39. Finish Well: Navigating Work and Purpose After Retirement

Are you approaching retirement but still feel called to more?

In this episode of Courageous Retirement, Vona Johnson sits down with Beverly Smith, a Faith-Driven Executive Résumé Writer and Job Search Strategist, to break down the myths surrounding retirement and explore what it looks like to finish well before or after retirement.

Together, we talk about:
✨ Why retirement isn’t the end—it’s a new beginning
✨ How to overcome age bias with confidence and clarity
✨ Ways to align work, calling, and God-given purpose in this season
✨ Practical tools for transitioning into meaningful work or service
✨ The importance of volunteering, documenting your impact, and staying engaged
✨ Real stories of believers living passionately in their “best season” of life.

Whether you’re considering part-time work, exploring a new career direction, or simply seeking God’s peace and purpose, this conversation will encourage you to trust the path He’s placing before you.

Quotes from the show:
"I will not sit here and tell you that there are not people that do have an age bias. There are. Those are not the places that you're gonna be working...that's a door God's closed for you. But  I think so many people have bought into that lie that they're afraid and they're just like, 'I have to stay stuck until then, and I have to work until 62, 65, 70, whatever that magic number is in this role, and I can't do it any other way.' And I'm just here to tell you that you can (find other work)." Beverly

"I lived my, my whole adult life, you know, checking off all the boxes, but I never really understood what it meant to just surrender and trust Him (God) with everything, including my work." Vona

Scripture:
"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19 NLT

Email Beverly: beverly@cssar.com
Connect on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverlydsmith/
Download Beverly's Free Guide: 3 Steps to Reinvent Your Career at Any Age. 

Download Vona's Free Finish Well QuickStart guide.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Embracing a New Chapter
00:52 Meet Beverly Smith: Transitioning with Purpose
02:10 Overcoming Age Bias and Finding Fulfillment
04:47 Aligning Your Work with God's Call
08:54 Practical Steps for Career Transition
15:24 The Importance of Volunteering and Documentation
22:02 Redefining Retirement: Finding Joy and Purpose
30:37 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Thank you for stopping by today! Remember to Engage Your Faith and Live Your More as you reap the benefits of Courageous Retirement!

To watch the video, check out my YouTube Channel!

Learn more about the show, author Vona Johnson, and more at vonajohnson.com!

Schedule a free 15 minute Your Path to More call with Vona.

Join ClubMore!

Transcript

0:00

Are you at or near retirement and feel like there's gotta be more to life than this, but you're afraid to go after anything different because, nobody would possibly want to hire me or what would I be able to offer a new business? There are all kinds of lies that we tell ourselves about why industry would not want someone near the age of retirement. I'm here today to tell you that that is not true. There are so many opportunities out there for you, and this episode is going to help answer so many questions and encourage you to keep going because it's not over until it's over.

Speaker 3: 0:33

Do you fear? What lies beyond retirement? What if it's a gateway to a life filled with purpose, meaning, and adventure rather than an end? Discover peace and fulfillment as you boldly enter this new chapter in Courageous Retirement, a Christian podcast. I'm your host, author, and coach Vona Johnson. Let's get started.

Vona Johnson: 0:52

I am so excited to have with me today Beverly Smith, And we are going to have a conversation about how we can finish well in our careers. You all know that I love to call the season of retirement the best season, and sometimes. Truly always, we should start thinking about that long before that day of retirement. Today we're gonna walk along the ideas of if you are transitioning, whether it's into a new career as you retire from your current job, or if you just wanna think about how you can finish well before you retire, Beverly and I are gonna roll up our sleeves and find out about that. So, welcome Beverly to the show. I'm so excited to have you here today.

Beverly Smith: 1:31

So excited about this conversation on

Vona Johnson: 1:34

Oh, I love it. I love it. And I love the fact that before we hopped on here, you shared how God has been shifting things around in your life. And so not only is this something that you're talking about, this is something you're living in, in, so to speak. Mm-hmm. And ironically, he has me in a place where some things have shifted too. Um, starting another, I. I don't know that it's a career. I don't know what he has in mind, but it's, it's kind of cool how he, he works in our lives and leads us where he wants us to be. So first of all, why don't you tell us, what you're doing and what that transition looks like for you? Sure,

Beverly Smith: 2:10

sure. So currently I work with people, that are looking to change change roles. And we, my team and I help them with their resumes, with their job search strategies and LinkedIn branding, those types of things. That's kind of the surface level. Most of the people I tend to attract tend to be over 45, over 50, and very similar to what I went through. They have found themselves at a place where. They're either burnt out or they just don't feel aligned with the work that they're doing, and. Unfortunately, society tends to tell us the lies that you're too old. And you know what? I've been, I've been in the staffing and recruiting business for 27 years before doing what I'm doing now. So I get that. I will not sit here and tell you that there are not people that do have an age bias. There are, those are not the places that you're gonna be working If they have an age bias, that's a door. God's closed for you, right. But I think so many people have bought into that lie that they're afraid and they're just like, I have to stay stuck until then, and I have to work until 62, 65, 70, whatever that magic number is in this role, and I can't do it any other way. And I'm just here to tell you that you can. Oh,

Vona Johnson: 3:43

I love that message because I just feel that if we're in a job that we don't love, and I, part of my message is if we're in a job that we don't love, maybe there's something that we need to shift. You know, there are other people who, who have left job after job after job, and at some point it's like, hmm, maybe it's me. Maybe it's my approach, but, but not all. And, and I agree. I particularly, I would think people in our generation, I don't know exactly where you are, but we'll, we'll make that broad, um, have a tendency to feel like we, you know, we grew up with, you take a job and you stay in that job for 30 years and you retire, then you're done. And. At the other end of the spectrum, we see so many people, young people now that are changing jobs all the time. I don't know that either one of those is right or wrong, but it's, it's not a good situation if we're in a work environment that either isn't healthy for us or that we, we don't love. I feel that God wants us to find joy in life and do the work, uh, that, that brings us joy, so, mm-hmm. Um, I agree with you. If, if there, if you're feeling stuck, go find something that brings you joy. In fact, courageous retirement is the tagline, is answer God's call to more. Mm-hmm. And if, if you're feeling that longing that there's something more in life, there probably is. So

Speaker 5: 5:11

yes.

Vona Johnson: 5:12

So let's explore

Speaker 5: 5:13

hundred percent.

Vona Johnson: 5:13

Let's explore that a little bit. For me, I retired almost nine years ago. In January it will be nine years, and for me, I loved my job. But there was, I just had this nagging sense that there was more, that there was something out there that, that I needed to be doing. And I went down the path of all kinds of coaching certifications and things like that. And the rest of my story is, is that hasn't been financially lucrative. But it has brought me so much peace and so much fulfillment, and I know that I'm, I'm fulfilling each day. I'm doing what God wants me to do, and I realized that it's no longer about the money, it's about serving where he wants me to serve. Have you experienced that as well?

Beverly Smith: 5:57

Absolutely. And, and, and just kind of starting from the back end of that. That, that statement there, I think so many of us are driven about the financial impact, and I know I was, I mean, we had a very successful business, but it burned us out. It was very hard and it, I, I just had it in my head that it had to finish a certain way. There's a little box and this is the only way you can get outta your business and you've gotta sell it and you've gotta do this and you've gotta do that. And. In hindsight, what I realized is, and one of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:19, is he will a supply all my needs according to his glorious, rich riches in Christ Jesus. And I wasn't living that. I, I'm like, I could quote it, you know, and I could say all that. I could say all the good stuff. I felt like I had to strive and I had to do what I need to do to make the ends meet, and I just was not trusting his provision and trusting what it would look like. And so there is that. As far as the, the rest. I, I too had that nagging that there was something more. There was, we were supposed to be doing something different and, and serving in a different capacity, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. And, and like you, I. Well, I still had my, my staffing and recruiting business. I went down the path of different certifications, different coaching, really trying to explore what is that next chapter. I knew we ultimately wanted to leave the city and move out to our farm. Um, again, I had this vision of what I thought that needed to look like, and I, I was trying to play God and figure out. This is how I can work and what it will look like and how I will we'll move forward in that next season instead of trusting his provision through the whole thing. So it kind of goes back to the hopeful Philippians four 19, he's gonna supply for you. Yeah. Um, you just have to have faith in that.

Vona Johnson: 8:19

The, the message that I got after trying this and buying this certification, buying this marketing class, and doing all the things, the message that kind of started that just really landed with me is, have I not provided everything you need? Yes, Lord. Yes. Yes, you have. But, you know, and, and I live my, my whole adult life. You know, checking off all the boxes, but I never really understood what it meant to just surrender and trust. Mm-hmm. Him with everything, including my work. And so if we're, if someone's listening to this conversation today and they're like, oh man, they are speaking to my heart. I know exactly what they're talking about and I've been feeling that, what are some things that they could do? To start moving towards that thing that God's calling them to? What, how, how could they start preparing themselves for that next step?

Beverly Smith: 9:17

I think, uh, number one is pay attention to what those nudges are. Um, I just had a call with a prospective client and she has a real heart for training and development, but she's not. Really that's not the main focus of her current job. There's some aspects of that. And you know, she really want wanted to, to, to do work that's more aligned, that she feels more passionate about. And that was one of the things I said is just pay attention to that nudge. There's a reason that that keeps coming up and there's a reason that your current company keeps asking you to do the training on the new software or the new this or the new that, or you keep getting tapped for this or maybe, maybe you look for ways to do that in a volunteer capacity. Yeah.

Speaker 5: 10:15

Maybe

Beverly Smith: 10:16

you really financially. Aren't ready to take that next step. Maybe you, you know, uh, you and your spouse think, okay, we need to stay where we are for the next X amount of years. What, what are some ways that you could fulfill those desires that he's put on your heart? Maybe they're not financially rewarding to do that, but. They fulfill you, they seem to your soul. And I will say for me in that season of really beginning to look, so for context for me, that started somewhere about 2017, 2018, um, my parents' health was declining and I spent a lot of time traveling back and forth, from Arkansas to Texas to go and check on them. And so. I had this mobile university going in on in my car and I would listen to books and listen to podcasts and try to absorb and learn as much as I could, but paying attention to what that could look like and, and one of the things I learned about myself during that season was I really like this part of my job. Like I can come home from work. On this day, and I feel lit up and I come home on this day and feel rundown. Why is that? What, what is different? What's going on that makes those days different? You know, it could be just the interactions that you're having with people and that type of thing, but it could be the type of work that you're doing. So for me, I found out that the days that I was. Teaching my staff something new, really getting in there and watching them have those aha moments. Um, the days that I did volunteer work for the chamber and was training on how to recruit and different how to onboard your team, those were days that I felt really fulfilled. Yeah. And so it was, it's, it's those types of things really pay attention and just have really good self-awareness. And then from there, ask God about that. Yeah. Okay. You're, I'm, I'm feeling this urge. What do you want to show me? What, what, what's a way that I can be using this now or preparing to use it for you and for the kingdom in the next chapter of my life.

Vona Johnson: 12:53

Oh, I really, really love that. I think that that's really beautiful and I've found that it's like throughout my life he has been using. Me and the talents and abilities that he's given me. It's almost like breadcrumbs where it's just like, oh, okay, now I'm going to do this. And, and then some days it's just like, and that was preparing me to go, you know, I got to help on a volunteer basis to write a booklet about dementia. And then another opportunity was to be on the leadership team of putting on a Right to life conference for the state. Mm-hmm. And you know, just, I mean, I didn't get paid for any of that, but it brought me so much fulfillment. And it was funny'cause I talked about, you know, this latest thing for me. I wasn't looking for a job. It was kind of when those things settled down. And I'm still doing my podcast but it was like, Lord. I feel like maybe there's more. And one day I got a phone call from this gal and she was like, I have been praying and praying. She said, I need an assistant, she's a realtor and my, all of my 30 years is in real estate, you know, finance and development and stuff like that. And she's like, I've been praying I need an assistant. And God gave me your. Would you be interested in having that conversation? I'm like, Hmm. Not something that I really thought I would do, but yeah, let's talk about it. Mm-hmm. And what, what was really interesting to me is. You know, based on the salary I was making when I retired and what I'm gonna be making as her assistant, it's laughable, but I'm going to get to do things that I know and I love and, and I can, I can serve. I said to her. If Jesus could wash the apostle's feet, I'm pretty sure I can do some filing once in a while. You know, it was like, why not? And, and the beautiful thing is, is that I'm getting to do things that I love and they're gonna let me toy with their social media and their website and do things like that, that I've been doing for, you know, nine years now. I'll get to do that, but then I'll also have the absolute freedom when I need to go take care of the grandkids or be with my parents or, or take a vacation, travel with my husband. I can do all of that and just work around it and it's like, oh man, that just feels so, um, right. So like keep, keep your heart open to something that may feel like a demotion. Mm-hmm. But the freedom that we're seeking at this stage in our life, right?

Beverly Smith: 15:18

Yes. Yes. Yeah. Love that so much. It's something I would add. I. How do you take on some of these things that maybe feel like a volunteer, like you mentioned, helping with the right to life and, and the co-authoring and things like that. Make sure you're documenting. Those things and make sure that you, you're not forgetting that you're doing those things because if you do decide to go in a full blown career where you're gonna need a resume and that type of thing, those are things, believe it or not, that can be put on a resume even though you're not getting paid to do that. So, like, for example, I, uh, was a collaborative author. With, a networking book for job seekers and it's a devotional book and I'm able to add that now on as an area where I've been published, and I think that's gonna be really good. And, and like you, I've been tapped by people in my network that know me and, and I'm, I'm also talking to someone about a particular position to come and help with them. And, you know, being able to have that on their resume, on my resume is, interestingly enough, get a tie right into some of the things that I would be doing in that role. So just keeping a good documentation of those and, uh, you know. Sometimes if we don't write things down, we tend to forget'em or we downplay'em and those types of things that think, oh, it's not a big deal. You know, I did that for free. It wasn't, nobody's gonna think anything of it. It is a big deal. Yeah, it really is.

Vona Johnson: 17:08

Well, and I'm so glad you brought that up.'cause it, I hadn't heard it. I have two books that I've published. It never occurred to me to put that on my resume. You know, I mean, to me there were just things that I did because I loved it. So I, that is really great advice. In fact. That was my first thing I was gonna ask you. When we got to a point where asking questions, what are the kinds of things that we could highlight in our resume that might not seem natural to us? I feel like you've answered that, but I wanna give you the opportunity if there's something else that we should be thinking about for, for resumes to

Beverly Smith: 17:40

Sure. I read a great article today on, applying for work in your fifties and sixties and, one of the things that I thought was great, and it's something that I work with my clients on as well, especially in the resume development aspect, is we're inclined to say, 30 years of experience doing this. You really don't wanna phrase it that way, as much as you wanna talk about the value that you're bringing, and honestly, if someone. It's completely open and they're not age bias. They're gonna be looking for that person that is going to be the best fit for the role, whether they're 32 or they're 62, and what is that thing that they can that, um, is really gonna add value to the company and be able to solve problems for. And so it's not as much about. Your years of experience, but what are the things that you've accomplished and, and especially anytime you can give quantifiable data, that is great, you know? Mm-hmm. Those types of things are good, as well as just being able to show and understand the problems that they're looking for. So, so some things that you're gonna wanna look for is, what is that in that job description that they're really keying in on? And you don't have to be, sometimes there's gonna be job descriptions where maybe you haven't done every single thing. But really key in on some of the, the most important aspects of it. And talk about how your skills and experience and your value can relate to that. Another thing that I would add to that is, are you involved in things civically outside of work? Are those things relevant? There may be some things that you don't wanna put on there, and I get that. And depending too, maybe where you live and where you're applying for jobs. I know I will say this to some people that live on the East coast and they're just wide-eyed going, you put that on a resume. But I'll say, you know, what about your church activities and things like that? You know, here in Arkansas, uh, no. That's, that's an in, that's a good thing to put on. And maybe where you are in South Dakota, that's maybe a good thing as well. But, but those are things that we will typically put on the resume because it does show your involvement, especially. In this area where I live and where I did live in Little Rock, it's very tight-knit network. And so that sense of being involved in the community really shows your well-roundedness, your commitment. But some of my clients that live in bigger cities. Sometimes some of their companies encourage them to be involved in the community. And I'm like, oh, let's do, definitely put that on the resume because the next place you go may really look to see are you one that's willing to participate? Are you willing to be there, you know, and, and help us shine in the community. Those types of things as well.

Vona Johnson: 21:07

I think that that's really a great point. And, and another thing I, I would encourage people to think about is. If. I mean, I wouldn't, if you're not applying for a job in a faith environment, you probably don't want everything, you know to mm-hmm. Scream. Look at me, I'm, I'm a believer. But if you put that in there, that volunteer or those things that you've done, if somebody doesn't hire you specifically because you are a believer mm-hmm. You probably don't wanna work there anyway. Um,

Beverly Smith: 21:38

I think that's true. Yes.

Vona Johnson: 21:41

I encourage us not to shy away from places, that are more secular because I feel like God puts us there so that we can reflect his love and shine his light.

Beverly Smith: 21:51

He may be a missionary to that company. Exactly.

Vona Johnson: 21:54

And to me, I feel like the work world that he has us in is our mission field. Mm-hmm. And so we, we can't shy away from that. And again, courageous retirement is all about having the courage to share when it's appropriate to share. I mean, he has us where he has us so that we can help people shift their perspective in some of those secular places.

Beverly Smith: 22:16

Well, and I'll add to that too. We need to move past that. Church is something that we go to on Sunday or or Wednesday. Being a Christian is your entire life,

Speaker 5: 22:30

right?

Beverly Smith: 22:31

And, the workplace, the marketplace is, is the mission field. It is where you can shine your light. And not everybody is called to go overseas to do mission work. And God puts us in different places to, to be a light and shine for him in those companies as well as maybe to make a good living so that you can support mission work in another location. You know, it just so happens that, that my friend, I told you before we jumped on this call, I have a friend that lets me come in and use his office to make my Zoom calls and things like that. He also lets a nonprofit that does medical missions in Guatemala use part of his office. Yes, too. And so that's another reason I love being here. But it is like, I think it's exciting because I would not have known about them had it not been for him bringing me into this. And, you know, maybe that's an effort I will choose to support.

Speaker 5: 23:40

Yeah.

Beverly Smith: 23:41

You know, from the proceeds of my business and those places need us for

Vona Johnson: 23:47

sure. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, I mentioned earlier about money not being. It, it, there's nothing wrong with making money. And, and when I talk about not having been financially successful, I really believe that that's a journey that God has had me on to help me realize that it's not about the money. Mm-hmm. I don't know that tomorrow my book might take off and I might be, you know, a million dollar. Who knows? I don't. And it doesn't matter. I'm gonna keep doing what he asked me to do regardless. And I love that you brought out the fact. That for people who are financially successful, that allows them to invest in missions and, and just, I mean, there are so many things and we're all called to our thing.

Speaker 5: 24:28

Mm-hmm.

Vona Johnson: 24:29

You know, and I, I just think that it's beautiful. I have this image of, if we were all following exactly what God wanted us to do, and we were doing, you know, the mm-hmm. The biblically. You know, having the courage to speak up Ha. You know, taking the job that we're called to and everybody did that. Can you imagine? How beautiful? Well, it'd be like heaven, right? One day we're gonna, we're, we're, we're looking forward to that. Absolutely. Yeah. So, yeah, I love that. You know, one of the thing that I wanted to make sure we talked about, and I think you've really brought some really great points, is, but. Um, for me personally was that whole idea of, you know, it's a progression and my, you know, it's like my title and the, and it's always gotta be moving up and, and not, not to be afraid in this season of life to say, you know what? I am gonna step back because that allows me the freedom to do other things. To go on mission trips and things like that and not make it about, oh, well what will people think if. I'm, you know, working at McDonald's or whatever it is, you know? Yes, yes. Um, we just need to get over the idea that it's all about the achievement and the striving. It can be so much more.

Beverly Smith: 25:42

A hundred percent. Uh, I know in this season he is really worked on my pride in this. You know, and, and just how prideful I was of, oh, I have a business and I am a business owner and this type of thing. And I just will confess right here and now that one time I called my husband out on, um, I didn't do it in front of anyone but privately I said. Why is it when you, when people ask what, what we do, you always tell'em that we're retired or whatever, you know, and, and why, why don't you tell them? I have a business? And I was now, and, and I, I, he changed it. He did those things. And it's funny, I was just thinking this a couple of weeks ago. I was like. That was really prideful of me. And now I would just assume him not tell people. Um, because, you know, what was I trying to do? Was I trying to attract people to my, I dunno, I was just very prideful that, um, I still work, I still am this person. And it's interesting, I have another friend that also coaches women. Um. Post-retirement. But really her thing was she had had that high powered corporate job and she said she really struggled with the identity.

Vona Johnson: 27:07

Mm-hmm.

Beverly Smith: 27:07

Words. And, I'll say the other thing he worked on. So I've been a runner since I was 11, and, um, you know, I'm now quickly, uh. I'm closer to 60 than anything else, so, so I've been a runner for a very, very long time, and I was very good at one point in my life. And, um, yeah, I, this year I really told God, I surrendered that to him. I said, I'm sorry that I have stopped my identity in being as a runner. Being a business owner, being that type of thing. Like I, I just wanted all I wanted people to, to know, and I wanted people in our running community to know that I was really fast at one point. What does it matter? They don't care. You know? Is that prideful or what? I guess the thing I would add to all of that is your identity is in him we talked about provision already, but I think it's more important to find that, like that work that feels aligned. I think it's really interesting the role that you're about to take on. You are doing someone a huge favor. You are going to be such a blessing to them because they're not gonna have to train you to some of these things that Right. You know, if they were, have. Train someone fresh outta school to do it. You're gonna know when you're gonna be able to pick up the pace and Yeah, and, and do some things. And you don't know what doors God's gonna open along this way and, and what a blessing. And that's kind of how I look at my current role too, because I mean, I certainly don't have the income that I had in my previous business. You get to meet some really cool folks with what I do and just if I can help someone shortcut, um, and not take six or seven years to figure out what's next and not spend all this money on the next shiny object, because I can shortcut that for them and help them figure out those next steps, that's a gift that I have. That I didn't realize I had and being able to share that, then, you know, it makes it all worth it.

Vona Johnson: 29:34

I love it.

Beverly Smith: 29:35

You know,

Vona Johnson: 29:36

I love it. So, Beverly, if there is someone listening and they're like, yes, yes. I, I need to connect with this woman, I wanna know more, how could they get ahold of you?

Beverly Smith: 29:47

So my email address is Beverly at c. SSA r.com

Speaker 5: 29:55

Okay.

Beverly Smith: 29:55

And I'll give that to you so you'll, you'll, you can have that, LinkedIn. I'm on there as Beverly Smith. Uh, that is probably where I am the most active and would love for you to connect with me there and stop by and say hello on one of my posts. I try to, I try to add. Value in talking about things with career clarity and next steps and branding on LinkedIn. Obviously we talk a lot about resumes and that type of thing on LinkedIn as well. But sometimes I'll just share. Interesting things that are going on in my personal life.

Vona Johnson: 30:37

I know that we're coming close to the end and I'm just so grateful that, that you joined us today. We, there's all kinds of wonderful words of advice here. Do you have any last thoughts you'd like to leave with our listeners before we sign off today?

Beverly Smith: 30:52

Yeah, I think I would just, again, I, I kind of touched on this earlier, but, retirement, it's gonna be what you'd make it. And, I think that there's a, there's certain expectations the world puts on you when it comes to retirement. But you don't have to retire and not ever go back to work. You might retire from your current career. Maybe you're fully vested with your company and you can't. I have a friend that just did this, he took early retirement with a company that he has been with for 26 years and he, I don't know how he, he took a huge pay cut, but he went to work doing. Something in his skillset for a Christian university, and he is loving it. He feels like he's got a new lease on life in his late fifties, and he told his wife, he said, I'll probably if, if they'll have me, I'll work here times 70, because I love the people. I love the environment, I love the lack of pressure and. Just knowing that I am adding value with the skillset God gave me. So those are some things that I would, I would say, I think it's just about alignment.

Vona Johnson: 32:16

I really love that and I really, uh, relate to that because I too took early retirement almost the minute I could with a huge cut in pay and all of that. And you know, people in some of my circles are like, retirement, we can't use that word. We gotta get rid of it. We're, you know, we're rewiring, we're blah, blah, blah. Well, some of us have worked decades. Investing into a retirement plan and we should not let people make us feel ashamed of the fact that we are retiring from a career that we can be proud of. But that doesn't mean that we can't go on and create something entirely different or entirely the same. We get to make it, and that's what's finishing well is all about right? Align your desires with the desires that God has put in our hearts and go do it. Live life.

Beverly Smith: 33:03

Absolutely. I'll add one more thing. Vona. Yes. Um, and I had someone share this with me back when I was still in staffing and, and I thought it was, she was a, she's a mentor of mine in the industry, but she talked about how, the younger boomers, generation X, we are going to still have. So much value that we can add to a company and we may want to retire, but there's a good possibility that you could go back to work even for the same company or in the same industry on a consulting basis, on a part-time basis, so that you still are adding value. It's a win-win for everyone because they're not having to pay a high. Salary, maybe you're already drawing Social security, so you can only draw, you know, earn so much in order to keep that social security or, or maybe you are able to take Medicare and so you don't need insurance benefits anymore. There's just a lot of Yeah, items that you could negotiate on whether you wanted to work full or part-time and just know that that is such an option because some of those companies are gonna be glad to see you back. I think it's, it, it's kind of a sad fact, but it's true. We started, uh, planning our families in the early seventies. Um, I came from a family of four. I had one child who now has one child, and they struggled to get that one child. We have an aging population. There's a lot of opportunity still there in corporate America if you desire to be there or in a small business, if you desire to be there, there is still a lot of opportunity, just like your friend that reached out to you and you're gonna do some filing. I mean, you typically go, oh, why wouldn't you hire some 18-year-old to go and do that? There's not an 18-year-old there.

Vona Johnson: 35:13

Exactly

Beverly Smith: 35:14

population. You are going to be such a gift to wherever you go to work. And if you will flip the switch, look at your. What you have to offer as a gift and not get up all in your head with self-doubt, right? No one's gonna want me. I'm too old. They're gonna think this. They're gonna, who are you to know what they're gonna think? So just, just some, some things and I'll get off my set box. I

Vona Johnson: 35:43

can get off. No, I love this. I love it. And, and you are absolutely right. We can talk ourselves out of some of the best things that God brings to us. So just keep, keep your mind open to the suggestions. I would've never. I mean, if, if this gal had put an ad in the paper, I would not have answered it because it would not have even occurred to me that I would be the person she was looking for. But she, what's really cool about it is she is in her seventies. Oh. And she's got this amazing business. This is a baby, right? Well, and you know, and because I'm a retirement coach. What's really cool is I can, while I'm there, I can help her see how she can start pulling away from the company and releasing some of the responsibilities. So she's really getting a bargain'cause she's getting a retirement coach for, you know, so it's, it's just a beautiful, a beautiful connection and only God can make those kinds of things. Mm-hmm. So just watch where he's moving in your life.

Beverly Smith: 36:45

Amen. Sister,

Vona Johnson: 36:47

let's stop on that one. Thank you so much, Beverly. It's been such a joy. Let's stay in touch. Absolutely. So, God bless.

Beverly Smith: 36:54

God bless.

36:57

So wasn't that wonderful? Beverly had so many amazing tips and suggestions for us, and I hope that this has encouraged you to step into God's call for more, and that you will finish well where you are, and then step into the next season, whatever that might be for you, with lots of joy and expectation for what God's going to use your talents and skills for. I'll be back in two weeks with more of courageous retirement. Until then, be sure to engage your faith and live your more as you live in your courageous retirement.