This Month I Used to be Somebody has gone to the CATS!  Meet Suna Kneisley, who consistently combines her passions with success throughout her life. A former Marketing Exec in high tech for Intuit and Oracle, she began investing in real estate and helping her colleagues do the same. That has led to a 20+-year successful career in investing, as Founder of Freedom Investments. Along the way, Suna also fell in love with cats. After volunteering for a local non-profit cat adoption organization, Suna eventually became Executive Director in her spare time.  In 2019 Suna bought Pat's Boarding Place for Cats, which she has improved on and expanded and they now have kitty condos for up to 78 cats. (Are we seeing a pattern here?)

 
Suna grew up in the Midwest, first in Indiana and then in Illinois to a U.S. military father and Korean mother. As a kid she was very social, up for any sport. She knew her father hated his career as a CPA. Her mother, who possessed keen business intuition, turned her focus to a very busy local Mr. Donut Shop. She kept after the owner until he sold it to her family. Working at the donut shop growing up, doing all kinds of shifts, instilled a sense of entrepreneurship in Suna.

She attended Northwestern and UC Berkeley and after considering a career in medicine, she was hired by Intuit and never looked back. After personally investing in real estate, she began pooling resources with her fellow employees and began managing various investments. "I don't like doing things alone. I love to share what's exciting and what opportunities there are with friends and family."

 
She started volunteering for Cats About Town Society (CATS) in 2008 and realized they had organizational problems. Suna took them on with mounting debt and turned CATS around. They now care for and adopt out 400-600 cats per year. When Pat's Boarding Place became available in 2019, Suna pounced on the opportunity. In addition to running her real estate investing firm, volunteering and managing the kitty hotel, Suna loves to travel, just about every month. She also loves to play pickleball. "The path is interesting. It kinda unfolds!"

  
Suna's (unretirement) tips: 
  • "Find what it is that gives you joy. Use your skillset. Or do something completely different!" 
  • "Keep moving! Movement for your body. Pickleball is the great equalizer--most everyone can play." 
  • "It can also be really helpful to just sit and be still for your mind. Meditate. It will help you find what you want to do." 
  • "Be open. Be clear about how you want to feel--the kind of person you want to be at your best. What does that look like? What does that smell like? What does that taste like? Be clear about that and then be open to the opportunity, whatever it is. Then follow, say YES to things."

 
• More about Suna Kneisley 
• Pat's Boarding Place for Cats 
• Sponsored by Capital Advantage 
• Sponsored by How to Retire and Not Die 
• I Used to be Somebody World Tours

 
Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog 
 

Tags:    blog   Suna Kneisley   interview   unretirement   Cat Welfare   Entrepreneurial Journey   Nonprofit Leadership   Life Transitions  

We're celebrating the end of summer with a special bonus episode, Meet the (Un)Retirement Experts. It's a little different from the typical I Used to be Somebody episode. Instead of just one guest who's had a really interesting second act, we're talking to 3 great minds in the (un)retirement world. A little twist is that they are from 3 different age perspectives too. Paul is in his 60's, Gary is in his 70's and Ron is in his 80's!

Paul Long

As founder-creator of New Way Forward, Paul helps retired people pursue a new life of relevance, impact and income that is aligned with what they truly want. Paul grew up in Dallas, Texas and says he literally grew up in the radio business, going with his dad to work. He had careers as a TV reporter and TV weathercaster. 

After 20 years, Paul pivoted to the production side of the business and founded Paul Long Productions, developing Emmy-award-winning content, executing video, live, events, campaigns and more. In his 50's, Paul noticed more and more people were looking to pivot their lives from the default one to a life that was right for them. Now, as an experienced storyteller and journalist, New Way Forward has given Paul his own fulfillment as he helps people transition and realize their best life.

Paul's Tips on Unretirement:

•   "Take some time, self-evaluate, look for relevance and purpose."

•   "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

•   "Ask yourself: What do I want holistically in my life, not just professionally or about earning income?"

Gary Sirak

Gary is an author, speaker and financial advisor from Canton, Ohio. Growing up his parents struggled financially for years until his dad turned his American dream into a reality, becoming very successful in the insurance business. "I got to see both sides, having a little and a lot," Gary tells us. After graduating from Miami University in Ohio, Gary worked so hard that he realized he was at the peak of his career and he wasn't happy. A friend told him to look back to where he came from. Gary says he had been pushing so hard he never took the time to celebrate his successes. "That really opened up a light I hadn't seen."

He lost some friends almost right after retirement and Gary felt there must be a better way. He wrote the successful book, How to Retire and Not Die, to help others have a better life in retirement. When not consulting, writing or speaking, Gary also enjoys mentoring and writing songs--he's written 35 so far. Gary says, "If I can impact people in a positive way, how important is that!"

Gary's Tips on Unretirement:

•  "Look for someone you know who is successfully retired, and take them to lunch, or coffee. I call them 'retirement mentors.' You can learn from them."

•  "Have a purpose, a passion, a plan" Stay active, be involved in community service and have financial peace of mind."

Dr. Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.

"Dr. Ron" is 87 and lives in Philadelphia, PA where he is now the Chief Immersion Officer at Better Age. He is a psychologist, coach, author, podcaster, keynote and TEDx speaker. He is author and host of the podcast of REJUVENAGING: The Art and Science of Growing Older with Enthusiasm.

Ron grew up in Minneapolis in a middle-class, close-knit community. He had a successful, decades-long career in psychology, (he's still doing it in addition to everything else), but in his 60's he noticed that some of his peers seemed to thrive after retirement while others thought retirement meant decline. "We've now got the science that people are retiring and living 30 years or more. I felt an obligation to spread the word." He tells us that after he wrote his book, he assumed everything would fall into place, which it did not. "I needed to learn social media, use my voice for good, be more assertive and teach," he says.

Dr. Ron's Unretirement Tips:

• "You have to discipline yourself. When you're retired, you don't have to go somewhere at a certain time, eat at a certain time, etc. But if you want to be productive, the stuff that got you there is the same thing that's going to get you further in life."

• "Age is a number, not an excuse!"

• "If you're looking for purpose, you have to find it within yourself. It's important to set goals through every stage of life."

There's a common thread with these wise guys. They all have a driving force to help people live their best life. How cool is that? 

• More about Paul Long

• More about Gary Sirak

• More about Dr. Ron Kaiser

• I Used to be Somebody World Tours - Tuscany, Portugal, Pickleball Adventure

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog.

Tags:    blog   (Un)Retirement   Ask The Experts   Paul Long interview   Gary Sirak interview   Dr. Ron Kaiser interview   storyteller   author   speaker   financial advisor   coach   psychologist   keynote speaker  

What a fascinating story about Mary-Lou Nash who arrived in South Africa with just a backpack and eventually becomes a winemaster. Her Black Pearl winery is in the Paarl valley, near Cape Town. Her story is one of curiosity for the world, taking chances, a lot of hard work and dogged perseverance. In 1995 she had been a teacher traveling the world and decided on a whim to take her backpack and meet her dad in South Africa. She had no idea then that choosing to go to South Africa would set her life on a completely new course.

 

Mary-Lou was born in England and grew up in Canada and Maine. Both of her parents were doctors and she was one of 4 children. "Everywhere I've lived in my life was in the countryside." As a teen, Mary-Lou says she partied hard, played hard at sports and studied hard. (Even at an early age, her passions were her driving force.) She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in Anthropology, summa cum laude and then taught English in Japan, traveling the world in her spare time.

 

Her father had remarried, went to South Africa for a honeymoon and then purchased a farm, not realizing it had 40 acres of Chenin Blanc. Mary-Lou visited him there. "I knew nothing about grapes," she tells us. They had no laborers and decided to harvest the grapes themselves. They picked 3 tons on a Friday and with an aching back recruited more workers and finished the harvest. Mary-Lou was hooked. She told her dad she would stay on as the manager. In 1997, they planted grapes for red wines.
 

Always determined, she is a self-taught winemaker that faced real discrimination in the 1990's male-dominated wine industry. She worked hard and never gave up, always reaching out and befriending other winemakers to continually learn more. She received her Cape Wine Masters degree in 2011 from the University in Stellenbosch. In 2001 she created her first vintage herself. "I had bottled, created a label and had never given a thought to selling it!" Today, Mary-Lou's winery produces 7,300 barrels of red in addition to white wine.

 

Fun Fact: Mary-Lou met a wine distributor along the way that helped her get her label into Disney. Turns out Jack Sparrow's pirate ship (Pirates of the Caribbean) is also named "Black Pearl." Her Cabernet is the #1-selling South African red in Disney World.

 

Unfortunately, Mary-Lou was involved in a harrowing experience being robbed at knifepoint in her home at the winery and she decided to move to a home in Stellenbosch recently. "Everything happens for a reason. I was isolated at Black Pearl. Now I have moved into town, I have a whole new group of friends, I can walk everywhere, I take a yoga class on the beach and I've joined a sailing club. I love my life now!"

 

Mary-Lou's life advice:

• "Don't always take the easy route. Don't be scared of taking chances."

• "Put yourself first and do what makes you happy. We can't waste any time at our age!"

• "Always accept invitations--get out there! You never know who you might meet." (Her dad told her this one but she firmly lives it.)

• "It's all about the F-Word, as in FUN!"

• More about Mary-Lou Nash and Black Pearl Wines

• Sponsored by: How to Retire and Not Die

• Sponsored by Capital Advantage

• (Un)Retirement Travel with the Pro Allan Wright, Zephyr Adventures

• I Used to be Somebody World Tours -- Tuscany, Portugal, Pickleball Adventure

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog

Tags:    Blog   Interview   Mary-Lou Nash   Winemaster   South Africa   (Un)Retirement   I Used To Be Somebody   Podcast  

Carl interviews the unstoppable Stephanie Stuckey, the CEO of Stuckey's. The brand is known by generations as a highway oasis serving up pecan log rolls and kitschy souvenirs. Many Boomers fondly remember family road trips throughout the U.S. when stopping at Stuckey's was a tradition. Reviving her family's company is just the latest in a long list of Stephanie's accomplishments. She's been a Public Defender, a Georgia State Representative, a Director of Sustainability and Resilience for the City of Atlanta and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law. Stephanie's story has recently been featured in The New York Times, the TODAY Show and the Washington Post.

Stephanie was born in Easton, Georgia and was surrounded by family. "It was a fun childhood!" Her father was a U.S. Congressman, so the family split their time each year between Washington D.C. and Easton. Going back and forth between two very different homes, Stephanie says, "You grow up very resilient and you have to learn those social skills to survive."

After college and law school, Stephanie spent over 14 years as a Public Defender. She then served for 7 years as an elected Representative for the Georgia State Legislature. in 2012 she left politics and became the Executive Director of GreenLaw, an environmentally focused law resource center in Atlanta. (Another one of her passions.)

Stephanie's grandfather sold Stuckey's way back in 1964 for $16 million (the equivalent price in today's value would be $158 million). She purchased back her family's company in 2019 with no prior entrepreneurial experience. "I didn't even know how to read a balance sheet!" she tells us. Stephanie learned what she had to do--and that didn't include upgrading the actual physical stores, which were on the decline. Only a dozen out of 300+ stores were left. Instead, she realized people still wanted to be able to buy their pecan snacks and candies. Undaunted, she found two partners, (one a pecan farmer and one a marketing exec) and the brand now has an online store, a distribution center and just two years later, the company's sales have gone from $2 million to $14 million.

In addition to running the company and raising a family, Stephanie just wrote her memoir, UnStuck: Rebirth of an American Icon this year. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys traveling by car to explore the backroads of America and pulling over at every boiled peanut stand. She says she follows her grandfather's and father's advice: Work hard, be fair and have fun!"

Stephanie's advice on starting a second (or third) act:

• "You are not alone! I think a lot of times it's very lonely, I know it is, it can be isolating when you're trying to put something out there."

• "Go out there and find your community so you can support each other. Just reach out!"

• "Embrace your weaknesses as opportunities to learn and celebrate your strengths!"

• More about Stephanie Stuckey

• More about Stuckey's

• Sponsored by Capital Advantage

• Sponsored by How to Retire and Note Die

• (Un)Retirement Travel with the Pro Allan Wright, Zephyr Adventures

• I Used to be Somebody World Tours -- Tuscany, Portugal, Pickleball Adventure

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog.

Tags:    Blog   Interview   Stephanie Stuckey   Unretirement   Carl Landau   I Used To Be Somebody   Podcast   Americana  

Carl interviews the remarkable Martinus Evans this week. Martinus is an 8-time marathon runner, author and award-winning speaker who has empowered thousands of people to embrace the body they have right now, lace up their shoes and MOVE. His passion and his own personal journey inspired him to become the founder of the Slow AF Run Club, a global community who is challenging the preconceived notions of what a runner should look like. His mission is to inspire one million people of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, colors and creeds to start running. Martinus and his powerful story have been featured in the New York Times, LADBible, The New York Post, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal and more.

Martinus learned how to face and overcome challenges in his youth. He grew up in a blue-collar family on the Eastside of Detroit, He witnessed shootouts and drug deals from his bedroom window. Carl asks him what he was like as a kid. "I was short, fat and somewhat active. In dealing with certain situations, I was also a chameleon!" As an adult he worked as a suit salesman, working 10 hours days and his hip began to hurt. His doctor said, "Your hip hurts because you're too fat. You should walk to lose weight." Martinus was shocked by his doctor's words but turned that into a goal to someday run a marathon.

With sheer determination, courage and a trip to a running shoe store on the way home from the appointment, Martinus embarked on a journey to become a runner. Eighteen months later, he ran his first marathon. Once while running on a bridge during a race, a man taunted him for running as "slow as f%*k." He decided then and there to inspire others to keep going no matter what and decided to wear "Slow AF" proudly when he ran.

Martinus has served as a global ambassador for Adidas and partnered with many brands and has earned a BS in Exercise Science from Central Michigan University, an MS in Health Promotion Sciences and an MA in Digital Media and Design from the University of Connecticut.

Now Martinus has 30+ thousand members to his Slow AF club, an app, a new book. The Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run and just finished a 41-stop book tour. He just launched a non-profit, and he's looking forward to building that up. When not running races, Martinus lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife Char, and enjoys playing fetch with his dog Mabel.

Martinus Evan's life advice:

• Stick with it. "It's been ten years and I still want to quit! You have to outlast the newness of doing something to keep going."

• Having a routine: "Having a routine goes hand-in-hand with 'keep moving'. You need a routine so you CAN keep moving."

• Try new things. "Try new things you didn't think you could ever do in your younger years."

•  Have a delusional belief in yourself. "You have to believe in yourself when no one else will."

• More about Martinus Evans

• Sponsored by How to Retire and Not Die

• Sponsored by Capital Advantage

• (Un)Retirement Travel with the Pro Allan Wright, Zephyr Adventures

• I Used to be Somebody World Tours Tuscany, Portugal, Pickleball Adventure

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog.

Tags:    Blog   Martinus Evans   Slow AF Run Club   Move   Run   Empower   Martinus Evans Interview   Run Club