Today we’d like to introduce you to Marla Banks.
Hi Marla, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The Half Centenarian YouTube Channel showcases individuals over 50 living their best lives. The goal is to share that life, even with the ups and downs, can be rich and fulfilling after 50. There are so many young people not making it to this monumental time of life. It is important that we share our stories to possibly entice them to want to experience life long-term.
This was birthed during Covid as I was looking for things to watch and there was very little geared towards my age group. My thoughts were why and how can we celebrate living to be half a hundred. We are living in silos and this doesn’t have to be the case.
Realizing that it is a shift to supporting and mentoring from this point on that I wanted to share our stories. We are now nearing the end of fighting for jobs (hopefully) and now may be embarking on embracing the opportunity to live out our dreams. Some share how they lost loved ones and others marry later in life. The skies the limit, but you don’t know if we don’t share.
This has been a wonderful opportunity and I think the best is yet to come!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggles come with trying to get to the interviewees. We interview people across the country. Without sponsorships or monetizing this channel most of the financial burden falls on me. This was my vision, so it has been a labor of love. As we build subscriptions things will hopefully get better.
Otherwise, it has been pretty smooth. There have been so many people wanting to share their story it has made finding and filming fairly easy.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I spotlight individuals over 50. Showcasing life lived with purpose can be rich and fulfilling at this stage of life. I feel this is an area of need for those coming behind us. It is a rare occurrence to discuss growing older gracefully. It’s special to me because as an educator by profession, young adults need to know how special it is to reach this pivotal stage of life. I’m most proud of the individuals who have allowed me to have rich conversations and to share them with the viewing audience.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The risk is putting this out there. It is trying to poke your head out in oncoming traffic. There is so much noise and congestion on the internet. So, just trying to get yourself noticed is risky. This has been self-funded as well. I feel strongly about the cause and I have risked my finances to begin this journey.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/halfcentenarian?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marla.banks.1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/52O2BL2pSdc
Image Credits
Lu Optic Ebony Black
