You may know her from her previous appearances on agebuzz, or perhaps you took note of her historic achievement of being named a “Cover Girl” by CoverGirl makeup at age 69! Or, perhaps you recognize her name as the mother of Tesla and Space X founder Elon Musk. But what you probably don’t know about Maye Musk is that life has not always been about glamour or success. In fact, in her brand new book, A Woman Makes A Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success, Musk reveals that for much of her 71 years, life has been anything but plush and pampered. She left an abusive marriage and became a single mother of three children at a young age, struggled being poor and overweight, yet through it all, she persisted with bravery and attitude and hard work to help her children and herself attain the success they now all possess. 

So what’s her advice to women, including older women, who struggle with their confidence, their disappointments or with ageism? Musk shares some basic lessons she’s learned the hard way, including being brave, making a change if you’re having a hard time, smiling a lot (which will portray confidence and have others respond in kind) and if all else fails, get a haircut (it was her decision during her 60s to let her hair go grey and get a new haircut that led to her stellar rise in the world of international modeling!) Above all, her message is simple but valuable: You need to take ownership of your life and create the life you want.

Clearly, she’s taken her own advice to heart. At age 71, she has over 250,000 Instagram followers, started and maintained a successful nutritional consulting business and is the author of this much anticipated new book. Find out more about her story by reading here and by catching a glimpse of her recent Good Morning America appearance here.