What happens when your life flips upside down at 50? Former Oak Ridge Boys insider and Nashville industry pro Brenda Golden joins Circling the Drain to talk about starting over in her golden years.

Brenda shares how a painful divorce, a cross-country move to Austin, and a complete career reboot led to her new book, “Now What?”. Along the way, she pulls back the curtain on life with William Lee Golden, working around Garth Brooks at his peak, the impact of Pam Lewis and Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis), and how a little movie called “God’s Not Dead” became a turning point.

If you’ve ever lost a job, a marriage, or a sense of who you are and thought, “Now what?”, this conversation is for you.

Timed highlights:

1:10 Brenda’s book origin story and turning 50 in chaos

2:40 Moving from Nashville to Austin and finding an arts-first city

3:55 South by Southwest and representing artists at the festival

5:10 Brenda’s early music-business days and Nashville connections

6:40 How she met William Lee Golden and joined the Oak Ridge Boys

8:30 Marriage, family life, and their son Solomon’s path to medicine

9:40 Why Solomon chose EMT/paramedic work over music

11:55 Ongoing ties with the Oak Ridge Boys and concern for Richard Sterban

13:20 Joe Bonsall’s passing and helping him land his first book deal

14:30 Crossing paths with Jay at MCA in the mid-80s

15:10 Becoming William’s personal assistant and the MCA solo record

16:00 Meeting powerhouse publicist/manager Pam Lewis

17:30 Hitting rock bottom financially and asking Pam for a job

19:00 “Do you want a career or a paycheck?” – Pam’s tough-love moment

20:10 Learning PR, marketing, and sponsorships around Garth Brooks

21:35 How that mentorship permanently changed Brenda’s career

22:30 Reinventing at 50 and reaching out to Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis)

24:00 Lib’s advice: “You’re going to have to reinvent yourself”

25:40 The film “God’s Not Dead” and its unexpected impact on Brenda

28:00 Feeling seen by God in the middle of a breakdown

30:30 Lib’s own reinvention and success in film and Pure Flix

32:40 Moving to Austin, turning 62, and what life looks like now

34:10 Meeting and briefly working with Frank Stallone

36:40 Longstanding friendships and business ties back in Nashville

38:30 Why Brenda wrote “Now What?” and who it’s really for

40:40 Finding hope, purpose, and community after major life changes

42:40 Two-stepping in Texas, strong dance partners, and playful banter

43:40 Wrap-up, where to find “Now What?”, and Circling the Drain outro

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