Joyce Feustel is a LinkedIn coach, speaker, and founder of Boomers Social Media Tutor, where she helps business owners, job seekers, and teams, especially those over 55, use LinkedIn with more confidence, clarity, and results. After a 17-year career in sales, Joyce built a second act around something most people her age avoided: social media. What sets Joyce apart isn’t just that she understands the platform; it’s her warmth, practicality, and ability to make LinkedIn feel simple, human, and doable. Her mission is straightforward: help older professionals show up online as they belong, build real relationships, and turn LinkedIn into a tool for opportunity instead of intimidation.
From a Wisconsin Farm to a Life of Curiosity
Joyce Feustel was born on December 22, 1948, in Wisconsin. She grew up on a dairy farm as the oldest of four children, in what she describes as a close knit, forward thinking farming community. From the beginning, her world revolved around hard work, people who knew each other well, and a belief that community mattered.
Her upbringing shaped her in important ways. Her mother was a teacher who valued education and organization, and she brought those expectations home. Her father was a farmer with a gift for talking to anyone anywhere, and he modeled confidence in everyday conversation. Together, they gave Joyce both structure and social ease.
Even though she lived on a farm, Joyce never felt limited by it. Her parents encouraged education, saved for college, and raised their children to believe they could become whatever they wanted to be, an uncommon mindset for the time. Like many women of her generation, Joyce initially assumed she would become a teacher, but she quickly realized that traditional, rigid environments did not suit her free spirited nature.
That willingness to pivot would define her life. Instead of forcing herself into a path that did not fit, she stayed open to new possibilities. Over time, she learned to trust her instincts, especially when a choice felt energizing rather than constricting. Curiosity became a compass she returned to again and again.
If you want to understand how learning and curiosity keep you relevant and mentally sharp as you age, The Science of Staying Sharp: How to Keep Your Brain Young After 60 is a great companion resource for building cognitive strength through lifelong growth.
A Love Story and a Life Lesson
One of Joyce’s favorite stories, second only to how she met her husband, offers a simple but profound lesson. It is a reminder that the opportunities we need often arrive disguised as something we did not want. Joyce tells it with humor, but she means it deeply.
In 1971, she took a blue-collar job wrapping meat, despite believing that kind of work was below her education. She needed a job, and she took what was available, even if it bruised her pride a little. What she found instead was her future husband, working right across from her.
They have now been married 53 years. When Joyce shares this story, she always emphasizes how quickly life can change when you are willing to show up. The job was not her dream, but it became the doorway to one.
Joyce often sums it up with humor and wisdom. Humble yourself. Take work even if you think it is beneath you. You might find a cute guy, or a whole new life.
It is a theme that repeats throughout her story. She believes in saying yes when you can, staying open, and letting life surprise you. For Joyce, progress has often come from movement, not certainty. The willingness to try is what keeps doors opening.
Starting Over at 46 in Denver
At age 46, Joyce moved to Denver for her husband’s job. She did not know a single person, and the unfamiliarity hit hard. What looked like a fresh start on paper felt like a loss of identity in real time.
Starting over was not easy. She cried, her teenage daughter cried, and everything felt unfamiliar. The routines, the streets, and the social circles were all gone at once.
But Joyce did what she has always done, she looked for connection. She knew she needed community, not just comfort, and she was willing to go find it. That decision to reach outward became the turning point.
That is when she found Toastmasters, an organization that would profoundly shape her confidence, communication skills, and future career. It gave her a place to belong and a way to rebuild momentum. More than that, it helped her find her voice in a new chapter of life.
Toastmasters led Joyce into sales, where she would spend the next 17 years working in Chamber of Commerce sales, Better Business Bureau sales, higher education enrollment and advising, and professional education for financial planners. Throughout her sales career, Joyce was not selling stuff, she was selling ideas like growth, education, credibility, and opportunity. The work suited her because it was about people first.
Discovering LinkedIn and Not Knowing It Yet
Joyce first joined LinkedIn in 2006, at age 57, after a friend invited her. Like many people, she created a profile and then ignored it. At the time, she had no idea it would become central to her next career.
A couple of years later, Facebook entered her life through another Toastmasters connection. Staying connected with friends, family, and colleagues sparked something in her, and it reminded her how powerful online relationships could be. That experience nudged her back toward LinkedIn with a different mindset.
By 2010, her company formally rolled out social media efforts across LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.com, formerly Twitter. Salespeople were encouraged to get clients to engage online, with a small cash incentive for each new follower. It was meant to be a simple add on to sales activity.
What happened next surprised everyone. Joyce, then in her early 60s, became the top performer month after month at getting clients engaged on social media. She was not just willing to try, she was genuinely excited by it, and people could feel that energy.
Her 35 year old manager noticed something important. Your whole demeanor changes when you talk about social media. Instead of seeing a woman nearing retirement, he saw enthusiasm, momentum, and possibility.
That moment changed Joyce’s life. It made her realize that what lit her up might actually be pointing toward her next calling. It also showed her that her age was not a disadvantage in this space. In a subtle way, it was part of what made her credible.
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Reverse Ageism and a New Calling
Joyce’s manager encouraged her to consider helping other baby boomers understand social media. At first, she doubted herself, because the idea felt bigger than what she had done before. She wondered if people would take her seriously.
The answer turned out to be yes. Joyce began informally helping friends, especially those from Toastmasters, learn LinkedIn. She treated it as a self imposed internship, testing whether this new path truly fit her strengths.
This became a rare example of reverse ageism, where experience and maturity were seen as assets, not liabilities. Joyce’s patience, communication skills, and ability to make technology feel less intimidating were exactly what people needed. Instead of being behind, she was perfectly positioned.
In 2013, Joyce officially retired, not away from work, but into her business. Retirement for her was not an ending, it was a pivot. She was choosing a new chapter on purpose. And she was doing it with excitement.
Boomers Social Media Tutor Is Born
Boomers Social Media Tutor focuses on one core mission, helping people over 55 use LinkedIn confidently and effectively. Joyce saw a gap between what the platform offered and what many older adults believed they were capable of doing. She built her work around closing that gap with encouragement and clear guidance.
Joyce provides one-on-one LinkedIn tutoring, profile optimization, workshops, group trainings, and team and organizational LinkedIn education. Over time, her focus shifted almost entirely to LinkedIn, which she believes is the most powerful free business platform available. She especially values how it supports professionals, entrepreneurs, job seekers, and older adults who want to stay relevant and connected.
Common LinkedIn Misconceptions and the Truth
Joyce spends much of her work undoing myths about LinkedIn. One common belief is that LinkedIn is only for job seekers, but Joyce emphasizes it was designed for professional networking and relationship building. Staying active helps others learn from you, connect with you, and grow their networks over time.
Another misconception is that you have to pay to use LinkedIn effectively. Joyce’s view is that most people can do almost everything they need for free, especially if they focus on fundamentals. Paid versions can help in specific situations, but they are not required for most users.
Some people think LinkedIn is cold or impersonal. Joyce believes it works best when it is human, with a balance of professional insight and personal authenticity. When people share thoughtfully and engage kindly, the platform becomes a community instead of a billboard.
Others believe you should leave LinkedIn once you have a job. Joyce sees this as shortsighted, because the platform can support mentoring, learning, referrals, and long term connection. In her view, LinkedIn is not a place you visit only when you need something. It is a place where you can contribute consistently.
How to Actually Use LinkedIn Without Overwhelm
Joyce offers practical, realistic advice, especially for people who feel overwhelmed by feeds and notifications. She encourages people to adjust notifications so the platform becomes quieter and easier to manage. She also suggests unfollowing, not disconnecting, from people whose content does not serve you, which keeps relationships intact while reducing noise.
She recommends being selective about who you engage with regularly, because a smaller circle makes consistency possible. Joyce also emphasizes spending ten to fifteen minutes a few times a week rather than hours. In her experience, consistency matters more than intensity.
If you want simple tools that make technology feel easier and more useful day-to-day, The Best Apps for Seniors in 2025 is a great companion resource for staying organized, confident, and connected.
What Makes a Strong LinkedIn Profile
According to Joyce, the strongest profiles create trust quickly. A clear, current, approachable photo helps people feel comfortable connecting. A headline should explain who you help and how you help them, so visitors understand your value in seconds.
Joyce also recommends using a banner image to add visual context and personality. She believes the About section should tell your story, your why, and what makes you human, not just list credentials. She encourages people to write in the first person, share motivations and values, and include leadership, volunteer work, and community involvement.
She also recommends using AI tools thoughtfully to refine rather than replace your voice. The goal is clarity and confidence, not sounding like someone else. A strong profile should feel like you, just more focused.
Multiple Roles, One Profile
Many people over 60 wear multiple hats, including professional, consultant, mentor, podcaster, and volunteer. Joyce strongly advises against creating multiple LinkedIn profiles, because it fragments your identity and confuses your network. She believes one strong home base works better than several partial ones.
Instead, she recommends weaving roles together in the headline so it reflects your real life. She suggests structuring the About section into clear segments, which lets readers understand your priorities quickly. Then, she uses the Experience section to separate roles cleanly, keeping everything organized without splitting your presence.
LinkedIn Content, Posts, Articles, and Newsletters
Joyce breaks LinkedIn content into three main formats. Posts are short, conversational, and timely, which makes them easier to create and easier for others to respond to. Articles are longer and more evergreen, which works well for teaching and thought leadership.
Newsletters deliver curated themes consistently and help you build a returning audience over time. Her own LinkedIn newsletter runs monthly and repurposes years of blog content, which she sees as proof that you do not need to reinvent the wheel. For professionals who want visibility, credibility, or thought leadership, consistent content helps LinkedIn and Google understand who you are and what you do.
Workshops, Training, and Collaboration
Joyce’s services include one on one LinkedIn sessions, monthly profile enhancement workshops, and team and organizational LinkedIn trainings. She also offers nonprofit friendly pricing, because she wants the work to be accessible. Her goal is not to make LinkedIn complicated, but to make it usable.
Her approach is collaborative, not done for you. She wants clients to understand what they are doing and why it works. That way, they can keep building long after a session ends.
The Energy Behind the Work
What keeps Joyce going is lifelong curiosity and a love of learning and mentoring. She believes deeply in human connection, and she sees LinkedIn as one more way to create it. Her communication instincts, sharpened over decades, make her especially good at translating technology into simple steps.
She has been a Toastmaster for nearly 30 years and still actively mentors younger members, many under 45. Joyce does not just tolerate younger generations; she thrives among them. She also credits a marriage built on independence and mutual respect, which has supported her growth through every chapter.
Final Advice from Joyce Feustel
Her parting message is simple and powerful. Do not be intimidated by LinkedIn. Own your age, your wrinkles, and your experience.
A little effort goes a long way, especially because most people do nothing. You do not have to do more than most people to stand out. Show up, engage, and be human.
If you want more inspiration for staying active, relevant, and opportunity-ready in later life, How to Reenter the Workforce After 60: A Practical Guide to a Fresh Start is a great companion resource for turning experience into momentum.
How to Connect with Joyce Feustel
Her website is BoomersSocialMediaTutor.com. On LinkedIn, search Joyce Feustel. She offers one-on-one tutoring, workshops, and team trainings.
Final Thoughts
Joyce Feustel’s story reminds us that life after 60 is not about winding down. It’s about waking up to curiosity, relevance, connection, and purpose. Her journey shows that reinvention isn’t reserved for the young; it’s available to anyone willing to stay open. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that experience fuels growth, and that new beginnings can happen at any age.