Ludwina Dautovic isn't shy about starting a tech business at the age of 50.
The former marketing and media head said the fact she only first used the internet at the age of 30 doesn't mean she can't succeed with The Room XChange. After all, she's been in love with computers ever since.
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"I literally remember when I first had access to the internet and I thought 'how amazing is this?' I was running a video production company and I just had to teach myself," she said.
Dautovic's business is called The Room Xchange. It connects travellers and guests with busy people who do up to 15 hours of chores around the house in exchange for food and accommodation.
"We've organically lived this way for a couple of years," she said. "I initially looked at Airbnb as a way to utilise the space but the work involved in getting the room hotel-ready wasn't worth it for me. My children's friends from overseas would come and stay for a few weeks at a time and in exchange, help out around the house. It's a fair exchange."
The site is currently open for people to register their interest.
Dautovic isn't daunted by the idea of launching a new tech venture at 50. In fact, she's energised by it and says her life experience has been a credit even in the new field.
"You can't buy life experience, I've survived cancer, I'm married, I've got adult children who I'm proud of," she said. "That gives me reference points.
"A lot of its been unknown to me, whether its social media, or the corporation side of things. If you're passionate for what you're developing, you'll find the right advisers and actually listen to them."
Dautovic has two advisers, Chris Adams and Tim Wall, who she says give her a lot of comfort and security.
"I would say to women my age who feel afraid of technology or computers, that you don't have a choice," she said. "We actually live in completely tech world, it's a part of every single thing we do."
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Photo: Supplied
Penny Locaso is a fellow tech convert who wants more people to upgrade their skills.
I see a lot of women with lots of brilliant business ideas but they don't have that confidence.
Penny Locaso, BKindred
"After 16 yers at Shell, I spent about 12 months having a think about what I wanted to do next, reaching out to people and having coffees," she said.
From these conversations, Locaso developed the idea for BKindred, a business she now uses to help others make the leap into meaningful careers outside traditional corporate roles.
"I'm seeing people who are unhappy in their careers, they're so overwhelmed in their unhappiness, they don't know where to begin," she said.
"My job is to give them some headspace and work through simple steps they can take."
Locaso said she could never have done it without technology.
"When I talk to my friends in the corporate world, they have no idea about the skills I use in my day to day," she said. "I worry about their skills given the evolution of the economy."
Locaso taught herself digital marketing, the cultivation of mailing lists, the basics of web code. She uses Xero to manage her finances, Eventbrite to set up her events, Hootsuite for all her social media scheduling.
"It's almost like having a team of people," she said.
"I see a lot of women with lots of brilliant business ideas but they don't have that confidence. They're not willing to self-teach these skills. That needs to change."
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Penny Locaso will be speaking at General Assembly in Sydney about ditching the daily grind. More information here.
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