I Used to Be Somebody: (Un)Retirement Lessons Learned

Back to Blog

Subscribe to the podcast on
Apple Spotify or More

Michela O’Connor Abrams Interview: Emboldened and Resilient!

Diana Landau | October 19, 2020

In this week’s podcast, we talk with Michela O’Connor Abrams about facing life’s challenges head on and starting anew. Michela is the former CEO of Dwell Media, building the company from its early phase as a small magazine about esoteric design to an internationally recognized media brand. This was a huge achievement: The Internet has changed magazine publishing in dramatic ways and the brands that didn’t learn to develop new channels for their customer base sank quickly.

 

With Michela at the helm, Dwell became a 7-platform media brand. It’s known for showcasing gorgeous photography and innovative design and for bringing together architects, designers, and the trades in creating beautiful places to live.

 

Although there weren’t very many female CEOs 30+ years ago, Michela was a trailblazer in publishing. Prior to Dwell, Michela led companies from startup to exit and turnaround to high growth, at companies like IDG, Softbank, McGraw-Hill, Ziff Davis and Future Media.

 

Then four years ago, she faced the unimaginable. First, her mother unexpectedly was diagnosed with non-smoking lung cancer. Soon after that, one of her dearest friends died. Two weeks after that, her husband died, and then two weeks later her father died.

 

Flash forward to now. Michela says she is “emboldened and resilient.” She said it helped to imagine all four of her loved ones standing in front of her, telling her to go live her life with reckless abandon. “So that’s what I’m trying to do,” she says. I had to answer the question, “When, where and how do I recreate my future?”  

 

Looking forward, she has been eager to draw on her many years of leadership and coaching experience. Michela founded a new media company, MOCA+. Tapping into her vast experience and connections within the industry, she creates a team to help her clients depending on their need: Coaching, fine-tuning, pivoting, buying and selling. She’s loving it!

 

In her spare time, Michela serves on the board of Arcbazar and is an advisor to Turkel Design, Nebia, Aplat Inc., NextPlay, and NewStory. She is a sought-after speaker on leadership, design, and media and is always game to share her passion for good design and business innovation.

 

3 key takeaways on beginning anew from Michela:

 

  1. You choose what “balance” is and what work you take on. There’s so much to get involved in, you have to decide what you really want for you—first.

  2. Ask, “What’s my time worth?” Decide a price/value ratio that not only works for you but for the client as well.

  3. Take enough time off. Michela says she jumped back in after only 2 months but wished she’d taken more time in between business ventures.

 

For the full interview, listen to I Used to be Somebody, Episode #6 with Michela O’Connor Abrams. For listening details go to our website.

To learn more about Michela check out her website.

 

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.

Tags:    blog   interview   podcast   Michela OConnor Abrams   adversity   future   new beginning  

    Categories

    Show All (5)
    (un)retirement (0)
    (Un)Retirement (0)
    2022 (0)
    Adam Bryant (0)
    adversity (0)
    advice (0)
    ageism (0)
    Alan Newman (0)
    andy levine (0)
    andy robin (0)
    Anheuser Busch (0)
    anne da vigo (0)
    anniversary (0)
    Apidone (0)
    architectural designer (0)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger (0)
    art gallery (0)
    Artist (0)
    artist (0)
    ascenium (0)
    attorney (0)
    Audrey Hitchcock (0)
    author (0)
    baby boomer (0)
    baby boomers (0)
    baking (0)
    banking (0)
    barry pincus (0)
    bary pincus (0)
    baseball (0)
    baseball cards (0)
    basketball (0)
    beer (0)
    best-seller (0)
    bestseller (0)
    bestselling (0)
    best selling (0)
    bestselling author (0)
    Bistro (0)
    blog (0)
    Blog (0)
    blog (4)
    Blogger (0)
    Bob Franceschelli (0)
    bob tuschman (1)
    Bob Tuschman (1)
    Bob Vogel (0)
    Bob Wolfe (0)
    bonus episode (0)
    book (0)
    Bookstore Owner (0)
    boomer (0)
    bo sacks (0)
    brewing (0)
    brian smith (0)
    budget (0)
    Build-A-Bear (0)
    business (0)
    Business Owner (0)
    business tips (0)
    C-Suite (0)
    caffeine (0)
    cancer (0)
    career (0)
    Carl (0)
    carl landau (0)
    Carl Landau (0)
    Caroline Ceniza Levine (0)
    CEO (0)
    ceo (0)
    CFO (0)
    cfo (0)
    challenges (0)
    changes (0)
    charity (0)
    cheesemaker (0)
    chef (1)
    Chris Farrell (0)
    chris welles (0)
    cinde dolphin (0)
    Clark (0)
    club change (0)
    coffee (0)
    coffeehouse (0)
    collector (0)
    collegescholarship (0)
    comedian (0)
    comedy (0)
    comfort zone (0)
    community (1)
    content marketing (0)
    coors (0)
    Corky Logue (0)
    cpa (0)
    craft brewing (0)
    crazy money (0)
    cycling (0)
    Dan Blank (0)
    Dan Kennedy (0)
    Dan Rudd (0)
    dartmouth (0)
    Dat Truong (0)
    dealers choice (0)
    Debb McColloch (0)
    debb mccolloch (0)
    Deborah McColloch (0)
    denise cerrreta interview (0)
    Detroit (0)
    devon zagory (1)
    Dewey Forward (0)
    director (0)
    Doctor Who (0)
    documentary (0)
    Donald Trump (0)
    Donna (0)
    doug villhard interview (0)
    dream job (0)
    dreams (0)
    Drew Evans (0)
    Dr James Beckett (0)
    Duke (0)
    Ed Casey (0)
    editor (0)
    embracing change (0)
    entertainment (0)
    entreprener (1)
    entrepreneur (0)
    entrepreneur (0)
    Entrepreneur (0)
    entrepreneur (0)
    episodes (0)
    Europe (0)
    Event (0)
    Exec (1)
    Executive (0)
    executive (0)
    executive editor (0)
    EZ Pawn (0)
    facebook (0)
    farm to table (1)
    film (0)
    Filmmaker (0)
    finance (0)
    finances (0)
    financial advisor (0)
    financial planning (0)
    financial security (0)
    first woman (0)
    food (4)
    food network (1)
    Food Network (1)
    foundation (0)
    future (0)
    General Manager (0)
    Georgetown (0)
    giants (0)
    Giants (0)
    golf (0)
    grace (0)
    Grandma's Secret (0)
    halloffame (0)
    health (1)
    henry schulman (0)
    high times (0)
    hope (0)
    horses (0)
    Host (0)
    hotel (0)
    Hot to Retire and Not Die (0)
    housing (0)
    How To Retire and Not Die (0)
    humor (0)
    hypnotherapy (0)
    improv (0)
    Interview (0)
    interview (4)
    interview (4)
    investor (0)
    ironman (0)
    ironman competitor (0)
    Italy (0)
    I Used To Be Somebody (0)
    I Used to Be Somebody (0)
    I Used To be Somebody (0)
    Jack Gallagher (0)
    james beard award (0)
    Jed Smith (0)
    Jill Baker (0)
    jim roddy (0)
    Joan Ryan (0)
    joan ryan (0)
    job (0)
    joe pulizzi (0)
    journalism (0)
    Kerry Hannon (0)
    Landau (0)
    larana day interview (0)
    Larry David (0)
    law (0)
    legend (0)
    lessons (0)
    lgbtq (0)
    librarian (0)
    licensing (0)
    life lessons (0)
    life of freedom (0)
    local (0)
    luck (0)
    luxury (0)
    magazine (0)
    magazines (0)
    major league (0)
    marketing (0)
    Marketing (0)
    mark shaiken (0)
    Mark Shaiken (0)
    martial arts (0)
    Maxine (0)
    meditation (0)
    Melissa Davey (0)
    memoir (0)
    mental health (1)
    mentor (0)
    merchandise (0)
    Miami University (0)
    michaela oconnor abrams (0)
    michael clinton (0)
    Michela OConnor Abrams (0)
    Midtown (0)
    mike branon (0)
    mike drak (0)
    mike krukow (0)
    Mike Murphy (0)
    mini-retirement (0)
    moira mcgarvey black (0)
    mo nard (0)
    Money magazine (0)
    Mozzarella di Bufalo (0)
    multi-media giant (0)
    music (0)
    naps (0)
    naps (0)
    NBA (0)
    Neil Haley (0)
    Neil the Real Deal (0)
    new beginning (0)
    new year (0)
    Night Club (0)
    nonprofit (1)
    novel (0)
    NPR (0)
    nursing (0)
    NYT Columnist (0)
    NYU (1)
    painter (0)
    passion (0)
    passions (0)
    patrick mulvaney (1)
    patty forehand (0)
    paul ollinger (0)
    PBS (0)
    People Magazine (0)
    performer (0)
    pet (0)
    philadelphia (0)
    Pho (0)
    photography (0)
    Pickleball (0)
    pickleball (0)
    Pickleball Media (0)
    Pickleball Tour (0)
    pilot (0)
    Pinot (0)
    pivot (0)
    podcast (1)
    poetry (0)
    Political Campaign (0)
    Popcorn Shop (0)
    pottery (0)
    power nap (0)
    Princeton (0)
    pro-wrestling (0)
    professor (0)
    Professor (1)
    Pro Tips (0)
    psychotherapist (0)
    publishing (0)
    quotes (0)
    Ramini Mozzarella (0)
    rancho la puerta (0)
    ranch owner (0)
    real estate (0)
    rebellious (0)
    recap (0)
    recession (0)
    redemption (0)
    resolutions (0)
    restaurateur (1)
    retailer (0)
    retiree (0)
    retirement (1)
    retirement association (0)
    retirement plan (0)
    rhinos (0)
    Richard Eisenberg (0)
    richard turner (0)
    Richard Turner (0)
    Risk Taker (0)
    risktaker (0)
    robin pajaro (0)
    rock (0)
    sacramento (0)
    Sacramento (0)
    sacramento (0)
    san francisco (0)
    san francisco giants (0)
    scott miller (0)
    second act (0)
    second acts (0)
    September 2024 (0)
    serial entrepreneur (0)
    Silicon Valley (0)
    Sky Bergman (0)
    Small Business (0)
    small business (0)
    smart living (0)
    socal (0)
    Social (0)
    soul (0)
    sports (0)
    stand-up (0)
    Stanford (0)
    star of the week (0)
    Steve Israel (0)
    steven petrow (0)
    steve segner (0)
    success (0)
    superfan (0)
    susan stewart (0)
    task list (0)
    Tasting Tour (0)
    teaching (0)
    ted bahr interview (0)
    texas (0)
    The Pickleball Librarian (0)
    the tapas life (0)
    third-act (0)
    third act (0)
    time management (0)
    time tracking app (0)
    Tim Jordan (0)
    toastmasters (0)
    top 10 list (0)
    transformation (0)
    Travel (0)
    travel (0)
    Travel Planning (0)
    Travel Tips (0)
    Trip (0)
    try new things (1)
    Tuscany (0)
    UC Berkeley (0)
    ugg (0)
    unretired (0)
    UnRetirement (0)
    unretirement (1)
    Unretirement (0)
    unretirement (1)
    update (0)
    US Congressman (0)
    vacation (0)
    val haller (0)
    vice president (0)
    volunteer (1)
    walk on (0)
    water buffalo (0)
    website (0)
    wedding officiant (0)
    Wine (0)
    WNBA (0)
    work (0)
    working (0)
    world series (0)
    World Tour (0)
    worst jobs (0)
    writer (0)
    writing (0)
    yoga (0)
    zen (0)