The Story of Rewirement

tRANSITIONING TO RETIREMENT CAN BE A CHALLENGE!

"Best Years Ever" is the reply from my spouse of over 40 years when asked about our lives after my retirement from over 40 years of corporate life. However, that good news was somewhat tempered as I witnessed others struggling with the transition to a new lifestyle. As I talked to people, both mid-career and in or approaching retirement about my struggles and successes with my new life, I experienced an unexpected level of interest to learn more about my story, my “rewirement.” The more I shared my story, the more it became evident that there was a huge need to help other men and women prepare for and transition from their work careers to a new career of serving others while enjoying the freedom that can be found in retirement. I want them to be able to say at each retirement anniversary, "Best Year Ever" year after year.  

fIND YOUR OWN “REWIREMENT”

Although I am only a couple of years into my new life, I do believe I have some lessons to share as well as some resources to help you with your rewirement. Before we dive into those, however, maybe some background on my career and transition might be appropriate.

ABOUT GREG

I came out of college in 1977 after completing a double major in economics and environmental engineering. I chose Westinghouse as my first employer. Little did I know then that I would stay with Westinghouse and the firm it was acquired by, Siemens, for over 40 years. I had an awesome career with the two companies that involved five different divisions in the same number of states with assignments in technical sales support, outside sales, sales management, marketing, business development and finance. My last job was leading a large sales organization in the power generation (fossil and renewable) and service market responsible for over $2B in annual sales.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

As in most sales and sales management positions, I struggled with keeping a reasonable work/life balance. As I worked through this challenge in the later years of my career, I shared both the struggles and successes with my team and peers. As described in some of the videos linked on this site, this coaching took many forms, from one-on-one discussions to my "breakfast with the boss" events. Besides building deeper friendships with these conversations, I believe many participants benefited from my experience resulting in stronger families, better work performance and more joy in their lives.  

FINDING BALANCE IN RETIREMENT

Fast forward to now, it seems that the very same challenge exists in retirement, but with a different twist. We all need to find a balance in retirement between leisure and family and using your skills and resources to help solve some of problems in your family, church, community and even the world. I believe that traditional retirement built around leisure activities is not only a waste of your God-given talents, but is also unhealthy for you both emotionally and physically. Thus, we need to “rewire,” not retire.

THE “THREE Fs”

My formula for this balance is still in flux but seems to be settling in on fairly even split between consulting (paid and pro-bono), ministry and my “three Fs” (family, fun and fishing). With over 40 years in the energy business, I still have skills that can help companies navigate the rapidly changing market where renewables and storage are displacing fossil generation. I am also helping startups put together plans for growing their businesses. My ministry activities are diverse, spanning multiple continents, addressing global needs mixed with local projects in my church and community. I have provided links to a couple worthy ministries that are doing awesome work to help the hungry and abused. As for my “three Fs,” I’ll share those with you if we ever get a chance to meet in person.   

rEWIREMENT LEADS TO YOUR “BEST YEAR EVER”
…EVERY YEAR!

My hope is that this website can provide some resources for you to find a similar balance in your life for your "rewirement" so you, too, can enjoy your “best year ever,” year after year, while sharing your time, talents and treasures with a hurting world.