There was something truly exciting and energizing that happened last Tuesday night at Feather Sound Country Club. Over 270 people joined me along with Encore Career Handbook author, Marci Alboher and four amazing individuals from our community at the first-ever Encore Tampa Bay Town Hall. Together, we stepped out of our comfort zone and learned how 41 million older adults are choosing a different path than what our parents or grandparents followed at this stage of life.

The Encore Town Hall helped experienced adults realize that there can be a different path with programs and resources that encourage you to “zoom” in on what matters to you in the second half of life.

Our speakers and panelists presented a new paradigm for how we can “rethink” the longevity economy and the potential talent dividend of over 700,000 adults over 50 that may want to use their talent to solve community problems, strengthen our economy or make Tampa Bay an even better community.

The panelists helped us see that encore careers and encore demand comes in many different sizes and shapes. That anything is possible; from starting your own business or joining an entrepreneurial team to volunteering for a non profit that draws you in. Perhaps it’s about learning a new skill that you always wanted to explore or taking your lifetime of talent and experience and applying it in a different way for part time employment, a new project or with a different industry or job focus.

After the speakers, a great, diverse group of organizations manned resource tables to offer their programs, services and opportunities to connect with others on the same journey. The networking reception gave us all the chance to meet new faces and talk about this encore concept with fellow friends and colleagues.

We are NOT done yet! In fact, we are just starting.

The momentum and interest for creating an encore community is ready to go. There is no one prescription for what this will look like for Tampa Bay. The conversation continues with all of you and leaders in our community to explore the priorities, needs and opportunities for us to take Encore Tampa Bay to a new level.

What can you do?

• If you are one of those people who have been thinking about a different pathway, now is the time to be open and curious. Start by connecting with the resources at last week’s Town Hall to see what is available. Or go to Life Reimagined to start your own personal online journey. It takes time and courage but it is so much fun to start the exploration and conversation with others on the same path!
• Give me feedback. Let me know your thoughts or take-aways from the program in the comment section under the blog post.
• Share your favorite pictures you took at the Town Hall. Post them on the Encore Tampa Bay Facebook page or tag us on Twitter.
• Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get updates on upcoming programs, resources and new goals for building our encore community.

What is most exciting? There is a certain sense of the unknown for all of us for what we are facing as a generation and community.

By giving ourselves permission to step away from the traditional roles and means of thinking about this aging demographic, the future can truly look rosy for ALL of us!

A big thank you to the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, AARP, The St Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, The St. Petersburg Greenhouse and Eckerd College for believing in me, Encore Tampa Bay and the vision that we have for our Tampa Bay community!

Don’t forget to visit our website periodically for updates and programs.