Age Is A Superpower! Celebrating my Top 50 Over 50 Podcast Award.

⭐️AGE IS A SUPERPOWER! ⭐️ 

In this  episode of Chat Off The Mat, I share my excitement about being named one of the Top 50 Over 50 Podcasters and what this journey has taught me about reinvention, persistence, and community. Discover the behind-the-scenes reality of podcasting—from basement studios to guest interviews—and why download numbers aren't the only measure of success. I'll reveal how starting a podcast in my late 50s fulfilled a childhood dream and why age is truly a superpower when it comes to creative pursuits. 

Whether you're considering starting your own podcast, looking to learn new skills after 50, or simply curious about reinventing yourself at any age, this episode offers practical advice, heartfelt reflections, and inspiration for embracing new beginnings without expiration dates. Join me in celebrating the power of connection, lifelong learning, and the joy of pursuing passions regardless of age.

• Celebrating being named one of the Top 50 Over 50 Podcasters
• The reality of creating a podcast as a solo creator
• Why age is a superpower in creative pursuits
• How podcasting can fulfill lifelong dreams
• Tips for starting your own podcast at any age
• The importance of community in the podcasting journey
• Embracing technology and new skills after 50
• Finding your multiple purposes in life
• The joy of reinvention and staying curious

Ready to share your story or have a topic you'd love to hear covered on Chat Off the Mat? Reach out via social media or email me at rose@rosewippich.com. I read every message and am genuinely inspired by your ideas. Because ultimately, this recognition isn't mine alone—it belongs to all of us who believe in the power of new beginnings at every stage of life.

I want to thank Jen Hard of Jen Hardy Media for putting together this recognition program.  

Resources Mentioned:

Jen Hardy Media

Access Speakers  

Podmatch

Buzzsprout

Podfest Multimedia Expo

Chapters

• 0:00 Exciting News: Top 50 Over 50 Recognition
• 1:50 The Reality Behind Podcasting
• 4:33 Gratitude for Support and Journey
• 8:33 Age as a Superpower, Not Limitation
• 12:15 What's Next and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Rose: 0:13

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Chat Off The Mat. I'm your host, Rose Wippich, and today's episode is a little different, a little personal and I'm not going to lie a little celebratory. So guess what happened to me recently? I was named one of the top 50 over 50 podcasters. Can you believe it? I'm still like pinching myself. I was absolutely thrilled when I got the call and I was literally jumping up and down. I felt like a kid who won, like a spelling bee, or got an A plus on a really, really hard assignment. You know, I was surprised. I felt validated and I thought oh my gosh, people are actually listening.

Rose: 1:00

Being included among 49 other incredible podcasters was truly an honor and I want to take a moment to congratulate all of them and everyone actually who was nominated, and a special shout-out to Jen Hardy. She's not just an amazing podcaster and content creator, but she's the creative energy and genius behind Jen Hardy. Media that organized this program, this recognition program, media that organized this program, this recognition program. Jen, if you're listening, thank you for being a shining light on those of us who didn't exactly start our podcasting journeys in our 20s, and you inspire us. You know this recognition. It got me thinking about what podcasting really means to me. There are literally millions of podcasters out there, but this crap goes beyond having a laptop and a microphone set up in your basement, which is exactly where I record. So I want to paint a picture of what podcasting actually looks like behind the scenes. For those of you who don't know, we podcasters spend countless hours in our makeshift studios, and some people actually have a studio in their closet right. So we're constantly looking for amazing guests, scheduling them, crafting thoughtful interview questions, reading their books, if we have the time, or doing research on their work, conducting the interviews, editing out all the ums and awkward pauses, uploading the audio right, doing the show notes and all that stuff. And then there's the video version on YouTube. And then there's the social media promotion, and that is a job in and of itself. It's a whole separate job. It's a lot of work. This whole thing is a lot of work, and I do all of this on my own. I don't have a VA. Some people have a VA and that's great. I just don't, and maybe one day I will, but right now I'm good and I'm having a lot of fun. And you know, let's be honest, a lot of us aren't making a fortune, so hiring a VA may not be in the you know, in the picture right now, and we do it, like I said, because we'd love to.

Rose: 3:13

I really enjoy doing all of these pieces of work. I feel productive, I feel inspired every time, I want to reach out to some guests who may want to be on my show, and I just love all the components of doing this. But the real reason is because I believe that I have a message, or that my interviewees, my guests, have messages worth sharing and that the audiences might really benefit from hearing them and listen. Download numbers. They're a great validation, don't get me wrong. I check my numbers often, but what really keeps me going are the little things like that one person who leaves a heartfelt five-star review, or that friend who texts after an episode and says, hey, that really spoke to me today. Or fellow podcasters who offer to share their work or to share my work, meaning they promote my podcast as well. These moments, they're golden.

Rose: 4:22

So this award it's not just mine. It belongs to so many people who make this podcast possible, so many people who make this podcast possible. It's for everyone who ever listened to an episode of Chat Off the Mat. It's for my family, who somehow manages to tiptoe around the house when I'm recording or who come running when I need an emergency tech rescue. It's for the other podcasters who inspire me to up my game every single week and for others who help me amplify my voice. Most importantly, it's for every single guest who has shared their time, expertise and vulnerability with me and with all of you expertise and vulnerability with me and with all of you. I'm especially grateful for those who take the time to share the episodes that they're on right, because that really helps. If they share their episodes on social media, then they get the exposure, and so do I. So that's really, really, really helpful. But sometimes they say you can provide them with pre-written posts and graphics, but you can't force them to hit share, and that's totally fine too. I love them, no matter what.

Rose: 5:39

Chat Off the Mat began as a collaboration with a friend. We were learning as we went, figuring things out through trial and error, and we took a little break before I decided to take over solo, and I'm really glad I did. This podcast has fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. That's right, you didn't know this, but I always wanted to be a newscaster, specifically a sportscaster, during a time when there were very, very few of them, maybe one. My career path took a completely different direction, but somehow, decades later, the universe circled back and gave me a microphone anyway, and it came at exactly the right time, when I was ready to commit to it. You know, we often talk about finding our life's purpose as if there's just one, but I've learned that we have many purposes throughout our lives and they reveal themselves when we're ready. This podcast just happens to be one of mine.

Rose: 6:42

For anyone listening who's thinking about starting a podcast especially those of you that are saying I'm too old for this I have one piece of advice for you Do it, you're not too old. There are so many podcasters out there that are in their 70s, some in their 80s. There are podcasters out there and you can be one too, but please, please, make sure that whatever you do whether it's podcasting or anything else have fun, because, yeah, it's work. You probably won't get thousands of downloads overnight, or you may. You might not land sponsors right away, or you may. You almost certainly won't make much money at the beginning, but you will. Whatever it is, have fun, because if you don't have fun and you don't enjoy it. That's when it becomes hard work.

Rose: 7:40

If you're curious, there are so many resources available to help you. My hosting platform, Buzzsprout, offers incredible tutorials and their customer support team. They rock. They really deserve an award on their own. There are services like Podmatch and Access Speakers, where you can find guests or they find guests for you, and there's an amazing community or I should say, family called Podfest that offers education and an annual convention, Podfest Expo, where you can connect with the most supportive people you'll ever meet, and it's a lot of fun. I went to my first one this past year. I met so many amazing people and, yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Rose: 8:26

Now I'm going to address something very important For anyone out there once again thinking it's too late to start something new. I can't do this. I need going to address something very important For anyone out there once again thinking it's too late to start something new. I can't do this. I need you to think something differently. Age is not a limitation. I'm going to repeat that Age isn't a limitation. Age is a superpower. Okay, you can do anything. Okay, at our age, we don't wait for things to happen, we make things happen.

Rose: 8:57

I became a yoga instructor at the age of 55. 55. And then went on to become a Qigong instructor, and that's between the two. There were like over a thousand hours of training. That's a lot of training. It's a lot of time, but I loved it and I still teach, right? I wanted to teach because I knew I could inspire others to try these practices, regardless of their age. I started podcasting in my late 50s and I absolutely love it.

Rose: 9:32

I love staying on top of technology, too, and learning new tools, and let me tell you, things change often, but it keeps my mind sharp, it keeps me sharp and I just love technology. How often do you tell yourself you can't learn something new, that you're too old to figure out your iPhone or wish you could go back to that flip phone? Why? Well, that flip phone was kind of cool actually. Why? Because you know you absolutely can learn it. You can learn anything, that you put your mind to it and I get it. Some things are harder and you need more practice, but that's what it is. It's practice that, no matter what age, you learn it, you practice it and you get it right. It just takes practice and a little persistence, reinventing yourself, which is what I'm talking about here is exciting at any age, but especially when you have had decades of life experience to bring to something new.

Rose: 10:32

Have you thought about that? That's right, and it all begins with curiosity. I want you to think about something right now. Has there ever been something you wanted to pursue but life got in the way? Maybe a hobby, a skill, career path, whatever it is. Maybe you wanted to become an astrologer, just never had the time. Now imagine if you took one small step towards that thing. Maybe this week even Doesn't have to be a big thing. It could be something small like buying a book about it, signing up for a class about it or even just watching a YouTube tutorial. We have so many resources these days. I recently attended a memoir writing workshop and the room was filled with people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and they weren't there because they all expected to write bestsellers although I bet some of them did or are thinking about that and I think that's fantastic and want to share their stories, whether it's like with their family or just writing it down for themselves or with friends, whatever that is, they were there right.

Rose: 11:45

One of the most unexpected gifts of podcasting has been this community. When I started I had no idea I'd connect with so many incredible people, both guests and listeners. We may record alone in our little studio spaces, but we're part of something so much bigger. Every time I interview someone, I'm reminded of how interconnected we all are, how similar our struggles and triumphs can be despite our different backgrounds. Triumphs can be despite our different backgrounds. This award is meaningful to me, not because it's some kind of finish line because it's not but because it represents connection Connection to you, my listeners, connection to the broader podcasting community, connection to every person who has shared their story with me. And in many ways, this isn't a solo award at all. It's an acknowledgement of what we can create together when we stay curious, keep learning and share generously with one another.

Rose: 12:54

So what's next for Chat Off the Mat? Well, I'm not slowing down, that's for sure. If anything, this recognition has energized me to try new things, maybe reach for more challenging guests and maybe even expand into some new formats. I'd love to hear from you what would you like to see more of on this podcast? Who should I interview next? What topics are you curious about? Drop me a message on social media or at rose at rosewippichcom, and let me know I genuinely read every single one.

Rose: 13:39

I'm inspired by you and if you've been thinking about starting your own creative project, whether it's a podcast or anything else consider this your sign. The world needs what only you can offer. The world needs what only you can offer, and it's never, ever too late to begin. Before I wrap up today, I want to thank you again yes, you specifically for being a part of this journey, whether this is your first time or your first episode of Chat Off the Mat, or you've been with me from the beginning. Your time and your attention means the world to me. This top 50 over 50 recognition is wonderful, but the real prize is getting to connect with you every week or every other week. So keep listening, keep sharing and, most importantly, keep growing, no matter what age you are. Until next time, this is Rose Wippich from Chat Off The Mat, reminding you that new beginnings don't have an expiration date. Thank you.