Producer Rachel (Rachel Giordano) spent nearly 30 years climbing the entertainment industry ladder—from Barbara Walters and The View to Disney Feature Animation to iHeart Media. But at 47, she realized the traditional path wasn't letting her be fully herself. Now she runs a boutique production company, hosts The Producer Rachel Show, wrote and self-published a children's book (Santa's Secret Wishing Coin), and is helping other midlife women embrace their creative superpowers—ADHD and all.
In this conversation, Rachel shares her radical "creator not consumer" mindset shift, why she refuses to "niche down" despite what every algorithm tells her, and how she's building a creative empire by doing things messy, posting for pleasure instead of obligation, and embracing every weird part of herself. If you've ever felt like you had to boil yourself down to one thing to be "marketable," this episode will give you permission to be the umbrella.
What You'll Learn
How to shift from consumer to creator mindset (and why a time audit will shock you)
The "do it messy" approach to getting your work out into the world without waiting for perfect
Why "niching down" might be killing your creativity—and what to do instead
How to know what to outsource when you're building something new (hint: if it doesn't move the needle, delegate it)
Why comparison is the creativity killer—and how to disconnect from other people's timelines
The parking lot moment that changed everything for Rachel's business
How to invest in yourself before you feel "ready" (and trust the gap will fill itself)
Why your ADHD might be your midlife superpower, not a problem to fix
How to create content you actually want to make instead of content you think you "should" make
The surprising way editing became Rachel's meditation practice
Why being a "multi-hyphenate" at 40+ is actually your competitive advantage
How to support small creators (it's free and takes seconds)
Timestamps
00:00 - Welcome & Rachel's background in entertainment
03:15 - The creator vs. consumer mindset shift
06:50 - How behavior change works: focus on what you're gaining, not giving up
08:30 - Posting for pleasure vs. obligation
13:30 - Comparison as the thief of joy (and creativity)
16:55 - "Everyone has ideas. Only entrepreneurs act on them."
18:00 - The magic of consistent, small actions
19:57 - Why your unique perspective is irreplaceable (even in the age of AI)
23:00 - The "network umbrella" approach to personal branding
25:00 - Being the brand instead of picking one niche
27:00 - Investing in yourself: hiring the VA, the cleaning service, the meal prep
29:00 - Why Gen X is the most resourceful generation
30:45 - Ageism and why we're going to team up and do our own things
31:12 - Getting out of toxic hustle culture and respecting your own boundaries
33:30 - The origin story of Santa's Secret Wishing Coin
37:00 - Teaching kids about believing, giving, and manifestation
38:30 - Becoming your own publisher and what that takes
40:00 - "Nobody cares... until they do"
42:00 - Growing community before you launch
43:00 - Rachel nominates Dr. Rhonda Vaughn
44:30 - Support small creators: it's free and changes lives
Key Takeaways
✨ Shift from consumer to creator: Do a time audit. You probably have more creative time than you think—you're just spending it scrolling.
✨ Perfect is too late. Do it messy: Start before you're ready. Go live to test ideas. Edit later (or don't).
✨ You are the brand: Stop trying to boil yourself down to one niche. Be the umbrella. Your multifaceted life IS your differentiator.
✨ Invest in yourself before you feel ready: Hire the VA. Get the cleaning help. Make space for what moves the needle. The business grows to fill the gap.
✨ Comparison kills creativity: You're not running a race with anyone else. Disconnect from other people's timelines and metrics.
✨ Support small creators: Liking, commenting, subscribing costs nothing and changes everything. Do it for your friends and fellow creators.
✨ ADHD as superpower: Your "weird" brain that wants to do all the things? That's your competitive advantage in midlife, not a problem to fix.
Guest Bio
Rachel Giordano (Producer Rachel) has spent nearly 30 years in the entertainment industry, beginning her career with Barbara Walters Specials and The View, then moving through Walt Disney Feature Animation, Home Shopping Network, and iHeart Media. She now owns SNG Media Group, a boutique production company focusing on helping small business owners and entrepreneurs tell their stories through podcasts, YouTube, and social media.
Rachel is also the host of The Producer Rachel Show, where she connects with creators and business owners to discuss the real challenges and victories of building their dreams. She's the author of the children's book Santa's Secret Wishing Coin, which she self-published complete with custom-manufactured coins from Ohio's historic Osborne Coin Company. Rachel is currently developing an impact accelerator to help others achieve the personal and business growth she's experienced.
A proud Gen X mom of two teenagers (13 and 14), Rachel is on a mission to help midlife women—especially ADHD moms—embrace their superpowers, refuse to "niche down," and build creative lives on their own terms.
Host Bio
Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach, host of The Uplifters Podcast, and author of the forthcoming book Courage Capital: How 100 Inspiring Women Do Big, Brave Things and How You Can Too. With over 20 years of behavioral research and coaching experience with companies like Disney, Best Buy, and Weight Watchers, Aransas helps women in midlife translate their unique experiences into meaningful impact.
Through The Uplifters Podcast, she's interviewed nearly 150 women over 40 who are rewriting the rules about what's possible in the second half of life. Her work focuses on helping women build what she calls "courage capital"—the renewable resource of bravery we create through small, consistent acts of courage.
Connect with Aransas:
Website: www.theuplifterspodcast.com
Instagram: @aransas_savas and @the_uplifters_podcast
LinkedIn: Aransas Savas
YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast
TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast
Newsletter: Subscribe here
Facebook: Aransas
Sponsor
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Keywords
midlife career change, ADHD women over 40, creative freedom after 40, self-publishing after 40, overcoming perfectionism, creator mindset, stop comparing yourself, personal branding for women, multi-hyphenate careers, entrepreneurship for moms, work-life integration, doing things messy, Gen X women, entertainment industry careers, boutique business owner, podcast production, YouTube content creation, children's book author, self-investment strategies, outsourcing for entrepreneurs, time audit, consumer vs creator, embracing your weird, courage capital, women over 40
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