When work isn’t work

It has been five years since I left the corporate world.

Working in New York in the highly unforgiving advertising industry, work/life balance was impossible for me to accomplish.

There wasn’t a weekend that I wasn’t tapping away at my laptop; school concerts I didn’t sneak a peek at my phone. My crazy idea of a vacation involved reading business books, oh that’s when I wasn’t shushing the kids in the car to join an important conference call.  

Own up if you’re that person!  

Something had to give. Fortunately I was able to exit with my sanity and marriage intact. 

Since then, my life has transformed. 

At 56, I’m now living in a rural part of New Zealand.

I own a blueberry farm that I operate with my wife Nancy.

I have a business I co-founded The Digital Café, a social media company that is helping young people get their start in marketing, while helping local companies thrive. 

Last year, I produced and aired my first documentary. A project that follows local Kiwi high schoolers hopes of playing basketball in the US.

I chair the Horowhenua New Zealand Trust that is doing some amazing things to help improve social and economic conditions in the district we now call home since leaving the States.

Most importantly, I’m happy. I’m growing. I’m achieving stuff. I’m also busy. But busy doing more of things I want to do. Not have to do.

As part of this journey, I talked to a lot of people that were in a similar predicament to me. 

People who’ve had long, successful professional careers. High achievers, too young to retire. Trying to discover what comes next after a long career. 

For those of you contemplating this, it’s definitely a challenge.

Suddenly, you have time on your hands. 

Sure, you have a long overseas trip planned presumably post Covid. But realistically, how many gourmet dining experiences, island hopping cruises, road trips or golf tours can you endure before it gets a bit tedious? 

Meeting up with ex-work colleagues for lunch or coffee is enjoyable, but if they’re still in the business, they just don’t have a whole afternoon on a weekday to reminisce on the good ol’ days. 

What’s more, the question you most dread is, “so what are you up to these days?”

It’s hard going transitioning from being a high performing, driven executive with a corner office responsible for managing a business unit or even entire companies in charge of a multi-million dollar budget; or being a renowned expert in your field that Fortune 1000 companies count on … to going to, well that’s the point. What?

If you’re considering your move off the corporate treadmill, then here’s some of my best advice from my own experiences.

1.      Forget retirement!

First let’s get this straight. Retirement is something old people do, and you’re not old! 37% of GenXers and Boomers say they intend to work after their current careers. Of those, 44% plan to enter new fields.

You’re driven, you’ve got stamina, you’re a problem solver and you’ve got time. Why waste that?   

2.      Don’t look for a job, look for opportunities 

If you’re like me, you’ve never really had to think or plan your career. It just happens. You get promoted. A head-hunter or ex-work colleague calls you about a role out of the blue. You get sick of your boss, and something catches your eye.  

Save the odd crazy idea that you’ve never really followed through on, you probably never considered looking outside of your field. 

Many of us landed in an industry in our early twenties and 30 odd years later you’re still more or less doing the same thing.

Well it’s time to grow.

A friend Larry, after many years building a very successful business in the fuel sector was approached with a generous offer to sell it. The company that bought his business, insisted on a harsh non-compete agreement that barred him from even stepping inside the office or even socialising with his old team. After working full-on his whole life, he was at a loss of what to do. He told his wife he was going crazy, and had three options: buy a Harley Davidson, get a mistress or start another business. His wife asked, “what kind of business are you thinking?” He eventually developed an AgTech start up. He threw himself into understanding SaaS models and software development, then applying his management and commercial skills. Today, his company is now the market leader and innovator in its sector.

I know many people default to consulting. And don’t get me wrong, that’s a bonified business. I tried it, but personally didn’t love it (and if I’m honest, probably wasn’t great at it.) The work was rewarding financially, but to me it was just regurgitating stuff that I did in the past, and it was so much less fun being an outside advisor, as opposed to behind the steering wheel. In truth, your networks and experience have a sell-by date. However, it was helpful at the start to get me out of the house, and it did enable me to find other opportunities.

3.      Help people

In my business career, I didn’t enjoy networking. It all seemed so superficial. Going to some after work function or conference, handing out your business cards, giving a 30 second elevator pitch of your company, while trying to fend off a sales person pitch theirs. The game changer for me was shifting the focus to just meeting new people, and genuinely asking “how could I help them?” Not in the help them, so my company sells them our services. But help their business with no strings or expected quid pro quo. 

First, you’re like this much more. What’s more enjoyable than helping out someone, particularly a stranger. 

Secondly, people will always remember that. If an opportunity around the corner comes, they will definitely think of you. 

Finally, you’ll meet and get to know more interesting people, and from that ideas and opportunities sprout. 

I can tell you that every venture I listed above came from me just offering to help someone out.

I volunteered to guest lecture a marketing class at Victoria University. That’s where I got the idea for The Digital Café.

I offered to help a friend who wanted to establish a University basketball league, that got me to meet the CEO of Basketball New Zealand. That later led to the idea for the documentary, and that CEO was instrumental in helping us to access the basketball community as well as to seed fund our project.

I offered my services (for free) to the local district council, and one of the managers recommended me to join a committee that we would develop into the Trust I now chair.

4.      Partnering up

In traditional start-ups, the founder does everything from product development to sales. They also invariably are 150% all in. Weekends, after work, vacation time. 

For a Second Act, I’m a strong advocate for having a partner.

First, it’s always better having two brains instead of one. Having things to bounce off each other is not just reassuring, but also guarantees more robust thinking.

Two, it’s a motivation thing. One of the biggest challenges in getting something off the ground is inertia. Having two of you creates momentum, while keeping you accountable to a time plan. Sometimes it’s having to talk the other off the ledge.

At The Digital Café we both have very different skills and responsibilities. Matt my business partner manages staff, and the business operations brilliantly. I focus more on business and product development. We both share differing client experience. 

5.      A portfolio career

When you’re in the corporate world, you have one career. And that’s the one you’re in. That takes 8-9 hours of your day, plus commuting time. Your calendar is controlled by other people determining deadlines and meetings.

That’s the other reason I didn’t love consulting. When the work comes in, you pretty much have to drop everything because you’re on the client’s schedule.

I found much more satisfaction in the variety of the work.

I worked to the following allocation:

• A third of my time on managing and maintaining the farm, which steps up during the blueberry harvest season.
• Roughly a third to passion projects, putting back and exploring some future ideas and projects. 
• Another third to existing business ventures and responsibilities.

I found that each job had different levels of income. Just like an investment portfolio. 

While consulting work could warrant $350/hour, as I mentioned it provided the least pleasure.

Picking blueberries however, I would pay myself about $3/kilo to pick and sort. Great compensation for being outside and seeing that business grow with my wife.

With my businesses I don’t pay myself a salary, but it is now paying solid dividends and hopefully a good pay out will come one day when we decide to exit it.

And some of my passions projects I do for no pay, but I get the most reward.

Obviously, your own financial situation will guide your portfolio, but it shouldn’t dictate it. At this stage of your life you’ve earned the right to do the things that count for you personally.

One thing on money. 

I guess when you’re working, you never, ever really think you make or have enough.

But lately, I’ve found you don’t need as much money as you think to live well.

The view from my home office!

Living well is having a happy family, your physical health, mental wellness, time to enjoy, opportunities to grow and meeting interesting people. Buying and doing stuff is over-rated.

Enjoy your next career …

Antony Young worked in New York, London and Asia for twenty years before returning back to New Zealand. He is a former CEO and advertising exec that worked for global firms such as Saatchi & Saatchi, ZenithOptimedia and WPP. Today he lives on his blueberry farm in the Horowhenua district, and is a part-time chair, social media advisor, director, investor and farmer. You can find him on LinkedIn.