A true story about losing the map, finding a muse, and building six sites when the world said “retire already.”
Grab a cop of coffee and enjoy this post…
🕰️ 2020 — When the World Hit Pause (and I Didn’t)
In 2020, life threw us a curveball nobody saw coming.
I was 59, supposedly at the peak of my career, when the world hit pause. COVID-19 didn’t just disrupt—it dismantled everything I’d come to rely on.
One moment, I was “experienced,” offering wisdom born of years of grind. Next, I was told I was too pricey, too senior, not in line with the “new direction.” (Translation: “Let’s hire someone half your age with twice your caffeine.”)
Economists called it “labor market disruption.” On SettingPoints, which I’d later create, I called it what it felt like: an identity mugging.
Losing income hurts. But losing everything else? That’s a special kind of bruise.
There’s nothing quite like watching your life’s work rebranded as “obsolete.” Overnight, what should have been my golden years turned into The Gray Apocalypse, where job security evaporated into thin air.
If 2020 was the crash, 2021–2022 was the hum—the refrigerator buzz of uncertainty you can’t un-hear. Under-employed became my title. I did gigs, consulted, rewrote résumés until I forgot my own name.
Inside my head ran a loop: “You’ve still got it.” – “Do you?” “Yes.” – “Prove it.”
Somewhere between pep talk and cross-examination.
Then came the headlines: AI will replace workers.
Well, that’s comforting. Anything else you want to take, 2020s?
If you’re nodding, you’re not alone.
Many of us stood at the same crossroads, confidence shaken, finances spiraling, staring into an uncertain future.
But there’s a glimmer of hope: you can join me and forge a new path forward. Use this upheaval as your catalyst. Acknowledge the hurt, but let it fuel reinvention instead of defining defeat.
Blogging in the Dark: Finding a New Path
By 2023, dread had replaced panic. Unable to retire and struggling to find steady work, I was surviving on sporadic gigs and rapidly depleting savings.
So, I turned to the one thing I knew—writing.
Without a plan, I launched SettingPoints.com, a virtual lifeline in what felt like an endless abyss. Late nights became early mornings as I tried to make sense of a life radically altered. One of the first posts that I wrote I Am 62 and Can’t Retire is on Medium.
Along the way, I found the Wealthy Affiliate community—a kind of group therapy for creators like me.
People my age, equally brilliant and battle-weary, kept asking the same haunting question:
“What now?”
It was sobering but also comforting. We weren’t alone.
If you’re feeling lost, reach out. Comment below, start blogging, join a group, talk to peers. Connection is a real stabilizer. The road ahead might be uphill both ways, but swapping stories turns it from a solo climb into a group hike—with Banana Tacos and bad jokes.
The Spark: A New Era of Possibility
Navigating life after 2020 was like surfing in a storm with a broken board. Every day felt like a struggle to stay afloat, especially when headlines screamed about AI taking over jobs. In May 2023, I made a choice. I joined Wealthy Affiliate. Writing is my release. I made this plunge; it was an excuse to explore Artificial Intelligence. What is this “AI” that everyone is talking about? If I am going down, I am going down in flames!
The more I saw, the more I read, the more I understood. The people were wrong. AI is insidious and invasive, but it is also an open microphone on mic night. That is when it hit me!
AI Will Not Replace You… Those Who Master AI Will!
It was like a slap in the face with its mix of challenge and promise. To this day, anyone who has trepidation about AI, I show them my sign.
I now employ five GPTs, gave them all nicknames. I use several image and video generators, have created a couple of AI agents, and am learning AI automation. The best is yet to come!
For anyone on this rocky path, facing the technological storm is non-negotiable. Ignoring AI is denying yourself an opportunity to rewrite your narrative. Start small. Familiarize yourself with the basics. Basic AI prompting will help. My prompts have turned into short stories. I ask you to take a course or read an article to open up new vistas. Remember, fear only has power as long as you let it control your choices. Rekindle your curiosity and see where it leads; it might just spark a new era in your life, too.
The old way is gone. Knowledge is Power is dead. My LinkedIn post sits at #1 in Google search. Knowledge-based careers like Bankers, Lawyers, and Accountants have had their lives dumped on their heads. Chatty can outmaneuver any trader, can pass the Bar Exam, and has a fresh MBA. All knowledge has been assimilated. Even a kid with a keyboard has Stephen Hawking’s theories at their fingertips. The real question now is
“What Are You Going to Do With That Power?”
Me – I am creating the One-Man, One Million Dollar Empire. Ask me for the road map. It is repeatable; I am following someone else’s blueprint. Others have already done it. There is no reason that I cannot.
With AI, everything is scalable. With 6 websites, Medium, Facebook, LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest, X, there is no shortage of content to create. All of these are image-based media platforms.
That is all good. But when you want to learn something, where do you go? Where do you get your information?
YouTube!
Meeting the Mentor: The Realm of Alchemy
Knowing that I really needed to get on YouTube, I started tinkering with the tools needed to create videos. The first was CapCut. Odd place to start, I know. Then I got OBS. It wasn’t what I was looking for at the time, either. I stumbled upon Canva. My pins and posts have better graphics. I was a Microsoft Designer user. Not sure what happened to that.
I learned to create some great images. If you can dream it, I can create it. The Setting Points Ad Agency is taking root.
When I started creating YouTube content and music videos, I wasn’t very good.
My first music video – Techno Tide Work the Waves
To this day, I still enjoy listening to this song. The video is all beach vibe.
Then I was blown away.
I saw a video that was professional quality, told a story, and looked like I wished mine did. I was hooked.
Discover The Creative Secrets
When I see someone who actually knows what they’re doing, I follow the breadcrumbs. Setting Points is Niche Selection. Creator Secrets is Video Production.
That’s how I ended up in Skool. watched the video, clicked the links, joined the circus.
Two months in, you can already see the change on my YouTube Channel. I’ve gone from fumbling with filters to feeling like a concept creator who tells the tech what to do instead of hiding from it. I launched my first ad campaign for “Love Scent,” a pheromone that delivers confidence.
Mixing the stories from my sites with AI and video suddenly made sense. It wasn’t another “platform to master”; it was another way to warn the world about The Gray Apocalypse, Digital Identification, Living in the Age of AI, and share the fixes I’ve been building.
Sure, the early videos looked like witness-protection footage, but persistence is a fine editor. Each flop taught me a trick; each half-decent upload built confidence.
If you’re stuck, find mentors who make you uncomfortable in a good way—courses, communities, even a random book that dares you to think differently.
That’s where alchemy starts: when curiosity finally outweighs fear and you stop dreaming about transformation and start living it.
Dancing with a Muse & AI Avatars
My YouTube channel needed a face that was better than mine.
Let’s be honest, people click on personality before they click on wisdom.
That’s when I discovered the power of avatars.
The channels I admired all had them. Digital stand-ins that could work 24/7, never needed coffee that you had to brew, and always look camera-ready.
So I built my own cast: Skogsrå, MiniMe, and Elle—each one representing a different facet of my creative world.
- Skogsrå – She’s the mystic in the mix, the voice of nature and intuition, reminding me to keep things real.
- MiniMe brings the humor and humanity, the version of me that still burns toast but never quits.
- Elle is the muse and mentor, the calm presence that asks better questions and grabs your attention.
Soon there’ll be a chamber for 20 cryptids, each tuned to a different niche, all spreading the message that experience still matters in the age of AI. – Curator, AlchemMyst.com
Avatars gave me something priceless: Creative Freedom.
They speak when I’m tired, they scale when I can’t, and they let the work shine brighter than my haircut ever could.
If you’re stuck in front of a camera or fighting perfectionism, consider building your own digital doubles. They do not need retakes and will never second-guess you.
They will give your ideas a face, give your experience a voice, and give you confidence once your imagination steps on stage.
How to Think Clearly in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
This skill set will be needed. AI is already finishing our sentences, planning our day, and for some, replying to all of our messages. How can we protect our minds from decay and underuse?
The answer is AlchemMyst.com — a digital sanctuary where twenty female cryptids deliver lifestyle guidance for people learning to adapt to this new era. Each represents a different human strength — intuition, curiosity, restraint, courage, transformation — and teaches how those ancient instincts can still ground us amid modern automation and nonthinking.
The goal of this site was never mysticism. It was survival! Using mythic symbols as mirrors for what AI can’t replicate: awareness, empathy, and meaning.
AlchemMyst is evolving into a workshop of rediscovery — where people displaced by AI learned to use imagination and myth as stabilizing tools for modern uncertainty.
So, if you’re standing where I once stood — tired, curious, and maybe a little ticked off at how fast the world moves — this is your invitation:
Find your own version of Elle. Let curiosity drive the car, not fear.
Becoming an alchemist of your own life isn’t magic — it’s a choice.
The moment you decide to learn, experiment, and connect, the impossible starts looking suspiciously doable.
The road is open. Step onto it with both feet and a grin.
The Return: Two Roads, One Fire
So here I stand — a 64-year-old man with a laptop, a few avatars, and a stubborn streak that refuses to retire.
Five years ago, I was wondering if I’d ever be relevant again.
Now, I run an ecosystem of websites, teach AI alchemy, and trade jokes with Elle and a small army of digital sirens.
Turns out, reinvention isn’t a young man’s game. It’s a brave one.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably standing at your own crossroads.
I know that look — the one that says,
“I’m not done yet, I just need a map.” – Good news: I’ve got two for you.
📝 The Blogger’s Path — Tell Your Story, Build Your Voice
If you’re ready to start small but real — to tell your story, build a blog, grow some socials, and maybe even light up a YouTube channel — follow The Blogger’s Path.
That’s the same route I took through Wealthy Affiliate, where I learned how to turn words into traction. It’s where the comeback begins: one post, one idea, one honest paragraph at a time.
⚗️ The AlchemMyst’s Path — Master the Formula, Command the Tools
If you’re already dreaming bigger — if you want to master AI, design your own system, or even hire me to help craft your campaigns — step into The Alchemyst’s Path.
That’s where I follow The Creator Secret System, the same method that rebuilt my world and gave birth to Elle, Skogsrå, and MiniMe.
Together, we’ll turn your experience into leverage, your voice into power, and your ideas into digital gold.
The Final Word
You don’t need permission to start again.
You don’t need the perfect plan.
You just need a spark and the nerve to chase it.
Because here’s the truth I learned the hard way:
AI Will Not Replace You… Those Who Master AI Will.
That line saved me. Maybe it’ll save you, too.
So pick your path — Blogger or Alchemyst — and start.
The future isn’t coming for you.
It’s waiting on you.
