Inger Nordin: Starting Again at 65, It’s Never Too Late

By Sujany Baleswaran

We live in a world where we find ourselves counting the years to our retirement, a time to finally take a step back. However, for Inger Nordin, retirement was out of the question. Her brief retirement left her feeling frustrated and eager to get back into the working world. Proving that it’s never too late, Inger launched IN Life Amplification, with the mission to help women step into the spotlight, helping them succeed in both business and life.

You have over 35 years of experience working in the corporate world in various management positions before retiring from that job – what sparked this change in your journey? 

I worked in the corporate world for almost all of my working life, and I had a great career and lots of success stories. I loved helping others to grow. In 2014, I was laid off from my work at CGI due to restructuring. I got 2 years payment every month and could have just relaxed and done nothing. 2014 was my year – it was time to enjoying life and get fit before I applied for a new job. Instead, it became a year of “my body” – I went skiing and broke my wrist in two places and then I got diagnosed with the pre-stadium of skin cancer. In 2015 I was “fit for fight” again. 

Being in the middle of everything to having “all days” free was nagging me. I was used to being fully occupied. I applied for various jobs and got offered a position as Senior Project Manager at Sandvik IT, where I was to be a mentor for other project managers as well as being responsible for my own projects. The employment process took a long time. 

I am not a patient person so, when I was contacted by the CEO of a start-up company asking me if I could help them out in building up the consultancy business based on their product, I jumped on it. This was something I hadn’t done before and a challenge I gladly accepted. However, they didn’t have any client base I could build the consultancy service on. I had to start selling the product and became a Client, Sales, and Marketing Manager. I asked a former workmate to join, and we had a smashing time with lots of client meetings. When we realized that the company couldn’t pay us, we resigned, and there I was, turning 65 with no job. 

In Sweden, the normal retirement age is 65, and this is when you lose all support from outsourcing companies etc. So, I retired when I was 65 years old in 2016. I soon got a feeling of not being worth anything, like I didn’t belong anywhere and had no purpose.

I thought to myself – is this all there is to life? Have you ever had the feeling of not being counted? Not being seen as an individual. People around me said – “Isn’t it good to finally relax and just let the days come and go – not planning anything?” I felt bored, and there was a constant feeling of being out of purpose, and I asked myself, “Is this all there is?” I felt I had so much more to give. 

Can you tell us more about IN Life Amplification and how it came about?

I started my new journey after attending Millionaire Mind Intensive (arranged by Success Resources) in Stockholm, Sweden, from 19 – 21 May 2017. Had it not been for this, I would have settled with a mediocre life, been a retired person – sitting watching TV and not doing much else. I sold my car and signed up for the Quantum Leap Program and have never regretted this. My personal & business development journey started. I realized that I have a lot to give to the world and that my wisdom, which I didn’t realize I had before, truly is in demand. At events, participants came up to me and told me, “You have to step up and be seen – you are such an inspiration” and “I wish my mum could meet you.” 

An event with Mac Attram in Morocco (Millionaire Business Builder) in 2018 accentuated that I had so much more to give. I came to the event and thought focusing on my property investment company in the USA, which I started in 2017, and left with a completely new focus – all thanks to Mac. Four workshops (4 S’s) – Science of the Mind, Self-leadership, Sales, and Social Media. I realized that I actually could help people with my knowledge.

I started taking all steps involved to get my business set up in 2019 but fell into the trap of “I cannot afford the cost of starting a company” and being too comfortable. Do you recognize these feelings? 

I restarted at the end of 2019, and in February 2020, I was ready to hold my first workshop, “Science of the Mind”, with people signing up to attend. Now we all know what happened in 2020… the workshop was cancelled. 

I went through training for Advanced Coaching and Leadership Center in 2020 based on the teachings of Alan C. Walter – author of “The Secret to Increasing your Power, Wealth and Happiness” – and went through some co-processing. It was then I came to trust myself in being able to help other people. I got so many testimonials, so now it was time to move ahead with my own company, IN Life Amplification. I know I can amplify people’s life! I also turned my workshops into a book, “The Power of You2 – Create a Power Path of Success (Personally & Professionally)”, with reflections back to my lifelong learnings. My company’s mission is to “help women step into the spotlight so that they can maximize success in business and life without feeling stuck and compromising their femininity”. IN Life Amplification presently focuses on Life & Business Coaching and running workshops.

What are three key lessons you learnt from either the corporate or the entrepreneurial world?

1. Get a mentor – it is important to have someone helping you and keeping you focused on YOUR GOAL. Without one, it is so much harder to succeed, and you will have a lot of obstacles you need to handle yourself. 
2. Focus on being you – when you focus on being yourself and being really present with people around you, it will enhance your relationships – be it with clients or co-workers. 
3. Have a support network – Surround yourself with the right people who understand you and support your journey – remember you are the one who leads. Self-leadership is so important. 

What challenges have you had to overcome in your journey to business success, and how has it shaped who you are today?

The challenges I have come across are:

• Feeling a lack of belonging. Now I know that I do not have to fit in a square space & feel like I need to belong. I can be myself and get respect and love for who I am – people want to belong to me and be in my tribe. Being different is a strength.
• The “I’m too old”- syndrome. I used to feel – why should people want to listen to me? Do I really have anything to say that can be of help to other people? Now I say, “It’s never too late to start over – I did it when I was 65 – what’s your excuse!” I love my life now. 
• Lack of focus. I have to say that 2020 has been a year where I really focused on and practised self-leadership. It has been a great success moving into 2021 with self-worth and a lot of friends around the world. Writing and publishing my book, getting accountability partners, being in mastermind groups, etc. has helped me here.  
• Do it yourself. Since I am so fast in grasping things and have worked with the “it is faster if I do it myself” thought in my mind, I have tried hard to do everything myself. However, now I truly know that asking for help is really important AND helps you move faster towards your goal. 

What is one piece of advice you would give women trying to make their mark in their chosen industry?  Make sure you know your real why and keep focusing on your own leadership and being grateful. If you are true to yourself, know your real ‘why’, and are grateful for what you have every day, nothing will stop you from succeeding. 

What inspired you to participate in this book project, and how has the book project experience been for you? 

I have just released my book, “The POWER of YOU2 – Create a POWER PATH of Success (Personally & Professionally), and feel there is so much more I want to share. The book project, “Step into your Power”, came just in time & felt like the next logical step. I also love the way Global Woman Club is supporting you in sharing your message with the world.