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Welcome to Late Boomers, the podcast that is your guide to creating a third act with style, power and impact! Join your hosts, Cathy Worthington and Merry Elkins, as they bring you conversations with successful artists, entrepreneurs and entertainers who have set themselves up for an amazing third act. Everyone has a story, and Cathy and Merry take you along for the ride on each interview, recounting the journey each guest has taken to get where they are, and inspiring you to create a path to success as you look toward your own third act!
This is the EWN Podcast Network.
Cathy:Welcome to late boomers, our podcast guide to creating your third act with style, power, and impact. Hi. I'm Cathy Worthington.
Merry:And I'm Merry Elkins. Join us as we bring you conversations with successful
Cathy:world. Everyone has a story, and we'll take you along for the ride on each interview, recounting the journey our guests have taken to get where they are, inspiring you to create your own path to success. Let's get started.
Cathy:Welcome back to the late boomers podcast, everyone. I'm Cathy Worthington, and we're so glad you're here with us today because, honestly, Merry and I just had the most incredible experience, and we cannot wait to share it with you.
Merry:That's so true, Cathy. I'm Merry Elkins, and we just got back from Dallas, Texas where we attended the eWomen Network ICON Conference. And wow. Talk about powerful, inspiring. It was totally game changing.
Cathy:Yeah. ICON is one of the premier events for women entrepreneurs and men too who wanna make an impact in business and in life. And let us tell you, Mary, didn't it feel like we were walking into a room full of possibility the moment we arrived?
Merry:Oh, yeah.
Cathy:From the
Merry:first second we walked through those doors, the energy, it was electric. I really felt it. And there's something about being surrounded by a thousand of like minded motivated people who are all there to learn and grow and connect.
Cathy:And let's just take a moment to acknowledge the incredible visionaries behind this conference. Sandra Yancey and Kim Yancey, the founders of EWomen Network, and the fabulous Brianna Day who brought her creative genius to the table.
Merry:Oh, that is so true. Sandra is this powerhouse of wisdom and heart, And Kim brings so much heart and passion and energy to everything. And Brianna, talk about the future and next level creativity. Her presentation on AI was mind blowing. Yeah.
Merry:And the way the event was designed, the speakers they curated, it was all really intentional and impactful.
Cathy:Totally agree. And the thing is, Mary, this wasn't just a conference where you sit and take notes and then forget about it later. No. This was practical, actionable, and inspiring.
Merry:Yeah. It really was for us. And Mhmm. You know, Kathy, you and I have been doing this podcast for a while now, and we all love what we do, but we're always looking for ways to grow and reach more people and make a bigger impact. And at ICON, we learn strategies that are going to help us do just that.
Cathy:I know, Mary. Can you believe we've been doing this for five years now?
Merry:I guess. Yeah. One of
Cathy:the key things we took away though was about visibility and connection. How to make sure your podcast or any business is not just out there floating in space, but actually reaching the people who need it.
Merry:That's true. And one of the speakers really emphasized the power of clarifying your message and making sure your brand voice is consistent across every platform.
Cathy:And they gave some amazing tools for that. Remember when they talked about creating content pillars? That was kind of a light bulb moment for me.
Merry:Well, I I remember that, and I thought, what's a content pillar? And so if you're listening and thinking, what's a content pillar? Basically, it's choosing a few key topics that always that you always come back to so the audience knows exactly what to expect from you. And it creates trust, and it creates consistency.
Cathy:Yeah. And for us, that means we're gonna be even more intentional about our themes. Empowerment, reinvention, business growth, and living life fully as a late boomer.
Merry:Yeah. Oh, and another big takeaway, Remember that collaboration over competition is one thing they talked about? That really touched me. There were so many women who were there supporting each other, brainstorming on ways to work together, and lifting each other up. And that sense of community, that was truly incredible.
Cathy:And let me tell you, if enthusiasm could be bottled, we'd be millionaires right now selling it on the street. Right? Oh, I don't know. We were practically glowing with motivation.
Merry:Yeah. I know. That's so true. I think the two of us could have powered Texas for a week on all that energy we brought home. Mhmm.
Merry:Yeah. Oh, and Kathy, we have to talk about the speakers competition. Those people were out of this world sensational.
Cathy:I know. Every single one of them could have a TED Talk tomorrow. The passion, wow, you could feel it in your bones. It was like American Idol, but for business brilliance and nobody thankfully got voted off, I would have cried. Although, it was sad that somebody had to win and somebody had to lose.
Merry:Oh, yeah. That's so true because they were all really, really great. And one of those amazing speakers just happens to own one of the best restaurants in Dallas called Asian Mint.
Cathy:Yeah. And after the competition, a group invited me to dinner there, which sounded fabulous. Only one little problem, I couldn't find them after the session.
Merry:Well, that's kind of you, Kathy.
Cathy:I know. Totally. So I'm standing there like a lost puppy, and then get this, the chef herself, the owner, offers to drive me to her own restaurant in Highland Park. I mean, talk about VIP treatment, Mary.
Merry:Yeah. Only you, Kathy, would score a chauffeur service from a celebrity chef. How was the food?
Cathy:Oh, the food was fantastic. Worth getting lost for. Yeah. Honestly, I'd get lost again just for that delicious Thai cuisine. Oh, wow.
Cathy:Yeah. So but let's talk about one of the most exciting things we learned about. AI, artificial intelligence, because Brianna Day's presentation on that was fabulous. And wow. Did that open our eyes?
Merry:Yeah. That really did. I mean, we've all heard of AI. Right? It's everywhere.
Merry:But to see how it can be used in business and in growing a podcast like ours was mind blowing.
Cathy:Yeah. They had experts explaining how AI can help with content creation, social media scheduling, writing emails, even brainstorming topics for podcasts. It's like having a virtual assistant who works twenty four seven.
Merry:Oh, no kidding. And here's the thing. For a lot of us baby boomers, AI might not might feel a little intimidating, not comfortable. It might feel like, oh, that's just for techies. But what they made so clear at ICON is that it's just a tool.
Merry:AI is a tool that can help save us time and help us focus on the parts of our business that we really love.
Cathy:And, Mary, I loved when they said AI won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI might. That was such a wake up call for me.
Merry:Yeah. That really hit home. Because all we need to stay relevant and adapt to new technology is AI. And the great news is it's not that hard.
Cathy:Yes. We even learned about tools that can help us repurpose our podcast episodes into blog posts, social media clips, newsletters, all with the help of AI. That means more people can discover our content without us working eighty hours a week.
Merry:Oh, we know that one. And if you're listening and you're thinking about starting a business or growing one you already have, learning to use AI is no longer optional. It's essential.
Cathy:Yeah. For sure. And you know what else stood out for me? The stories we heard. The women who shared their journeys.
Cathy:Some of them had faced incredible challenges and still created thriving businesses.
Merry:Oh, that's so true. And the connections for me, that was really powerful. And it reminded me that reinvention is possible at any stage of life. And you're never too old, and it's never too late to make your dreams happen.
Cathy:And that's what we're all about here on late boomers, celebrating reinvention and possibility. This conference was a perfect reflection of that.
Merry:Oh, and the networking. Yeah. We met so many amazing people who will probably have as future guests on the show and as friends. And that's another great thing. When you put yourself in a room, opportunities come your way.
Cathy:Yeah. So to Sandra and Kim Yancey and to Brianna Day, thank you for creating an event that truly changes lives.
Merry:And thank you for reminding us that when women and men come together with a shared purpose, amazing things happen.
Cathy:And to all of you listening, if you've ever thought about attending an event like this, do it. Invest in yourself. The growth, the ideas, the community is priceless.
Merry:And stay tuned because we're going to be implementing so much of what we learned, and we can't wait to share that journey with you.
Cathy:Absolutely. This is just the beginning of a whole new level for the late boomers podcast.
Merry:So stick with us. Share this episode with a friend who needs some inspiration. And as always, thank you for being part of our community.
Cathy:See you next time on late boomers.
Merry:Yes. See you next time.
Cathy:Thank you for joining us on late boomers, the podcast that is your guide to creating a third act with style, power, and impact. Please visit our website and get in touch us at lateboomers.us. If you would like to listen to or download other episodes of late boomers, go to ewnpodcastnetwork.com.
Merry:This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and most other major podcast sites. We hope you make use of the wisdom you've gained here and that you enjoy a successful third act with your own style, power, and impact.