I'm Starting a YouTube Channel at 57 — And I'm Taking You With Me
I have a confession to make.
A few weeks ago I had no website, no blog, no Pinterest, and absolutely no idea what affiliate marketing even meant.
Today I have all of those things. And now I'm adding one more.
I'm starting a YouTube channel. At 57. And I have no idea exactly how it's going to go — but I'm doing it anyway.
If that scares you a little on my behalf, good. It scares me too. But here's what I've learned in this wild, wonderful journey of building Her Retirement Life from scratch — the things that scare us the most are usually the things most worth doing.
So let's talk about why I'm doing this, how I'm setting it up, and how you can start your own YouTube channel too if this is something you've ever dreamed about.
Why I'm Starting YouTube at 57
Because our voices matter.
Because there are millions of women over 50 out there searching for content that actually speaks to them — not content made by 25 year olds guessing at what our lives look like.
Because YouTube is one of the most powerful platforms for building a real audience and a real income — and I want both of those things.
And honestly? Because I have things to say. About beauty and fashion and menopause and money and retirement and what it feels like to reinvent yourself in your 50s. And I'm done waiting for the perfect moment to say them.
The perfect moment is right now.
What My Channel Will Be About
Her Retirement Life on YouTube will be an extension of everything I'm already doing here on the blog — just with my face and my voice and my real life on camera.
You can expect:
Honest product reviews for beauty, skincare and fashion
Real talk about menopause — the things nobody else is saying out loud
How I'm building income in retirement — including this blog and YouTube itself
Home decor finds and tours
Budget tips and financial real talk for women our age
And my personal journey — the wins, the struggles, the lessons
No filters. No pretending. Just real Kerry, figuring it out alongside you.
How I'm Setting It Up — Step by Step
In case you're thinking about starting your own YouTube channel, here's exactly what I'm doing:
Step 1 — Create your channel. Go to YouTube.com, sign in with your Google account, click your profile picture and select Create a Channel. Choose a custom name — mine is Her Retirement Life.
Step 2 — Set up your branding. Upload a profile photo — use a warm smiling picture of yourself. Create a channel banner in Canva at 2048 x 1152 pixels. Write a channel description that tells people exactly who you are and what you'll be talking about.
Step 3 — Set up your channel watermark. This is a small logo that appears in the corner of every video. I had mine designed and it features the Her Retirement Life flower logo — subtle but branded.
Step 4 — Plan your first video. My first video is going to be a simple welcome — who I am, what this channel is about, and why I started it at 57. That's it. Nothing fancy. Just me talking to camera like I'm talking to a friend.
Step 5 — Just press record. This is the hardest step and the most important one. The first video doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to exist.
What You Need to Start — Less Than You Think
Here's the beautiful truth about starting a YouTube channel in 2026 — you don't need expensive equipment. You don't need a studio. You don't need to be an expert in anything except your own life.
Here's all I'm starting with:
My smartphone camera — it shoots beautiful video
A sunny window for natural lighting — completely free
A clean corner of my home as my background
My voice and my story — nobody else has those
That's it. Everything else can come later as the channel grows.
The Income Potential — Why This Matters
I want to be honest with you about why YouTube is part of my plan — because I think transparency matters and I know many of you are thinking about your own income in retirement.
YouTube can generate income in several ways:
Once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours you can apply to the YouTube Partner Program and earn money from ads on your videos.
Every video description is also an opportunity to include affiliate links — so when I review a skincare product I love and link to it, I can earn a commission if you purchase through my link.
Brand partnerships and sponsorships become available as your channel grows — companies will pay you to feature their products in your videos.
And your YouTube channel drives traffic back to your blog — where even more income opportunities live.
It's all connected. Every platform feeds the others. And it all starts with one video.
Follow My Journey
I'm going to be completely transparent about this whole process — what's working, what isn't, how many subscribers I have, what I'm learning.
Because I think the most valuable thing I can offer you isn't a polished success story. It's a real one. In real time.
If you've ever thought about starting a YouTube channel — whether you're 50, 57, 65 or beyond — I want you to know that it's not too late. It's actually the perfect time.
Subscribe to my channel, follow me here on the blog, and let's do this together.
Because if I can figure this out, I promise you can too. 💛
— Kerry
P.S. — My first video goes up soon. Subscribe to Her Retirement Life on YouTube so you don't miss it!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you
