Nancy Hinchliff never intended to become an entrepreneur. After 30 years as a music and creative writing teacher, mostly in inner-city Chicago, she prided herself on being a right-brain, creative person--the kind who would never go into business.

Fate had other plans for her. When she retired, she looked for a less expensive city in which to live. She settled on Louisville, Ky., where she fell in love with a five-bedroom Victorian house.

The house was more than ample for Hinchliff, a woman living alone. A friend suggested that she open a bed and breakfast. Hinchliff--63 at the time--didn't hesitate.

She immersed herself in her new endeavor. Over the course of the next 15 years, she plunged into a hands-on course in running a business. She has learned accounting, hiring, how to build her own website--AleksanderHouse.com--marketing and innkeeping management. Aleksander House has clearly been successful. In July alone, the inn had 70 bookings and nearly 150 guests.

Asked what skills from her previous life have been most helpful to her business, she listed several that a would-be entrepreneur might not consider relevant. In fact, none of them relates directly to being an innkeeper:

• She's a creative problem solver.
• She's an excellent planner.
• She's highly organized.
• She's a very good researcher.
• She loves to learn new things.

Now Hinchliff is ready to reinvent herself again. The physical effort of running a bed and breakfast, even with staff to help, is getting to be too much for this 78-year-old dynamo. There are, after all, 40 stairs from the main to top floors of this beautiful home. So Hinchliff is selling the inn and moving to Austin, Texas, to be near her daughter.

Once again, Hinchliff is calling on the skills listed above to chart the next phase of her life.

Let's see how each of these is being put to use in her current reinvention:

Creative problem solving: Hinchliff knew that in this economy it would be a challenge to sell her home and business. Knowing that her current employee would love to buy both from her, she designed a creative purchase program that works splendidly for both of them. She's selling the land and the business in two parts, as a rent/contract sale. That way the purchaser can get a mortgage on the property and pay Hinchliff out of the business receipts.

Excellent planner: Hinchliff has identified several ways she can liquidate furnishings and other possessions she won't need in her new life, including antique stores, consignment stores and Craigslist. She has a realistic timetable for her move to Austin and an open mind about any opportunities that may arise.

Highly organized: Though it is a few months off, Hinchliff knows what she will be taking with her, what she will divest, how she will get to her destination and who will help her in the move. Her daughter is already scouting possible apartments.

Good researcher: Hinchliff has always been a good researcher. It helped her acquire the knowledge she needed to become a successful innkeeper, and now she continues to use these skills to expand her creative-writing endeavors. She already writes for a couple of online magazines. This skill also gives her the confidence that she will be able to figure out whatever questions or challenges she encounters in the future.

Lifelong learner: Because Hinchliff loves to learn new things, she knows she will enjoy expanding her creative writing. When she learned about blogging, she took to it like a duck to water and now writes four blogs. You can find one at businesswomensforum.blogspot.com and the rest through her website. For Hinchliff, age poses no barrier to tackling new interests.

Hinchliff continues to teach by example. The lesson she imparts so neatly is that, as long as we are willing to learn and work hard, success is within reach.