{"id":218721,"date":"2025-09-11T17:33:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/218721\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T17:33:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:33:14","slug":"she-ditched-retirement-to-launch-a-startup-at-60-despite-no-tech-experience-founder-ceo-works-70-hour-weeks-with-a-clear-exit-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/218721\/","title":{"rendered":"She ditched retirement to launch a startup at 60. Despite no tech experience, founder-CEO works 70-hour weeks with a clear exit strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 60, Karen Hastie<\/a> from Ontario, Canada, could have embraced a quiet retirement after selling her decades-long fitness business for a seven-figure sum during the pandemic. Instead, she launched a new venture\u2014the Chamber Perks App<\/a>, a digital platform helping local Chambers of Commerce enhance member engagement and value. Speaking to Business Insider, Karen reflected, \u201cRetirement was never really in my vocabulary. I knew I still had more to give.\u201dNo Tech Background, No ProblemKaren had no prior experience in technology, yet she leaned on decades of entrepreneurial expertise to assemble a team capable of executing her vision. Her CTO, experienced in Silicon Valley startups, manages technical development from Calgary, while her daughter oversees marketing through her social media expertise. \u201cI know what I bring to the table,\u201d Karen said, \u201cand I don\u2019t have to do it all myself.\u201d
Adjusting to a Younger WorkforceNavigating a tech startup<\/a> dominated by younger employees required patience and flexibility. Karen adjusted her work habits, respected work-life balance expectations, and avoided micromanaging. Her typical week stretches to 60-70 hours, but passion drives her productivity. \u201cWhen you love what you do, it doesn\u2019t feel like work,\u201d she told Women Thrive Magazine.
Karen\u2019s goal was never financial necessity. Free from monetary stress after her previous business, she chose this venture to support small businesses and create meaningful impact. Over 2\u00bd years, the bootstrapped company reinvested all earnings to fuel growth. Now, Karen is expanding services with Chamber Member Pro, a CRM solution for Chambers of Commerce.Planning Ahead With an Exit StrategyUnlike many entrepreneurs, Karen is already thinking strategically about her future. \u201cThis isn\u2019t another 30-year run for me,\u201d she said. Her plan includes scaling the business for acquisition or moving into a hands-off role in the next few years, ensuring sustainability without personal burnout.<\/p>\n

\u00ab Back to recommendation stories<\/p>\n

Karen emphasizes leveraging experience, embracing what you don\u2019t know, and ignoring societal noise. \u201cAge is just a number,\u201d she said. \u201cFocus on your strengths, be humble about what you don\u2019t know, and let purpose guide your next chapter.\u201d Karen Hastie\u2019s story illustrates that retirement can be redefined\u2014where purpose, passion, and experience create the foundation for late-stage entrepreneurship<\/a>, even in the fast-paced world of tech.Add \"ET as a Reliable and Trusted News Source<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At 60, Karen Hastie from Ontario, Canada, could have embraced a quiet retirement after selling her decades-long fitness…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":218722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[64,119373,119366,607,119367,119370,119365,119368,119372,119371,53985,119369,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-218721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-chamber-perks","10":"tag-chamber-perks-app","11":"tag-entrepreneurship","12":"tag-entrepreneurship-at-60","13":"tag-exit-strategy-for-entrepreneurs","14":"tag-karen-hastie","15":"tag-late-stage-entrepreneurship","16":"tag-ontario-woman-entrepreneur","17":"tag-retirement-redefined","18":"tag-small-business-support","19":"tag-tech-startup","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115186868531740864","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}