No Expiration Date: Carolyn Doelling on Reinvention, Style & Breaking Barriers in Her 70s

Who says you can't reinvent yourself as you age?

Imagine feeling invisible after retirement, only to find yourself on runways and magazine pages, redefining what it means to be beautiful at 74. 

Revolutionizing the fashion industry is no small feat, but Carolyn Doelling is doing just that by strutting into the modeling world in her 70s with a fearless flair. 

Join us as we uncover Carolyn’s remarkable journey of reinvention, where she challenges age-old stereotypes and radiates confidence from the runway to major fashion events. 

Her mission is clear: to shatter conventional beauty standards while amplifying the visibility and representation of older Black women. 

Through her story, you’ll learn how:

• Carolyn's boldness has turned heads and inspired countless women to embrace their personal style with self-assurance.
• her adventure began with a simple yet powerful decision—to refuse societal invisibility post-retirement and channel her vivacious spirit into the world of high-end fashion. 
• her efforts highlight the significant influence and spending power of women over 50. 
• she's on a mission not only to redefine beauty but to awaken industries to the untapped potential and vibrancy of older generations. 

But it isn’t just about fashion; Carolyn’s story reverberates with messages of wellness and vitality. From overcoming pandemic-related habits to kickboxing at 74, her commitment to health and joy is infectious.

Key Takeaways:

1. Reinvention at Any Age: Carolyn’s journey proves it’s never too late to pursue new passions. 🌟
2. Challenge Beauty Standards: She is actively working to broaden representation of older Black women in the fashion industry. ✊🏾
3. Actionable Advice: “Name it and claim it,” start now, and don’t be afraid to tell others your goals. 🚀

With an unwavering belief in new beginnings, Carolyn Doelling is a beacon of empowerment, reminding us all to live boldly and dream big, regardless of age.

More about Carolyn:

• Follow her on Instagram
• Read her article in AARP's Sister Letter

Mentioned in this episode:

The Ageless Traveler Podcast: Discover the ultimate resource for breaking barriers to lifelong travel.  It brings you the know-how and inspiration to explore enticing destinations, enjoy luxury travel for less, plan grandparent and solo adventures, and embrace cultural and culinary experiences.  Each

Kick your midlife fears and uncertainty to the curb and start your Reinvention Rebels journey today. Learn about my audio program, Midlife Reinvention From The Inside Out: 8 Essentials to Greenlight Your Life.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Power of Choice and Reinvention
• 1:23 Meet Carolyn Doelling
• 3:07 Carolyn’s Bold Reinvention
• 4:31 Changing the Narrative
• 9:10 From Boutique to Modeling
• 11:30 Redefining Beauty Standards
• 21:44 Inspiration and Advice
• 31:08 Embracing Visibility and Family History
• 35:08 Defying Age Stereotypes
• 40:08 Body Positivity and Confidence
• 46:08 Lessons from the 70s and Inspiring Others

Transcript

00:01 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
you just don't have to go out quietly. But what I try to convey to people is that you have that choice. You have a choice to show up and not be noticed. You have a choice to show up and have everybody in the room say, wow, who is that? And being strategic about making that choice is really that's the thing that's going to give you the confidence. 

00:37 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Welcome to Reinvention Rebels. Stories of brave and unapologetic women, 50 to 90 years young, who have boldly reinvented life on their own terms to find new purpose and possibilities. I'm your host, wendy Battles. I need to kick your fears to the curb, do it scared and step into who you are meant to be in midlife and beyond. These amazing women, these reinventionbels, can help light your reinvention path. Come join us and let's get inspired together. Hey, hey, hey. Reinvention Rebels. Welcome to another episode with your girl, wendy, and I'm so psyched you're here. You're hearing my voice, but I'm actually on hiatus between season six and seven of the Reinvention Rebels podcast Rebels podcast but I didn't want you to miss me too much. So I'm sharing one of my best of episodes with a woman who is so extraordinary, carolyn Doelling. You will love this episode. I love her story of how she started modeling in her 70s and is going strong. I'm hoping I can get her back on the podcast in season seven, where our theme is how I bet on myself and never looked back. And you're going to hear such extraordinary stories of women who have stepped into their own, even with fear, and are doing amazing things, and she is definitely one of them. So I want you to sit back, enjoy this episode and, as you're listening or when you're done listening, or if you already know it's going to be amazing, send it to a friend or two. Send it to the women in your life that you know are ready for some inspiration. They want to see new possibilities or they just love a fantastic reinvention story that inspires and perhaps sparks something in them. So enjoy this fabulous episode with the amazing Carolyn Doelling. 

03:07
At age 74, Carolyn Doelling has reinvented herself to become an active fashion model. A writer, a kickboxer. Her goal is to inspire the fashion industry and all of us to reassess the standards of beauty and encourage older women to embrace style and color as a tool to enhance social engagement. In her words, I am not retired. I prefer terms like reboot, reinvent, recast, recontextualize. It's an attitude that fosters an excitement and thrill about aging, freedom to enjoy a more exhilarating phase of life. I am changing the conversation about what it means to grow old, to successfully age. I am relentlessly pursuing new experiences. I am relentlessly pursuing new experiences, redefining how I live life on my own accord. Currently, I am on a mission to encourage broader representation of older Black women in the fashion industry. As a rebellious boomer, I set out to debunk the prevailing attitudes of what ideal beauty standards are and to motivate women of any age or color to flaunt their style. Carolyn Doelling, welcome to the Reinvention Rebels. Guest chair. 

04:36 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Thank you so much, Wendy. What an opportunity to broaden my exposure. Using your platform for that purpose is fabulous. 

04:46 - Wendy Battles (Host)
It is fabulous and I am honored and excited that you're spending a little time with me and I know we're going to have a really fantastic conversation. I have so many questions for you, but I first want to tell our audience about how I actually found you, which is really interesting because I spent a lot of time on Instagram and that's where I discovered you, so to speak, because you had written an article. I believe it was in the AARP sister letter, correct? 

05:16
And I read it and I thought, wow, here is this 70 plus beautiful woman who's modeling, and I loved how you talked about changing the narrative about aging and how we show up as older women, and that just caught my attention. So then I started following you you didn't know it, but I started following you on Instagram and that's, and then one day I just reached out and said let me just see if she might be interested in joining me for an interview. So I'm really grateful for your time today and I was really fascinated and delighted seeing a Black woman modeling in her 70s. You know, we see lots of younger women that look like me, perhaps, or in their 30s or 40s, whatever age but not older women. Someone who has gray hair, who's gorgeous. Tell me about how you reinvented yourself as a fashion model and how did that unfold? 

06:15 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, it is a very interesting story. I pinch myself every day and I have to say, wendy, that I really did not start out with the attitude that I would be a fashion model. I just wanted to change the ending. When I left my job at age 70, that's almost four years ago now I noticed that people had lower expectations of me just because of my age and because I was not going to a job every day and you know, I live alone so and I have friends, but it was just kind of a societal attitude that I was noticing. 

07:00
And so the article that I wrote for Sister's Newsletter, aarp one of them, was called I Refuse to be Invisible. That was really clear that you know. Just, I didn't need to dress up every day for work, you could go out and whatever you wanted, and I just felt like I was blending into the urban landscape. There was really nothing special that I was offering at that point, and I also noticed that that was the case for other women who I noticed they were wearing, you know, really dull, drab things, denim, fine, but you know, gray, black, beige, and I was just really well resistant that, and I wanted to change my ending. Really, it wasn't so much about reinventing myself at first. It was just about changing the attitudes of other people and having more social engagement with people who, well, people I didn't really know. So the article got you know, a lot of attention and I felt like then I was on a mission. I want to get more women to have more style, to have more color, to just really be proud of their age and not like sulk back and agree with everyone else that there are these lower expectations. 

08:40
And I had a chance to go into a local Black-owned boutique on one Saturday afternoon and they were interviewing women about what they felt, how they felt empowered, and so that was the message that I gave on that video was that I wanted to encourage and inspire, motivate more women to just embrace embrace their age, embrace their revisit, their style. And a couple of weeks later, the boutique owner called and asked if I would like to come and do some photos for her shop to be on Instagram. Sure, so now I see this as a platform to get my message further out there and better. And we took the photos and it was a nice boutique, kind of a high-end boutique that you know carried designers like Rachel Comey and Tibby and Nina Ricci. These are designers who are well known internationally and she posted them and got such a favorable review that she was encouraged to do more. The designers who were represented were really really excited about it. Who were represented were really really excited about it, and so that's really how I got into modeling. 

10:15
I suspect if that had not happened, I would still be on the mission, but I'd probably just be writing like different platforms to get the message out to women and men too. I mean, you don't have to retire just because you retired. But that particular chance that I had to represent those designers caused kind of a you know a roller coaster for me. It's like to be in those guys that. So, yeah, so I've. I've been doing modeling now for 74. So that's been about two years, two years full on, except for that little dip we had with the pandemic, and even then there was some workarounds. 

10:56 - Wendy Battles (Host)
That's very exciting and I think because, as we age to your point where we often feel like, oh, I'll show up in whatever, or maybe it's not as important because no one's seeing me that much anymore, so I might put less attention on my look I think we have a concept of what it means to be a model, whatever that idea is in our head, which generally is not someone who's older. So to see you doing this, to see someone that looks like an auntie or someone else like that, is so encouraging. I think it's encouraging for so many of us to see that it doesn't have to be the way it's always been. There are other possibilities for what it means to age, for what it means to show up, for what it means to be a model, and this is such a beautiful platform that you have. I'm so glad you went to that day to that boutique. 

11:50 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Yeah, no, so am I, and you're absolutely right. I mean, once I got into kind of this mode of doing photo shoots, I did research and you're right. I mean, according to Vogue Business, the average age of a model is 23. And it's like they're setting that ideal standard of beauty that you're 23,. You're five foot eight minimally, you have long flowing hair. You are a size 00. And that's the image that we have seen. 

12:26
Personally, for me, all of my life, and you know, I wonder sometimes what that message that's being sent daily, thousands of times, does to the psyche of the rest of us who don't fit that mold. And what does it mean that I'm not important, that that's what beauty is about. So that just really kind of spurs me on. Also, I mean, the inspiration to other women is very, very important to me, but I think it's time for kind of a new reckoning about what is beauty. Why have we accepted the fact that you have to be 23 and be a model? 

13:16
Yeah, it's not true, especially when women over 50 have a terrific amount of spending power. Women over 50 have a terrific amount of spending power. Yes, and you know, wendy, actually sometimes I've been on Google searches all the time. But when you Google fashions for mature women, guess what the models look like? The models are still the same. They're still the same. So, yeah, my message is twofold. It's as a fashion model, to be a visual message to women that they are beautiful people who make the decisions about who's modeling and who's representing that, in fact, a 74 year old can also do it and I've had women DM me and say, wow, you know, I bought that dress because I could see myself in it. Now it was. It's just a lot more relatable my height, my size, my hair. 

14:33 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, absolutely. I think that you know, when I see you, I can see a part of myself, and you know, none of us have a perfect body. I certainly know, as-. 

14:43 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
You know the models do. 

14:45 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Except for the models who don't eat anything, sure, and at what cost? But okay, yes, that's true. Right, so they might, but that's not the average person. So I like this idea that you are a representation. You're a symbol. You represent someone who's like me, who doesn't have a perfect body, who worries about things shifting, who isn't leggy, tall in my 5'2 stature. So I do think you're right that if I can see someone like you and then there are more people like you that are older, that are modeling, that are wearing beautiful clothes and saying I can look just as good at 74 as someone who's 34 in something really beautiful and a beautifully designed dress or garment that this wonderful designer has created and why not? That's very empowering. 

15:46 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Yes, and, to their credit, there have been a number of designers who see me and it's almost like a little light bulb goes off. It's like, oh yeah, you know, this beautiful dress that I designed looks great on her, so it's not a lost cause. I think we're on the right track here in terms of convincing others, and we can see it a little in just the regular media, where you have, like Viola Davis and Helen Mirren and you know, older actresses, older models, iman, who are showing up in these runways, and so I can see it happening. I like to say, though, I'm an extraordinarily ordinary model in the sense that I don't have a household name and, you know, people could still look at those, those models, and say, oh wow, that's something aspirational, but it could never be me, because she's an actress or she's a model or she's that. But I'm, I'm just me, I'm just me, and I feel very passionate about the idea that I want to encourage and energize other people to take actions on their own behalf. 

17:20 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Right, because you're an average person and you said you're not well-known now, but that doesn't mean you won't be number one, because the more people that hear about this, they'll be saying Carolyn Dol representing, you know actress, or that kind of thing who will? 

17:50
always have that attention to your point. So yeah, I think that that's so true. One of the things I want to know is sort of the practical aspect of modeling, because I know that you hear stories about how people were discovered younger models. Oh, they were discovered, you know, riding a bus or something like that, and then some agency scoops them up and represents them. What does that look like for you? Are you represented by someone? How do you get work? 

18:17 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
I am currently represented by someone, but that's just been within the past six months. I got work early on just from word of mouth people who liked the story and thought she looks great in the clothes, why not? So word of mouth from that first boutique no-transcript. So it's been one thing after another like that it's not. And then every day I get up and I'm, you know, instagram emailing people just telling the story. It's a process, but in terms of getting the work, it's been mostly word of mouth from designers who believe what I believe. And then just the work, you know, just meeting people like you. 

19:38
As a result of this, I will meet more people and that happens. But yeah, I do have an agency now and we'll see how that goes. I mean, I'm still getting direct calls, so we'll see how that goes. And I can say this now because, yeah, it looks like I may be featured on the Today Show in the next week or couple of weeks, in the next week or couple of weeks, so that will also be. So it's just be on the ground. Just be on the ground, continue to tell people about it and you get supporters. 

20:15 - Wendy Battles (Host)
You get supporters, and who can't love this Like who can't love. It's such a great story. That's a very inspiring story, and I think these days I mean at any point I think we all need inspiration. These days, especially that have been so tough over the last year and a half, where we've all been struggling in different ways, stories like this are very welcome. You have to lift our spirits to see what's possible, so I think that's just so cool. 

20:45 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Ellen, I love it. It's like not everybody's going to go the path of a fashion model. Like I said, it wasn't my plan, but there is something that most people want to do after they've left their last job and maybe we're hesitant to do it, and so I like to think that it's inspiring everyone who has considered doing something different that it's really not too late to do that. And what do you have to lose? You know? 

21:21 - Wendy Battles (Host)
what do you have to lose? That's exactly it, and I think that you have this very expansive mindset. You seem really adventurous, you're into new experiences. You really want to sort of experience the best of life as you age and to your point. There are women all over, at all different ages, that are reinventing themselves, that are trying new things. Those are many of the women my reinvention rebels, like you that I interview. 

21:50
But I also know that there are women that might be listening to our conversation and thinking Carolyn is really amazing, look at her. She's doing these amazing things, but I don't know if I could do that. They may not yet have the mindset, because I feel like a lot of this is this mindset that you've created. You've just said this is how I want to live my life in this vibrant, badass way. Hey, amazing listeners, are you feeling a little social? Come join me on social media for a big dose of inspiration. You'll find me on Instagram at Reinvention Rebels. Same thing on Facebook, and also I'm on Twitter at Rebels Reinvent. I look forward to seeing you soon. What advice might you have for someone who isn't quite where you are, can't quite see the possibilities, just to kind of get started and dip their toe in, just to kind of get started and dip their toe in. 

23:01 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
So it's important to understand that we all have a past and often we're not happy with some of the things we've done. It's just really important to keep looking towards the future, and I've always been a very curious person, even as a child growing up, and as I get older I realize that that and I've read so much about this trying something new is a very important part of aging successfully. I don't know if you know the book this is your brain on music. It was done by Daniel Levitin and I got a chance to hear him at a lecture here in San Francisco and because his topic is this is your brain on music, so I asked him. I said well, at my age, should I be listening to hip hop or should I be listening to classical music? What's my brain going to enjoy at my age? And he said if you're listening to classical, now try hip hop. If you're listening to hip hop, try classical. 

24:12
The whole idea being just do something, do something different. And so I would say to people who have considered doing something different but you know, were afraid to do so just start, Start, Start now. Name what you want to do, claim it and then just go tell other people, because you will be surprised at how many people want to help you get where you want to be. You want to write a book, you want to write your family's history. Just say I'm a writer. So tomorrow I get get up, I start writing and then I tell other family members, I tell my friends, and people will start to funnel resources to you that are helpful. I mean, I'm just I have never had. 

25:15
When I first started on Instagram, I had a niece who said now, Aunt Carolyn, I don't want you to get your feelings hurt. There are going to be people out there who are just going to be very negative about what you're doing. She said watch out for them. I said, okay, Okay, I'm just starting out with Instagram. So I kept looking. I'm going to get these negative comments You're too old, You're too this, You're too that. I have never had one single comment that's anything but positive. And I think other people too are a little nervous about just stepping their foot in, because you're afraid of people's reactions. You're afraid that you're not going to be successful. How do you know if you're not going to be successful if you don't at least start somewhere? So start today, start tomorrow if it's too late and um. 

26:12
I also use this tool because it's very easy to procrastinate and also to find other things to do on the computer. And I set my iPhone to my timer to 30 minutes and I just start. I'm going to start writing, I'm going to start, you know, posting 30 minutes and then I just put the timer on. It's going to tell me when it's over. So that's all I'm going to do. I don't get up for a glass of water, I don't get up for anything. 30 minutes is a very short period of time. You can get so much done in 30 minutes. 

26:52 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yes, you can. 

26:53 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
You can get so much done in 30 minutes, and so if that's all the time you have, just start now. 

27:03 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, I love that idea of start now, even if it's a small amount of time. You also said you said two other things that I really appreciated. One was name it and claim it. Yep, I love that. Like you're already doing it, like I am a writer yeah, instead of I will be a writer in five years, I am a writer. 

27:24 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
I know. I know. What else I did early on was I had business cards printed up so inexpensive. So Carolyn Doelling, author, carolyn Doelling, pianist. So the, the, the naming it and claiming it is really real. The claiming part is really important because once you say it and you tell other people, then you're off and running. 

28:11 - Wendy Battles (Host)
You really are and you're so right about that. It's just sort of one thing leads to the next, and amazing how the universe sort of opens up to support you when you, when you speak with intention, when you say I want to do this. That's very similar to my guest I just had, on the most recent episode, became a writer at 62. She published her first book at 62. She had a career change. She had a work injury that precluded her from continuing at her job, and she looked around and she said well, what am I good at? I've always liked to write and I've got. She realized she'd gotten all these books over the years about writing, and she didn't see the pattern, though, when she was working all the time, but when she could step back and get a little perspective. And now she's published her first book, historical Fiction, and it had a lot to do with her family history so you mentioned that earlier. So something that she was passionate about, sort of combining genealogy with her ability to write. Well, and she published her first book. 

29:13 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
That is just so awesome. Yeah, I'd love to meet her. I'll check that out. I'd love to meet her. Oh, and she's in. 

29:19 - Wendy Battles (Host)
California too. Oh really, yeah, she's in LA In fact. I'll hook you guys up on Instagram. Yeah, I'll send you a message. 

29:26 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
You're both phenomenal. That was one of the things I mean. It just is so remindful. 

29:32
I did think because I like to write and I was interested in words and you know, being 74, growing up in the South, in North Carolina, our family history reads like the history books. I mean Jim Crow, the migration, the affirmative action, the whole bit. So that was a thought that I had too, was to write that story. So the writing was I was definitely thinking about that. So that's why it was a natural leap for me when I got this feeling of being invisible, just kind of, you know, after retirement, that I would write about that. So it just shifted that focus and so then that article became invisible and refused to be invisible. I became a model at 33. How I got my white hair, what was the last one? Oh, and how, why I'm still dressing up during the pandemic. So there's been a series of articles like that and now more related to what I'm currently doing. But I still would love to do that family history because I think it'd be really important for all of the other kids and relatives who come behind. 

30:54 - Wendy Battles (Host)
I think that's so true and I think it's such a legacy that you can leave for, as you said, people in your family. That's very inspiring because I think so many of us, especially African-Americans we of course don't always know our family history, or we can only go back so far, or it's not always clear, and I think any opportunity to learn more about that is to me fascinating. My mom does some memoir writing. She's not going to write a book, but she's 88. 

31:24
And she's been working on these stories. She's taken some memoir writing classes and she was recently working on a story about how she met my father and I didn't even know all the details about this and that's the kind of history that's so rich that we can. We often don't have. 

31:42 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
That, I think, is so important and it's such a gift to be able to leave that for our families so happy that you're encouraging her to do that, because you're right, it's completely lost if, if you know someone, her age doesn't doesn't document it for everyone else. 

31:59 - Wendy Battles (Host)
So one thing so one thing I remember growing up and you know I'm 56, so I grew up in, you know, the 70s, largely in the 80s, and I know that growing up I didn't see a lot of people that looked like me modeling, a lot of, you know people of color and you know. 

32:18
But over time I started to see more and there were sort of the iconic black models like Iman right, they came on the scene. There were other people like Naomi Campbell, right, that were like huge names and then there are other people. Then I started seeing more people that look like me in catalogs right, they'd always have usually like one one, you know, black model. So I know that one of the things that you know is part of your mission is this broader representation of older Black women, because, yes, we can find Black women modeling, but they're generally younger and so I'm really interested in you know how you're doing that. I mean, of course, besides showing up and doing all the things you're doing and getting more focus on that, are there other things that you're doing to try to heighten awareness about more older Black women being represented in fashion? 

33:11 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, yes, it's a daily exercise and I am currently on a mission to convince some designer in New York Fashion Week or Paris Fashion Week to allow me to runway. So it's you know, I have a degree in marketing and I always, all the jobs I had before, were about selling someone else's product, and now I use that. Not that I'm an expert, but just understanding that I have to be persistent, have the right connections, ask people, ask people who follow me, who have, you know, like terrific followings, and just put it out there. So this is, if I'm on runway with you know, all of those other traditional models. Of course, I have to learn how to walk in a six-inch heel, but that's okay, you've got time to practice. 

34:35
I can practice. 

34:36 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Exactly, you just got to get the gig and then you can, like you know, get down to work and okay, yeah, but I love that, I love that idea and and you know, I love, first of all, I love the idea that you're 74 and you were busy networking your butt off right All over, and and I think that one of the things that does is keeps us really vibrant when we're connected, when we're doing something that's meaningful, when we're doing something we're passionate about, this age thing it's just a number, it doesn't define us. That's what this story is telling me. I don't have to be defined by my age and I can keep being as busy and engaged as I want to be. 

35:19 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Absolutely. This is one of the things that we have just convinced ourselves over time. But I think, luckily, with technology and lots of health information now, people are living longer and I just read the CDC said that every day there are 10,000 new 65-year-olds. So there's this tsunami of older people coming forward. So we'll, we'll, we'll see a lot more, a lot more acceptance. 

35:52
What, what other game do you know, where whoever gets the highest score doesn't win. Okay, so in life, if I have the highest score I'm 75 and 20, should I not be considered a winner? I should be considered a winner. You know, I've got more numbers than you, and and but it's I understand. I mean, we live in a society where age is not frowned upon, but nobody wants to age, and yet we are aging, all of us, every single day, every second, every minute. So why not take advantage of that? I know so much more now than I did when I was 24. I know so much more now than I did when I was 24. And if I just keep an open mind and keep trying new things and learning new things. You mentioned the networking you know in today's world, I mean, we've got the Internet. I just got a package from someone in Dubai who wants me to be I mean influencer for her product. I mean, the world is small. We are every day connecting to other people. It's so enjoyable. 

37:11 - Wendy Battles (Host)
It's a thrill. So true it is, so true it is. And I think that that will help kind of change the narrative because, to your point, there is such a huge number of older people and increasing every day, right, this huge group of aging people. I think they have buying power, a lot of people that have buying power, the point you made earlier. It feels like it can't help but shift, begin to make this shift into considering older people differently, how we represent them differently. And you know, I know these things take time, I know it's not like it's gonna change overnight, but that that it's my hope too, and why not start with media advertising? 

37:54 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
because that's we're bombarded with that every single day in some form or other, and and I do see glamors, like I said earlier, even like, especially in print advertising it just seems like the fashion modeling world is kind of the last bastion of that whole idea that we should be more accepting of older people, and certainly older black women. 

38:22 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, I think so. I think that I don't know. I feel encouraged, carolyn, encouraged that we're making forward progress, even if it's small steps, but still forward progress in the right direction, and that just makes me very, very happy. Idea of you walked around, you saw these women who were older wearing really drab clothes, nothing. And I know, looking at your Instagram, that you wear very vibrant colors. I'm really kind of interested because I know that not everyone is a Carolyn Doelling who says I'm going to put on this beautiful outfit and I'm going to light up a room. Not everyone is as confident as you are, especially, as you know, our bodies are changing and shifting, as we know. So what do you think that older women can do? Whatever people think older is, but what can we do to flaunt our style in this more vibrant way where we actually can feel like we're showing up and not maybe fading into the woodwork? 

39:30 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, first off, don't pay too much attention to what other people say or tell you about what you should wear. I've had people say to me oh, you dress so young. Had people say to me, oh, you dress so young. Which basically meant I had on a pair of denim jeans that were fitted and like a rust colored sweater, and a pair of boots. That sounds fashionable and cute. That sounds like yeah, but is it age appropriate for you to wear pants, you know, that are fitted? I've had people tell me my skirt was a little too short. So don't listen to what people. Not too much attention to what people tell you. 

40:19
The other thing when I felt like I was going in that direction and not really paying attention to what I wore, I noticed that I don't have to change everything. You're right, our bodies change. You know, I was once a size five. Actually, I've been working out a lot, so I'm getting back there. I love that, but I just needed to change a few little things. I just wore like this is stuff that was in my closet A hot pink sweater that I bought on sale years ago, but I never wore it because I didn't want to draw attention or whatever. Pull it out, put it on with a pair of cord white jeans, walk to the grocery store and, lo and behold, wow, I love that color. You know all kinds of social engagement, so it's not like you have to totally change. 

41:19
I just had a woman the other day who said you know, her body changed. She used to be really thin and she enjoyed dressing, and now her body's changed and she just doesn't feel the same in her clothes. Well, we have to recognize that. Yeah, we will change and that's okay. Change is sometimes well, it's definitely inevitable. However, you just don't have to go out quietly, and sometimes, even now, I don't want to be noticed and so I just roll out in the drab colors. But what I try to convey to people is that you have that choice. You have a choice to show up and not be noticed. You have a choice to show up and have everybody in the room say, wow, who is that? And being strategic about making that choice is really that's the thing that's going to give you the confidence. 

42:37
Yeah, I read a quote from RuPaul that said if you can change what the perception is of you just based on what you wear, I think we don't take it quite seriously enough, then why not use that Again? You want to be noticed, you don't want to be noticed. You wear color, you don't wear color, and it doesn't have to be a drastic overhaul. It's just deliberately choosing what you wear. Stop me, because I can go on about this a long time. 

43:10
An example really really concrete example of the color thing is men and their ties, and especially politicians and the color of the ties that they wear. So if you want to walk into a room and you want to exert yourself as being the most powerful leader, you wear a red tie. If you're trying to make peace and want to be conciliatory, you probably come in with a light blue tie. So that whole psychology of color is really quite fascinating, and we don't always take advantage of that. Take our own advantage of that by influencing perceptions based on how we choose and what we choose to wear when we show up. 

44:00 - Wendy Battles (Host)
I like this idea you have, that it doesn't mean that everything has to be neon or some kind of bright thing, that we can all sort of work with what works for us, absolutely, so you could add subtle pops of color, or you could go a little bolder, but any of us, though, could enhance if we want to. Yeah, if we decide that. That's important, but I love that idea of just brightening things up a bit. Helps us show up. 

44:28 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
It's your point right. It helps us be more visible. 

44:30 - Wendy Battles (Host)
If you want to be visible, right, if that's what you want and I think that for many of us, that is what we want, because we can start to feel invisible. That's so important. Hey, amazing listeners, want to have Reinvention Rebels inspiration delivered to your inbox? Head over to ReinventionRebelscom and sign up for my news and notes. You also talked a little bit about bodies and how our bodies can start to change. And here you are at 74 Modeling. You strike me as someone who is very body positive and that you appreciate your body and where you are right now. What's that experience like? Especially because it seems like when you're modeling and correct me if I'm wrong, because clearly I'm not a model and I don't know anything about it, but when you're doing these shows right? 

45:28
Well, thank you. But when you're doing these shows, it seems like you're taking your clothes off, You're putting on other outfits. People are looking at your body. It's not like I'm going to dressing room at a store privately changing my clothes, so it seems like you have to feel pretty comfortable with your body to be doing this. 

45:49 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, of course we all have things we'd like to change about our bodies, but it doesn't really have anything to do with wanting to be a size 00. I am very active and I'm very fortunate that I can be active. This morning I did 45 minutes of kickboxing and I try to exercise. I walk all the time and I try to exercise something every day stretching, body conditioning. So I work on things and that's really important for not only my physical self but also my mental, mental health. 

46:31
But you bring up a very interesting point about what happens, what happens behind the scenes, when you're changing clothes. When you're changing clothes which is something that, oh, I hadn't even thought about that really and when you first go into the fitting room you're trying to be modest but, quite frankly, if you have only 15 seconds to change into the next outfit, I mean you're whipping things off and throwing them in the corner and you're pulling things down and just like exposing your space. You know it's so. It becomes it's just necessity. And then you realize, yeah, it's okay, you're not in the same dressing room with men not, yet I haven't done that. You're definitely in the same dressing room with you 19-year-old or a 20-year-old, but nobody's looking and nobody everybody's got the same goal just kind of get me out of this dress and into that dress so I can go. But that was a bit surprising to me that people are so much more willing. And it just is what it is. You have to do what you have to do? 

47:51 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, you do, and I think, though, that this notion that you are taking care of your body, you're consciously saying, carolyn, my body is important to me. I want to maintain it. I'm going to nurture it here. I am exercising almost every day, and I know what you mean, because I will tell you that for a while, during the pandemic, I was eating a lot. I was, you know, just like watching a lot of TV, and I'm not even a big TV watcher, but I was just kind of eating, like you know, just not not in my best space, not feeling good in my body, and I just decided you know what, wendy, it's time. You know, this is not how I want to feel. I want to feel better in my body. So I think it speaks to. We can always make the conscious choice at any point. We can decide, no matter how old we are. I'm going to start moving my body, I'm going to start eating more healthfully, I'm going to start exercising my brain more, whatever those things are. 

48:50
But you're a great example of basically doing all of them. You're sort of body, mind and spirit taking care of yourself, and to me it's an enabler. So the more I do that, the more I'm able to do it At 74. You did 45 minutes of kickboxing. Like I'm not even doing kickboxing now. Like that's fabulous. 

49:13 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, I've got to keep the kickboxing going because it's one of those things where, when, when I tell somebody I'm doing kickboxing, that is such I can give people whipiplash, it's like what, and that just inspires me to do it more and to say it more, because I want people to know that if I can do it, you can do it too. It doesn't have to be kickboxing. But that contrast between you know a person who's I'm 75 this year, actually, who can, you know, do a shin kick or do that I think it brings the point home, more so than if I was saying, well, I walk three miles every day, or which would be important to do, so, as long as I can do kickboxing, I will now. This morning, when I was kickboxing, I had a couple of little things go, like my knee went, oh. So I don't know how long it'll last, but right now I'm having a lot of fun with it. 

50:23 - Wendy Battles (Host)
That's great, and I think that fun part is half of it. Right, that we need to have more fun, and I think we all have that feeling, or many of us after the pandemic, when we couldn't do so many things that were important to us or see our families or maybe go to the gym or whatever. It was that this idea of having more fun, having more joy, really seizing these days because we just don't know. Yeah, that's right. So I think that's so important. 

50:53 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
We learned a lot from that, didn't we that? You know what we expected was going to happen tomorrow. Just yeah, it couldn't happen. And I think everybody to your point about the pandemic and I spent so much time opening that refrigerator door to see what I could eat. Next, it was, yeah, but it was fortunate to have online exercise classes and, to your point, it really feels. It feels so good once you get into the groove. But again it, everybody is fit enough to do the level that I do. But I also discovered during that period there's so much online. There's chair exercises and just stretching and just this physical activity goes such a long way. 

51:44 - Wendy Battles (Host)
It does, it does, and you're right, there are so many different things we can do for different fitness levels and abilities that don't even have to be standing up right, chair, yoga, to your point, and stretching. So, absolutely, I think that most of us, even if we maybe have less mobility, can often still do something that again helps with those endorphins and lifting our mood all those things that I think are important. What I really want to know, carolyn, is what is the biggest lesson that you've learned in your 70s? What's something that you want to share with the audience? That was maybe an aha moment or just an insight about reinventing yourself and really being your best self, just thinking about because you are closer to the end what's really important and what do you want to accomplish. 

52:46 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
You can't go back and change what you've done, but you have a good opportunity now to just move things forward, and so every day, I try not to focus too much on the past and just think about what I can do today to make the ending better or make the ending something that I desire. 

53:07 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, what is it we can do today? How can we take some action to think about the future? I think that is key, key. And you are someone who is so proactive with your 30 minute timer. 

53:21 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
And that was really quite a discovery, because, you know, I, when you start thinking, well, I've got to start a new project, you think, well, I have to block out four hours, or yeah, that would be nice, it's just that you're not going to stick with it for four hours. At least I don't. I tend to find other things that I could be doing. So, yeah, that's a little trick that I use frequently, just to get to, you know, move it further down the road. 

53:50 - Wendy Battles (Host)
As we wrap up our conversation, I do want to ask you how people can find you, because you know, carolyn, people are going to hear this conversation and they are going to be seriously inspired. Seriously inspired, they're going to say, if Carolyn can become a model at 72 and is modeling at 74, I could probably do almost anything too, whatever that thing is that I'm passionate about. So they might want to follow you for some ongoing inspiration. What's the best way that people can connect with you or follow you? 

54:27 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, I find that Instagram is a wonderful way to be connected. You know, if you do direct messaging on Instagram and then if there's a conversation that goes on where you know somebody wants to know more, share my Gmail, which I can share here as well. But the Instagram is great because it connects not only connects people to me and me to them, but then I can look at who follows them. It's just like this wonderful chain, uh, that we we share with each other and it makes such a magnificent network of, of of like-minded people. So my Instagram is at Doelling and Doelling is D-O-E-L-L-I-N-G. Carolyn, c-a-r-o-l-y-n, and then my Gmail is just your first, my first name, last name, c-a-r-o-l-y-n. Doeling, d-o-e-l-l-i-n-g, at Gmail, and I do encourage the interactions. 

55:34
I love hearing from people. I love hearing from people. I love hearing from women who say things like I follow you, I'm in a bad marriage, I'm overweight, I, you know, I would like to change my life and I'm not a life coach or anything like that, but it just does give me joy to know that women like that are encouraged to do something for themselves by virtue of just following me. And I'm not a real. You know, I don't do a lot of Instagram posts because I do my own social media, which I know I understand. Another show, another show, wendy when you have time, what not to do? But yeah, I mean I encourage the comments because it just gives me the fuel that I need to do. But, but yeah, I mean I encourage the comments because it just gives me the fuel that I need to do, to get up the next day and do what I need to do, like find a designer who's going to put me on their runway. 

56:40 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Exactly, and I cannot wait till we see you on the runway. 

56:44 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
I know. 

56:44 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Carolyn, I remember when she was talking about being on the runway and there she is. I will be celebrating that moment. 

56:53 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
It is newsworthy. There was one of the local designers sent me an article. This was an article out of Australia and they were featuring this woman who is 71 years old, and she was doing runway for the Australia Fashion Week in a swimsuit and I thought, oh wow, dang, you know, I mean she beat me to it, but then you read carefully and she had been a model. She was a model, you know, when she was 20. And so she's been doing various projects, but it just so happened that now she's 71 on a runway, and that's big news. It is big news, and so I think that there is precedent there. I just need to convince someone that it's OK to add someone who has not been a model, but you know, who's gaining more and more experience as a model. 

57:58 - Wendy Battles (Host)
I feel like it's very similar to any other movement, where at first people are kind of stuck in. Yeah, look at the civil rights movement, right, they're just stuck in. This is the way it's always been. But then there are people that are open-minded that say, hmm, there's possibility here. 

58:13
There's possibility if I hire this person or expand our workforce or whatever, that is, whether it's a woman or a person of color or, however it's unfolded. A person who's disabled? I feel like it's the same idea here. A person who's disabled? I feel like it's the same idea here. 

58:29 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
You just it's just a matter of finding the right people who are going to take that idea and run with it and be excited and like welcome you and say yes, absolutely right, and I do think of it that way often that it's like the beginning of what could potentially be a movement, and we referenced all of those baby boomers who are coming. So you know, we want authenticity, we're not interested in being 20 years old still, and I think that the world will respond to that positively. At least I hope so. 

59:05 - Wendy Battles (Host)
I don't know how they couldn't. I mean, and you have this record of people already responding so positively yeah, exactly, you know, despite what other people might have thought right, they had maybe some more limiting thoughts of, oh how old do people show up but you said, nope, I'm just going to go for it. And you know, I've gotten this fantastic positive reinforcement. So I think that that is a great. You know, that's just a great lead in into what else could unfold. And perhaps I always think that it can be so much bigger than we even imagine sometimes that we need to think bigger sometimes than sometimes. I have a small idea but what if it was even bigger than that? 

59:46
So, I love that idea. You know you're going to be. This is great. This is great, so that's the brainstorming is helpful. 

59:53 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
So just hearing you say that, I think, oh yeah, if I talk to Wendy more often, I could probably have bigger ideas. You know, because you are seeing things that perhaps I don't see. It's like, why limit yourself to runway in Paris when you could be on the cover of Vogue, yeah that kind of thing Right and it's totally possible. 

01:00:14 - Wendy Battles (Host)
And I think I was thinking that there's someone I like to follow, gabby Bernstein, who's like a spiritual kind of leader and she always says this or something better, this or something better. So you know, sometimes things just don't work out the way we want to or expect to, and we can be all boohooing and sad about it. But I've personally found that, no matter the situation, it always works out for the best and it always ends up being a better situation than that thing that I thought I wanted so badly that I got so upset about. 

01:00:44 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Isn't that the truth? Isn't that the truth? 

01:00:47 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Yeah, so we can just keep that in our head every day when we're going right, right right, when it's not kind of panning out the way we want. So I have. I cannot thank you enough, carolyn, for joining me. This has been truly a pleasure, a joy, just wonderful to connect with you and hear your inspiring story, to be motivated and just to see what you're doing. It is wonderful. It is wonderful and I'm so excited. You are just a fantastic reinvention rebel. The whole point of having this podcast is to highlight people like you who are doing wonderful, imaginative things and not letting age be a barrier at all. 

01:01:34 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
Well, I appreciate so much the chance to chat with you, to meet you and to have your audience hear my story and hopefully, you know, there'll be some people out there who say you know, I'm inspired and I want to name it and claim it. 

01:01:54 - Wendy Battles (Host)
Name it and claim it. My friend Name it and claim it. So thank you, Thank you very much. 

01:02:00 - Carolyn Doelling (Guest)
My pleasure. 

01:02:12 - Wendy Battles (Host)
I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I love this conversation with Carolyn. I love what she's doing. I love the shifts she's made and how she's created something amazing. And I know this episode was from several years ago and Carolyn has expanded so much in that time. The things she's doing are really amazing and I'm hoping to get her back on the show in the upcoming season so she can tell us about her journey since then and what she's learned. So this is a great way to plant the seeds as a reminder for all of us and then to find out what's gone on since then. 

01:02:52
Please share this episode. If you loved it, please let your friends know. Just hit the button to share it really easily in your favorite podcast platform. Also, if you loved it, please write a short review for me on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, because it makes it easier for people to find the Reinvention Rebels podcast. 

01:03:09
And this is all about inspiring, motivating and activating amazing midlife women and beyond into action, so that we can all find that sweet spot as we age and continue on in glorious and fulfilling ways, finding that living on purpose feeling that I know is within all of us. By the way, speaking about amazing women and their podcasts, I have to tell you about the Ageless Traveler podcast that's hosted by my friend, adrienne Berg. If you are interested in women hosted podcasts featuring women that are over a certain age, that are inspiring and can help us make some healthy shifts, you will love this podcast. It's all about solo travel travel that inspires us, traveling as we age ways to stay connected. It is a fantastic listen and I'm dropping the details in the show notes. Okay, everybody, thank you so much for listening. We'll be back soon with another episode. Until then, keep shining your light. The world needs you and all that you have to offer you.