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Share Your Story
Purpose Is Power – Elise, 72
Elise Marquam-Jahns has been a BEAUTY Kuel Category Expert for quite some time now. Her articles and videos showing us how we can look on the outside how we feel on the inside are priceless.
In the world of beauty, where women over 45 are ignored, it is empowering and refreshing to have someone specialize in and be passionate about US! Elise’s make-up and skincare tips are specifically targeted to OUR needs. Just because we aren’t 20-something or 30-something anymore does not mean we can’t LOOK our best. Here’s a chance to get to know the woman behind the foundation, powder, and eyeshadow. Enjoy this Sunday’s Share Your Story.
KUELLIFE: What are you pursuing now, at this stage of your life, that surprises you or might appear to others as if it comes out of left field?
ELISE: Seven years ago I “retired” after 35 years in public television to pursue my “next act” dream of helping women 45+ look like the very best versions of themselves. Though this “next career” choice would seem to come out of “left field,” it actually melds together several skill sets from my previous life: I now teach makeup classes (I taught part time in a community college setting for 24 years); I write monthly articles for Kuel Life (previously co-authored a book); and I launched a YouTube Channel last November (Boomer and Beyond Beauty with Elise). I never would have guessed that years of participating in public television membership drives would help me in my “next” career!
KUELLIFE: What’s a typical day like for you?
ELISE: Typical days are pretty non-existent. I love the variety of writing articles; researching; filming and editing YouTube videos; teaching classes; and helping women through individual makeup consultations.
“Patience is not my strong suit”
KUELLIFE: With what do you struggle?
ELISE: The last two years have been a perpetual learning curve. Patience is not my strong suit and learning what seems to be a never-ending cascade of new technologies (from video editing, to graphic design (via Canva) to the ins and outs of email service providers and online marketing) has definitely been a challenge.
KUELLIFE: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
ELISE: Inheriting a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit from my father has helped. But what most motivates me is helping women 45+ since I feel we’re pretty much ignored by the beauty and fashion industry. After all, who do you most often see in those TV ads for anti-aging products? And, have you ever seen a woman over 40 featured in the video tutorials on any of the leading cosmetic company online sites?
KUELLIFE: What advice would you give fellow women about aging?
ELISE: Years ago I read a book that impacted me greatly: Richard Leider’s book The Power of Purpose. Research now indicates how important having a sense of purpose can be to our overall health and well being in midlife and beyond. Another game-changing book for me has been Barbara Sher’s Wishcraft. Her “Creating Your Ideal Day” exercise from this book is extremely powerful.
“I think of The Velveteen Rabbit—it’s the importance of being “real.””
KUELLIFE: What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?
ELISE: I think of The Velveteen Rabbit—it’s the importance of being “real.” My youngest daughter can read my feelings by just looking in my eyes.
KUELLIFE: What are three events that helped to shape your life?
ELISE: 1) Having a baby at the age of 45 (she was an unexpected blessing in our lives), 2) Having the unbelievable (and accidental) gift of being hired and then working with creative, bright, and mission-driven colleagues in my years with public television, 3) marrying a wonderful, giving man who is both an artist and engineer.
KUELLIFE: Who influenced you the most in life and why?
ELISE: A wonderful former priest by the name of Earnie Larsen devoted his later life to writing books, producing tapes, and teaching seminars to help adult children of alcoholics cope with—and overcome—unproductive behavior patterns developed earlier in life. His words of wisdom (including such phrases as “nothing changes if nothing changes” and “who’s driving the bus”) I now hear being repeated by my daughter. His practical, down-to-earth advice was literally life-changing.
KUELLIFE: What is the best advice you’ve been given from another woman?
ELISE: “You can’t buy raisins in a hardware store.”
KUELLIFE: What woman inspires you and why?
ELISE: Oprah Winfrey. I so admire her courage to pursue a new kind of television talk show that focused on positive and life-enhancing topics.
KUELLIFE: Are you grown-up?
ELISE: I hope not! I don’t do it often enough, but one of my passions is losing myself in coloring books. Is there anything better than the scent of a new box of crayons?
KUELLIFE: What do you do for self-care?
ELISE: I walk 1 ½ hours every other day; do strength training exercises on alternate days; participate in a book club; and watch fabulous PBS Masterpiece productions like Poldark and Downton Abbey and amazing Broadway performances on Great Performances.
KUELLIFE: And last but definitely NOT least: What are the top three things on your bucket list?
ELISE: 1) a trip traveling through rural England, including the Lake District, Bath, and Highclere Castle, 2) a trip with my husband to historical sites like Williamsburg; which I’ve been fortunate to visit, but he has not, 3) after some travel, finding a second “rescue girl” Golden Retriever like our beloved Lucy who died two years ago.
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