Your Next Great Idea Is Already in Your Head

👋 Welcome - Your Weekly Spark

I hope your week is off to a strong start and you're carving out time for what matters most.

This week's newsletter is about a question I hear constantly: "What would I even do?" If you've ever felt stuck between knowing you have valuable experience and figuring out how to turn it into something tangible, this one's for you. Because the answer isn't out there—it's already in your head.

Let's uncover it together.

~ Curt

🌟 Words to Inspire

"The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better." — Stephen King

Your decades of experience aren't holding you back—they're the competitive advantage younger entrepreneurs spend years trying to build. The only thing standing between you and your next great idea is permission to trust what you already know.

📖 Your Next Great Idea Is Already in Your Head

If I had a dollar for every time someone in their 50s or 60s asked me, "But what would I even do?"—well, I'd have a pretty solid consulting fee by now.

Here's the truth: You're not short on ideas. You're buried under them. The real issue isn't creativity—it's confidence. After decades of watching ideas fail, that hard-won wisdom somehow turned into hesitation.

But here's what I've learned: while twenty-somethings are trying to invent the future, you've spent years watching real problems go unsolved. You know where systems break. You understand what works, what doesn't, and most importantly—why. That's not a disadvantage. That's the foundation of every successful business.

The Experience Advantage Nobody Talks About

When I retired at 61 after decades as a CPA and CFO, I figured I'd earned some downtime. Six months later, I found myself applying to a master's program in entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

At 62.

What surprised me most wasn't being the oldest student—it was discovering how naturally I took to the coursework on idea generation and business development. While younger classmates were learning frameworks from textbooks, I kept thinking, "I've already seen this play out a dozen different ways in real companies."

That's when something clicked: I wasn't learning entrepreneurship from scratch. I was learning to recognize the value of what I already knew. The patterns I'd watched repeat across industries for decades? That was market intelligence. The problems I'd solved over and over? Those were business opportunities.

Retirepreneur emerged from those graduate courses—not as a sudden revelation, but as a gradual recognition that my "ordinary" work experience was actually extraordinary market intelligence:

• I'd seen why "obvious" solutions fail

• I knew where systems bottleneck and who feels the pain

• I understood the difference between fads and lasting trends

• My network included decision-makers who'd actually take my call

Try this 10-Minute Exercise:

1. List five problems you solved repeatedly in your career

2. Write three things colleagues always asked YOU about

3. Note two industries you understand better than most

You just mapped your entrepreneurial gold mine. The trick isn't finding ideas—it's recognizing the ones already in your head, quietly waiting for permission.

The best business ideas aren't found—they're remembered.

The IDEATE Framework (Built for Second-Act Entrepreneurs)

Let me give you a simple framework to turn that recognition into action:

I – Identify Problems Worth Your Time
Don't chase "nice-to-have" problems. Focus on issues that keep professionals or businesses genuinely stuck. You've sat through meetings where everyone knew something had to change but nobody knew how. That's your opportunity zone.

D – Discover in Your Own Backyard

Your best ideas hide in plain sight:

• Processes you refined over decades

• Expertise that feels "obvious" to you but is gold to others

• Challenges you could solve in your sleep

E – Enhance What Already Exists
You don't need to invent anything. Most successful businesses improve existing solutions. Ask: How could I make this easier? Simpler? Clearer? Better suited for today's remote world?

A – Anticipate Changes You've Seen Coming
You predicted the remote work shift before 2020. You called industry changes years early. That foresight is valuable—use it to build for where the world is headed, not where it's been.

T – Target People You Actually Understand
Skip "everyone." Start with people who share your background or career stage. You already know their pain points, their language, their hesitations. That's built-in market research.

E – Evaluate Without Overthinking
Three quick validation tests:

1. Is someone already charging for this? (Good—proves demand)

2. Would you have paid for this five years ago?

3. Can you explain the value in one sentence?

Check these boxes? Stop researching and start testing.

Where Your Best Ideas Come From

Here's what I learned about idea generation in grad school that changed everything: your best ideas rarely show up first.

The conventional wisdom is simple but powerful: when brainstorming, write down every idea that comes to mind. Don't judge. Don't filter. Don't stop at ten because you think you've exhausted the possibilities.

The first ten ideas are usually the obvious ones—things you've already seen or heard about. The next ten are variations. But if you keep going, something interesting happens around idea #25 or #30. That's where your unique experience starts combining with creativity in unexpected ways.

Three Starting Points:

1. Solve your own headaches.
What did you wish existed when you were managing teams or dealing with difficult clients? Build that.

2. Bridge the generational gap.
Younger professionals struggle with things you mastered decades ago—strategic communication, financial clarity, project discipline. That's consulting income.

3. Translate your industry knowledge.
Every field is being disrupted by technology and regulation. Help companies navigate change with clarity they can trust.

Before you build anything, have five conversations with people facing your target problem. Ask what they're using now and what they wish worked better. Those chats will save you months of guesswork.

Your Pivot 65 Moment

When I started building Retirepreneur during my graduate program at the University of Florida, I didn't have all the answers. I had one question: What if experienced professionals could turn decades of wisdom into a purposeful second act?

Now, as I graduate in December 2025, I'm entering a new phase—one focused on growth and learning from readers like you.

What works? What doesn't? What do you need most?

Your feedback shapes everything we build going forward.

The difference between a business idea and a business isn't creativity—it's action. You've spent years watching great ideas die in conference rooms because nobody took ownership.

You don't need the perfect idea. You need one real problem, clear understanding of who has it, and courage to test a simple solution.

This is your Pivot 65 moment—stop waiting for permission and start trusting what you already know.

Your next great idea isn't "out there." It's been sitting in your head, waiting for you to notice it.

🏠 Flex Work Focus

If you'd rather test your skills before building something from scratch, here's a smart place to start...

FlexJobs regularly features roles that align perfectly with what we've been discussing: Business Consultant - Strategic Planning positions specifically seeking experienced professionals who can guide companies through operational challenges.

Fractional consulting positions are particularly interesting—helping mid-sized companies optimize their financial processes, streamline operations, or navigate strategic transitions. The requirements? 15+ years of experience, strategic thinking ability, and comfort working remotely. Sound familiar?

These aren't entry-level roles. They're seeking exactly what you have: pattern recognition from years of solving similar problems, credibility that comes from lived experience, and the judgment that only decades can build.

The best part? Many of these consulting positions start as project-based work—perfect for testing your business idea before committing fully. You get paid while validating whether you enjoy the work and whether clients value what you offer.

These roles prove that your experience still opens doors—it just looks different now.

See current opportunities on FlexJobs →

🧰 Tool of the Week: Google Workspace

Once you've got your ideas flowing, staying organized is what separates creative bursts from consistent progress.

Google Workspace gives you everything in one ecosystem: Docs for capturing ideas, Sheets for tracking validation conversations, Drive for organizing research, Calendar for scheduling those critical customer interviews, and Gmail for professional communication—all connected and accessible from anywhere.

The beauty of starting with Google Workspace is the seamless integration. Your 50-idea sprint lives in a Doc. Your conversation notes feed into a Sheet. Your research files organize in Drive. Your follow-up reminders sync with Calendar. Everything works together instead of living in disconnected tools.

For second-act entrepreneurs, this unified system means less time managing tools and more time building your business. The basic version covers everything you need to move from idea generation to validation to launch.

🌟I am utilizing the complete Google ecosystem and it has been of great value to me as (for now) I am a solopreneur.  

Take a look at Google Workspace →

📝 Your 15-Minute Action Challenge

The 50-Idea Sprint Starter

Grab a notebook and set a timer for 15 minutes. Your goal: write down as many business ideas as possible without judging any of them.

Start with this prompt: "Problems I've seen repeatedly in my career that someone should solve..."

Don't stop. Don't edit. Don't think "that's stupid" or "someone's probably doing that." Just write.

The first ten will be obvious. The next ten will feel repetitive. But keep going. Push past the easy answers. That's where your unique insights live.

When the timer stops, circle the three that make you pause and think "huh, that's actually interesting." Those three are worth your next 15-minute session: validation research.

Share your insight: Reply and tell me which idea surprised you most and why.

💡 Quick Win: Your Network Is Market Research

Think Like an Entrepreneur: Before you Google competitors or spend hours researching, text three former colleagues this week. Ask them: "What's the biggest challenge you're dealing with at work right now?"

Their answers are pure market intelligence. You're not selling anything—you're listening for patterns. If two or three mention similar struggles, you've just identified a problem worth solving.

Try it today: Send those three texts. Real-time insight beats theoretical research every time.

🔄 Pivot 65: Strategic Life Change

Traditional retirement told us to stop working and relax. But millions of experienced professionals are choosing something different—strategic reinvention over passive retirement.

You're not just building a business. You're designing a second act where your decades of expertise finally work for you instead of someone else. Where you choose your clients, your hours, your mission.

Are you ready to turn "what would I even do?" into "here's exactly what I'm building"?

🚀 Join the Retirepreneur Hub — Completely Free

Here's the truth: I'm building something special—for people exactly like you—and I'd love your input.

The Retirepreneur Hub is my members-only resource library, and I'm inviting you to join for free. No credit card. No upsells. No pressure. Just genuine support for your second-act journey.

If you're ready to take that idea you've been thinking about and start shaping it into something real, the Hub gives you the tools to do it.

Inside, you'll find tools, templates, guides, and resources I'm continuously adding based on what members tell me they actually need. That's where you come in.

I'm committed to creating the most valuable resource library for 55+ entrepreneurs, but I can only do that by understanding your real challenges, questions, and goals. Your feedback shapes what I build next.

What you get:

• Immediate access to our growing resource vault

• New tools and guides added regularly based on member input

• A space where your experience matters and your voice is heard

• Resources designed specifically for building your second act

What I get:

• Direct insight into what you're struggling with

• The chance to create resources that actually solve your problems

• A community that helps me build something truly valuable

It's a partnership. You get free resources and support. I get to learn what you really need. Everyone wins.

👉 Join the Hub for Free — No Credit Card Required

Simple as that. Join us, use what helps, and let me know what you need. That's how we build something remarkable together.

🤝 Know Someone Who'd Benefit?

Enjoying Retirepreneur Weekly? If you know someone navigating their own second-act journey, forward this newsletter or send them to Retirepreneur.com to subscribe.

Sometimes the best way to strengthen your own path is helping someone else discover theirs.

🛑 Parting Words

I hope this week's framework helped you see that you're not starting from scratch—you're starting from strength. Your experience isn't holding you back; it's your unfair advantage in a world that desperately needs wisdom-based solutions.

The IDEATE method isn't theory—it's how real businesses get built by people who know what they're doing. Start with that 10-minute exercise. Then push to 30 ideas. Then have those five conversations.

Your next great idea is already there. You just need to give yourself permission to see it—and act on it.

Keep building something that matters,

Curt