VMP Covergirl - Marie Pietropaolo
This week’s VMP Covergirl is……Marie Pietropaolo!🎉
Meet Marie…a total badass with a love for Italy, a heart full of gratitude, and the courage to celebrate herself in the middle of life’s chaos. We instantly connected over our shared passion for all things Italian (seriously, we could’ve chatted forever about it!).
Turning 59 and smack in the middle of a job change, she almost postponed her session but decided, nope, I’m worth it.
And guess what? That decision gave her the confidence boost she needed to go out and land her dream job!
Marie’s story is the ultimate reminder: when you show up for yourself, amazing things happen!
Here’s what she had to say about this time in her life:
💎Did you have any older female role models when you were younger? Who were they and what impact did they have on you? Did they give you any advice that really helped you?
My Mom was my role model growing up and I wanted to be just like her. She and my father opened their own construction company, and she quickly became a "force" in the male-dominated construction industry. She was a respected business owner as well as the best mom to me, my brother and my sister. Till this day, she still epitomizes the strong, independent, loving woman that I try to be.
💎How did you mark turning 50? How did that feel to you?
Honestly, I do not remember any remarkable celebration. Turning 50 was more of an examination of life goals. It was an evaluation of how far I had come given some of the challenges I faced in my younger years and where I wanted to be moving forward.
💎What advice would you give your younger self?
Knowing what I know now, i would tell my younger self to slow down. Take the time to breath and enjoy the present instead of constantly trying to focus on reaching the next goal or milestone. A friend of mine recently put this into perspective for me. He said, "Slow down. You are excited and you want to get to the destination, but slow down. Just like a pilot, if you get there too quickly, you are going to crash your plane and then you won't actually get to the destination. If you slow down, not only will you get to your destination, but you will also get to stay there and actually enjoy it!" Enjoy the journey and celebrate each accomplishment.
💎Do you feel like you've changed since you've turned 50? Example: have your values or your perception of being attractive changed?
It is important to be strong of mind and strong of body. Beauty is not on the surface. Beauty is defined by what is in your soul, too. When you are confident in your mindset and realize that your value is defined by more than someone's arbitrary definition of success or beauty, you gain confidence. When you are confident, your beauty shines from within.
💎What positives have come from being over 50?
As each year passes, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. I am still a work in progress and am trying to change my perspective surrounding the definition of success. I realize that success has a different meaning in each phase of life and that it is perfectly acceptable to embrace those changing mindsets. Each year that God blesses us with give us a new opportunity to change our mindset toward a focus on positivity and gratitude. Believe in His plan.
💎Do you have any goals or projects you're working on? What dreams do you have for the future?
As I approach the next decade of my life, I am committing myself to enjoy the present and not dwell on the challenges of the past or the hurdles of the future. Life is full of blessings. We just need to open our eyes wide to see them and once we see them, thank God for them.
💎What is your best advice for other women who are coming up on turning 50?
Wake up and work on yourself before you work on anything else. It's not about being perfect. It is about trusting in the journey. Remember to celebrate the accomplishments along the way to the destination. And relish each challenge that you overcame to get there! God created us all to be strong, intelligent, powerful and beautiful creatures! Give thanks......
💎How would you like people to describe you or see you? What do you most want people to remember about you?
I would like people to remember me as a person who loves God and family above all else. I want them to remember me as someone who was able to show compassion and empathy when needed and as a trusted friend and mentor. I hope that I am remembered as a positive and supportive influence on those that I have encountered in my life.
💎Why are beautiful photos important to you right now?
I think having some beautiful photos at this time of life is important because each fine line or grey hair comes from a life experience that has helped us to grow into the beautiful people we are today!
Congratulations Marie! 🎉
If you missed the Gallery Exhibition last tear, you’ll be able to catch it on KDKA with Kym Gable’s segment “On a Positive Note” that was aired on January 18th.
If you’re interested in being elevated and celebrated as part of this 50over50 Project for 2024/2025, you can see more information here: 50over50 Project. Join us!
