Don't Give Up On Old People: Why I'm Not Done Yet with Andrew Middleton

For a lot of people, getting older does not feel like winding down. It feels like being pushed to the edges before you are ready. In this episode, Andrew Middleton shares what happened after a LinkedIn post about turning 66 unexpectedly resonated with thousands of people who felt exactly the same. What followed was not just a viral moment, but the beginning of a much bigger conversation about age, work, relevance, and the quiet shock of realising the world may be starting to see you differently before you see yourself that way.At the heart of this conversation is Andrew’s idea of the INDY: I’m Not Done Yet. It is both a phrase and a growing community for people who know they still have something to contribute, even as traditional career paths begin to narrow. We talk about the emotional reality of ageing in the workplace, the loss of status that can come with later career life, and the experience of being made to feel invisible, sidelined, or quietly moved on before you are ready. Andrew speaks with honesty about his own journey through this, and the deeper challenge of working out who you are when the old identity no longer fits.We also explore what happens next. For many people, this stage of life leads not to full retirement, but to something much more mixed, uncertain, and unexpectedly creative. Andrew shares how many find themselves becoming their own boss, building portfolio careers, learning new skills, trying new things, and earning money in ways they never expected. It is not always easy, but it can open up a very different kind of freedom.A big part of the episode centres on Andrew’s idea of “soft retirement” and what he calls the dangerous decade: that stretch of later working life where the old script starts to break down, but the new one has not yet been written. We talk about rethinking life in four quarters, the reality that we are living longer, and the possibility that this stage of life can still be useful, expansive, and full of possibility. Rather than seeing later life as one long holiday, Andrew makes the case for something richer: a third quarter shaped by contribution, reinvention, and the freedom to do things differently.Episode Highlights• Why “I’m not done yet” became a rallying cry• The shock of feeling sidelined before you are ready• Ageing, relevance, and the loss of identity at work• What to do when your old role no longer fits• Why later life often means becoming your own boss• Portfolio careers, side hustles, and unexpected reinvention• Learning new skills and staying open to change• The “dangerous decade” before traditional retirement• Soft retirement versus stopping cold• Why living longer changes the whole picture• Health, money, relationships, and planning for the third quarter• A more hopeful vision for what comes nextTimestamps00:01:22 The post that sparked a global conversation00:04:01 I’m Not Done Yet and the birth of INDY00:08:53 From corporate life to self-employment00:14:15 Identity, ego, and feeling invisible00:19:09 Portfolio careers and unexpected reinvention00:27:45 Why retirement needs a rethink00:32:26 Soft retirement and the third quarter of life00:36:50 Health, money, relationships, and planning for what matters00:50:07 What generations can learn from each other00:56:22 Reinvention, freedom, and possibilityGuest BioAndrew Middleton is the founder of INDY, I’m Not Done Yet, a community for people over 50 exploring purpose, relevance, and what comes next. He has a background in corporate and charity leadership and now works as a consultant, writer, and speaker focused on later-life work and reinvention.https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcmiddleton/https://www.imnotdoneyet.co.uk/Bountifull PodcastBountifull is a personal growth and wellbeing podcast exploring joy, resilience, purpose, health, relationships, and meaningful living through thoughtful conversations with experts, creatives, and interesting people from diverse backgrounds.