Let’s face it. None of us getting any younger. As a blogger who is almost 50 I must say that ever since I left the corporate world 3 years ago to do this full time, I have been having the time of my life in this industry! Because of my blog, I have received all expense paid trips, partied into the night and gone backstage with Snoop Dogg and Nelly. I have been featured on several websites. I’ve interviewed celebrities from Steve Harvey to Gabby Douglas to Anthony Hamilton and Rhymefest. I have written for major publications. I’ve met celebs and many amazing people from all over the world. I have been behind the scenes of every major hair show and worked with many major brands. I’ve been able to create multiple streams of income and make a few dollars in the process. It has been a real ride and all of this happened in my late forties! As I get older, I realize I must prepare!
Most of my colleagues are millennials and even though I am actively seeking out networking groups for women my own age the fact remains that blogging and everything dealing with social media is a young persons game.
Bloggers over 51 only account for 7.1% of all posts. ~ReadWrite.com
As a player in this game I sometimes find that I am getting edged out of opportunities because brands are only looking for millennials or people under 40. What does this mean for me? It means that I can’t even apply for some opportunities because I am over 40. It also means getting offered campaigns that have to do with only certain aspects of aging and that’s incontinence and a dry vagina! No late nights drinking on the beach, no mosh pit, no fast cars… only adult diapers and lubricants. So as a person who will be 50 soon and who plans to continue blogging it means changing the way I do business.
Although I have successfully been able to maintain my position and status in Atlanta’s Black Blogger community regardless of my age, I am always aware that I am older than not all but most. I realize that the older I get there will be fewer bloggers in my age category. I have not let any of this hold me back or get me down. I have always used my blog as a platform to share my voice and the voices of others and will continue to do so. I will maintain my steady income streams by using my expertise to train up and coming bloggers as well as help the under served in the 50+ age range. I will work hard to stay up to date on new apps and platforms. I will continue to join webinars and attend conferences to stay informed. I will attend events to stay on the scene and I will go to brands directly instead of depending on blogging networks to include me. I will KEEP making opportunities for myself where there are none!
The bottom line is that I want to keep doing what I am doing. I have a lot of dreams left to fulfill and I will never let my age stop me from continuing to pursue whatever my mind dreams up! (and believe me its ever changing)