Betsy Burroughs
Although fighting with her computer since dawn, Betsy popped down from her San Francisco loft bursting with energy and an imperative that I must start a blog for 50Fabulous.com!
She guided me to one of her favorite breakfast haunts, The Ramp, known only to locals. It is located on a working dock in the Port of San Francisco and is currently squeezed between two cruise ships that are dry-docked for repairs. A colorful assortment of other working crafts in various states of repair floated nearby and the shouts of workers peppered the air. With the sun shining and the breeze of the ocean in our faces, we sipped champagne from standard wine glasses and strong coffee from vintage mugs. I realized immediately that I would be doing my readers (and myself) a disservice if I simply asked Betsy the list of questions I had prepared.
That she intuited I was a kindred “wharf rat” should be no surprise. Betsy is what is called in industry, a visionary. That marketing is her passion, has been and continues to be the good fortune of Fortune 500 companies.
On Betsy’s 50th birthday she resigned her executive position with a prominent publishing company and opened her own consulting business. Although not formalized at the time, she applied her own innovative techniques to this life transition. As a result, she’s crafted her work and her life into a rich amalgam in which she may chat with the inventor of the computer mouse in the morning and the CEO of a popular lifestyle publication that afternoon. And, I’m thrilled to announce that Betsy has agreed to be on the Advisory Board of 50+Fabulous.
She continues to play in the boardroom, but on her own terms. Betsy is probably the only person I’ve spoken with who feels more secure driving her own business than relying on the steady paychecks within the corporate environment. What does she have to say to other women who yearn to follow their dreams? Be fearless and do the things you love to do first. If you do the things you need to, but hate, in small increments, then before you realize it, they’re done too.
Betsy doesn’t look at the world in the same way many of us do. She doesn’t see problems as most do. She knows that clients have the answers they seek already… they just don’t know they know. Betsy teaches her clients how to broaden their focus to solve business challenges by teaching them techniques that harness their creative power, enabling them to find their own solutions to complex problems. It is not lost on her clients that the techniques she teaches can also be effectively applied to their personal lives, as well. For a little girl who used to watch the dancers on the Ed Sullivan show and dream of being a choreographer, her dream has come true but with a twist. She now helps others to choreograph their work and their lives.
If you’d like to learn Betsy’s innovative techniques, visit her at www.futurecatalyst.com
