I would have to say I stumbled into the world of business only when all else failed in my life. After working happily, OK sometimes not so happily, as an academic librarian for over 25 years, I walked into work one day.  I knew I was in trouble when my boss said, “I need to see you privately.”
Come to find out, he had a friend he wanted to give my job to, so I was summarily fired. Â Seeing as the librarian world had recently treated me like garbage, I decided I needed a new boss, me!
The first idea that occurred was the need for a better way of dating past age 40. I had been thinking about a return to the dating scene ever since my divorce a few years earlier, but resisted the idea of online dating. Â I guess it was my fear of ax murderers in disguise. Â So I started my own more personal, local dating service. Â After far too much serious consideration, I finally concluded, why not?
One thing led to another and before I knew it I had some great women clients, but not many men to match them with.  So I took the professional approach and used myself as bait on Match.com.  With a super general profile I thought I might attract some good men for my clients.  The first man I met this way was named “Tall Guy” online.  I found him quite sexy, and after only a few hours talking, I knew I had found a good one.  We married eight months later.  Ever since my new favorite saying is, “Stranger things have happened!”
After I got settled into my new life with “Tall Guy,” I decided to spend some quality time reconsidering my options.  I even hired a career counselor.  She was good. She convinced me to finally try the job I had always dreamed of, the life of a writer.  I spent the first half of my life organizing the books.  Perhaps it was time for me to write a few of my own.
Blogging was the perfect segue for me into my new business. I tried freelance writing first, but again ran into the whole boss problem again. Â Those darn editors were always changing the content and the meaning of my articles.
Blogging set me free! Â I finally found my voice as the Midlife Crisis Queen in 2007, and nothing could stop me after that. Â I had found my reason to be here, to help others find new meaning in midlife. Â And since I already had an M.A. in counseling psychology, I was set.
At least I thought I was. Â Entrepreneurship is the hardest job I have ever loved. In the past eight years I have learned everything about the writing business; from freelance writing to blogging, research, social media, publicity and promotion, authorship, editing, publishing and everything in between. Â Along the way I have made some AMAZING friends, some in places like Cambodia, Dubai and Australia. Â Best of all, I have gained the support of thousands through my blogs and social media.
Today I cannot help but wonder, what would have happened if I hadn’t lost my job years ago?  Perhaps all of these other wonderful changes would have never occurred.  Whenever I try to decide the feasibility of some crazy new scheme, I simply say, “Stranger things have happened!”
Laura blogs at www.midlifecrisisqueen.com and you can follow her on twitter @midlifequeen