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Sustainable success strategist and communication expert Mel Kettle joins Zoë Routh for a thoughtful conversation on aging in the workforce, second-act careers, identity beyond work, and designing a meaningful next chapter of life and leadership.
As more leaders move into later career stages, many are realizing they don’t necessarily want traditional retirement. Instead, they want purposeful contribution, flexibility, meaningful work, and a different pace of life. Together, Zoë and Mel explore what it means to move into “protirement,” how identity shifts beyond job titles, and why building social connection and purpose outside of work becomes increasingly important as we age.
Drawing on leadership experience, workplace trends, and personal reflections, Mel explores energy management, portfolio careers, workplace flexibility, menopause and andropause, and how organizations can better support employees through major life transitions.
Together, Zoë and Mel unpack how leaders can redefine success, create more sustainable ways of working, and build flourishing later years filled with contribution, connection, and meaning.
Design your next chapter with clarity, purpose, and intention through Zoë Routh’s guided workshop series, The Chrysalis: Late Career by Design.
Register Here:
https://events.humanitix.com/the-chrysalis-late-career-by-design
Summary
Zoë shares personal updates:
Second Acts and Protirement - Why many experienced professionals want a different version of work rather than full retirement.
Identity Beyond Job Titles - Exploring who we are beyond status, authority, and career labels.
Energy Management and Aging - Understanding what energizes versus drains us physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.
Purpose Portfolios - Why meaning in later life often comes from multiple sources rather than a single purpose.
Social Connection and Community - The growing importance of friendships, networks, and belonging in later career stages.
Thought-Provoking Questions for Leaders, focusing on:
What does a meaningful “second act” look like for me?
Who am I beyond my work identity or title?
What activities, people, and environments genuinely energize me?
What social connections am I investing in outside of work?
Am I designing my later years intentionally or simply drifting toward retirement?
How can I create more flexibility, meaning, and contribution in this next chapter?
Mel Kettle reflects on:
The Aging Workforce Conundrum - Why organizations often overlook the value and wisdom of experienced workers.
Flexible Work and Advisory Roles - Creating pathways for older employees to continue contributing meaningfully.
Energy and Sustainable Success - Why understanding energy is essential for long-term wellbeing and performance.
Menopause and Workplace Bias - Reducing stigma and creating more compassionate workplace systems.
The Importance of Community - Why social connection becomes increasingly critical as people age.
Key Quotes
“Most people don’t want to stop working. They just want a different version of work.” - Zoë Routh
“We are all so much more than what we do for a living.” - Mel Kettle
“Do more of the things that give you energy and less of the things that drain it.” - Mel Kettle
“You need to understand that when people ask you to step up, it’s because they believe in you.” - Mel Kettle
Questions Explored
What challenges does an aging workforce create for organizations?
Why are many leaders rethinking traditional retirement?
How can employers better retain older workers and organizational knowledge?
What role does identity play in later-career transitions?
How can leaders build purpose and meaning beyond work?
What workplace changes could better support menopause and life transitions?
Take Action
Reflect on what your “second act” or “protirement” phase could look like.
Identify the people, activities, and environments that give you energy.
Invest in friendships, hobbies, and communities outside of work.
Create multiple sources of purpose instead of relying solely on career identity.
Explore more flexible ways of contributing, mentoring, or advising.
Lead with greater empathy and compassion for people navigating major life transitions.
A guided workshop series to design your next chapter.
You’ve built the career.
You’ve led teams, delivered results, solved hard problems, and carried responsibility for decades.
And now a new question is emerging:
Details and reserve your spot here.
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome to the Show
00:30 Aging Workforce Question
00:44 Chrysalis Workshop Plug
01:32 Meet Mel Kettle
02:40 Second Act Careers
04:29 Employer Aging Conundrums
08:24 Flexible Roles and Advisors
10:38 Energy and Aging
14:15 Identity Beyond Work
17:04 Protirement Purpose Portfolio
19:45 Books and Social Connection
21:58 Men Building Networks
23:16 Coffee Invite Milestone
23:36 Golf Mates Deep Talks
25:03 Finding Your People
26:04 Menopause at Work
28:17 Bias Fears and Biology
30:00 One Bucket Leave Policy
32:17 Privacy and Sick Notes
32:59 Managing Leave Fairly
35:44 Fast Three Questions
38:14 Books and Identity
40:07 Where to Find Mel
41:10 Wrap Up and Next Steps
If you enjoyed this conversation with Mel Kettle, revisit her previous appearance on the podcast: “Leadership Skills with Mel Kettle,” where Zoë and Mel explored connected leadership, communication strategies, digital credibility, and building trust through authentic engagement in an increasingly disconnected world.
About Mel Kettle
Mel Kettle is a strategic communication expert. For over 25 years she has been obsessed with communication, connection and collaboration. She works with CEOs, leaders and teams to help them become more connected in an increasingly disconnected world.
Mel is a sought after thought leader, speaker, mentor and facilitator who helps her clients create stronger relationships with their workforce, customers and investors. By communicating with clarity, conviction and compassion, they are able to increase their influence and become more trusted.
She is the host of podcast This Connected Life and author of The Social Association. Her second book Connectable is due out in February 2020.
Related episodes on Aging Workforece
409: The Leadership Blind Spot No One Is Talking About with Dan Pontefract
412: Mattering in Midlife: Finding Significance Through Life’s Transitions
413: Stepping Back, Stepping Into: Identity Recalibration in Late Career
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About Zoë Routh
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the The Future of Leadership Podcast dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.