50+ Community -- Pro or Con?
Carl Landau | March 11, 2025
I've always been pretty negative about living in a 50+ community. I'm not sure exactly sure why. I think to me it meant that I'm officially old. Why would I want to be surrounded by a bunch of old people?
I think the first time I ever heard about an "active" 50+ community was way back in the late 1990's, when negative headlines about The Villages in Florida came out. It was about all these old people running around having STDs. They drove around in golf carts everywhere. And they had political shouting matches with each other. I remember late night comedians having a field day at these people's expense.
The fact of the matter is that I personally have visited some friends in an active adult community for a grand total of ONE TIME. They seemed really happy with their community. Most recently, a good friend of mine invited me to play pickleball at his brand new 50+ community that just opened. It was incredibly nice! The club house was like like being in a fancy club or spa. The pickleball courts were amazing. My friend told me there's a fun activity on the calendar almost every night. The average age so far for this new community is early 60's. Huh! Half the people living there still work. Every person I met was friendly. There was a real sense of community there.
I checked with my financial advisor, who has a lot of clients in these communities and he said that in general, the properties are a good value. Plus his clients really like living in them. So I wonder why I've been so negative? Did I feel superior because I don't need everything provided for me? I have had my eyes opened and my opinion is now totally turned around. Today's 50+ communities have come a long way since Del Webb started building in the 50's.
I'm not sure if I'll ever live in one of these communities or not. But I learned not to be so judgemental about it all.
What are your thoughts about 50+ communities?
Rebecca Davis Interview: Co-Creator of "Join or Die"
Diana Landau | February 11, 2025
This month's episode is a unique one. Carl interviews filmmaker Rebecca Davis about her new, award-winning documentary, "Join or Die." She is a director and producer of short and long-form documentaries and was previously a senior producer with NBC News for nearly a decade. Though Rebecca is not near retirement, her movie sheds light on how the "(un)retired" can create community in a time when the isolation of the internet and cell phones can absorb much of their daily lives. The movie explores how joining clubs and organizations, in addition to engaging in intergenerational exchanges and mentorship can actually serve to strengthen our society. "Join or Die" is now on Netflix. (Spoiler Alert! Carl is a huge fan of the movie and its message.)
Rebecca grew up in a middle-class family in Virginia, near Washington D.C. "My brother and I felt lucky to grow up there, as we were exposed to lots of different perspectives," she says. She was also inspired by her father, an anthropologist with a curious eye on the world and community life. In high school, Rebecca worked on the school newspaper with dreams of becoming a journalist and photographer. She tells us that after college and the advent of the digital age, she found a way into video format from journalism and photography, "as a way to do storytelling and explore the narrative more."
Rebecca began working on "Join or Die" when she was still a full-time media producer, working on the film on weekends. It was her first documentary and took 8 years to complete. She says making the film was a "life raft, emotionally" for her as news production isn't always that positive. She was inspired by the work of political scientist and author Robert Putnam, whose earlier work, "Bowling Alone" went viral. Americans had stopped joining clubs and civic organizations. Even the number of dinner parties and picnics had declined. His research showed that those "joining" activities directly correlated to how our Democracy is doing.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been supportive of Rebecca's documentary and understand the implications for a healthy nation. After living in NYC for decades, Rebecca has recently moved back to the Washington D.C. area to be closer to family. She notes, "The irony of the internet is someone might know what is happening in a neighborhood in China, but not what's happening on their very own street. And when someone tells me they watched my film and they are now joining a club, I feel really good about that!"
Rebecca's 2nd (or 3rd) Act Advice:
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"Community happens when you do what you love with others. The bar doesn't have to be high to get going-- start a cycling group, form a movie night, create a cookbook club."
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"Start with a group and then do the hard work of showing up every week. The gains come from doing that."
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"Live the life you want to live in the future right now, and see where that leads you!"
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
Paul Giobbi: High Tech Entrepreneur Starts "The Exit Club"
Diana Landau | January 14, 2025
The insightful Paul Giobbi joins Carl on the podcast for an engaging discussion on how to transition from being a Founder and CEO to "....someone not defined by my business card." As co-founder of Zumasys, Inc., Paul led his company to become one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the U.S., appearing on the "Inc. 5000" seven times and being ranked #1 on Fortune’s list of Best Places to Work for Giving Back. His company grew to $30 million in revenues and had 100 employees. Over the past few years, he's sold parts of the business, he’s stepped away from day-to-day operations and he’s gone through an enormous personal transformation. Paul is making a difference in his own community and the wider world, and he's been on an amazing journey.
Paul grew up in San Diego, the youngest of four children. His parents divorced and he went to live with his entrepreneur father at age 11. "That decision changed my entire life," he tells us. Instead of school sports, Paul spent his time working for his father's publishing and events business. From a young age, "I knew in my bones I wanted to be an entrepreneur."
After getting married and leaving the family business, Paul relocated to Texas to join Jones Business Systems. In 2000, Paul saw opportunities and launched Zumasys in San Clemente, CA. Besides all the financial success, the company was known as an employer with incredible employee engagement. "We realized if we were really deliberate about investing in our people and culture, it would correlate to our success at work."
Zumasys began divesting of certain divisions of the company, beginning in 2018 and then in 2021 and suddenly Paul had more margin in his schedule. Personally speaking the transition was not so simple. "When you decide to step away from your primary act in life, it challenges your relationships, your identity, your ego." He goes on, "There are a lot of things I thought I would do: serve on boards, angel investing, do more volunteer work, etc. But instead, I'm investing in others and moving toward a different direction without expectation."
He searched for mid-life transition advice to minimize the sudden isolation and lack of purpose. He couldn't find a group of his peers, so he started "The Exit Club" with quarterly in-person meetings, speakers, forward planning, and offsite retreats. Strong bonds were formed, and Paul found new direction. "'Retired" is such a pejorative term in our country......it took a while to learn who I am was not my business card."
Now 55, Paul and his wife split their time between San Clemente and a small town outside of Park City, Utah. After two childhood friends were diagnosed with aggressive forms of melanoma, he founded "Paul Walks", a non-profit that has raised $120,000 for melanoma research while he walked 1,000 miles. Over 200 people donated, participants walked on 5 different continents and Paul reaped benefits as well. "Walking has given me time to write, to listen, to be in nature, to slow down and just kinda be."
Paul's (un)retirement advice:
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"Choose to move through it, (the transition). Just be in it!"
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"Reconnect with old friends--there's such a value in those long-term relationships."
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"Mid-life is about living a life true to yourself and not what other people expect it to be."
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"I have a new card which says IAHTEO. I Am Here To Encourage Others."
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.
Martinus Evans Interview: Founder of Slow AF Run Club
Diana Landau | May 13, 2024
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:
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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."
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Having a routine: "Having a routine goes hand-in-hand with 'keep moving'. You need a routine so you CAN keep moving."
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Try new things. "Try new things you didn't think you could ever do in your younger years."
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Have a delusional belief in yourself. "You have to believe in yourself when no one else will."
• (Un)Retirement Travel with the Pro Allan Wright, Zephyr Adventures
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.
Dewey Forward Interview: Night Club Owner Pivots to Popcorn Shop
Diana Landau | December 04, 2023
Carl interviews music promoter/serial entrepreneur Dewey Forward this week. Just some of Dewey's accomplishments include organizing and promoting over 4,000 concerts, opening Peabody's Cafe and Peabody's DownUnder in Cleveland Flats and also developing the Sohio/BP RiverFest, (which was Ohio's largest festival in history with over 1,000,000 attendees). He has produced concerts for Spyro Gyra, Pearl Jam, Etta James, Wynton Marsalis, REM, Donovan, Bon Jovi, Bo Diddley and countless others. Dewey is also now the proud owner of an iconic popcorn shop in picturesque Chagrin Falls, OH.
Like Carl, Dewey grew up in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. "It was a 'Leave it to Beaver' childhood, " he says. Enterprising even at the age of 9, Dewey started a "canteen" in his basement, selling refreshments and a place to hang out to the neighborhood kids. He also says he was a troublemaker in school and was on a first name-basis with the Principal.
After trying out three colleges, Dewey settled on Hartford where he says he didn't learn much in class but learned a lot about producing successful events. "I learned how to organize and promote concerts and events and how to create a crowd." He founded SAW--a student organization against the Vietnam War, organizing bus trips to Washington D.C. to protest.
Fun Fact: Dewey Forward is a "Jr.", his last name of English descent. "No one forgets my name!"
Carl notes that being a concert and event producer is a high-stress, high-risk career. "Yes, my parents were aghast but I didn't listen to them." In 1977 Dewey opened Peabody's Cafe and Peabody's DownUnder, two successful ventures in the up-and-coming Cleveland Flats neighborhood. His mother gave him the money to start both businesses. "I paid her back and I'll forever be grateful." By the time Dewey moved on, the area had grown from 5 restaurants and bars to 53. "When I look back on it, it was a blast but also so stressful."
Dewey retired for the first(!) time at age 50. Not one to sit still, he started a new business every five years. Now at 74, he's learning not to add more stress into his life. He does a lot of physical activity, including bike riding. "It clears my head and is good for my heart!" He and his girlfriend love to travel and he's building a second home on Lake Erie. His five words for the (un)retirement good life: "Keep moving and no stress!"
Dewey Forward's (un)retirement tips:
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"Get rid of that negative voice in your head that tells you that you can't do things. We are a very capable generation!"
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"Don't be too old to retire. What I mean is, do not keep working until your body is too old to do anything else."
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"I'm not a planner. I just say, 'That looks fun!' and then I put blinders on and go for it!"
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.
