Career Journey
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Back to Work at 50: One Woman Shares Her Journey
An Interview with Dr. Jodee Keller, D.C. November 2020 
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According to a 2019 NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) study, “People aged over 50 years form a growing proportion of the working age population. However, it is often difficult to return to work after unemployment.” The study goes on to report that people over 50 “…experience multiple and interacting issues, at both the individual and societal level.”
And by 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) now projects that women over 65 will make up roughly the same percentage of the female workforce as older men do of the male workforce. Additionally, BLS predicts that twice as many women over 55 will be in the labor force as women ages 16-24.
There is a trend here that more and more women over the age of fifty will be in the workforce, and many of them are struggling with returning after a long hiatus. These challenges may include updating numerous skills or certifications, learning new technologies, reestablishing industry networks and connections, and a variety of other issues.
But the important thing to note is that it can be done, and many women are doing it! One woman shares her success story.
And by 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) now projects that women over 65 will make up roughly the same percentage of the female workforce as older men do of the male workforce. Additionally, BLS predicts that twice as many women over 55 will be in the labor force as women ages 16-24.
There is a trend here that more and more women over the age of fifty will be in the workforce, and many of them are struggling with returning after a long hiatus. These challenges may include updating numerous skills or certifications, learning new technologies, reestablishing industry networks and connections, and a variety of other issues.
But the important thing to note is that it can be done, and many women are doing it! One woman shares her success story.
Dr. Jodee Keller, D.C., shares her journey of taking the plunge back into the workforce in midlife.
You took a hiatus to raise your children. What made you decide to return to work?
I became a licensed chiropractor in December of 1995. I worked in the field for about ten years. Then I gave up being a part of the workforce to work full-time as a mother and wife. After taking a fifteen-year hiatus, I decided it was important for me to go back to work outside of the home. The evolution of my business, prioritizing how to grow it while being cognizant about my family life, is still a work in progress.
I have accepted the fact that the speed of building my business and finding work-life balance is different for every woman who makes the choice to re-enter the workforce after taking time to concentrate on family life. I am careful not to judge my worth or success based on other people’s lives and businesses. I didn’t experience their journey, and they haven’t experienced mine. We are all learning as we go. It’s about moving forward, loving the process, and learning to be kind to yourself.
You took a hiatus to raise your children. What made you decide to return to work?
I became a licensed chiropractor in December of 1995. I worked in the field for about ten years. Then I gave up being a part of the workforce to work full-time as a mother and wife. After taking a fifteen-year hiatus, I decided it was important for me to go back to work outside of the home. The evolution of my business, prioritizing how to grow it while being cognizant about my family life, is still a work in progress.
I have accepted the fact that the speed of building my business and finding work-life balance is different for every woman who makes the choice to re-enter the workforce after taking time to concentrate on family life. I am careful not to judge my worth or success based on other people’s lives and businesses. I didn’t experience their journey, and they haven’t experienced mine. We are all learning as we go. It’s about moving forward, loving the process, and learning to be kind to yourself.
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Did you struggle with the whole ‘superwoman’ complex at first?
I got married when I was thirty-three years old and moved from New York City to Kingston, NY. I bought a building with my husband and started my practice. We also decided to have kids right away. Everything was new - my marriage, my home, my relationships, my business, and motherhood. At the time, I didn’t know how to juggle. I was overwhelmed. It was a new business, and I was often leaving the office after 9pm. I was concerned that something would give. I didn’t think I could handle two kids in diapers while working the long hours it took to keep my business running successfully. So I chose my family over the start-up. Did you ever feel pressure to go back into the workforce from others? A lot of my mom friends went back to work when their kids became school age, and they started to make new connections and friendships at work. I found that some people judged and resented my traditional lifestyle. I started to wonder if I was out of touch with the real life struggles going on around me. I felt like an outsider, and in some ways, I felt I didn’t fit in anymore. |
Jodee & her Firstborn, Jacob, in the Reception Area of her Original Office Space
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I decided to volunteer when I was asked to join some local boards. But I became depressed, feeling that I just didn’t know where I fit in. I stopped going to the gym and gained weight. I joined my own pity party instead. I felt like I had lost myself. On the bright side, my kids were thriving, and I was so proud that I had done that right.
When I first reentered the workforce, I tried a few different jobs to hone in on my knowledge base, skillsets, talents and needs. My biggest takeaway was that flexibility was a big factor since my three kids were still living at home. I was approaching my fifties when I made the decision to return to what I knew so well - to work as a chiropractor.
My husband is the major breadwinner in my family, so thankfully, I have been able to take it slowly and ease into it. I went back to work first and foremost to find myself again - to gain control of my life and restore my self-esteem.
Entering the medical field again must have been a big undertaking. Was anyone there to help?
I garnered some sage advice from local, female chiropractors whom I consider my friends. Throughout our many lunch dates and phone calls, we talked about computer software programs, patient retention, staffing, billing and coding confusion, advertising, google marketing, and compliance issues. We talked about our families and our feelings - anything we could think of to help each other to succeed. I’m grateful for their wisdom, openness and friendship.
I thought carefully about the issues I would need to address, and I started to ponder the changes I would need to make since I had been out of the industry for fifteen years. Would I need to invest in new equipment? There was a lot to consider.
Was it difficult to hit the ground running? What did you need to do to be sure your skills were up to date?
I had to take over a year’s worth of continuing education to reactivate my license. I enjoyed the classes, taking them on weekends and online. I met other doctors at some of the seminars which was extremely valuable. I learned about different techniques and business models. Chiropractic services certainly look different now when compared to fifteen years ago. The perception of the value and legitimacy of these services in the healthcare marketplace has changed as well. I realized that I could create a practice based on everything I had learned…I could make it special and my own.
Now that you’re back at it…how do you feel?
I am more excited than ever, and I love what I am doing! I am genuinely helping people, and I feel better about myself, too. I know that I am an effective and valuable healer, a person who has a lot to offer. It’s mind-blowing getting the feedback that I do, and I enjoy the interaction with people.
I have continued to keep my business model very simple and stress-free. Yet, I am starting to feel that it needs to grow to some degree, so I am currently trying to determine how I can grow without becoming stressed out. After all, growth creates new challenges. I’ve also learned that it’s crucial to be open to constructive criticism and change.
I don’t know what tomorrow will look like, but I’m in a happier place. My kids and my husband are proud of me. My work life is flowing, and I’m moving along with that current.
When I first reentered the workforce, I tried a few different jobs to hone in on my knowledge base, skillsets, talents and needs. My biggest takeaway was that flexibility was a big factor since my three kids were still living at home. I was approaching my fifties when I made the decision to return to what I knew so well - to work as a chiropractor.
My husband is the major breadwinner in my family, so thankfully, I have been able to take it slowly and ease into it. I went back to work first and foremost to find myself again - to gain control of my life and restore my self-esteem.
Entering the medical field again must have been a big undertaking. Was anyone there to help?
I garnered some sage advice from local, female chiropractors whom I consider my friends. Throughout our many lunch dates and phone calls, we talked about computer software programs, patient retention, staffing, billing and coding confusion, advertising, google marketing, and compliance issues. We talked about our families and our feelings - anything we could think of to help each other to succeed. I’m grateful for their wisdom, openness and friendship.
I thought carefully about the issues I would need to address, and I started to ponder the changes I would need to make since I had been out of the industry for fifteen years. Would I need to invest in new equipment? There was a lot to consider.
Was it difficult to hit the ground running? What did you need to do to be sure your skills were up to date?
I had to take over a year’s worth of continuing education to reactivate my license. I enjoyed the classes, taking them on weekends and online. I met other doctors at some of the seminars which was extremely valuable. I learned about different techniques and business models. Chiropractic services certainly look different now when compared to fifteen years ago. The perception of the value and legitimacy of these services in the healthcare marketplace has changed as well. I realized that I could create a practice based on everything I had learned…I could make it special and my own.
Now that you’re back at it…how do you feel?
I am more excited than ever, and I love what I am doing! I am genuinely helping people, and I feel better about myself, too. I know that I am an effective and valuable healer, a person who has a lot to offer. It’s mind-blowing getting the feedback that I do, and I enjoy the interaction with people.
I have continued to keep my business model very simple and stress-free. Yet, I am starting to feel that it needs to grow to some degree, so I am currently trying to determine how I can grow without becoming stressed out. After all, growth creates new challenges. I’ve also learned that it’s crucial to be open to constructive criticism and change.
I don’t know what tomorrow will look like, but I’m in a happier place. My kids and my husband are proud of me. My work life is flowing, and I’m moving along with that current.
Dr. Jodee Keller, D.C., is a “boutique” chiropractor located in Kingston, NY. She offers a variety of services in traditional and gentle chiropractic techniques, including her specialty, Micro-Current Point Stimulation (MPS), as well as wellness and nutritional counseling.
