What really happens after retirement?
If you’re approaching retirement—or already there—and wondering what now?, you’re not alone. The world is full of financial advice for retirement, but there’s far less about how to actually live a fulfilling life once the 9-to-5 ends.
Beyond Retirement is the podcast that explores what comes after the career chapter. Whether your retirement was planned or unexpected, joyful or jarring, you’ll find real stories, honest conversations, and practical inspiration here.
Join host Jacquie Doucette as she shares her own journey and speaks with people who’ve reimagined life after work—some fully retired, some shifting gears, and all discovering new meaning in this next stage. From finding purpose to building community, embracing play, and navigating change, we’ll explore how to create a life that truly fits.
Because retirement isn’t the end—it’s a new beginning.
Let’s figure out what comes next, together.
What if happiness wasn’t something that happened to you, but something you chose—even in retirement?
In this solo episode, Jacquie reflects on a powerful message from her recent conversation with musician Ron Sowell: “It’s all up to you.” Drawing on stories from Ron’s life and the profound example of Viktor Frankl, she explores the idea that happiness isn’t about perfect circumstances, it’s about how we choose to engage with the season we’re in.
If you’re navigating the years beyond your career, wondering how to find meaning, joy, or direction, this episode invites you to reclaim your agency. Because growing old may be inevitable, but growing disengaged is not.
Key Topics Covered:
- The difference between aging and growing old – Why vitality is a daily choice, not a number
- What it means to “choose happiness” – The difference between agency and toxic positivity
- Ron Sowell’s example of a life built on alignment – Choosing passion over security, and never looking back
- Viktor Frankl’s lesson from the Holocaust – How mindset becomes a final freedom, even in suffering
- Reframing retirement as a meaningful phase – Finding joy, purpose, and connection regardless of circumstances
MUSIC CREDIT: Ron Sowell – It’s All Up to You (used with permission)
