Happily UNretired: Art Koff

by Art Koff
(RetiredBrains.com)

Art is age 76 and resides in Illinois. Art has been successful in UN-retiring himself. This is definitely a new trend in retirement -- UNretirement (meaning keep busy and be happy!)

Art is busier than ever, and sounds like he is loving every moment too!

Interview with Art Koff from retiredbrains.com

What was your previous occupation? Describe your daily routine briefly. Any Stress? How/why did you retire?

I was in the advertising agency business where there was a huge amount of stress, but I very much enjoyed what I was doing. It’s just that I was working longer and longer hours in order to service my customers the way I felt they should be serviced and even though I had an excellent staff, most of the time they wanted to talk to me and get my direct advice and opinions. The light at the end of the tunnel was certainly a train as I saw no way to cut back and do the job the way it should have been done—so I retired.

My primary routine was to work with clients and our creative departments to come up with advertising approaches that were both good and cost effective. This involved a great deal of interaction between me and my clients and interpretation of their needs along with my own suggestions to the creative people.

Describe your daily routine in your new retired life... what makes your retirement successful? How did you transition from what you were to who you are today?

As the founder and primary contact at Retired Brains, I am certainly not retired. I work about 50 hours a week, but it is not work as I very much enjoy what I do. I am and have been responsible for most of the content on the site and I receive and answer hundreds of emails when job seekers, advertisers, employers, ad agencies, etc. contact me through our response mechanisms. I have two partners who handle specific areas. One handles all the technical areas and other the business/financial areas. The three of us work together on planning, marketing and the direction we want to take including a re-design which is currently under construction.

What do you think about the concept of retirement? How do YOU define retirement?

Retirement today is a great deal different from what it was only a short time ago. Americans are living longer and most have not saved enough to live the kind of life they anticipated during their retirement years. Most will have to continue working through their 60’s and often well into their 70’s.

Personally I hope to never retire as long as I’m physically and mentally able to work. Of course this assume that I will continue to enjoy what I am doing during my “retirement” years.

Finally, If you had a magic wand, what would you wish for today?

I would certainly wish for good health and time to enjoy it. Very few people appreciate good health until they lose it. As you age you have more and more aches and pains and discomfort. Most you learn to live with, but many of my friends have real pain a good deal of the time. I am extremely fortunate for as a type 2 diabetic I was given a new drug last year which has leveled my blood sugars and helped me loose 35 pounds. I am now more energetic, more comfortable and virtually pain free. I play tennis and golf and love what I am doing. I am married to a great cook and beautiful younger woman who makes me happy. The magic wand has already granted me my wishes.

Finally, what is Retiredbrains.com?

It is a resource for boomers, retirees and Americans planning their retirement that includes a free job board connecting older workers with employers interested in hiring them (mostly for part-time and temporary jobs and project assignments.) We have a large section on working from home as many older job seekers have not been able to find employment and can earn moneys during their job search or until the job market changes for the better. We also have a great deal of information in the areas of health care, financial services, insurance services, senior living, etc. etc.

Visit Art's website: retiredbrains.com