As children, we’re all asked what we want to be when we grow up. We tend to see the decision as finite when it isn’t. The Happiest Retirees podcast refocuses the lens to ask, now that you’re grown up, what do you want to do? How do you want to reinvent yourself? Who do you want to be? By going straight to the source — the happy retirees themselves — we capture the essence and the stories of their post-career lifestyles. Where have they stumbled? Where have they triumphed? How did they discover the core pursuits and passions that get them out of bed in the morning?
Over the past decade, host Ryan Doolittle has worked with Wes Moss to research and produce two books, countless articles, the long-running Money Matters radio show, and his successful Retire Sooner podcast. He’s a writer and comedian living in Los Angeles. He’s been both unhappy and happy, and he prefers the latter.
00:00-You Can Do Just About Anything
03:29-Transitions & Empowering Older Adults in Tech
09:21-Mindset Matters
10:33-A Birthday Card Contest Turned Etsy Business
15:48-Tradeshows & Strategy
22:06-Immerse Yourself in Something Joyful
28:21-Retirement Rewirement
33:30-Practicality Problems
36:42-Ikigai!
40:50-Core Pursuits & Staying Active
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As children, we’re all asked what we want to be when we grow up. We tend to see the decision as finite when it isn’t. The Happiest Retirees podcast refocuses the lens to ask, now that you’re grown up, what do you want to do? How do you want to reinvent yourself? Who do you want to be? By going straight to the source — the happy retirees themselves — we capture the essence and the stories of their post-career lifestyles. Where have they stumbled? Where have they triumphed? How did they discover the core pursuits and passions that get them out of bed in the morning?
Over the past decade, host Ryan Doolittle has worked with Wes Moss to research and produce two books, countless articles, the long-running Money Matters radio show, and his successful Retire Sooner podcast. He’s a writer and comedian living in Los Angeles. He’s been both unhappy and happy, and he prefers the latter.
00:00-You Can Do Just About Anything
03:29-Transitions & Empowering Older Adults in Tech
09:21-Mindset Matters
10:33-A Birthday Card Contest Turned Etsy Business
15:48-Tradeshows & Strategy
22:06-Immerse Yourself in Something Joyful
28:21-Retirement Rewirement
33:30-Practicality Problems
36:42-Ikigai!
40:50-Core Pursuits & Staying Active
Pelican Persistence and Glass-Ceiling Breakthroughs: Kathy Sperl-Bell’s Guide to Winning at Work and Retirement
Happiest Retirees
43 minutes
1 year ago
Pelican Persistence and Glass-Ceiling Breakthroughs: Kathy Sperl-Bell’s Guide to Winning at Work and Retirement
Kathy Sperl-Bell has an abstract painting called “Dinner Time.” In it, a Pelican stares down into the sea as dark shadows betray the location of fish who, unbeknownst to them, are in serious jeopardy. What strikes me about this particular Pelican is his ability to keep his eye on the prize. His hunger is evident. That patient facade is a practiced skill, not a breezy indifference. He knows that accomplishing his goal will require calm focus and repeated effort. Dinner won’t come easy, but if he refuses to quit, his belly will eventually be full.
I don’t know if Kathy had all this in mind when her acrylic brush first touched the wrapped canvas, but it certainly would be apropos of her own story. As a woman trying to succeed in business in the 1960s, it’s amazing her head isn’t scarred from banging against all those glass ceilings. But like that pelican, she never quit. Each challenge strengthened her resolve. Finally, when the moment was right, she founded Active Adults Realty in Delaware in 2009, an independent real estate brokerage focused on helping Baby Boomers plan for retirement. It was a hit.
In 2021, she and her husband, Bill, sold the business and retired to The Florida Keys, where she spends her time focused on core pursuits like blogging about travel and retirement, painting, yoga, pickleball, and listening to as much jazz as she can get her hands on.
There may be plenty of fish in the sea, but they aren’t always so easy to catch. Kathy Sperl-Bell’s inspirational story is full of heartache, hope, hard work, and happiness. Maybe yours is, too.
00:00-Journey to Real Estate
02:42-Live from the Airstream
11:12-“I Don’t Want Any Obligations.”
12:40-A Trip of a Lifetime
16:25-Bucking the Tongue
19:22-From an In-Flight Detective to Director
24:32-A Shared Love of Jazz
26:29-Active Adults Realty
29:45-What Does “Retirement” Mean?
31:29-The Accessibility of Pickleball
34:13-MyRetirementStories.com
36:26-A True Partner
40:11-Perseverance
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Happiest Retirees
As children, we’re all asked what we want to be when we grow up. We tend to see the decision as finite when it isn’t. The Happiest Retirees podcast refocuses the lens to ask, now that you’re grown up, what do you want to do? How do you want to reinvent yourself? Who do you want to be? By going straight to the source — the happy retirees themselves — we capture the essence and the stories of their post-career lifestyles. Where have they stumbled? Where have they triumphed? How did they discover the core pursuits and passions that get them out of bed in the morning?
Over the past decade, host Ryan Doolittle has worked with Wes Moss to research and produce two books, countless articles, the long-running Money Matters radio show, and his successful Retire Sooner podcast. He’s a writer and comedian living in Los Angeles. He’s been both unhappy and happy, and he prefers the latter.
00:00-You Can Do Just About Anything
03:29-Transitions & Empowering Older Adults in Tech
09:21-Mindset Matters
10:33-A Birthday Card Contest Turned Etsy Business
15:48-Tradeshows & Strategy
22:06-Immerse Yourself in Something Joyful
28:21-Retirement Rewirement
33:30-Practicality Problems
36:42-Ikigai!
40:50-Core Pursuits & Staying Active
