Encore Tampa Bay Connecting Boomers to their Encore Careers

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WHEN PURPOSE, AGING AND GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER

In the last six months, I have been so inspired by the significant progress and attention to the portion of the Encore Movement referred to as “purposeful aging”.   In late 2016, the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging convened a powerful “Purposeful Aging” summit that brought together national thought leaders, policy makers, academia, philanthropists and media to talk about the future of aging.    The report highlights that our society continues to pigeonhole 60+ years old as a time of decline and disability. A sad commentary if ever there was one!

However, on an encouraging note, the Milken Institute defined the need to change the culture of aging for individuals and to create a new future vision that promotes the many benefits of purposeful aging. This vision shows the world the many assets older adults possess to make our nation stronger through social action.   This report has many valuable and deep layers of information, research and ideas.  I will spend several future blog posts addressing some of these important areas.

WHEN TWO GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER

Today, I want to focus on one part of the report that covers the many benefits and opportunities for bringing together the young and the old.  It was not by accident that another group of national thought leaders gathered at the Stanford Longevity Center to explore how older experienced adults can play a critical role in the lives of children and youth.  This conference resulted in another ground breaking report, “Hidden in Plain Sight: How Intergenerational Relationships Can Transform Our Future”.   It seems that different generations can fit together like a jig saw puzzle. 

To start, let’s look at our youth where 55% of adolescents and 40% of younger children do not have the support of caring adults in their homes, schools and community. The Stanford Report pointed out that all young adults require non-cognitive emotional skills including critical thinking, problem solving, social interactions and teamwork to successfully link to life and academic success.  This is where older adults can easily aid.

At the same time, the second largest generation in history has the time and inclination to give back and live their lives on purpose.  They seek and need to provide meaning and positive impact for others.  The research from this report cited, “The key ingredient for success in life, is the commitment of a non-parental adult to a youth’s well-being.  Nothing is more important than the fate of our youth in human kind future and older adults are the key to elevating the health, education and prosperity of young people. “

Increased longevity and healthier lifestyles are other important benefits for older adults working with younger generations.  A recent study of intergenerational volunteerism found that older adults have a heightened sense of well-being along with reduced risk of hypertension and lower mortality.  So, the bottom line is… doing good can be good for YOU and for future generations!

 

GENERATION TO GENERATION CAMPAIGN.

Encore.org recently conducted a nationwide survey to determine the viability of bringing generations together.   The result overwhelmingly showed that people of all generations see the important value of intergenerational relationships to link their own sense of purpose with the well-being of future generations.

In November 2016, Encore.org launched the Generation to Generation social action campaign as a win-win-win opportunity to strengthen the lives of older adults while addressing the needs of our youth and the agencies that serve youth.   Over the next five years, Encore.org has set a goal of recruiting one million adults over 50+ to play an active role in helping to lift the youth in our country. Encore.org is partnering with national organizations such as AARP, National Senior Corps, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Alliance for Strong Families and Children, and VolunteerMatch.org to achieve this goal.   These important organizations are looking to engage and connect older adults with our nation’s youth.

MENTORING

So, what does “purpose in action” look like?   In all three reports and surveys done by Milken, Stanford and Encore, the solutions and recommendations all point to the incredible opportunities the older generation has to impart hard-earned lessons to the younger generation through mentoring.   The beauty of mentoring is that it works both ways – those who are mentors end up learning as much as those who are the recipients of the mentoring!

Mentoring does not happen automatically. To help, Encore.org has set up a new five-year social action campaign that provides the framework for successful mentorship matches by working closely with agencies serving youth and volunteers.

ENCORE TAMPA BAY’S ROLE

Encore Tampa Bay is so excited to be a part of the Generation to Generation Campaign.  Encore Tampa Bay is ready to put Purpose and Action together to strengthen the future generations of Tampa Bay!  We will share success stories, and the many ways that you can get involved with this social action campaign.  You can start this journey by going to the website www.generationtogeneration.org to learn more about the campaign and how you can find local agencies serving youth that need your talent, time and experience.

“We envision a future where the second half of adulthood is dedicated to supporting the next generation in ways that benefit old and young alike.   “   Encore.org

 

 

Ready, Fire, Aim!

Ready, Aim, FireOver the last four years Encore Tampa Bay has been committed to inspiring, educating and connecting mid-life experienced adults to their true purpose, aka: their encore.

What I continue to observe is that many people are trapped in their own thoughts about what they think they should be instead of pursuing what they really want to be!  Every week I hear someone say to me “What a great idea to think about new opportunities for our second half of life”.   And yet our surveys and activity reports show people are not willing or ready to take that next step….or that they even KNOW what the next step is!

What is holding us back from taking that next step?  (Yes, I am including myself in this scenario).   I recently read a great article that speaks to this issue, “Why Boomers Need to Stop Trying to Reinvent Themselves”.   People are stuck on the idea of BEING in a new role, new business or new chapter.   However, too many are short on the DOING, i.e. taking the action steps that lead to this new chapter or role.

What is holding us back?

  • There is no clear and perfect path. The old retirement “track” no longer works for us.
  • Big changes can be scary and risky!
  • Our inner thoughts can be the biggest barrier to acting.
  • We are surrounded by people who do not understand our new way of thinking.
  • Or perhaps it’s plain old FEAR.

Good news!  It is not too late to make our New Year’s resolutions and take the first steps towards those new resolutions. A recent article, “Five New Year’s Resolutions for Older Adults” gets us started on a new list of resolutions to consider.

  • EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY RATHER THAN AVOID IT.  It is time to acknowledge that stepping away from the established path and letting go of the roles that we have played all our lives can be a good thing. Look for support and role models along the way.
  • SEEK OPPORTUNITIES IN CHANGING CONDITIONS. We may not like change but it is natural, necessary and something to embrace.  Acknowledge that change isn’t a threat but rather an opportunity to recreate yourself!
  • RESOLVE AND REFLECT ON YOUR SECOND ACT.  One of the best things I continue to do is to set aside a serious chunk of time for meditation, reflection and journaling at the beginning of each year – what have I learned over the last year and what are my intentions or desires for this upcoming year.
  • RESOLVE TO REMOVE AND IMPROVE.    The key part of making it through transitions is learning how to let go and release old habits, behaviors, activities and relationships that are no longer useful in our lives.
  • RESOLVE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH RISK.   Your whole encore journey will require you to weigh and accept reasonable risks.   What happens if you stay stuck in this place of boredom or misery versus taking a small first step towards being the person you really want to be? What has more risk? Doing nothing or trying something?
  • FACE YOUR FEARS.   I cannot tell you how many times over the last four years I literally broke out in a cold sweat thinking “What am I doing? What happens if I fail? What will people think?” One of the most profound and helpful books that helped me to take the first step towards starting Encore Tampa Bay and following my passion was, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks.    The whole premise of the book is about how to conquer your hidden fear and take your life to the next level.

What are your next steps for 2017?   How can you activate your New Year resolutions?     As the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.”

Encore Tampa Bay is here to help you along your journey.  Our website and our Tampa Bay Network of organizations and individuals are ready to help you along the way!

I challenge you to start by making a small and simple list of first steps you want to take this month:

  • Get an accountability buddy (look for other like-minded individuals who are in this same place)
  • Write down what it is that is holding you back.
  • List the first few specific action steps you are willing to take in the next 30 days.
  • Go volunteer at a local nonprofit.  We will be posting many different opportunities and organizations that really need your talent and experience.
  • Sign up for one of our sessions or other upcoming sessions on our website under “Upcoming Events”.
  • Believe in YOU!!!

Bevan Rogel

Encore Tampa Bay

INSPIRATIONS THAT LEAD US TO OUR BETTER SELVES!

Fourteen Encore Innovation FellowsThis week was full of many opportunities to be inspired!  I was honored to be a part of the National Encore’s Leadership Institute this week in San Fransisco.

Encore.org has spent the last 15 years creating a social movement- dedicated to helping older adults (50+) engage in encore careers that combine passion, purpose, income and social impact in the second half of life.  Marc Freedman, founder of Encore spoke to us about this organization moving into Encore 2.0, to focus on strengthening the movement by becoming a support hub for emerging Encore leaders and communities that want to tap into the talent of older Americans. We want to continue to lead the charge that is changing the conversations about aging in America and inventing a new stage of life.

Fourteen Encore Innovation Fellows (pictured above) have been charged with rolling out an innovative Encore initiative in their community, with a long term plan to create models that can be replicated across the country.   For example, my Encore Innovation project will be creating pathways, programs and places that will grow Encore Entrepreneurs in Tampa Bay.  It was truly incredible experience to be connected with and learn from the individuals and organizations that have been early adapters and true leaders in the Encore movement over the last 10 years!

IMG_1743The icing on the cake for this incredible week of workshops and networking sessions was the opportunity to attend the 8th Annual Purpose Prize Awards Ceremony.  The Purpose Prize program was created to inspire others that they are not done in the second half of life and they still have a lot to give.  In this week’s Wall Street Journal, the Purpose Prize was recognized as the next Mac Arthur Foundation’s “Genius Awards” for non-profits.  The Purpose Prize honors individuals in their Encore and have made a significant  social impact. The Purpose Prize was awarded to 7 individuals (out of 1,000 submissions) over 60 years old, who have made a significant social impact in the world in their second half of life.  The top two winners were awarded $100,000 each.

I would like to share with you some (more are listed in Encore.org)  of their amazing stories — be readyphoto_43311_landscape_large to be inspired!

 

  • Vicki Thomas used her 35 years of marketing and public relations experience to join two disabled Iraq war veterans to start a non-profit called Purple Heart Homes which aids some of the 3.2 million wounded vets by finding and renovating foreclosed homes.  Vicki implemented a very successful marketing and fund raising campaign to boost their revenues by 600% in the first year!
  • Ysabel Duron, 66, used her 25 years as a professional TV anchor to start a nonprofit, Latina Contra Cancer Center (LCC).  LCC provides cancer support services and education to lower income Hispanics in the San Francisco area.  Ysabel encouraged all of us to follow our heart, while using our age and experience.  (And most important, to NOT listen to the naysayers on aging and retirement!)
  • Ed Nicholson, 71, a Vietnam vet and prostate cancer survivor founded Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, which mentors disabled vets during fishing trips around the world.
  • Barbara Young, 66, of New York City, a Barbados immigrant and former nanny whose National Domestic Workers Alliance fights for better pay and working conditions for nannies, housekeepers and caregivers for the elderly.  Barbara challenged us all to take the first step and find a way to help improve the lives of others.
  • Carol Fennelly, 64, of Washington, D.C., who runs Hope House, which helps prison inmates stay in regular contact with their children, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Its “Camp Hope” program at four prisons lets kids age nine to 14 spend a week visiting their incarcerated fathers.  Carol was such an inspiration to me, as she spoke about how she sacrificed everything (including the sale of her house) to make this program work.  She wanted to focus on a group of people we have put far away and forgotten in order to give them back their dignity and self-worth.

Marc Freedman ended the evening sharing his vision of 40 million boomers that are either in or searching for their Encore Career and the potential of all that talent to make an impact on our world!  Marc said,

“The world may be done with us, but we are not done with this world.  Let us reconsider living our legacy instead of leaving our legacy.”

My life has been truly changed by all the incredible people that I have met this week!  I am proud to be a part of the Encore Movement and I welcome all of you to join me!

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT- ENCORE CAREERS

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Encore Tampa Bay will now feature a new monthly blog post that features people in the Tampa Bay area who are living their Encore Careers.

I recently sat with Beth Houghton, executive director for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.  Beth has an amazing story to tell about her multiple encore careers! With an MBA and law degree, she worked at the prestigious firm of Arthur Andersen for eight years.  Beth talks about feeling trapped in a job and a career track that was not fulfilling for her.  After participating in Leadership St. Pete, she realized there were many people working in jobs that provided a more meaningful connection with their values and interest.  She quit her job with no idea of what was next.  Her well-meaning friends and colleagues were convinced she had lost her mind.  Two months later, someone approached her about an open position as CFO for All Children’s Hospital. She had done a little volunteer work at the hospital and knew that this was a place where she could use her technical and professional experience to make a difference.  She served as CFO and general counsel there for 12 years.  She was constantly looking for expansion projects that would truly benefit the organization long-term and challenge her to re-tool.

Eventually, she realized that there was something else out there calling her.  She jumped into an entrepreneurial adventure with a group of CPAs but soon realized this was not a fit for her.  She was then offered a great opportunity to work with a talented group of professionals to build a community bank.  It was an exciting experience to learn a new industry and work an amazing team of people.  They sold the bank several years later, along with selling Scott Paint (the family business) which gave her the financial freedom to really focus on what was still pulling at her heart…

In 2005, Beth began to volunteer at the St. Pete Free Clinic.  Working at the clinic really spoke to her and matched her strong Christian values.  Next thing she knew, she was chairing the board for the clinic and in 2011 when the executive director vacated the position, she knew this was the job she always wanted!  (By the way- Beth took me on a tour of the facility- and it is an amazing organization!)

I asked what her advice would be to others considering their encore careers. “She provided the following”:

  1. Organize your financial affairs so you can afford to do what you love.  Her great quote:  “Live under your means and you will always feel wealthy!”
  2. Listen to your own voice as you choose a meaningful vocation.  Do not be swayed by others who do not understand your inner calling.
  3. “Wallow” around in it for awhile. It takes time to figure our what’s next.  Volunteering can help you figure out what fits for you.

This story is a great example of a person who not only followed her heart but paid attention to the opportunities as they unfolded before her.  Beth is truly using her lifetime of skills and experience to help and work with an organization that coincides with her values and provides true meaning and purpose for her life!  (On top of making a huge difference in our community!)

Do you know someone else who is living his or her encore career?  Let me know who they are so we can continue to be inspired!  Contact me at encoretampaybay@gmail.com

Bevan Rogel

Encore Tampa Bay

ENCORE CAREERS- THEY ARE GOOD FOR EVERYONE

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I’m sure you’ve heard these numbers before, but they are worth mentioning again to set the stage for the huge potential that is at our doorstep.  There are over 80 million Americans born between 1945 and 1964 with over 40 million reaching retirement age.  That means over 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day!  There seems to be a lot of hand wringing and concern about the impact that this onslaught of retirees are going to have on our economy and society as a whole.  I would like to offer an alternative perspective.

 

PBS Newshour recently did a great TV segment called,  “Reinventing Old Age: The Good We Do When We Work Forever” which highlighted people working well into their 70s and 80s.  PBS news anchor Paul Solomon, interviewed Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Encore.org prior to the TV segment.  Marc talked about the opportunity that our society has to recognize the full potential of this population and to use it in a way that benefits everyone.  Marc sees this group of 50-70 year olds as an enormous economic engine of productivity and innovation that will turn the dependency ratio into an abundance ratio.

 

The Economic Benefit

PBS pointed out two examples of economic benefits which occur as a result of people choosing to work longer (whether it is within a company or sole entrepreneur) One, they are less likely to draw down on social security benefits.  Another example is a longer more continuous influx of income tax revenue as result of more people generating income for longer periods of time.

 

A Legion of Problem Solvers

In a recent interview Marci Alboher (author of  Encore Career Handbook)  talks about Encore Careers as a second or third act that provides meaning and purpose along with social impact.  She talks about this same age group as a tremendous resource, rather than a problem, a legion of problem solvers.

 

Jane Pauley shared an example of problem solving. Ken Wood, a retired well-driller helped his church solve a problem it was working on in a village in Ghana.  Ken jumped into this project and flew to Ghana to help educate and assist the village people in drilling more than 1,000 wells to find safe drinking water. Pauley cited another example of Jenny Brown, the mother of a 2-year-old orphan from China who was not able to talk or walk when the child was adopted.  Jenny decided to use her skills and experience to set up an agency that recruits and trains nannies in China to nurture orphans and prepare them for adoption. Encore Careers utilize people’s skills and experiences while at the same time tapping into something that is important or meaningful for them.  The real bonus is when that career or project has a positive impact on society!

 

The Cleveland Foundation recognizes this potential and has launched a new program that will encourage the 50+ community to get involved and help solve pressing issues in Cleveland, such as poverty and education.  The program will model some of the elements of the Encore Fellows paid intern program and encourage Baby Boomers to utilize their skills and experience.

 

What about Tampa Bay?

I believe it is time for Baby Boomers to get out of the house, step out of your comfort zone, pay attention to that small voice in your head.  What are some ideas you have for your second act?  What skills, talents, and experiences are you willing to tap into to make this community a better to place to live?  Maybe it is time to start thinking about your Encore Career: it will be good for you and for everyone!!   It was 227 years ago this week that our founding fathers made a similar decision-   a choice between liberty and bondage.   Today, you have the freedom to choose what kind of life you want to live in the second half!

 

Call to Action: I want to hear some local, inspiring, personal Encore Career stories. Once a month I will be featuring people in our community who are living their Encore Career.  Please email me at encoretampabay@gmail.com to share a story about you or someone you know.

 

If you liked this blog- send it on to other friends and folks who might be ready for their Encore! 

 

 

Happy Fourth of July!

 

Bevan Rogel

Encore Tampa BayE

BOOMERS AS VOLUNTEERS- A NEW TWIST

Boomers as volunteers

Boomers as volunteers

One would think that this is indeed a match made in heaven.  First the large influx of baby boomers are ready to make the most of their second half of life by doing good in their community. Second, more non-profits are facing reduced budgets and increased demand for their services.

So why did a recent study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a decrease in the number of volunteers age 45-64 in the last 12 months?

Reasons for the Decline in Boomer Volunteers

ome obvious reasons for the decline include: time pressures — especially with boomers’ growing role as the “sandwich generation” — and the need to hang onto paying jobs a little longer (economics).  A survey of boomer volunteers, done by the Corporation for National and Community Service,  revealed that volunteers feel their true talents or skill are not being fully put to use and they do not feel they are making a significant impact.  In other words, stuffing goody bags and working the registration desk does not fall into the category of skill-based, longer term, meaningful volunteer projects and assignments.

The survey provides the following recommendations for non-profits addressing the changing needs and motivations of baby boomers:

  • Rethink how to attract and utilize Baby Boomers as volunteers
  • Strengthen non-profits’ view of volunteers as assets, similar to donors.
  • Adopt key practices such as matching volunteers to challenging assignment to build organizational capacity and increase volunteer participation.
  • Remember that volunteering and giving are directly related.

A recent Forbes article showcases several non-profits who have been extremely successful tweaking their volunteer recruitment and retention strategies to include more skill-based volunteer assignments.  The depth of wisdom and experience of volunteers benefits these non-profit organizations at a whole different level.

volunteersThe implications for non-profits extend to how they recruit volunteers as well as what skill level they seek. This includes how job posts are written. This also requires a shift in how non-profits train and manage skill-based, longer term volunteer assignments. The payoff and opportunities for making this shift can be tremendous.  Contributions from properly recruited, trained and managed volunteers have direct financial impact on the organization.

A meaningful volunteer program can address some of the long term service demands and organizational issues of non-profits.  There are a variety of new training programs and organizations that can assist non-profits with this shift including Encore Tampa Bay.  I will be diving deeper into possible solutions, tips and resources for non-profits and boomers in the next couple of months!  Stay tuned.

I welcome your comments or ideas on this topic!  Join the discussion either on my website, Linked In (Encore Tampa Bay) or Facebook (Encore Tampa Bay).