I went to a photo shoot on Monday and I got to bond with a great lady by the name of Cindy Joseph. She’s been modeling for 12 years, but get this: She was almost 50-years-old when she got discovered. Her story is so inspiring.

Meet Cindy Joseph, silver-haired and proud!

Cindy getting prepped on set.

Before she began working in front of the camera, Cindy was making her living behind the scenes a makeup artist. After 27 years in the biz, she retired and shortly after was approached by a casting agent on the street. “I thought it was a joke. I thought someone was playing a trick on me. But the next day the agent called and asked me to be in a D&G campaign. That was in 1999.” Once the ad hit, a friend encouraged her to get an agent and Cindy signed with Ford Models. She’s still with them today. “I’m doing the same things I did as a makeup artist—travelling and going to shoots—only as a model instead,” Cindy says. How’s that for a second career?

Cindy in More magazine.

And if that’s not impressive enough, Cindy started her own line of beauty products two years ago called Boom! By Cindy Joseph. The collection includes BOOMSILK, an allover moisturizer made with organic honey, olive oil and beeswax and three BOOMSTICKS for shimmer, color and moisture. She sent them to me and I’m so into BOOMSTICK Color ($24), which is like a berry-tinted cream blush stick you can put on your lips and eyelids, too.

One thing BOOM! doesn’t do is prey on women’s fears about getting older.  As Cindy puts it: “My line is not about concealing, fixing or covering things up, it’s about bringing out the way you look naturally when you’re turned on to life and having a good time. I don’t like the words ‘anti-aging.’ I’m pro-age!”

You gotta love this woman. Are you as inspired by her as I am?