“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it. This week we’re focusing on the work done by people 55 and older, the fastest growing segment of the labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For 29 years, Marydean Purves lived in conflict recovery zones abroad, working in international aid. When it was time to return home, she thought she could settle down and bring her skills to a new job. But finding work where she could use her expertise didn’t come easy … until she discovered the gig economy.

She now works for herself as a short-term consultant in the same countries she once lived, taking month-long assignments a few times a year. And back home in Denver, Colorado, she found an unlikely outlet for the skills she gained overseas — teaching seminars in senior living centers.

“One of them that is most popular is called ‘Designing Africa,’” Purves said. “And in that I present all the design aspects that I lived with and learned about from Africa.”