#138: How to Be a Creator Without Niching Down with a 30-Year Media Veteran
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it too late for me to...” the answer’s NO—and The Uplifters is about to show you why. This space is for purpose-driven women who want to do big, brave things in the second half of their lives. I’m your host, Aransas Savas, and I’ve spent the last 20 years at the intersection of behavior change research and coaching.
Last week, we heard from Kiersten Barnet. This week, we’re exploring niches with midlife founder Rachel Giordano. Next week, you’ll hear from Tara Miko Ballentine, Founder of Bright Littles. Welcome to the Uplifters! Check back this Sunday for our first-ever Uplifters Gift Guide!
Listen to This If...
You’ve been told to “niche down” but you’re interested in twelve different things
You have ADHD and want to hear how to use your unique brain as a superpower
You spend more time scrolling than creating and you’re ready to flip that
You’re waiting to feel “ready” to put your work out into the world
You’re a Gen X or Millenial woman who’s done a bunch of different things and can’t figure out how to make it all “coherent”
I always felt a little jealous of my brother’s single-mindedness. He was a surfer at 4. He is a surfer at 48. His entire life has been oriented around surf reports, wave sizes, and time in the water. Like so many of my coaching clients, I’ve loved LOTS of different things, and used to feel a shock of anxiety every time someone asked, “What are you up to?” or “What do you do?” For some of us, making our story “make sense” is as scary as surfing.
In today’s episode, you’ll meet Rachel Giordano, better known as Producer Rachel. At 47, after nearly 30 years in entertainment, from Barbara Walters and The View to Disney Feature Animation to iHeart Media, she’s rewriting the rules about what it means to build a creative life after 40. She runs a boutique production company, hosts The Producer Rachel Show, wrote and self-published a stunning children’s book (Santa’s Secret Wishing Coin), and is developing an impact accelerator. Oh, and she owns a construction company with her husband.
Rachel refuses to “niche down.” While every algorithm and marketing expert tells creators to pick ONE lane, Rachel decided she IS the lane. She’s the umbrella. And instead of apologizing for her ADHD brain that wants to do all the things, she’s turning it into her superpower, editing client videos by day, creating her own content at night, writing books, making documentaries, offloading the stuff she doesn’t want to do, and helping other midlife women realize they don’t have to boil themselves down to one thing either.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to hide parts of themselves to be “marketable.” Rachel shows us how to embrace the weird, do things messy, and create from joy instead of obligation.
Her Courage Practice: Creator, Not Consumer
Rachel had a moment in her parking lot where she realized she was spending hours doom-scrolling while telling herself she “didn’t have time” to create. That’s when she made a radical flip: I’m a creator, not a consumer.
Here’s how it works: She conducted a time audit and discovered all the “I don’t have time” excuses were actually “I’m choosing to consume other people’s media instead of make my own” moments. So she started protecting her creative time the way other people protect their Netflix time.
The practice: Rachel outsources client editing to her team so she can edit her OWN content at night. While her husband thinks she’s crazy for doing “more work” to decompress, editing is her meditation. She doesn’t post because she has to; she posts because she loves sharing stuff with people.
Why it ripples: This mindset shift freed her from the comparison trap. She’s not trying to keep up with podcasters who have 400 episodes when she has 24. She’s not running a race with anyone. She’s making space for what brings her joy, which means she actually does it—consistently, sustainably, without burning out.
The invitation: What if you stopped consuming other people’s content for one week and used that time to create your own thing? Not because you “should”—because it might be fun.
What the Research Says
On comparison as courage-killer: Research consistently shows that social comparison undermines both creativity and wellbeing. When we’re constantly measuring ourselves against others, we activate our threat response and shut down the divergent thinking required for innovation.
On ADHD as midlife superpower: Recent studies show that ADHD traits like hyperfocus, pattern recognition, and associative thinking can be tremendous assets in creative fields and entrepreneurship, especially when we stop trying to “fix” them and start designing our lives around them.
On “doing it messy”: Studies on behavior Change from Stanford researcher BJ Fogg, whom I studied with, prove that starting tiny and imperfect beats waiting for perfect conditions. His “Tiny Habits” method shows that action creates motivation, not the other way around. Rachel’s “do it messy” philosophy and her advice to “just go live” before worrying about production value aligns perfectly with this research.
Resources & Links
Producer Rachel:
The Producer Rachel Show on YouTube
Instagram: @producerrachel
Rachel nominates: Dr. Rhonda Vaughn - “She completely changed the way I saw connection, community, and support from other women. She’s one of those people that amplifies your message.”
Nominated by: Kate Milligan, founder of One Girl Revolution
Lift Her Up
Buy the book: Rachel self-published Santa’s Secret Wishing Coin with a custom-made coin manufactured in Ohio (not China) by the Osborne Coin Company, which has been making coins since the 1800s. When you order, the coins go to the “North Pole” for Santa’s magic before being shipped to you. It’s a stunning book about believing, giving, and family traditions—perfect for keeping the magic alive. Get it here
If You Liked This Story, Check Out These Episodes
Kate Milligan (One Girl Revolution founder who nominated Rachel)
The Point | Rachel Lipson (Episode 3): On how entrepreneurs turn ideas into action steps
Sonya Weisshappel (Episode 11): On turning ideas into action steps and building systems
Kara Cutruzzula (Episode 36): On setting boundaries and doing creative work sustainably
What would you create if you gave yourself permission to “do it messy”? What’s one thing you could outsource or stop doing this week to make space for something that actually brings you joy? Let us know in the comments.
I need to outsource some of my pickup and drop off (children) driving to allow for more solid time blocks every once in a while. My workaholic exec husband has this on his calendar every week labeled as “thinking time.”