This is Dan Morrell, host of Skydeck. 

At the HBS reunions in 2019, the Skydeck team set up shop on Spangler lawn and asked alumni to share their secrets to a successful retirement. 

John Teeling, DBA 1979, who has started a number of Irish whiskey distilleries, hadn’t intended to sit and offer his advice, but his companion had other ideas. 

JOHN TEELING: The reason you have me here is because my wife was listening to the request to come on and she says I’m not allowed to retire until I’m 94. You shouldn’t ask me about retirement, because I’ve done absolutely no planning for it other than financial. And I’d hope to be able to work as long as I’m enjoying it, which I think could be a few years yet.

In this episode of Skydeck, you’ll hear from some happy retirees about what   makes for a successful exit from the working world—and a few more like Teeling, who chafe at the very notion. And while this episode of Skydeck was notably recorded in pre-pandemic times, we think the advice offered here remains relevant.