#52. Voice of the Customer → Life After Retirement
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In this episode? What life after retirement is like for most adults, and how it can be better with the help of brands. Marketing teams, this episode is for you. And for adults, this is for you too.
Every episode is based on what people send in, message boards I read online, or the great conversations I've had with others. I give brands a perspective on problems adults face in the world we all live in, and the opportunities to solve them.
André Brathwaite hosts the Voice of the Customer on the Forms of Recreation podcast.
The opinions expressed are solely those of Forms of Recreation and do not necessarily reflect the views of any brand mentioned. We encourage you to check their corresponding websites for further information.
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Episode 52
Voice of the Customer → Life After Retirement
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Close your eyes and picture this.
It’s your last day at work.
You’re in the lunchroom, and your colleagues come over to congratulate you.
They surprise you with a wrench and a car owner's manual.
You’re confused.
Then comes the cake and matching T-shirt that says “Retirement means it’s time to change your tires”,
You smile and enjoy the moment, thinking back on the years, friendships, challenges, and successes you experienced.
Everyone wishes you the very best as you walk out the door.
Here comes the hard part.
What do I do now?
Friendships? You were too busy working.
Colleagues? You no longer work there.
Routines? You no longer have a work schedule
Identity? You tied it to a title you no longer have
Adults struggle with this more often than not.
It’s easy to think that they are free at last.
Yet, They might have started a business or worked for a business, and are now telling themselves, “I put in more than 45 years, let me just sit on this couch and relax. I deserve it”.
Do they?
Loneliness, lack of movement, and lack of purpose, will send adults faster to the grave than a daily bucket of fried chicken and sugary soda ever could.
When I visit my parents, there is a spot in the house we like to call, the breezeway. A covered terrace, outdoor seating, that overlooks a garden.
My dad and I have many great conversations there.
There is one thing he tells me time and time again.
“Andre. In life, you have to have someone to love, something to hope for, and something to do.”
A quote from Tom Bodett’s book, “As Far As You Can Go Without A Passport”, which happened to be published the same year I was born.
So, you see that last part, something to do, is what we are talking about today.
My dad lives it.
He enjoys backyard gardening as a form of recreation for 3-5 hours a day.
What is the icing on the cake: exercise, food security, and friendships.
He’s now in his 80’s.
That how he chose to retire.
And hasn’t changed those tires ever since.
There is something called recreation identity, a sense of self that defines individuals by what they do as a hobby, such as being a cyclist, cigar aficionado, or in my dad’s case, a gardener, and integrates these pursuits int their personal identity and lifestyle.
All we need is a little help to either, rediscover it or reinvent it.
Brands. This part is for you.
You have the resources, the teams, and the influence to help us adults find something to do.
In Episode 10, I spoke about beekeeping, and how Flow Hive has a community for those who are into beekeeping, taking care of one of the most important living species on Earth, with up to 90% of wild plants relying on them, while all sharing the sweetest reward: honey.
On the forms of recreation website, adults can find a number of beekeeping clubs around the world that are affiliated with Flow Hive, making it easier for adults to enjoy their form of recreation.
So there you have it.
Marketing teams. Go beyond selling a product.
For the rest of us. Let’s not see retirement as a flat tire, it’s an opportunity to change it.
