Boomer Of The Week: Devon Austin, San Francisco, California

The stories of personal transformation that we are sharing with you each week have been written by members of our Boomers TV community. They are generously sharing their journey with us to offer hope and inspiration.

This week, we introduce you to Devon Austin, a Boomer who makes her home in the San Francisco area. Since turning 50, Devon has listened to her inner voice and has begun to follow some new dreams.



Devon Austin

Everything Is Making More Sense
Being over 50 is FABULOUS! I’m in such a good place. I am 55 and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have been divorced for more than 15 years and have 2 grown children and 1 granddaughter. I have a wonderful and supportive network of friends and family. As the years go by everything just seems to make more sense to me. I am certainly guided more by my inner voice. I have a very artistic, creative side and have found that I very much enjoy working with other women. Following my passion is now second nature. My dreams have taken me to places I never thought I would go.

The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
I can truly say my life changed at 50. I had been working in the corporate world as a stockbroker for over 10 years but feeling somewhat unfulfilled. I desperately wanted to make some changes in my life. I knew I required some downtime to decide what new direction I wanted my life to take. I resigned from my position and set about to re-discover what it was that made me feel happy and would bring me a sense of accomplishment. A lot of people thought I had lost my mind and a few of them were quite vocal about it. But this process of re-evaluation turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Creating What Comes Naturally
During that time, I relocated to a quaint, artsy little town and it is there that I discovered the world of art glass. For as long as I can remember I have been enchanted by color and design. I have no formal training in art but I began taking classes and experimenting with glass. I create what comes to me naturally. I bought a kiln and started selling my jewelry to friends. I received such good responses that I now have a business called Serendipity Designs. In my in Victorian home studio I design and create fused glass jewelry, specializing in one-of-a-kind bracelets and pendants. I define my style as being simple elegance. I also design drawer pulls, picture frames, architectural back splashes and wall art.

No Coincidences
I am strong believer that there are no coincidences. Several years later I saw a show on Oprah about pole dancing and I decided that it might be interesting to take a class. I went online to search what was available in my area. Little did I know where that search would take me. I did not find the pole dancing class (although I’m not sure I was really up to climbing up that pole anyway) but what I found instead was a life-changing class called The Art of Exotic Dancing for Everyday Women. As soon as I went to the website and read about the company’s philosophy, I was hooked. The exotic dance classes are designed for every woman, of every age and shape. In part, the classes are about learning sexy dances, but the focus is really on building self-confidence and self-empowerment. The classes teach women how to connect with their real beauty and overcome inhibitions. I took one class and have been happily dancing ever since. I was so impressed that I became an instructor. I have so much fun teaching and get a real sense of personal fulfillment working with the women. I teach in San Francisco but classes are held in most major cities. They offer a variety of monthly classes, private lessons, retreats and parties. You can find out more about them at www.artofexoticdancing.com.

Although I am very busy with my new passions, I eventually did return to work in Corporate America. But I find I’m much happier with myself now and I think that can make all the difference.