The Advocacy Gap: My journey from Crisis to Creator at 50+
The Advocacy Gap: My Journey from Crisis to Creator at 50+
The Catalyst: A Season of Loss
Reinventing yourself after 50 is a question with no easy answer — especially when that reinvention is born from profound personal loss.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself navigating a perfect storm: living in Los Angeles while my 95-year-old mother, suffering from congestive heart failure, lived alone in Evanston, Illinois.
When she suffered a stroke just two weeks into the national lockdowns, I was met with a harsh reality. Despite my professional comfort in medical environments, I was unprepared for the other side of aging: the lack of a Power of Attorney, the absence of a will, and the sudden weight of managing property deeds and pet care while simultaneously advocating for her life within the medical system.
I quickly realized that some proposed treatments for a woman of her age and condition would have only hastened her passing. I had to be her voice.
Identifying the Need
Through that struggle, a mission was born. I saw a desperate need for education around the complexities people face as they age.
I decided to bridge this gap by creating a platform to help others navigate health and beauty with confidence and clarity. After researching my peers — the Baby Boomer generation — I launched MyFiftyUp.com.
Mastering the Medium
Innovation requires a willingness to become a student again. To bring my vision to life, I had to master the tools of the digital age.
The Tech: I spent days at the Apple Store, taking every free class available to learn the craft of digital storytelling.
The Production: I taught myself iMovie when I couldn’t find anyone to show me how to create content for modern platforms.
The Launch: I invested in lighting equipment and began filming high-quality content using my iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The Pivot: Listening to the Data
While I began with a broad focus on health and beauty, the data told a different story. My analytics revealed that my audience was most engaged with the “My Experts Series,” where I interviewed physicians and specialists about complex medical topics.
By pivoting toward these medical segments, I found a way to combine my professional background in pharmaceuticals with my new role as a digital advocate.
The Lesson: “Just Try”
In the beginning, I was haunted by the same fears many people face: Am I attractive enough? Is my skill set strong enough? What will people think?
But proficiency comes only through practice.
Being recognized as an Innovative Woman for 2026 is a reminder that our past failures are simply fuel for our future. My advice to anyone standing on the edge of a second act is simple:
Just try.
What’s the worst that can happen? After 50, we have already proven we can move past failure — and truly, the best is yet to come.
About Shelley Snyder
A veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, Shelley Snyder is the founder of MyFiftyUp.com and host of the “My Experts Series” on YouTube. After navigating the complexities of eldercare for her 95-year-old mother, she dedicated her second act to educating the 50+ community on health, beauty, and advocacy. She was recently named one of the Innovative Women for 2026.
Connect with her at info@myfiftyup.com.
