Hello, my name is Marc and I’m the creator of action50plus.com
My story could happen to anyone, but it starts from the idea that, for many of us over 50, our careers are winding down—or, for others, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and go at it one more time.
My story began in 2008. I was 45 years old.
I was the publisher of a real estate magazine, pretty much operating on autopilot. I had a stable client base, the equivalent of 8 weeks of vacation per year, I played golf with my clients, I changed my car every 3 years—never luxury cars, but I liked them new. I had my condo, a girlfriend… life was cruising on autopilot.
I imagined doing this until 70, no problem.
Yes, the internet was starting to take over, but I had a plan—a way to stay in the game.
Except…
That’s when I hit a wall. In a perfect storm that would take far too long to explain here, I lost everything in the span of a single year.
Business, relationship, condo… everything. Including, of course, my self-worth. The years 2008 and 2009 were hell. It was impossible to find a job—I was either overqualified or people didn’t trust hiring someone who had always been self-employed.
I managed to pick up odd jobs here and there, never for long. Just enough to get by. And I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. It was stressful—I gained 15 pounds during that time, often having chips and two beers for dinner!
Fast-forward to 2012: On my first vacation in five years, on a southern island, I picked up Steve Jobs’ biography at the airport. That book was a complete wake-up call.
Five days later, I had finished reading it and already had a business plan. I would become a web designer. I had a degree in Marketing, I was comfortable with a computer—this just had to work.
2013 – The New Beginning
So, at 50 years old, I launched my new career. Sure, people looked at me strangely, but to me, it made perfect sense. I had a head full of ideas, and by building websites, I could—if I came up with the right idea—create my dream retirement. Something that had seemed like science fiction just two years earlier.
Learning the Ropes
Where to begin? YouTube seemed like the obvious answer. Except you have to watch a lot of videos before you find good quality content.
I sold my first website for $3,000 through a contact, without even knowing if I could really deliver it. Ballsy? Or just plain stupid—probably one of the two…
But I pulled it off… after countless sleepless nights trying to fix the tiniest things. But I was learning—and getting paid for it!
The next few years were full of ups and downs, juggling part-time jobs until I had enough contracts to live decently and stay ahead on rent by a few months.
It was tough in the beginning, but I was happy—I was doing what I loved!
Today, I wouldn’t say I’ve “made it”—I won’t make that mistake a second time—but I’m on the right path. And by the way, I still have the same car I did in 2008. A 2008 Honda Civic with 330,000 km on it… 17 years with the same car. If someone had told me that back in 2008, I would have laughed out loud.
In the end, I’m sharing this story to encourage those of you—and I know there are many—who’ve just hit a wall, who feel overwhelmed just thinking about tomorrow. Hang in there. You have to believe.
As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s not over until it’s over.”
