Saturday, December 17, 2016

Going back to work as a ‘boomerang’

Boomerang retirees: people who exit gracefully after their career at a company, then return shortly afterward to work there part time.

A growing number of firms are offering programs to bring retired employees back for their knowledge and expertise.

“From the corporate perspective,” Christopher Farrell writes in the New York Times, “it is useful to have experienced hands who can train younger people, pass along institutional wisdom and work with fewer strings attached.” Farrell notes that while formal corporate programs to engage retirees are still relatively rare, “human resource professionals predict that the number of boomerang retiree programs will expand, especially among larger companies with deep pockets.”

Boomerang programs are appearing in the public sector, too. California and other states offer retired employees the opportunity to come back part time, and the federal government has initiated a phased retirement program where hours are cut back but additional retirement benefits can still be earned.


Are you boomerang material? Check out the whole article here.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Not a mastermind? No problem. They're all around


You don’t have to be a mastermind, but you can benefit from one. You can start or join a mastermind group. A mastermind group is a group of people who get together regularly to collaborate, help each other, offer advice and exchange contacts for the purpose of mutual benefit.

“Starting a mastermind group is a natural fit for retirees,” according to Tobe Brockner, who is quoted in a recent article in Business News Daily, “6 Smart Business Ideas for Retirees.” Brockner is the author of "Mastermind Group Blueprint: How to Start, Run and Profit from Mastermind Groups" (Aloha Group Publishing, 2013).
"Many [retirees] already have a network that they can tap into to find excellent mastermind group members, and by being the group organizer and facilitator, they can make a nice supplemental income," said Brockner. 
Depending on the size of the area in which they live, Brockner said enterprising retirees can start and facilitate multiple mastermind groups, and charge a premium for the value of being a member. 
"Mastermind group facilitators can generate between $1,500 to $3,000 per month per group for just a few hours [of] work," he said.
Stephanie Burns, founder and CEO of Chic CEO, a free resource for female entrepreneurs looking to start a business, wrote an article in Forbes magazine about seven reasons to join a mastermind group. They including being a part of an exclusive group, getting advice from people you trust, and picking up new learning.

What if you want to join a mastermind group instead of starting one? Here’s one source of information: The Success Alliance, headed by Karyn Greenstreet, author and small business consultant. The website lists various mastermind groups, some that meet in person and others that meet via videoconference and telephone. The site provides a description of each group’s area of focus and contact information. The list is updated monthly.

Looking for one in my neighborhood, I found Meetup.com with mastermind group contacts in the San Francisco Bay Area.


As a latecomer to the worlds of both mastermind groups and meetups, I found that there are tons of opportunities out there in both fields. All you have to do is look!