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Profiles - Your Stories
 Colleen O'Kane - Age Is No Barrier To Doing Anything You Desire
http://www.truemediaservices.com
Brief Description of Yourself:
High energy, motivated and loves change and challenges. I grew up a Navy brat, went to college in Northern Ireland and have accepted new jobs in seven different cities since I graduated.
I have worked in the advertising business all my adult life and love it as things never stay the same. I recently joined a new Ad Agency in Columbia, Missouri as Chief Media Officer. I work for a Gen Yer (29 years old) which leads to some fascinating differences of opinion regarding work style!
1) What do you believe makes you special or interesting?
I am one of the few older boomers who has become a digital media maven. Despite prejudice in the work place (no one believes that someone over 40 can really understand digital marketing), I have led several agencies and their clients into advertising on the internet with excellent results.
2) What kind of effect have you had, or would like to have on the world?
That being 60 has only benefits for employers looking for smart, motivated people working in the digital space. Although I have terrific experience and knowledge of advertising, employers rarely seem to be able to get past the fact that I am "old" in ad agency terms.
3) What events shaped or changed your life?
Going to college in Belfast during the last '60s and feeling the sting of discrimination the entire time I was there. I also learned how to sleep through rifle fire, bombs and gangs of protesters bent on breaking into our Catholic dorm.
4) Did you overcome obstacles - take risks - get lucky?
Always – my mother refers to me as unsinkable. I get lucky sometimes and sometimes not. But I am always willing to cheerfully forge ahead no matter what knocks I have taken in my life and career.
I have no intention of retiring and will probably have to be carted out of my office when the time comes. After being married for ten years and single for 20 years, I married for the second time when I was 53. So far, so good.
5) What have you done that no one would guess you'd done upon first meeting you?
I lived in a convent the entire time I went to college in Belfast. And no, I was not nor am I now a devout Catholic!
6) What is still left to be done in your life?
I want to help grow the current ad agency I work for into a national presence founded on media neutrality.
I want to be a member of the Century Club (only 70 countries to go), I show cats and want to have a nationally winning cat and I would like to win an over 80s tennis tournament – when I reach that age! Most of all, I want to show that age is no barrier to doing anything you desire.
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