A Fresh Perspective on Midlife and Aging: Conversations, Tips and Tricks for People over 40 Looking to Live Their Best Life
"You don't have to be perfect to start. Don't compare yourself to the most popular podcasts."
Today Yvonne Marchese, the creator of Late Bloomer Living Podcast shares her story of society & culture podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
I am a 55 year old roller skating, paddle boarding "Age Agitator" who believes that midlife is filled with possibility, that it’s never too late to pursue a dream and that the stories we tell ourselves have tremendous power. I'm on a mission to explore what it means to age playfully.
At the age of 48, I realized that I had bought into a story about getting old that was adversely affecting my health and relationships.
Changing my story about aging inspired me to start the Late Bloomer Living Podcast and the Age Agitators Club for women.
I believe that the stories we tell ourselves can change our lives… maybe not in an instant, but in laying the seeds of possibility. It's never too late to do that thing you want to do!
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
My midlife awakening led me to start the podcast, where I talk to other people who have overcome their own midlife struggles and have found new purpose. I figured I must not be the only one who was feeling stuck and feeling like it was all downhill after 40.
It took me 2 years to get started after I had the initial idea because I had a big case of imposter syndrome. I didn't know how to produce a podcast and I thought I'd need a lot of money to have someone else produce it for me. I finally got sick of my own excuses and decided to start learning how to podcast when the Covid 19 shut down happened. My photography business came to a grinding halt, so
I used the time to learn how to podcast and build a website. I launched the podcast in June of 2020.
Hosting a podcast has completely changed my life in ways I never could have predicted.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
This podcast is a passion project. I produce one episode per week. It takes more time than I can calculate to produce each episode. I'm not a numbers person, so tracking stuff like that is not my bag.
Once I learned the basics and established operating procedures for producing each episode, it got easier and I figured out how to fit it into my schedule. By the time the lock down lifted and I got back to doing photo sessions I was in a pretty good groove.
I have developed a process that I can keep up with now and I put EVERYTHING into my online calendar with reminders that pop up to keep me on track.
I fund the podcast myself using some of my income from my photography business and some money I make from the Age Agitators Club membership fees. Occasionally, I work as an affiliate for businesses I believe in.
I also signed up to take donations from listeners who feel like they want to support my efforts through "Buy Me a Coffee".
► What do you gain from podcasting?
Hosting a podcast has completely changed my life in ways I never could have predicted.
I’ve met many other people who are challenging the stereotypical expectations about getting older, people who are embracing their later years and making waves as they age.
Surrounding myself with examples of what’s possible has helped me see what’s possible for myself.
Since starting the podcast, I have done many things that I never would have expected. In fact, if you had told me I’d be doing this stuff, I would have laughed at you.
- I hosted an online summit.
- I started a community for women called the Age Agitators Club.
- I started writing for publications.
- I’ve become a motivational speaker.
- I do silly reels on Instagram.
- I’m back on my roller skates at the age of 55!
I now have an amazing sponsor for the podcast who is perfect for my audience, and I am slowly developing affiliate relationships with businesses I believe in who offer products and services that are perfect for my audience.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
I have an interview based podcast, so I do a lot of research to find guests who I think have inspiring stories. Now that I'm in season 4, I'm adding in guest expert episodes to help my audience learn about the issues that are important in midlife and beyond.
I am so excited for the guests I have planned for the coming season. We'll be talking about health & wellness topics like intermittent fasting and menopause, as well as the visibility of older women in advertisements, fashion and media. We'll also be talking about ageism, especially how having ageist thoughts about ourselves and other people limits our beliefs about what's possible for us as we age.
I usually talk to each guest before booking them for an episode to get to know them a little bit and make sure they are a good fit for the podcast.
I interview people over Zoom and edit the audio in Descript.
► How do you market your show?
I market my show on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. I also have an email list and I host weekly rooms about midlife topics in Clubhouse.
I contribute articles to Kuel Life and I'm a roving reporter for Good Morning Entrepreneurs where I talk about midlife entrepreneurship.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
If you're thinking about starting a podcast, do it! Getting started is the biggest hurdle. You don't have to be perfect to start. Don't compare yourself to the most popular podcasts. Just get really clear on what you want to say and who you want to say it to. Having a mission is really important because podcasting isn't easy. On hard days, you'll need to remind yourself why it's important to you. It's completely and totally worth the effort.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
Website: https://latebloomerliving.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latebloomerliving/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-marchese-85111751/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiTxGUiWThacEpBFKOvoKQ
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/latebloomer