{
  "id": 4576254,
  "title": "Ina Garten says she takes on new challenges at 78 because she likes ‘working scared’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/ina-garten-says-she-takes-on-new-challenges-at-78-because-she-likes",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-31T04:51:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/ina-garten-working-scared-new-challenges-later-in-life-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Celebrity chef and author Ina Garten, who is 78 years old, expressed her enthusiasm for taking on new challenges as she has aged. Garten stated that she enjoys the feeling of being \"scared\" while working, as it keeps her engaged and motivated. She believes that the key to embracing new challenges later in life is to ensure they are enjoyable.\n\nOn The Interview podcast, Garten discussed her decision to pursue creative ventures in her 50s, both as a cookbook author and as the host of a Food Network show. She mentioned that her initial reluctance to write cookbooks stemmed from the fact that most books at the time contained around 250 recipes, and she wanted to focus on creating 75 exceptional recipes instead. Garten's publisher was initially skeptical of her idea, but it eventually gained approval.\n\nGarten also addressed the notion that people become more fearful as they age, asserting that she feels quite the opposite. She explained that she has a low threshold for boredom and dislikes repeating tasks she has mastered. For Garten, deciding whether to undertake a new project boils down to a single question: \"Is it going to be fun?\" If the answer is yes, she is determined to make it enjoyable.\n\nThis is not the first time Garten has spoken about her eagerness to step outside her comfort zone. In 2024, she revealed to CBS News that she left her position at the White House at the age of 30 to purchase the Barefoot Contessa store, as she sought a creative outlet. Later that same month, she shared with House Beautiful that she relishes renovation projects because they present an opportunity to challenge herself.\n\nGarten describes herself as an adrenaline junkie, willingly taking on projects she believes are impossible to accomplish. She revels in solving seemingly insurmountable problems, knowing that when the task is complete, she can look back with satisfaction. Garten is among several celebrities who have expressed their continued desire to take on new projects as they age.\n\nActress Halle Berry, who turned 60 in August, has stated that she has no intention of retiring and questioned why people perceive a certain age as a reason to stop working. Jennifer Garner, another successful woman in her 50s, emphasized her ongoing hunger for new challenges, asserting that she still feels driven and ambitious.",
  "summary": "\"I think I have a very low threshold of boredom. If I know how to do something, I don't want to do it again,\" Ina Garten said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}