The entire premise of this newsletter is to share information, resources, and inspiration to people over 50. What do most people over 50 begin to realize? Time is precious. We don’t have as much of it as we used to.

When I consider the timeline of my life, I have far less left than I did at age 35. One of the things I desire to do is live more of it with intention. Using AI in the way I do affords me more time. More time to do the things I want to do.

A side benefit is more money in my pocket with the ability to hire fewer people to do tasks I previously didn’t handle personally. I now facilitate my team’s use of tools to make their time more efficient as well.

“My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”

Steve Jobs

Stop Chasing Tools. Start Designing Outcomes.

There is a lot of AI doom content in the world right now. Ignore it. I’m not going to go into philosophical arguments about AI in this piece. 

I’m here to provide some information about how I am using the tools in my businesses and what I expect to be doing with it over the next few months. 

A short list of the ways I’m using the tools. 

Course & Educational Development: Need an initial outline for something you’re working on? AI is a resource.

Marketing & Promotion: Idea, tools, drafts, concepts, testing, AI can help with all of these.

Document & Asset Creation: Sales sheets, slide decks, SOPs, and making things pretty.

Platform & Tool Troubleshooting: WordPress, Beehiiv, ScoreApp, MFA/login issues, and general tech: When I don’t know how to do something, I don’t go to Google anymore, I go to AI.

Data Analysis & Insights: Convert your spreadsheets into meaningful reports.

Research & Compliance Guidance: Legal requirements, industry standards, and operational considerations. I use AI to help clients with complex decisions.

Idea Generation & Brainstorming: Business ideas, gig economy opportunities, and product concepts, testing, AI makes these tasks fun and productive.

Interview & Thought Leadership Prep: Prepping for meetings, podcasts, and interviews.

Workflow & Systems Organization: File structures, automation thinking, and operational processes are all coming together with AI’s help.

Business Strategy & IP Development: Mapping out the core intellectual property for my ventures. With access to top competitor materials, AI supports and strengthens this strategic work.

Content Ecosystem Planning: Designing a content "flywheel" to coordinate newsletters, podcasts, and social media articles.

Technical Scoping: Evaluating low-code/no-code stacks (like FlutterFlow and Supabase) for platform builds. It’s sounds technical, but just knowing a little about these things will help you make better decisions when you have to hire someone.

NotebookLM from Google is a tool I’m currently using to convert written text into audio files. Think of the impact this can have for people who are visually impaired.

Claude is coding solutions for me now that will eliminate my need for subscriptions to Scoreapp, Thinkific, Jotform, and most wordpress plugins, saving me hundreds of dollars a year.

There are some incredible AI tools for any business, gig worker, or solopreneur to take advantage of immediately. Dive in and investigate.

I’ll end with this point. Don’t get caught up in the tactical. Spend time thinking about the outcome you want from any specific project or task. Think about asking better questions. Asking better questions related to what you or your business seeks to do will lead to better results.

If you want to have a chat about any of the specifics around this topic, philosophical or tactical, let’s talk!

A CONVERSATION WITH BETH DOWNEY

Beth Downey has spent decades proving that creativity and technology are not opposing forces, they're collaborators. The Nashville-based founder of Permelia Media, having recently concluded work as Senior Web Developer at Noom, brings a rare trifecta to her work.

She has a fine arts foundation from Mississippi State, sharp technical fluency across all the technologies that drive today’s online messaging and ecommerce, and the kind of hard-won business instincts that only come from building something yourself.

She launched her own web studio in 2015 after years of graphic design work for clients ranging from Vanderbilt University Press to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Beth is problem solver who designs, develops, and runs entire online technical operations.

Now in her 50s, Beth describes age and experience as a superpower, one that sharpens your Spidey sense for people, projects, and knowing when to walk away.

Her through-line, across every role and reinvention? She likes to solve problems, and she's collected exactly the right tools to do it.  

Beth and I had a fascinating conversation. Some of it is distilled below. What I loved most about it? Beth’s humor, her humility, and her confidence. She’s got nothing to prove. I left inspired, more joyful, and more convinced everything was going to be okay.

Q: You started as a fine artist and graphic designer, then transitioned into web development. At what point did you realize coding was its own creative act  and was there a moment of resistance before you embraced it?

A: I didn’t have a moment of resistance as much as I had moments of frustration. I’m a “monkey see monkey do” learner, so I had to jump in and do the work rather than take a course to learn it. While building a website out on a page is different than building the design, there’s a dopamine hit with designing with code that I don’t get with designing with a creative program.

I began my college career on a track to be an interior designer. The courses I most enjoyed during that time were not the ones where the focus was picking out carpet. wallpaper, etc. The courses that I really loved where my brain came alive were the technical ones, where I sat at a drafting table with a pencil and vellum ( I sound like a dinosaur)  to create floor plans and elevations. I’m not certain how the two connect, but I know there’s something that ties the two together.

To your point, coding is creative in that there are several ways at times to build digital products. Best practices dictate using the fewest lines of code to do so. But ultimately, the tool you build that works that takes the least maintenance is the right tool. And it takes creativity to make it a reality.

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Q: You launched your own web studio in 2015, which means you were building a business likely in your 40s. What did that decade of life give you — in confidence, clarity, or client instincts  that you simply didn't have in your 20s and 30s?

A: It gave me a lot of life lessons. Art programs do not teach you any business acumen.

I learned how to run a business by doing, with trial and error. I discovered even though I am an introvert, I really like talking to people about the problems they’re having with their media and how I can use my talent to solve them.

Not every chat becomes a project, but I’ve built some really great relationships by having conversations about bridging the gap between art and technology.
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Q: You ran Permelia Media while simultaneously holding a Senior Web Developer role at Noom for nearly five years. What did navigating both worlds at once teach you about your own identity as a professional and which version of your workday energized you more?

A: Sometimes it was like juggling chainsaws. Ultimately what I learned in art school helped me and that was the art of time management.

During my time at Noom, I only used my web development skills.

On the other side of my work life, I use graphic design, web development, UX/UI and copywriting, not to mention I have to project manage my workload; at Noom, I had a dedicated team member to do that for me, which is a luxury.
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Q: Tech has a well-documented youth bias and a gender bias. As a woman over 50 in web development, have you encountered either, and how have you chosen to respond to it, ignore it, or use it as fuel?

A: I’ve dealt with sexism. I make a mental note to not deal with those people. When people show you who they are, believe them.

There was a guy in a workspace who was very sexist (to me and his general view of women) around the same time I was pivoting from graphic design to websites. I thought, “I’ll show him.” And I did. It’s the best fuel there is.

Age and experience is a superpower. It gives you a “Spidey sense” that only time can teach. I worked in a restaurant at one point of my life & I hated it. But what it taught me was the art of reading people nonverbally. I could watch someone walk in the door and 90% of the time tell you if they were going to tip or not. There’s no way to learn that other than experience.

When I talk to a client, I can usually get a sense from non-verbal cues or tone of voice about their general mood.

A friend has a saying: “Mistakes are tuition. Don’t make me pay for the same class twice.”

It’s certainly better to learn from the mistakes of others, but as long as you learn, that’s the key.
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Q: Your LinkedIn profile mentions a BFA. Do you think a fine arts education is actually an advantage in today's world?

A: Creative thinking and mindset is the advantage. The more I use creativity, the more creativity emerges. It’s a way of being, a way of seeing the world.
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Q: What you know now likely means you look forward to a future differently than you may have in years past. How does your entering your 50s affect your look ahead?

A: I trust myself more because I have the data to back it up. I’ve survived 100% of my bad days. I know I have talent and work ethic. I care about my work. I will bet on myself 1000% of the time.

I have created a stellar career from using what I once perceived as career setbacks as being rerouted to a meaningful work life that includes more than one creative discipline.
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Q: You've written publicly that you design, you build, you run a business. At this stage of your career, what's the throughline that connects all of it and what does meaningful work look like for you now versus 20 years ago?

A: The through-line is I like to solve problems. And each of these tools are useful to do so.
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Q: Considering people in today's workforce, what is your advice to those wanting out of the corporate world? Any words of wisdom?

A: Everybody is making it up as they go along, including those in high powered corporate roles. I had a job where I realized after a few months I was actually better at business and sales than the person who was my boss.

It really takes getting up every day and dusting yourself off after a setback and trying again. And again.

Some days are better than others. The people who succeed are those who keep trying.

Tenacity and curiosity have taken me far.

So has GRIT - a concept explored by Angela Duckworth. (https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/)

How can those who want to follow you, connect with you?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethdowney/
Web: https://permeliamedia.com/contact

Steve Jobs Quotes - He changed the culture.

On the Road with Steve Hartman - Want inspiration all day? 350 videos from Steve.

How Parents Can Help Their Kids Get A Job After College - A mother supported her daughter’s interest in nonprofit work

AI for Freelancers - After all, this is what this issue is all about.

Join us for Our Second Act Sessions - See full schedule! A Virtual Community for You.

A safety net is needed for over 50 workers: From Harvard. Some facts.

Reasons people over 60 are doing gig work: And a lot of you are doing gigs!

Why companies are doubling down on virtual assistants: I told you why last week!

Taskrabbit successes and challenges: Good data and tips from Nerdwallet,

Our conversation with Nashville’s Tech Executive Career Coach, Ruth Smith: Last week’s Over 50 Voice

Women finding success after 40,50, and 60 years old.

Dozens of articles on the topic of ageism, gig work, processes, and over 50 work.

You’re doing $15 Tasks with $150 Talent: If you need help with tasks. I have help for you. Reach out to me for details. https://calendly.com/over50pros/new-meeting

Are you asking the right questions? I’ve been working on several projects lately. I’m obsessed with asking myself the following questions.

Is what I’m doing going to lead to the outcome I want?

Do I know the specifics of that desired outcome?

Am I designing my life intentionally or just working to make money?

Am I asking the right questions of my clients and colleagues?

When you begin to understand your desired outcomes and whether or not those outcomes will lead to the life you want, decisions become easier. Priorities become clear.

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Coming Next Week: Our Featured Article: The Required Mindset for Reinvention When Over 50 Years Old.