In your mid-50s, you are an amazing role model for the Re-Imagineer way of life. You made some big decisions about your job, your education, and your personal life. Let’s start first with the decision to leave a 29-year career and return to school for your MBA. What led you to that decision? As a lifelong learner, you have further educational aspirations. What are those goals?
When COVID hit and the world slowed down, I took the time to reevaluate my life and decided to make some changes for my own personal growth and development as well as my mental health. I knew I had to re-imagine myself. I needed to own who I was, take action for what’s next in my life, and reassess my relationships. For my new life, I knew I wanted a new career. After owning a property and casualty insurance agency for 29 years, I no longer felt fulfilled and satisfied. The commoditization of the insurance industry had led to a decline in the perceived value of the role of the trusted agent/advisor, so I took action and went back to college to finish my MBA. I started my master’s degree 25 years ago, but with a young family and a new business, I just didn’t have the time, energy, or money to finish it. Now that my three children were all adults, I felt it was the perfect time to do so. I truly enjoyed being a student in my mid-50s–much more so than in my 20s. My growth mindset absorbed the new information, and my many years in business let me offer insights to my classmates. I was determined to disprove the old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick” I’m living proof that you can. Now, with my MBA in hand, and a new job that offers tuition reimbursement, I am pursuing a doctorate degree. I am looking for a part-time adjunct faculty position with one of the universities nearby where I can teach a class and take classes at the employee rate so I can complete my doctorate degree in about six years with little or no out-of-pocket costs. Once I retire for a second time from my new employer in six or seven years, I aspire to be a professor teaching graduate students business management and ethics courses.
Many people worry that they may not be able to start over in a new career in their mid to late 50s, but you had a very different experience. Tell us about the job offers that came in and which one you decided to take.
After graduating with my MBA, I was worried that companies would not be interested in someone of my age, but, to my pleasant surprise, I was offered nine different positions with eight different companies. Every single company I interviewed with offered me a position. I found myself in the enviable position of being able to choose from many different opportunities. With almost 30 years in the insurance industry, most of the offers were positions within the insurance industry. After much deliberation, I decided on a business development executive position with a medicare company. This new position suits me perfectly because it involves community involvement and engagement where I can help seniors by educating them about their healthcare options. With over 11,000 people turning 65 in this country every day until 2030, the opportunity is tremendous, and I truly believe that the more I am helping others the more successful I will be. I actually enjoy being an employee again. I have the discretion and autonomy to build my book of business along with the stability, benefits, expense account, PTO, and support from a large corporation.
Now to your personal life. After a 30-year marriage and with three grown children, you made a big decision. Please share your story.
After being married for over 30 years, and with three grown children, I decided I must own who I am and come out to my family as a gay man. I found the most amazing counselor, Tyler Alexander, at the Arizona Gender Identity Center to help me find the courage to do so. Coming out to my wife and children was by far the hardest conversation I have ever had in my life, and they met me with the most positive outpouring of love, support, and understanding imaginable. I was so afraid for so many years of being closeted that it felt like a deep dark void of loneliness. Now that I am living authentically, I feel a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I feel a quiet peace and contentment that I have literally never felt before. Lastly, I knew I needed to reassess some of the relationships in my life so that I could spend my time with those who love, appreciate, respect, and understand me. The outpouring of support that I have received during my journey has allowed me to fine-tune and adjust many of my relationships. I no longer feel the need to be a “people-pleaser.” I am more willing to say no, I value my time and energy more, and I no longer spend time with negative and pessimistic people. Life is too short to not enjoy every single minute of it, and I choose to spend my time with those who respect and value it. Time is my love language, and I deeply enjoy spending time with those I care about. I am looking forward to the future like I have not in many years. The possibilities seem boundless.
