"Go-Go" Years
Carl Landau | April 08, 2025
While we all may be taking a pause right now due to the economic uncertainty, at some point you to need to focus on YOUR own (un)retirement plan.
The fact is I'm spending more money at this stage of life. Specifically, I mean that I am spending more than I probably should according to the target "100% success rate" of my retirement financial plan. My current spending level means that as of today, there is only about a 70% chance I will still have money at age 92. But I still think these are pretty good odds. I want to do all the things in life I've worked hard for and dreamed of while I have the time and energy. Yes, I want to enjoy it all while I'm healthy, which means TODAY. I don't know what my future health situation is going to be.
What about you?
Personally, I'm not spending my money on things. I'm spending my money on experiences. For my wife Diana and me, our passion is travel. We're taking a couple of international trips and many in the U.S. Ideally, we want to experience new countries, new cultures, new experiences all over the world while physically fit. I know that at some point, we're not going to be able to do all this traveling. So, I'm taking full advantage of the opportunity now.
Go figure out what you have a passion for and do it NOW! For you, it can be something totally different from travel, but don't waste this special time of your life. One of the saddest things to watch are these soon to be or retired people depriving themselves of all the fun things they can be doing and instead are fixated on the amount of savings they have. They say, "I'll do all those fun things when I'm older". Really? How much older? Why not have amazing experiences now when you can fully experience your life's bucket list? Plus, then when you really are older, you'll have those memories to savor much longer.
My wife hates when I (occasionally) talk about how long I have to live. To me, it's a good reminder to fully live out my (un)retirement years. I encourage everyone to look at a life expectancy calculator based on your age and your current health. In my case my life expectancy is about age 84 That's 16 years for me! Trust me that I'm doing my best to live a long and healthy life. But that statistic doesn't scare me, it motivates me! And let's get real. Our travel expenses will drop considerably when we're in our 80's and 90's, so that's why I'm spending and doing NOW!
Note: I do have a budget set aside for any future health stuff.
What do you think? What's your plan for your Go-Go years?
Mark Linsz: Top Bank of America Exec now a Second Act Guru
Diana Landau | December 07, 2021
Carl interviews Mark Linsz, the Co-Founder and Senior Managing Partner of My Next Season, an organization that helps companies and individuals with important career transitions and ensures they happen well. Mark was formerly the CFO Risk Executive for Bank of America—in the top tier of leadership. He’s had 27 years of holding key corporate leadership roles on three continents.
Mark’s childhood was unique—since his father was a minister and professor, he grew up in Asheville, NC, lived on Long Island, NY, and then spent years living in Africa. “I always loved numbers and figuring things out—even as a little kid.” In college, he became intrigued by two possible careers: 1) a trader on the stock market floor, and 2) a real estate developer. He ended up in a very big-time career in risk management, helping businesses assess financial, lending, and even reputation risks. “The benchmark was if it was too embarrassing for my mother to read, that it probably isn't good.”
Mark and his family lived in Hong Kong and London before being called back to the United States right before the recession. “Both experiences were fantastic for our family, experiencing different cultures.” At the end of 2007, Mark was commuting between work in NYC and his family still in London, then the whole family moved to Charlotte and he took yet another position with B of A. It was a very stressful time for Mark and the entire world when the recession hit. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear what it was like from Mark’s top position in banking.
About 2013, Mark started thinking about what he wanted to do next. “I needed to do something different,” he tells us. At first, he thought he would go into some type of financial advising. But then he talked with his future business partner, Dr. Leslie Braksick about people in executive roles and how to help them with transitioning to the life they want in their second, or third act. They started My Next Season in 2014. “It’s been a fantastic ride!” he says. Mark and his family now live in Charlotte, North Carolina. He loves his work but also makes time for family and nurturing friendships. “Seeing people transition with purpose is really exciting and so rewarding. You can have more impact and influence than you ever had before.”
Mark Linsz’s (un)retirement tips:
• “If I had to do it all over again, I wish I’d taken more time off.” (In between career and new venture).
• “Take time to think through what you really want to do next. Take 6 months to a year to find your passion, it’s extremely important.”
• “Be open to a new purpose. Think outside that box. This is your opportunity to try new things.”
• “The three most important things to focus on in (un)retirement are your relationships (family, friends, work), your purpose and to make sure you are intellectually challenged.”
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” weekly blog.
