Hi all. Preet here from London, England. Just joined the group. I'm 59 and was recently laid off from an 18-year tech job. Looking to reinvent myself as a writer now. 3 months into my journey. Lots of invisible progress and small encouraging signs, but now looking to create publishable work, put it out there and see what doors open for me.😀

We’re glad you’re here. This space is for creators 40+ who want to explore AI as a partner in writing, storytelling, and business. Take a moment to share: - Who you are - What you’re working on (big or small) - One way you’d like AI to support your creative work - share a picture of your workspace! No pressure—keep it short and simple. This is just a place to start the conversation. Looking forward to meeting you,Jason

I got my start in IT the 1990s. I learned and grew into bigger roles. I ran endpoint security for a fortune 500 company. And then I moved up to a Fortune one company consulting to their endpoint security architectural update for 320,000 nodes. But then two years working for the world’s largest dedicated security company broke me. I sustained a serious back injury from working 100 hours a week to meet a deadline. Then that company got bought out by private equity and started laying off in droves. Luckily a friend of mine dusted me off and put me back to work and I got debt free. However that consulting work would end badly when I was terminated illegally. I had no idea how bad the white collar recession was until I had to try to find a job in it. 1000 applications and counting. The whole time I was working in IT I was also accumulating real estate. After my injury (that insurance would not cover) and workers comp had expired (in just one year in Texas), I was scared because I couldn’t take care of the buildings myself and with 25 units and having a property manager in each of three states was unwieldy. Especially when they steal from you. So I sold all of the real estate and luckily I have a small income. Still it’s not enough to properly provide for my wife and I which is embarrassing. So I’m probably leaving IT security for more passive income source. I found a property near me that is actually a six unit RV park. The price is right and since it is USDA rural I can get it with no money down. My banker was out on Friday because his wife is having a baby and it will be their third child. I think this approach is going to work better for me because sitting at a computer(standing, yoga ball) for so long has taken its toll. Thankfully I have the real estate investment experience and luckily somehow my credit is still quite good. So here’s to hoping. I think after expenses this property should bring in about $2000 per month. And that plus my small residual income should be enough for my wife and I to live comfortably in Bali if we want to. Absolutely fell in love with that place… And then with her :)

Dear Group: I wish everyone a good Martin Luther King Day! We had an interesting concept come up in yesterday's coffee hour: the idea that many of us are introverts, so that may be a challenge for us. I imagine that, if some of us want to become influencers and post videos, or maybe even engage in public speaking events, that may also be an issue. I would like to offer a thought, in case it is helpful. Back in high school, some people were surprised that I used to act in middle school. They thought that I was too shy and quiet to perform on stage. What they did not realize was that acting on stage felt, paradoxically, like one of the most private things I ever did - because I felt like I was not exposing myself. I was playing a role, acting as a character. So, I wonder if that might help us if we want to do presentations or engage in public speaking? What if we were to play a role, present a character, instead of exposing ourselves? Having said that - I wonder if some people might want to rebel against what I am saying - and make an effort to be as authentic and themselves as much as possible! Thank you very much for your time and attention.