By Erica and Karen

When we retired, we were excited about how we would use our experience in a new venture, the exact nature of which we had not yet figured out. About a year later, we realized there was no general recognition of how useful we might be—we being both the two of us and the millions of retired career women now and in the future looking for purpose. 

We also began to understand why this was happening. We were new. The millions of Boomer women who entered the workforce decades ago were the first large group of women to work until retirement. So no-one know exactly who we were, or what we wanted. We decided to show everyone exactly that. 

We started Lustre to tell everyone, in words and images, about all of us. We had ten foundational ideas.

1. We are new.

2. Our cohort is growing every day. 

3. We have substantial resources–experience and other assets..

4. We have lived lives that we shaped to suit ourselves.

5. We will do retirement differently from men.

6. Few images circulating in media or society show us as we are—vibrant and lively.

7. Many images show us as we are not—feeble, needy and vacant.

8. Post-career, we have no role models, just as when we entered the workforce. Once again, we have to be the role models.

9. Retirement, as it was invented in the 1950s, is completely outdated.

10. Retired career women will reinvent how post-career life can be.

We aimed to show us as we all are--engaged women connected with the wider world, women with wealth, curiosity, experience, and drive. We attacked stereotypes that hold us back. We talked about style, and travel, and home. And all of you gave us positive feedback that cheered our souls! Of course there were some negatives. We hate bookkeeping, proofreading, the absence of a paycheck. We get aggravated when we goof–which we do often.  

But we are learning all kinds of new tips and tricks, meeting extraordinary people, and having fun. It has been a better gig than we imagined. Expensive, but we’d rather spend on this than a therapist. We look forward to whatever is next—for Lustre, and us, and you!