A 78-year-old grandmapreneur shares her inspiring journey of finding purpose, pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, and encouraging grandmothers everywhere to discover their spark and embrace lifelong learning and growth.
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Influential Woman · Writing and Memoir Services
Connie Inukai
Founder, Write Your Selfie
North Potomac, MD 20878
3Years experience
1Article published
1Award received
Her Story
About Connie
Connie Inukai is the founder of Write Your Selfie®, a business that helps older adults preserve their life stories through photographs, captions, and memories. Her step-by-step approach makes it easier for individuals and families to document the stories of parents, grandparents, and loved ones and turn them into meaningful keepsakes for future generations. She is also available for speaking engagements, podcast interviews, workshops, and partnerships with active-adult and retirement communities.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Connie spent approximately 40 years teaching technical and professional writing, including positions at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. She earned a BA from The Ohio State University and an MA from Columbia University. Her background in writing, communication, and teaching now informs her work helping people tell their stories clearly and meaningfully.
After retirement, Connie reinvented herself as an inventor and entrepreneur. At age 70, she launched Tip ’n Split®, a pocket-sized magnifier, light, tip calculator, and bill-splitting device that sold more than 20,000 units and was featured on QVC, The Today Show, The View, and other national media. The product also received an INPEX gold medal for Best New Gadget.
Connie is a TEDx speaker, author, and Entrepreneur Magazine contributor who is known as the Grandmapreneur®. Through her writing, speaking, and entrepreneurial work, she encourages people in the second half of life to pursue new ideas, preserve their stories, and continue creating meaningful work at any age. Her guiding message is simple: “Passion has no expiration date.”
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Connie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to keep reinventing myself. I have never believed that age should determine what we are capable of doing next. After a long career in education, I became an inventor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. I am willing to try new things, ask for help, learn what I don’t know, and keep going when something is difficult. I also believe strongly in purpose—when the work helps other people, it gives me even more motivation to continue.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my SCORE mentor, who advised me to start with a business plan. It helped me understand that a good idea is only the beginning. A business plan forces you to think about who you are serving, what problem you are solving, how you will reach customers, and what success will look like. That advice has stayed with me through every business I’ve started.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be intimidated by new technology. The tools will keep changing, but your ability to adapt is one of your greatest strengths. I have embraced AI and other new technologies later in life, and they have opened doors I never expected. Ask questions, find mentors, take chances, and don’t wait until you feel completely ready.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my biggest challenges is getting my story and my business in front of the right people. There are so many ways to reach an audience today, but it can be difficult to know which channels will have the greatest impact. At the same time, that is also the opportunity. Social media, podcasts, speaking engagements, partnerships, and new technology make it possible to reach people far beyond my immediate community. My goal is to keep finding meaningful ways to share the message that our stories matter and that it is never too late to create something new.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that matter most to me are curiosity, perseverance, kindness, and purpose. I believe in continuing to learn, staying open to new ideas, and not letting age define what is possible. In both my work and personal life, I want what I do to be meaningful and helpful to others. I also value family, legacy, and preserving the stories and experiences that connect one generation to the next.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Connie
Passion Has No Expiration Date: Encouraging Grandmas to Stay Active in Retirement
How a retired teacher became a Grandmapreneur, proving that age is no barrier to launching new dreams and inspiring the next generation.
I became a grandma at 64 and an entrepreneur at 70. Today, at 78, I am still learning, creating, and discovering what comes next.
I call myself a Grandmapreneur® because being a grandmother and pursuing new dreams belong together in my life. I love my family. I also love having projects that challenge me, spark my curiosity, and give me something exciting to share with my grandchildren.
Finding Purpose in a New Chapter
For decades, I taught technical writing at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. When I retired, I had ideas I finally had time to explore.
One became Tip 'n Split®, a handheld device that helps people read restaurant menus and bills, calculate tips, and split the check. My journey as an inventor brought opportunities I could hardly have imagined, including appearances on QVC and national television.
It also brought unfamiliar tasks, setbacks, and plenty of questions. I had spent years teaching, but now I was a beginner again.
Being willing to start before I knew everything helped me move forward. I hope sharing that experience encourages another woman to try something she has been putting off.
Find Your Spark
Entrepreneurship is my path, but every grandmother can find her own.
You don't have to launch a business to have an exciting retirement.
Take a class. Volunteer. Join a walking group. Learn an instrument. Mentor someone. Try the thing you keep saying you'll do "someday."
Start small-but start.
Ask yourself: What would make me excited to get up tomorrow?
My work with Write Your Selfie® grew from my desire to help people preserve their life stories through pictures and captions.
Many people look at their photographs and see ordinary moments. Their families may see something irreplaceable: a glimpse of Grandma as a schoolgirl, a young mother, or a woman discovering her independence.
Choosing a photograph and writing a few sentences can become a meaningful retirement project. It can also open a conversation with a grandchild.
This is my current project.
Let Them See You Learning
I describe myself as a "low-tech" grandmother, yet I keep finding reasons to learn new technology. Sometimes I need help. Sometimes I need the instructions more than once.
I keep going.
When our grandchildren see us asking questions and trying again, we show them that learning lasts a lifetime. We can share our experience while letting them teach us something, too.
I hope my example gives other grandmas permission to pursue an interest simply because it makes them feel engaged and alive.
There is still room for a new friendship, a new skill, a new contribution-or a dream you have carried for years.
As a "Woman of Influence," I'm proud to share this message with other grandmas: You still have dreams to pursue, stories to tell, and new adventures ahead.
At 78, I'm still learning, creating, and dreaming big. I hope you'll join me.
Passion has no expiration date.
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