I'm 60 (no beard). I did have to adjust to the way that I'm perceived. I don't like it, but it's just the way things are, and I need to accept it, and work around it.

I seem to get done what needs doing. I'm no slouch, in the areas I work at.

Basically, folks are free to ignore me. I won't ignore them.

I will step up (politely), when I'm being downright insulted, and will usually remove myself, if possible, from situations where that happens.

A lot of times, when I see some of the Jurassic-scale clusterf**ks that happen, I wonder "Did anyone over 40 review this plan?"