Location: El Paso, TX
Age:67
Marital Status: Married
Education: BBA in Economics at Baylor University

Today she’s still married to that high school sweetheart and works as an accountant at his cardiovascular practice in El Paso. She’s also the Chairman of the Board of the El Paso Community Foundation, but her delightfully deviant streak remains: “I wore these green jeans and a green t-shirt to the grocery store in Seattle, and my daughter was so embarrassed. She said, ‘Everyone’s gonna look at you.’ I said, ‘I don’t care, I’m from Texas.’”

You were married and pregnant while attending a Baptist college, how did your parents feel about this?

They were very nervous. I was 17 when I got engaged. My dad said, “You have to promise me you’ll get your education. Joe wants to be a doctor and he’ll be around educated people his whole life so you have to have your education too.” That was probably the best advice I’ve ever had because throughout our lives people have been surprised that I graduated from college, getting married so young.

Have you always worked as an accountant for your husband’s business?

No I didn’t. When we were in college we lived on $300 a month. Can you believe it? But if we needed tires for the car or something our parents would help us.

How do you define your style?

I’m fairly casual, but I love beautiful, well-made clothes. I hope I’m tasteful; I probably border on not sometimes.

In what way?

I like fashion forward things and might be a little daring for someone any age.

Give me an example. What do you wear that is daring?

Leggings and thigh high boots. I love high heels but it’s getting easier for me to wear then now that Manolo makes them with three-inch heels instead of four-inch. I wear low-cut things and bright colors or metal studs.

You really are not at all conventional.

I am when I have to be. I’m chairman elect at the El Paso Community Foundation. Those meetings are more formal and I wear my nice Armani.

Is the El Paso Community Foundation your passion project?

Yes. People donate money to the foundation and we manage the money and distribute it. We can’t do religious or political. But if someone wants their money to go to education or animal shelters or to the symphony, we make sure it goes where they want. We’ve really impacted the community and I’m very proud of the work I do with them.

Who are some of your favorite designers?

My favorite-favorite is Armani. I love Escada. And for travel in the winter I like St. John. It’s a little too hot for it in the summer here.

Where do you like to shop?

Tres Mariposas. It’s the nicest boutique in El Paso. They’re fashion forward and their service is wonderful. It’s like a little Neimans, where they take personal care of their customers and have such nice stuff. Monica, their leading salesperson and I practically grew up together. I mean they started in a little, tiny strip mall when I came here 30 years ago and I think Monica was about 20 and I was 33.

Who influenced your style most?

My mother, who was very conservative, cool and elegant. She always dressed so nicely and appreciated clothes. Her style was different from mine, but I she taught me to appreciate wearing the right thing. And her mother was a seamstress and a model. My mother lived till she was 98, here in El Paso. Everyday I went to see her, she would say something about my purse or, “Oh I don’t like those shoes,” until the day she died.

Would you listen to her if she told you she didn’t like something?

I might listen, but I would still wear what I wanted.

Do you have a signature accessory?

My Lady-Datejust Rolex watch with a white gold band. I have had it for about 30 years. It has never skipped a beat. It looks good with everything. It is a perfect machine. I never take it off.

What would you say is your favorite restaurant in El Paso?

Cafe Central. It reminds me of New York. The food is so good, and it’s classy and sophisticated. They have a lot of fish, which is really hard to find in El Paso, and it’s always fresh.

What about for Mexican food? (It doesn’t have to be fancy!)

Oh no, there are no fancy ones. We love The Riviera. It’s a real old establishment and the food is just good Mexican.

Do you have a signature perfume?

I have two. I love Chanel No. 5 in the summer and Les Baiser Du Dragon by Cartier in the winter.

Tell me your cleansing routine.

Revive Skin Care. I love it. My daughter is a dermatologist so she’s big on exfoliation and the glycolic acids. I use their moisturizer and night cream too.

Where do you have your hair styled and cut?

A place called Ana’s in El Paso. My hairdresser is Lorenzo. It’s very upscale. And, again, you get good service and the product is good.

Do you have a favorite spa?

I love to go to the Golden Door in California. The food is all organically grown and wonderful and they’re always up on the latest exercises. They pamper you and treat you nice and also work you hard.

Your favorite wine?

California cabernets. And I love Silver Oak.

What’s a great book you’ve read recently?

I am absolutely loving, Hunger’s Brides. It’s about a woman in Mexico in the 17th century. She wanted women to get schooling. She was so ahead of her time. It’s a mystery and love story, like Gone With The Wind only it’s much better and more intricate. I love historical fiction.

Most of your family members are doctors. You must just go around the whole family when you need your treatments.

That’s right. I’m so spoiled. My son is a pediatric surgeon married to an OBGYN and then my daughter is a dermatologist married to an orthopedic surgeon.

And what about you? Are you the anomaly of the family?

I always say I’m the only one in the family that’s any fun.

Location: Springfield, MI
Age: In her 70s
Marital Status: Married
Education: University of Michigan

Sandy Schrerier never opens her closet and groans, “I don’t have a thing to wear!” That’s because the FOF owns an entire warehouse-full (yes, you read that right) of couture clothing amounting to approximately 15,000 pieces.

Although, Sandy rarely actually dons what she refers to as her “wearable art,” she often lends these pieces to major museums that are mounting exhibits of world-famous fashion designers. Sandy, who’s in her 70s and lives in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, has been collecting designer gowns, bags, and accessories since she was a child.

The daughter of the furrier at a high-end Detroit retailer, her dad would bring Sandy to the store on Saturdays. There, the little girl fell in love with the world of fashion, reading issues of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar while her father waited on well-heeled clients, many of whom had last names like Firestone, Chrysler and Dodge. “Detroit was one of the big fashion capitals of the world,” Sandy says, “and many of these women would buy their clothes in Paris and New York.” Noticing the little girl, who, with her curly hair, bore a resemblance to Shirley Temple, the women would bring in their “cast-offs” for Sandy, thinking she would use them to play dress-up. Instead, Sandy began to save the items, first in her closet and then, in the attic of her parents’ house.

Years passed, and Sandy married her high school sweetheart, Sherwin. After college, she had children. Still, her collection grew. She started stashing things in her kids’ closets, but that became prohibitive, and she moved everything to the warehouse in the early ’80s, where it still is today. Soon after, she went on Detroit local TV to talk about fashion in old movies, and interest in Sandy and her collection exploded.

Many people might think of selling or donating a collection at some point, Sandy is adamantly against both. “Queen Isabella built a huge sarcophagus and had her furniture and clothes buried with her,” she says. “When I die, I’m going to take it all with me.”

What years does your collection span and how do you decide what items you will keep?

The collection starts with items from the ’20s and ’30s and goes right up to today. Basically, if the designer is important to the history of fashion, I collect him or her. I have things by Balenciaga, Dior, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Oscar de la Renta and Prada. I have American designers such as Bill Blass, Geoffrey Beene and Donna Karan. I have English designers like Vivienne Westwood.

How do you keep track of everything?

Everything is filed according to the name of the designer, and I have kept extensive paperwork on every item, bills of sale, even pictures. I’m a saver, a detail person. I had four children in four years. My husband says I like big numbers of everything, except husbands.

What is the biggest misconception about you and what you collect?

First of all, I don’t collect vintage clothing; I collect fashion as an art form. People don’t seem to understand that. Not a month goes by that I don’t get a call from someone who says, ‘My Aunt Tilly just died, and I put all of her clothes in a plastic bag and left it on your front porch.’ Even people I know offer to give me a late relative’s things, and I take them. I don’t have the heart to tell them their mother-in-law’s clothes are not what I collect. Then I give it all to the Salvation Army.

(Left) Sandy at her high school prom wearing a copy of Elizabeth Taylor’s dress in, “A Place In The Sun.” (Right) Sandy dons a Mary Quant suit and Sasson haircut as she poses for a picture with her children

What qualities do you look for in pieces that become part of your collection?

It has to “sing and dance.” By that, I mean it really has to do something for me. If I can’t stop thinking about it, I know it is an important piece.

If you could go back in time in order to wear some of the fabulous couture you collect, which era would you chose and why?

The 1920s. I like the fact that there was a lot of beading and handwork. The embroidery was gorgeous. It was the era between the two World Wars and everybody was having fun wearing the couture.

How did you get interested in collecting costumes from Hollywood movies?

I’d always been interested in movies and the stars’ wardrobes. I wore a copy of the dress Elizabeth Taylor wore in A Place in the Sun to my high school prom. In the ’80s, I started talking about film fashion on a local TV station that played old movies once a week. Eventually, my segments got so popular that the station sent me to Hollywood to actually meet costume designers like Edith Head and Jean Louis (Loretta Young’s husband). After that, people just gave me things. I have Rita Hayworth’s dress from Gilda. I have the purple silk pants and blouse that Claudia Cardinale wore in The Pink Panther. I have the metal-mesh dress Twiggy wore in the famous Richard Avedon photograph. That dress has been in six fine-art exhibits, including three times at The Met in New York.

What is your latest acquisition?

A caftan that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor, which I bought at her estate sale. It’s lavender, and was designed by Thea Porter.

What advice would you give women over fifty about buying and wearing vintage couture?

I have two rules: If you’ve worn it once, you can’t wear it again. By this I mean if you wore a micro mini in the ’60s, you can’t put one on now, even if you find a really good knockoff in a vintage store and it fits, and expect it to look the same on you. You can get something that is reminiscent of the style you wore back then; something with similar colors or features, but don’t revert to your teen look. Secondly: Your mirror is your best friend. Take a really good look at yourself and be honest about what you see.

What current designers pieces are worth holding on to for the long run?

Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga and a London designer, Mary Katrantzou. I have a Prada “schoolgirl” dress that I will probably wear a few more times, and then it will go into the collection.

Today we see celebrities wearing designer couture on the red carpet all the time. Which do you think are the most influential when it comes to fashion?

Diane Keaton, for sure. When you mention her name, we can all immediately picture what she’s wearing. She has her own look. It’s kooky, but it’s her own. Also Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is a real individualist. When she appeared on the red carpet for the movie Crazy Heart, she wasn’t dressed by a stylist. All of the other stars looked the same; she looked like herself. It was very refreshing.

Sandy poses in front of a few dresses from her collection.

What designers do you currently wear and why?

Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens, Prada, Saint Laurent and Jil Sander. Their pieces are comfortable, wearable and I can travel in them. They make me look good and feel good.

Location: Monterey, CA
Age: 54
Marital Status: Single
Education: Self-taught

Did she ever. Today, Cheryl is a wildly successful real estate entrepreneur with two businesses under her belt and two gorgeous daughters who work with her. A truly self-made woman and a true beauty, her passion is her latest project: Coaching other FOFs to navigate the dating scene.

How old were you when you started the real estate business?

33

From the time you were 19 till 33, what were you doing?

I got into real estate in 1981. I started to realize, ‘Wow there’s a whole other world out there.’ I always wanted to have financial independence, but wasn’t quite sure how to do that. Without a formal education I knew I had to get into some type of a business like sales. So I just jumped into the real estate industry and built my business from there.

Did you ever remarry?

No, I chose not to. I wanted to raise my kids on my own. I wanted to make the decisions for their lives and the path that we would go down. So I dated a lot, and that’s where this other business has really evolved.

Tell me about your new business.

I empower women to go out there, work a room, and become comfortable with being single. I had to empower myself throughout my life; raising my children, coming from nothing and building myself into a very successful woman. I’ve learned these skills through experience. Now I do private sessions with clients as well as speak to groups.

Is this business geared towards a specific age?

Yes, 40 and over. Our generation has become very educated; we fought to get here, to have our independence and to be equal with men in so many ways. But when it comes to dating, a lot of us are still “magically thinking” that a knight in shining armor is going to come to the door. We’re 50 years old, but we’re still thinking like 13-year-olds. All of us have said, ‘I only wish I knew then what I know now.’ But now we do know.

Tell me about your style.

Classic with an edge. I’m eclectic. I can be very, very sporty. I love to go hiking and get sweaty and dirty but then come home and put on the dressiest black-tie gown.

Whose clothes do you like?

Prada. Alberta Ferretti. But my favorite designer is Chanel.

Where do you like to shop?

Pacific Tweed. They have the best customer service and staff. And they listen to their consumers: ‘How are we doing? What do we need to buy?’ If you need something specific they’ll hunt it down for you. It’s very rare that you find a retailer like that.

Who influenced your style?

So many people. I have always sought out trainers, teachers and coaches. Fifteen years ago I hired a gal from Los Angeles to come and just rip my closet apart, redesign it and take me shopping in southern California. She helped me get to the next level.

What’s a great book you’ve read.

I liked Conversations With God—one, two and three—by Donald Walsch. I am a very spiritual person. I believe that there is a higher power and we’re here for a reason. There is nobody else responsible for our journey in our life but us. My mother used to always say, ‘you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and you get back on that horse.’ Conversations With God talks a lot about that.

Believe me, I’ve had my ass kicked more than I care to talk about. But by having your ass kicked and coming out on the other side, you grow and mature in all areas of your life.

What’s your secret favorite place in Monterey?

I love to hike in Big Sur. It’s beautiful—you see the ocean and on the other side you see the trees and the hills and watch the sunset. I hike there and then go back down the mountain to Nepenthes for Bloody Marys.

What inspires you?

The next thing. What else is there in life that I haven’t seen or touched yet? Where else can I go? What can I do? And this is what I try to teach women. We inspire ourselves. What is it that you want to do next?

Tell me your beauty routine.

I wash and moisturize every day with a line called Nutrimin. It’s a very effective, all-natural product. They have different lines depending on what it is you’re looking for: detox or anti-aging, etc. As we get older I think we need better products.

Do you have a signature perfume?

Narciso Rodriguez. People ask me, “What is that? It’s so fresh.”

Tell me your favorite restaurant in the area?

19 at Pebble Beach. The best of the best food. It overlooks the ocean—beautiful views. I’ll go in by myself and sit at the bar and have a glass of Rombauer. They have this incredible hard-boiled egg appetizer with rock salt and caviar. My mouth is watering just talking about it. I’ll have that and an arugula salad. I can’t describe how good it is.

What’s you’re secret favorite place.

Portofino is the most romantic, beautiful city. You can take a lovely little hike from one side of the island to another—I just love it.

What’s your biggest indulgence?

Oh my God, so many. A great place with a bunch of friends, way too much food and way too much wine.

What is the single most important thing you’ve learned in your career?

This too will pass. The tough times will pass and the great times will pass. Try to stay present in whatever is going on. Face it, whether it’s good or bad and then learn how to let go of things and move on. That’s something I have to work on everyday.

Location: New York, NY
Age: 63
Marital Status: Single
Education: Licensed makeup artist

When you’re sixty-three but look twenty-three, people start to wonder and whisper… But FOF makeup artist Sandy Linter isn’t keeping any secrets. The go-to makeup artist for celebs such as Christie Brinkley, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn speaks candidly about her own cosmetic surgeries, the products she loves and loathes, and even her own makeup mishaps (she once drew on Jackie O. with an un-sharpened eye pencil.)

And now, this open book has written a book: The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age is Sandy and her co-author Lois Joy Johnson’s no-nonsense, spare-no-details beauty guide for FOFs. It’s chock-full of product recommendations, step-by-step tutorials and cosmetic solutions (surgical and non-surgical).

So you can whisper and wonder all you want about how she looks so good… Or just let Sandy tell you, herself.

“I’m not better than you,” says Sandy. “I’m just a girl who does makeup and I’m going to teach you how.”

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Brooklyn in 1947, and I grew up in Staten Island. I left Staten Island as soon as I could and moved to Manhattan. I lived in a tiny five-floor walk-up. My roommate and I paid $145 per month.

Wow, things have changed. What did you do when you first moved to New York?

I was a secretary. I would do all the employees’ makeup in the bathroom during lunch because I was unhappy with my job. My husband at the time convinced me to go to beauty school. I got my license and landed a job at a beauty counter of Bloomingdales, owned by a man named Mr. Kenneth. He ran a salon on Madison Avenue with clients such as Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O. and Barbara Walters. One day when he was in, I said to him, ‘Next time you need a makeup artist, would you consider me please?’ And he did. He hired me.

What confidence you had!

Women would stop at that counter all day and ask me what I was doing with my own makeup, which gave me so much confidence. I thought I was fabulous.

Was your mother into makeup?

She filled our bathroom with magazines and makeup but she had no makeup skills at all. I did her makeup every day before she went to work. I was very accustomed to working on her age group even though I was young. I really feel badly for young makeup artists. How are they supposed to know how to makeup a 50-60 year-old woman? It’s really not that simple.

Did you do makeup for any celebs at Mr. Kenneth’s salon?

Jackie O’s when she was in her early 40s. I was terrified even though she was so sweet and charming. She put her head back on the reclining chair and I took out an eye pencil, drew across her lid and she screamed. I had forgotten to sharpen it.

Was she upset?

Nope. I went back to my desk, sharpened it, and she just put her head back like nothing happened. I did her makeup and she looked beautiful. I gave her a big smokey eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. She said, “Oh Sandy! It’s so beautiful—thank you.”

Did you do her makeup often?

A handful of times at Kenneth, and when I left she asked me where I was going, but in those days, I didn’t know how to network. I never networked her back into my clientele.

Are you still married to the same husband who told you to go to beauty school?

No, we were divorced a few years later and I went my way and he went his way.

Did you marry again?

No.

After working at Kenneth Salon, what did you do?

While at Kenneth, I was discovered by a beauty editor at Vogue. I worked for that magazine every single day for three years. That kind of career doesn’t exist anymore. In those days there were like four or five makeup artists in New York City that did editorial work. Now there are hundreds. I thought my life was always going to be like that. I never knew I was going to have all this competition ten years later.

You’ve seen many makeup trends come and go over the years. What do you think is the biggest change?

In the late 70s and early 80s, makeup became really popular. But when I started, nobody even sold makeup brushes! I had to go to one little store called Boyd’s Chemist on Madison Avenue to find brushes that they imported from Paris.

What’s a major makeup fear for women over 50?

Color. The younger you are, the easier it is to play around with color, but you can still work with it when you are older. You just have to know the techniques. I did a client the other day who is in her 70s. She’s gorgeous. I did her with blue gel liner and a forest green shadow and she rocked it.

People say when you get older, less is more with makeup. Do you believe that?

No, that translates into using nothing. I see a lot of older women in their 50s, 60s and 70s with no makeup on. That just makes you look old and washed out.

Do you think they’re afraid?

Yes. They’re afraid because they’ve seen inappropriately applied makeup done by other makeup artists or women who do it themselves. You can get away with it when you’re younger, but not when you’re older.

The chapter in Makeup Wakeup about your plastic surgery was one of the most straight-forward, informative descriptions we’ve ever read.

Thank you. In the book, I tell all about my own [cosmetic] surgeries and that is to help other women. It’s a personal issue. There’s no right, there’s no wrong. I had my eyes done at 37 by Dr. Frederick Marks to remove under-eye bags when I realized the fortune I’d been spending on eye creams wasn’t working. The results of the procedure lasted until I turned sixty. When I was 44, Dr. Patricia Wexler filled my lips with collagen which looked natural. It took away the dryness and made my lipstick last longer. She’s been doing my lip injections since the 90s. I’m really lucky I found her. I never have to worry about my lips looking weird because she understands what I want and need. I had a facelift at 48 with Dr. Alan Matarasso, before the need for one became noticeable. At 62 I felt it was time to refresh and address the skin laxity in my neck so I had a second facelift, which was more intensive, with Dr. David Rosenberg.

Do you ever recommend plastic surgery to people if they say, “I hate my double chin.”

No never. I never bring that up. But if someone asks me, I’ll recommend my doctor. A good doctor is the secret.

What else are you working on now?

I’m the spokeswoman for Lancome’s ‘Beauty at Any Age’ campaign. They understand that I really know how to make up girls from their 20s to their 70s and it’s because I’ve lived almost all those ages. I’ve toured their stores and teach women how to use their product.

When you are at these stores, what’s the most common thing women over 50 ask you?

I get women who never learned to do their makeup in their 20s and 30s. They still down know how to line their eyes or what moisturizer or foundation to use. They missed the boat entirely. Then I get women who are really into it. They want to know the newest and the latest and the tricks.

What’s your beauty routine?

Click here to discover Sandy’s makeup routine and tips, plus win her favorite products!

Would you say being a makeup artist over fifty is easier or harder?

Its physically harder. I didn’t realize that until a few years ago when I got my first back ache. When i was younger, I’d work on the road, in campers, even sitting in the dirt in Morocco. Today I prefer making my clients up in a chair with perfect lighting. But, I’m better at makeup now then I’ve ever been. You don’t lose the skill.

Do you face age discrimination in the business?

Yes, of course. But it’s to be expected. I’m not going to be hired to do Victoria’s Secret models on the beach. It just isn’t going to happen. And that’s fine.

Location: Croton, NY
Age: 61
Marital Status: Married
Education: B.A. in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design

Pretty is what pretty does. FOF Lois Joy Johnson is pretty and does pretty for a living. In fact, this former Ladies’ Home Journal and More magazine beauty and fashion editor is probably one of the world’s leading experts on looking gorgeous. For over twenty-five years, she’s reported on the best in beauty. She interviewed supermodels, socialites and leading actresses and has top beauty execs on her speed dial.

But in 2008, as the media world began to change drastically around her, Lois saw that her expertise could transcend the printed (magazine) page. She left her job at More and reinvented herself as a beauty guru for women over forty. She quickly landed beauty writing gigs across the web and authored The Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age, a book that brilliantly and clearly explains everything you can do to look really great when your FOF—whether or not you’re willing to go under the knife.

“Every time you turn on the TV there is another cosmetic procedure,” says Lois. “It’s an irritant in a way because it’s really making women feel bad about themselves. And I’m all about making women feel great about themselves.” Pretty amazing, right?

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on Long Island. It was a very idyllic life… convertibles, the beach, dating. But, I always had one foot in Manhattan and preferred to spend my time trolling museums and sketching. My goal was to be involved in the fashion world.

You eventually became a beauty and fashion editor at two major magazines, Ladies Home Journal and More, how did you do it?

Most beauty and fashion editors come out of journalism school but I went to Parsons School of Design in the late 60s to become a fashion designer. At the time, Donna Karan was a student there and there were teachers like Oscar de la Renta. It was really a very creative group of people.

Did you go into fashion design when you first graduated from Parsons?

When I graduated Parsons, I had a very successful career as a fashion illustrator. I illustrated for Franklin Simon, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale’s and for fashion magazines like Glamour, Redbook and Seventeen. Then, I started working at Mademoiselle magazine as an assistant beauty editor.

You gave up the illustration?

I continued to work with my freelance illustration clients, but I decided that I wanted to be working full time. I was divorced and had a baby. I thought ‘I’ve got to broaden my life’ Within three years, I became the beauty and fashion director of Ladies’ Home Journal. It was an astonishing jump.

Do you attribute that to talent, pushiness, connections?

Guts. Also, I’ve always had very deep interest in both beauty and fashion. I was always information gathering. Even when I was an assistant I’d ask, ‘How are you doing that?’ ‘Can I help you with that?’ ‘Can I interview that person for you?” I was always doing much more than my job. I wanted to be successful and I wanted it fast. And I did it.

How long were you with Ladies’ Home Journal?

I was the beauty and fashion director of Ladies’ Home Journal from 1984 to 1998. Myrna Blyth who was the Editor-In-Chief for many years became one of my mentors. She and I were the founding editors of More magazine.

How long did you stay at More?

I stayed at More until June 2008 when there were several changes of leadership.

Is Myrna still the editor?

Now Myrna is the Editor-In-Chief of a website called ThirdAge, which I write for sometimes.

Tell me about your book.

When I left More, I started talking to my good friend, Sandy Linter. She and I had done all the More model searches together from 2000 to 2008. We both felt the beauty books that existed really didn’t talk to women over 40. The details were missing. I wanted to talk about the demons, all the crap we go through—menopause, hair loss, hair on your face, sun damage, skin cancer… And I thought, this is an opportunity. So Sandy and I started shopping the idea for a book around and we were very fortunate; we found Running Press or they found us.

Give me an example of advice women can find in your beauty book.

Instead of just saying ‘wear eye liner,’ we have an eye liner lesson in our book. You can learn about layering the liner and how to lift it at the end… all the teeny little tricks that makeup artists never tell you.

What else are you working on now?

Well, I have a beauty column for USA Today’s Your Life site. I’ve written millions of columns for them. I’m also writing for a website called Vibrant Nation. I wrote two e-books for them, a hair guide and “The Best Products For Women Over 50,” which is where my heart is.

Are you married?

Yes. I’ve been married many times.

How come?

My first husband was a really nice guy, and I think I was way too young. I just should never have gotten married that early. My second husband should never have gotten married. He was traveling with rock stars. You really can’t have a relationship like that.

And when I met Robert, he had been married 35 years and he was in the middle of a hideous divorce. Neither one of us was really looking to be married, but we just kind of clicked.

How long have you two been married?

Six years. We’re very happy but we’re very different. I think when you get married in your 60s you have very different needs and expectations than in your 40s, 30s, and 20s. You’ve come with so much history.

Do you have children?

Yes, I have two daughters from my previous marriages. Jennifer is 36 and Alexandra is 26. They’re both elementary school teachers.

What did your father do?

My father had a very successful company in bed linens for hotels.

Did your mom work?

No, but she should have. She’s in her 80s and has the most active lifestyle. She does yoga and Pilates and when my dad died about ten years ago and she began joining organizations and reinventing her life. Can you imagine what she would have accomplished if she had worked?

Was she your inspiration?

My parents always encouraged my artistic abilities and told me that I could do anything. My mother was a clothes fanatic. We were the only family I knew that had a subscription to Women’s Wear Daily.

Did she inspire your style and beauty?

Yes. She’s flawless. She gets her hair done, her nails done, a pedicure every five minutes. She called me last week and she said, ‘I am so glad coral is back.’ Somehow I managed to get a mother who is a beauty-fashion junkie.

How do you define your personal style?

Simple. Since I stopped working full time in the city, I wear leggings or skinny jeans with ballet flats, a t-shirt, and in the winter I throw on a cashmere sweater. I have always made it a point to stay in shape because I want to be able to wear whatever I want.

Do you exercise a lot?

I do a combination of yoga and ballet stretches every day. I don’t go to the gym, I just do it at home for an hour and a half. I also walk my dog five times a day. I hate sweating so I don’t really do anything that extreme.

Do you have a favorite designer?

I love Hermes accessories. I have a lot of Hermes belts and bracelets. For clothing my favorite is J. Crew!

Have you had cosmetic surgery?

Well, I’ve had a lot of sun damage taken care of and I had my nose redone after I had a serious bout of skin cancer. This fabulous Dr. Daniel Baker recreated it. I also had my eyes done back in 1984 but it had nothing to do with age. It was a genetic thing where I had an overhanging lid and it was making it hard for me to put on eye make up.

What’s your stance on plastic surgery?

I’m not opposed to it at all, I think it’s a great option for women, but I do think there’s too much of it. There’s too much pressure on women to look young. I think looking youthful is very different from looking young.

Who is your favorite hairdresser?

Brad Johns was the guy who turned me into a blonde from a brunette about eight years ago. Brad took one look at me and said “You want to be a blonde?” He has a special gift. He’s the best colorist on the planet.

What’s your haircare routine?

I have curly hair. I blow dry it straight and I nip my bangs myself. A haircut is not that big of a deal to me—the color is.

Tell me your passions besides beauty and fashion?

Art. My husband and I go to Paris every single Christmas simply because I need that nourishment. I love the d’Orsay and the Louvre and just walking around Paris and soaking everything up.

Where do you stay in Paris?

We stay at the Pont Royal on the Left Bank. We’ve stayed there every year for the last six years. It’s very central.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Paris?

We’ve been to all the fancy-schmancy places, but I’m happiest sitting at Cafe Flore and just having a bowl of soup, some cafe au lait or a glass of wine.

What do you use to wash your face?

I’m very lucky, I am connected with every cosmetic company so I have cupboards and closets full of beauty products at my house. I love the Cle de Peau cleanser. It’s expensive, but it’s great for my sensitive skin.

Suncreen?

I am never without La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 sunscreen.

Favorite moisturizer?

I’m very loyal to Chanel Sublimage and Roc’s Retinal Correction Sensitive Night Cream. If you can’t tolerate retinal because it usually stings and burns, this is the way to use it. I also wear Natura Bisse The Cure and Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Balm, which are moisturizers with a teeny bit of tint in it. I hate foundation.

You don’t wear a lot of makeup?

I consider my hair color my biggest cosmetic.

Do you have a signature piece of clothing?

Wolford bras, no underwire. I can’t stand underwire bras. I’m very simple. I like J. Crew skinny jeans, and I have an enormous collection of cashmere sweaters. I feel good in them so I wear them all year around. Shoes and boots and bags are what I spend money on.

Whose shoes do you like?

Manolo Blahnik. Ballet flats for when I’m wearing leggings… or boots. If I can wear boots I’d rather wear Manolo Blahnik flat riding boots. I don’t wear heels anymore. I have an enormous collection of heels and at some point I just said, “this is too stupid. This is really stupid. Stop doing that.”

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

Fred’s at Barneys. Eating there gives me an excuse to graze through the store. I don’t have to feel guilty about it. I’m there for a lunch. The other place that I like, just because of the people watching, is the restaurant on the 7th floor of Bergdorf Goodman.

How do you stay so grounded with a career in the beauty industry for so long?

As I interviewed celebrities and supermodels over the years, I never was envious. I never wished I was six-feet-tall. I still don’t.

Location: Nyack, NY
Age: 49
Marital Status: Divorced
Education: Attended Dickinson College, then Boston University before pursuing comedy

Everything is coming up Rosie—again. New talk show. Check. Guest stint on a popular NBC show. Check.

“I’m thrilled to be back,” says Rosie O’Donnell, who is upfront when you ask her why she’s doing her new fall talk show for Oprah’s OWN Network.

“Because Oprah asked me,” she says with a laugh. “You know, Oprah is an epic talent, and for her to ask me was a huge honor. I can’t wait to start,” Rosie says in an excited voice.

Rosie was recently the subject of NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are,” a genealogy-themed special in which she traced her ancestors back several generations to a workhouse in Ireland where the very poorest lived during the great potato famine. Rosie’s discoveries are profound—more than once moving her to tears during the broadcast. Still, when asked what we can expect from the show, she responds with typical humor and levity, perhaps a tribute to her Gaelic heritage: “Well, they’ll learn I need a haircut because that’s the one thing I saw when I saw the rough cut. Boy, I could have used a trim,” she jokes.

Why did you want to trace your family’s roots?

I didn’t really know much about my family history. Lisa [Kudrow] and I are friendly, and she asked me if I would be on her show. I said, ‘As long as we do my Mom’s side. I knew nothing about her life.’

What was the most revealing thing you found out about your family background?

From the start, I said, ‘I don’t want to find out that my mom and her family lived like Angela’s Ashes. I came to find something very similar, if not even harder than the life that author Frank McCourt lived. That was shocking.”

You lost your mom to cancer in 1973 when you were ten. How did that change your life?

Nobody mentioned my mother after she died in 1973. It was like Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter. You couldn’t say the name. Nobody said ‘mom’ in that house, or mommy or mother, from 1973 on. I always wanted to know who she was and what she felt like and to know her through a woman’s eyes as opposed to a child’s. Now [after being on this show] I’ve been able to share with my kids some of the stuff that I know. I think it has given me a way to re-frame my own life. My children will know where their grandmother was from. It’s nice to be able to fill in the blanks.

You’ve mentioned that fans approach and ask you for advice or want to talk about losing their mothers to cancer. What do you tell them?

People will tell me that they were my age when their mom died. These are adults, but the devastation is just as raw and real. No matter what age, when you lose your mom, it’s your mommy. I remember my friend Jeannie lost her mom who was in her ’70s and a grandmother in her ‘90s, and when her grandmother died, she kept calling out, ‘Mommy, mommy.’ The bottom line is that everybody has that kind of natural, primal connection, and if it’s severed it becomes a permanent wound. My wound is the mother-child connection. But I did find out that when you search for your lost parent’s past, it does help heal it a little bit.

How did you finally heal from this loss?

The most helpful thing I could tell anyone who has lost their mother is to get the Hope Edelman book, Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss. When she wrote the book in ’95, she had written me and asked if I could do an interview. I remembered thinking it was going to be ‘cue violin background music.’ You know, poor celebrities whose mothers have died when they were young. If I had known what that book was really going to be, I would have participated, and I would have begun my healing so much earlier. It was probably the most healing thing that ever happened in terms of losing a mother. To have all of these collected stories of women who survived it helped because the feelings are so similar. You learn that you’re not alone.

Was it hard to learn how to mother on your own?

I’m a decade older than she was when she died. I’m getting to things that she never did like raising teenagers. In some ways, she’s lucky. Okay, that’s a joke… Seriously, I’m getting to experience it all, but I don’t have a mother to call and talk to about it.

It’s great to have you back on TV on Oprah’s OWN network. Give us a few secrets of your new fall talk show, which debuts in September.

It won’t be a retread of the old ‘Rosie O’Donnell Show.’ It will be more like Oprah’s current show. It won’t be a bunch of guests coming in to promote a movie. It’s going to be a single topic, one hour, similar to Oprah’s although nobody can come close to doing what she actually did.

Any other dreams about to turn into realities?

There’s talk of James Lapine directing ‘Annie’ on Broadway in 2012. I have let it be known—rather loudly—that I would like to play Miss Hannigan. In the future, I’d love to be able to do stand-up again. I toured with Cyndi Lauper for a couple of summers, opening for her, playing the drums and doing stand-up. It was so thrilling and fun. I enjoy live performances probably the most.

Has the acting-singing-theater bug bit any of your kids?

I tried to be a stage mother and force them, but it didn’t work. None of them are into it.

Location: New York, NY
Age: 56
Marital Status: Married
Education: B.A. in Music, with a minor in Creative Writing, from Columbia University

Ava Seavey might not be able to sell a meat popsicle to a vegan, but we’d put money on the vegan having to think it over. As the ‘Queen Bee’ of Avalanche Creative Services, Ava heads a boutique advertising firm that has created direct response sales campaigns for clients as diverse as Maaco, IDT and Ringling Bros.

But her greatest passion lies in a more “down-home” form of salesmanship. A “Self-taught Master of Garagesaleology,” Ava has turned front-yard tag sales into an art form, with a snazzy website, a book and even a line of garage-sale accoutrement, including a money apron and yard signs.

How did your passion for garage sales begin?

It started with a flea market in Lambertville, New Jersey, when I was in my early twenties. I thought I’d just rent a table and see what happens. I grabbed some things in my house that I didn’t want anymore and went over.

What kinds of items did you sell at first?

Whatever I could pile into my car. Mostly gifts I had received that I was too nice to tell people I didn’t want. Pretty soon I had a passion for flea markets, antique shows, rummage sales…

What attracted you to them?

I was fascinated by the psychological element—the frenzy, the excitement. I started experimenting with different ways of merchandising. I did statistical analysis. I’d keep track of how much I’d sell at a certain time of day, who bought what, who negotiated—who didn’t. Sometimes I’d have an item that wasn’t selling, so I’d experiment by making it more expensive, and it would sell.

Most of the other dealers would kind of just sit there, but I was constantly thinking and working and applying techniques. I’d ask people, ‘Why did you come? How did you hear of it?’

And these ideas translated to garage sales as well?

Yes. When I started doing garage sales, I would do the same thing. I’d try to figure out – how many people came from the ad? How many people came from the sign? Why are they coming? I felt like I couldn’t just sell things—I had to understand the ‘whys’ behind it. It became an obsession.

How did you turn that obsession into a side business?

Cut to the recession. I was doing garage sales periodically, helping friends do garage sales. But as the economy got worse and worse over the past few years, I noticed that people were shopping at garage sales for necessities. It wasn’t just people looking for coins or antiques, it was people coming to buy dishes and bedding. All of a sudden there was a social conscience element to it: I could help people sell their things and help others buy them inexpensively. Everything was clicking when, during the last few sales, several people asked for my card. They said, “Can you help us do a sale?”

And you were running Avalanche this whole time.

Yes. I was advertising for other people. Then Avalanche made the Inc. 5000 list in 2010, and I went to the conference. Several speakers said they had started a business just because it was their passion. I said to myself, ‘I’m doing my garage sale business. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m doing it.’ I thought I could be the Martha Stewart of garage sales.

Now that’s an image.

I sat down and I wrote the book and created the products and started the website. I had some outside investors who believed in the product. And now here I am—the garage sale lady. But to me, it’s so much more than just selling things. It’s about empowering people.

Who inspires you?

Mary Todd Lincoln. She was someone who was way ahead of her time—a free-thinking, intelligent woman whom people didn’t understand. She motivated Abraham Lincoln to become president. Pushed him, trained him, groomed him, hounded him. I’m certain he would not have been president were he not married to her. And she was more firmly a believer in emancipation than he was, believe it or not. I’m obsessed with her.

What book would you recommend to other FOFs?

I love psychological profiles. I loved the book, Behind the Seams, by Elizabeth Keckley. She was an emancipated slave who became one of Mary Todd Lincoln’s best friends and her seamstress. Mary stopped being her friend after the book, because she wrote all this dirt in it, things she shouldn’t have wrote. But it’s beyond fascinating.

Favorite place to shop?

I’m a catalog shopper more than a store shopper. I love Soft Surroundings. I love to get lost in their stuff. To fantasize about having the bedding and the clothing. And the other one is called Wrap. It’s British clothing. Like Soft Surroundings, it’s all about comfortable elegance. Stylish, comfortable, and well-priced. I read those two catalogs like books.

How do you rejuvenate?

I spend time around my animals. I have goats and horses and cats. It’s very rural where I am, in Hunterdon County. Also, I let one of my employees at Avalanche bring her dog in, and when I get stressed out, I go in and hug the dog. I love having animals around.

Website you’d recommend?

Cuteoverload.com.

{Click here to see Ava’s 6 commandments for successful garage sales}

Learn more about garagesaleology at www.garagesalegold.com

Location:Cambridge, MA
Age: Over 50
Marital Status: Married
Education: The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, The Actors Studio, Lesley College, and Cambridge College

Dad stayed behind teaching at Harvard, joining them during summer vacations and visiting whenever he could during the academic year. “It was difficult for me, not knowing the language,” she says now. “But it was something I wanted to do for my husband. We ended up having an incredible experience.” She goes for what she wants—whether it’s mastering the Strasberg method of acting or working at esteemed McLean Hospital in Boston—with inspiring determination and charm. In her 50s, she is reinventing herself yet again, running a tutoring center featuring the innovative math program her husband invented.

Through all her trials and transformations, Joanie has always had fabulous style. Even when she discusses the near-fatal car-accident that left her healing throughout her twenties, she cant help but remember she was wearing Halston the night of the crash. Did we mention she’s also funny?

Tell me about the accident.

I was 21, going out for the night in my first Halston dress with my Charles Jourdan shoes—this was before Manolo Blahniks. I felt so good I decided to just borrow my mother’s new sports car instead of my own. And I was driving on an unfamiliar road in heavy rain. I was looking for the windshield wipers, lighting up a cigarette, fiddling with the radio controls–and that was it. I flipped over four times. It was Jaws of Life and I was DOA and that whole thing.

I was in the hospital for three months that first stretch and I had ten surgeries in eight years.

Oh, Joanie. Were you just dealing with your health? Were your working during that time?

I spent my 20s really trying to piece my life together. It was a difficult time. I wanted to be an artist and an actress, so when I was well enough, I studied at the art students league in New York City and at Strasberg, both places I had studied at prior to the accident. And like all actors and artists, I was a waitress.

And you met your husband during this time?

Elon and I met by chance in New York through a mutual friend. He was a professor at Harvard Business School, where he still teaches. I had this huge cast on my arm that whole time we were dating. I followed him to Boston. We’ve been married 29 years.

Still in love?

We are. He still calls me Babe—not that I am one!

So you went back to school twelve years ago?

I went for my Masters in Education. I desperately wanted to work at McLean, the famous psychiatric hospital in Boston. I tried to volunteer, but they don’t accept volunteers there—you have to have a degree. It took me a little longer because I was not a great student—but I did it, and ended up working in the dual diagnose detox unit–for seven years. Just where I’d wanted to be.

Why did you leave?

My husband went traveling around the world on sabbatical. At first I said, go without me, I don’t want to give up my job. So he started traveling around the world and after several months I thought, I’m insane, I’m crazy. You know? It’s like, you weigh family on one hand and job on the other. My husband won, and I joined him.

Was there a favorite place you traveled together?

I got to India and was in awe. They say you either love it or you hate it, and I just loved it. I’ve always liked to fool around with the camera, but while I was in India I didn’t stop taking pictures. I ended up in the hospital because I cut my ankle wading into a river, trying to get a shot.

How would you describe your style?

Classic, modern and sexy.

Who is your fashion influence?

My mother is extremely chic; people always recognized her as a style icon wherever she went. I was always intrigued by her. I always admired her innate style growing up as a kid, and even now I still love her style, it’s current and classic at the same time. When she left for her honeymoon, she wore a Charles James suit—remember those days when you dressed up to go on your honeymoon?

Yes.

Another influence is Kevin Roberts—we’ve been friends since childhood. He’s an interior designer with Haynes-Roberts, Inc., in New York. He’s the brother I never had.

How has he influenced you?

No matter what we’re doing—even taking a ride in the car–we challenge each other. We talk about art, architecture, design, fashion, interior design. We push each other to the limit of great style.

Tell me about your sons.

Gavriel is my oldest, he just turned 28 in August and he’s in medical school at Stanford. He’s truly exceptional. And my baby Rafi who is my Mr. Delicious. He is delicious. He is going into his fourth year at Tufts. He’s 22, a Renaissance man—very creative, artistic. Both my boys are so humble and modest.

What rejuvenates you?

Spending time with my boys.

Do you have a signature item of clothing?

I always have a dungaree jacket somewhere in my bag or on my body. That’s it for me, since I’m a child. I’m wearing one right now that I love from True Religion—it fits great; very snug. I could be at a wedding in a Narciso dress, and I’ll still be wearing my torn dungaree jacket.

What’s your biggest indulgence?

Blue jeans and shoes.

You have fabulous skin and hair. Do you have a beauty secret?

I only wash my hair once a week—it looks better when it’s a little dirty. And I’ve followed the same colorist, Frank Friscioni, around for 15 years. I take baths and I use the most amazing soap—Roi Olive Oil Soap—that I buy from Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. I’m very particular about soap—I don’t want to walk around smelling like vanilla.

Why do you love to shop?

Serenella. Leslee (the owner) has impeccable taste. Shopping at Serenella is so much more than “the purchase.” The shop is beautiful–you’re just made to feel comfortable. Leslee is so warm and her sense of how to throw things together is just very much on my wavelength.

Who are your favorite designers?

I do like Tomas Maier and Lucien Pellat-Finet, but I don’t really stick to one particular designer. I buy by instinct when I see something that turns me on, regardless of the designer. But what separates the boys from the men is how you put it all together. If you put on a pair of high top sneakers, throw on a Stella McCartney dress and toss a great bag over your shoulder, I find that’s hot.

Tell me your passion project.

My husband invented a system for children to learn math. It’s called digi-block. He put together a company and now we’re in almost 15,000 schools over the United States.

My older son said to me this year, Mom, we should start our own private digi tutoring center. That’s what I’ve been doing this last five months. I thought to myself: I put this place together, but will I ever see a tush on a chair? And now I can’t believe what a success we are.

Location: San Francisco, CA
Age: 58
Marital Status: Married
Education: B.A. from Miami University, Oxford, OhioMasters from University of Paris, Sorbonne

So, kickoff is in less than a month…How’s training so far?

Three days ago, I had to ride to the top of Mount Tamalpais, three thousand feet up. I did not look forward to this. But I just went and went and went. When I got to the top I saw a couple my age and the man’s chin dropped. He asked, “Did you just ride up here?!” I said, “I sure did. And I’m 58!”

What are you most proud of?

That I just got back into game. Years ago, I used to run marathons and kayak. Then for 22 years I raised children and wrote books. Until this challenge came along I didn’t really get back into extreme sports. When I started training, one day I looked in the mirror and said “Oh my gosh, Marybeth you’re an athlete again!” It felt so good.

Why are you biking for osteoporosis?

The disease runs in my family. Between my sisters, mother and myself we have lost 6 inches in height. It’s the “silent disease” because you don’t feel your bones get weaker. Sometimes people don’t realize it until they have a fall.

What do you want to tell other FOFs about this disease?

To take care of yourself, at any age. Moms, take care of your daughters: 85-90 percent of a woman’s bone mass is developed by age eighteen. And daughters, you need to say, “Hey Mom, what are you doing for bone health?” After menopause is a very vulnerable time. Women lose up to 20 percent  of their bone mass.  It is never too late or too early to take care of your bones.

You are so inspiring! Who inspires you?

There all so many courageous women out there and I hear from a lot of them through e-mail. I got an e-mail from a wonderful woman from Texas, who said “My daughter was diagnosed four years ago with juvenile osteoporosis. If you were riding through Texas I would come to the road and cheer you on with cookies.” That gives me goose bumps.

I also get a lot of inspiration from my mother, my greatest cheerleader and supporter. Her attitude was always, “Try, and if you don’t succeed than so what? You played with the big boys!”

I read that your daughter came to you with the idea to bike cross-country, is that true?

Yes. She and her best friend climbed Half Dome in Yosemite last summer and decided that their next challenge would be biking across America. Then they looked up how much it would cost to go with an organized group, and it was expensive, so they decided to invite me. “She’ll make it happen,” they said. I was so flattered.

Some women say to me, “Gosh, your 22-year old daughter wants to spend two months with you?” I’m very close with my daughters. I can’t think of anything more fantastic then to spend two months with her.

Before this, you wrote books for National Geographic, what were they about?

I have written 11 books, all about women’s travel. One of my favorites is called Gutsy Women which got me on Oprah. It’s about how important it is for a woman to take a break–from her marriage, her children, her job–even if it is one night away. My last three books have been with National Geographic and they’ve all been Girlfriend Getaways.

You are obviously well traveled thanks to your job. What’s your favorite restaurant anywhere in the US?

There’s a place in San Francisco called the Beach Chalet. It’s a microbrewery. You can get a sampler of 8 little shots of beer. They have great burgers and crab cakes. But the best part is the view; 5 miles of beach and surfers. It may be in a city, but to me it says vacation.

What about a favorite store?

Thrift shops. When I was writing my book, so many women told me “We love to thrift shop with our girlfriends. We take $10 and try to get something really funny for the other person.” In New Orleans there’s no place like Trashy Divas on Magazine Street.

Do you have a favorite park or secret place where you like to bike?

In Chicago, I rented a bicycle and rode along the lakefront and through Millennium Park. I thought the only thing that could make this day more perfect would be a massage. Ask and you shall receive. In the distance there was a little tent set up with local masseuses. I got a thirty-minute massage next to the lake. Can you believe it?

You can follow the “Bond Girls,” (Marybeth, her daughter Julieclaire and goddaughter Laura) or donate to their cause, on their blog: http://bondgirlsbikeamerica.com/blog/

Location: New York, NY
Age: 59
Marital Status: Married
Education: B.A. in Literature and B.S. in Environmental Science from Antioch College

In the 2009 blockbuster, Up in the Air, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a traveling businessman with the personal life goal of earning ten million frequent flier miles. Meet the real-life Ryan Bingham, FOF Nancy Friedman.

Nancy has collected more than a million American Airlines frequent flier miles (she’s lost track on other airlines) over the course of her thirty years in the travel industry.

Nancy got bit by the travel bug early. In her 20s, she worked for Travel + Leisure magazine and a few years later got on board with Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell just as the notorious Studio 54 founders were launching their next venture… the “boutique hotel”. Schrager and Rubell’s boutique hotels were a hit, and Nancy was instrumental in publicizing the concept. At the age of 30, she decided to launch her own travel, hospitality and lifestyle P.R. agency which has been in business ever since. With a roster of clients including the entire island of St. Lucia, Cooperstown N.Y., and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Nancy spends more time in hotels than her New York apartment. “But I have a bucket list of places I still want to go,” says Nancy. “I don’t know if you can call it a bucket list at 55 but, you never know.”

Did you always enjoy traveling?

I’ve always had wanderlust. Every summer as a teen, I did a lot of traveling. When I was 15 I went to Europe. By 18 I had lived in London and Paris.

Did your parents take you on vacations as a child?

We went to Williamsburg, Virgina, and visited family in Pittsburgh but nothing extravagant. When I was 8-years-old we had an au pair from Switzerland. I remember being fascinated with everything she’d teach me about her country. I sent my own daughter to the United Nations International School so she could develop more of a world view and make friends from all over.

What did your parents do?

My father was an engineer by training. My mother worked at the U.N., then had four kids. She had international friends from the U.N. that my family has stayed friends with.

Are you married?

Yes, my husband is an FBI agent.

Does he like to travel?

He’s not a big fan of traveling. He’s kind of a homebody. With certain things he’s not that flexible and I think travel requires a certain flexibility.

How did you meet?

We actually met in kindergarten. We were in second grade and fifth grade together too. But nothing happened until after college. While I worked at Travel + Leisure, he was at Columbia for law school. We went on a date—again nothing really happened. Then many years later I was in-between boyfriends and he gave me a call. We started dating and then decided to get married.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Greece and Paris. It was fabulous. I’ve wanted to go back to Greece ever since.

Do you have children?

My kids, Michael and Emily, are teenagers.

Do you travel with them?

I take them on a fair amount of trips when I can. At the end of the month, we’ll go to Cooperstown, N.Y., one of my clients.

The whole town is your client?

Yes. We’ll visit all the major attractions in Cooperstown—the Fenimore Art Museum, The Farmers’ Museum and The Baseball Hall of Fame. I’ll have a chance to be with my client and my family.

How did you turn traveling into a career?

When I graduated from college, I really wanted to marry my passions. I was interested in journalism and being a writer and loved traveling. Out of college I worked at Travel + Leisure. Then, on a business trip to the Dominican Republic, I absolutely fell in love with it. I heard they needed a public relations director, and it was really the first time I heard about P.R. I applied, took a writing test, got the job and the rest is history. I loved it. I stayed there for several years.

How did you end up working for hoteliers Ian Schrager and the late Steve Rubell?

I did the P.R. for the nightclub, Palladium. After they got out of jail from the Studio 54 tax evasion scandal, they hired me as their in-house public relations counsel.

Which of their hotels did you work on?

The Morgans Hotel, The Royalton Hotel, The Century Paramount Hotels to name a few… They started developing their company but at that point I left and opened my own firm. I had just turned 30 and wanted my own business.

What does your agency do?

We get our clients written about and talked about. We launch hotels and work on travel destinations. I have worked with Ian on and off for many years.

Are you still working on any of Ian Schrager’s hotels?

My agency is doing the publicity for the launch of his Ambassador East hotel in Chicago.

Do you have a secret place or somewhere you go to rejuvenate?

We go to Vermont every year, sometimes multiple times a year. We have a timeshare near Stowe. I find it’s a place where I absolutely let my breath out.

Do you ski there in the winter?

We definitely ski, but not really in Vermont. This year we skied in Park City, Utah.

Do you have a hobby?

I love to bike ride. Especially where it’s flat. Along the canal in Washington D.C. and Georgetown is really nice riding, or in Palm Desert, California, where my parents live.

Favorite book?

I don’t have a favorite but I just bought the Janny Scott book about Obama’s mother. I read a lot of very popular books such as The Help, Water for Elephants and the Twilight books. Those Twilight movies were terrible but the books were good.

Favorite restaurant?

In Washington D.C., The Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt has really phenomenal farm-to-table cuisine. One of our recent New York favorites is The Fat Radish down on the Lower East Side. It’s a very cool place, like a gastropub with such interesting dishes on the menu. I also eat a lot of business lunches at Primehouse. I like their salad with crab and they treat me so nicely there. The greatest Sunday brunch is at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale.

Favorite spa?

The spa treatments at Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs are great.

Favorite hotel?

It’s so hard to pick! Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has the best views in the Tetons. In Prague, I love the Aria Hotel for its music theme. The Postcard Inn in St. Petersburg, Florda, is a fun and affordable beach destination. The Sofitel in Washington, D.C., is amazing for visitors who want to be near the White House.

You need one of those maps where you put the pins on with places you’ve been…

Yes, but then I’ll see all the places I haven’t been!