WASHINGTON, D.C. - We all have to make big decisions in our careers, from joining a new company to jumping into a completely different industry, but perhaps the ultimate career pivot is our retirement. 

In an interview on WoolferTV, the video platform of the online women’s community The Woolfer, The Avoka Group CEO and Founder Barb White sat down with author, speaker, and Woolfer Founder Nina Collins for a conversation about how to manage this ultimate career pivot. 

With all the anxiety and uncertainty around the word “retirement,” White adopts a new term: unRetirement; “We chose unRetirement because we think it’s more inclusive - it can cover lots of different options and models”. 

For any significant change, beginning with a values assessment can help achieve clarity around our priorities and our current choices. White also encourages us to seek wisdom outside our normal network of people. Reaching out to dormant or weaker ties can provide expertise that can be critical in informing big life decisions that may be otherwise overlooked. Another thing to keep in mind while planning for unRetirement are the four pillars of a career shift - identity, purpose, community, and structure, all of which can be the non-monetary benefits of our careers that we seek to fulfill in our unRetirement. 

White and Collins shared reflections on their own career shifts and values, sparking a dynamic conversation on strategy, introspection, and change for The Woolfer community and beyond. You can watch the full interview here.