Rock Your Retirement Show

Peter Glover was learning to fly when he was 60 years old!

Some people retire once, Peter Glover did it twice. The first was a planned retirement and an injury caused the second. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing though!

With time on his hands, Peter was able to pursue his passion of learning to fly.

Before Peter retired, he raced cars and motorcycles. His mechanical experience allowed him to build “rally cars”. Peter won a some major races in Australia. Once he retired from this work, he bought a large sheep and crop farm. With basically no experience, Peter managed his farm successfully until he was injured and hurt his back. This stopped his farming career.

Peter didn't have the opportunity to become a pilot as a teenager.  But it was still in his heart to learn.  And after he spoke with a pilot at a car race one day, he decided he was going to fulfill his dream of learning to fly.

Think it's expensive?  Learning to fly might not be as expensive as you think.  But not everyone can do it because you would spend about as much for a good light plane as a mid priced luxury car.

Henry and Peter discuss all of the details in learning to fly such as:

* Choice of aircraft

* The types of licenses you can get

* Determining whether to own or lease a plane

* Regulations for private flying (which is over-regulated in Australia according to Peter)

* Fit to fly issues

* Safety issues

* Insurance, servicing & maintenance, gas for the airplane and lots more!

There is a lot of information on the internet about flying.  And you can subscribe to magazines on the subject as well.  Check out your local airports as they often have flying schools.  Here in California some of the Community Colleges offer it as well.

If you have any experience in flying leave a comment in the box below.

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Don't simply retire from something, have something to retire to!

Megan Giles supports those approaching retirement to successfully transition and create a retirement they will love to live! This is achieved through action-focused planning sessions and workshop facilitation. The key to success for the people who work with Megan is structured planning, looking beyond the finances, harnessing opportunities, informed decision making and tailored actions.  Megan and I talked about how she helps people prepare for retirement.

Just as we do here at Rock Your Retirement, Megan focuses on the non-financial aspects of retirement. (YES a kindred spirit!) She likes to look at the whole person and what really enables the quality of life. She looks at things like; how you connect to people, how emotionally supported you are and do you feel you have a purpose?

It's never too late to make changes and create a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in life after work. Acknowledging that you're struggling but willing to take some action is actually an incredible strength.

What does a mini coaching session look like? How do you prepare for retirement?

Talk about work:

* What is it that drives you?

* What is that you don't enjoy and look forward to never having to do again?

* How do you translate these things into figuring out what you want to maintain in your retirement?

* Do you want to fully retire or do you want to use your expertise to mentor someone or to volunteer?

Talk about life outside of work:

* What is it outside of work that you enjoy?

* What is the stuff you used to enjoy that you don't really have time for?

* Who do you like doing these things with?

* How do you bring these things into action?

You need is a plan to prepare for retirement from Day 1. This doesn't mean your days have to be completely full. Allow yourself time to do nothing if you want. But, it is important to have some immediate actions and goals.

If you are retiring around age 60 to 65, you potentially have another 20 to 30 years ahead of you. You'll have the opportunity to change or deviate from your path. Don't feel like you are locked into one thing forever. Have a focus for now, but you can always come back around and revisit your plans and goals. There is no right or wrong. The beauty is that it's your retirement and you are writing your story.

Megan provided a wonderful tool for our listeners. It is a planning sheet called I'm Retiring But I'm Not Done Yet! Staying Relevant And Connected in Life After Work. You can get it for free by going to www.RockYourRetiremenet.com/Relevant

Contact information for Megan: Email [email protected]  www.facebook.com/megangilescoaching  www.megangiles.com

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Megan is now a guest writer for the Rock Your Retirement show.  You can find her first post

Henry interviews Margaret Cook, a serial entrepreneur, about making the most out of life.

Margaret started her married life in an RV! And she's not afraid of learning either.  Her zest for it gave her the opportunity to learn what she needed to know in order to build a coffee shop in her hometown. This is a fascinating story of someone not afraid to follow her own path, and not afraid to put in the time to learn.

Henry learned how Margaret is making the most out of her current life.

Margaret did a lot of things.  She worked as a nurse when she was young.  This woman even taught herself how to upholster furniture.  She purchased and ran a shop to showcase her furniture.  And she's been a hairdresser. Not only that, but she's also been a massage therapist. This woman has done it all!

In her current life of setting up and running the coffee shop, she's had to learn a host of new things. This includes the legal aspects in her area. It includes deciding on what to add to the menu.  Additionally, she needed to figure out her niche, or what type of clients she wanted.  And…what about the competition?

The cool thing is that she created this “room within a room”.  The shop is called “Antiques and Coffee” and is located in Lismore, Australia.  Margaret has a list of ongoing projects including her “Stage Two” which will be taking an extra lot that is next to her family's farm into another eating place.   You can learn all about it by listening to the episode. Just click the play button and you can listen now.

Margaret received inspiration the book ’The Life You Are Born To Live’ by Dan Millman.  She really liked the advice in the book to “make good of bad” and that's what she did.

Margaret's motto: Make the most out of it. We only live once. You should go out and seize the day.

Let us know what you think!  Leave a comment in the box below. As Henry says, stay well and be happy (it’s a choice)

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

John Brocato will talk to us about traveling solo.

John had the fortune (or misfortune) of growing up a Kansas City Royals fan living in St. Louis Cardinals territory. John’s two primary hobbies are baseball and travel. He decided to write a book about his adventures which is called Road Trips, Routes, and Royals.

John is the first to admit that he is difficult to travel with. He likes to go “off the beaten path”. This is one of the reasons he began traveling solo. John has some fascinating stories to tell about his travels and he gives a TON of great information in this episode.

John mostly travels to see baseball games, and works other travel around those games.  He also likes to visit Presidential Libraries.   There are still three he needs to visit.

Here are some of the tips John talks about in his interview for traveling solo and “on the cheap!”

* Start close to home to build your confidence

* Be loyal to certain hotel chains which will allow you to get points or rewards for discounted prices or even free nights

* Strike up conversations and talk with other travelers to get their recommendations for attractions or places to eat

* Know what you absolutely have to include on your trip first BUT also allow for spontaneous excursions

* Limit your driving to no more than 300 to 400 miles per day

John also talks about being a member of Rewards Network who is partnered with a number of different reward programs. You can earn hotels points, frequent flyer miles or other various incentive programs. He also uses the program to find obscure restaurants in various cities he visits.

If you would like to contact John check out his Facebook page where he posts his travel pictures!

John's Book: Road Trips, Routes, and Royals

Do you like to travel solo or have some tips for our listeners and readers?  Let us know in the comments below!

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Henry went on vacation to a Carob factory!

He visited a tourist attraction called Carobana, and discovered that one of the owners, Jean Hamey, had a lot more to talk about than just carob!  She and her husband Ian operate Carobana, which is a tourist attraction, and a factory, which manufactured Carob coated treats.

If you have never seen carob, it is a large seed pod of the carob tree.  We actually have them in San Diego where I (Kathe) live.  First you remove the seeds.  Then you dry and powder the pod.   Jean explains the rest of the process in the interview.

Jean agreed to talk about her carob organization with Henry.

She and her husband inherited the place after her in-laws passed away.  They now have a successful  manufacturing, retail and tourism business.  Much of the interview focuses on the development of the enterprise, and Jean’s unique business skills.

As far as the carob business, Ian has built much of the machinery, and persistence and hard work have produced a steady growth which has resulted in the success Carabana is today.

A couple of things to know about carob are:

* The pod not only contains many small beans, but also a semi-sweet pulp.

* These pods contain iron, magnesium, calcium, along with vitamins A, B2, B3, and D.

* Carob pods are used as a cocoa substitute for chocolate flavoring.  It doesn't taste like exactly like chocolate but it does work as a substitute.

* On a diet?  Carob contain just 1/3rd of the calories of chocolate.

* Even if you are allergic to chocolate, you can usually eat Carob.

Henry asked Jean what she was going to do after her imminent retirement.  And boy does she have plans!  Not only has she been running a business all these years, but she also does book-binding, writes children's books, AND writes craft books as well.   So she has a lot going on.

Have you ever heard of “Quilling”?

I, Kathe, had never heard of this before, but Jean has written a book on it Quilling Beauties of the Bush.  You may have heard of it, but it's basically a way to make beautiful 3D pictures out of paper.  Basically, you use strips of paper and then roll or shape them, and glue them together.

Then you loop, curl, and twist the paper until it makes something beautiful.

Quilling creates greeting cards, jewelry, or pretty much anything that you want to make in a 3D manner.

I (Kathe) found the quilling part of the interview to be fascinating.  It was fun to learn a little about a hobby that I'd never heard of.  Of course once I looked it up, I realized that I had seen the finished works of these artists.

If you are in Australia you can purchase Jean's tasty treats at http://www.carobana.com.au/. And you can purchase her quilling books anywhere in the world on Amazon.

Have you ever done quilling or eaten carob?  Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about Retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first a...

Medical tourism can be defined as the process of traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care.

OMG, I had two guests on this episode, so you get two for the price of one!  Or is it double trouble?  I’ll let you decide.

I brought Billy and Akaisha Kaderli on the show for a couple of reasons. They retired when they were 38 years old.  Yes, you read that correctly.  So they have now beat out WENDY HOLT for being the youngest retiree on the show.  Or should I use my new word Time Shifter?  you can read more about Time shifting on the Rock your Retirement website. Billy and Akaisha are experts in a lot of areas, including Medical Tourism which is another reason I wanted them on the show.

Billy and Aikaisha feel that the medical care they receive outside of the US is better than the care they receive in the US and at a fraction of the price. After 5 weeks in Mexico, Billy needed a new crown. He was able to see four different dentists and get his issue resolved.  It only cost him $4,900 pesos or about $250 US dollars!

Things you may not have known about Medical Tourism:

* Many doctors train overseas and then practice in the US

* Medical providers usually speak English

* Or you can get a translator that does

* Thailand has the best Medical tourism

* According to the Kaderlis

* You'll know in advance what your medical procedure is going to cost

* Some providers offer concierge service

* They'll come to you!

* You can get same day service

We also spent some time talking about:

* How they decided to retire so early and how it affected their relationship

* Living outside of the US and how they dealt with the culture shock.

Today's Freebie is “Top 10 Questions and Answers on Medical Tourism” which you can get by going to: www.RockYourRetirement.com/MedicalTourism

Billy and Akaisha's website is RetireEarlyLifestyle.com and if you want to check out their Medical Tourism Page to look at clinics and hospitals you can go HERE

Books:

* Your Retirement Dream is Possible

The Adventurer's Guide to Chapala Living: A Common Sense Approach to your New Life in Chapala, Mexico

Retire Early Lifestyle: Your Questions Our Answered

The Adventurer's Guide to Pana Living: Living in Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Cut and Run Report:  Our First 200 Days of Retirement

The Adventurer's Guide to the Pacific Coast of Mexico

Henry had never gone to Karaoke before.

From Henry's article:

“I admit, I had a jaundiced idea of karaoke although I had never been to a session.  But three hours in the Royal Hotel in Taree has turned me round completely.  However, I promise never to get up to sing, simply for the protection and respect for the other patrons.

Why  SWMBO and I attended a karaoke night is a bit of a long story, so you will have to listen to find out.   We both loved the Thursday night karaoke in the Royal Hotel in Taree, where I learned many things and was forced all my preconceptions about karaoke.  And you can't beat the five dollar Bangers and Mash meal for value.

The folk who got up to sing were not drunk twenty and thirty year olds.

The people who got up to sing had, for the most part, really terrific voices.  The folk who got up to sing were not doing it to show off to their partners.

The singers were not in the least part competitive.  There was definite goodwill and support for folk who were nervous or new to the scene.  And Dennis, Raquil and some of the regular singers volunteer their time and talent to support their broader community, I didn't reckon on that.

Dennis and his wife Raquil run Party Time Karaoke, which is a commercial business.

They own the necessary equipment and market their services to hotels and clubs, as well as individuals for weddings, birthdays, and divorces.  Companies engage them for sales training and team bonding exercises.  If you think this could work for you call Dennis on 0413 399 498.  He is very professional, has excellent gear and will go out of his way to accommodate your needs..

Back to the Royal Hotel … I asked Dennis how many songs he had on his computer and the answer floored me.  If you want to know, you are going to have to listen, but it is more than 1,000, more than 10,000, more than 100,000 – you will find out.  The tracks are all backing tracks of the original songs, and in some cases include the backing singers voices as well.

Listen to the session, the heart warming part that really made me think twice starts about two thirds way through.  You will love this episode,  just remember it is being recorded in the busy lounge of a hotel while the patrons are having fun.

Do you participate at karaoke nights?  Would you if you were given the opportunity? Leave a comment in the Reply Box below and let me know.”

This article first appeared at http://RetiredExcited.com

What is responsible travel?

I spoke with Tammie Ferguson who owns Love in Action Travel. Don't you just love that name? Tammie talks about socially responsible travel. Tammie created Love in Action travel for people who want to combine their love of travel with their passion for serving others and making a positive difference.

We spent a good amount of time talking about “Voluntourism” Trips. They plan itineraries to different countries such as Guatemala, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. People can sign up and join on the trip. These are 9-10 day itineraries with 5 days of that being spent building a home.

 Some of the projects they work on are:

* Habitat for Humanity global village home builds

* Serving orphanages

* Creating Healthy Home kits, including smokeless stoves and water filters

Why Responsible Travel?

* Great opportunity to meet new people

* Explore a different country

* Learn a new skill

* Rejuvenate

* Give back

Although prices vary and can change, Tammie has a trip planned to Guatemala in June and the (2017) fee is $1,870. The trip fee includes meals, lodging, any cultural activities, ground transportation, the community service project that you will be involved in, and even travel medical insurance. You pay for the flight, money for souvenirs if you want any, and bring extra for that massage after all your hard work!

Tammie also talks about the other trips she plans which include Agritourism Experiences, Cultural Tours, and Fathom Cruises

Today's Freebie, 5 Ways Impact Travel Helps You Rock Retirement, can be found at http://RockYourRetirement.com/Impact

Contact information for Tammie

Email: [email protected] * Website: LoveInActionTravel.com * Facebook: http://facebook.com/loveinactiontravel

If you would like to learn more about Habitat for Humanity go to https://www.habitat.org/

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

 

Jim Moir doesn't think that he's too old to skydive.

Henry had a conversation with Jim and found out that Jim used to skydive competitively.  When he retired he said he was obviously too old for competition because the youngsters thrash him.

Jim couldn't just retire from skydiving though, so he redirected the skills and experience he had built up over decades.

So he's still involved in the sport he loves.

Henry follows Jim's progress in life and parachuting, from beginner to competitor to champion and instructor.  Not only does Jim like to parachute out of airplanes, but he also taught his wife to skydive.  She went from a novice to a champion skydiver in under two years.

Jim lives in Melbourne, Australia, as do many of Henry's guests.  They go over what equipment you need.  Henry and Jim talk about why you can skydive at any age. They talk about the great innovations in the sport.  And why age doesn't matter.  Do you want a heart stopping feeling of exhilaration?  Try skydiving.  At any age.

But that's not all.

Even if you aren't interested in jumping out of an airplane, listen to Jim and Henry talk about how you can use your skills to make your retirement great.  The camaraderie of continuing a sport or an activity into retirement can make the activity worthwhile.

During the interview Jim mentions flying with a wing suit.  If you have never seen this, watch this YouTube video to get you excited, or shake your head in horror.

How can you apply Jim's suggestion of extending your hard won experience to your retirement?  Let us know with a comment in the reply box below.

Thinking of cruising in retirement? Check out Cruise Critic!

As most of you know, I recently went on a cruise, and while I was there, I met Donna Clark. I just had to interview her for the show to talk about Cruise Critic! Donna doesn't work for this website…she just thinks it's pretty awesome and so do I!  And no, they are not paying me to say this!  (But they should…right? Ha!)

http://CruiseCritic.com is the most extraordinary place to go to find volumes of information and helps keep you cruising in retirement.

This website is a valuable tool for anyone looking into cruising or on a cruise. You can find things such as:

* Member reviews of cruises

* Reviews of ships

* Reviews of staterooms on the ships

* Port reviews

* Sometimes they will have professional reviews along with member reviews

* Excursion reviews

* Finding a cruise

* Browsing destinations and deals and much… much more!

You can become a member of cruisecritic and there are some great benefits to this.

Community Page: When you click on the community page and select your cruise line, it is like a bulletin board. People will post questions and anyone can answer them. There is a ton of information!

Roll Call: You can find the actual cruise you are going to be on. Once you click on that, you can talk to other people that are going to be on your ship.

Another benefit of Roll Call is the ability to set up private tours.There are quite a few great things about private tours

* Fewer people so you get to know the people in your group better

* Less waiting

* More of what YOU want to do

* The only real downside of private tours is if you have a fear (like I do) of getting back to the ship on time before it takes off! Most private tour companies will guarantee you will be back on time, though.  You can research private tours through the magic of Google as well!

Cruisecritic group party- Who doesn't love a good party? Member will receive a special invitation to what is often referred to as a “meet and mingle”. So fun!.

All of this great information and the best part…it's totally FREE!

Website: www.cruisecritic.com

If you would like to download our Free Report, Secrets about Retirement your Broker won't tell you! just go to: www.RockYourRetirement.com/Secrets

Special Thanks to:

* Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes!

* Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific

* Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays

* YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com