Big Shifts Happen in and Beyond Midlife

By | Apr 9, 2012

I was so impressed with Marc Freedman’s last book, Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life, that I left my work as a journalist to help build the movement for encore careers for the greater good. Marc’s new book The Big Shift:...

Working Past 50 Can Bring More Satisfaction

By | Jan 20, 2012

If you’re over 50, chances are that continuing to work — and being truly engaged in what you do — will boost your well-being. Researchers at the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College found that people 50 and older are more likely than...

Fast Company: Encore Fellowship Suits Career Shifter

By | Jan 11, 2012

The decades-long career is in decline. And for many, that’s a good thing. “Tacking swiftly from job to job and field to field, learning new skills all the while, resembles the pattern that increasingly defines our careers,” writes Anya Kamenetz in...

The Dangerous Myth of Reinvention

By | Sep 7, 2011

Two recent news stories show the upside of encore success stories — and the downside of reinvention myths. BusinessWeek recently posted a slideshow to its site, showcasing 16 people in new, later-life careers. Eight of the 16 are in true encore careers dedicated...

Maybe You Can Afford a Gap Year, After All

By | Jul 27, 2011

My colleague Marc Freedman has been talking up the idea of midlife gap years – a time to take stock, take a step back, and figure out next steps. It needn’t be a full year, though there is something about a full cycle of seasons that seems consistent with beginning a...

How Can Couples Make Encore Career Decisions?

By | Jul 26, 2011

Say you’re ready for an encore career, but you have a partner who wants to retire to the golf course. Or you want to work part-year and travel, while your spouse wants to continue working full-time and stay put. A new book, The Couple’s Retirement Puzzle: 10...