Chris writes ...
Host Chris Mann chatted to John Halsey and me about our age not being a barrier to carrying on working.
Kicking off the 'Talking at Ten' section of his show, Chris posed this question:
"Are older people the key to kickstarting the economy?".
Coincidentally, it was Chris's 66th Birthday and he's a perfect example of an older worker who, in his own words, is 'not done yet'.
Many of us in the Cambridge area know Chris as a professional broadcaster who does great work in the broadcast media and for the charities he supports.
Professional drummer, John, is also well-known locally - and nationally - and has rubbed shoulders with rock royalty during his long musical career.
In fact, at 78 years young, he's still rocking on with his local pals as part of the brilliantly named 'Peg Leg Pub Band'.
At 59, I'm a mere youngster in comparison, but in the corporate world I'm considered a bit of an 'oldie'.
But that didn't stop me from starting my own coaching and consulting business and swelling the ranks of the UK's 'solopreneurs'.
Older people setting up their own businesses is a growing trend as Liz Slee from Enterprise Nation pointed out when she phoned in.
It's one way for the over-50s to contribute to growth in the wider economy.
However, there's been an exodus of older workers retiring before pension age taking much-needed knowledge, skills, and experience out of the world of work.
In fact, the number of over-50's who've retired early since the pandemic hit is equivalent to twice the population of Cambridge.
So, what's to be done to ensure that we can all go on contributing to the economic success of our region, no matter how old we are?
The latest report on the over-50s at work by Enterprise Nation makes six key recommendations. You can access the report here.
As for me, like John and Chris, I'm a great believer that age is just a number and talent is timeless.
We can all contribute no matter how old we are so long as the opportunities exist.
Towards the end of the discussion Chris Mann asked me my recommendations for older listeners wanting to exercise their talent outside of standard employment and get paid for the work they do.
Quite simply I said:
- Follow your purpose and passion
- Get a mentor
- Access free advice and support including from Cambridge Network.
- Ultimately, you're never to young to start over.
My favourite listener story?
Trevor, an 82-year-young man, who still works two days per week delivering dentures. He said he loves the role because it gives him something to 'sink his teeth into'.
You can listen to the recording of the show through the BBC Cambridgeshire website.
You can access business coaching, professional mentoring and business consulting on my company website.
Or alternatively, connect with me on LinkedIn or follow the Chris Dunn Consulting Company Page.
