YouTube Creators Hub Podcast

Episode: How She Beat Imposter Syndrome and Found Her Audience | Dana Findwell

Host: Dusty Porter
Guest: Dana Findwell
Date: October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Dusty Porter sits down with YouTube creator Dana Findwell to discuss her journey from being laid off at age 55 to building a thriving YouTube channel for midlife reinvention. Dana opens up about grappling with imposter syndrome, pivoting her content to better fit her life experiences, and successfully finding and nurturing an audience of like-minded viewers. The conversation covers technical and personal aspects of content creation, monetization, community building, and practical advice for creators at any stage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dana’s Origin Story: Reinventing After Layoff

• Dana’s Background: A graphic designer and art director for over 30 years, Dana lost her job at an ad agency in 2020, coinciding with personal loss (the passing of her mother) and the onset of pandemic lockdowns. ([02:56])
• Navigating Difficult Times: Dana explored various new career options due to her age and industry concerns. She discovered reselling/thrifting, which evolved from a business into a YouTube journey.
  • Quote:

    “I wondered, what am I going to do about making money and all that?... And so I went heavy into [reselling] and I started watching a lot of YouTube... and at that point, a little after that's when I decided to... start a YouTube channel, not as an expert... but as, here's my journey, document my journey, and perhaps some people would be interested in a newbie starting.” (Dana, [03:55])

2. Struggles in Early YouTube Creation

• Learning on the Fly: While Dana’s art direction background helped, she was new to video editing and production, which she learned through trial and error on her own. ([06:40])
• Initial Lack of Traction: Early reselling-focused videos did not find an audience despite her efforts and mentoring.

3. The Big Pivot: Authenticity and Going Viral

• Changing Content Direction: In a key turning point, Dana made a vulnerable, personal video about starting over after age 56, which resonated widely and went viral (over 770,000 views). ([07:59])
  • Quote:

    “I want to try something different. And that's when I said I'm going to just share a very... personal journey of how I got to that point. And that was my Starting Over... video. And so that was the big change.” (Dana, [07:22])

• Finding Her Niche: Dana shifted focus to decluttering, wellness, and finding purpose after 50, which strongly resonated with her midlife audience. She experimented, tracked what resonated, and embraced being relatable rather than authoritative. ([09:03])

4. Embracing Authenticity and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

• Speaking from Experience: Dana found confidence by sharing her authentic self and life journey, not trying to be an “expert” but valuing her real-life expertise.
  • Quote:

    “I felt that I wasn't an expert at [reselling]... when I pivoted, what I talked about was essentially me and my experience... Since I am 61 now, I've had a lot of experience in, in life. And so that became easy for me to switch over.” (Dana, [09:03])

• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome:
  • Quote:

    “A big one was switching niches because I didn't feel confident being a reseller guru, for example. And when I switched over to what was more age appropriate for me... Once I switched over and I talked about myself and I saw that people were actually interested in that, that gave me so much confidence.” (Dana, [28:00])

• Vulnerability as a Strength: Being open about her age, journey, and challenges fostered strong community and confidence.

5. Technical and Branding Strategies

• Shooting and Editing: Dana produces content using an iPhone 16, Hollyland microphone, and edits with DaVinci Resolve (after starting with Premiere Pro). ([13:54])
• Thumbnails & Titles: She improved thumbnails/titles after feedback from a reselling mentor group, shifting from generic to more engaging, consistent branding. ([15:35])
  • Quote:

    “I would say, sold to ship 101, sold to ship 102. And it was not good titles. So that's when I started to explore... more interesting titles to really say, 'I want to check out this video.' So that was one shift.” (Dana, [15:35])

6. Content Curation: Hiding Old Videos to Focus Niche

• Strategic Unlisting: After her viral pivot, Dana unlisted 200+ reselling videos to focus on her new niche, reducing confusion for her new audience and YouTube’s algorithm. She did not notice negative impacts and preferred to focus on one channel versus splitting her energy. ([16:41], [19:15])

7. Monetization and Expanding Revenue Streams

• Ad Revenue: Dana currently makes about $500/month from AdSense on YouTube, with a large boost during her viral video period (nearly $4,000). ([21:08])
• Future Income Plans: She aims to expand into memberships, digital products (ebooks, journals), events, and community offerings.
  • Quote:

    “I'm going to create an ebook, a more in depth ebook on decluttering an organization... I was thinking of a guided journal maybe called a keepsake journal or maybe even a grandmother's journal...” (Dana, [24:53])

8. Advice To New and Struggling Creators

• Just Start: Dana advises would-be creators to start filming, not wait until “everything is perfect.” ([30:34])
  • Quote:

    “I would tell the person who hasn't started yet to just go ahead and start... and then go ahead and post it and you're just going to get into the flow.” (Dana, [30:34])

• On Pivoting: If discouraged, experiment with new topics and formats. Small, loyal communities can be just as meaningful.
• Value of Community: Building relationships through comments and feedback loops can provide validation and encouragement—in turn inspiring new product and content ideas.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community & Reinvention:

  “I believe that people in midlife are faced with dealing with a lot more sentimental items and keepsakes and heirlooms as opposed to maybe somebody who's in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s. I feel like this is a really good sub niche for me.” (Dana, [11:35])

• On Authenticity:

  “I am an authority to my past, what my life is, you know, so I am an authority in my own life and that's what my channel is about.” (Dana, [28:55])

• On Starting Over:

  “Because I had to do my journey no matter what, but I probably would have said, go ahead and tell my story right away and don't be shy about it and don't be afraid to be a little bit vulnerable.” (Dana, [26:03])

• On YouTube’s Inclusivity:

  “I love YouTube. I think it's the best... There's so many different possibilities for anyone to come on and be able to talk about their stories, to find their tribe or their community. It's... the possibilities are endless.” (Dana, [29:44])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:56] – Dana’s backstory and the hardships of 2020
• [06:40] – Learning video production without prior experience
• [07:59] – The pivot: Making her authentic, life-story video go viral
• [09:03] – Reflection on imposter syndrome and discovering her niche
• [13:54] – Technical choices: Filming and editing tools/process
• [15:35] – Improving thumbnails/titles and curation of past videos
• [19:15] – Unlisting old videos and focusing the channel
• [21:08] – Monetization breakdown and initial earnings
• [24:53] – Plans for branching into products and community offerings
• [26:03] – Advice: The power of telling your story and being vulnerable
• [28:00] – How Dana overcame imposter syndrome
• [29:44] – Belief in YouTube’s democratizing power for all ages
• [30:34] – Practical advice for new/struggling creators

Final Takeaways

Dana Findwell’s story underscores the power of authenticity, niche experimentation, and embracing one’s unique experience—especially for creators later in life. Her willingness to pivot content, candidly discuss vulnerable topics, and engage deeply with her audience has been key to her growth as a creator. Dana demonstrates that age and prior expertise are not barriers: YouTube welcomes all who are willing to share their real journey and evolve along the way.

Host Dusty Porter’s closing thought:

“If you are willing to sit through and learn from the mistakes and failures that you're going to make and being willing to pivot, just like Dana has done to find success and being willing to try new things and understand that you're not always right... and have humility and be authentic with your audience is so important.” ([32:48])

For more insights or to check out Dana’s content, visit her YouTube channel (linked in show notes).