Licensed realtor Basia Vanderveen joins Sherrilynne Starkie in episode four of the 50 Women Over 50 podcast, to discuss life in their fifth decade.
Basia is on a quest to keep her energy high and sees age as more of a mental state than a physical one. After a 25-year successful career in marketing and communications, she changed tracks to go into real estate. She’s having a blast in her new career and is finding it opens up tremendous opportunity for personal growth.
“There’s so much personal growth that happens in real estate because it’s relationship after relationship after relationship and each one is very different,” Basia explains. “But truly, you have to know yourself to be able to relate to others. Real estate gives me opportunities for personal growth every day, and I’m always learning.”
In this interview, she shares with us a little of her own journey through her fifties and talks about the importance of having a supportive community at any age.
Listen here:
About Basia Vanderveen:
Basia Vanderveen, MBA, is a licenced Realtor and broker with Royal LePage Performance Realty and is in the top 10% of Royal LePage Agents in Ottawa. (Full disclosure: Basia was my agent when we sold my Mom’s house last year. She was excellent. My family was very happy with the service provided). She lives in Ottawa with her husband Tim and their two teenagers.
Resources & Contact Information:
- About Basia
- Royal Lepage Performance Realty
- Alone
- Dyna Vynk
- Basia’s Twitter
- Basia’s Instagram
- Basia’s Facebook
- Nicole Allen
About the 50 Women Over 50 Podcast:
Sherrilynne Starkie started this show as a creative project with the goal of interviewing 50 women past their 50th birthday to learn how they see the world, what lessons they’ve learned and what advice they have for us all. She’s been blogging and podcasting for 18+ years as part of a successful marketing and communications career and looks forward to learning from the women she will interview.
Subscribe to 50 Women Over 50 wherever you get your podcasts and please share it with your friends.
Machine Generated Transcript
What follows is a machine generated transcript. It may contain errors and is not a substitute for listening to the podcast.
50 Women Over 50 Podcast Episode 4
[00:00:00] Sherrilynne: Hello, and welcome to episode four of 50 women over 50. A podcast for women whose personal confidence is born of experience. I’m your host, Sherrilynne Starkie. My goal with this podcast is to interview 50 fantastic women who are over 50 years of age to learn how they see the world, what lessons they’ve learned and what advice they have for us. All.
Today. I am welcoming to the show. Basia Vanderveen, a woman who is always on a quest to keep her energy high and who sees age as more of a mental state than a physical one. I’ve invited her on the show because I’m fascinated to learn why after 25 year long career in marketing communications, she decided to change, track and become a licensed realtor. In this interview, Basia confirms that she’s having a blast in her new career and is finding so much personal growth through it.
Today I am so excited to have Basia Vanderveen join me on the show. Welcome to the show.
[00:01:07] Basia: Baha. Thanks very much, Sherry Lynn.
It’s great to be here.
[00:01:14] Sherrilynne: So, for all the listeners out there Basia, and I know each other quite well, we’ve been friends ever since I came back to Canada about 11 years ago. Formerly she was a marketing and communications professional, but she’s made a major change in her life, and we’re going to hear about that a little bit later.
But that’s one of the reasons why I asked her to come on the call. I’m so excited for you to be here to tell me all about life in your fifties.
[00:01:42] Basia: This is a great project that you’ve started. So, I’ve enjoyed the, I think there’ve been two episodes so far and I’ve really liked them, so Oh, I’m glad to, It
[00:01:50] Sherrilynne: continues. Yeah. The feedback so far has been really positive and I’m having fun doing it, which is the main thing. So Good for you. I’m going to keep on, So tell me about your 50th birthday party.
What did you do to celebrate?
[00:02:03] Basia: Well, I had 50, right? At the pandemic, I think it was locked in number two. So, we didn’t have a big party. I decided to have, 50 little, tiny parties. So, I just met up with as many people one on one for, mostly for walks. From what I remember I don’t think we had anything huge at all because nobody was getting together, and we were all gathering outside.
We were told, Don’t meet, don’t meet inside Indoor. Oh yeah. Yeah, but that’s okay. I, I had a series of little, tiny gatherings and my biggest happiest moment was getting together with close friends for a hike when it was possible to do that. And not only did we do a great hike, but my friends.
Brought cupcake champagne. And although I, I think officially it’s not allowed, so let’s not tell anyone, but, but they did sneak a little bit of champagne on a hike and brought me to a lookout and they actually gifted me a, a commission painting. That was a view of the Lookout by Nicole Allen. And it was just such a moving moment for me that, you didn’t need a, a party and it was a party of its own kind, during pandemic times, but it was really wonder.
It
[00:03:13] Sherrilynne: sounds wonderful. What a great way to, to mark a milestone like that going out into nature and sounds like your friends give you a really thoughtful present. Yeah. I’m enjoying asking my guests this question because there’s such a, a wide range of, of responses. I don’t think I’ve had anyone yet that said, Yeah, we had a big bash
Like nobody has
[00:03:35] Basia: said that. Okay.
[00:03:38] Sherrilynne: So, in the lead up to turning 50, did you do anything to prepare? Like for example, when I was coming up to my fifties, I was like, I am not going to be fat in 50. So I went on a really strict diet, took off some weight, and, and because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to be fat and 50 and so I started like six months out, try to take some weight off.
Did you do anything
[00:04:02] Basia: like, So when I was turning 40 I, well before I was headed for 40, I decided to celebrate 39 instead. So, for me, it’s like, well, let’s celebrate, the exiting of the decade as opposed to the entrance. Since I did, I didn’t know what that was bring, so it was kind of fun to mark 39, and I think I marked 49 from what I recall.
But age is I know we’re focused on age here, but age is a mental state and I think for me it’s ongoing. Challenge to myself to stay as useful as possible physically and mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and keep the energy up. So, I’m always on the quest to keep my energy high despite the year, or age, I often forget my age.
Actually, today somebody asked me how old I was and, and I had to think about it. My birthday’s not that far away, so I, I gave a number and I thought, Is it, I have to double check. But anyway, long answer.
[00:05:02] Sherrilynne: No good answer though. So, you weren’t stressed out about it, and it wasn’t on your mind. You just kind of take life as it comes and
[00:05:07] Basia: go with the flow?
I think so, yeah.
[00:05:11] Sherrilynne: That’s a great, a great attitude to have. Now that you’re into your fifties has anything surprised you about life as 50 years.
[00:05:24] Basia: Yeah, I, I’m sure if it weren’t for a pandemic and lockdowns, this conversation would be very different. But we’ve all had our challenges and raising two teens and watching them go through the lockdowns and school being in and out and their struggles.
So, I’m 52 now and. It’s been interesting discovering what 50, 50 plus means. It’s there are a lot of things that come with the package. It’s, I’m happy to be here overall.
There are some pain points and some happy points. You let go of a lot of things that you used to worry about, which is nice, but at the same time, there are a lot of physical points that come with the territory that you have to manage. And there’s. One of the reasons why I decided to come on the podcast was because I think we can learn a lot from one another.
. Listening to Dyna made me realize, It’s the best way to learn. I have friends who tell me what they’ve experienced, and it’s often the primary source of information about our age, about our experiences, about what to expect and.
I think that is still valuable, that we need more of that. So, if you get, a hundred women over 50 talking about their experiences as we are doing today, I think that would be so wonderful and I’ll certainly encourage my friends to, to come and chat with you and to share their experiences and we can all learn from one another.
Cause I’ve certainly learned a lot, and I won’t get into details here, but it is certainly. Having conversations because our doctors don’t always give us the solutions applicable to our own personal experience. As great as they, they are. And you just, everybody’s different, right? So, we all have something that we can take from one another and apply it and try different things again.
[00:07:13] Sherrilynne: I’m really glad for that kind of feedback actually, because that’s, part of the inspiration for this podcast is it, it kind of stems from the pandemic because I’ve been here at my desk working away for two and a half, almost three years now. And not getting a chance to connect with my peers the way I would’ve in the previous life.
So not having these conversations as we’re going through these struggles and challenges and, and high points and low points of life in this decade. And so, I’m hoping with the, the podcast is kind of reconnect with a bunch of friends and, and actually have these conversations because if it, if the pandemic had never happened, we’d be.
Getting together for coffee and stuff over the last couple of years and having these conversations. So, there’s that. And then the second thing, what you say there is so true about the fact that Our doctors are like, When’s the last time you saw your doctor in person again?
A pandemic thing. I haven’t seen my doctor in person I don’t think, since
[00:08:10] Basia: I actually did. I went not long ago. I think it’s in the last two weeks, but I actually couldn’t reach my doctor for about two years. The phone was either busy or no one was picking up, and I was shocked to get an appointment and I was glad I got an appointment because I needed it.
And it is related to age and, physical things changes. And so, I was really glad to go and check, check and see with doctor.
, but for the partying and get getting together and talking, I am. I love hiking,
I just love to get together with a friend and have conversation over an hour hike, two-hour hike.. when it is possible and I benefit so much from firsthand experiences and, if it weren’t for the pandemic, as I do like a good party. And I love getting people together and I love those personal exchanges.
And if it weren’t for the pandemic, I’d have all the women friends overall, all the time, or at least, way more often Than we have been.
[00:09:08] Sherrilynne: Well, I’m hoping that this this podcast will spur some conversations For sure. And then you make people feel a bit more a part of a community and a little bit less isolated.
[00:09:20] Basia: I think it has already. And you’ve just started, so carry on. Good.
What
[00:09:25] Sherrilynne: advice would you give to your 30-year-old self?
[00:09:29] Basia: Be bold. Definitely be bold Actually, now that I think of it, there’s personal life that we’re talking about and there’s also professional life, when I was growing up and through university, we were taught, you get a job, you get a job, you follow it.
Career path. It was a formula that, that I. With and stuck too. And I think if more people did what their passion calls them to do and what they’re happy doing, then I think the world will be a better place. Instead of sitting in an office or a cubicle. Not that that many people are sitting in cubicles these days, but instead of following that prescribed path, Just follow your heart and your passion and your interest when the time is right and if, and if the, the situation permits it.
Then if you can be fulfilled, you might just find that the jump off that cliff is well worth it.
[00:10:18] Sherrilynne: Yeah. Well, let’s talk about that a little bit because I know that you’ve changed your career path dramatically from being in marketing and communications, Although what you’re doing now is really a lot of marketing.
But Yep. Tell, tell us a little bit about how, what, what was the change that you made and how did you come to the decision to do it and how, how much fun are you having?
[00:10:39] Basia: Yeah. Yeah. I’m, I’m, I certainly am. Yeah, it was a big change, but. It wasn’t, it wasn’t at the same time because I’ve never communicated more now than I do now, you know?
Right, right. I was in communications marketing for about 25 years, but I do more of that now than, than I ever did before creating strategies for companies and individuals. So, for me, it was, I followed my interest in real estate. I, I initially took the training in 2012. Quite some time ago. But then I got a promotion at work.
And this situation at home, our kids were young, and they needed our attention. It was just too much for me to get into at the time. So, it took me a while to actually have the right conditions to pursue a career in real estate. When I dove into it, in 2019 I came in with a listing from a good friend even before I had my license.
I just, she came to me and it happened to fall in my lap beautifully. I got my license and I, I had my first listing from the start. So, it’s been a wonderful three years. I mean, I’m doing what I enjoy. I’m getting great feedback. I’m able to support my family as. And I’m having a blast.
So, it, of course, lockdowns and pandemic. It took a, a short moment for me to realize that we could carry on the work because with the first lockdown we all sort of froze. And then my business coach said to me, a lot of agents are actually working more now because people are at home.
People have a need for bigger homes, different homes, home offices, et cetera. So once, once I heard that said, I thought, Okay, let’s go forward. And we, we had, the masks and the sanitizers and we didn’t meet, have open houses, but we could still work. So off I ran and being ambitious and goal oriented, I set off on my new career and it’s been a fantastic three years.
So, if you have an interest and you have a passion and you’re hesitant, I would, I will say to anyone, just, just follow that.
[00:12:45] Sherrilynne: Very good advice. So, you’re two years into your real estate career now. Three, three years into residential real estate here in the Ottawa area. Yep. And what’s the biggest lesson that you’ve learned from, from this experience?
[00:12:57] Basia: Maybe I haven’t learned it yet.
let’s, let be humble. There’s so much personal growth that happens with real estate because it’s relationship after relationship after relationship and every relationship is very different. But you have to truly know yourself in order to be able to relate to. So that’s I have opportunities every day for personal growth, and I love to always learn.
So, I’m always looking for new marketing savvy. I was in training this morning, actually, we were talking about systems and technology. There’s always new technology, so it keeps you on your toes, it keeps you young. So, I, I love that aspect. Okay. But it’s really in sales, you’re in home sales, you’re, you’re dealing with all kinds of people.
And so, there’s learning every. It sounds like you’re having a good time.
[00:13:48] Sherrilynne: I’m loving it, That’s good. That’s good. Where do you see yourself in 10 years then?
[00:13:55] Basia: Great question. I don’t I don’t. No, but I, I, the 50 and 60 being such big milestones that I told myself, I’ll see how, let’s say, how things go in a decade because it takes three years just about to set up a new, new business, right?
So, I’ve had those three years and I’ve seen A significant amount of growth over the past two years. So, I, I hope to continue to grow that. I’ve done beautifully this year. I worked really hard. It’s been a lot of pressure in the market that we had.
I don’t know what the market will bring next year, so we’ll see. But I’ll continue to work hard, and I hope that over 10 years I can have a, I think it’s my fourth career now, really considering the different. Sectors that I’ve worked in. So, I hope to have a fulfilling 10 years and I hope that my family will prosper and grow and stay healthy because health it’s so important.
So that’s really critical. I’m watching my teens now closely and I deal with issues here and there, so I hope that everybody will help be healthy.
[00:14:57] Sherrilynne: And so, I raised my kids through their teenagers in a very different time, different kinds of stresses. It was in the two thousands when my kids were teenagers and yes, I was a child bride in case listeners wondering how the heck that happened.
But it was the September 11th and, and that kind of stuff, but I thought I was raising my kids through extraordinary times, but I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a teenager locked at home with your parents for two years, not seeing your friends, not doing any of the, your normal teenage life activities.
It’s a time in your life when you’re, when you’re testing the waters right, you’re becoming more independent. You’re doing more things on your own for yourself and, and I can imagine it’s just been. Struggle and ST. And stressful for the last couple of years. But thank goodness things are a little bit back to normal now.
Right. And kids are back at school, and they have the routines.
[00:15:55] Basia: Yep. It’s definitely hard, being really hard on them and on families and yeah, I hope that things turn around and. We never go back to lockdown.
[00:16:08] Sherrilynne: What are you most hopeful about the future?
[00:16:11] Basia: Health has been such a focal point, not only in the world, but in our home too. So, I, I would say health is, I want less cancer. I’m sure we all have a friend who’s suffering and struggling, and I want less of that. Oh, she’s going to make me cry now. Yeah. I want less of that. It’s, Health is the number one thing.
It, it doesn’t matter how much money we have, what, what else we accumulate, but if you don’t have health, you can’t enjoy it. So, healthy body, healthy mind, I hope that the resources are in place for a brighter future for our kids, our families, and that there’s just a little bit less suffering at least.
. I mean, not to sound somber and you, totally tragic. There’s so much to enjoy in the world and now that we can travel, I’m loving people’s travel pictures. I have friends who just left for Europe, and, and I love that people are moving around more.
So, there’s there is that I, I’m starting to think about it. Another trip down the road somewhere, maybe to New Zealand. I would love to visit New Zealand, maybe hop on a mountain bike if I can bike. There’s lots to be excited about and yeah.
[00:17:24] Sherrilynne: Agree. I’m excited for travel too. Done a little bit of traveling over the last six months, but next year’s my 30th wedding anniversary and I think we’re going to do a big trip of some sort to celebrate and we’re just starting to talk about it now.
I’m excited. That’s
[00:17:39] Basia: exciting. Do you have a valid passport? Cause I have to renew mine. That’s been a daunting task from my to-do list. Yeah.
[00:17:48] Sherrilynne: I do have a valid passport. I, I have two actually, one for Britain and one for Canada. But I do know people that are trying to get their passport renewed and it’s, it’s like we’re talking.
And processing time. Yeah, not weeks, so I’m not my guys. Okay. Anyone out there listening? If you need a passport in Canada, get your application in as soon as you can, because there’s no guarantees when you’ll get it.
[00:18:13] Basia: I’ll print the application today.
Okay. I’ll start that today.
[00:18:17] Sherrilynne: Okay. Quick round questions. What are you reading, watching, binging? What are, what are you enjoying in terms of content right now?
[00:18:28] Basia: So, work or pleasure. So, for, for pleasure. I went through the whole alone series.
I just love nature and survival and challenges. So that, I don’t know if you’ve ever watched prime, I watched them on Prime, but it was on the History Channel. I think originally. It’s a competition, survival competition out in nature. And so, these people volunteer. They’re. Trained to a certain extent in survival.
Like they have survival skills, but they were only allowed to take 10 things. And whoever lasts the longest won a half a million dollars. So, they go through, having to build a shelter and having to find food and catch fish to eat if there was water, et cetera. And I just, I just love the series.
They have, It’s all about the psychology of the human being, right when you’re left alone with a camera and what happens as you go through that experience of struggling. I found that fascinating for, for work. I spend a lot of time in the car these days, so I love to have a podcast or an audio book that’s easily accessible where I just turn it on in the car and I gain something.
20-minute ride gives me something for my brain. I was listening to digital marketing this is your area and. I just, when I’m showing homes and selling homes, I don’t have time. I could, This, this stuff takes so much time. I wish I could clone myself and have, the, the other me spend time learning because there’s so, there so many tools out there that and they change all the, there’s always.
[00:20:00] Sherrilynne: Is there an over 50 life hack that you’d like to. Life hack.
[00:20:06] Basia: Yeah. Maybe I don’t spend enough time on YouTube. Like my 15-year-old son, he has all the hacks. He is my life hack., the 15-year-old son, he, they’re really clever with YouTube. Sometimes I wonder because we were told all university education, that’s the number one value in life. And now I watch the 15-year-olds.
But during the pandemic I learned to build bikes and fix bike. Only thanks to YouTube and he actually managed to sell his services to neighbors who needed bike fixes when no one else was available. So yeah, my number one life hack is my 15-year-old son. How’s that? I love that
[00:20:39] Sherrilynne: answer. I love that and I, I’m with you there on the, on the whole YouTube thing.
I had a flat tire and I have never changed a tire and there was no one around to help me and I just, My iPad out to the car and watched it on YouTube and went step by step with the guy who was doing the instruction. And I got it done and it didn’t take forever, and I didn’t even get dirty, so.
[00:21:04] Basia: Wow. Good for you.
Is there
[00:21:06] Sherrilynne: anything I’m not asking you that you would like to share with our audience?
[00:21:10] Basia: Anybody’s listening, and they’re shy. And I know there are introverts and extroverts out there. And you have something to share. Please don’t be shy, because you never know when you’re going to touch someone who really needs to hear what you have to share. So, just like Dyna did for me, I, I, I made an appointment with Dyna right after the, the episode listening to it.
Excellent. So, you just never know. You just never know who’s going to benefit, who’s sitting at home alone. There are so many lonely people these days, so don’t be shy. Come on up and have a conversation and share your gift or. Thoughts, Whatever you’ve got to share, just share it.
[00:21:49] Sherrilynne: That’s a wonderful thought.
Where can our listeners find you?
[00:21:55] Basia: basia.ca. That’s b a S I a ca for work
[00:21:59] Sherrilynne: well, that’s, that’s the end of all the questions that I have. Thank you very much for joining me.
[00:22:05] Basia: I’m so glad you’re doing this, Sherrilynne, and I want to flip this, and I want to interview you, so maybe when, when you’re when you’re ready for it.
[00:22:13] Sherrilynne: And that’s it for episode four of 50 women over 50 a podcast for women whose personal confidence is borne of experience.
I have promised Basia that she can interview me as one of the 50 women over 50 someday soon. But now I want to thank licensed realtor. Basia Vanderveen for joining And for being so generous with your thoughts and your ideas about women and community and for being such an enthusiastic supporter of the show.
To contact. Basia check out the show notes for links to her socials. And I’ve also included some links to tools and resources mentioned in the show. And I’ve got lots more interviews lined up with some super women. So don’t miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast now. And if you have a second, please drop me a rating or review on apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
Let’s connect and create a whole community of wise women over 50 by sharing a link to the show with your friends and connections. See you next time on 50 women over 50. On your host, Sherrilynne Starkie.
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