Gen X creator turns former insurance worker into TikTok Shop success

Eileen Munoz, 59, abandoned a three-decade insurance job after feeling trapped in a cubicle and burned out, despite earning up to $70,000 annually. A friend introduced her to user-generated content (UGC), where brands pay everyday creators for marketing videos, and she quickly added TikTok Shop, earning commissions on sales she promoted. In 2025, her second year as a creator, she reported roughly $500,000 in revenue from UGC and TikTok Shop, focusing on products aimed at middle-aged consumers such as skincare, supplements, menopause aids, and pet items.

Studies highlighted indicate the average creator is 40, and academic research by Florian Dost of Brandenburg University of Technology suggests a “sweet spot” for creator age between the late 40s and mid-50s, enhancing perceived expertise. Munoz says brands lack middle-aged influencers, and she prefers buying from peers rather than younger personalities. Working from her home in Diamond Bar, California, she now controls her schedule and hopes the income will let her husband retire and allow them to travel extensively, a stark contrast to her former Sunday dread of returning to the office.