Beyond Retirement
What really happens after retirement? If you’re approaching retirement—or already there—and wondering what now?, you’re not alone. The world is full of financial advice for retirement, but there’s far less about how to actually live a fulfilling life once the 9-to-5 ends. Beyond Retirement is the podcast that explores what comes after the career chapter. Whether your retirement was planned or unexpected, joyful or jarring, you’ll find real stories, honest conversations, and practical inspiration here. Join host Jacquie Doucette as she shares her own journey and speaks with people who’ve reimagined life after work—some fully retired, some shifting gears, and all discovering new meaning in this next stage. From finding purpose to building community, embracing play, and navigating change, we’ll explore how to create a life that truly fits. Because retirement isn’t the end—it’s a new beginning. Let’s figure out what comes next, together.
Episodes
Kim Costa, a top 5% Realtor with Atlanta Fine Homes & Sotheby’s International Realty and creator of the Wheel House Method, shares how to use a Wheel-of-Life approach to decide whether to stay, go, or renovate in retirement. You’ll hear why “home” is more than square footage, how life changes create a “void” your current space may no longer fill, and how to make choices that support enjoyment and personal growth in your next ch...
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie digs a bit deeper into the idea Sairan Aqrawi brought up in her interview: that we all have "hidden gems" within us, and that as we hit midlife, we have the opportunity to uncover them.
Recommended Actions
- Allow yourself time for reflection
In this inspiring episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie sits down with Sairan Aqrawi, a civil engineer, certified coach, and founder of the Gem Thrive Academy. From STEM to soul-searching, Sairan shares how she helps women over 50 rediscover their “hidden gem” — a unique passion, gift, or calling buried under years of work, family, and obligation.
Whether it’s painting, public speaking, or building furniture in your garage, your gem...
What happens when your carefully planned retirement takes an unexpected turn? On this week’s solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflected on this question.
Here are 3 key takeaways for anyone planning their next chapter:
- Build Your Lifeline Early: Relationships with family, friends, and community are just as crucial as financial planning. The suppor...
On this episode of Beyond Retirement, host Jacquie Doucette welcomes Soozie and Tony Cisneros, a couple whose retirement dreams took an unexpected turn. Just as they prepared to embark on new adventures together, both received life-changing cancer diagnoses—on the very same day. In this candid conversation, Soozie and Tony share the shock and uncertainty of facing treatment, the ways their family and community rallied around them, ...
Retirement doesn’t need a master plan. In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie Doucette reflects on Lynn Katz’s journey from school principal to author and community leader, showing how freedom, curiosity, and small daily goals can guide a deeply fulfilling retirement. Whether you’re newly retired or still figuring it out, this episode offers practical insight into designing a path that fits you—not someone else’s vision...
Lynn Katz is a retired school principal, curriculum writer, and educator who has reinvented herself as a fiction author in retirement. With a deep passion for storytelling, Lynn now writes both adult and middle-grade fiction, bringing her years of experience working with children and school systems into the heart of her stories.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and enjoys kayaking, hiking, and spending time with her grandch...
What if happiness wasn’t something that happened to you, but something you chose—even in retirement?
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflects on a powerful message from her recent conversation with musician Ron Sowell: “It’s all up to you.” Drawing on stories from Ron’s life and the profound example of Viktor Frankl, she explores the idea that happiness isn’t about perfect circumstances, it’s about how we choose t...
Ron Sowell is a lifelong musician, singer-songwriter, and performer who has spent decades exploring the transformative power of music. From stage performances to songwriting workshops, Ron’s life offers a rich example of how creativity and personal growth can intertwine—especially in the years beyond traditional career paths.
Ron shares the pivotal moment he stepped off the law-school track and committed to music for life, the joy a...
Retirement is supposed to be relaxing… so why does it sometimes feel louder than ever?
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflects on a conversation with her friend Lynda Camire — and explores what happens when retirement doesn’t deliver the peace we expected. Lynda retired with a plan. But within days, she found herself checking the clock, wandering into her old office, and feeling overwhelmed by a surprising emotio...
What really happens when you close the laptop for the last time and step into retirement? In this candid episode, I sit down with my friend Lynda Camire, who recently retired from a long-standing career in finance with the Canadian government. She may not have had a retirement party, but she does have a lot of honest insights about what happens when the structure of the 9-to-5 disappears.
Lynda shares how she planned her retirement,...
In this solo episode, Jacquie discusses the ghost in your closet. It's the "Ghost of Missed Opportunities," as explained by J. Paul Nadeau in the previous episode.
Do you let it out, or is it kept under lock and key?
Always remember: The toughest negotiation of all isn't with someone else... It's within yourself.
It occurs when you have to decide whether to stagnate or grow. Do you want to just stop? Sure, it's sometimes easier not...
Episode Summary
In this deeply reflective episode, Jacquie speaks with J. Paul Nadeau, a man who spent his career saving lives through high-stakes negotiation, and later had to negotiate with something much closer to home: his own regrets.
As a decorated detective, international peacekeeper, and crisis negotiator, Paul’s professional identity was shaped by purpose and intensity. But what happens when that role ends? In retir...
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie discusses the idea that reinventing yourself after retirement is an option available to all of us.
It doesn't need to be a flashy, public spectacle. It can be as simple as deciding to start choosing YOU first, for a change. Maybe you've always wanted to take a pottery class; well, now you can!
Or maybe you have a book hiding inside you, clawing to get out. Now's the time!
You don't n...
In this candid conversation, Jacquie reconnects with friend and guest Robaire Nadeau, a seasoned professional who is choosing reinvention over retirement. Robaire shares what it means to return to university at “north of 60”, why age shouldn’t define what’s possible, and how personal passion can become the compass for a new chapter of life.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start again, this conversation is a warm rem...
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflects on the powerful insights from her recent conversation with cognitive scientist Dr. Therese Huston—and explores what they mean for life after work.
Retirement isn’t just a financial shift—it’s a cognitive, social, and emotional transformation. Jacquie walks listeners through the science behind memory changes, crystallized intelligence, and the identity shift that often hits ...
Dr. Therese Huston discusses why cognitive changes in later life don’t always signal decline and how to stay mentally strong with simple, science-backed strategies.
Key Topics Covered:
- The difference between normal memory lapses and concerning cognitive decline
- How the brain actually g...
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie discusses the ideas presented by Ian Chamandy in the previous episode.
Do you know what makes YOU uniquely remarkable? If you do, you're probably in the minority of retirees, because most of us haven't spent much time thinking about our purpose in those terms. We can all describe what we did or what our job title was, but that doesn't make us unique. What you bring to the table eac...
🧭 Episode Summary
In the inaugural guest episode of Season 6, Ian Chamandy of Purpose U explores the power of purpose—and why defining it in seven words or less can transform your retirement journey.
Together, Ian & Jacquie dive into how knowing your unique gift can provide clarity, boost confidence, and serve as a personal decision-making tool—especially during major life transitions, such as retirement.
Whether you feel uncerta...
Retirement frees you from living by default. So… what will you choose instead?
In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie delves into the idea of living with intention...one small step at a time.
READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?
Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/
Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery
Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks....
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