From marketing to DJing full-time: What I learned about starting over at 40
By
JB Bolaños
Every week, PhilSTAR L!fe explores issues and topics from the perspectives of different age groups, encouraging healthy but meaningful conversations on why they matter. This is Generations.
People say that starting—or even shifting to—a new career becomes more challenging in your 40s. By then, society expects you to have made your mark professionally. You’re supposed to know what you’re doing, have it all figured out, and be settled in your career.
For nearly 25 years, I believed I had.
I built a career in marketing right after my college graduation. I started in product marketing before moving into advertising. At 22, I became a PR and marketing manager for various brands. Eventually, I started teaching marketing while pursuing a master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. In 2011, I ventured into independent marketing consultancy, leading projects for clients in the education, healthcare, and food industries, including a regional client. At that point, I had reached another peak in my marketing career.
Then life happened.
In 2018, I lost both of my parents to cancer. No matter how successful my career had become, none of it mattered anymore because the two people I wanted to make proud were no longer there to celebrate those milestones with me. While I continued working, I felt like I had lost the passion that once drove me. I was simply paying the bills left behind by our family's cancer battles and, in many ways, just cruising through life.
When the pandemic hit, some clients either scaled down or paused our engagements. And as things slowly returned to normal, I found myself at a turning point.
During a reunion with my high school batchmates, I reconnected with a batchmate who had become a DJ. Seeing him perform rekindled my interest in music, and after he taught me the foundations of DJing, I decided to give it a try. Music had always been part of my life—from organizing our barkada's nights out in college at places like Blue Onion, Culture Club, and Po Na Na to eventually finding myself behind the DJ booth.
At first, DJing was just a hobby and a way to unwind. But as the bookings started coming in, I began to think, “Maybe I have a talent for this.”
Little by little, I started accepting more gigs until it became my full-time job. I still take on marketing projects, but only on the side. DJing has become my passion career in my 40s—I feel grateful that what I love doing has also become the work I now call my own.
Today, I regularly perform at a bar where much of the crowd is Gen Z. You might expect my age to be a hurdle, but it turned out to be a strength because of the experiences I've gained through the years. Younger DJs have been welcoming, and being an elder millennial has allowed me to bridge generations. Thanks to almost two decades of teaching, I've had a front-row seat to that evolution, helping me stay connected with younger generations while still appreciating the music of my own.
Every time I step behind the DJ booth, I'm reminded that music has a way of erasing generational labels. Audiences don't care whether the DJ is in their 20s, 30s, or 40s; they care about whether you can read the room, play the right music at the right moment, and create a memorable night. In the end, the real challenges are not about age—they're the same ones every DJ faces.
Over time, I've been humbled by a growing community of people who return to my gigs, follow my work, and send messages saying they appreciate not just the music I play, but the energy and passion I bring to every performance. Those moments remind me that audiences ultimately connect with authenticity.
Looking back, I realized that I'm still able to apply the things I learned from marketing to DJing, especially the idea that every decision shapes how people perceive a brand. For me, being a DJ has never been just about playing music. Choosing the right DJ is as important as choosing the venue, the caterer, or the photographer because each one plays a role in the overall experience a host creates for their guests. I bring that same perspective with me every time I step behind the DJ booth.
The more I grow as a DJ, the more I learn that self-doubt is simply part of the journey.
Do I still doubt myself? Of course.
There are nights when I replay a set in my head and wonder if I could have done better. But whenever those doubts creep in, I remind myself that if I was able to build a career from the ground up in my 20s, I can do it again in my 40s. I also remember something my late dad always told me: "Always look at the glass half full, not half empty."
People say you're supposed to have everything figured out by your 40s. I don't think that's true anymore. Sometimes, life invites you to reinvent yourself, and when you embrace that invitation, you may discover that everything you've learned has only been preparing you for your next act all along.
Generations appears weekly at PhilSTAR L!fe.
