137: Rethink Retirement: Taking Charge of Your Next Chapter with Andi Simon

"Take charge. Your retirement is your time." Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, sit down with Dr. Andi Simon, corporate anthropologist and author of Rethink Retirement, whose research offers a bracing corrective to how most people think about life after work. Andi spent years embedding herself in senior living communities on the west coast, interviewing residents who had done everything "right" financially and still found themselves empty, bored, and stripped of identity. Through it all, she's concluded that retiring from something is not the same as retiring to something. The central tension Andi identifies is one of agency. Retirement is a transition most people face without any rehearsal. Unlike a career, which assigns identity, purpose, and daily rhythm almost automatically, retirement demands that individuals build those things from scratch. Most people don't realize this until the calendar is suddenly, completely clear. Her research also surfaces a loneliness epidemic quietly accelerating among retirees. Work colleagues disappear, and friendships built around shared roles don't transfer easily. Also, relationships don't deepen automatically just because time is now available. Instead, they must be deliberately cultivated. Andi suggests trying new activities, building community intentionally, and recognizing which old roles to carry forward and which to release. Above all, she invites near-retirees to take charge, not just of their portfolio, but of the life waiting on the other side!   Key Topics: What is a Corporate Anthropologist? (02:31) Research in Senior Living (05:57) Identity Loss When Work Ends (07:49) Retirement Myths Held by the Youth (11:02) Talking with Your Adult Children About What Matters to You (19:54) "How Do I Have Purpose, Agency, and Meaning in This New Chapter?" (21:09) The Loneliness Epidemic in Retirement (24:00) Building New Community From Scratch (25:29) When Retirement Is Forced Upon You (36:09) Overcoming Retirement Misconceptions and Finding Your Unique Path (39:14) Stephanie and Kevin's Takeaways (42:28)   Resources: AndiSimon.com Andrea Simon on LinkedIn Andi Simon on Substack   If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. [email protected]   You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.   Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.  Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.