Let me be clear: I’m not broke and I’m only 66.
- About 60% of my apartment’s value is equity.
- I have a small but well-invested portfolio (though somewhat diminished compared to January 1st).
- My husband and I expect modest inheritances from our 92-year-old mothers, which will significantly boost our financial cushion. But who knows when we will actually receive them.
I’ve always found a way to earn a living—through hard work, clear-eyed self-awareness, and timing.
- I’ve weathered three major recessions since 1990.
- I shifted from being an employee and hired CEO to becoming a CEO and executive coach 10 years ago.
- Now, nearly 66, with energy and demand for my services both in flux, I find myself retreating—exactly what I know I shouldn’t be doing.
Some tough truths:
- I’m spending more time on LinkedIn, but it’s no longer yielding the clients it used to (10 years ago about 80% of my clients came from LinkedIn. Now it’s down to about 30% to 40%).
- Media noise about the collapse of Social Security and Medicare doesn’t help, even if it’s mostly unfounded.
- Working solo from my windowless den—where 90% of my work happens—has taken a psychological toll.
- The money my husband and I make from our businesses only covers 70% of our annual budget. The way things are looking, it could be as low as 50% this year.
But there’s also light:
- Medicare has reduced my healthcare costs by 90%, which has been a blessing after three health scares this year.
- Social Security covers basics. But it’s not enough even for food and entertainment in New York City.
- There are excellent mortgage programs for seniors that factor in retirement savings as a form of income—opening options that weren’t available to me even four years ago.
- I still run two CEO and senior executive groups that bring me purpose and connection. Recruitment is slower, but it’s happening.
The challenge? Getting out of my head and back into the world.
If any of this resonates with you—you’re not alone.
Please feel free to book a free consultation: https://lnkd.in/ggSjGwRT
Even better, consider joining my group: Executives Over 50
It’s a free membership community where we talk openly about what it means to lead, work, and thrive later in life.
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Let’s figure it out together.
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