't Ever Call Me Ma'am! – The Real Cougar Guidebook for Life After 40 is helping me to expand my voice. It has important information that every woman needs to read. I have also included inspiring stories from other fabulous femlaes that truly warmed my heart. It let me know we are all together on this journey through time.
Recent Comments