CAREER CONJURORS

After many successful years in business and consulting, Minneapolis residents Nancy Burke, 70, and Marg Penn, 70, joined forces to co-found Burke&Penn, a career-coaching and consulting business built on two important beliefs: that people over age 50 have unique challenges—and unique gifts—when it comes to finding the right path forward. This is especially true when dealing with life and career changes, which is why Nancy and Marg encourage everyone they work with to think “outside the past” and instead focus on the future they want to create. The two women don’t let age discrimination derail their optimism. Instead, they challenge stereotypes by helping their clients identify their gifts, amp up their energy, and create portfolio careers. Their multi-faceted approach is working: 85 percent of Burke&Penn’s clients have found new and better work, while also making significant contributions to their employers’ bottom lines. Nancy and Marg’s career coaching pays off as well; their efforts helped one woman start a new job with a 25 percent salary increase the same week she turned 60.