Jake Fishbein joined his first men's group for research.

He was helping write a novel about men's groups and thought he should probably see one from the inside.

What he didn't expect was that the experience would change the course of his own life.

In this episode, we discuss why retirement can trigger an unexpected identity crisis, the challenge of separating who we are from what we do, and what it means to stay engaged with life long after a career ends.

We cover:

• Why retirement can trigger an unexpected identity crisis
• The challenge of separating who you are from what you do
• What it means to transition from achievement to eldership
• Why staying "in the arena" matters at every stage of life
• The fear of becoming irrelevant as we grow older
• Lessons from a woman who began her most meaningful work in her seventies

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Keep Exploring

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Jake's novel, The Men's Group: A Novel of Messy Friendships.

Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Print
Barnes & Noble Nook

Loneliness isn't something we usually associate with successful people. When the career ends, where do purpose, connection, and belonging come from next?

My guest today is Carl Nassar. He's an engineer, teacher, businessman, and eventually, psychotherapist. After achieving everything his parents had hoped for, Carl realized the one thing he was still searching for was a sense of belonging.

So he walked away from a tenured professorship, started over, and spent the next twenty-five years helping people find their way back to each other.

In this episode, we covered:

• Why Carl walked away from a tenured professorship to start over
  
  
• The childhood lesson that fueled his drive to achieve
  
  
• What thousands of therapy sessions taught him about loneliness
  
  
• Why consumer culture promises belonging but rarely delivers it
  
  
• How becoming a "lingerer" can lead to deeper relationships
  
  
• Practical ways to build community in the next chapter of life

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Resources

Website: https://carlnassar.com

Larry Hagner was nine months old when his father left. For years, he searched for answers about the man he barely knew and the impact that absence had on his life.

Today, Larry is the founder of The Dad Edge podcast, where he has spent more than a decade helping men become better husbands, fathers, and leaders.

In this episode, Larry shares his story, from growing up without a father to raising four sons of his own. We discuss fatherhood, generational patterns, personal responsibility, and what it takes to be the father you didn't have.

In this episode, we covered:

• How Larry's experiences growing up influenced the father he became
  
  
• Why repairing mistakes quickly is a critical parenting skill
  
  
• The messages our parents pass down (and how to decide which ones to keep)
  
  
• How to start breaking unhealthy generational patterns
  
  
• What Larry has learned from raising four sons
  
  
• Why good intentions are not enough and what to do instead

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Resources

Podcast: The Dad Edge Podcast

Website: The Dad Edge