Michele Rhodes opened Great Day Juice Company in Somerset County after 27 years in cosmetology. Her advice? “If you really want to do something, there is no time to waste!”

Shop the Great Day Juice store on the Alleghenies Marketplace

“Everyone deserves to make changes if they are not happy or if they just want to do something different. Why should age be a stopping point?” Why, indeed? Michele Rhodes didn’t let it stop her from opening Somerset-based Great Day Juice Company following her retirement from 27 years in cosmetology. Research by the Harvard Business Review reveals that she’s not alone.

Analyzing the age of business founders in the U.S. in recent years using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the publication found that the average age is 42. While software startups skew slightly lower with an average age of 40, in industries like oil & gas and biotech, it’s closer to 47.

Experience goes a long way

While entrepreneurship requires risk and agility, a driving force behind successful startups—according to the study and to Rhodes—is experience.

Read more about Great Day Juice here.

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