Someone said recently that I have reinvented myself. It was a comment based on a posting I made recently on LinkedIn that I have just joined the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Maine. I thought about it, and think he may actually be right.
I spent 40 years in the corporate world, leading teams, selling and a variety of other important (?) things. I enjoyed it, lived and worked in many countries, achieved a few things that mean little at this point, and finished up a couple of years ago. I always thought I’d like to get involved in the non-profit world when I retired, and a good friend said that the best way to get ready was to get involved in the non-profit world BEFORE I retire. That made good sense to me, so I volunteered at Junior Achievement (JA) in Ct and for A Better Chance (ABC) and did volunteer soccer coaching and probably a few other minor things, in between the usual corporate stuff.
Now here I am at age 65 (almost 66), probably two years out from my corporate life. I spend time working with my kid and his kayaking business (technically not a non-profit, but close…) and I am on the Boards of JA, the Island Institute in Maine and a local group called Project Launch. These are all causes that I believe in – helping kids, the environment and my community. Even my son’s business – Osprey’s Echo Sea Kayaking – does a good bit to help out in the community, from serving local school children, to hosting adaptive paddling for people who are wheelchair bound.
I am keeping busy, but still find time to walk the dogs every day and read over 50 books a year; books that don’t just entertain, but also educate.
Golly I think i have reinvented myself! (did I just say ‘golly?’)
mikesteinharter.com 