Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Temperley.
Hi Amy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my career as a social worker and fell in love with working with the older adult population. For over 30 years now, I have worked to serve older adults in some form or fashion. This has predominantly been in the nonprofit sector. In 2015, I launched a nonprofit consulting business and it was the first time I realized how much I loved creating something of my own.
In 2016, my husband Damien, a fitness instructor who was working with older adults as well, was feeling the same type of itch to take his ideas and create something. We were both observing a new older adult- more active, more engaged in their world and eager to learn and explore. That’s when Aging is Cool was born. We were thrilled to start something from the ground up that would provide the types of activities for older adults that we would like to participate in when we retire. At the time, there wasn’t anything like us out there, so getting where we are today took a little trial and error.
In the beginning, we started with a membership group of older adults who participated in our fitness, brain games, lifelong learning programs and social gatherings. In our early years, we also offered a summer camp for older adults, one of the first in the nation. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work! As we evolved and learned more about ourselves and community needs, the company evolved into what it is today.
Today, we have 25 instructors, many of whom are older adults themselves, providing over 80 custom created classes to residential and recreation sites across the Central Texas area (Georgetown to San Marcos.) Our custom classes are developed by Damien, as well as my mother, who joined us a few years ago pro-bono! In 2023, we will launch our first branch in the Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada area.
Along with our primary work, we were always committed to being able to serve those who may have financial or access challenges. Aging is Cool has a nonprofit arm where we raise funds to provide free programs to sites and people or take on special projects related to aging.
Alongside Aging is Cool, in 2020, I started another initiative with some co-creators, Jen Emerick-Cayton and Ian Pederson, to create A Mighty Good Time (www.amightygoodtime.com), a one-stop-shop website for older adults’ activities nationwide.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has certainly had its ups and downs. Early on, figuring out the revenue model was a challenge. Without another company like ours out there, it took trial and error to figure out the source of income. I kept working as a nonprofit consultant to balance out income as we grew and evolved.
For us, the greatest blow came when covid began. We had just tipped the scale on our number of classes which would allow Aging is Cool to be our primary revenue stream when the phone started ringing. We lost all of our business in one day as residential communities and recreation centers for older adults closed their doors to vendors. We understood, of course, but it was devastating.
For the next year or so, we pieced together income with a combination of nonprofit consulting and some limited Zoom programming. Older adults had not yet quite embraced the virtual models that they have now. A couple of sites, allowed Damien to continue to do classes, usually from the hallway! Gradually, as the vaccines came out and the virus waned, the doors opened again and sites were eager to see us.
We weren’t sure if we were going to make it a few times during that period but have come back stronger than ever. We are incredibly grateful to the few sites that did allow us to continue to work and the older adults who embraced our Zoom programming.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Aging is Cool provides cool activities for older adults. We take classes into retirement communities, assisted living, memory care sites, parks and recreation locations and anywhere else that older adults live or gather. We provide various forms of fitness programming, a signature brain training program, lifelong learning classes, discussion groups and creative programs. We are incredibly proud of our amazing team and the culture we have created.
We have 3 goals: Stay Strong, Stay Smart and Stay Social. The backbone of our work is the 3rd, Stay Social. Social isolation is one of the greatest health risks to the older population. Our team and our methods are aimed at not just presenting content, but in engaging the group. We find programs richer and more beneficial when everyone is included, adding input and connecting with each other.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned or maybe was just reminded, the importance of relationships and interconnectedness. Relationship building had always been a big piece of my work, both in the nonprofit sector and at Aging is Cool. It was those relationships and those with family and friends that helped us survive both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.agingiscool.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/agingiscool
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/agingiscool1
