Finding Your Purpose After 50: Lessons from My Conversation with Von Decarlo

Every once in a while, a podcast interview becomes something much bigger than the topic you thought you were going to discuss.

When I invited comedian, actress, and author Von Decarlo onto Living Ageless and Bold, I expected a fun conversation filled with stories from her career in entertainment. After all, comedians are some of my favorite guests. They’re quick, engaging, and always know how to make people laugh.

We certainly laughed.

But what I didn’t expect was how deeply our conversation would explore purpose, faith, grief, and the quiet voice that keeps nudging us toward the life we’re meant to live.

Von’s latest book, Fine Over Fifty, was inspired by one of the most difficult seasons of her life after losing her mother. Yet it isn’t a book about grief alone. It’s about resilience, self-discovery, and believing that every woman—no matter her age—still has something meaningful to contribute.

As our conversation unfolded, I realized that the lessons Von shared weren’t just about her journey. They were reminders for every woman who’s ever wondered if it’s too late to pursue the dream she’s been carrying for years.

The Dream That Refuses to Leave

One of the most memorable moments of our interview came when Von described her relationship with stand-up comedy.

She laughed as she admitted that comedy “haunted” her for years. She tried to ignore it, convinced herself there were more practical things to focus on, and found plenty of reasons to wait. But no matter what else she was doing, the desire to perform kept finding its way back into her life.

Then she said something that immediately stopped me.

“Whatever your God purpose is… you’ve always known it.”

She believes that every one of us is born with gifts uniquely meant for us, and no matter how many times we push those gifts aside, they never truly disappear. Instead, they wait patiently until we’re ready to answer.

I think that’s a powerful idea, especially for women over 50.

Many of us have spent decades building careers, raising children, supporting spouses, caring for aging parents, and putting everyone else’s needs ahead of our own. Somewhere along the way, it’s easy to lose sight of the dreams we once carried so naturally.

Yet if you’re honest with yourself, there’s probably something that still whispers to you.

Maybe it’s writing a book.

Starting a business.

Teaching.

Creating art.

Traveling.

Mentoring.

Volunteering.

Whatever it is, chances are you’ve thought about it more than once.

Von’s message is that those recurring dreams aren’t random. They’re invitations.

Fear Is Often Disguised as Practicality

Listening to Von describe her own hesitation made me think about how cleverly fear disguises itself.

We rarely tell ourselves, “I’m afraid.”

Instead, we say, “The timing isn’t right.”

“We’ll do it after retirement.”

“I don’t have enough experience.”

“I’m too old.”

“I should probably be realistic.”

Those thoughts sound logical, but they often keep us standing exactly where we are.

Von admitted that fear kept her from fully embracing stand-up comedy for years. It wasn’t because she lacked talent. It wasn’t because she didn’t love performing. It was because stepping into the unknown is uncomfortable, even when we know we’re moving toward something we’re meant to do.

Eventually, she reached a point where she realized she had a choice. She could continue wondering what might have been, or she could finally step on stage.

She chose the stage.

Looking back, she says she never wanted to get off.

I think that’s a lesson all of us can appreciate. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s deciding that your purpose matters more than your comfort.

How Grief Became the Beginning of a New Chapter

Our conversation also took a deeply personal turn as Von talked about losing her mother.

Grief has a way of changing us. It reshapes our priorities, our relationships, and often our understanding of ourselves. For Von, that loss became the catalyst for writing Fine Over Fifty.

She explained that she didn’t want to write another book filled with long chapters and complicated advice. Instead, she wanted to create something readers could pick up whenever they needed encouragement. Each page offers a brief reflection, a story, or an affirmation—something meaningful that speaks to whatever challenge a woman may be facing that day.

I loved that concept because healing rarely happens in one dramatic moment.

More often, it happens gradually. We read something that gives us hope. We have a conversation that changes our perspective. We make one small decision that leads to another. Over time, those moments begin to add up.

Von’s book acknowledges that life is messy while also reminding readers that difficult seasons don’t have to define the rest of their story.

Why Women Over 50 Need This Message

Hosting Living Ageless and Bold has introduced me to extraordinary women from every walk of life. While their careers and experiences are wildly different, one theme comes up again and again.

Women over 50 are asking different questions.

They’re no longer focused on proving themselves.

They’re focused on becoming themselves.

That’s why Von’s message resonated so strongly with me.

She isn’t encouraging women to become someone new. She’s encouraging them to become the person they’ve quietly known they were all along.

There’s a big difference.

Too often, society tells women that reinvention means changing everything about ourselves. Von sees it differently. She believes reinvention is about stripping away the expectations, fears, and self-doubt that have accumulated over the years until we’re finally free to live authentically.

I think many women reach this realization in midlife. After decades of living according to everyone else’s expectations, we finally begin asking what we truly want.

And that’s a beautiful place to begin.

Faith, Purpose, and Trusting the Journey

Faith played an important role throughout our conversation.

Von spoke openly about believing that God places unique gifts inside each of us and that those gifts are meant to be shared.

Whether your faith looks exactly like hers or not, I think the underlying principle is universal.

Every person has something meaningful to contribute.

The challenge is trusting yourself enough to offer it.

So often, we wait until we feel completely ready before taking the next step. We want certainty before we act.

Life rarely works that way.

The women I’ve interviewed over the past few years didn’t become successful because they had every answer before they began. They became successful because they were willing to take the first step without knowing exactly where the path would lead.

Von’s journey is no different.

She trusted the calling before she could see the outcome.

That’s what faith often looks like.

What Fine Over Fifty Really Means

The title of Von’s book immediately made me smile.

Fine Over Fifty isn’t just a clever phrase. It’s a mindset.

It challenges the outdated belief that life somehow becomes smaller after 50. Instead, it suggests that this season can be one of confidence, wisdom, growth, and purpose.

I couldn’t agree more.

Every week I meet women launching companies, writing books, starting podcasts, traveling the world, mentoring younger generations, and pursuing dreams they set aside years ago.

They’re not winding down.

They’re just getting started.

Von’s story fits beautifully into that narrative because she reminds us that purpose doesn’t come with an expiration date. In fact, many of us don’t fully embrace our calling until we’ve lived enough life to appreciate it.

The Lesson I’ll Carry Forward

Every guest leaves me with something to think about, but Von left me with a sentence I suspect I’ll remember for a very long time.

“Your purpose will haunt you until you answer it.”

The more I think about those words, the more I realize how true they are.

Purpose has a way of patiently waiting. It doesn’t disappear because life gets busy or because fear convinces us to wait for a better time. It simply keeps returning, asking us to trust ourselves enough to begin.

Maybe that’s why so many women over 50 find themselves drawn to new adventures, businesses, creative pursuits, and passions they once thought were behind them.

Perhaps those dreams were never gone.

Perhaps they were simply waiting.

If you’ve been feeling that gentle nudge toward something bigger, I hope you’ll take Von’s advice to heart. Don’t dismiss it because of your age. Don’t assume you’ve missed your chance. Don’t let fear make the decision for you.

Sometimes the life you’re meant to live has been calling your name all along.

You simply have to answer.

If you haven’t listened to my conversation with Von Decarlo yet, I hope you’ll join us on this week’s episode of Living Ageless and Bold. I have a feeling you’ll come away inspired, encouraged, and maybe even a little more willing to listen to the voice that’s been quietly guiding you for years.

You can watch her full episode here: