Learning Should Never Stop: For Yasmin, Age Is No Barrier To Growth And Exploration

Yasmin S., a 62-year-old counsellor and life purpose coach, actively engages in philanthropic activities. She provides guidance to seniors and supports them in combating ageism. Yasmin finds fulfillment in helping individuals embrace their later years by fostering resilience, navigating challenges, and cultivating a sense of accomplishment.

Financial Lessons She Learned Late:

"Back in my family, not a single woman had stepped out to do something that I am doing today. I find that what I do, not many women get out there and do it", she reflects. "I was never ready for life because I was never taught or prepared for life".

Unlike today's generation, where children are often advised to save for a rainy day, her upbringing was different. "In our days, nobody told us anything. They said, 'You are going to be a princess all your life'. But life had its own plans".

She recalls, "When a time came that I had to do something, I was not prepared. I had no idea what had to be done". Yet, in the face of uncertainty, she seized control and navigated the path for herself and her kids. She got her first job at 28 as a customer care executive in a private firm.

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Strive To Thrive:

She feels thankful to her boss who shared some invaluable life lessons with her which could often be applied to business as well. "The basics that he taught me, that you are a mother and how you handle your children. So that's how a customer should be handled," Yasmin explains. "When a child is crying, you don't beat or pressurise the child; you divert the child's attention. So that's how customer service is maintained."

She remains grateful to her boss cum mentor for all the life lessons he imparted. "My boss from then is still my mentor and my sounding board. Even today, after 30 years, I return to him. I feel like he's been my godfather; he's been my university."

However, her journey never followed a single path. Two years into her corporate career, she ventured into entrepreneurship by starting her own supermarket, which she ran for 15 years. As she honed her skills during this time, new opportunities emerged, and she seized one without hesitation. A well-known retail chain approached her for a position as a process analyst. She says, “Her role was to translate business to IT and IT to business," which required a skillful relay of each perspective. "There was one side of me with my experience and the other side with theoretical experience, both of which were married together, Whether it was margin optimisation, return on investment, or planogram. I enjoyed my role,” she recalls. 

"I'm very flexible and love to bloom where I'm planted.  I felt I had done the best I could at the company with its growth”.

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After a few years she took a break but within a few months found herself looking for the next opportunity. During this time her daughter asked her to become her talent manager. She kept herself busy with her daughter and son, taking care of their crucial years. She remembers them affectionately referring to her as ‘momager’., a term that perfectly encapsulated Yasmin's multifaceted role as both a mother and a manager.

After successfully managing this role for nearly 10 years, she decided to step back from overseeing her children's personal lives so she could watch them grow and thrive independently. At the age of 59, she found a new purpose for herself. She took on the adventure of writing a book to share her thoughts with others.

“I decided that now is the time to sit in a coffee shop. But then you're so used to being in the rut that you don't want to withdraw," she explains. "I wrote the book not just for me but for many other women to understand that life has to go on. Nobody becomes old", she reveals. Her book is available online.

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Moving Forward: A Powerful Life Lesson

She believes that her life journey has been her greatest teacher. "I come from the school of life. I'm a graduate of the school of life," she quips.

Born and raised in Mysuru, she came to Bengaluru many years ago. Recently, though, she decided to move back to her hometown. Explaining her decision to return, she says, "My roots are here; my siblings are here. But I recently decided to relocate because I wanted a change in my life".

She is unafraid of taking unconventional paths and exploring the unknown. “I'm learning. I may make errors and mistakes, but I'm learning”, she concludes with a smile.

The article is contributed by the GetSetUp team