In a recent conversation, a financial advisor colleague described the work of preparing financially for retirement as “the climb.” That phrase stayed with me because we spend decades saving, investing, building assets, protecting our income, and planning for healthcare. We work toward the point when we can finally stop working and decide what comes next. Then what? Clearly, financial preparation matters. But it's only one part of getting ready for retirement. We are often les

Retirement is often treated as a finish line. The date is chosen, the countdown begins, and the final year or two can become a period of simply waiting for the next chapter to start. That period deserves more thought. Some employees begin to disengage long before their official retirement date. They continue showing up, attending meetings, and completing assigned tasks, but their energy and attention have already shifted elsewhere. Important relationships may receive less car

I’m an African-American male, and I’m also one of nine siblings, all of us retired. In a recent conversation with my three sisters, each of whom is retired successfully, I was reminded of a truth that, as a guy, they (robustly) re-emphasized to me – women experience retirement in some profoundly different ways than us guys. First, a Few Data Points Hiding in Plain Sight Women live longer than men, with an average life expectancy of 79 years for women vs. 73 for men in the U.S

" Find your passion." It may be the least helpful advice ever given to someone approaching retirement. It sounds inspiring. It also sounds impossible. For most of us, work has occupied center stage for 30 or 40 years. Careers dictated schedules, relationships, status, challenges, and goals. Then one day the conversation shifts to: “What am I going to do in retirement?" As if there is a hidden answer sitting in a drawer somewhere waiting to be discovered. There usually isn't.

The retirement industry has a blind spot. Billions of dollars and countless hours are spent helping people prepare financially for retirement. Almost no one helps them prepare for the rest of it. The loss of identity. The loss of purpose. The loss of structure. The changing relationships. The question that quietly follows many retirees into their first months and years after leaving work: "Now what?" For decades, our careers have answered a lot of questions for us. Who am I?

Are you reconsidering your next career move? If so, you’re not alone. For decades, professionals were taught to think about careers in a straight line: Pick a profession. Build expertise. Make money. Climb steadily. Retire. Success meant more income, responsibility, influence, and prestige. I see this so often in my coaching practice. But that model is quietly collapsing. Today, many professionals will reinvent themselves multiple times over the course of their working lives.

Wealth managers excel at preparing clients for retirement, at least financially. The projections work. The risks are modeled. The contingencies are planned. Yet, a growing body of research shows that financial readiness does not equal retirement readiness, particularly for high-net-worth clients. Because the biggest risk they face isn’t running out of money. It’s running out of purpose, identity, and direction. Financial Success Doesn’t Predict Retirement Satisfaction Researc

Does the word “retiree’ bother you? For decades, retiree has sounded neutral. Administrative. Harmless. But for many people, it lands very differently. It quietly suggests: An ending A step back from relevance Less contribution, not more A shrinking identity And that doesn’t reflect reality anymore. Today’s older adults are building businesses, consulting, mentoring, creating. Or just having fun. They are re-engaging on their own terms. They’re not winding down: they’re repos

A few years ago, I made a deliberate decision. To focus my work on people in transition—not just changing roles, but changing identity. People transitioning through or leaving long careers. People stepping into retirement. People asking a version of the same question, “How does my next chapter look…when I no longer have a script?” Before I did anything else, I invested in the best training I could find—not just to coach well, but to coach responsibly. Training. Mentorship. Ex

For years, women approaching retirement hear the same advice: “Save enough, invest wisely, and you’ll be fine.” And yet, many women who retire financially prepared find themselves asking a different question altogether: Is this really it? That’s because retirement isn’t just a financial milestone. For many women, it’s a deeply personal transition – one that reshapes identity, relationships, purpose, and confidence. Money matters, but it’s only part of the picture. Retiremen

Retirement doesn’t mean you’re “done.” It often just means you’ve stopped working and getting paid full-time. Today’s retirees aren’t...

To find out more about employee-offered retirement workshops, book a free 30 minute consultation . Retirement Life Coaching is no longer...

Don’t hide your age. Highlight your value.

Age discrimination (ageism) can be difficult to prove, but you may feel it intuitively. Is a younger colleague getting the best...

When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words. ― Roy T. Bennett, The...

As both a consultant and coach, my prospective clients routinely asked the question, “What are the differences among counselors,...