👋 Welcome
Hope everybody is having a great week and for many of us, staying out of this heat!
This week’s story is about how an unexpected creative detour in grad school reshaped the way I think about business, risk, and what it means to reinvent yourself after 60.
Turn ideas into action today!
~ Curt
🌟 Words to Inspire
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
~ Maya Angelou
📖 Main Feature
🎨 I Never Thought I’d Be Pouring Resin at 62
At 62, I thought I had business figured out.
Then I found myself at a local art center, standing over a tray of colorful resin, fumbling like a kindergartner while my wife tried not to laugh. It was a required class project for a graduate course called Creativity in Entrepreneurship.
At first, I didn't think much of the course. Creativity? I was a CFO, a CPA. I built spreadsheets, not sculptures. I expected a dry academic class about how other entrepreneurs use creativity, not a class that would make me question the rigid habits I’d built over 40 years in business... and life!
But week by week, that’s precisely what happened.
🎸 The Week I Played Guitar for Someone Other Than My Dog
One assignment asked us to do something creative and uncomfortable. So I picked up my guitar, something I’ve noodled with for years but never honestly played. I practiced one Rolling Stones song (“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”) every day for two weeks. I matched the tempo, memorized the chords, and - this was the real stretch - played it in front of my wife while she recorded me.
My hands were sweaty. My rhythm was off. But I did it.
It occurred to me that I'd spent decades in my “comfort zone” as a business leader, confident in meetings and fluent in discussing financial planning issues, but rarely putting myself in situations where failure was visible, let alone likely. That’s where creativity lives: on the edge between curiosity and fear.
🧱 Legos and Fresh Perspective
Another week, I built a Lego rose bouquet with my wife, something neither of us had done since our kids were little. No laptops. No research. Just tinkering, talking, and jotting ideas for my next business move on a notepad while the fountain behind our house created a relaxing atmosphere.
That’s when I had one of the biggest realizations: I’d been building Retirepreneur like every other business I’d built before - structured, efficient, safe. But what if the best ideas wouldn’t show up on a spreadsheet? What if I needed to play a little first?
So I paused. I started over. I asked different questions.
🤖 Then I Built a Robot to Help Me Be More Human
In my final creative project, I built a custom GPT assistant to help with Retirepreneur, part strategist, part writing partner, part creative coach. It now allows me to generate ideas, test concepts, and even challenge my assumptions. It’s not perfect, but it gets me unstuck. (And unlike my inner critic, it doesn’t judge.)
More importantly, it reminded me that creativity today doesn’t have to be limited to paint and paper - it can be digital, experimental, and tailored to how you work best.
👴🏼 Why Creativity Matters More After 60
When you’re in your 60s, you’ve seen a lot. You’ve built processes, careers, and systems that worked. But those same strengths can become blinders.
Creativity isn’t just for kids or artists. It’s for anyone brave enough to say: Maybe there’s another way.
For retirees starting second-act businesses, creativity is your secret weapon. Not because you need to become an artist, but because you need to become a beginner again.
- To see your experience with fresh eyes.
- To prototype without pressure.
- To try before you optimize.
So grab your music instrument.. take an art class.. sit on the beach and journal.. and let your creativity come out!
📣 Partner Spotlight: Google Workspace
Running a second-act business doesn’t mean juggling a dozen tools. After switching to Google Workspace (from Office 365, free Gmail, iCloud, dropbox, whatever else I had accumulated over the years...), I found a simple, secure, all-in-one system that supports everything I need, from managing Retirepreneur to planning family travel and staying organized at home.
Here’s why I recommend it:
- 📧 Gmail + Custom Domain – Look professional with your own branded email.
- 📅 Calendar Sync – Keep business meetings and personal events all in one view.
- 🧾 Docs, Sheets & Drive – Collaborate, organize, and store everything in the cloud.
- 🔐 Built-In Security – Peace of mind with Google’s trusted privacy protections.
- 📱 Mobile Access – Stay productive wherever you are, from your laptop or phone.
👉 Try Google Workspace free for 14 days and see how seamlessly it can fit your work and life.
🧰 Weekly Resource
Retirepreneur Biz 101
Ready to launch your business dream? Learn the basics of building a business in bite-sized lessons. Enroll in our free course and turn your ideas into reality.
📝 Action Challenge
💥 Try This Before Next Sunday
If any part of the creativity in entrepreneurhsip story inspired you, try this:
- Pick one thing this week you’ve never done before.
- Not because it’s productive. Not because it makes sense.
- Just because it’s interesting.
Then reflect: What surprised me? What could this teach me about how I work or what I want next?
That’s how new ideas are born.
💡 Quick Tip
Keep an idea journal nearby - whether it’s a notebook, app, or sticky note pad. Inspiration rarely arrives on schedule, so capture anything that sparks your interest before it slips away.
🛑 Parting Words
I hope this week’s newsletter sparked something new—and reminded you that creativity isn’t about being artistic, it’s about being open.
Take one small step this week to create, explore, or try something differently. You might just surprise yourself.
Best wishes!
💁 That’s a Wrap
When you’re ready, here are ways that Retirepreneur can help:
🎓 Take the Free Course
Ready to turn your experience into income? Our free Retirepreneur Biz 101 course gives you the confidence, clarity, and step-by-step roadmap to start your second-act business with purpose.
🚀 Explore the Retirepreneur Hub
You don’t have to build your next chapter alone. The Retirepreneur Hub gives you access to step-by-step tools, trusted guidance, and practical resources to turn experience into income... at your pace, on your terms.
📝 Explore the Action Guides
Need help taking that next step? Our free Retirepreneur Action Guides give you simple, proven frameworks to move from dreaming to doing—on your terms and timeline.
📘 Read the Founder Story
Wondering if it’s too late to start? Read Curt’s journey from retirement to reinvention and discover how purpose and freedom are still possible at any age.
