If Marie Antoinette were alive, she’d be selling digital products, too

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A Note From Colleen

Hi, friend.

There is zero doubt that, as a woman over 50, you have loads of skills and expertise you could turn into a digital product that teaches others how to do the thing - make a real impact.

Seriously. There is 0% chance you don’t.

But, we get in our own way. We have trouble seeing the absolute experience and skills hiding right under our nose.

I’ve found a way to fix this. 

Thanks for being here.

Cheers,

Colleen Kochannek, Publisher

*This publication may include affiliate links and links to products I sell. If you click and buy, I may earn revenue and/or commission. 

WHAT MARIE ANTOINETTE HAS TO DO WITH YOUR DIGITAL PRODUCT IDEA

If you've been scrolling through TikTok lately, you've probably seen the funny meme about people who desperately want to talk about Marie Antoinette. You know the one: someone casually brings up the French Revolution, and suddenly their friend transforms into a full-blown historian, bursting with more facts about Versailles than you ever thought possible. It’s hysterical. 

It got me thinking… we all have something we get that excited about. For some, it’s Marie Antoinette. For others, it’s knitting, cooking, spreadsheets, wedding planning, research; or how to organize the perfect closet. 

And that is where your expertise lies.

Let me paint you a picture.

You’re sitting in a group of people, and someone starts talking about a topic you know a lot about (it’s your thing, the thing you’re known for). Maybe it's knitting, or project management, or how to make a perfect sourdough starter. The person is speaking with confidence, but inside your head a little voice is screaming,  “That’s wrong! No, you’re doing it all wrong! That’s not how it works!” 

You try to keep calm, but internally, you’re dying to set the record straight.

Sound familiar? That’s your expertise screaming to get out.

The Lightbulb Moment

That gut reaction—the one that makes you want to jump out of your seat and tell people how it really is - is a signal that you know a lot about this topic. The fact that it bothers you so much when someone gets it wrong means you're deeply invested, and even more importantly, you're passionate about the topic. This is your lightbulb moment.

For most of us, expertise doesn’t come with a big sign hanging over our heads that says, “I know everything about this!” It's subtle. These nudges show up when someone misspeaks in your field of expertise, and your brain can't help but scream, "No! That’s not how it’s done!"

This feeling? It’s your expertise saying, “Hey, you know this stuff. You could teach it.”

Passion Matters

You may not think much of it, but this little voice inside your head matters. It’s a clue that you not only know the material, but that you care- a lot - about it. Passion is a major component when it comes to successfully sharing your expertise with others.

If you’ve ever felt the urge to correct someone when they were wrong about a topic you love, then congratulations—you’ve just uncovered an area where you have something valuable to offer. 

Maybe it's as simple as advising friends on how to get stains out of fabrics, or maybe it's coaching them through a job interview. You might have been doing it casually for years without realizing how deep your knowledge runs. 

That passion you feel for getting things right? That’s the gold. When you're passionate, it’s easier to explain things in a way that others can relate to—and that's what makes you a great teacher or guide.

Unearthing Your Expertise

Let’s dig a little deeper. I want you to think about the last time you had that feeling—that I-need-to-jump-in-and-fix-this feeling. What was the topic? What did you feel so strongly about?

Here are a few questions to help you identify your areas of expertise:

• What do people come to you for advice about?

• What do you find yourself passionately explaining, even when no one asked?

• What could you talk about for hours?

• What makes you frustrated when you hear it being done or explained incorrectly?

You’ve probably got one or two ideas popping into your head right now. 

Hold onto those. We’re getting closer.

Turning Knowledge Into a Product

So now you’ve recognized an area of expertise - super duper. The next question is, how do you turn this into a digital product?

First, let’s keep it simple. 

A digital product doesn’t need to be a full-blown online course with all the bells and whistles and teaching something from A to Z.  It can be something as easy as a one-page guide, a checklist, or a quick video explaining a specific process. 

If you know a lot about a topic, you likely have a method, a system, or a technique that you use regularly without thinking about it. That's what people want to learn from you.

Remember, your first product doesn’t need to be groundbreaking. It just needs to solve a problem that you know how to fix.

Moving Forward With Confidence

What’s that one thing that makes you want to jump in and shout, “That’s not how it works!”? 

That’s where your expertise lies.

That’s where your first digital product begins.

Go ahead, lean into it. People are waiting to hear from you about Marie Antoinette

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If you follow me on TikTok, I recently had two semi-viral posts. Kind of scary and kind of cool.

One is part of a series I did, “How I Lost Everybody and Everything In The Last 7 Years.”

The other was titled, “Coming into your 3rd Act? It’s your damn turn.”

Both are right around 15k comments, likes, views and shares. They’re honestly my first ‘semi-viral’ posts, which tells me…  

It’s obvious we ladies are up for the challenge: to survive and heal through loss; to build a new life;  to live a different way; to change things up - to ensure our 3rd Act is our best act yet. 

The support is heartwarming, but the coolest thing? 

Seeing women step into their own after 50 is. I think we’re onto something here. A movement of 3rd Act, unstoppable women. 

I’m here for it. 

What’s one thing you dream of for your 3rd Act?

SUNDAY PILE UP-CLEAN UP

I’ve gotten into the habit of tidying up on Sundays. I do the usual laundry, trash take out and bathroom mirror cleaning, but I also do my PILE UP-CLEAN UP process.

It’s simple. 

By Sunday, I usually have my stuff (needlepoint, laptop, Kleenex, dog clippers, magazines, phone,  chargers, assorted ‘items for recycling’ and such… strewn about my apartment.

The clutter makes me a little nuts. If I don’t take care of it, I stare at it all week and it makes me even nuttier.

I tackle it by piling ‘all like items’ together, moving the pile to the right location and putting it away. 

For example, my business pile: laptop, notebooks, pens, Post-Its - get stacked together where I then take them to my office and put everything away.

For whatever reason, the ‘piles’ feel easier to tackle than putting things away one at a time.

I know there are organization and decluttering experts who read The Gumption Gazette. I’d love other quick tips. I live alone and seriously never know how my apartment gets so clutter-y. 🙂

RESOURCES

Are you part of my Facebook Group community yet? I’d love to invite you to join HERE. I do weekly Facebook Lives and talk about the practical (and not so practical) side to starting an online business as a digital immigrant.

And, if you’re looking for some inspiration for what you could do as an online business; or, want a quick reference for how the whole process works I have two items for you to check out:

1. 109 Simple And Inspiring Ideas You Can Make Money With (A Free Guide)

2. The Go-Getter’s Guide: A Simple Quick-Start Online Business System  For Women Over 50 ($6 guide)

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