The 100 Years Club Installment #157: Experiment 69

As I wrote last week, I’m a big fan of the “countdown clock” method of planning. 

In 2025, I set some big audacious goals for myself and sped down a specific life and work path, starting the day I turned 69.

Now, with my next birthday a mere 60 days away, I’m planning some new ventures for the big 70.

Part of my master plan included taking a “mini-sabbatical,” starting on October 3rd, or what I called F-Day.

That micro-experiment was (ironically) rescheduled to November 7th because another enticing work project fell in my lap. I love working with that client team, and it was a challenging and fun opportunity, so I got back on the high-speed train. I’m glad I did it! Sometimes a detour can lead to magical places.

Now, after about 30 days of relative calm and travel, I’m about to climb out of my sparkly holiday skin. In other words, I’m totally bored and fidgety, looking for my next big juicy project.

In the interim, I traveled a bit and spent time with family and friends. I’m attending an eclectic group of holiday gatherings and a rave, investing in two content shoots, and learning as much as humanly possible about new AI marketing tools. (After all, I wrote the book eight years ago, so I was an early AI pioneer.)

Shameless plug: If you are reading this and need help with branding (business or personal), strategic marketing planning, strategic content (everything from white papers to social media), AI agents for marketing, or conference planning, I’m your woman. 

My trademark, The Silver Hair Playbook®, has never been more relevant than it is today. We women of the 1980s, with big shoulder pads, long commutes, floppy bow ties, and no work/life balance whatsoever, were never prepped for this phase of life.

So, I’m figuring it out as I go. It’s an uphill battle despite my deep and broad understanding of business, marketing, AI, and other transformational tech, and life in general. I get hit with stuff like:

• “When will you retire?” (The answer is “probably never.”)
• “Don’t young people know more about tech?” (LOL. We were the original digital pioneers.)
• If you meet a guy, won’t you just give up your work? (That’s likely a hard no.”)
• “Why don’t you move back east full-time?” (It’s cold! I’ll just go there during the summer.)

Thankfully, I have some fantastic clients who are smart enough to recognize that some experienced professionals are faster, more tenacious, and more resilient than other team members. As my podcast reinforces, age is BS…it’s all about talent, hustle, and creative problem-solving.

But enough pitching the virtues of women (namely me) of a certain age…

I have two very relevant 20-minute podcast episodes coming up.

• One is about how to cover yourself with tinsel (not literally, unless that’s your thing) and stay motivated in a weird and often scary world.
• The other is a random group of six people who span four decades, discussing what we have in common, our most tinsel-y moments of 2025, and what we want to find under our metaphorical trees and menorahs.
• Plus, I’m continuing my daily gratitude series. We’re halfway through. Here are the first 20!

Follow along as I define the next phase of my life and (most importantly) introduce new ways YOU can plan, grow, and prosper.

In the interim, here are some facts and stats about longevity and growth!

	How to grow new brain cells
	Gather round! Make holiday plans! Socializing and life quality are good for your long-term health!
	Unplug (social media, not the holiday lights). Social media may be hurting you.
	A great perspective on the value of experienced talent