Baby boomer Americans grew up witnessing a retirement model that was designed nearly a century ago for bodies worn out by farm and factory work. It was never designed for a woman who spent decades leading, building, and solving problems. If you’re a high-achieving woman eyeing the end of your career, and you can’t picture yourself on the golf course or the porch swing for 30 years, this conversation is for you.
My guest Anne van Leynseele has reinvented her career five times, from Hollywood producer to attorney advisor at the Social Security Administration to chocolate farmer on the Big Island of Hawaii. Along the way, she studied why so many accomplished people struggle after they leave work, and she built a different path she calls preferment. We talk about why the traditional retirement model doesn’t serve women like us, why longevity asks for challenge rather than rest, and how to find your people when your circle starts to shrink. You’ll leave with practical first steps, from daydreaming on purpose to simply smiling at a stranger, so you can start designing your next chapter now, whether you’re 48 or 68.
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In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why a retirement model built for 1935 leaves accomplished women vulnerable to depression and decline, and what to build instead.
- The “Big Three” of longevity (doing, thinking, and feeling) and how to weave all three into your days.
- How to turn one small thing you already love into a whole spectrum of purpose, community, and challenge.
- Simple, low-pressure ways to beat loneliness and find your people, even if you’re an introvert.
About My Guest
Anne van Leynseele has reinvented her career five times. She has been a Hollywood producer, a Fortune 100 consultant, an attorney, an attorney advisor at the Social Security Administration during the Obama administration, and a pioneer in cannabis law. She is also the author of three books. In 2013, at 48, she and her mother bought a farm on the Big Island of Hawaii, where she now grows chocolate. Her book Preferment turns years of neuroscience and sociological research into a playful, workbook-style path for accomplished women who want their final third of life to be an ascension, not a wind-down.
Connect with Anne
- Website: rarifiedlife.com
Resources & links mentioned:
- Anne’s Book “Preferment” – available on Amazon and other booksellers
- AARP’s Ethel community for women: ethel.aarp.org
- The Ethel Circle Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theethelcircle
- Watch more conversations like this one, completely free, on New Reality TV. Consciousness, healing, the paranormal, the unexplained, all in one place. Available on Roku, FireTV, iOS, and Android. newrealitytv.com
Design Your Life, Your Way – next steps:
- Looking for women who get it? Join the Soulful Women’s Network, a community for women over 50 focused on purpose, connection, and joy: https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulfulwomensnetwork
- Ready to design your next chapter with support? Learn more about working with me 1:1 in Elevate & Empower: gloriarand.com/coaching
- If this episode spoke to you, leave us a review.
- Follow/subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.
- Share this with a friend who’s dreading retirement, or already in it and feeling a little lost.
- Connect with me on LinkedIn @GloriaGraceRand to continue the conversation about midlife, meaning, and living on purpose.
