When the dream job becomes soul crushing
Retire Often
Jacob Wade shares his transformative journey from a high-stress tech sales job to a life of travel and family connection through a mini retirement. He discusses the mental health challenges that led to his decision, the planning and execution of a year-long RV trip with his family, and the profound impact it had on their lives. Jacob reflects on the shift from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of embracing risk and prioritizing personal fulfillment over financial metrics. Takeaways Jacob experienced a mental breakdown due to work stress and...
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Embracing the Three Phases of a Mini-Retirement
Retire Often
In this conversation, Stacy shares her experiences part way through her mini retirements. She shares how she created distinct phases. While explaining the importance of having a structured yet flexible approach to this career break. We cover how she overcame one more year syndrome and the fear of losing out on that extra income. Takeaways She felt the need for a better work-life balance due to her stressful job. The group coaching provided valuable support and perspective. Hesitations about leaving a stable career are common but manageable. Volunteering unexpectedly became a...
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Your Guide to Negotiating A Month Off
Retire Often
In this episode, I explain that a month is an ideal starting point due to the ease of negotiation, lower costs, the ability to achieve significant personal goals, and the chance to practice for longer breaks. The conversation then moves into strategies for negotiating time off, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative approach and the recognition that negotiation is often a multi-step process. I then detail the importance of crafting a compelling narrative when negotiating a mini-retirement. She outlines four key elements for framing the story: it should be positive, interesting,...
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Building Freedom for Mini-retirements into Your Business
Retire Often
In this conversation, Jillian speaks with Ken and Mary from The Humble Penny about their journey of taking mini-retirements as business owners. They discuss the impact of COVID on their work-life balance, the transition from corporate jobs to entrepreneurship, and the importance of building systems that allow for freedom in their business. They share insights on the creative energy that comes from taking breaks, the dynamics of family life as business owners, and the mindset shifts necessary for success. TakeawaysL COVID prompted a reassessment of priorities and the desire for more...
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Do you have the Capacity to Suffer or the Courage to Change?
Retire Often
In this solo episode, Jillian Johnsrud covers one of the tools that she uses with her coaching clients, focusing on the dual skills of courage for change and the capacity to stay and suffer. She emphasizes the importance of developing both skills to navigate life transitions effectively. Jillian provides actionable steps for listeners to clarify their goals and take necessary actions towards change, while also highlighting the significance of building resilience for future challenges.
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The Rest You’ve Earned
Retire Often
Frances Benjamin shares her mini-retirement story and the transformative impact it had on her life. Before her mini-retirement, Frances was working multiple jobs and juggling the responsibilities of being a single mom. The catalyst for her decision to take a break was the pandemic and the realization that her daughter would soon be leaving the nest. Frances prepared for her mini-retirement by decluttering, saving money, and paying off debt. She embarked on her break with her daughter, traveling to Mexico and Thailand, immersing themselves in the local culture and enjoying the freedom to do...
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Business Growth after a Year Off
Retire Often
PT, is the creator of a large event, FinCon. Taking a mini-retirement as a business owner can be stressful, confusing, and scary. PT shares his experience of taking a step back from his business and how he slowly extracted himself while empowering his team. He discusses the challenges and transformations he went through during his mini-retirement, including finding new hobbies, spending more time with family, and healing emotionally and spiritually. PT also talks about the expansion of his business after his return, including acquiring another conference and taking over his family's CPA firm....
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Take an epic year-long road trip with the family
Retire Often
If you have ever been curious about taking an epic yearlong road trip, Heidi’s story of how her and her family embarked on a year-long mini-retirement traveling all around the US, will inspire you and give you practical tips for planning. They took an intentional break from work and school, with no W2 jobs and no traditional schooling for their three kids. They experimented with different experiences to prepare, such as traveling in Hawaii for three weeks and renting an RV. These experiments helped them make decisions and prepare for their mini-retirement. They saved enough...
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How to Take a Mini-Retirement Every Year
Retire Often
Dr. Corey Allen and his wife embarked on a month-long mini-retirement, traveling in an RV and exploring national parks. The idea originated in 2010 when they considered taking their kids out of school and traveling full-time. However, they decided to wait and eventually started taking one month off every summer. Corey is a marriage and family therapist, while his wife is a CPA. Learn how Corey’s wife negotiated a month off every summer as part of her contract. Cory maintained his work responsibilities while traveling, and his wife took occasional days off to catch up on work. In...
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Reinventing Yourself Post-Divorce with Travel
Retire Often
In this conversation, Brooke Thayer shares her experiences with taking multiple mini retirements and traveling the world. She discusses the inspiration behind her mini retirements, including a difficult divorce that led her to reevaluate her life. Brooke shares the challenges and benefits of open-ended travel, staying in hostels, and finding connections in the travel community. She also talks about the financial aspects of long-term travel and offers tips for affordable travel. Brooke highlights the importance of transitioning from saving to spending mode and gaining agency in making...
info_outlineIn this episode, we accompany Cosmin on his remarkable journey from the brink of burnout in his career to embracing a life of nomadic adventure. After years of high-intensity work, he took his first month-long mini-retirement. Cosmin returned with a new perspective: continue on a path of stress and exhaustion or forge a new way of living. He chose the latter, setting off on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and global exploration. Cosmin shares the challenges and triumphs of transitioning to nomadism, the insights gained from diverse cultures, and how he redefined his notions of success and happiness. His story is a compelling testament to the transformative power of breaking free from societal norms and choosing a life filled with travel, exploration, and personal growth.