What can we learn from someone who spent weeks living in retirement communities and interviewing dozens of retirees?

That's exactly what today's guest set out to discover. Dr. Andi Simon is a corporate anthropologist whose curiosity about retirement led her to study how people navigate life after work.

Although every story was different, she found that many retirees shared the same struggles and the same opportunities as they entered this next chapter.

We discuss:

• 4 questions almost everyone wrestles with after leaving their career behind
  
  
• What surprised Andi after interviewing dozens of retirees
  
  
• Why "Saturday every day" isn't always as fulfilling as it sounds
  
  
• How friendships often change more than we expect after retirement
  
  
• What an anthropologist sees that the rest of us often miss about retirement
  

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Resources:

Website: andisimon.com

Book: Rethink Retirement

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

What if the goal isn't just to live longer, but to remain capable of doing the things you love for as long as possible?

After decades as a physician, surgeon, and medical innovator, Dr. Arnon Krongrad believes we've been asking the wrong question. Rather than chasing longevity, he's focused on something he calls "functional supremacy."

Today, Arnon challenges conventional thinking about health and aging. You'll hear why he believes physical, cognitive, and emotional function may matter far more than simply adding years to our lives.

We discuss:

• How to prepare for a life you still want to be living decades from now
  
  
• Why the best health goal may have nothing to do with a number on a chart
  
  
• The challenge of staying physically, mentally, and emotionally sharp as we age
  
  
• What becomes possible when you stop measuring success by lifespan alone
  
  
• How to build a future worth staying healthy for

--

Ezz: https://worldofezz.com

Learn more about Ezzpedition 2026: https://www.worldofezz.com/ezzpedition2026/

What if the things you loved most as a kid still hold clues about the life you actually want now?

I still remember Yankees games crackling through a transistor radio tucked under my pillow long past bedtime. For Ben Orlando, it was realizing those moments were never really about baseball at all.

I'm talking with psychotherapist, writer, and Midnight Library of Baseball host Ben Orlando about masculinity, nostalgia, and what happens when men lose the thread back to themselves.

We explore why the hobbies we dismiss as "not serious" often point to something much deeper, and why reconnecting with joy and authenticity matters even more as we get older.

You'll hear about:

• Why certain childhood memories stay with us for life
  
  
• How men lose themselves in careers and responsibilities
  
  
• The importance of reconnecting with joy and nostalgia
  
  
• Why hobbies and passions matter more than we think
  
  
• The emotional power of shared memories
  
  
• What older men regret most at the end of life
  
  
• Why it's never too late to reconnect with yourself

--

Resources

• Podcast: Midnight Library of Baseball
  
  
• Website: midnightlibraryofbaseball.com
  
  
• Instagram: @midnightlibraryofbaseball
  
  
• Therapy: benorlando.com

Many fathers spent their lives learning how to provide for their families. But emotional connection often became much harder to pass down.

My guest today is Marc Azoulay, therapist and founder of Men's Therapy Online. Marc works with men navigating relationships, identity, purpose, and emotional health across different stages of life.

In this episode, Marc shares his own journey through addiction, recovery, and self-discovery. We look at the emotional disconnect many men experience with themselves, their children, and each other.

You'll hear about:

• Why Marc believes many men were never taught emotional connection
  
  
• The frightening turning point that forced him to reevaluate his life
  
  
• How different generations of men struggle with identity, work, and purpose
  
  
• The reason why emotional openness between men still feels uncomfortable
  
  
• How curiosity can help parents strengthen relationships with adult children

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Resources:

Mens Therapy Online

What happens when life forces you into a chapter you never planned for?

After decades building a successful career in technology, writing books, and growing a business, Jeffrey Ton suddenly found himself stepping away from work to become a full-time caregiver for his wife following a devastating diagnosis.

In this episode, Jeff shares how revisiting memories of traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail with his wife helped him process grief, rediscover meaning, and reconnect with the person she has always been beyond her illness.

Their journey became the foundation for his newest book, Uncharted Moments: Love, Legacy, and the Lewis & Clark Trail.

In this episode, we covered:

• Why becoming a caregiver forced Jeff to let go of a business and identity he loved
  
  
• What anticipatory grief taught him about navigating uncertainty and change
  
  
• The remarkable story behind retracing the Lewis and Clark Trail together
  
  
• How slowing down changed the way Jeff and his wife experienced life
  
  
• The powerful lesson Jeff learned about pausing during chaos
  
  
• How one simple phrase became a philosophy for navigating difficult seasons of life

--

Resources

Website: www.JeffreySTon.com


Amazon: Uncharted Moments: Love, Legacy, and the Lewis & Clark Trail by Jeffrey Ton


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