Why 50 is the New 30: Interview with CEO Kristina Godfrey
It's not every day I get a chance to interview someone I consider a mentor and a friend. This month, I was able to sit down with CEO and founder of Godfrey Sanders PR, Kristina Godfrey, and talk with her about what she's learned in her career, and how she has developed as a woman, mother, and female business owner. As an ambitious woman entrepreneur myself, her thoughts and insights didn't just resonate with me, they also made me laugh, and feel optimistic for the phases to come. Here is Kristina's story.
Kristina Godfrey, CEO, Godfrey Sanders PR
Being a career woman and in your fifties, what are the things you are most proud of in your life?
I am most proud of my ability to balance the things that matter to me. I have been able to run and grow my business, be there for my three kids, maintain my friendships and foster new ones, be a loving wife (although sometimes bitchy 😉), take care of my mind and body, read great books, and most importantly, not take life too seriously!
I am incredibly proud of the relationships I have cultivated over the years – the very real and dear friendships I have nurtured. Those relationships never fail to lift me and keep me going.
Do you feel like you have life figured out at this stage of life?
I don’t think you can ever say you have life figured out.
When I was younger, it was all about the next thing to look forward to; the marriage, the kids, the new house. These milestones were exciting and something to strive for, but the older you get and the more things you have checked off your list, the more you find yourself with fewer significant things to look forward to, which can be disheartening.
This period of time is when the real inner work can begin. You might ask yourself, “How do I find satisfaction, happiness, and overall contentment when I have achieved all of these milestones already? What’s next?” Let’s face it, everything beyond those firsts can feel less exciting.
One of the keys to life, I’ve learned, is to understand that there is no end. There is only the NOW.
In the NOW, I choose to look at what is before me with wonder and curiosity and know there are no right or wrong answers. We have all we need within us to navigate our lives. In each situation I am presented, I choose to see the beauty and the light and learn what lessons I am meant to learn.
I know for sure that nobody has a picture-perfect life. Everyone has something going on that isn’t Instagram-worthy, so don’t ever be envious of what you see on social media.
I happen to gravitate to real people who tell the truth about life’s ups and downs. It is in the real, the raw, and vulnerable, those genuine connections and beautiful relationships are what life is all about.
You have accomplished goals that many women aspire to achieve. How do you feel about being a mentor?
If I can help anyone navigate life in a way that might ease some of their struggles, I'm all for it! I love to share my trials and tribulations, and I want people to know they are not alone. We are all just trying to figure it out!!
What would you change about your mindset at 30 or 40-years-old if you could go back?
I would tell myself that it is ok to NOT be perfect at everything. I would tell myself that I don’t need to stress about things I can’t control.
I have spent too much time worrying about things that have never come to fruition and lived in fight or flight mode too often. Now I am living the effects of that fast-paced life, and adrenaline-fueled mindset and I wish I would have known how it would affect me long term.
What was the best piece of advice you received in the last decade?
My mother always gave me the best advice and words to live by! “One day at a time” is something I tell myself every single day!
If you could tell your 30-year-old self one thing, what would it be?
Walk around in your bathing suit.
If you could tell your 40-year old self one thing, what would it be?
If you think your kids are a lot of work now, wait until you have teens!
