Build Your Own Boat Titelbild

Build Your Own Boat

Build Your Own Boat

Von: Janine Vanderburg
Jetzt kostenlos hören, ohne Abo

An entrepreneurship podcast for women in midlife and beyond. What if the most powerful thing you could do right now — for your finances, your freedom, and your future — was to stop waiting for someone else to hand you an opportunity and start building your own? Build Your Own Boat is the podcast for women in midlife and beyond who are done playing by rules that were never written with them in mind. Hosted by award-winning 3x entrepreneur Janine Vanderburg, each episode features real conversations with women in midlife and beyond who made the bold decision to bet on themselves — launching businesses and creative ventures, building wealth, and rewriting what entrepreneurship looks like in the second half of life. This isn't a podcast about hustle culture or overnight success stories. It's a roadmap — built from lived experience, hard-won wisdom, and the kind of honest conversation you rarely hear anywhere else. Guests include founders, consultants, creatives, coaches, media makers, and civic leaders who are proving every week that midlife isn't a ceiling. It's a launchpad. Whether you're just beginning to wonder if entrepreneurship is for you, actively building your business, or simply looking for proof that it's not too late — you'll find it here. Every episode, you'll discover: 1. How real women in midlife launched and grew successful ventures — and what they wish they'd known sooner 2. Practical strategies for building financial independence and freedom on your own terms 3. Honest conversations about the challenges of midlife entrepreneurship, and how to navigate them 4. Inspiration that's grounded in reality, not motivational posters The Encore Economy is booming — and women in midlife are driving it. Build Your Own Boat is where their stories live. Subscribe now and join a growing community of women who are building something that's entirely, unapologetically theirs. And do SUBSCRIBE to Build Your Own Boat on Substack as well, to read the full stories of our guests, and their best tips and resources. https://buildyourownboat.substack.com/© Janine Vanderburg Management & Leadership Ökonomie
Folgen
  • How Do You Turn a Passion Project Into a Business After 50? Sky Bergman Did It With a Film, an Airbnb, and Zero Regrets

    How Do You Turn a Passion Project Into a Business After 50? Sky Bergman Did It With a Film, an Airbnb, and Zero Regrets
    Jun 11 2026
    Episode SummaryThis episode answers a question many women over 50 are quietly asking: is it too late to build something new? Sky Bergman — award-winning photographer, former tenured professor at Cal Poly, and founder of Sky Bergman Productions — walked away from a secure academic career in midlife to become a full-time independent filmmaker. Her debut documentary, Lives Well Lived, began as a personal search for positive role models of aging and grew into a theatrical release, a book, a community screening movement, and an intergenerational education program now used at universities across the country.In this conversation, Sky and host Janine Vanderburg dig into the real mechanics of that transition: how Sky funded her film by renting rooms on Airbnb when grants didn't come through, why she stopped doing free screenings, what it actually takes to build a network from scratch in a field you've never worked in, and why she believes the only thing you'll regret is not trying. Three new films are in production. The boat is very much still being built.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeHow Sky started making Lives Well Lived at 4 a.m. while still serving as department chair at Cal Poly — and what finally pushed her to leaveWhy she describes herself as an "accidental entrepreneur" — and what her undergraduate business degree taught her anywayThe Airbnb funding strategy that replaced two years of failed grant applicationsHer community screening model: how organizations pay for screenings so the audience attends for freeHow she built a network of filmmaker peers starting from zero — including cold emails, LinkedIn outreach, and a backyard potluck that now draws 75 to 80 women every monthWhat she told the University of North Carolina at Wilmington when they couldn't afford her fee (and why it took six years to get there in person)A preview of three films currently in production: The Mochi Movie (featuring George Takei), The Primetime Band, and The JollytologistHer unscripted advice to any woman in her 50s, 60s, or 70s sitting on an idea she can't stop thinking aboutKey TakeawaysYou don't need a traditional investor to fund a creative project. When grant funding for Lives Well Lived stalled, Sky rented out spare rooms in her home on Airbnb — and turned every guest into a member of her early fan base by telling them exactly where their money was going.Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Sky learned filmmaking from Apple Store employees, cold-emailed strangers whose work she admired, and built a network of filmmaker peers she still relies on today for pricing, distribution, and strategy."Exposure" is not a business model. Sky stopped doing free screenings after realizing that work offered for free is rarely valued. Her answer to "but you're trying to change the world" — charging for her time doesn't make the work less necessary; it makes it sustainable.Weak ties open doors your closest friends can't. Sky landed an interview with George Takei for her film The Mochi Movie by emailing her network and asking if anyone knew him. Two people did. It took two years of respectful persistence — and it worked.The biggest risk is not taking one. Sky credits a woman she interviewed for Lives Well Lived, who said at 50 she could either stay in a rut or jump off the cliff. That voice still guides her decisions today.FAQSHow did Sky Bergman fund her documentary Lives Well Lived?Sky was unable to secure grant funding for the film, so she rented out spare rooms in her home through Airbnb. Every guest was told their money was going toward the film. When Lives Well Lived entered film festivals, those same guests became her earliest and most enthusiastic supporters. It is one of the most practical examples of creative bootstrapping in this series.How can a woman over 50 start a business if she has no experience in that field?Sky Bergman's answer is direct: ask for help, and don't wait until you feel ready. She learned filmmaking from Apple Store employees, cold-emailed filmmakers whose work she respected, and built a peer network she still consults today. Her consistent message is that people want to help when you have a genuine idea — but you have to be willing to ask.What is Sky Bergman's approach to pricing her speaking and screening work?Sky does not do free screenings or speaking engagements unless an organization genuinely has no budget — in which case she helps them find a sponsor. Her reasoning: five years of her life went into making Lives Well Lived, and every event involves hours of coordination beyond the event itself. She pays the people who work for her, which means she cannot work for free either.What is the Lives Well Lived community screening program?Organizations — universities, nonprofits, senior centers, libraries — license a screening of the film. The screening is free for community members to attend; the hosting organization covers the cost or finds a sponsor. Sky often ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    36 Min.
  • She Built Scaffolding, Not a Safety Net: How Alrie McNiff Daniels Left a Health Foundation to Launch a Consulting Practice at Midlife

    She Built Scaffolding, Not a Safety Net: How Alrie McNiff Daniels Left a Health Foundation to Launch a Consulting Practice at Midlife
    Jun 11 2026
    Episode SummaryWhat does it look like when a seasoned communications professional leaves a respected philanthropic institution in her early 60s—not because she was pushed out, but because she did the math and decided she had something better to build?In this episode of Build Your Own Boat, host Janine Vanderburg talks with Alrie McNiff Daniels, a reframing-aging consultant and communications strategist who spent nearly a decade leading communications for the Point32 Health Foundation (formerly Tufts Health Plan Foundation) before launching her own practice in September 2024.Alrie's story is a clear-eyed roadmap for women in midlife who are weighing whether to leave institutional roles and build something of their own. It covers what actually triggered her decision, how she structured her launch to reduce risk, how she got her first clients, and why she's built a thriving practice without a content strategy, a LinkedIn thought-leadership campaign, or a single cold pitch.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeThe moment that changed everything. A friend's offhand remark—"I had one big job left in me"—sent Alrie into a week of quiet reckoning. She shares exactly what she concluded and why it pointed her toward entrepreneurship rather than another institutional role.What it means to do "the community's work." Alrie spent years amplifying the stories of community organizations rather than talking about her own institution. She explains how that orientation shaped her skills—and why it made leaving harder than it might have been otherwise."I don't think there's a market for that." Someone Alrie respected said this to her face. She shares why she didn't take the bait, drawing on what she'd watched happen to the narratives around smoking and marriage equality over her career.The scaffolding strategy. Rather than leaping without a net, Alrie thought through two complementary income streams before leaving—one in the reframing-aging space, one in corporate citizenship and employee engagement—and explains exactly how she thought about that combination.How she got her first clients without selling. Alrie made a handwritten list of two or three dozen people she'd worked with and started scheduling coffees to say thank you. Several of them immediately asked what she was charging and when they could book her.Referral-only business development. No content machine. No LinkedIn posting cadence. No cold outreach. Alrie explains what she does instead—and why it works for the kind of practice she wanted to build.How to price yourself when you come from mission-driven work. Alrie shares the three sources she used to figure out her rates, including a peer network of foundation communications consultants who were open and generous with real numbers.Experience vs. expertise. Alrie has trained governors and keynoted conferences on reframing aging—and she still refuses to call herself an expert. She explains the distinction, and why it matters for the quality of the work.Caregiving years count. One of Alrie's most direct pieces of advice: if you've stepped out of the paid workforce to provide care, you haven't lost years—you've gained skills in project management, healthcare navigation, recruiting, and more. "You probably have twice as many years as you think."The five things she'd tell any woman considering this. Know your strengths. Know what you're not good at. Be honest about your tolerance for income variability. Know your value and stop apologizing for it. Anchor everything in your core values.About Alrie McNiff DanielsAlrie McNiff Daniels is a communications strategist and reframing-aging consultant based in Massachusetts. She spent nearly a decade as Director of Communications at the Point32 Health Foundation (formerly Tufts Health Plan Foundation), where she led external communications, storytelling, and the foundation's reframing-aging initiatives. She was part of the inaugural cohort of the Frameworks Institute's Reframing Aging Training of Trainers program in 2017. Since launching her consulting practice in September 2024, she has led workshops across Massachusetts for nonprofits, aging services organizations, municipal agencies, and academic programs, and serves as an executive advisor at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship.Connect With AlrieLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alriemcniffdaniels/About Build Your Own BoatBuild Your Own Boat is a podcast series hosted by Janine Vanderburg — award-winning three-time entrepreneur and anti-ageism advocate — featuring women who have launched new entrepreneurial ventures in midlife and beyond. The series is part of a larger storytelling project that includes a Substack publication and a forthcoming book, all built around one goal: changing the narrative about who entrepreneurs are and making women in midlife and beyond visible as builders of wealth, freedom, and possibility.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    55 Min.
  • How Do You Fight Age Bias at Work? Sheila Callaham Built a Global Nonprofit to Answer That Question

    How Do You Fight Age Bias at Work? Sheila Callaham Built a Global Nonprofit to Answer That Question
    Jun 11 2026
    Episode SummaryAge discrimination in hiring is not a fringe issue—it is a structural one, and Sheila Callaham has the three-year job search spreadsheet to prove it. After a 15-year corporate communications career spanning the US, Europe, and the Middle East, Callaham returned to the workforce and received zero offers over three years—despite applying at every level, spending thousands on coaching, and doing everything "right." When she looked up who got the jobs instead, she found people who couldn't be 30 years old sitting in executive roles. That moment of clarity became the foundation for the Age Equity Alliance, a global nonprofit dedicated to eliminating age bias across all ages and life stages in the workplace. In this episode, Callaham and host Janine Vanderburg break down how she turned long-term unemployment into 200-plus Forbes articles, a knowledge partnership with AARP and the OECD, and a thriving organization she now runs from Portugal—on her own terms.Key TakeawaysAge discrimination in hiring is measurable and systemic. After three years and zero job offers, Callaham tracked down the people who were hired into roles she applied for. They were not just younger—they were decades younger. The pattern was impossible to explain away.Writing about a problem and solving a problem are not the same thing. Callaham's Forbes column gave her a platform, but she knew from her change-management background that real organizational change only happens from the inside. That insight is what drove her to build Age Equity Alliance.The first client comes to you—if you build visible credibility first. Callaham did not chase her first paid employer. By year two, she was already an AARP knowledge partner on a global initiative in partnership with the OECD and the World Health Organization. The credibility came first; the client followed.Making bold asks is a learnable skill, not a personality trait. Callaham cold-pitched Ashton Applewhite on Twitter and asked AARP for a formal knowledge partnership when the organization was barely a year old. Both said yes. Her framing: the worst outcome is a 50/50 coin flip.Women over 50 already have what they need. The gap is not competence—it is belief. Callaham's message to women sitting on decades of expertise: stop waiting for someone to discover your talent and build your own boat.FAQsWhat is the Age Equity Alliance?The Age Equity Alliance is a US-based global nonprofit, headquartered in Austin, Texas, dedicated to eliminating age bias and stereotyping in the workplace—across all ages and life stages. It works directly with employers to identify how age bias shows up in hiring, development, retention, and promotion decisions, and helps organizations commit to measurable change. It operates largely as a volunteer organization and has its strongest market traction in Europe.What is the Mobley v. Workday lawsuit and why does it matter for age discrimination?Mobley v. Workday is an active federal discrimination case in Northern California alleging that Workday's hiring algorithms disproportionately screened out applicants based on race, disability, and age. For age discrimination specifically, the case tests whether AI-driven screening tools violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Workday's attempts to have the case dismissed—including arguments that the software, not the employer, made hiring decisions, and that applicants are not covered under the ADEA—have so far been rejected by the court. A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could create employer accountability for algorithmic age bias at a scale not seen before.How do women over 50 successfully transition from corporate careers to entrepreneurship?According to Callaham, the skills that matter most—team building, change management, stakeholder communication, and the ability to hold a vision under pressure—are exactly what experienced corporate professionals have already developed. The practical gap is operational: learning to do everything yourself, stretch a budget, and ship work that is useful rather than waiting for it to be perfect. The psychological gap is belief. The strategic gap is visibility: building credibility publicly before the first client appears, rather than chasing clients before you have proof of value.What does "building your own boat" mean for women in midlife?It means recognizing that if the job market, workplace, or industry you built your career inside is no longer working for you, the answer is not to apply harder—it is to build something of your own. The expertise, relationships, and perspective you have accumulated are the raw material. The boat is what you build with them.How do you price services for a nonprofit or social enterprise?Callaham's framework: build visible credibility and expertise first (through free training, speaking, writing, and partnerships), so that clients come to you already convinced of your value. Once you are in a negotiating ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    43 Min.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Noch keine Rezensionen vorhanden