Merrick
HERALD www.liherald.com May9-15,2013
By Scott [email protected]
In2008,MerokeanJudyGoss,a formerhigh-fashionmodelforthelikesof ArmaniandL’Oréal,publishedherfirstbook,“BreakintoModelingforUnder$20,”withSt.Mar-tin’sGriffin. Moremagazine,whereshewasacastingeditorandthenationalTVspokeswomanatthetime,publishedafull-pagepieceinhonorof thebook’s launch.Themotherof twindaughters, who were 4 at the time, hadrecentlyturned40. “This is what 40 looks like,” read theheadline.Goss,whowasphotographedinafloweredblouse,whitepantsandhoopear-rings,radiatedhappiness,withawidesmileetchedacrossherface.Shewas,astheysay,ontopof theworld. Ayearandahalf later,More,afashion,beautyandhealthmagazineaimedatwomenover35,neededtocutitsstaff amidtheGreatRecession,andGosswaslaidoff. “Iwasprettyrattled,”shesaid.“Youjusthavetomoveon.” Moveonshedid,andnowshe’sbacktak-ingontheworld.Witheightmonthsof sever-ancepayfromMore,Goss,whoturns45thisyear,foundedanationalnetworkingorgani-zation,Over40Females,whichisconnectingover-40womenacrosstheU.S.,empoweringthemthroughmotivationaltalks,eventsandarticles to lookdeeplywithin themselves,find theircallingsandstandup for them-selvesinanoftenmale-dominatedbusinessworldinfatuatedwithyouthculture. “Womenover40feelunderrepresented,”shesaid.“Theyfeelalittlelikesocietyseesthem––asdisappearing.”
Finding yourself after 40 Eveninthiseraof seemingequality,Gosssaid,scoresof over-40womenhavegivenupthecareerplanstheylaidoutintheirteensand20storaisechildren, leavingtheworkforce,partlyorcompletely,for10or20years.Inthattime, theymayhavebeendivorced,gottenillorboth,whiletheirworkskillslan-guished.Intheirmiddleyears,theymaysud-denlyfindthemselvesaloneaftertheirchil-dren have grown up and moved on. Theyneedanurturingplacetorebuildtheirlives. Ormaybenothinghasgonewrong,buttheyneedtofindthemselvesbeyondmother-hood.Theymustreinvent themselves,dis-coverthepotentialthatlieswithinandmakebusinessconnections. EnterOver40Females.Thenetworkinggroupenableswomenover40togatherformeetings,oftenatchichotelsandeateries.Mostly,theytalk––aboutthemselves,theirhopes, theirplans––andreceive feedbackfromwomenwhounderstandthem.Manymonthlymeetings featureexpertspeakerswhoadvisenetworkmembersonthefamily,health,financialandcareerissuesthattheyface. Over40Females’mottoissimple:“Con-nect.Encourage.Inspire.”
A company is born Theseedsof Over40Femaleswereplant-edinJanuary2010,whenGossbeganblog-gingabout issues thatover-40womencon-front.Atthetimeshewasworkingasamar-ketingdirectoratapublicrelationsfirm,andhadnoideawhereherbloggingmighttakeher.She justwantedtoreturnto thework
thatshehaddoneatMore. Amonthlater,theP.R.firmlaidheroff ––hersecondlayoff insixmonths.Atthatpointshedecidedshehadtogoitalone.“You’renotsafecorporate.You’renotsafeboutique.Ithought, Ihave todomyownthing,”saidGoss, who is married to Bruce Levitt, co-ownerof Mur-Lee’sMen’sandBoys’ShopinLynbrookwithhisbrotherHarry. What,precisely,Gosswoulddoafterhersecond layoff wasunclear.Slowly, throughblogging, ideas began to emerge, and shestartedtoholdsmallnetworkingevents inNewYorkCity. Over40Females,thecompany,wasborninthefallof 2011,andoverthepastyearandahalf ithasopenedchaptersinArizona,Cal-ifornia,Connecticut,Florida,Georgia, Illi-nois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York,Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. ThegoalistoforittogrowacrosstheU.S.aswellasinternationally,saidGoss,whoisthecom-pany’schief executiveofficer. Overseeingthebusinesssideof Over40FemalesisBethMercante,of LidoBeach,itschief operatingofficer.Mercante,whoalsoturns45 thisyear,attendedthecompany’snetworkingmeetingsforayearbeforejoin-ingitsleadershipteam.
Sooften,men,youngerandolder,“don’tunderstandwhatwomenover40aregoingthrough,”saidMercante,whosebackgroundisincommercialrealestateandinvestmentin Manhattan. Over 40 Females, she said,gives themthesense thatsomeonevaluesthem. And,Mercantesaid,“Thespeakersarereallyfantastic.” CarlitaBelgrove,42,whoownsBelgroveAppliancesInc. inWestchester,whosespe-cialtyisrestoringoldandantiquestoves,isamember of Over 40 Females’ Westchesterchapter.“I lovethisparticulargroup,”Bel-grove said. “They’re all very supportive.They’veallbeenverypositive.” WhatOver40Females isbuilding,Bel-grovesaid,“isanetworkof successfulbusi-nesswomenalloverthecountry.”Shenotedthatamemberof anetworkinggroupfromNew York could stop at chapter meetingsanywheretheyareheld,meaningthatBel-grovecouldcultivatebusinessrelationshipswith women from any number of otherstates. “It’singenious,”shesaid. AnOver40Femalesmembershipis$5.95permonth.Chapterleadersworkoncommis-sion.Formore,checkoutover40females.com.
Connecting ‘Over 40 Females’
Judy GoSS, 45, of Merrick, left, is founder and chief executive officer of Over 40 Females, a national networking group. She was joined by the company’s chief operating officer, Beth Mercante, of Lido Beach, 45
Photos courtesy Judy Goss
4A recent over 40 Females networking event.
Model turned entrepreneur building national networking group
$1.00
