Chapter X with Michael Kay

Everyone wants to put their head on the pillow at night and feel a peace of mind. But if you’re staring at the ceiling all night anxious about your financial life, you’re far from alone. Today’s guest knows money management is one of the top sources of stress for Americans.

I’m so excited to have Richard Eisenberg, the Managing Editor of Next Avenue, here with us today. Richard’s experience and wisdom are overflowing with important information. In fact, you might even want to listen to this episode twice. 

In this episode, we’ll hear from him about managing money, the challenges of retirement planning, and the very different problems for today’s retirees. 

We covered:

• Richard’s journey from journalism student to Managing Editor of Next Avenue
   
• The biggest change he looks forward to his future next chapter
  
  
• What surprises Richard the most about how people manage their personal finances
  
  
• The reality of social problems currently facing the financial services industry
  
  
• Concerns about the future of baby boomers (and the future for our children)

There’s a growing trend of men who are financially prepared to retire, but finding themselves reluctant to step out of the working world for good. For some, that’s where exploring a second act career comes in.

My guest today, Greg Burnett, found that an alternative career was his path to fulfill a mission of giving back. After working for IBM for 36 years, Greg Burnett expanded his experience by fulfilling an Encore Fellowship with the Salvation Army. He later graduated from his experience by taking a position with Encore. 

In this episode, Greg will share his personal story of community involvement, including how he created a flexible role with Encore Fellowships that combines meaning, continued income, and social purpose.

We covered:

• Why Greg believes his career in public service brought out the best in him
  
  
• How the Encore Fellowship helped him find a path from the corporate world to the nonprofit environment

• Finding the opportunity to volunteer as part of an organization’s leadership team
  
  
• Discovering how to make your life what you want it to be after retirement
  
  
• The idea of defining how you wish to be remembered—and your impact on others

How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations by Marc Freedman

The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life  by Marcy Alba

Encore Fellowships

When you were growing up, chances are the messages you received about retirement were looking forward to a life of “playing golf” and “relaxing” in the afternoon. The truth is that none of us actually know what transitioning to the next stage feels like until it starts knocking on our doors.

According to Ida Abbott, shifting into a new mindset becomes even more important when you’ve been successful. After transitioning from a career in law to helping firms improve their retirement processes, Ida quickly realized there was a tremendous need for practical advice outside of financial planning.

That’s when she authored Retirement By Design. It’s a spectacular workbook filled with guidance on how to get where you want to go. In this episode, Ida shares her advice on defining achievement and success in your next chapter. 

We discussed:

• The #1 myth about retirement planning (and what you should really prepare for)
  
  
• Why high achievers face a long period of adjustment after work is finished
  
  
• Ida’s discovery of the unexpected guilt people often feel after retirement
  
  
• Practical tips for men who typically shun the idea of confronting their emotions
  
  
• The essential first steps you should take when designing your own Chapter X
  
  
• Recognizing that it takes effort to keep relationships going after your career
  
  
• How to give yourself permission to contemplate retirement—and why it matters

What is biohacking and why should you care? Biohacking is the idea of taking control of your body chemistry via investigation. The goal is to collect more information about your body, what you put into it, and the conditions of your lifestyle. 

With these details, you can make better decisions to have the best quality of life possible. As Dr. Henry Balzani explains, we live 95% of our lives unconsciously. Our brain seeks out habits to make our lives easier, but the problem is it picks up bad habits along with good habits. 

We’re the ones who have to control those habits—and that’s where biohacking comes in. I think you’ll find today’s guest both fascinating and informative. In this episode, Dr. Henry Balzani reveals more about his path from pharmacist to physician and how he began biohacking.

We covered:

• Henry’s journey from pharmacy school to studying medicine in the Philippines
  
  
• Why biohacking isn’t “new” science (it all started with caveman)
  
  
• How we can actually change most genetic predispositions with our lifestyles
  
  
• The key difference between lengthening your life span vs. your health span
  
  
• How to start introducing biohacking into your routine
  
  
• Henry’s tips for what we should focus on during the challenges of aging

It’s a blessing to achieve financial security and have the opportunity to work on our lives in areas like health, happiness, and purpose. As my friend Ken Nelson explains, growing older is a privilege—not everyone gets to do it. 

Today I’m thrilled to speak with Ken, a meditation and Qigong teacher who has lived a life that’s anything but ordinary. While his journey took him through early tragedies, Ken persevered after discovering a spiritual path. His latest work, Designing & Leading Life-Changing Workshops, has become a model for helping people lead transformational workshop experiences.

While some people might think of meditation as woo-woo or too out there, the practice is deeply rooted in science. Yet even if meditation isn’t right for you, there are other types of mind-body practices to consider. We’ll cover them in this episode, as Ken highlights the practical benefits of adding mindfulness to your daily routine. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The power of the mind-body connection (and how it impacts you)
  
  
• How a personal practice can help navigate the challenges we're all facing
  
  
• The important reason why repeated exposure helps you grow stronger
  
  
• Why science is behind our natural reactions to the stresses of everyday life
  
  
• The simplest way to start practicing medication—even if you’re a beginner
  
  
• A walkthrough of one simple mindfulness practice you can use every day

We all have hopes and aspirations that get pushed to the back burner because of life’s responsibilities. Can you think of something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t yet? Perhaps it’s time to revive your forgotten dreams.

Today I’m thrilled to speak with an author who did just that. At age 7, Richard Haiduck was convinced he’d become a fiction writer. He wrote a story nearly every day for a year until, like any other kid, he became preoccupied with his buddies and playing outside. 

But the opportunity to go back to his early childhood interests arose 65 years later. As Richard created a strategy to transition from his work life into his next chapter, one striking outcome was finally authoring a book: Shifting Gears: 50 Baby Boomers Share Their Meaningful Journeys in Retirement.

It’s a stunning collection of moving stories. Yet beyond his book, Richard has filled his own story with meaning and purpose. He joins us today to share what he’s learned along the journey. 

• The reason why it took Richard five years to fully leave work behind
• Why being experimental in retirement becomes remarkably important
• What surprised Richard the most about other people’s retirement stories
• The biggest reason why work is the sense of self-worth for men
• How Richard’s cycling hobby helps bring him a sense of clarity
• What he’s learned about the bigger picture of life (and where we fit in)

Our lives are a series of beginning and endings. Yet the process of closing one chapter and opening a new one is never easy. How can we navigate times of change by building more resilience?

According to Thom Allison, the key to redefining the next chapter of your life is acting in alignment with your values. Today, he’ll walk us through the steps to discovering our personal core values.

An accomplished financial life planner, Thom has lived through plenty of major transitions in his life. His latest transition was the loss of his wife. Despite this horrible time in his life, Thom looks to the future and shares his journey with us today.

In this episode, we covered:

• What Thom has learned about his ability to navigate life’s transitions
  
  
• The most common mistake people make when it comes to living their values
  
  
• Thom’s surprising reaction after creating his own five-year vision statement
  
  
• Why he recommends seeking a confidant to help you identify your key values
  
  
• The significance of understanding what things you should to say no to
  
  
• Thom’s advice on embracing the “use it or lose it” philosophy

Getting older is an inevitable part of our journey whether we accept it or not.

While our culture hasn’t made it seem desirable, how could our lives change if we saw aging as a chance to become who we really are?

In this episode, we’ll explore that philosophy. Today I’m speaking with Stefania Medetti, a woman who has blazed an unconventional path.

She’s a writer, sociologist, and creator behind the online magazine The Age Buster.

How well do you connect with other people? If you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of building strong social connections and community, you’re not alone. 

Forging solid, deep ties with others can be an especially tough obstacle for men who’ve spent the better part of their lives competing against each other. Yet we are innately human. We all crave feeling supported, valued, and understood. 

According to today’s guest, our need for friendships becomes even more powerful in the next chapter. Today you’ll hear from Tom Ackerman, a man who has devoted his life to helping people. 

With his optimistic and thoughtful outlook, Tom has a unique talent of putting other people first and building meaningful connections between others. In this episode, you’ll discover how his 76 trips around the sun have fostered love, light, and caring for those in need.

We covered:

• What working in the insurance industry taught Tom about helping families
  
  
• The surprising reason why insurance agents get a bad reputation
  
  
• How the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” changed Tom’s life
  
  
• The easiest way to open the door for connection and meaningful conversation
  
  
• Why the ability to listen—and open up—to others take courage
  
  
• How Tom launched a special discussion group for men to build community
  
  
• Tom’s advice for connecting with people (even if it makes you feel uncomfortable)

If you’re still searching for meaning and purpose in the next chapter, as Lewis Richmond explains, it doesn’t have to be such a big challenge. Finding meaning simply starts with self-reflection. 

Lewis Richmond is an author, musician, entrepreneur, and Buddhist meditation teacher. Today he has an extraordinary message to share with us. As a writer, Lewis brings his varied life experiences and sharp insights into his work. 

His latest book, Every Breath, New Chances: How to Age with Honor and Dignity—A Guide for Men, is a must-read for men today. In this book, Lewis explores the four different kinds of retirement. We’ll dig into them in today’s episode, as well as some important topics we simply don’t talk about enough. 

We covered:

• Why men tend to identify their job with meaning and significance in their life
  
  
• The biggest reason why Lewis defines meaning as life’s most important value
  
  
• On shifting how we view honor and dignity as men (this mindset is the key to aging well)
  
  
• The power of disconnecting from the noise in the world to look inward 
  
  
• How to awaken the ability to tune into your intuition as a man
  
  
• Why there’s always something you can do—no matter the circumstances 

Every Breath, New Chances: How to Age with Honor and Dignity—A Guide for Men