4-Quarter Lives Podcast: The Second Career Revolution: Holistic careers for longer lives
Rob Nathan was a guest on the 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, hosted by Avivah Whittenburg-Cox,
In this episode, they explore why the traditional three-stage life – education, work, retirement – remains so stubbornly entrenched.
Recorded on his 77th birthday, Rob argues that the systems around us were designed for shorter lives and have yet to catch up, while individuals can become financially and socially bound to their employers. Drawing on William Bridges, he distinguishes between change and transition, and explores the self-limiting beliefs that can keep us stuck on the edge of the diving board.
The conversation ranges from cultural contrasts – including the respect afforded to elders across Southeast Asia versus Western workplaces that can view older workers as slower or replaceable – to the value of career conversations and genuinely multi-generational teams.