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Reaching retirement age is inevitable, but the age at which workers are ready to punch the clock for the last time is not so uniform. Many employees, especially those of the Baby Boomer generation, are tuning in to the latest employment trend—encore careers. Brigitte Betser, owner of Caledonia's FranNet, said while those in their mid to late fifties may not be ready to retire, they are looking for a change. "Career pains," as Brigitte calls them, induce a search for more flexibility, control, and independence. If this is the case, business ownership, particularly becoming a franchisor, may be the answer. 

Maureen Noe is naturally a strong, results-driven, task-oriented woman. The president of Heart of West Michigan United Way said, “I get a lot of energy from my work.” Maureen is capable of a high degree of efficiency as she moves United Way toward its mission, yet she knows that excellent leadership is about balancing her results orientation with a process approach to leadership. She intentionally restrains her own desires to move quickly and precisely in meeting the needs of her team members, leveraging their strengths so the team can accomplish greater goals than she could on her own. 

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has selected Barb DePree, MD, as the 2013 NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner of the Year (NCMP). The award acknowledges Dr. DePree’s “exceptional contributions” to menopause care, in particular her work speaking out publicly and to midlife women about how sexual intimacy changes as we age and how to deal with those changes.

The best kind of exercise is the kind you don't dread. For Ahme Boveé, a love for Pilates has kept her fit, healthy, and in business for fifteen years. As the founder of Pilates in East of East Grand Rapids, Ahme is sharing her passion for a healthy body and mind with students and teachers across the state. But she didn't start out in East Grand Rapids, or even in the United States. 

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