Encore: A Simple, 3-Step Plan to Achieving Retirement Fulfillment

September 5, 2022
Hosted by Ron Roel

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

Planning for retirement triggers all sorts of thoughts: excitement, hope, expectation—and yes, a dose of anxiety. We worry about financial security (did we save enough?) but we’re often not prepared for the emotional and social aspects of this major life transition. In today’s episode, Leah Frankel— who has created the entrepreneurial role of “Retirement Journey Advocate”—offers a sharp and refreshing perspective on how to prepare for this next chapter of life. Whether you want to launch a second career; have a side-job or hobby, volunteer, travel, or just sit back and relax, Leah will guide and support you through a stress-free workplace exit, prepared for a new identity and fulfilling experiences. Leah, herself, retired three years ago from a highly successful 30-year career with L’Oreal, and in the process discovered how to transfer her skills and talents into a meaningful second act—and guide others how to do the same. In today’s conversation with host Ron Roel, Leah will explain her simple, 3-step process for leaving a long-time career—a common-sense approach that combines attention to administrative and procedural details with strategic goals and priorities. She’ll also provide a list of 7 key tips and insights to start your retirement journey, from creating a list of “hard and soft skills”; to adapting from a corporate structure to flexible time schedules; creating new relationships and social networks; and learning how (and when) to take breaks to recharge. Finally, drawing from her own personal experiences, Leah will talk about the importance of finding fulfillment, not just happiness, in retirement—finding ways to continue making a difference, imparting your experiences to the next generations, and feeling that life is important and meaningful.

45 Forward

Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.

My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.

The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.

Ron Roel

I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.

I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.

I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.

This site is protected by Trustwave's Trusted Commerce program