What happened to the business and the children?

Their older daughter Vanessa got Ken’s genes for engineering. As she worked in the business while she was growing up.   It fascinated her.  She got to know the employees, grew to respect them and their work, and made friends with many of them.  The business succession plan required that the CEO get an engineering degree and an MBA, work in a competitor’s business for at least three years, and do an internship in the family business.  In the last two years she worked closely with her dad, the CEO.  Then worked out an agreement to buy the business and took over as CEO.  He kept his old office, and although she runs the business now, he brings young business owners that he mentors into his office where he advises them.  She brought along long term employees and managers that she grew to know and trust over the years.  They met business succession criteria and then took over the CFO, CCO and other key management positions.

Jonathan got Laura’s genes for psychology.  He decided to do the business succession plan for human resources.  Got a degree in human resources, and worked three years in human resources at another engineering and construction firm.  Then worked three years under the current human resources vice president and then took over running it.

Sylvia is a born artist.  Lynn’s brother Harold is also an artist.  Sylvia got a degree in art and is working in an art gallery.  She and Harold have become even closer now that they are both part of the local artist community.  She paints on the weekend.  Once she learns the art business, she may open a gallery of her own.  Or just paint more.

What are Ted and Lynn doing in retirement?

Lynn becomes a Stephens Minister.  This is a position where she is a volunteer trained in psychology to help people think through their issues.   And she plays more tennis, golf, and bridge with friends.

Ted hangs out sometimes at the Small Business Administration (SBA).  He likes to mentor younger business owners.  They come to his office and get new ideas about what it is possible to do across the years.

He just accepted a position as an Outside Board Member on a company that one of his younger business owner friends owns.

And he has lunch with some clients he became friends with over the years – another benefit of selling the business to his daughter Vanessa.

He also goes fishing more often with his fishing buddies. Plays tennis and golf with some other guys.

He and Lynn joined the country club in the town where their vacation home is.  Laura has met a lot of people there – so they have new people to go to holiday parties and out to dinner with.  And new tennis and golf partners.

What they do together?

They spend more time at their vacation home. When their children were growing up it was a favorite place for them to bring friends on the weekend.  Lynn and Ted have family friends whose children grew up with theirs – both at their city and vacation home.  They still come – and bring their children now.

They hang out with their daughter Vanessa and her husband Gerald and their son Tom and daughter Emily – as well as see their son Jonathan and his wife Doris’  two boys Calvin and Richard.  They taught the grandchildren to play tennis and golf, and have taken them to Disneyland.

They take cruises with their long term friends Sunny and Fabio. On the cruises the four of them have taken together for years they have met other friends that they now travel with.  And invite to their vacation home.  It is so much fun to get to know new friends – and their families, too.  Who could want a better retirement than this?

Can my spouse and I use our PSAs© to decide how to make the most of our retirement?

Sure.

You already learned a lot about how a couple can use their PSAs© to think about how to make the most of their retirement by reading about Lynn and Ted.   You know a lot about your current situation

1.  If you haven’t already done so:  Print out Ted’s and Lynn’s PSAs©.  You can print out this case study, too.  Scan them and save them as a document in a folder named “Making the Most of Our Retirement.”  After you get your PSAs©:  Use them to generate creative ideas about what to do in your retirement.

2.  To order your PSA©:  Go back to the Home Page.   When you take your tests:  Think of yourself as you are when you are at your very best.

3.  After you get your PSAs©:  Use them to help you understand how to use your PSAs© to see how to make the most of your retirement.

4.  The more you think together about your strengths the more you will see how to make them work together for all of your life.

You can do this!