We’ve been cooking more at home since the pandemic. Is it time to expand our menus? In his second act, Chef Dennis Littley shows people how to cook restaurant quality meals at home. He’s a good example of how you can take the skills and experience from your primary career and spin them in a new direction.

Dennis Littley joins us from the Garden State.

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Bio

Dennis Littley is a retired chef and culinary instructor who is now living the dream working on his second career as a food and travel blogger, brand promoter and LiveStreaming show host and producer. Through his blog, Ask Chef Dennis – A Culinary Journey, as well as his social media channels, Dennis has amassed an impressive combined following of over 1.8  million.

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For More on Dennis Littley

Ask Chef Dennis – A Culinary Journey

Recipes

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

A Tapas Life – Andy Robin

Stupid Things I’ll Never Do When I Get Old – Steven Petrow

A Rock Star’s Second Act – Brett Anderson

Reclaim What You Love – Stephanie Raffelock

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About Retirement Wisdom

Take charge of your future.

Your life in retirement will be multidimensional, and so your planning should be as well.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (developed by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

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Can seniors save the world through social activism in their life after retirement? Dr. Thelma Reese thinks so. And, she knows so, too. She’s the co-author of the new book How Seniors Are Saving The World: Retirement Activism to the Rescue! with BJ Kittredge. While we often see examples of senior volunteering, this book highlights seniors who are activists in various ways on a range of issues.

Seniors Helping Others in Retirement

The book tells the stories of seniors from various walks of life, ages, and backgrounds who are doing just that. They are investing their time, energy, and passion into causes that matter— and they’re making a difference. Whether it’s volunteering or activism that’s a fit for you, you’ll find these stories inspiring ways to get involved – in ways big and small.

We discuss:

• Why she wrote this new book
• What the diverse group of 24 seniors profiled in the book has in common
• Some of the stories and causes detailed in the book of seniors changing the world
• What she thinks we can learn from the pandemic
• How her thinking has evolved during the pandemic on topics like ageism
• Why intergenerational relationships are so important
• The story of a new intergenerational course she’s creating with a group at Temple University and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Philadelphia
• Her advice for seniors who want to get engaged in saving the world

Dr. Reese joins us today from Center City Philadelphia.

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Bio

Thelma Reese, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D., all from Temple University, began teaching third grade in 1954.  When her two daughters were in school, she began her graduate studies in Educational Psychology, was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship, and was active first in the field of Reading Psychology and Education.  She taught as an adjunct professor at Temple University and Arcadia University. When her children were grown, she became a professor of English and director of special programs at Community College of Philadelphia.

After early retirement at CCP, she created the Advisory Council for Hooked on Phonics and was its spokesperson in the ’90’s. In that role, and as director of the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy for the City of Philadelphia, she appeared frequently on television and hosted a cable show in Philadelphia. She was a founder of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, chaired the Board of Children’s Literacy Initiative, and organized the World Symposium on Family Literacy at UNESCO in Paris in 1994.

She is co-author, with Barbara M. Fleisher, of The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life (Rowman & Littlefield).  Their second book, The New Senior Man:  Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2017.  Her latest book is How Seniors Are Saving the World:  Retirement Activists to the Rescue!, co-authored by BJ Kittredge, published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2020.

Reese and Fleisher created the blog www.ElderChicks.com in 2012, which is ongoing since the passing of Dr. Fleisher in October of 2016.

She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Harvey Reese, who is an artist and the author of several books, including How to License Your Million Dollar Idea (John Wiley, publisher).

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Wise Quotes

 On Activism vs. ‘Clicktivism’

“I think activism really is just doing something that goes beyond thinking about it. I love the word that I found somewhere clicktivism, where we just click on or like something on Facebook. It goes another step. In some ways, I think we just redefined activism tremendously with the pandemic. I think seniors just by staying in, have been activists – just by not making things more dangerous for themselves and others. You can take it to the level  It doesn’t want the accolades, doesn’t want the notoriety, doesn’t want to be noticed necessarily, but wants to make sure that it’s happening, something good is happening – and how to part of that of getting it going and keeping it moving. So activism can range from picking up a phone to call your congressperson, to writing postcards, but it goes beyond the clicktivism.”

On Focusing on What Matters

“People who talked about downsizing (we’re not talking just about the time to actually get rid of material stuff) found that they were getting rid of some stereotypes, some opinions, some ideas that they held very strongly – that they didn’t all of a sudden didn’t matter anymore. Things that we thought were so important, things that would take hold of you immediately, even physical things that would take you immediately to the ER or an Urgent Care suddenly ‘This can wait.’, And this is such a big deal. So many things turned out to be things that could wait, including a lot of scheduled doctor’s appointments. And things that we had to attend to in person now we’re getting used to the way we’re communicating now and not seeing each other in person. That’s a big change. That’s a very big change. And I think for many seniors, they’ve been brought into a lot of the technological changes that they hadn’t embraced before.”

Advice for Senior Activists

“First of all, take care of yourself, be good to yourself. Count what’s good. Be computer savvy enough to Google everything that interests you. And when you find something that does, try to get involved. One thing we felt strongly about with this book was not just to tell the stories. At the end of each chapter is something called How to Connect. And if it interests you, you can connect by either going online and learning more… [and]  any of these can spark an interest in you. And it might be that you just want to read about it and then find something else. Don’t feel you have to act on the first thing that piques your interest, find something that you might sort of fall in love with. And now that we’re all getting used to not having to meet in person, it’s okay. You can do all this remotely and feel, just as involved. We’ve learned how to be just as involved this way. And as you are really involved in something, you will find that you’re not as involved [with] the things that are bothering you about aging. You’ll find something good about it. And you’ll find that you’re still growing.”

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For More on Thelma Reese

Buy: How Seniors Are Saving The World: Retirement Activism to the Rescue!

Thelma’s Blog: ElderChicks

Follow Thelma Reese on Twitter: @ElderChicks

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Mentioned in this Podcast

The Best Day of My Life So Far (Benita Cooper)

Coming of Age Webinar (with participant Colby Farrell)

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Retired, But Not Done Yet – Dr. Cynthia Barnett

What Are The Keys To A Successful Retirement? Fritz Gilbert

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

Not Exactly Retired – David Jarmul

Retirement Planning Includes Getting Good at Getting Older – Rabbi Laura Geller

Why Building Resilience is Vital in Midlife and Beyond – Jan Zacharjasz

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring, but not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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Explore retirementwisdom.com

What’s life in retirement like for a retired lawyer? And what does a career change for lawyers look like after years in practice? In this episode of our retirement podcast, we talk with retired attorney Mark Shaiken, about his book And… Just Like That: Essays on a life before, during, and after the law, about his story and his advice on second careers for lawyers (and non-lawyers as well).

• How he decided to become a lawyer
• His replacement word for retirement – and what his afterlife is like as a retired lawyer
• What his transition to retirement was like
• How a teacher may have put his interest in art on hold – and what it’s like working in a creative field today
• What he’s learned about himself in his life as a retired lawyer
• How lawyers can use their skill-set in other ways in second careers for lawyers
• His advice for those considering a career change for lawyers – or a career change or non-lawyers as well.

Mark joins us from Denver, Colorado.

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Bio

Forty-one years in the law and then one day, no more law, just like that.

After retirement, Mark Shaiken authored: And… Just Like That: Essays on a life before, during, and after the law.

Mark is a survivor of a decades-long career in the corporate bankruptcy trenches. He sat for 10 years on his law firm’s board of directors and was a member of its strategic planning committee. He holds his B.A. from Haverford College and received his J.D. from Washburn University. He is a graduate of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts’ Leadership Arts program. He holds seats on Art Boards, sits on Habitat for Humanity, Metro Denver’s audit and finance committee, and is a member of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Mobility and Housing Councils. He now measures his life by what he gives and enjoys that immensely. Mark has now started his next book “Fresh Start,” a bankruptcy novel.

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Wise Quotes

“I think that I am correct that lawyers go through this process of why did I become a lawyer? Was this really the thing I should have done perhaps more than other professions? Because I think I hit a chord that resonated with the readers about that path. And I sure spend an awful lot of time during my career, trying to think of other things to do, maybe dreaming of other things to do, and certainly negotiating with myself as to how much longer I would hang on as an attorney. But I finally found my path out and I took it. And now I’m in the not-for-profit world where I feel like I get to ask every day at the end of the day, what I gave and I’m, I enjoy that immensely. That’s quite different than what you find in the law firm world, where you, you tend to be measuring your career by what you get. And I certainly did some of that during my career, but now I get to measure my life by what I’m giving. And that makes me really happy.”

On the Non-linearity of Life 

“I don’t think there’s much about life that’s linear – even if it’s somebody that’s always known what they wanted to do. And then, [once you decide to do something different] there’s nothing about life that’s linear, which makes it kind of interesting. The ups and the downs can be scary, but that’s what living on Planet Earth is. So nothing that I have ever done has been linear, including in this afterlife. I’ve learned a lot of things, post my law career, but I didn’t know about myself. That makes even what I’m doing now, not particularly linear, but I’m used to that at this point. And so it doesn’t scare me as much as it might have when I was, you know, 25 or 30.”

For More on Mark Shaiken

Mark’s Website 

Mark Shaiken’s book on Amazon: And… Just Like That: Essays on a life before, during, and after the law.

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Related Podcast Episodes You Might Like

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

How to Make a Wise Career Switch – Dawn Graham

What’s Your Exit Strategy? – Ashley Micciche

Are You Thinking About Going Back to School in Retirement? – Nell Painter

Take the Detour – A Second Act Career Story – Melissa Davey

Is It Time to Break Up with Busy? – Yvonne Tally

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are “retiring” from their primary career – and aren’t done yet – discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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Explore retirementwisdom.com

We are joined today by Chris Farrell to discuss his new book Purpose and a Paycheck. Podcasts about retirement and books on retirement primarily focus on financial planning. Chris’ new book is different. He shares his observations on why more people are making a career change toward work with greater purpose and meaning. Chris explains why he thinks “There has never been a better time to be in the second half of life in America” and offers his insights on why the choice of working in retirement can be beneficial. We also discuss why he thinks entrepreneurship and self-employment are attractive options for a midlife career change and the multigenerational dimensions of retirement today. You’ll also hear the ageist phrases that he thinks should be retired, and his advice for planning your next chapter with purpose top of mind. If you’re thinking about a career change at 50 or older, you’ll benefit from listening to this conversation. It just might just give you inspiring ideas for a second career after retirement with a greater purpose.

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Wise Quotes

On Innovative Ways of Working Longer

“…At our core we all want to be useful, we all want to be helpful. And one way that we’re useful and helpful is to tap into our knowledge and our experience. So, there’s a lot of experimentation that’s going on right now. Flexible work, part-time work, starting your own business, self-employment, phased retirement, encore careers. And we don’t really know how this is going to shake out.”

On Emerging Multigenerational Trends

“A lot of people don’t like age segregation anymore. …it’s the Boomer parents going into business with their Millennial or Gen-X or children. Or it’s a boomer going into business with a Millennial or a Gen-Xer. Typically, what the Boomer’s providing is some capital, knowledge, experience, and contacts. And what the younger person is providing is that ambition, that hustle, a little tech-savvy – and their burden of student loans. So, they don’t have that much capital. And so, that’s a real win-win situation for both generations. And that’s a really heartening trend.”

“The other place where you’re seeing it is in housing. There’s a great deal of interest in intergenerational housing. (There’s) not a whole lot of choice out there yet. We can come up, there are lots of, intriguing examples of music conservatories that are nearby a continuing care community and the students are invited to live there for free, or a nominal price, and just to be part of the community to be engaged with the community. And you are seeing a sort of deliberate building of multigenerational communities.”

Bio

Chris Farrell is considered a leading expert on the trend toward working longer in the second half of life. He writes a biweekly column for Next Avenue, an online PBS magazine for the 50-plus demographic, and hosts a Minnesota Public Radio Program, Conversations on the Creative Economy, which is now entering its sixth season. He speaks across the country on the topic of unretirement. Chris earned his BA from Stanford and his Master’s from the London School of Economics.

Books by Chris Farrell Referenced in this Retirement Podcast episode:

Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money & Happiness in the Second Half of Life

Unretirement: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and the Good Life

Follow Chris Farrell:

Conversations on the Creative Economy – MPR News
Next Avenue
Twitter

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Our Brief Review of Purpose and a Paycheck

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Related Retirement Podcast Episodes:

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

If You’re Planning on Working Longer, How Do You Best Prepare – Kerry Hannon

Will You Be an Entrepreneur in Your Second Act Career? – Dorie Clark

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Related Retirement Blog Post:

Why Settle for Happiness? 

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Tools You Can Use

Tap into free retirement tools you can use, including a quiz on retirement readiness on the non-financial side, retirement calculators, a longevity calculator and a free e-book at retirementwisdom.com

Sign up for Wisdom Notes, our free Monthly Newsletter with useful information on planning for the non-financial side of retirement.

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career and are not done yet, discover what’s next. A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident. Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

It’s been a year since the pandemic began. How have your networking relationships evolved? Is it time to rethink how you approach networking? Our guest is J. Kelly Hoey, the author of Build Your Dream Network, and she encourages people to think of networking differently. It’s not about networking events, it’s about cultivating the right relationships. If you’re looking to build a second career, Kelly Hoey’s networking tips will change your mindset and your approach to networking.

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We discuss:

• Her journey from a legal career in Toronto and New York to what she’s  doing today
• How economic downturns created opportunities
• How we should think differently about networking – beyond networking events
• The most important word to remember about networking
• Where specificity can give you an edge
• The Do’s & Don’ts of networking approaches – from the receiver’s point of view
• The advantages introverts bring to networking that they may not realize
• How she thinks of the social media platforms she uses
• What can be learned from networking in the pandemic
• How to leverage your network in creating a second career

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Bio

Kelly Hoey is obsessed with changing the way we understand and approach networking. She’s the author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Connections In A Hyper-Connected World (Tarcher Perigee/Penguin Random House), a modern, practical guide to the necessary (and frequently dreaded) task of networking.

Kelly has worked with top companies, brands and conferences. She’s appeared on CNBC’s Power Pitch, co-created and moderated the “Meet The Innovators” speaker series at Apple, and contributed to publications such as The New York Times, Forbes.com, Fast Company, and Inc. Kelly’s insights have been featured in Real Simple, Working Mother, Good Morning America, AARP, Vogue.com, Brit & Co, The Muse, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CBC Radio, Monster.com, AARP, The Ladders, Parade, Business Insider and many more, as an authority on networking.

A former attorney and active participant in New York’s startup community, Kelly has been lauded from Forbes (“1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship”) to Fast Company (“1 of the 25 Smartest Women On Twitter”) to Business Insider (“1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter”) and Inc. (“1 of the 10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City’s Startup Scene”). EBW 2020 included her on their list of the “100 Most Influential Global Leaders Empowering Women Worldwide”.

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Wise Quotes

On Why It’s Not About Networking Events

“I think what people need to think about networking is you need to ditch the schmooze. You need to ditch the notion. When you need something like a job lead or a career lead, you need to think about it more in the sense of How do I interact with people every day? And well before the events of 2020, things we were doing every day – we’re texting and tweeting and maybe posting on Facebook, maybe we’re sending a birthday note or an anniversary wish. All that is part of your networking arsenal if you’re someone who has been or had been in the workforce a long time. When I think about your networking, how have you shown up every day for your colleagues and co-workers? Were you a good mentor? Were you someone who was a good project manager? All of those activities to me are part of our networking reputation – and network building – that we have done throughout our lives. So for the listeners who may be thinking about a change or some evolution in their career, this is where I’d say sit back and think about how you’ve been showing up for your network every single day.”

On Generosity

“Well, I think there’s this underlying notion with networking: Give before you get. And I think there is this notion that people hold on with sort of an outdated version of networking reciprocity you feel as transactional in the sense of, Oh, Joe has made an introduction for me. I must make an introduction for him. And that’s sort of a very linear way of thinking – rather than thinking about networking in a much more kind of bigger picture than a one-off situation. And so generosity for me is how we respect people. It is how we show other people we are grateful for what they’ve done for us. It is how we can extend our thanks. It’s how we can create a stronger relationship.”

On Wide or Deep Networks

“Women’s networks have been more narrow and deep in the sense of it might not be as big, but there’s a greater depth in terms of the investment of time that women have spent getting to know people. And what you’ve seen over the course of the pandemic is that the women’s networks, the narrow deep ones,  have been what we’ve really needed in terms of people to turn to, to help us with the stress and the strain and shoulder the worries. And where we’ve actually seen decreases in networks has been in those sort of shallower [ones], the relationships with less depth.

And so a lot of men have experienced network shrinkage because of those more casual relationships. We haven’t had the environment to reinforce those. So it kind of behooves all of us going forward to really think about that dynamic – and how and where you’re finding ways to nurture and grow both of those types of networks. Because you need both of those to have a strong network. You need both of those types of dynamics to have the right sort of composition of people around your career, your ambitions, your career transitions and your dreams.”

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For More on Kelly Hoey

Kelly’s book: Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World

Kelly can be found (frequently) online:

• Website: https://jkellyhoey.co/
• BYDN Podcast: https://apple.co/2klTSGM
• BYDN Course + Community: https://www.buildyourdreamnetwork.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkhoey
• Clubhouse: @jkhoey
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jkellyhoey/

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Podcast Episodes You Might Like

How to Future Proof Your Career – Jeff Gothelf

How to Build a Portfolio Career – Kate Schaefers

Design Your Life and Get Unstuck – Dave Evans

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

A Second Act after The Law – Mark Shaiken

Navigating An Unexpected Career Change – Maggie Craddock

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career – and aren’t done yet –  discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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Explore retirementwisdom.com

If you’re still working, you may be pondering a few questions. Should I work longer? Can working remotely help me retire later? Should I create a second act career? If you’re retired, you may also be contemplating a few questions. Should I unretire and jump back in? Can I get work doing something different on a part-time basis? Can I retire happy without some version of “work” in my life? Author and expert Kerry Hannon has insights  that can help you with these questions – and many more. We discuss Kerry’s new book In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work published on April 26th.

Kerry joins us from Washington DC.

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Bio

Amazon bestselling author Kerry Hannon is a workplace futurist and nationally recognized expert, spokesperson and strategist on career transitions, entrepreneurship, personal finance and retirement. Kerry’s new book is In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work published by McGraw Hill.

She is a frequent TV, podcast and radio commentator and is a sought-after keynote speaker and moderator at conferences across the country. Kerry focuses on empowering yourself to do more with your career and personal finances – now and for the future.

Her work also focuses on advising women of all ages on how to take charge of their own financial planning. Her work explores what women need to do, at all stages of their lives, to prepare themselves for a financially secure future.

She has covered all aspects of careers, business and personal finance as a columnist, editor, and writer for the nation’s leading media companies, including The New York Times, Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today. Kerry’s work has also appeared in BusinessWeek, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, and The Wall Street Journal, among other national publications.

She has appeared as a career and financial expert on The Dr. Phil Show ABC, CBS, CNBC, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and PBS.

Kerry is currently a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a former columnist and regular contributor to The New York Times, MarketWatch, Forbes, and the PBS website NextAvenue.org.

Kerry is the award-winning author of 14 books, including Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working from Home(Wiley), Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life; the national bestselling Great Jobs for Everyone 50+ (Wiley) . #1 New release on Amazon and bestseller in Job Hunting; Money Confidence: Really Smart Financial Moves for Newly Single Women (Post Hill Press) Getting the Job You Want After 50 (Wiley, 2015) #1 New Release on Amazon and job hunting guide bestseller; the award-winning Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness (Wiley, 2015); the GOLD Living Now Book Award for Personal Growth/Motivation winner, What’s Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond (Berkley Trade, 2014).

Kerry is a former fellow of the Columbia Journalism School and the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center’s Age Boom Academy. She is a former Metlife Foundation and New America Media fellow on aging.

She has testified before Congress about the importance of older workers.

Kerry graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she serves on the Board of Visitors. She received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University. Kerry lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, documentary producer and editor Cliff Hackel, and her Labrador Retriever, Elly. She is also horse-crazy and loves the Winston Churchill quotation: “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

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For More on Kerry Hannon

In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Ageism Unmasked – Dr. Tracey Gendron

Tools for a Career Change – Mark Herschberg

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

How’s Your Network? – Kelly Hoey

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Wise Quotes

On Owning Your Value

“…Own the true value that you have. There are a couple of things you can do to build that muscle as well – education, adding skills and learning new things. Even if it’s not related to a work situation, you are adding to who you are and your expertise on some level. And once you start learning something new, your whole world sort of changes, your brain shifts. You become a beginner, and then you become knowledgeable, and it’s this whole wonderful cycle. So value yourself. And, you can also go back and look at all performance reviews and see what the good things that people said about you, or talk to people who understand you and are familiar with the kind of work you do and the kind of person you are. And they’ll tell you things about yourself that you’re really good at, and don’t feel stupid asking them. People will be happy to share this with you, but you’ll find that it’s stuff that you take for granted in yourself. And you don’t even think about that. That’s a value.”

On Curiosity and Preparation

“You have to stay present. And I love the word curious. If you can slip that into some of your conversations, it subliminally tells the hiring manager that you are interested in learning new things. You are curious. So that’s really a little secret ingredient, but there’s so many great things that you need to do. But the most important thing is to really [prepare]. We have this ability now to research online the person who’s going to be interviewing you. Really dig deep and learn about the company you’re interviewing with, and the industry trends. Know as much as you can before you walk in the door about what is happening right now today and how what you know how to do can fill that gap for that employer.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Ageism is pervasive. Just take a look at the ageist messages on many birthday cards. And you won’t see many anti-ageist ones. In preparing for her second act, our guest has created an age-positive alternative at Age-Friendly Vibes. Listen to her story.

Jan Golden joins us from Denver.

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Have comments or feedback on this episode – or on the podcast overall?

Or have a question you’d like me to address in an upcoming episode?

Click here to leave a Voice Message.

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Bio

Jan Golden is winding down her career as a web developer and iPhone trainer, and ramping up her dream job; creating a stationery business. During COVID, inspired by a greeting card contest for Changing the Narrative, she used my graphic design skills, tech skills, and creativity to create a line of age-friendly greeting cards. The result? She learned I absolutely love designing and making cards! The best part is seeing the reaction to the age-positive sentiments she put out there in the world. Knowing that she may have a small part in celebrating, instead of dreading, a birthday is heart-warming.

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For More on Jan Golden

Age-Friendly Vibes

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Ageism Unmasked – Dr. Tracey Gendron

Breaking the Age Code – Dr. Becca Levy

Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

How Seniors Are Saving the World With Activism – Thelma Reese

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Wise Quotes

On Ageism

“Ageist messages are harmful because when they get stuck in our head, we start to make excuses for not doing things in life because we think we’re too old. So we start to [create]  a self-fulfilled prophecy. We stop trying new things. We try stop being as physically active, we become more isolated. And there’s recent studies that show that your mindset about aging can impact your lifespan by up to seven and a half years. So it’s some of those types of new research that’s that has always made sense to me. That makes me really want to stand up and say, let’s just stop and think about some of these ageist messages that we’re seeing every day.”

On Taking a Stand Against Ageism

“On your birthday, age is kind of the elephant in the room, right? But it doesn’t need to be a message of, of decline, depression and dementia. it can be one of celebration. There’s definitely things that our body physically goes through and changes as we age. We have to adapt. But they’re not all negative and they don’t need to be perceived as negative. It’s the anti-aging industry and our culture that makes that youth obsession so prevalent. But I feel like as the older adult population is healthier, living longer, and we’re standing up for it. We’re not taking it anymore. So that’s why I think my messages resonate pretty deeply with a lot of people.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (developed by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

How well prepared are you for the non-financial side of retirement? Take our free quiz and see what you should be preparing for in your retirement planning.

What did you once love to do that you put aside as you advanced your career? Is retirement a second chance to pursue those dreams? Your interests and your talents may be different from my guest today, but his story may inspire you to reconnect with your earlier interests. My guest today is John P. Weiss. He’s a fine artist, cartoonist, photographer and author of two books. A former police chief and 26 year law enforcement veteran, John retired early to pursue his creative life.

His Saturday Letter is something I look forward to reading every weekend.

John P. Weiss joins us from Nevada.

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Bio

John P. Weiss is a full-time artist, writer, and photographer. He paints tonalist landscapes, draws whimsical cartoons, writes poignant essays about life, and shoots artful, black & white photos. He is the author of “An Artful Life: Inspirational Stories and Essays for the Artist in Everyone” and “The Cartoon Art of John P. Weiss.” Over 48K followers enjoy John’s weekly essays.

John used to be a police chief  for the Scotts Valley Police Department in Northern California. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice administration and enjoyed a 26-year career in law enforcement, serving the last ten as chief of police. John retired early in order to pursue his creative life full-time.

In his police career, John served as a detective, sergeant, lieutenant, operations and services commander, composite sketch artist, hostage negotiator, impact weapons instructor, peer counselor, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer, training manager, police chief, and acting city manager. He is the recipient of the “Medal of Merit” for his work with children and related programs.

Cartoonist

During John’s police career, he moonlighted as an editorial cartoonist for several newspapers. His cartoons appear in various editions of Charles Brooks’s Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year.

 For several years, John published articles and a popular comic strip, The Life of Art , on the art and marketing website Fine Art Views.

John hand draws his cartoons in pen, ink and watercolor. He also crafts cartoons digitally on his iPad Pro. Here’s a video of John sketching one of his cartoons. Influences include the cartoonists Pat Oliphant, Jeff MacNelly, Richard Thompson, Berke Breathed, Bill Watterson, and George Herriman.

Writer

During John’s law enforcement career he frequently contributed articles to various newspapers and publications. A life long reader and writer, he started blogging and publishing work online in early 2014.

John studied writing and blogging with the author Jeff Goins in Franklin, Tennessee. John also hired copywriting expert Demian Farnworth to learn the art of writing compelling content.

John is a top writer on the website Medium and his work also appears on the following sites:

The Guardian, Medium.com, NBC News, Becoming Minimalist, Mr. Feelgood, The Unmistakable Creative, Austin Art Talk, Elephant Journal, Fine Art Views, Goins Writer, Good Men Project, Your Creative Push Podcast, Thrive Global, The Ladders, and more.

Photography

John enjoys shooting artful, monochromatic photographs with his Sony A6600 camera and Sigma prime lenses. He prefers the contrast, simplicity, and elegance of black and white film and photography. John sometimes enjoys creating post-production vintage effects in his photographs, to give them a timeless look.

Fine artist

John took vacations to study landscape painting with renowned artist Scott L. Christensen, among other artists. John supplemented his art education with museum visits, books, videos, regular practice, and experimentation.

John paints landscapes in various mediums, including oils, gouache, watercolor and pen & ink. He employs a limited palette and strives for painterly realism mixed with pleasing abstraction.

The focus of John’s writing and life philosophy is to live an artful life. Love your family, feed your mind, take care of your body, embrace simplicity, and pursue your creative passions.

For More on John P. Weiss

Subscribe to The Saturday Letter  by John P. Weiss   (Highly recommended)

Website 

An Artful Life – Inspirational Stories and Essays for the Artist in Everyone 

The Cartoon Art of John P. Weiss

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Old in Art School – Nell Painter

How to Begin – Michael Bungay Stanier

Take the Detour – A Second Act Career Story – Melissa Davey

A Second Act as a Writer – Bill Thompson

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Wise Quotes

On Saying No

“Other people will spend your time for you if you let them. And they may be well intentioned. There are times when you have to readjust. There were times when something came up and I’d say to myself, Okay. I’d love to read for half hour tomorrow, but this is more important. There are certain things that you just have to do, but there’s a lot of things that you don’t have to do. And I learned to prioritize. I was in the Rotary Club, great organization, worked with them for years, served and had a great time. But toward the end of my career, the last couple years, I bowed out because it was taking up more and more of my time. And I found I needed that time for family and for my creative juggling.”

On Experimenting

‘”Most of the worthwhile things in my life have come from hard work, from taking risks, and from experimenting. They haven’t come from scrolling mindlessly on the internet or watching reruns of NCIS on the couch. Don’t get me wrong. There’s no judgment here. There’s a time for that. We all need downtime sometimes to do those things. And I’ll be the first to admit I can get lost in rabbit holes on YouTube, watching art videos and things like that. But I think when I wrote that piece, Joe, Why The Convenient Path You’re On Might Be Leading You Astray. I think the message of that article was don’t rest on your laurels. It’s easy to get comfortable. And with convenience, you can get at a certain point in your career where things are humming along, and everything’s fine. And you just rest on your laurels. You get comfortable. And the problem is that’s when you stop growing. And that’s the thing about convenience – and it’s something you really have to watch closely in retirement. Because when you retire, life gets really convenient. You don’t have those commitments you have when you’re working. Sometimes the couch calls out to you. And I think it’s so important that we keep challenging ourselves, particularly in retirement, to try new things and to grow. I think it’s so important to keep growing.”

On Trying Something New

“So my advice to your listeners is: if you’re diving into retirement or are in retirement, and you discover something that maybe speaks to you, go check it out, take a class. Things are opening up a bit now with COVID where classes are available, whether it’s online or whether it’s in person. Maybe you always wanted to try watercolors or whatever the passion is. Give it a try. What’s the worst that can happen? You may find you don’t like it, but you may find you become addicted. And a lot of people in their second chapters, or third chapters, have found a new passion that way.”

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Mentioned in This Episode

An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World’s Most Austere Monastic Order

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About Retirement Wisdom

Have you ever thought about retiring and writing a book? Bill Thompson did just that as a second act career and he’s written 22 novels over 11 years and has won numerous awards. But caregiving taught him was was most important in life.

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Bio

Bill Thompson became a corporate entrepreneur early.  At age 12 he started a company to buy and sell coins.  By age 25 he had started an insurance agency that ultimately became one of the largest in Oklahoma.  Expanding that firm and adding more, Bill created a financial services holding company that operated in several states plus Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and England.

If variety is the spice of life, author Bill Thompson’s life so far has been spicy for sure! Over the years, and in no particular order, he’s been an international insurance broker, a mayor, a head of a state prison board, a stockbroker, a newspaper reporter, a Bourbon Street piano player, a corporate entrepreneur, an award-winning novelist, and many more…

Bill has always had a burning interest in archaeological finds, mysteries of the past, unexplained things in the jungle and stories of adventure in remote places.  Over the years he traveled extensively around the world and visited sites such as Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, Avebury, Egypt, Petra and many ancient Olmec, Aztec and Maya cities in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.

Bill and his wife live in Dallas, Texas with three dogs, travel a lot, eat and drink well and have fun living life.

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For More on Bill Thompson

Website

New Book: Serpent (Mysterious America Book 1) 

My Second Act: Bestselling Novelist (Next Avenue)

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Podcast Episodes You May Be Interested In

Think Big – Dr. Grace Lordan

Stupid Things I’ll Never Do When I Get Old – Steven Petrow

From Role to Soul – Connie Zweig

Retirement Stepping Stones – Tony Hixon

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Wise Quotes

On the Rewards of Writing

“Well, the one thing I realized right off the bat was I liked not working more than I liked working. So we sold the company and I started to write full time. And now 11 years later are about 22 books and two dozen national awards. So it’s gratifying day to day at 75. I’m really glad my life’s not what it used to be because I don’t think I could keep up with the pace that I did before. I was a Type A, driven entrepreneur. I swore I would never stop working.  That last year with my wife showed me that life really is fragile and you really have to embrace the things that are important. I still work. And now I write and I write because I love it and it keeps my mind active. And the great side effect is that I also have readers who enjoy what I do and that’s the most gratifying thing of all.”

On Caregiving

“The most challenging thing…is the abrupt transition from being on top of the world to being a caregiver and feeling really helpless. A lot of the time that I couldn’t change things, that things were going to happen the way they were. I was going to be an observer and a participant in a way, but I couldn’t give orders anymore. That would change things. So at first I resented that and then I began to realize that it wasn’t her or the disease that I was resenting. It was me. I couldn’t do what I thought I should do. But once I realized that an unexpected change was going to change everything for me, I accepted it. And I learned that tragedy can teach important lessons. When thing it taught me is what’s most important in life. And it certainly is not being a workaholic.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

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About Your Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

Today, in addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, which thanks to his guests and listeners, ranks in the top 1.5 % globally in popularity by Listen Notes. Business Insider has recognized him as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy coming this summer.

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Intro and Outro voiceovers by Ross Huguet.

If you’re an astronaut, what can you do for an encore? Nicole Stott, author of Back to Earth: What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It, found her new mission. And it’s instructive for all Earthlings, not just astronauts. If you’re contemplating a second act or an encore career, the story of how she’s redirected her skills and talents will inspire you. And it may change how you think about how each of us can make a difference in the lives of others.

We discuss:

• The story of how she became an astronaut
• What 104 days in space taught her about our planet
• What it was like to create a painting in space – and how it led to what she’s doing today
• Her decision to retire from NASA – and her thought process
• When she first knew that she had found her next mission
• The work she’s doing with The Space for Art Foundation
• What needs to be done to address climate change
• People who inspire her
• What we can all do as individuals to make a difference
• The key message of her book Back to Earth

Nicole Stott joins us from Florida.

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Take Charge of Your Future.

Learn More about the Designing Your New Life in Retirement program here

Starts January 20th 

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Bio

Nicole is an astronaut, aquanaut, artist, and mom – and now author of her first book Back to Earth: What Life In Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – And Our Mission To Protect It. She creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crew mates here on Spaceship Earth.

Nicole is a veteran NASA Astronaut with two spaceflights and 104 days living and working in space as a crew member on both the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle. Personal highlights of her time in space were performing a spacewalk (10th woman to do so), flying the robotic arm to capture the first HTV, working with her international crew in support of the multi-disciplinary science onboard the orbiting laboratory, painting a watercolor (now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum), and of course the life-changing view of our home planet out the window.

Nicole is also a NASA Aquanaut. In preparation for spaceflight, she was a crew member on an 18-day saturation dive mission at the Aquarius undersea laboratory.

Nicole believes that the international model of peaceful and successful cooperation we have experienced in the extreme environments of space and sea holds the key to the same kind of peaceful and successful cooperation for all of humanity here on Earth.

On her post-NASA mission, she is a co-founder of the Space for Art Foundation — uniting a planetary community of children through the awe and wonder of space exploration and the healing power of art.

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For More on Nicole Stott

Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet―And Our Mission to Protect It

Space for Art Foundation

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Wise Quotes

On Her Decision to Retire

“Well, it was difficult. I think in my heart I knew I was ready to move on and do something different. I was really feeling more and more attracted to sharing the experience and communicating that to as many people as I could and finding my way to do that. And I knew that I really wouldn’t be able to do that while still with NASA. But it was difficult for so many reasons. Number 1, I was in line to fly in space again. I probably would have flown in space again had I not retired. And to take yourself out of that is a difficult thing to do. But I asked myself honestly: Okay, do I need to fly in space again? And the answer was…No. Ask me when I’m 95, I will want to fly in space again, but it wasn’t a need for me. I knew I could still keep in touch with the program and the people there and continue to have some influence as an advisor or working through different companies. And then, I think the other thing was for our family. My son was about to start eighth grade and then was going to be moving on to high school. We knew we weren’t going to want to settle in Houston – that wasn’t going to be our retirement place. We knew Florida was going to be that place. Your kid goes to high school somewhere and that kind of tags you there. But it was a very difficult decision. It was the right one though. I’m so happy that I can say it was the right one. And I feel really good about where we are with it. The things I’m doing now, where my son is, and what he’s doing, my husband’s work –  all of it. I think you know when you get that gut feeling, and the in your heart feeling, you know it’s right. And I’m happy that I can say that it was the right decision.”

On the Space for Art Foundation

“The Space for Art Foundation fell out of those sessions with kids in the hospital and with Ian Cion, who was the artist there. That first session that I told you about, I have a vivid memory of sitting there with this little girl who was going through pediatric cancer treatment at the time and we were painting these little paintings that were going to become part of this larger spacesuit, which is so cool. And she’s going through this, as were all of these kids and their families, in this place. She’s going through what you hope is the worst thing she would ever have to go through in her entire life. And yet we’re sitting there and we’re talking about space exploration and she’s painting. And she’s telling me about what she’s thinking about for her own future. And then out of nowhere, she just looks at me and she’s like ‘You know, Miss Nicole, what you do as an astronaut, that must be a lot like what I’m going through here in the hospital.’ I get goosebumps thinking about it. I’m like, How in the world can this 7 or 8-year-old be comparing what she’s going through to what you know I went through in space?’ And then she just proceeds with: ‘Yeah, you don’t get to see your family and friends the same way. You just can’t go outside anytime you want. You have to eat all different kinds of food. Your body’s changing. They’re doing all kinds of tests on you. I think you have radiation in space.’ All this stuff that was just so beyond her years’ wisdom, right? Just kind of just spewing out of her in an effortless way that reinforced that. I thought, ‘Okay, this is my next mission in life.’ But it also made me know that this was something that needed to be about more than just randomly going and painting with kids in hospitals. And so over time Ian and I, along with a couple of our other partners – one being, ILC Dover, who is the company that makes our real spacesuits – the one I did a spacewalk in, and the ones that the Apollo moonwalkers wore. They volunteered with us from the very beginning to quilt together these art spacesuits from the kid’s artwork. And we just knew it needed to be something that we could take beyond just one hospital in one city. And that’s where the Space for Art Foundation came from.”

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Future You – Brian David Johnson

When Will You Flip the Switch? – Dr. Barbara O’Neill

Why Retirement is About Much More Than Money – Ted Kaufman & Bruce Hiland

Old in Art School – Nell Painter

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

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About Retirement Wisdom

You haven’t worked this hard for so long to have a mediocre post-career life.

It’s your time now. Make it your best time.

Work one-on-one with our Certified Designing Your Life Coach to explore alternative visions of your future and develop the pathway that’s right for you. Find out more here – Early Bird pricing ends 12/31.

Take the first step toward your encore.

Schedule a free call to discuss our programs and what’s right for you.

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Thank you to Denis Wuestman, frequent co-host, for his work with Retirement Wisdom. This is his final RW podcast, as he’s “retiring” from Retirement Wisdom to focus on his other pursuits.

Do you have an encore career in you? An interest you’ve always wanted to pursue, if only you had the time? Maybe you’ve dreamed of becoming an author in your second career. Our guest, Jim Hockenberry, retired from a successful corporate career at 55 and did just that, writing not one book, but three. He’s the author of an award-winning historical fiction trilogy.

Jim joins us from Princeton, New Jersey.

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Bio

James Hockenberry, of Princeton, NJ, grew up in Bronxville, just outside of NYC. Bronxville is featured in a chapter of his first thriller, Over Here. James has authored an award-winning “World War One Intrigue Series”. The historical fiction series interweaves three of his long-time passions: history, literature, and his German-American roots. He has lectured locally on World War One, including at the State Library in Trenton and the Princeton Present Day Club. A career financial executive, with degrees from Lafayette College and Columbia University, he began as a CPA with Ernst & Young. After moving to W. R. Grace, they transferred him to their European Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland where he lived for 15 years. He returned to the US, put his financial career behind him, and began to research history and write thrillers. For the last fifteen years, he has run the Princeton Chapter of the Financial Network Group (FENG) with over 2,200 members.

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Wise Quotes

On Becoming an Author as a Second Act

“Well, let me just say first, it’s not really a question of how I did it, but why it took so long. I had a successful and rewarding business career coming out of graduate school and that took me to age 55. At that point, I was financially secure and I wanted to adjust my life and balance priorities. I had always wanted to write a book. So I made the change from a financial executive to a writer and I never looked back. So I never really walked away from my financial career. What I would rather say is it reached a natural conclusion and I moved in a different direction. One of your guests in the past (Dr. Barbara O’Neill) has talked about the term, FIND – F-I-N-D – Financial Independence, New Directions – and that’s what I’ve done. But I like to use the term re-tire (re- dash- tire). What I mean by that is you put four new tires on your car, and drive off to your future life.”

On Networking

“And I would say if there’s a motto for networking, it’s ‘What goes around, comes around.’  Somebody helps somebody, and they help somebody else, and that person might help me back. And for me, it’s a way of giving back on what I call skills of life that I have learned. Which is interesting because I brought some of those skills back into my author gig. Some of them might be personal branding. It’s very important for an executive to be able to do that. And if I learned one thing it was this: the only thing you can control is how you feel about things. If you go into a pitch to an agent, or if you go into an interview, and you’ve got a bad attitude, you’re not going to go anywhere. Writing is a people business. Finance is a people business. You’ve got to have a good attitude – and that’s really important how you shape it.”

On Trying New Things

“I’ve got friends coming out of corporate America who are bored. They never had another interest. They can’t find anything to do. It’s really funny to me, very sad. I’ve always had new ideas to pursue. Another thing is you got to embrace new things, learn new skills. I don’t care what that is – if it’s woodworking, if it’s painting, or if it’s gardening, which my mother loves to do in her later age. For me, it was writing books. And so what you’ve got to do is you got to experiment. You’ve got to test things…The other thing that I think is very important,  I’ve learned this again through FENG, is you’ve got to reach out to other people. They can help you. So for example, if you’re not sure where you want to go, talk to your friends, to your spouse.  You know me, you know my interests, where do you think I should go? Oh, because you’re like such and such and such. You might want to do this… I don’t care what it is, but other people can help you. It’s a matter of listening and accepting their advice. You don’t have to take it, but I have found other people could be 10 many times more perceptive about where I should go than I am myself. So reach out to others. And the other thing I tell people is, get out the door, do things. I don’t care what it is. When you get out the door, things happen. You can never know what that might be, who you might meet, who you might talk to. And it’s so invaluable. You never know who can help you. And that’s important. So just go out, find things.”

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For More On James Hockenberry

Website

James Hockenberry’s Author page on Amazon

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Other Podcast Episodes You May Like

Is It Time for Your Encore Career? – Ruth Wooden

What Will You Do When Work Becomes Optional? – Stan Corey

When Will You Flip the Switch? – Dr. Barbara O’Neill

Who Will You Be in Retirement? – David Ekerdt

I’m Not Done. Are You? – Patti Temple Rocks

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

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About Retirement Wisdom

Could an Encore Career be in your future? How do you transition to a second career with purpose? Our guest, Ruth Wooden, is in her encore career – and it led her to create a program to help others build their own encore careers.

Ruth joins us from Hawaii.

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Bio

Ruth Wooden retired in 2011 from her career in communications in both the commercial and nonprofit sectors. In retirement, she went back to grad school and received an MA in religious studies from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. That experience led her to design a non-degree class for adults 55 plus – the Encore Transition Program – which combines discernment about aging and spirituality and experiential social justice opportunities in the nonprofit, religious or public sectors.

Ruth Wooden’s career encompassed 30 years of experience in marketing and advertising, including serving for 12 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Advertising Council, the leading producer of public service communications programs in the United States. She also served as President of Public Agenda, which was founded in 1975 by former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and social scientist Daniel Yankelovich to help citizens better understand critical policy issues and to help the nation’s leaders better understand the public’s point of view.

Before serving as Public Agenda’s President, she was Senior Counselor at the international communications firm, Porter Novelli and she also served as the volunteer coordinator of the “Madison Avenue” advertising team for the Presidential Campaign of Senator Bill Bradley.

Ruth Wooden also served as the Board Chair of Encore.org, the leading voice in research and advocacy for building a movement to tap the skills and experiences of those in midlife and beyond.

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Wise Quotes

On Purpose

“This was the one and that really clued us into service or community activism as a definer of the Encore stage, the Encore ethic, the Encore movement. It isn’t just about what you do in your Encore stage. Say at 60 or after retirement, it’s about purpose. That’s endemic to the definition in our view. There are lots of things we all do. I like to read and walk on the beach and play with my nieces and nephews and whatever, but purpose is inextricably linked to the idea of the Encore movement.”

On Seminal Moments

“If you arrive at 65, let’s just use 65, and you’re in reasonably good health and you feel reconciled to having a good ending to your work life. Then I think people do turn to, you know what’s right in line with Erik Erikson’s developmental stage model. It’s what he calls the longevity stage. But then he talks about the generativity stage. What do you generate at this time? And in history, most of that generativity work has been a legacy with your family, whether it’s a financial legacy or storytelling, but now there are a few more years of that legacy moment. And so people do turn to thinking about what’s next. For a lot of people, it’s a continuation of what they were doing, but they go deeper. I teach this class at Union called the Encore Transition Program. We can talk about our Encore transition phase because it is a seminal transition moment. It’s like getting married or [other] big moments like becoming an empty nester. These are seminal life moments where things change. So what I’ve noticed is that for a lot of people, their world, in some ways, gets narrower, but deeper. A number of people find themselves deeply engaged with their families or deeply engaged with a small group of friends. They don’t have as many acquaintances anymore and they also get more engaged in their community and with more one-on-one kinds of things. They’re not so likely to be writing the operational plan for a protest, but they might join it. It tends to be a little bit more individual. So I like to think of it for a lot of people, it’s a conscious choice to be somewhat narrower, but deeper.”

On Networking

“So one big thing that we run up against is how to navigate new networks. New pathways are big because people generally come out of one set of networks and they want to get into another. So how do you do that? That’s where we use Marcy [Alboher’s] book The Encore Career Handbook to talk about how to present yourself into new networks. Don’t be afraid to network. The other thing is people are a little timid about trying [new] things. And I tell them that one of the things that we’re doing in this class is to find the clues for our own personal space. And one way we do that is to find out what doesn’t work. So we really want to encourage people to take little steps, make some choices, try something. If you think you’ve always wanted to volunteer with kids, give it a try. You may hate it, but you’ll know. Don’t be afraid to try something. Don’t expect it to be perfect. Manage your expectations.”

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For More on Ruth Wooden

Encore Transition Program – Union Theological Seminary

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

Successful Aging – Daniel Levitin

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Are You Ready for The New Long Life? – Andrew Scott

How’s Your Network? – Kelly Hoey

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Bio

Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

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Wise Quotes

On Career Changes Midlife

“This is my third recession and I’m only mid-career. So I, I very much see and understand what they’re going through. In fact, during the great recession, I helped teach at a program sponsored by New York’s Economic Development Council, in which we were taking people who lost not simply their job, but their career. Their entire career was getting displaced and not coming back post-recession. And New York said to us: We can’t have them sitting on the sidelines. These are capable people. How do we get them back to work? We looked at where the jobs were being created and the nature of those jobs, typically the people being displaced were coming from large corporations. So certainly coming out of 2008, 2009, lots of financial services, lots of big companies where you had multiple layers of bureaucracy. The jobs being created were in tiny companies in startups, in companies, less than 50 people, sometimes less than 20 people. The biggest change was trying to get people to see those jobs and feel comfortable in those jobs. It wasn’t so much a domain skill challenge. It’s not that. If you’ve been at big corporations, your whole life, look at these small companies and then recognize that cultural difference.

So if you’re in a big company of 30,000 people, you’re used to having the pre-meeting to plan the meeting, to coordinate the meeting for the meeting to discuss something. So at six months later, decisions made when you’re at these tiny 20 person startups, and you say, Hey, I have an idea. So you turn around in your chair and you’re talking to the boss, who’s sitting three feet from you in another chair because there are no offices here.  And the boss says, okay, that sounds great. Well, that was the meeting. Those were the six months condensed to a six-minute conversation and understanding these cultural differences, how the businesses operate, that you can move fast and break things, which is very different from these big traditional corporations. That was the biggest challenge. And so to people who are saying, I need to find something different. It’s not just the same job with a different company. Look at different types of companies and understand it’s not just going to be the mechanics of the role, but understand the cultural differences. And if you can set yourself up to succeed in that, both recognizing how you’ll operate, but also how you sell yourself into working in those networks, in those types of organizations and cultures, then you can have a very successful career and find a lot of options.”

On Career Planning

“Eisenhower famously said: Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. And we have to recognize a career plan is not simply a plan you make and now you’re stuck to it. Forevermore, all of us in our jobs have been planning. If you think about any project you’ve worked on, could you ever have gone to your boss and said, Hey, listen, boss, I know we’re going to work on this for six months. We’re not going to bother with a project plan. We’re just going to kind of wing it. That sounds good to you because your boss is going to say No way! You have to create a plan. I want to know where this is going. What are the risks? What are the opportunities? How might this unfold? Now we also know when you’re doing this six-month project or a year-long or however long project, it’s never going to work exactly.

As you expected, things go over budget over time. Something was harder. Occasionally something’s easier. But when you have that plan, you can start to say, Well, we’re going to now vary the plan. We’re going to update the plan. We’re off the plan. But maybe that’s a good thing because we realize that plan was wrong. But you created that plan in the first place. Your career is a lot bigger than a six-month project. You need to create that plan, but much like the plans, we have for our projects, you’re not set in stone. If it’s not working, you can throw it out. You can create a new plan and the act of planning itself of thinking about what are the risks, what are the opportunities? Where are the things I need to focus on? Where are the areas that are less important now, as things change now, as things come up, as you’ve thought through it.”

On Networking

“You want a large network. You also like a broad network, too many people think, well, I’m in Medicine. So I only need to know people in Medicine. In fact, you want to meet people in other areas because the diversity, it adds to your network leads to new opportunities that you might not have gotten otherwise. Because remember when you’re connected to someone you’re connected to everyone they know. And you never know when you need to get into a new area where you don’t have yourself, a deep bench, or maybe it just turns out this person, their cousin happens to also be in medicine and it circles back to how it can help you.

But the biggest mistake people make is they just think, Well, I’m just going to add connections and they don’t foster that relationship. I always talk about how adding someone on LinkedIn and saying that they are now in your network. It’s like swiping right on Tinder and saying this person’s now your significant other. We all know you can’t just swipe right. And say, now I have a girlfriend, now I have a wife, right? You have to build that relationship. And the same is true for our professional relationships. So that instant connection that gang, the business card or adding on LinkedIn, that’s step one. That’s a swipe, right? What you want to do is invest in building that relationship. Now you may not have done that in the past, but you can start doing that today. And it doesn’t take that long. Even a few months of starting to build up that relationship.

Now that network is warmed up. So when you need help down the road, whether finding a job, finding a candidate, finding a supplier, a partner, just getting information, that network has been warmed up and now you can go to it. And you’re not reaching out to someone you haven’t talked to in 20 years. It’s someone you last spoke to three months ago. So start today, reach back out to people. It’s a great time. Now, as we’re getting out of the pandemic, reach out and say, Hey, glad we’re getting through this. How are you doing? What’s coming up for you? How can I be of help? And even if you’re not working, even if you don’t have a job, we can all be of help to other people. So reach out connect, say, how have you been? What are you looking forward to? How can I be helpful to you and warm up those networks?”

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For More on Mark Herschberg

The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You

(in my opinion, this is an excellent graduation gift to consider

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

How’s Your Network? – Kelly Hoey

How to Future Proof Your Career – Jeff Gothelf

How to Build a Portfolio Career – Kate Schaefers

Design Your Life and Get Unstuck – Dave Evans

I’m Not Done. Are You? – Patti Temple Rocks

Best of The Retirement Wisdom Podcast – On Second Acts

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What second career ideas are you considering? The best second career jobs aren’t often posted on job sites – you create them. One approach is to build a portfolio career, consisting of several activities that leverage your skills, experience, and interests. Our guest, Kate Schaefers, shares her story of how she created a portfolio career – and her observations on how Baby Boomers and organizations are evolving.

I discuss with Kate:

• What led her to build a portfolio career.
• How the Advanced Careers Initiative at the University of Minnesota was created – and how it works.
• What attracts people to the program.
• The benefits, and perhaps challenges, of multigenerational groups.
• Her perspective on working in the second half of life.
• The role of lifelong learning.
• What innovative organizations are doing to tap into the skills and knowledge of older workers.
• The mission of The Encore Network.
•  Her advice on how to create a portfolio career/life.

Kate joins us from Minnesota.

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Bio

Kate Schaefers weaves a portfolio of work into a career with one unifying theme: to help individuals and organizations shine. She is Executive Director, University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC) Initiative, a gap year for experienced professionals as they transition from career jobs into meaningful post-career lives. She is a psychologist and leadership coach, partnering with leaders and organizations to strengthen leadership competencies and organizational effectiveness. She is an adjunct psychologist and coach with The Bailey Group.

Kate is a skilled educator, facilitator and trainer. She has taught graduate-level courses at both the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas and was part of a team of educators that designed a coaching certificate program.

Kate is actively involved in nonprofit and community work. She is Volunteer State President of AARP-MN, convening the AARP Executive Council and contributing to local and regional strategies for the organization, especially around the aging workforce, intergenerational teams and caregiving. Kate was appointed to the Citizens Commission on Minnesota’s Aging Workforce.

She is a member of the Encore Network, a founding board member of SHIFT, and a member of Pollen Midwest. She received the Jules Kerlan Outstanding Achievement Award in 2012 from the Minnesota Career Development Association for contributions to the field of career development.

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Wise Quotes

On Building a Portfolio Career

“It’s hard to find a ready-made cookie-cutter job when what you’re wanting to do is something new – and something that there’s no job description for. So this is how I ended up coming to a portfolio career. I looked at my skills, I tried to distill down what am I good at? What stands out with me? How do I make sense of all of the things that I can do – and create this brand around what I want to do? And so, I struggled with that for a while. I ended up saying yes to a lot of things. Some of them were from paid work, just to broaden my horizons, some was unpaid work and some was volunteer work…So I just took all of these things and tried to look at what skills do I have? How do I redeploy them? And then how do I tell a story about the work I want to do next?”

On the Multigenerational Teams

“Our workforce is intergenerational. So we have four generations in the workplace today – some say five. We still have some of the silent generation in the workplace. Yet most college students learn in an age-segregated environment. And so if we talk about even preparing them for the workplace, they’re not necessarily having those discussions and conversations in a way that reflects what they’re going to experience when they get out of college and then move into the workplace. And we also do know in the workplace that diversity is so important, including age diversity. It enhances performance and creativity. Multi-generational teams in the workplace tend to perform better. I do think some organizations are understanding that when you connect the generations, you can fuel innovation and productivity.”

On Following a Path with Heart & Generosity

“You need to be curious, you need to learn from people, you need to reach out, and you need to build your network. Also, you need to have a level of trust. Trust that you’ll figure it out. You have to have a level of Okay, I may not know what I’m doing, but it’s okay – I’ll figure it out. Follow a path with heart, give back to others, tell your story in a compelling way, work with generosity,  pay it back, pay it forward – just put it out there, with generosity.”

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Learn More

Kate Schaefers on LinkedIn

Twitter @KateSchaefers

University of Minnesota Advanced Careers Initiative

The Encore Network

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Are You Ready for The New Long Life? – Andrew Scott

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

What Can You Do to Age Better? – Anna Dixon

The Exciting Potential of Intergenerational Mentoring – Charlotte Japp

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring, but not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

We help you design the life and/or the second career you want.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you.

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Explore retirementwisdom.com

Risk-taking Can Lead to New Avenues

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Bio 

Melissa Davey is a documentary filmmaker who lives in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She is a wife, a mother and a grandmother to three young boys. She is a world traveler and curious about everything unknown. She recently retired after more than two decades from GENEX Services Inc., the largest Managed Care case management organization in the U.S, where she was recruited to build and operate the company’s Social Security representation division. Prior to GENEX, Melissa had almost twenty years of diversified experience in the field of disability. She held senior leadership and management positions throughout her career. Melissa’s second act is fueled by a lifelong passion for film and story-telling.

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Wise Quotes

On Second Acts

“What I have found is that there are huge numbers of people in their sixties and seventies who are finishing careers, or maybe even already a second career and are saying, Okay, I’m done with that. I don’t want to work at that pace. I don’t want to work possibly for another individual or a big corporation or whatever it might be. I want to do something meaningful for me that will also benefit others. That’s what I’m hearing all the time. What can I do to keep going, but improve upon myself? And one of the greatest things we can do is try something new and something that might impact others in a positive way.”

On Dreams (and Deadlines)

“I think people need to not discount dreams. And I think a lot of times messaging when we were growing up was, Oh, that doesn’t, that doesn’t make sense. You go to college, you get a job, and you build a career. And that’s what you do. People might have other artistic dreams or, any type of dream, that might be pooh-poohed by either family members or society in general. I think that we should not ignore that. And I think that we should – especially – not ignore that as we get older because of the calendar, because we only have so much time left.”

On Taking Calculated Risks

“Taking risks is one of the most important ingredients in life. If we don’t take risks to step out of the boxes that we construct for ourselves, we don’t experience new things that may challenge us – and may change the way we view life, people, ourselves, etc. So in order for growth to occur, I think we need to take risks. And I certainly heard that from all of the women that I spoke with [for the film] and, in retrospect, I look at my own life and I do see that the risks I took – and I took many –  some calculated, some just happened. They paid off no matter how uncomfortable they were.  If you wanted to categorize them as right and wrong, no matter how wrong they were, they all paid off – and they all led to this self-reliance this resilience that, I think we don’t really recognize until we’re a bit older.”

How to Take Control of Your Career in Turbulent Times

Is it time to switch careers? Or perhaps pursue early retirement and create a second career? Savvy career planning requires you to be thinking two steps ahead in the best of times. However, in times like these, your awareness needs to be sharpened. It’s wise to tune in intently to what’s happening, in and around you, that may affect what’s next for you. Maggie Craddock’s new book Lifeboat: Navigating Unexpected Career Change and Disruption, offers a strategy and valuable guidance on how to take control of your next career move in a dynamic and uncertain world.

In this episode of the Retirement Wisdom podcast, we discuss:

• What inspired her to write her third book Lifeboat
• How a Big Ship mindset can take a toll on you
• How to spot Icebergs that may affect your career planning and direction
• Why you need to be aware of inner icebergs as well as external ones
• Her own Lifeboat experience that spurred a career change to more meaningful work
• How cultivating courage, inner wisdom and emotional agility can help you take control of your life & career
• Her advice on how to start building a Lifeboat mindset

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Bio

Maggie Craddock is an executive coach who has worked with clients at all levels on the professional spectrum – from people entering the workforce to Fortune 500 CEOs. She has been featured on CNBC, National Public Radio and quoted in national publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Maggie is the author of “Lifeboat: Navigating Unexpected Career Change and Disruption”, “Power Genes: Understanding Your Power Persona and How to Wield it at Work”, and “The Authentic Career: Following the Path of Self-Discovery to Professional Fulfillment”.

She has also written several nationally syndicated articles on behavioral dynamics in the workplace, and her work has been discussed in publications ranging from Harvard Business Review to Oprah Magazine. She is a popular keynote speaker at leadership conferences for her corporate clients and industry networking associations.

Before building her executive coaching business, Maggie worked for over a decade on both the buy and the sell sides of the financial services industry. As a Portfolio Manager at Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Maggie managed $3 billion in short-term global assets. She received two Lipper Awards for top mutual fund performance: Best Short-Term Multi-Market Income Fund, ranked #1 by Lipper in a universe of 77 funds, and Best World Income Fund over $1 billion in size, ranked #1 by Lipper in a universe of 7 funds.

She also served as a National Director of Consultant Relations at Sanford C. Bernstein, representing the firm across all asset classes including emerging markets, domestic and international fixed income, and domestic and international equity to major consultants and pension fund clients nationwide.

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Wise Quotes

On the Lifeboat Mindset

“This is about actually tapping into difficult feelings, acknowledging them. If you’re anxious, if you’re envious, if you’re resentful, whatever it is, face it, acknowledge it. And then bring yourself back to the present moment so that you don’t get pulled into a narrative from the past and capsized by the feelings. It’s really about learning to process that emotional energy. And the reason it’s so important to be in touch with what you’re feeling, particularly when the feelings are big, is in situations where you have more questions than answers. You need to notice those red flags because you may need to course-correct. And then finally the Lifeboat process is about what I call this inner alignment of really aligning your thoughts, your feelings, and your intentions in the present moment, and not trying to take these grand actions that assume you have all the answers right now. And you’re just going forward with that. But look for practical, positive opportunities in the moment to do the next right thing, the next row of the oar – and if you do that, you’ll keep moving in the right direction. And eventually, you will align yourself with opportunities. You’ll navigate this period of uncertainty and you’ll be there for positive opportunities when the crisis abates.”

On Wisdom

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Read Maggie Craddock’s New Book:

Lifeboat: Navigating Unexpected Career Change and Disruption

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Related Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Make a Wise Career Switch – Dawn Graham

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

Design Your Life and Get Unstuck – Dave Evans

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

Take the Detour – A Second Act Career Story – Melissa Davey

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career – and aren’t done yet – discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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Retire smarter. Explore retirementwisdom.com

Making a career change at 50 isn’t something you should do on a whim. It takes planning and savvy networking to create the right encore career in the non-profit sector. Our guest on this podcast, Betsy Werley, of Encore.org, made such a transition to an encore career to the not-for-profit world herself after a successful business career. And she’s helped many people make smart transitions to second careers.

We discuss with Betsy:

• What led her to pursue an encore career in the non-profit sector
• Why the missions of The Transition Network and Encore.org attracted her
• What the transition was like coming from the corporate arena into the non-profit world
• The benefits – and challenges  – of  second act careers
• How volunteering helps pave the way
• The biggest obstacle many people face in landing the right non-profit role
• Her advice for people considering a move into a non-profit encore career
• What resources people should tap into when considering a career in the non-profit sector

Betsy joins us from New York City.

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Bio

Betsy Werley is Encore.org’s Director, Network Expansion. She has dedicated this phase of her career to building the encore movement and making later life a time of opportunity and contribution.

Betsy moved to the nonprofit sector in 2005, as The Transition Network’s first Executive Director. She led that organization through a growth phase from one chapter to 12. Her encore transition was profiled in Marc Freedman’s The Big Shift and Kerry Hannon’s What’s Next?

 In her Transition Network role, she was a founding member of Coming of Age New York City and the Encore Network Steering Committee. Betsy joined Encore.org in 2013 as an Innovation Fellow, expanding connections between Encore.org and on-the-ground programs in the US and around the world.

Betsy spent the first 26 years of her career as a corporate lawyer and a business executive at JPMorgan Chase. She served as a long-time board member and President of the Financial Women’s Association, and in 2002, launched a mentoring program for Baruch College undergraduate women business majors.

In 2017 she received Baruch’s Community Partner Award for her leadership of that program. Betsy has also been honored as the 2019 recipient of the PSS Impact Award for Leadership in Positive Aging.  Betsy is frequently quoted by the media and invited to speak on issues related to older adults as assets in society.

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Wise Quotes

On Networking

“I think people should always be aware – and people should always think life is long and thee people around me now are people with whom I want to maintain a positive relationship with. And to know that at some point they would think of you if they are looking for something – and you would think of them. And sometimes, I think people don’t realize how big a network they have already. So your dentist is in your network. Your doorman is in your network. That guy who sells you your car is in your network. So with that specific message of ‘Here’s what I’m looking for’, those are all networks that you can tap. So I think one challenge for a lot of people is that they are shy about leveraging their networks and saying to people, just for the heck of it,‘I hear something, I wonder if you have any advice for me. So really talking to people and learning how to leverage the networks that they actually have. It’s pretty diverse.”

On Volunteering

“You can certainly start out getting involved in volunteering in Board work while you are continuing to do your day job. In fact, I strongly recommend that to anyone I talk to as they’re looking ahead at a future career in the non-profit sector – so they can make connections. Tthey can build credibility, they can learn what they like and what they don’t like. And that will stand them in good stead at a time when perhaps they can afford to transition to the non-profit sector. And certainly, I advocate volunteering of all kinds during people’s whole career. I think it’s extremely important because it builds skills. It allows you to incorporate passion into the whole portfolio of your life in a way that your job may not. So again, I think people can build toward a later nonprofit job while still getting a lot of the satisfaction of engaging in the nonprofit sector. Even while they’re heads down in a for-profit day job.”

On Creating an Encore Career

“I encourage people to start now. I  love David Brooks’ formulation, encouraging people to switch their thinking from their resume to their eulogy at their funeral. What is the impact you want to make in the world? And how can you start out on a journey that will allow you to bring your skills and your passion to make that impact that you want to make.”

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For More on Betsy Werley

How to Land that Late-Life Job: Tips from a Nonprofit Executive – Encore.org

The Encore Network

(Full disclosure: Joe Casey & Retirement Wisdom are members of The Encore Network) 

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Resources Recommended in this Podcast

The Encore Career Handbook by Marci Alboher

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Encore.org

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

Retired, But Not Done Yet – Dr. Cynthia Barnett

Not Exactly Retired – David Jarmul

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

How Seniors Are Saving the World With Activism – Thelma Reese

How to Make a Wise Career Switch – Dawn Graham

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Related Blog Posts

How to Change Lanes to a Second Career

Find the Volunteer Opportunity That’s Right for You

______________________________________

About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career and are not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

______________________________________

Explore retirementwisdom.com

Thinking about how to change careers at 50+? In this episode, we catch up with Jeff Tidwell, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Next For Me, a resource that “connects and inspires our generation to evolve our post-50 lives through new work, a new purpose, or a new social contribution.”

Ready for a Career Change?

Jeff shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by the 50+ generation, the resources needed to overcome obstacles and make a midlife career change, build a second-act career, or create a new entrepreneurial path. It’s practical and insightful advice on how to change careers at any age, but especially at 50+.

Jeff also discusses his own experiences as an entrepreneur and his key lessons learned so far.

Are you curious about what’s next for you? Tune in to the story of Jeff Tidwell, his company Next for Me – and what he’s hearing from the 50+ crowd at their events.
Click To Tweet

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Wise Quotes

On Mindset

“Well, number one is the mindset. Are you open to new ways of doing things? Because so often we hear, I don’t want to learn Slack, I don’t need another data input. Why are you using Google Docs when I’m so comfortable with Microsoft Word and so we’re getting in our own way because we’re limiting our creativity around ways to do work.

And so you got to step away from the way you’ve been doing things, be open to new ways of doing things, hang out with people who are digital natives. It might be a little confounding to you, ask them – they’re usually wide open to helping out.”

“Be open to new ways of doing things. Lifelong learning is (key). If you’re into that anyway, you already know the benefits of it, but be open to learning new things, trying new things, not getting stuck on the old ways you’re accustomed to doing things. The world’s moving fast and things change, run with it, have fun.”

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Bio

Jeff Tidwell began his career with alternative newspapers and then moved online, where he has worked in Silicon Valley and New York overseeing online communities and user experience for E*TRADE, WebMD, Oncology.com, MarketTools, Chirp Interactive, and many startups via his consulting practice prepop.

Today, he’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Next For Me. He has been a featured speaker at Tech Inclusion, is a regular contributor to Forbes “Chronicles . of a 50+Entrepreneur” and is a regular guest on podcasts and ‘longevity economy’ conferences and events.

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For more on Jeff Tidwell and Next For Me

Next for Me website

Buy Next For Me: A Guide to Startups for Dreamers by Carol McManus & Jeff Tidwell on Amazon

Forbes series on startups and entrepreneurship

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Related Retirement Wisdom Podcast episodes you may like

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

How Life Hacks Can Help Make Your Retirement the Best Time of Your Life – Sam Horn

Design Your Life and Get Unstuck – Dave Evans

__________________________

About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career – and aren’t done yet – discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

Resiliency and perseverance are top of mind these days. Today’s retirement podcast conversation is an inspiring story of overcoming adversity throughout life and creating a meaningful second act with a higher purpose. COVID-19 has many ripple effects. Forced to stay at home, many people are finding themselves doing more self-reflection about their true priorities. And others still are being forced to think about what’s next earlier than they planned. What will you choose to do when your days of full-time work come to a close?

The story of our guest today will fuel your self-reflection. It’s the story of an educator who “retired” and then re-fired.

Resiliency and Perseverance Lead to a Great Second Act

We discuss:

• Her Amazing Girls Science Program
• What inspired her to write her book I’m Not Done Yet…And You Shouldn’t Be Either
• Her journey to college, beginning with multiple rejections, and culminating in a Doctorate from Columbia University
• How dealing with challenges creates greater strength
• Why becoming an Empty Nester can be a catalyst
• Why creativity and resiliency can be cultivated
• How people can recognize a calling
• Why some people believe that they can never achieve their dreams yet others do just that
• Her advice for anyone who’s retiring, but not done yet

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Bio

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is the author of I’m Not Done Yet … and You Shouldn’t Be Either

A research study by the American Association of University Women called “Why so few women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math” prompted Dr. Barnett to join the movement to empower girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) by seeking to ignite their interest and spark their enthusiasm while building core life skills of self-confidence, self-esteem, curiosity, problem-solving and risk-taking.

Dr. Barnett has become a STEAM champion and is passionate about bringing opportunities to young girls to blaze their own path in STEAM fields to get them ready to meet 21st Century challenges in the scientific and technological fields.

Saturday Academy was one of the programs featured on CBS  on their Martin Luther King “Fulfilling the Dream” program focusing on people in the community who give back. The Connecticut Technology Council has honored Dr. Barnett with its Community Innovation & Leadership Award.

Dr. Cynthia won the Inaugural AARP Purpose Prize for her work with igniting the SPARK in girls for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

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Wise Quotes

On Resiliency

“I made a decision that I was going to swim and I was not going to sink. And one of the things I learned from that difficult situation and that really bubbled up in me was my own problem-solving skills. I learned how to figure it out.  I had an inner strength in me that I didn’t know existed. I learned how to be independent and how to be confident. And it was a very difficult time, but I made it through.”

On Self-Reflection

“Sometimes it’s difficult. It depends on the mind where one may be thinking they want to lead their life. It’s a lot about reflection. And thinking, ‘Well now it’s time. It’s time to do something else. It’s time to give back. And it’s time to really make a difference.’   

On Recognizing a Calling

“That inner calling, it just speaks to us and if people are really willing to think of where they’re going next, where they want to spend the next 20 years – because research shows that we are going to live to another 20 or 30 years after we leave the regular workforce. As an example, I left my position as an assistant high school principal 17 years ago, I was 60 at the time. I’m going to be 77 next month. And I’m thinking, ‘What would I have done in all that time? ‘I would have been absolutely bored. So it’s so important to really think of what’s next for us. And many people don’t think about that. They just kind of just go along with one thing at a time, not really thinking about  Well, what’s really my true Calling? Because the true calling may not have been in the work you did before.”

On Finding Her True Calling 

“I find that this is my true calling because I’m able to use not just what I know, not just some of the strategies, but it’s a whole new avenue for me. I’m not a science major, but I love science. I love the intrigue that it brings the kids.”

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For More on Dr. Cynthia Barnett

Order I’m Not Done Yet…And You Shouldn’t Be Either

The Amazing Girls Science program

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Related Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Live Your Legacy Now – Barbara Shaiman

How Seniors Are Saving the World With Activism – Thelma Reese

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Why Building Resilience is Vital in Midlife and Beyond – Jan Zacharjasz

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

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Best Books on Retirement

Some related titles you may like:

Answering Your Call: Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose

The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters

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Take The First Step

Create The Retirement You Want

__________________________

About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring, but not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste.

And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

We help you design the life in retirement that’s uniquely right for you.

Retire smarter. Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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The best midlife transitions are not linear or predictable. You find your calling or life’s mission in different ways. The paths are winding. Unexpected events serve as catalysts to redirect you in ways you could not have imagined earlier in life.

The story of Steve Javie’s journey to find his life’s mission is remarkable.  And while his particular path or religion may not be relevant to you, his lessons learned just might be helpful in your unique midlife transition.

Bio 

A highly regarded referee in the National Basketball Association for 25 years, Steve Javie officiated 1,514 regular-season games, 243 playoff games, and 23 NBA Finals games, from the 1986-87 season to the 2010-11 season. Highly respected for his game management skills, Javie was also a Crew Chief for 22 years. During his career, he was a board member of the National Basketball Referees Association and a key contract negotiator.

Steve retired from the NBA in 2011 – and in 2012 began a seven-year course of study — in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to become a Deacon in the Catholic Church. He was ordained on June 8^th, 2019, and serves as an ordained Deacon at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Newtown, Pennsylvania. In addition, Steve Javie works with ABC & ESPN as a basketball analyst where you’ll see him in the weeks ahead as the NBA season resumes.

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Wise Quotes

On Taking Time With Transitions

Related Podcast Episodes

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

Retirement Planning Includes Getting Good at Getting Older – Rabbi Laura Geller

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

Take the Detour – A Second Act Career Story – Melissa Davey

Related Book Review

Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring, but not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Retire smarter. Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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