Today we’d like to introduce you to Judi Schindler.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I ran a successful public relations agency (Schindler Communications, Inc.) for more than 40 years. In my 60s, I merged this business with another PR firm and took up acting as a second career. As part of this new life, I wrote and produced a one-woman show, titled “Husbands: An Owner’s Manual,” that I have been performing for women’s groups for the last 5 years. The program explains how to select a husband and how to maintain him in good working order, including replacement parts, warranties and exchanges.
In response to numerous requests, I turned the performance piece into a humorous, 80-page book last December.
Fully retired from public relations, I now spend my time performing the show and promoting the book through readings, a weekly blog, and social media.
Has it been a smooth road?
I used to work for a man who said, “Every business has problems, and if it didn’t have problems, everyone would be doing it. And then you’d really have problems.”
If I were advising someone starting out, I would want her to know that her business aspirations can change as you get older. There are second acts and third acts along the way. It’s almost easier today than it was when I did it because new technologies make it possible to DIY many tasks you used to have to outsource.
To take advantage of new opportunities you have to be flexible and willing to learn new skills. I am 76 and I know how to do my own voice-over recordings and convert them to WAV or mp3 files. I can make simple videos using i-movie. In the last year, I’ve learned how to create blog posts on WordPress, design graphics on Canva, and promote book sales on Instagram.
We’d love to hear more about Husbands: An Owner’s Manual.
Through my performance and the book, my goal is to make people laugh while gaining some basic truths about marriage and what it takes to survive 50 years or more. Here are some of the truths I try to impart:
The Divorce Rate:
“Back in the middle ages, couples didn’t divorce. Famine and disease put them out of their misery.”
Cross-Generational Dating:
“One of you thinks a ‘church key’ is something that opens a chapel door. The other thinks a ‘hook-up’ means getting your phone installed.
The Other Woman:
“It’s a lot easier to admire a man if you’ve never washed his underwear.”
Marrying a Man Who Has Children:
“If you have a choice, find a man with sons rather than daughters. They [are less likely to] engage you in mortal combat for daddy’s affection.
Living with a Man:
“… means stepping over dirty laundry and giving up all rights to the remote control”
Same-Sex Marriage:
“I strongly favor [it] even for people who aren’t gay.”
Cracking the Code:
“I need to find myself” means, “I have a girlfriend.”
Retirement
“Having your husband retire means half the income and twice the husband.”
Hearing Loss
“Husbands go wife-deaf after 20 years.”
A Manual on Husbands:
“Even toasters come with manuals and what can be easier than making toast.”
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My mother was a widow with three children at 32. I had two aunts who were similarly widowed at early ages. It never occurred to me that I would get married and someone would take care of me for the rest of my life. I majored in journalism in college so I could have a career I would enjoy rather than something to fall back on as did many of my peers in the early 60s.
As it happened, I did get married at 22, but I always fought to be financially independent. Today, I can not imagine slowing down and taking up knitting or basket weaving.
Pricing:
- The book ($16.50) is available on Amazon or at our website
Contact Info:
- Address: 1716 N. St. Michael’s Court
Chicago, IL 60614 - Website: www.judischindler.com
- Phone: 312-890-9660
- Email: judi@judischindler.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/husbandsmanual/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/husbandsmanual/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HusbandsManual
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judischindler/
Image Credit:
FYI the wedding picture is from November 1 1964
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
