You are regarded as ‘young’ at 30-ish when an entrepreneur. In marketing you are ready for the retirement village.
If you want to stay forever young, don’t work for someone. They will judge you by your age especially in marketing circles. There is a black hole for Brand Managers. After the age of 30 they all start to disappear. Sure, one or two make it to be Marketing Directors, but where do the others go? The smart ones leverage their skills in their own business. Very few careers develop such a diverse skill base. It is naturally geared to leverage in a business. You are sitting on a gold mine if you have enough courage.
I assume it is not too different with young architects, lawyers or any qualified profession.
The reason people become old in the corporate world is repetition. Your brain dies when it is not exercised, just as your body does. When you are put into a role and regarded as a “human resource” you are really just a change part now aren’t you? Taylorism is not lost on knowledge workers, just hidden better.
You will learn more in three months getting your own startup off the ground, than you will in 3 years as a Marketing Manager. As a bonus you will be regarded as a fresh graduate! The other day a VC said to me. “We need young people like you who are close to the action”.