How many doors are you willing to knock on to reinvent your career? Sara Blakely has knocked on a lot of them.

After a brief stint at Walt Disney World, she sold fax machines door-to-door for seven years. Frustrated by having to wear pantyhose in the hot Florida climate on her sales route, she experimented by cutting off the feet of her pantyhose while wearing them under a new pair of slacks. Sara spent the next two years and $5,000 in savings researching and developing her hosiery idea, eventually using her credit card to purchase the “Spanx” trademark for $150. She then used her selling skills to arrange a meeting with the Neiman Marcus Group by changing into her product in the ladies restroom to prove its benefits. Neiman Marcus was sold with Bloomingdales, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman following. Sara negotiated a contract with QVC, the home shopping channel, and sold 8,000 pairs in the first six minutes.

Sara Blakely is now an American billionaire named in the “Time 100” most influential people in the world. It IS possible to find meaningful work , even later in life. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it, how much work you’re willing to put in, and how many “doors” you’re willing to open.