Imagine squeezing all the juice out of retirement! When interviewed on his research, Dr. Riley Moynes commented, “I wish I knew then what I know now about the psychological challenges that accompany retirement. It would have made things much clearer and easier.”

 What do you think of when you think of “retirement”? Is it about slowing down, stepping aside, withdrawing into an extended period of leisure? As Dean explains, this typical view of retirement is a historical anomaly, based upon the experience of a single generation in American history: the Greatest Generation. With the increases in life expectancy and economic insecurity, it’s time to rethink what we expect retirement to mean. Dean Waggenspack is a career/life coach, speaker and blogger about careers. Coaching is his third career, having worked for nearly 30 years in the corporate world and taught high school previously. Dean’s passion is to “encourage others to look inside themselves so that they realize as much of their potential as they are ready for, at this time”. A curiosity about what a person currently does, and the opportunity to discover “what’s next” for them in life, are what drive him. He and his wife, Rose, live in Kettering and have four grown children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

When she first fully felt -- as her 60th birthday neared -- that the time already lived was longer than the time left, Jan Allen plunged into despair. Utilizing her expertise and interest in life transitions, she learned that we're living a new, 21st century reality -- much longer lives but with an outdated operating system for this new life stage; one that limits choice and was never meant to last for 30 years. She'll propose a new guiding question and construct to help us think about this "new third" of our lives. (Jan was selected by the judges at our Open Call Auditions on August 16).

In this compelling and entertaining talk, Dr Catherine Rickwood challenges our assumptions about ageing and retirement, and questions our current approaches. She argues that age stereotypes and ageism are limiting imagination and innovation. She proposes ways we can rethink our approach to ageing and how we might accept and optimise longer lives to create a different future for everyone. Dr Catherine Rickwood is one of Australia’s leading experts on the topic of longer lifespans, and founder and CEO of consultancy and advisory firm Three Sisters Group. An active speaker and blogger on issues affecting our ageing population, Catherine believes age stereotypes, ageism, and generational labels divide and limit our individual and collective futures as we succumb to outdated ideas associated with retirement. Catherine works with organisations around the country to co-design and create innovative approaches to business strategies including: human resource management; new product development; and, service delivery. She has recently co-authored a book chapter on 'Women & Ageing’, and is regularly turned to for comment by the media, including ABC’s Radio National, The Sydney Morning Herald, and SBS. Catherine is also an Academic Mentor on the Master of Management (CEMS) program at the University of Sydney. She plans to live a full and active life to 100 and beyond. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.