Meet Wendy Green

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wendy Green. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wendy below.

Hi Wendy, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Purpose is an interesting thing. I believe our purpose changes and morphs with age.

As a young mother, my purpose was to be the best parent I could be for my kids. Cooking healthy meals, helping with homework, cheering on their sporting and performance efforts. I worked at creating a safe place for them to talk to me about their hopes, fears and friends.

Once they grew up and left home, I had to find a new purpose. Not only did I have an empty nest, I also was solo, so the quiet was deafening. It felt like no one needed me. I floundered around, probably for several years. Started a new job, moved, looked for a new sense of community. I was working with a coach then. At one point she mentioned that she thought I would be a good coach. Light bulb moment. That felt right to me. I enrolled in coach training and became certified as a life coach in 2013. I was still working, and building a practice on the side.

Eventually I moved again, and started over trying to build a practice, while working remotely. And then the pandemic shut us down. I suddenly found myself at 66, solo, without a job and like most people, wondering what was next. Being a coach, I started to ask myself some “coaching” questions.

1. How did I want to feel?
2. What could I do from home?
3. What was important to me?

I knew that I wanted to feel relevant, like I still mattered. I wanted to feel like I still had a lot to give.
I also knew that a lot of people in my age group were going to be seriously impacted by the coronavirus. It was important to me to find a way to help my peers also recognize that they still mattered, that they could still make a difference.

That was my new purpose. I did not know much about podcasting at that time, so I decided to start a Facebook Live and call it Boomer Banter: Real Talk about Aging Well! Four years later, I now go live on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube and then the audio is available on all the podcast players after the live show.

So, as I said in the beginning, I believe purpose morphs and changes as we age. I first found my purpose as a mother. I next found my purpose as a coach. Now my purpose is as a podcast host, providing real talk around aging well for the Boomer Banter generation.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I love being a podcast host and feeling like I am making a difference in the lives of people who tune in. Boomer Banter is the podcast where we go beyond the surface, exploring the complexities of family relationships, maintaining health, navigating caregiving, addressing loneliness and friendships, and embracing new relationships. It’s the podcast that acknowledges the challenges and opportunities that come with aging, with a compassionate and realistic approach.

Being a podcast host has been a learning adventure. First I had to learn the technology. Finding guests has been easier than I expected. Lots of people are happy to share what they know with people who can benefit from their knowledge. Growing the audience is a big part of the challenge. There are thousands of podcasts, if not more. Standing out from the crowd and being found, pushes me to keep getting better.

I also offer two virtual, monthly membership groups.
1. Boomer Banter is where we come together as a community to explore different topics that we find challenging or fun or have growth potential. It is a facilitated conversation, and only costs $12/month to be a member.
2. The Boomer Believers are members of the Banter, and they have also chosen to uplevel their membership in order to have one-on-one time with one of the guests from that month. Boomer Believers can directly ask the guest more in-depth questions that may not have been addressed during the show. The cost to be a Boomer Believer is only $25/month, which includes their membership in the Banter.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience has probably been the most important skill. Most of my corporate career was in training and development. That means that whenever there is a downturn in the economy, training is one of the first things that is cut. Because of that I have been downsized or rightsized many times. As a single Mom, I had to be resilient and figure out what would be my next move. That does not mean that I did not initially experience fear and concern with each layoff. What it means is that I did not get stuck there. Being resilient means looking for what is possible, what we have control over and working on those things. Let go of what you cannot control.

Another quality is believing in yourself. Sometimes you have to be your own best cheerleader. If you want to do something and you believe it is the right thing to do for you, that go for it. Even if others think you are crazy. Follow your heart and your dreams. Follow them with confidence and flexibility. The dream will probably evolve as you go along and you learn more about what is possible and your particular skills and strengths. If you are passionate about your work, it will rarely feel like work.

Know when to ask for help. I am fiercely independent, and was more so when I was younger. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I was capable, that I could figure things out. I have learned a couple of lessons over the years about asking for help. First of all, you do not look stupid when you ask for help. It takes courage, and you will learn more quickly. Secondly, people like to help. They feel respected when you ask them for help. Finally, don’t ask too much. I mean, spend some time trying to find the answer. And don’t get bogged down. If your time spent trying to find the answer or figure something out is holding you back, that is the time to ask for help. You will be glad you did.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge is growing my audience. When my audience grows, my membership will increase, which will improve my income. When my audience grows I will be able to get bigger sponsors, another increase to my income.

I am enrolled in a Podcast Marketing course and I continue to try to implement new ideas that are presented in the course. I meet weekly with other podcasters to brainstorm ideas. I ask my loyal followers to continue to like and share the show.

This is all working, slowly, which I understand is typical. Being in podcasting (unless you are famous) is a slow climb. Most podcasters quit after 10-12 episodes. I am in my 4th year. You have to love it to be in it.

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