Lorraine C. Ladish of Viva Fifty Media on Building a Midlife Content Platform and Six Figure Brand Partnerships

Lorraine C. Ladish is the Founder of Viva Fifty Media, a digital platform dedicated to inspiring women in midlife through storytelling, wellness, and active aging. A bilingual writer, journalist, author, and content creator, Lorraine has spent her entire career working independently while building a brand that empowers women to embrace reinvention at every stage of life.

Through Viva Fifty Media, Lorraine partners with major brands while creating authentic content for a highly engaged community of women navigating midlife and beyond. Based in Sarasota, Florida, she runs the business alongside her husband and cofounder, photographer and writer Phillippe Diederich.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I’m Lorraine C. Ladish, a Hispanic bilingual (English–Spanish) writer, digital creator, and founder of Viva Fifty Media. I’ve worked for myself my entire adult life, building a career around storytelling, wellness, and active aging. Over the past decade, I’ve grown my company into a platform that partners with major brands while creating content that inspires women in midlife and beyond. My work spans social media, publishing, and speaking, and my mission is to show that reinvention is possible at any stage of life. I’m based in Sarasota, Florida, where I run my business alongside my husband, Phillippe Diederich, who is also a photographer and writer.

Do you have a co-founder?

Yes. My co-founder is my husband. He is a professional photographer and writer, which makes our partnership a great fit for the kind of work I do. We complement each other creatively and we understand how the other thinks. What we do not love is the business side of business, and that part can be challenging.

My best partnership tip is to be very clear about what each person brings to the table. Play to each other’s strengths and be honest about your weak spots. Communication matters more than anything. And give each other grace, because building something together requires patience and teamwork, even on the days when the fun parts feel far away.

Are you a mamaprenista?

Yes. When my kids were young, they were part of everything. They came with me to meetings, events and even TV appearances. I treated it as completely normal and never apologized for having them with me. I showed up professionally and kept moving forward, and people adjusted.

My best advice is to stop trying to hide motherhood while you build a business. Let your kids be part of your world. It teaches them resilience and it frees you from trying to meet impossible expectations.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

When I launched my business, I already had a strong network in the digital, publishing and PR worlds. People knew my work ethic and the kind of content I created, so reaching out to them was my first step. I also leaned heavily on social media. In many ways my entire business was built around showing up online, sharing valuable content, and staying consistent. It was not a perfectly mapped out plan, but it worked. My relationships, reputation and social presence helped the business grow faster than I expected. 

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I always knew I did not want a traditional job. I tried a few early on, even in fields I truly liked, but I never lasted more than a month. I have always valued freedom and flexibility over a steady paycheck. Growing up, I watched my father run his language schools and he was always working. I told myself I would never do what he did. I ended up becoming an entrepreneur anyway, just in my own way. I built a career that lets me create, write, and work for myself on my own terms.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Even though my main business model is paid sponsorships, about 90 percent of what I share across all my platforms is not sponsored. I am proud of that because it means I get to show up for my audience in a natural and honest way. I am not constantly selling something, which takes the pressure off and keeps my relationship with my community rooted in trust. That balance is one of the biggest reasons my business has grown and why my audience stays engaged.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

My go-to question is simple: Do you charge by the hour or by the project? I prefer project-based work because it gives both of us clarity, structure and a shared expectation from the start. Hourly work can get messy and unpredictable, and I like knowing exactly what the deliverable is and what the cost will be.

My biggest hiring tip is to look for people who communicate clearly and deliver when they say they will. Skill matters, but reliability and consistency matter more. I also pay attention to how someone handles feedback. The right collaborators make the work easier, not harder.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Before launching my own company, I spent years working as a writer, editor, and content creator across print, digital, and traditional media. I published books in both English and Spanish, contributed to major outlets, and built a career around storytelling long before social media existed. I also taught yoga and freelanced in anything that allowed me to stay independent. I’ve essentially worked for myself my whole adult life, always finding a way to combine creativity, communication, and entrepreneurship. All of that experience eventually became the foundation for Viva Fifty Media.

Do you have any recent wins?

Yes. I run a very small business with a very small team, mainly my agent and a couple of contractors I work with regularly. Even so, my first six-figure partnership surprised me. As a 62-year-old content creator, that has been a powerful reminder that age is not a limitation. Brands are responding to the value, experience, and trust I bring to the table. Being bilingual in English and Spanish has also opened doors and allowed me to reach a wider audience. These wins feel especially meaningful because I have built all of this independently and on my own terms.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

WhatsApp, mainly because it helps me stay in touch with friends and family in Spain, where I was born.

What's your top productivity tip?

Setting time aside on my calendar to focus. And for sure, prioritizing consistency over time.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I take care of myself. Right now I live a fairly balanced life and I make time for sleep, movement, and my emotional, physical and mental health. But it took years of hustle to get to this point. There is a time for pushing hard and a time for protecting your energy. I joined Entreprenista because I was starting to feel the early signs of burnout and I knew I needed community. Having support, connection and space to learn from other women has made a big difference in how I manage my workload and stay grounded..

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Take action before you think you are ready. A lot of people take courses, read books and talk about their plans, but then they stay stuck for years. In my experience, the most important thing is to start. You can adjust and learn along the way, but nothing happens until you take that first step.

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Lorraine C. Ladish has built a thriving digital media business by staying consistent, prioritizing authentic storytelling, and nurturing long term relationships with her audience and brand partners. Her journey proves that reinvention, creativity, and entrepreneurship have no age limit.

If you are a woman founder looking to grow your business while connecting with a powerful network of female entrepreneurs, Entreprenista provides the community and resources to help you scale with confidence. Learn more about joining Entreprenista League.