Regeneration Instead of Retirement with guest Chip Conley. Season 1, Episode 2.

As Carl Jung said, the operating system for the first half of our adult life is our ego, but for the second half, it is our soul. In light of this, there is a need for more resources to use as we age that can help us regenerate instead of simply retire. Chip Conley has created one such resource called the Modern Elder Academy and he joins us on the show today to share about the work they do there and the philosophy behind it. At age 26, Chip began building Joie de Vivre,  the second largest boutique hotel brand in America.  He also worked closely with the founders of Airbnb to grow the company into what it is today. On top of this, Chip is the bestselling author of books like Peak, and Wisdom at Work: The Making of the Modern Elder. The Modern Elder Academy is a school dedicated to helping people navigate midlife through intimate workshops that provide tools to change one’s career, life, and relationships. Joining this conversation, listeners will hear how Modern Elder Community creates regenerative communities, and take a deeper dive into some of the programs and courses they have on offer. Chip also gets into his ideas about the kind of philosophy he believes people would benefit from adopting as they age. He highlights the need for curiosity and a feeling of being useful, the growing talent older folk have for thinking big picture, and the wisdom that elders can bring to the young in a business environment. For all this and more from a man who is pushing for greater emotional wellbeing and a feeling of vocation as we age, be sure to tune in.

Key points from this episode:

• The work of shifting mindsets around aging done at Modern Elder Academy.
• New programs at Modern Elder Academy and how COVID has shaped these plans.
• Why Chip started the Modern Elder Academy to share wisdom relating to aging.
• The relationship Chip developed with Herb Kelleher and what he learned from him.
• Why Chip was attracted to entrepreneurship and disruption and how this steered his career.
• How Chip’s disruptive spirit is playing out with MEA by creating ‘regenerative communities’.
• Chips perspectives on the role of curiosity in creativity and innovation.
• The value of having a growth mindset for staying vital as one ages.
• Changes in brain functionality as one age that can be confirmed as positive.
• Moving from the operating system of the ego to that of the soul as we age.
• The need to have a sense of usefulness for staying healthy as we age.
• Final words of advice from Chip about values that can sustain us as we age.

Links mentioned in today’s episode:

Chip Conley

Chip Conley on Twitter

Chip Conley on LinkedIn

Wisdom Well

Wisdom at Work: The Making of the Modern Elder

Modern Elder Academy

‘The Emergence of Long Life Learning’

Herb Kelleher

Erik Erikson

Liz Lambert

Brian Chesky

Airbnb

You can learn more about Colin Milner at https://www