INTERVIEW WITH LINDA RIVERO, M.A.
FOUNDER, 55 AND BOLDERSM
What is your past experience? How long have you been an entrepreneur?
And how long have you been focused on women’s issues?
I began my entrepreneurial journey in 1986 when I created my first company, Italian Country Living, also known as La Pergola Tours. My mission was to share my passion for off-the-beaten track, people-to-people travel in Italy. Mine was a new breed of boutique travel company specializing in customized itineraries through the backroads of Italy, along with custom-designed tours for small, private groups. Happily, La Pergola Tours, aka Italian Country Living, was prominently featured in a Metro New York City newspaper ‘s cover story which was then syndicated to dozens of newspapers nationwide. It was an exciting marketing development!
I later transitioned to Peace Through Travel, my company promoting sustainable travel worldwide. In this capacity, I primarily wrote articles for sustainable travel initiatives and participated in international panels on the topic.
In 2008, I founded Women Travel for Peace and began my entrepreneurial efforts in Senegal, West Africa. The goal of Women Travel for Peace was to bring together American women with rural Senegalese women to support and help create critically needed local projects. Our first project was the building of the first deep, concrete well in a rural village.
Women Travel for Peace later returned to Senegal to create the first women’s literacy project in a different rural town.
In 2010 I founded the Global Action Network of Entrepreneurial Women, the umbrella for Women Travel for Peace. Within this network, I again brought women together through a Women Changing the World web summit. This event featured interviews with 12 outstanding women working to make our world a better place for all women and girls.
Being a musician as well as a businesswoman, as part of the Global Action Network of Entrepreneurial Women, I created Peace Through Travel Radio, an Internet-based radio station, streaming music from all corners of the globe, 24/7
Global Feminine Rising Radio was my weekly FM
and web-streaming interview program featuring
inspiring conversations with action-oriented
women dedicated to improving and uplifting
the lives of women and girls globally.
2021: 55 And BolderSM
In 2021, I was again drawn to enriching the lives of women through my entrepreneurial efforts. 55 And BolderSM was born to serve mature women struggling with loneliness, isolation, and dissatisfaction with their lives. Having suffered with these painful issues myself, I now focus on my passion for sharing my own lessons learned, and my joyful results of those efforts. My mission is to help my clients define and realize their own powerful, purpose-driven direction so that they, too, can fill their lives with meaning and once again feel thrilled, fulfilled, and fabulous. It’s not too late to live the life you love!
Why are you now working with mature women?
To answer your question, it’s probably best to share the defining struggle that brought me to 55 And BolderSM.
When I lost my husband several years ago in my 60’s, my life not only shifted; it shattered. I felt utterly alone and rudderless, despite my three wonderful sons. My husband had been the closest person to me for the 53 years we’d known each other, and his loss left me profoundly confused, grief-stricken, and bereft.
Following his death, I spent months, and months, withdrawn and depressed. I had lost all my joie de vivre. I had no direction at all. I spent my days alone, feeling confused and terribly sad, and eating too much. My weight was rising, quickly. But I didn’t care, not enough to do anything about it.
At last, one day my experience began to shift. I woke up one morning, and I suddenly had an epiphany: I had a choice! My dismal future wasn’t written in stone. I realized I could pull myself up, bring myself back to life, and do whatever it took to revive my heart and spirit.
When I asked myself what would reawaken me and revive my spirit which had been so vibrant before my husband’s death, I felt deeply that I needed to do…to tackle…something deeply meaningful to me. I was pulled to return to a passion I’d had all my life but had never pursued in depth.
For me, that passion was singing.
I threw myself into intensive voice training and challenging vocal projects. This was in my late 60’s. Singing fed my heart, my spirit, and led me back to my joy. For me, singing is still the tonic that keeps my soul soaring and my smile bright.
The fact is that growing older can be very challenging. I know many of my peers of mature women have struggled with similar life transitions. They also have long held, deep desire to do or be or have something they’ve never allowed themselves before. Or maybe they simply never had the opportunity to pursue their dream direction. Knowing how discovering my own path revived my own life, I now devote myself to helping other women seeking to revive their own lives. I know it is possible. I know I can help then recapture their mojo!
Who are your clients exactly?
I work with women just like you: mature women with years of life experience behind them, who are now finding themselves without the joy, the thrill for living that they used to have. They may be facing one of life’s challenging transitions and feeling the weight of that. Where do I go from here? they wonder. Is this the end for me?
55 And BolderSM leads my clients to a deeper understanding of themselves: who they truly are, what they want, what’s standing in their way, and how to get to their dream future. I blend this new self-awareness with proven happiness principles and playful exercises to increase my clients’ spontaneity and creativity. They learn tools for joyful living and ways to put them into practice. And they share their growth with other women just like them. The work is deep, and it’s shared. It’s also fun!
The life transitions that affect many of us are varied, and any one of them can lead us to loneliness, isolation, and dissatisfaction with our lives:
- – Facing an empty nest
- – Enduring the loss of a loved one
- – Looking toward the transition of retirement
- – Struggling with physical effects of aging
- – Struggling with illness
- – Facing the challenge of care for an older parent
- – Facing the challenge of caring for a dependent child
- – Enduring a sudden financial crisis
- – And others.
What happens if you haven’t worked with people in my situation?
Chances are that I have and do work with women struggling with the same problem as you are, or a similar problem. But the truth is that it really doesn’t matter what the details of the struggle are. What matters is your willingness to learn a new mindset, to open yourself to change, to share your experience and growth with other women just like you, and to learn –- and practice — new concrete tools to brighten your feelings about yourself. This openness to learning and sharing will, with practice, lead you to a new outlook on what your future holds. And therein lies your re-found joy.
How are you different from other women’s coaches?
What sets me apart is my exclusive focus on mature women, and my proprietary system which includes:
- – diving deep into a true understanding of who you are and what you want
- – learning new strategies for building your ongoing self-awareness
- – fearlessly assessing the obstacles in your path
- – even more fearlessly strategizing how to overcome those obstacles
- – learning to move yourself from where you are to where you want to go
- – blending these actions with strategies to boost your creativity and spontaneity
- – and through these new strategies and practices, discovering the purpose-filled direction that will give your life renewed meaning and leave you feeling fulfilled and fabulous!
This exciting new outlook on yourself and your direction will boost your confidence and your creativity.
You will also have the opportunity to share these new experiences with other women who have hopes and dreams, just like you. With all your new learning, plus support from your understanding sisters, your new life will begin to blossom.
What type of personality do you work best with? And what is expected of me?
55 And BolderSM was created for the woman who is excited and determined to improve her happiness and reconnect with her fire and zest. She is deadly serious about enriching her life and ending the middle-of-the-night panics, worrying, “Is this it for me? Is this the end of my excitement and happiness? Is this all there is?” 55 And BolderSM will help you to put new learning and systems in place so that in just a few weeks, you can be jumping into your mornings with a thrilling direction that gives your life new meaning and fills you with excitement, purpose, and energy for your future.
The program requires only 45 days…but these are 45 days of commitment, openness, and “playing full-out.” This is our six-week journey toward your new, bolder self. The goal of 55 And BolderSM is to reconnect you with yourself: your laughter, your direction, and your passion for living.
While the content of the program is robust, it will only lead to powerful shifts in energy and outlook for the woman who truly desires a dramatic change in her life — and is willing to devote the time necessary to learn new tools and habits. She must also be willing to practice these new strategies. These steps are necessary in order to embrace and experience deeper purpose, direction, and joy.
For what type of woman is your program NOT going to work?
- 1. A woman who is unwilling to trust a new path that is tried and tested but may be unfamiliar. Courage is required for change, for stepping into the unknown. In life, lack of trust is often the mask of fear. You can manage your fear by reading this interview in its entirety, and by asking the questions that are important to you. Understanding how I work and with whom will help address your trust in the 55 And BolderSM System.
- 2. A woman who is unable or unwilling to devote the time necessary to learning — and practicing — new ways of thinking and living.Some people are in the habit of consistently making excuses for not getting their assignments done, or of challenging every aspect of the program. If you are one of these women, I kindly and respectfully ask that you not call, and I hope you understand why. We probably won’t work well together, and I wouldn’t want you to waste your time or your money. Is that fair?
- 3. A woman who is absolutely financially desperate.If you are in this last category, it is absolutely ok. We’ve all been in there –- or in all these categories — at some point in our lives. Here are my suggestions:a. If your finances are extremely tight, get some money coming in with a full-time or part-time job, and then call me. This will take the edge off and help declutter your mind. Once you start working with me, you will begin to see the benefits, and knowing these will brighten your whole outlook on your life and future b. If you’re unsure about making the bold move to recapture your zest for living, sign up for my free resource, The 7 Biggest Mistakes Mature Women Make That Create Dissatisfaction and Loneliness in their Lives. With these mistakes in mind, you can begin to take a deep look at where you may be holding yourself back from your joy, and to begin to look to your life with clarity and confidence. This insight may be the catalyst you need to dive into your bold dreams and fabulous future.
How exactly does your 55 And BolderSM System work? What does it include?
Changing your outlook and approach to your future life begins with an honest assessment of your life as it is now. Here’s what the 55 And Bolder System will help you do:
- 1. Think deeply about and assess where you are in your life right You will think deeply about who you really are.
- 2. Acknowledge, visualize, and boldly embrace your wishes and dreams. You will answer honestly: where do you want to go? What is your brave direction? What does your dream future look like?
- 3. Look frankly at what is standing in your way. What are your obstacles?
- 4. Together we will confront another all-important question: How can you move past these obstacles and forward to the life you love?
- 5. We will create a strategy for moving you from your life and struggle now to the life you deserve to live: a life you love.
Together, you and I begin by working on this framework through learning sessions – supported by weekly Q&A sessions – that guide you toward your honest responses to these critical questions. My goal is your ultimate success and growth toward and into your brilliant future.
During our weekly Question and Answer sessions, I will personally address your questions and concerns. You will never be more than a few days away from an answer to your question.
You will also be able to have your questions addressed through our private Facebook group. Here you will find the support of women just like you, as well as my own answers to your questions.
What results can I expect? And how quickly?
The goal of our work together is to:
- 1. Identify clearly where and who you are right now
- 2. Identify where you want to go – and help you know that if you’re not sure
- 3. Identify what is standing in your way
- 4. Help you overcome those obstacles
- 5. Discover your passionate, purpose-driven direction and goal
- 6. Create a strategy for getting you there.
How quickly you will see results depends on how eager you are to boldly confront your life as well as identify what your bold future looks like – and then take inspired, consistent action toward what you envision for yourself
How can I guarantee myself that I will be happier, in record time?
Do all your assignments and complete all your individual work. Be totally focused on creating your fabulous future. Understand that this is not a “quick fix,” it isn’t magic, and it will take some time for all your new behaviors and strategies to crystallize into the life you love. That said, the more focused and dedicated you are to your new life, the less resistance you will experience, and the sooner you will be living the life you love.
Will the cost of the program be worth it for me?
What is the cost of your unhappiness? What is the value of waking up each day, living your life on purpose in your joyful direction? Can you put a price tag on that? Only you know whether you are worth investing in. I hope you feel you are worth it – because you are.
This all sounds good, but I’m not sure I’m ready to get started.
How can I sample your work at low cost to see if it’s the right solution for me?
Begin by sampling my work and approach through my complimentary resource, The 7 Biggest Mistakes Mature Women Make That Create Dissatisfaction and Loneliness in their Lives. Here you will get a taste of my approach and philosophy, as well as some action steps you can take on your own to see how ready you are to get started on creating the life you love.
Do you accept credit cards?
Yes, we do. Payment can be made directly by credit or debit card or via PayPal. Our online payment system features up-to-the-minute privacy and security for your peace of mind.
Ok, I know I want to get back my zest for living. How do we get started?
Great! Did you know that one of the most prominent characteristics of successful people is that they take decisive action? They take educated risks, they are decisive, and they move forward toward success based on their intuition, their gut instinct. So if this feels right for you, go for it!
Your first step is to schedule a time for your complimentary “Accelerate Your Path to Your Fabulous Future Strategy Session.” This will jump start your journey toward the life you love!
It is very important to me that we make our time together as efficient and valuable as possible by focusing on You. Once you have your appointment scheduled, you’ll help me understand your needs and goals by answering a few questions by email. You will send me your email before our meeting so I can read through your responses before we meet.
I can’t wait to meet you on Zoom and get you started on your path toward your passionate, purpose-driven direction that will give your life new meaning and will leave you feeling thrilled, fulfilled, and fabulous!