MEaningful MEtirement

About MEaningful MEtirement

The MEaningful MEtirement podcast helps people in or approaching retirement move from uncertainty, loss of identity, and emotional drift… to clarity, purpose, and confident action—one decision at a time. Each episode is designed to deliver: One breakthrough insight One identity shift One action you can take immediately All possible through the generosity of @HIGHFIVEMEDIA Avon, Co,

Publisher

Ceci Zak

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 May 2026

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   "You’re Still Relevant": Melinda Wolfe on Wisdom, Purpose & Connection in Your 3rdTHIRD

   Do we become less relevant as we age—or do we simply need to rethink how we use everything we've learned? In this episode of MEaningful MEtirement, Ceci Zak sits down with longtime friend and accomplished people leader Melinda Wolfe to explore how wisdom, curiosity, purpose and connection can make our 3rdTHIRD one of our most meaningful chapters. After nearly 40 years without taking a meaningful break between jobs, Melinda now has something she deeply values: the freedom to align her days with her priorities. She continues to use her experience through coaching, mentoring, board leadership and nonprofit work while making room for family, health, culture, community and her newest identity—grandmother. One of Melinda's most powerful messages is about relevance. By surrounding herself with people across generations, she shares her accumulated wisdom while remaining curious enough to learn from them in return. Melinda also challenges the idea that this chapter should be entirely about “ME.” For her, meaning comes through connection, community and giving back—leading her to suggest another way of thinking about this stage of life: WEtirement. Her story is a wonderful reminder that you remain relevant, important and essential throughout your life—and your wisdom may be exactly what another generation needs. 🎧 Listen and ask yourself: How could you repurpose your experience to create meaning for yourself AND others? About Melinda Wolfe Melinda is an accomplished Chief People Officer, talent leader, executive coach, mentor, advisor and board leader whose career has focused on helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential. She has shaped talent, leadership and culture at major organizations including Goldman Sachs, American Express, Bloomberg, Pearson and GLG. Today, Melinda brings that experience to executive coaching, mentoring and service on eight for-profit and nonprofit boards, while remaining deeply committed to organizations including ZanaAfrica Foundation and Echoing Green. At 70, she is intentionally combining wisdom with curiosity—giving back, learning across generations, prioritizing health and community, and embracing one of her most joyful new roles: grandmother.

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Planning Your 3rdTHIRD Before You Get There: Purpose, Possibility & Reinvention with Joanna Breitstein

   What if you didn't wait until retirement to start creating your 3rdTHIRD? At 49, communications executive and iHUG Foundation founder Joanna Breitstein is already asking what she wants her next chapter to look like—and who she wants to be when she gets there. In this deeply personal conversation with Ceci Zak, Joanna shares how an unexpected lifequake has caused her to reconsider the future she once imagined and begin exploring new possibilities for herself. She talks about slowing down, rediscovering community and friendship, caring for her physical and emotional well-being, and expanding her sense of purpose beyond her career. Joanna also shares what 20 years of leading a nonprofit in Uganda has taught her about service—and why meaningful contribution may come from committing your skills and experience to something that matters to you, rather than simply searching for a new title. Her story reminds us that MEtirement isn't about what you're leaving behind. It's about what you're creating next. And you don't have to wait until retirement to begin. About Joanna Breitstein Joanna is an accomplished communications executive, mother, community builder, and purpose-driven leader. Her career has included senior roles at Merck, supporting Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier, and Organon, where she helped shape the company’s leadership voice, women’s health narrative, and purpose. She is currently Vice President at Penn Quarter Partners. Twenty years ago, Joanna founded the iHUG Foundation, dedicated to expanding education and opportunity for children in Uganda. Today, she continues to balance career, motherhood, community, and service while consciously thinking about the life she wants to create in her 3rdTHIRD. Learn more about Ceci Zak and her work helping people consciously create lives filled with "joy, fulfillment and freedom" at her website (Learn more about Ceci Zak and her work helping people consciously create lives filled with ).

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Never Stop Becoming: Creating a Meaningful Life at Every Age with Lynn Stroud, the Women That Named me Ceci!

   What if retirement isn't about slowing down—but staying curious enough to keep becoming? This episode is especially close to my heart. My guest, Lynn Stroud, was my mother's dearest friend, has been part of my life for as long as I can remember—and is actually the person who gave me the name Ceci. Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and intentionally built a life filled with adventure, travel, family, friendship, community, and purpose. Years later, they made another courageous choice: leaving Ohio and moving to Massachusetts to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren—not because they had to, but because they wanted to be present for the moments that matter most. And Lynn didn't stop there. She embraced her new community with the same curiosity she's brought to her entire life—volunteering, leading, learning, welcoming others, making new friends, and continuing to find meaningful ways to contribute. In our conversation, we talk about identity beyond work, the power of Place, family, community, planning ahead, staying open-minded, and why purpose doesn't have an expiration date. Lynn's advice is wonderfully simple: Don't wait too long. Plan ahead. Stay open-minded. And keep saying yes to life. Her story is a beautiful example of what Meaningful MEtirement is all about: consciously choosing how you want to live your 3rdTHIRD—and continuing to create joy, fulfillment, and freedom along the way. About Lynn Stroud Lynn is a lifelong adventurer, community builder, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother—and someone very special to me: my mother's dearest friend. Lynn and her husband, Bob, retired at 55 and have spent the decades since embracing travel, family, friendship, learning, and new experiences. Today, Lynn continues to reinvent herself—welcoming new residents to her community, creating programs that help others navigate transitions, writing stories for her great-grandchildren, and always finding another reason to say yes to life. Her philosophy is beautifully simple: plan ahead, stay curious, be open-minded, and don't wait too long to create the life you want. Lynn is living proof that your 3rdTHIRD isn't about slowing down—it's about continuing to grow, contribute, connect, and make memories. 🎙️ Listen, follow Meaningful MEtirement, and share this episode with someone who's beginning to wonder: What's next?

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.