The Retirement Plan - Version 4.0

"Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans"- Allen Saunders

I am a planner. I wasn't always a planner but somewhere along the way, I became a planner. The upside to being a planner is that it can sometimes eliminate unwanted surprises. I don't like unwanted surprises. The downside to being a planner is that it can impede "living in the moment" and enjoying the little things in life. I am working on that.

I have worked in drug safety assessment for over 40 years. I have been a consultant for the last 20 years. My consulting specialties are nonclinical study monitoring and the assessment/optimization of research operations. For monitoring, I tell clients that I have 40 years of experience knowing what can go wrong on toxicology studies so I try to make sure that those problems don't happen on their studies. For research operations, I tell clients that if they don't listen to me, we will be discussing the same issues a year from now. Those companies that didn't listen were either gobbled up at reduced selling prices by larger competitors or they continue to limp along today while still dealing with the same operational challenges. This self-assessment may sound arrogant but I've seen a lot over the years.

As confident as I am about my industry experience and perspectives, there is one question that I have not yet answered effectively: "When are you going to retire?" The truth is that years ago, I did develop a highly organized retirement plan...and now, I am working on Version 4.0. I sometimes wonder if my epitaph will read, "I had a plan" with a heavy emphasis on the word "had". Here's a brief description of the journey:

Retirement Plan v. 1.0 -

It was the classic retirement plan. I moved to Florida, in 2016. My wife and I stayed in a condo while our new home was being built in a gated community that was only 5 minutes from the beach. New house; ideal setting; perfect location. Building a home is stressful but two weeks from the closing date, everything was going according to the plan. One day, I returned to the condo to report on the construction progress but I found that my wife had died in a lounge chair by the condo pool. After the shock and the grieving, I knew I had to go on with my life. Looking back, in the context of this article, this new phase could have been designated as Retirement Plan v. 1.1 because I was determined to move forward but, after 29 years, I decided that I would never, ever get married again.

Retirement Plan v. 2.0 -

Kathy and I were married in 2018. I met Kathy in 2017 while I was entrenched in my plan to never remarry. In retrospect, this was another hint about the difference between planning life and living it. There is no doubt in my mind that I have been blessed to be with Kathy. I even plotted the history of our life events. Meeting her was no coincidence. I have experienced a depth of love and friendship that I only thought existed in movies. We have qualities that are so alike that it can be scary. We have this unspoken ability to know what the other is thinking. At the same time, we couldn't be more different in other ways. Regardless, it works for both of us. In 2019, we decided to find a home that was closer to her work and family. At that time, Kathy taught Spanish and German at a high school in Jacksonville, Florida. When we met, she told me I could do whatever I want regarding my retirement but she was never, ever going to retire. I had resumed consulting in 2017 and the subsequent years have been my busiest. In 2019, as planned, we purchased our home...affectionately known as the "Money Pit" and started working on renovations. When renovations were completed, it seemed like that would be a good time for me to retire.

Retirement Plan v. 3.0 -

In late 2020, we finally completed our renovation plan for the Money Pit. It is a beautiful home that sits on a peninsula on an island northeast of Jacksonville, Florida. In 2021, a property that is seven houses away from the Money Pit went up for sale. Being curious neighbors, we checked out the property and were stunned by the expansive views. We purchased the house several days later. I had been convinced that I would never move again but the surge in Florida real estate prices allowed us to "flip" the Money Pit for this more desirable location. I designated this house as the "Money Pit 2" because despite our due diligence, it seemed like everything started breaking after we closed on the purchase. Surely, once these renovations were completed, that would be the perfect time to retire.

Retirement Plan v. 4.0

Kathy retired in 2022. Teaching is her passion but public school bureaucracy and safety concerns helped her to reach that decision. I have never seen anyone enjoy retirement so much! She has devoted her retirement to loving and supporting her children, grandchildren, mother, sister, close friends....and me. A few months ago she (we) adopted a stray kitten who believes that Kathy is her real Mom. Kathy has also added the loving touches that have transformed our house into a home.

It is now 2023 and the renovations on the Money Pit 2 have been completed!

For me, the house renovation projects taught me a lot about myself. First, I realized that I have a need for creative thinking. As much as I hated all of the renovation surprises, identifying and implementing the solutions was very satisfying.

The other thing that I learned is the realization that my plans were just plans. The renovation plan for the Money Pit 2 was meticulously developed in 2021 and was to be completed in two months. The renovations were actually completed two years later. So, the take home message is that plans don't always go as planned. From surprise renovations to building permits to supply shortages to contractor availability, there were always other factors that impacted my plans.

So the goal of Retirement Plan v. 3.0 was to retire when house renovations on the Money Pit 2 were complete. Well, a funny thing happened on the way to executing Retirement Plan v. 3.0.....one of my consulting clients offered me a job. This has happened periodically during my consulting career but I have always declined these opportunities.

I have been providing operational consulting for the pathology service provider, StageBio, for the past 18 months. I realized that I get the same creative satisfaction from operational consulting that I did from completing home renovations. I love operational consulting. I realized it is a passion of mine. I was working on a project for StageBio when they offered to convert my consulting relationship into permanent employment. I accepted their offer and I have joined StageBio as Vice President of Pathology Strategy and Solutions. Despite all of my experience, I still have the desire to learn and working at StageBio allows me interact with some truly brilliant scientists. Among other responsibilities, I will be overseeing professional services which will include consulting. My aforementioned consulting services will now be available through StageBio and I will now have the opportunity to match the expertise of my StageBio colleagues with other consulting needs in the industry. StageBio has over 30 pathologists with specialty expertise in numerous study types, organs, and tissues. GLP training and compliance consulting will also be available from a recognized industry expert. Ultimately, I found that the allure of having the opportunity to create a new service line for StageBio was just too attractive to decline.

Almost seven years ago, I thought I had the perfect retirement plan. I have lived, loved, worked, and enjoyed life more since that time than I ever imagined. It hasn't always been easy. We both experienced and survived serious health concerns; we've survived several hurricanes; and we've said good-bye to beloved pets. Along the way, I got a little better at living in the moment and enjoying the little things in life but I realized that I need to retire to something and not to retire simply for the sake of no longer working. I also learned that it is very fulfilling to choose to work when you know that you don't need to work.

So, the outcome of Retirement Plan v. 4.0 is not to retire at this time. To be honest, not a lot of planning went into that decision. It took me awhile to figure out that one of my passions is what I do everyday in the business world. As I move forward in life, I have started to let go of my extreme desire to plan. I have come to accept that there has always been a plan for me but it never was nor will it ever be my plan... and yet the journey continues.

?“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” –?Author Unknown