It’s one thing to talk to experts who have made the longevity economy and the shift to an older society their life’s work. It’s another thing to talk to someone who’s doing the work and actually experiencing life and business as an older worker who has chosen the “unretirement” route.
Unretirement is when older people (in this case, Baby Boomers) return to work due to a loss of meaning and purpose without work, plus the desire to generate income. The term has gained a lot of traction lately, but the trend was first documented back in 2014 in a book by journalist Chris Farrell.
Richard Eisenberg is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in issues related to aging and personal finance. Instead of fully retiring at 65, he shifted to freelance so he can continue doing the writing work he loves without the management aspects of his former career.
Across Richard’s long and distinguished career, he’s been the managing editor of Next Avenue (the PBS web project for folks who are 50 and older), the executive editor of Money magazine, and written two books. He also hosts a couple of podcasts and teaches a class at New York University.
Listen in to hear:
How Richard came to realize the purpose that drives his work
The story behind Next Avenue, which Richard helped found and run
The biggest changes Richard saw in terms of reader questions about aging during his 10 years as managing editor at Next Avenue
Why Richard left Next Avenue to move into the “unretirement' phase of his career
The truth about why unretirement is attractive even when you love your job
The most common misconceptions people have about what it takes to succeed with unretirement
Why the question of unretirement is about so much more than just money … even though the money part is still important!
What stood out to Richard from Brian’s free Longevity Economy Ebook
Do we have a nomenclature problem when it comes to “retirement?”
Some jarring stats and stories on the pervasive ageism in the media
The enduring problem of “casual ageism,” and how the path to further combating it starts with more intentional word choice
Why not having more multi-generational teams is such a missed opportunity – both in business and life generally
Richard’s suggestions for terms we need to get rid of and the best potential replacements
Show Links:
An "Unretirement" Case Study with Richard Eisenberg