Employers think over-50 is 'old': these entrepreneurs prove otherwise

Sue Parker, Rodney Ashton, and Sarah Jane Susac have all switched careers later in life, and turned their passions into profit.

It comes as 24 per cent of HR professionals classify workers aged 51 to 55 as "older" (despite still having another 20-30 years left up their sleeves), according to research by the Human Rights Commission and Australian Human Resources Institute.

The research also found half of employers (55 per cent) reporting hard-to-fill vacancies, just 56 per cent stated they are open to hiring workers aged 50-64 "to a large extent" - but that doesn't matter for this lot, who have taken control of their destiny.

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Ms Parker, 65, of Melbourne, is at the helm of Doggo Apparel & Readywear Ensembles, where she custom makes outfits for canine friends.

People can choose a colour, design and size, then she uses her sewing talents to create the order. It's not limited to dogs; she also makes matching hoodies for their humans, too.

After running several businesses in recruitment and marketing, Ms Parker said she became "soul-exhausted".

"I'd had enough of fixing problems and trying to solve wicked issues that couldn't be solved. It was demoralising, I was tired, I was miserable, and I knew in my soul, I needed to get back to happiness via my hands."

A keen sewer since she was 10, Ms Parker made outfits for her cavaliers for fun and posted pictures of her creations on LinkedIn. The positive reaction from them made her realise it could become a business opportunity.

"It just hit me like a Samboy chip," she said.

Ms Parker then started making dog outfits for her friends, who shared pictures of them on their own social media, plus she kept posting her own handiwork on sites including LinkedIn.

She shut down her previous businesses, rebranded her existing website, registered the business name, and "it just went off", formally launching in May.

"It flowed because it was coming from a place of joy, rather than desperation," she said.

While she doesn't do it for the money, she said it was a part-time "hobby business".

Ms Parker said making the outfits made her smile.

"I feel as though I'm creating something and not solving wicked problems," she said.

Ms Parker said while she hadn't experienced it herself, many of her clients in later stages of their careers had faced ageism - a problem that hand not changed in decades. Her message to all was "see the person, not the stereotype".

The artist and decorative painter, 63, of Mornington Peninsula, runs Poster A Go Go, using his skills to restore vintage film, travel, and advertising posters.

Working from his home studio, he restores each poster by hand, washing and then mounting them on canvas, before touching them up with pencils and watercolour paint.

He's turned it into a full-time business, with customers seeking his services and work locally and overseas.

As a decorative painter, Mr Ashton had painted murals, reproduced existing works and created tortoiseshell effects for decades.

About six years ago, he started restoring posters for fun, beginning with a ripped-up original of the Statue of Liberty for United Airlines by Stan Galli - of which good ones can sell for US$2000.

"There was about a quarter of it missing, but I managed to copy the colouring and get the right type of style of artwork that was being done in, and it came up really well," he said.

Mr Ashton had toyed with the idea of turning it into a business as he bought and traded more posters.

He finally made the decision in January 2025 following a sore back that wouldn't heal and other health issues, and knew he could look after himself while still using his talents.

"I just threw down the gauntlet and said 'alright, it's time'," he said.

Mr Ashton changed the setup of his existing studio to accommodate big posters, sometimes measuring more than three metres wide.

He'd already built a network of collectors and dealers through his hobby, went overseas to meet others, announced to his painting contacts what his new venture was, plus used Instagram to advertise.

Leaving the security and familiarity of his previous business wasn't easy, but he knows it was the right decision and has become a full-time job.

Mr Ashton said restoring posters is a tranquil experience and he loves the sense of achievement.

"When you look at it finished, I just go, 'wow', and then you take it back to the person and they go, 'wow...it looks great now'," he said.

The former IT worker left office life to start a new career in life coaching and that lead her to creating SJ Energy Candles, whose specially formulated range is designed to help change how people feel.

Mrs Susac, 56, of Sydney, is an Energy Expander who fuses ancestral wisdom with energy work to "fast-track transformation" for high achievers, and helps them "lead from clarity and flow, not exhaustion".

Mrs Susac gave up IT to become a life coach years ago, wanting to help others.

But it was when her father had open heart surgery and bowel cancer about five years ago that she found her calling. Normally a busy person, he wouldn't get out of bed, so she tapped into her energy skills to lift his spirits.

She used sandalwood candles as part of her work with him, but when her favourite brand was no longer available, a candlemaker friend of hers suggested she make them herself, and the candle business was born.

Mrs Susac learned the skills from her friend and started to make the candles from home.

She created a website to create a digital shopfront and would travel to different expos and events, then moved into a retail store with fellow female creatives, and recently moved into a showroom in a shared workspace.

Ms Susac said making the candles is her "happy place".

"Selling them shares the good vibes and allows me the funds to make more and it's a fabulous cycle," she said.

"[There is] nothing like spending time doing what you love to do while helping change the world of others."

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