71-year-old Alese Johnston is an entrepreneur from Little Rock, Ark. After her own divorce at 68, she set out on an amazing journey of self-discovery. After her divorce from a 30-year marriage, Johnston started to reevaluate her life. Illustration by Viska Cheng One day, as she reflected on her path, she lost herself in the Wall Street Journal. That and an article about a 60-year-old writer who realized he had become boring gave her the impetus she needed to make a change. She knew there was work to do, so over the next year she bravely resolved to experience 70 firsts. These ranged from pole-dancing classes and flying lessons to eating dessert before dinner!
Growing up on a farm just 45 miles from her current home, Johnston had always been shy and reserved, often “scared of my own shadow.” She changed her approach by making this project all about shifting her mindset and really challenging herself to step out of her comfort zone. After going through her divorce two years before, her friends had suggested she try something new. They were challenged on a regular basis by guiding questions like, “What did you do that was new this week?” Yet this question would prove to be a catalyst for change in Johnston’s life.
Johnston’s introduction to her year of tasting the world came when she first tried an Asian spring roll, called a nem, at a Wisconsin supper club. This was the first step in her pursuit of adventure. She subsequently minted a meme coin, received a Brazilian wax, and hiked new trails. Each activity was crafted to not only stretch her but help her grow, professionally and personally.
When looking back on her experiences, Johnston said, “It needed to be something I’d never done. But her pilgrimage did open her up to truths she’d been avoiding, or forcing back, for years.” “I didn’t realise how much I had been doing that,” she acknowledged. Her newfound freedom allowed her to embrace spontaneity and enjoy life without seeking approval from others.
Yet Johnston’s story would be incomplete without her entrepreneurial spirit. Her early experiences of learning to code in the 1980s before it was a common activity demonstrates this forward-thinking entrepreneurial spirit. She subsequently created Fabulous70.com, a colorful blog where she chronicles her travels. There, she encourages others to seek out new adventures and opportunities, regardless of age.
During her year of life-changing exploration, Johnston experienced some of the most magical moments of her life. She told T4America that it was “groundbreaking, it pushed a lot of boundaries, but was transformative. This time opened the door for her to try out completely new things. It freed her to redefine what she herself could be after years of feeling limited by duty and expectation.
Now I don’t need anyone else’s approval,” she said. It’s good to know that it’s even permissible to be slightly irresponsible. This realization has redefined how Johnston navigates the struggles and successes of life. Like so many other women, she is no longer chained by the insecurities that had previously controlled her.
Having grown up amid discipline and hardship. In further reflecting on her upbringing, she made a powerful statement. If you really want to psychoanalyze my childhood, my dad was the quickest belt in the west. This historical context makes her story all the more real. Finally, it illustrates exactly how far she has come from her excessively tentative debut.