The Best Years, with Betsy

 5 Lessons in Confidence, Integrity, and Living Fully

Aging comes with many labels. Milestone birthdays are wrapped in assumptions about slowing down, scaling back, or quietly stepping aside. But Betsy Beehler doesn’t wear that label.

“To people, 60 is old,” she says plainly. “But I don’t feel limited by it. I don’t feel like I have to stop doing things or that I can’t do things.”

If anything, turning 60 has brought clarity, not constraint. The years provide perspective, which in turn creates a deeper sense of self-understanding. “I’m a little wiser, more sure of myself,” Betsy reflects. That assurance didn’t arrive overnight. It’s the result of a life shaped by family, lived experience, and a steady commitment to showing up for others with integrity.

As co-owner of Rooted, Betsy leads with the lessons she’s gathered along the way. Her example nudges us to reframe the labels we live within. Once limiting constraints are wiped away, you will see age, and all that comes with it, as your strength. 

Lesson 1: Mindset Matters

Believing good things are ahead is a powerful perspective. Betsy feels grateful that it was displayed for her regularly. She speaks with admiration about her siblings and parents, all of whom continue to live with curiosity and purpose.

“I have such good role models of my own,” she says. “My brothers and sisters are thriving. They aren’t limiting themselves thinking suddenly, ‘Oh, I’m old.’ They’re living life like life is going to continue. They aren’t living life like, ‘I’m wrapping this up.’”

Seeing good things ahead has shaped how Betsy moves through the world. She sees life as a continued invitation to grow. New hobbies are still waiting to be discovered. New friendships to be formed. The mindset you choose to practice as you age either shuts you down or opens you up to more possibilities. 

Lesson 2: The Origin of True Success

For Betsy, success has never been about outward markers of achievement. 

“It’s not about how much money you make or the car you drive,” she says. “It’s really about how you treat people, how you take care of other people, how you show up for people in situations.”

That belief was instilled early on by her father, whose advice became a defining value that Betsy carries with her. “He always taught me, it doesn’t matter who you work with,” she explains. “It doesn’t matter if they’re the janitor or the boss. You treat them the same.”

True success lives in everyday interactions. It is treating everyone with the same care and dignity, even when there is nothing to gain. Betsy models that respect belongs to everyone. It’s an expectation she sets for herself and an example she sets for her employees. That consistency is what builds trust and a community where people feel they belong.

Lesson 3: Let People Use Their Gifts

Betsy knows everyone brings something valuable to the table.

“I truly believe people have gifts," she says. "And if you just let people use their gifts and don’t worry about the things they don’t do well, because not everybody’s going to do everything well.”

She’s quick to include herself in that truth. “I don’t do everything well,” she laughs. “Give me what I do good and let me do it.”

Betsy believes the best work happens when people are encouraged to lean into what energizes them. She points to her partnership with Ashley as an example, each taking ownership of the areas that fire them up, allowing both to thrive.

Leading this way means recognizing that you don’t need to do everything and probably shouldn’t. True leadership is about encouraging people to step fully into their strengths, cultivating growth in areas of passion rather than forcing someone to fill a gap that doesn’t suit them. 

Lesson 4: Trust Your Experience

When asked what advice she most often gives to women stepping into leadership, Betsy doesn’t hesitate.

“Trust yourself,” she says. “Trust your gut.” She knows how easy it is, especially when you’re young or new, to second guess yourself, particularly in environments where others may doubt your experience.

“If you’ve been hired to do a job and for your expertise, you need to stand firm in what you know,” she says. “Take feedback, but don’t let other people’s fear of you being young or inexperienced make you question what you know.”

She speaks thoughtfully about her daughters, and about young women navigating rooms where they may feel underestimated.

“Try to stand confident,” she says, acknowledging how tricky this can be, “You’re educated. You’ve been hired for this job. Stand confident in who you are and what you know.”

Lesson 5: Celebrate the Hard Conversations

At Rooted, Betsy hopes employees leave with more than just a paycheck. She hopes they leave built up and poured into. 

“There are so many gifts that have come out of Rooted that I never expected,” she says. “It’s because of what we fostered.”

With a growing employee base, many of whom are young, Betsy sees Rooted as a place where people can learn how to advocate for themselves. She’s realistic about her limitations; she can’t always know what everyone needs. So she encourages people to speak up.

When employees bring forward hard conversations, Betsy makes a point to affirm them. She hopes those moments carry forward, into future jobs, future conversations, future confidence. “Every little experience you can turn into a positive makes the next one feel less scary,” she says.

Looking Forward 

No matter where you find yourself—at the very beginning of something new or in a season shaped by years of experience—there is no reason to fear the passing of time. The idea of “best years” isn’t tied to age, but to intention. Because of Betsy Beehler’s example, we know aging is simply proof that life is still unfolding. It’s a reminder that experience, when embraced, becomes one of our greatest assets.

At 60, Betsy isn’t slowing down. She’s dreaming of Rooted’s future, where she aims to continue welcoming people and building community. When people visit Rooted’s stores Betsy talks about the atmosphere she wants them to walk into. “I really, honestly just want people to feel comfortable,” She smiles. “I want them to feel at home. I want them to feel relaxed—and that is so true from the bottom of my heart.”

As we continue to lean into living fully, we’re endlessly grateful for the people who walk alongside us. Betsy looks forward to spending many more “best years” building community at Rooted, growing together, and celebrating the small, meaningful moments that make life rich. Thank you for being here, for supporting our small business, and for believing in what we’re building. Your presence truly helps us make a difference in our little corner of the world.