The Retirement Insiders

Most retirement conversations begin with a financial question: Can I afford to retire?

Your income plan matters. Your investments, taxes, insurance, estate strategy, and risk management all matter. But after our conversation with Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, we believe every serious retirement plan should include a second question:

Will I be healthy enough to enjoy the retirement I worked so hard to build?

In Part I of this special edition of The Retirement Insiders, Tony Kalinowski and David Alexander share highlights from their conversation with Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, the physician known around the world as the “father of aerobics.”

At 95, Dr. Cooper is still working, exercising, writing, and advancing a message he has spent more than half a century championing: prevention matters.

His landmark 1968 book Aerobics helped transform the way the world thinks about cardiovascular fitness. His books have sold more than 30 million copies, and his twentieth book, Grow Healthier as You Grow Older, continues that mission for a new generation.

This episode explores the important distinction between lifespan and healthspan: not simply how long you live, but how well you are able to live during those years.

Dr. Cooper explains why some of the greatest returns on your “fitness investment” can come simply from moving out of a sedentary lifestyle. He discusses research connecting fitness with chronic disease risk and later-life health care costs, the importance of taking personal responsibility for your health, and practical ways to begin improving from wherever you are today.

You’ll also hear Dr. Cooper explain the philosophy behind Get Cooperized™, why fitness is “a journey, not a destination,” and why setbacks do not have to end that journey.

For retirees and those preparing for retirement, the connection is powerful: your health may never appear on a financial statement, but it is one of your most valuable retirement assets.

The goal is not only to retire. The goal is to retire with the strength, independence, clarity, and purpose to enjoy the life you worked so hard to build.

In this episode:
• Why healthspan belongs in the retirement-planning conversation
• Dr. Cooper’s “You don’t retire, you refire” philosophy
• The potential return from moving out of a sedentary lifestyle
• Fitness, prevention, and health care costs in retirement
• The philosophy behind Get Cooperized™
• Measuring what matters without shame
• Why fitness must remain a lifelong journey
• A practical starting point for someone who feels behind

Learn more about Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper:

Get Dr. Cooper’s newest book, Grow Healthier as You Grow Older
https://www.cooperaerobics.com/dr-cooper-book/

Learn more about Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper and his life’s work
https://www.cooperaerobics.com/cooper-about/executive-leadership-kenneth-h-cooper-md-mph/

Explore Cooper Center Longitudinal Study research
https://www.cooperaerobics.com/cooper-wellness-strategies/cooperfit-ccls-research/

Read the landmark 1989 JAMA fitness and mortality study
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/379243

Research on midlife fitness and later health care costs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26493659/

This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before beginning or changing an exercise or wellness program.

Part II continues the conversation with Dr. Cooper’s insights on strength, discipline, faith, prevention, and what it means to remain physically and spiritually fit for life.

In Part II of The Retirement Insiders, the conversation shifts from success to significance.

What does it actually look like to live well. Not just early in life, but all the way through it? This episode unpacks the quiet disciplines and unexpected moments that shape a meaningful second half.

Along the way, you’ll hear stories that challenge conventional thinking about retirement revealing why the most impactful lives aren’t built on big moments, but on simple decisions made over decades.

This isn’t about slowing down.
It’s about continuing with intention and discovering what really matters when everything else fades.

Dr. Kwon's  Book: Purchase Here

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

By the time most of us were figuring out high school, Dr. Ik-Whan G. Kwon was completely alone in a war torn country, facing a choice that would define the rest of his life.

He chose the harder road. Fast forward to today he plays golf in the early mornings, stays in touch with hundreds of former students and gathers his entire family together every other Thanksgiving. From the outside, it looks peaceful.

But when you hear where he started you'll understand just how much that peace cost him.

Winters were cold. There were days he went without food so he could afford something more important. There were moments when, if you had seen him walking down the street, you would never have guessed that this young man was on his way to becoming a top Professor with two PhDs. 

He eventually made it to America with $50 in his pocket and a dream that most people around him didn't believe could be possible. What happened next? The strangers who showed up at exactly the right moment, the doors that opened because of one simple yet radical decision he made about people and the family he built h in a country that wasn't his own.

In this episode, Tony Kalinowski and David Alexander sit down with Dr. Kwon for part one of a two part conversation that covers faith, family, friendship, fitness, finance and what it truly means to live a fun and enriching life.

 Dr. Kwon's  Book: Purchase Here

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

The Retirement Insiders closes out 2025 with a Best Of episode built around the core theme of life stewardship.

David Alexander and Tony Kalinowski revisit the moments that stayed with them long after recording, including Skip Vaccarello’s call to pursue “calling” over performance, the Brewers’ honest reflections on caregiving and why support matters, and Eric Camfield’s leadership lesson from Altar Fly Fishing on rhythm, burnout and surrender.

They also return to Dr. Leanne Clark-Shirley’s big picture challenge to reframe aging as opportunity and contribution, not decline. The result is a year end conversation that is less about retirement planning and more about purpose and what it means to lead well in every season of life.

If you are heading toward retirement, already in it or simply trying to live with more clarity and intention, this episode is a reset on what success should look like going forward.

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

In this continuation of The Retirement Insiders generosity series, David Alexander interviews Tony Kalinowski and shifts the conversation from philosophy to practice. Part II explores how retirees can build a disciplined, repeatable operating system for giving, one that sustains impact year after year.

Tony shares how he uses sponsorships strategically, why he treats generosity like a structured financial process, and how he evaluates organizations using three essential filters: alignment, leadership and measurable results. He also discusses when board service makes sense, why he maintains a dedicated giving account, and how purpose-driven engagement strengthens wellbeing in retirement.

Listeners will hear Tony’s straightforward insights, including:

• How he reviews and reallocates his giving annually
• The key ratio he watches: “How much of your dollar actually goes to the person we’re trying to help?”
• Why update meetings with leaders he supports often create breakthrough opportunities
• How purposeful generosity can “invigorate” retirement and protect against isolation

Part II is a practical, systems-driven roadmap for anyone who wants to turn generosity into long-term, measurable impact.

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

In this KIT (Key Insights for Today) episode of The Retirement Insiders, David Alexander podcast producer and turns the mic toward Host Tony Kalinowski to unpack his personal framework for strategic generosity. Rather than reacting to every year-end appeal and experiencing what he calls “giving fatigue,” Tony walks through how he built a disciplined, conviction-driven approach to giving that aligns with his values and creates real impact.

Listeners will hear Tony explain:

• Why he starts with the question, “What is it that I really am strategically and philosophically aligned with?”
• The importance of evaluating leadership, not just mission, including his filter of “I don’t want a vision. I want a business plan”
• Why he “tests the waters” with smaller gifts before increasing support
• How he decides where to give his presence locally and where to send resources globally

If you’re serious about turning good intentions into thoughtful, effective generosity in retirement, this first part of Tony’s strategic giving playbook is your starting point.

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

In Part I, Dr. Leanne Clark-Shirley of the American Society on Aging (ASA) outlined the broad vision for aging in America. ASA has been a steady voice in the national conversation on aging since 1954. Today, under Dr. Clark-Shirley’s leadership as President and CEO, the organization is shaping what many call the “North Star” for practitioners in the field. With more than 4,000 members spanning health, housing, caregiving, technology, academia, philanthropy, and government, ASA convenes and is committed to reimagining how America grows older. 

Here in Part II, we focus on how retirees, families, and communities can begin to take action.

Where to Learn More

• About ASA: asaging.org/about
• On Aging Conference: asaging.org/on-aging
• On Aging Institute: asaging.org/on-aging-institute
• Generations Journal: generations.asaging.org
• Local MPA Resources: Missouri
• National MPA Resources: https://multisectorplanforaging.org/map 

The American Society on Aging (ASA) has been a steady voice in the national conversation on aging since 1954. Today, under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Leanne Clark-Shirley, the organization is shaping what many call the “North Star” for practitioners in the field. With more than 4,000 members representing health, housing, caregiving, technology, academia, philanthropy, and government, ASA convenes and equips a multidisciplinary network committed to reimagining how America grows older.

On today's episode of The Retirement Insiders, host Tony Kalinowski and co-host/producer David Alexander sat down with Dr. Clark-Shirley for a two-part discussion. Part I explores her personal journey into the field, ASA’s mission, and why demographic change is making collaboration more urgent than ever.

Where to Learn More

• About ASA: asaging.org/about
• On Aging Conference: asaging.org/on-aging
• On Aging Institute: asaging.org/on-aging-institute
• Generations Journal: generations.asaging.org
• Local MPA Resources: Missouri
• National MPA Resources: https://multisectorplanforaging.org/map 

Recent October 9th Ageism Awareness Day 

Host Tony Kalinowski and Co-Host and Producer David Alexander continue the conversation with Eric Camfield of Altar Fly Fishing. Part I traced Eric’s path from the Yankees to the pastorate to founding Altar, why these retreats are not vacations, and how a weekly pause improved Tony’s effectiveness. In Part II, we examine the always “on” culture and what Eric calls soul thresholds, the daily cadence of an Altar retreat, the life mapping and Soul 360 tools, and why he prefers the term “redeployment” over retirement. The episode includes concrete stories of change and a clear plan for keeping the work going after the retreat.

Connect: Tony Kalinowski

View Podcast Website: Here

Learn more about Eric: altarflyfishing.org

Podcast Producer: David Alexander 

Former Yankees player Eric Camfield traded the baseball field for fly fishing and soul care. Now the founder of Altar Fly Fishing, Camfield helps leaders pause, reflect, and reset through retreats that combine solitude, group reflection, and spiritual rhythm. These experiences are not escapes but intentional spaces for restoration.

Host Tony Kalinowski shares his firsthand experience at Altar’s retreats, which have grown into yearlong programs blending spiritual practices, leadership coaching, and holistic health.

Camfield’s journey spans pro sports, church leadership, and executive coaching. His mission is to help leaders hear themselves think and lead from a place of health.

• Connect: Tony Kalinowski
• View Podcast Website: Here
• Learn more about Eric: altarflyfishing.org
• Podcast Producer: David Alexander