McKee kicks-off Encore discussion series
Mary Pat McKee
Some may call them “encore careers,” or “lifestyle careers,” or even “starting overs,” but looking to begin a new career in your 50’s is becoming more and more commonplace. On January 18th, SOURCE RW kicked-off our new Encore Programs with our “What’s Your Next” Discussion Series. In January, our discussion was lead by Mary Pat McKee who is founder and CEO of IndyBoomer Magazine. McKee’s presentation focused on her passion to showcase engaged, boomer-aged individuals as well as provide her own list of “tips and pointers” for those seeking to reinvent themselves professionally later in life.
Looking for a lifestyle career herself, McKee left a corporate position in 2007 to follow her passion and open IndyBoomer. Today, IndyBOOMER connects IndyBOOMER Magazine, IndyBOOMER TV and BOOMER Radio providing useful information to Boomers living in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Articles, shows and podcasts are upbeat and positive, focus on lifestyle issues, are short, and are of broad interest to the target audience. All three types of media address topics that impact the lives of Boomers by partnering with subject matter experts from the Indianapolis area to ensure that readers are aware of the resources locally available to them.
McKee began by identifying where most of her conversations with boomers begin. Customarily, her first conversation begins by asking “what do you really want to do and accomplish?” A struggle for most people who have never given much consideration to how their life would playout between the ages of 50 – 75. Today’s boomers began their careers anticipating to retire at age 65 but now realize that they may still have 25 or 30 more years of life ahead of them. This means they are facing 2-3 decades of life that needs to include both income and purpose. McKee says, “determining your personal and professional goals, or simply identifying what you want to accomplish in those boomer years, may be the most difficult hurdle of all.” A hurdle that many boomers never overcome.
She believes there are two things that have made her successful: 1) hiring the right people, and 2) hiring people who can see her vision. “Surround yourself with employees who are good at duties and responsibilities that you are not,” says McKee, and give them an opportunity to thrive is what her working environment is all about. An example is social media. I knew very little but I hired someone who was proficient at social media and could take my business places I could have never imagined.” The broader the expertise within the business the happier she is. McKee noted, “while boomers may be reluctant, it’s important for them to not be shy in hiring individuals who are better than themselves at certain tasks – it’s what creates a depth and breadth to a business.” She also prefers to focus on employees who can see “her big picture of the business.” It’s “difficult to train someone who just doesn’t share my vision,” adds McKee, “and I have tried but they never seem to be a good fit in the organization.”
“Showcasing successful boomers to emulate and providing career support to this often overlooked segment of our community,” notes McKee, “is what SOURCE RW’s Encore Programs are all about and why I wanted to be one of the first to participate. It’s important work and a natural fit for IndyBoomer.
The Encore Programs are created especially for those seeking a second or lifestyle career at age 50+. Encore Programs meet bi-weekly on Thursdays and alternates between free discussion sessions ("What's Your Next") and kick-starter sessions that provide a hands-on approach to addressing pertinent business ownership issues ("Encore Career Toolbox"). Check the calendar for upcoming Encore sessions here.