Meet Trailblazer Patricia Rubel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Rubel.

Patricia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a business owner, have been married to my husband for 33 years, have three adult children and am a grandma to one adorable little boy. I’m committed to living my life with a sense of adventure and joy.

I am finally in a place in my life that I have the time to focus a little more on myself and explore some of the things I have always wanted to do. My children are now adults, and my career is solid.

When I was looking for inspiration for travel, fashion or hiking, I didn’t see a lot of women my age being represented on social media. I decided to act as my own inspiration. I just went for it and followed my own path.

When I started, I was advised to stick to just one topic. Of course, I didn’t listen. I think part of my brand is showing that women can have a lot of interests. I happen to like fashion, traveling and hiking. Women are not one dimensional, we are complex, I like to show how my interests intersect, and I post about them on my blog and IG page.

I love living in Arizona and enjoy sharing fun places to hike, and things to do all over the state. I get a lot of messages from people planning trips and asking for suggestions on where to go. I love recommending fun boutiques, favorite restaurants, and unique places to check out in Arizona.

I am determined to spread the message that our age does not define us, we define our age! So buy the clothes you like, travel to places you have dreamed about and hike those mountains you have always looked up at!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every road is filled with some bumps and turns along the way, take the road anyway, that means it is going to be an adventurous one! When I started my blog, I knew nothing about the technical aspects and drove every young person in my office crazy asking questions about WordPress and what google analytics was. When I started my IG page, I had two followers, my husband, and my daughter. When I started hiking this year, I could barely make it up North Mountain, when I wanted to go to Europe I just booked a ticket and went.

Fast forward eight months, I got my blog up and going, my IG is growing with legitimate followers who are genuinely interested in what I do. One of the big lessons I learned is that it is tempting to grow your following at a fast pace, but these may not be real followers, and ultimately those kinds of followers slow down your growth. Real followers have legitimate engagement and ultimately improve your algorithm for site visits.

Staying true to my brand has inspired me personally to lead by example. I knew that if I was going to write about living an adventurous life, I needed to lead one. I traveled by myself a lot this year and made an effort to experience each place I went to. I hiked, I shopped, I walked through non-tourist areas and ate at local restaurants everywhere I went. I just got back from a five-day hike through Havasu Falls, and I loved exploring Colorado, Chicago, Budapest, and Edinburgh. At any point it I could have quit because these things were out of my comfort zone. We get so caught up in doing what is comfortable and easy that we forget there is so much more out there if we allow ourselves to take a risk and go for the adventure!

I want other women my age not to be afraid to try new things. I want younger women to know that getting older is powerful. You get wiser, stronger and better with age!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Patrish Pages – what should we know?
My Blog, ThePatrishPages.com and my Instagram @patrishpages have grown from a fun hobby to joining the league of influencers for women over 50. I am most proud of the fact that I am helping to be a voice in the social media world that represents women over 50. This group is a dynamic, powerful group that has been underrepresented in social media. I get messages all the time from women who are grateful to see someone they can relate to and are now encouraged to make their adventures.

I’m known for encouraging women to empower themselves to live a more adventurous life. I have never let my age dictate what I can or cannot do. Ageism is real, and until we break those barriers, we will be limited by them even if they are in our mind. I want other women to be confident in themselves, let their fashion reflect their personality and to dress in a way that makes them feel good. I also encourage women to travel wherever their heart leads them, even if they take a trip alone. I’ve traveled alone, and I loved it! Hiking is one of my passions, and I try to show by example that anyone can hike. It doesn’t matter if the trail is easy or hard, take a trail and go!

What sets my particular brand apart is I don’t hide my age, I celebrate it! I am making social media take notice of an entire generation of women who deserve to be paid attention to.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
It may be a cliche, but my mother is my role model. She taught me everything I know about strength, loyalty and loving my family.

I am so lucky that I am surrounded by a group of strong, smart and adventurous women. MaryAnn Guerra, CEO of Aesthetics Biomedical, has inspired me to stay focused, outspoken and savvy in business.

Jane Dolan, a friend for over 20 years, has inspired me to get in shape, hike mountains and get out of my comfort zone. She is my workout idol!

Most of all, I am inspired by my daughter, I am so proud of her. She is a successful businesswoman, fantastic mother and one of the kindest women I have ever known. She makes me want to be the best role model I can be.

Contact Info:

• Website: Thepatrishpages.com
• Email: pat@rsvpaz.com
• Instagram: @patrishpages
• Facebook: The Patrish Pages

Image Credit:
@azinsider, @photoharper, @eric_castanos

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix 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.