MEaningful MEtirement™

Do we become less relevant as we age—or do we simply need to rethink how we use everything we've learned?

In this episode of MEaningful MEtirement, Ceci Zak sits down with longtime friend and accomplished people leader Melinda Wolfe to explore how wisdom, curiosity, purpose and connection can make our 3rdTHIRD one of our most meaningful chapters.

After nearly 40 years without taking a meaningful break between jobs, Melinda now has something she deeply values: the freedom to align her days with her priorities. She continues to use her experience through coaching, mentoring, board leadership and nonprofit work while making room for family, health, culture, community and her newest identity—grandmother.

One of Melinda's most powerful messages is about relevance. By surrounding herself with people across generations, she shares her accumulated wisdom while remaining curious enough to learn from them in return.

Melinda also challenges the idea that this chapter should be entirely about “ME.” For her, meaning comes through connection, community and giving back—leading her to suggest another way of thinking about this stage of life:

WEtirement.

Her story is a wonderful reminder that you remain relevant, important and essential throughout your life—and your wisdom may be exactly what another generation needs.

🎧 Listen and ask yourself: How could you repurpose your experience to create meaning for yourself AND others?

About Melinda Wolfe

Melinda is an accomplished Chief People Officer, talent leader, executive coach, mentor, advisor and board leader whose career has focused on helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential.

She has shaped talent, leadership and culture at major organizations including Goldman Sachs, American Express, Bloomberg, Pearson and GLG. Today, Melinda brings that experience to executive coaching, mentoring and service on eight for-profit and nonprofit boards, while remaining deeply committed to organizations including ZanaAfrica Foundation and Echoing Green.

At 70, she is intentionally combining wisdom with curiosity—giving back, learning across generations, prioritizing health and community, and embracing one of her most joyful new roles: grandmother.

What if the best investment you could make for your future wasn't financial—but an investment in yourself?

Three-time Australian Olympian and World Champion swimmer Elli Overton experienced her first retirement at just 26. Suddenly, the clear goals that had guided her life as an elite athlete were gone—and she had to begin figuring out what came next.

Today, at 52, Elli is intentionally creating another new chapter.

After recognizing that her career in sales and marketing no longer gave her the purpose and human connection she wanted, Elli returned to school for a master’s degree in counseling and began building a future around two things she loves most: connecting with people and helping them grow.

In this candid conversation with Ceci Zak, Elli shares the uncertainty and trade-offs behind her choices—including questioning whether going back to school at 50 was financially “responsible,” comparing herself to peers who seemed more secure, and learning to distinguish societal expectations from what she truly values.

Her message for anyone wondering whether it's too late to make a change?

You're not too old.

Listen to what keeps pulling at you. Invest in understanding yourself. Get clear about what matters—and then have the courage to take action.

Your 3rdTHIRD doesn't have to begin with retirement. You can start creating it now.

About Elli Overton

Elli is a three-time Australian Olympian and World Champion swimmer whose life has been an ongoing journey of growth and reinvention.

Since retiring from competitive swimming at 26, Elli has evolved through roles as a swim coach, sales and marketing leader, mother and mental health advocate. Now 52, she is completing a master’s degree in counseling while building a career as a counselor and professional speaker.

Her story demonstrates a powerful belief: we are always capable of change, growth and learning—and it's never too late to invest in who we are becoming.

#MEaningfulMEtirement #MEtirement #3rdTHIRD #RetirementPlanning #LifeTransitions #Reinvention #Purpose #InvestInYourself #SecondAct #PersonalGrowth #CeciZak #ElliOverton

Do we become less relevant as we age—or do we simply need to rethink how we use everything we've learned?

In this episode of MEaningful MEtirement, Ceci Zak sits down with longtime friend and accomplished people leader Melinda Wolfe to explore how wisdom, curiosity, purpose and connection can make our 3rdTHIRD one of our most meaningful chapters.

After nearly 40 years without taking a meaningful break between jobs, Melinda now has something she deeply values: the freedom to align her days with her priorities. She continues to use her experience through coaching, mentoring, board leadership and nonprofit work while making room for family, health, culture, community and her newest identity—grandmother.

One of Melinda's most powerful messages is about relevance. By surrounding herself with people across generations, she shares her accumulated wisdom while remaining curious enough to learn from them in return.

Melinda also challenges the idea that this chapter should be entirely about “ME.” For her, meaning comes through connection, community and giving back—leading her to suggest another way of thinking about this stage of life:

WEtirement.

Her story is a wonderful reminder that you remain relevant, important and essential throughout your life—and your wisdom may be exactly what another generation needs.

🎧 Listen and ask yourself: How could you repurpose your experience to create meaning for yourself AND others?

About Melinda Wolfe

Melinda is an accomplished Chief People Officer, talent leader, executive coach, mentor, advisor and board leader whose career has focused on helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential.

She has shaped talent, leadership and culture at major organizations including Goldman Sachs, American Express, Bloomberg, Pearson and GLG. Today, Melinda brings that experience to executive coaching, mentoring and service on eight for-profit and nonprofit boards, while remaining deeply committed to organizations including ZanaAfrica Foundation and Echoing Green.

At 70, she is intentionally combining wisdom with curiosity—giving back, learning across generations, prioritizing health and community, and embracing one of her most joyful new roles: grandmother.

What if retirement isn't about slowing down—but staying curious enough to keep becoming?

This episode is especially close to my heart.

My guest, Lynn Stroud, was my mother's dearest friend, has been part of my life for as long as I can remember—and is actually the person who gave me the name Ceci.

Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and intentionally built a life filled with adventure, travel, family, friendship, community, and purpose.

Years later, they made another courageous choice: leaving Ohio and moving to Massachusetts to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren—not because they had to, but because they wanted to be present for the moments that matter most.

And Lynn didn't stop there.

She embraced her new community with the same curiosity she's brought to her entire life—volunteering, leading, learning, welcoming others, making new friends, and continuing to find meaningful ways to contribute.

In our conversation, we talk about identity beyond work, the power of Place, family, community, planning ahead, staying open-minded, and why purpose doesn't have an expiration date.

Lynn's advice is wonderfully simple:

Don't wait too long. Plan ahead. Stay open-minded. And keep saying yes to life.

Her story is a beautiful example of what Meaningful MEtirement is all about: consciously choosing how you want to live your 3rdTHIRD—and continuing to create joy, fulfillment, and freedom along the way.

About Lynn Stroud

Lynn is a lifelong adventurer, community builder, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother—and someone very special to me: my mother's dearest friend.

Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and have spent the decades since embracing travel, family, friendship, learning, and new experiences. Today, Lynn continues to reinvent herself—welcoming new residents to her community, creating programs that help others navigate transitions, writing stories for her great-grandchildren, and always finding another reason to say yes to life.

Her philosophy is beautifully simple: plan ahead, stay curious, be open-minded, and don't wait too long to create the life you want.

Lynn is living proof that your 3rdTHIRD isn't about slowing down—it's about continuing to grow, contribute, connect, and make memories.

🎙️ Listen, follow Meaningful MEtirement, and share this episode with someone who's beginning to wonder: What's next?

#MEaningfulMEtirement #MEtirement #3rdTHIRD #Purpose #Relevance #Wisdom #RetirementPlanning #LifeTransitions #CeciZak

Do we become less relevant as we age—or do we simply need to rethink how we use everything we've learned?

In this episode of MEaningful MEtirement, Ceci Zak sits down with longtime friend and accomplished people leader Melinda Wolfe to explore how wisdom, curiosity, purpose and connection can make our 3rdTHIRD one of our most meaningful chapters.

After nearly 40 years without taking a meaningful break between jobs, Melinda now has something she deeply values: the freedom to align her days with her priorities. She continues to use her experience through coaching, mentoring, board leadership and nonprofit work while making room for family, health, culture, community and her newest identity—grandmother.

One of Melinda's most powerful messages is about relevance. By surrounding herself with people across generations, she shares her accumulated wisdom while remaining curious enough to learn from them in return.

Melinda also challenges the idea that this chapter should be entirely about “ME.” For her, meaning comes through connection, community and giving back—leading her to suggest another way of thinking about this stage of life:

WEtirement.

Her story is a wonderful reminder that you remain relevant, important and essential throughout your life—and your wisdom may be exactly what another generation needs.

🎧 Listen and ask yourself: How could you repurpose your experience to create meaning for yourself AND others?

About Melinda Wolfe

Melinda is an accomplished Chief People Officer, talent leader, executive coach, mentor, advisor and board leader whose career has focused on helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential.

She has shaped talent, leadership and culture at major organizations including Goldman Sachs, American Express, Bloomberg, Pearson and GLG. Today, Melinda brings that experience to executive coaching, mentoring and service on eight for-profit and nonprofit boards, while remaining deeply committed to organizations including ZanaAfrica Foundation and Echoing Green.

At 70, she is intentionally combining wisdom with curiosity—giving back, learning across generations, prioritizing health and community, and embracing one of her most joyful new roles: grandmother.

What if you didn't wait until retirement to start creating your 3rdTHIRD?

At 49, communications executive and iHUG Foundation founder Joanna Breitstein is already asking what she wants her next chapter to look like—and who she wants to be when she gets there.

In this deeply personal conversation with Ceci Zak, Joanna shares how an unexpected lifequake has caused her to reconsider the future she once imagined and begin exploring new possibilities for herself. She talks about slowing down, rediscovering community and friendship, caring for her physical and emotional well-being, and expanding her sense of purpose beyond her career.

Joanna also shares what 20 years of leading a nonprofit in Uganda has taught her about service—and why meaningful contribution may come from committing your skills and experience to something that matters to you, rather than simply searching for a new title.

Her story reminds us that MEtirement isn't about what you're leaving behind. It's about what you're creating next.

And you don't have to wait until retirement to begin.

About Joanna Breitstein

Joanna is an accomplished communications executive, mother, community builder, and purpose-driven leader. Her career has included senior roles at Merck, supporting Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier, and Organon, where she helped shape the company’s leadership voice, women’s health narrative, and purpose. She is currently Vice President at Penn Quarter Partners.

Twenty years ago, Joanna founded the iHUG Foundation, dedicated to expanding education and opportunity for children in Uganda. Today, she continues to balance career, motherhood, community, and service while consciously thinking about the life she wants to create in her 3rdTHIRD.

Learn more about Ceci Zak and her work helping people consciously create lives filled with "joy, fulfillment and freedom" at her website.

What if retirement isn't about slowing down—but staying curious enough to keep becoming?

This episode is especially close to my heart.

My guest, Lynn Stroud, was my mother's dearest friend, has been part of my life for as long as I can remember—and is actually the person who gave me the name Ceci.

Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and intentionally built a life filled with adventure, travel, family, friendship, community, and purpose.

Years later, they made another courageous choice: leaving Ohio and moving to Massachusetts to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren—not because they had to, but because they wanted to be present for the moments that matter most.

And Lynn didn't stop there.

She embraced her new community with the same curiosity she's brought to her entire life—volunteering, leading, learning, welcoming others, making new friends, and continuing to find meaningful ways to contribute.

In our conversation, we talk about identity beyond work, the power of Place, family, community, planning ahead, staying open-minded, and why purpose doesn't have an expiration date.

Lynn's advice is wonderfully simple:

Don't wait too long. Plan ahead. Stay open-minded. And keep saying yes to life.

Her story is a beautiful example of what Meaningful MEtirement is all about: consciously choosing how you want to live your 3rdTHIRD—and continuing to create joy, fulfillment, and freedom along the way.

About Lynn Stroud

Lynn is a lifelong adventurer, community builder, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother—and someone very special to me: my mother's dearest friend.

Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and have spent the decades since embracing travel, family, friendship, learning, and new experiences. Today, Lynn continues to reinvent herself—welcoming new residents to her community, creating programs that help others navigate transitions, writing stories for her great-grandchildren, and always finding another reason to say yes to life.

Her philosophy is beautifully simple: plan ahead, stay curious, be open-minded, and don't wait too long to create the life you want.

Lynn is living proof that your 3rdTHIRD isn't about slowing down—it's about continuing to grow, contribute, connect, and make memories.

🎙️ Listen, follow Meaningful MEtirement, and share this episode with someone who's beginning to wonder: What's next?

What happens when retirement isn't just your transition…it's ours?

In this special episode of MEaningful MEtirement, Ceci Zak welcomes the podcast's first couple, Jodi and Jeff Olin, to explore what she calls WEtirement—the shared journey of intentionally creating a meaningful life together after decades of careers, raising a family, and building a life side by side.

After celebrating more than 40 years of marriage, Jodi and Jeff candidly discuss what surprised them most about retirement, how they balance independence with togetherness, and why a thriving relationship requires both shared adventures and individual passions.

Their conversation is filled with warmth, laughter, and practical wisdom for couples preparing for—or already living—their 3rdTHIRD.

• Create a retirement that strengthens your relationship instead of challenging it.

• Balance shared experiences with the freedom to pursue your own passions.

• Build new daily rhythms after leaving the structure of work behind.

• Shift your identity from professional success to personal purpose and family.

• Stay curious, active, and mentally engaged throughout your 3rdTHIRD.

• Discover why volunteering, family traditions, and giving back create lasting fulfillment.

• Navigate the emotional and financial transition from accumulating wealth to confidently enjoying the life you've built.

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is that the strongest relationships don't require couples to do everything together. Instead, they intentionally nurture both "me" and "we." Jodi's deep friendships and volunteer work beautifully complement Jeff's passion for cycling, skiing, travel, and lifelong curiosity, creating a partnership where both individuals continue to grow while growing together.

Whether you're single, married, newly retired, or years away from retirement, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on creating a life—and a relationship—filled with joy, fulfillment, and freedom.

If this conversation inspired you, please subscribe, follow, rate, and share the podcast. Together, we're redefining retirement and helping people consciously create their best life in their 3rdTHIRD.

About Jodi & Jeff Olin

Jodi and Jeff have spent more than four decades building a life centered on family, adventure, curiosity, service, and lifelong learning. Throughout successful careers in executive recruiting, technology, and organizational leadership, they intentionally prepared not just financially for retirement—but personally and as partners.

Today, they continue to embrace life through travel, cycling, skiing, pickleball, volunteering, meaningful friendships, family traditions, and investing in future generations. Their story is a powerful reminder that retirement isn't simply about leaving work behind—it's about intentionally creating a shared life where both individuals continue to flourish.

As the first couple featured on MEaningful MEtirement, Jodi and Jeff demonstrate that the most meaningful relationships are built on love, mutual respect, curiosity, independence, and the commitment to keep becoming more of who you are—together.

What if the greatest obstacle to creating your best life isn't your age—but the identity you've been holding onto?

After decades of building a successful career in healthcare, Linda DaSilva found herself facing an unexpected crossroads. Lingering health challenges, workplace stress, and a growing sense that her professional identity no longer reflected who she truly was forced her to ask a life-changing question:

Who am I beyond my career?

In this deeply honest conversation, Linda shares how losing a job in her 50s became the catalyst for discovering her authentic self, and how years later, her body sent unmistakable signals that it was time to let go of a career that no longer aligned with her values.

Together, we explore the powerful connection between our minds, our bodies, and our identities—and why true well-being begins when we listen to what our lives are trying to tell us.

• Why your career is something you do—not who you are.

• How chronic stress and toxic environments can manifest as physical illness.

• The surprising power of the mind-body connection and emotional awareness.

• Why peace, purpose, and authenticity matter more than titles and compensation.

• How manifestation, spirituality, and trusted relationships helped Linda navigate life's biggest transitions.

• Why it's never too late to consciously create your next chapter.

Linda's story is a powerful reminder that retirement isn't simply leaving work—it's becoming more of who you were always meant to be. Sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is listen to our bodies, honor our values, and choose a life that brings peace instead of pressure.

If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, follow, rate, and share the podcast. Together, we're redefining retirement and helping people consciously create lives filled with joy, fulfillment, and freedom.

About Linda DaSilva

Linda is a respected healthcare executive whose career was built on leadership, business development, and developing meaningful relationships. Throughout decades in corporate leadership, she became known for her integrity, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the organizations she served.

Today, Linda's greatest passion is helping others recognize that success isn't defined by titles or achievement—it's defined by living in alignment with your values, protecting your well-being, and having the courage to become more of who you truly are. Her journey is a beautiful example of what it means to intentionally create a meaningful 3rdTHIRD.

What if the life you've always wanted begins the moment you choose yourself?

For years, ceramic artist Cathy Broski built a successful career while quietly living with physical pain, emotional exhaustion, and a relationship that no longer reflected who she was becoming. Everything changed when she stopped asking how to fix everyone else—and started asking a different question:"What do I want my life to look like?"

In this deeply personal conversation, Cathy shares how mindfulness, creativity, and one small intentional choice at a time helped her transform pain into purpose and create a life filled with joy, fulfillment, and freedom.This episode is a powerful reminder that meaningful change doesn't happen overnight. It happens one decision, one habit, and one courageous choice at a time. In this episode, you'll discover how to:

* Stop living on autopilot and intentionally create the life you truly want.

* Turn pain, uncertainty, and life's transitions into opportunities for growth.

* Create a compelling vision for your future—and use it to guide your daily decisions.

* Replace unhealthy habits with small actions that build lasting change.

* Learn why accountability and consistency matter more than perfection.

* Find joy in everyday moments and gratitude for the life you're creating.

* Embrace the freedom that comes from realizing: "you get to choose".

Whether she's creating beautiful ceramic art, mentoring fellow artists, leading workshops around the country, or helping others reconnect with their authentic selves, Cathy reminds us that it's never too late to become who you were always meant to be. If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or wondered if it's too late to change your life, this conversation will inspire you to take your next bold step.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, follow, rate, and share the podcast. Every subscription helps us inspire more people to create lives filled with joy, fulfillment, and freedom in their 3rdTHIRD.

About Cathy Broski

Cathy is an accomplished ceramic artist, educator, and workshop leader whose work has inspired collectors and students for more than three decades. Growing up between St. Louis and rural Missouri, Cathy developed a lifelong love of creativity, nature, and artistic expression that continues to shape her work today.

Beyond her artistic accomplishments, Cathy is passionate about personal growth, mindfulness, and helping others reconnect with their authentic selves. Through years of intentional self-discovery, she transformed personal hardship into a life guided by purpose, gratitude, creativity, and service. Today she teaches not only the art of ceramics, but also the power of choosing your future one intentional step at a time.Her story beautifully illustrates that MEtirement isn't about slowing down—it's about finally living the life you were meant to create.