Episode Description
What happens when your life flips upside down at 50? Former Oak Ridge Boys insider and Nashville industry pro Brenda Golden joins Circling the Drain to talk about starting over in her golden years.
Brenda shares how a painful divorce, a cross-country move to Austin, and a complete career reboot led to her new book, “Now What?”. Along the way, she pulls back the curtain on life with William Lee Golden, working around Garth Brooks at his peak, the impact of Pam Lewis and Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis), and how a little movie called “God’s Not Dead” became a turning point.
If you’ve ever lost a job, a marriage, or a sense of who you are and thought, “Now what?”, this conversation is for you.
Timed highlights:
1:10 Brenda’s book origin story and turning 50 in chaos
2:40 Moving from Nashville to Austin and finding an arts-first city
3:55 South by Southwest and representing artists at the festival
5:10 Brenda’s early music-business days and Nashville connections
6:40 How she met William Lee Golden and joined the Oak Ridge Boys
8:30 Marriage, family life, and their son Solomon’s path to medicine
9:40 Why Solomon chose EMT/paramedic work over music
11:55 Ongoing ties with the Oak Ridge Boys and concern for Richard Sterban
13:20 Joe Bonsall’s passing and helping him land his first book deal
14:30 Crossing paths with Jay at MCA in the mid-80s
15:10 Becoming William’s personal assistant and the MCA solo record
16:00 Meeting powerhouse publicist/manager Pam Lewis
17:30 Hitting rock bottom financially and asking Pam for a job
19:00 “Do you want a career or a paycheck?” – Pam’s tough-love moment
20:10 Learning PR, marketing, and sponsorships around Garth Brooks
21:35 How that mentorship permanently changed Brenda’s career
22:30 Reinventing at 50 and reaching out to Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis)
24:00 Lib’s advice: “You’re going to have to reinvent yourself”
25:40 The film “God’s Not Dead” and its unexpected impact on Brenda
28:00 Feeling seen by God in the middle of a breakdown
30:30 Lib’s own reinvention and success in film and Pure Flix
32:40 Moving to Austin, turning 62, and what life looks like now
34:10 Meeting and briefly working with Frank Stallone
36:40 Longstanding friendships and business ties back in Nashville
38:30 Why Brenda wrote “Now What?” and who it’s really for
40:40 Finding hope, purpose, and community after major life changes
42:40 Two-stepping in Texas, strong dance partners, and playful banter
43:40 Wrap-up, where to find “Now What?”, and Circling the Drain outro
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Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co