Clients often come to me for support in deciding when and how to navigate retirement. It’s a life stage that sociologist Sarah Lawrence-Lightfoot has called the third chapter of life. These clients are ready—or nearly ready—to retire from their main careers, but they have concerns.
Many worry about a loss of identity once they give up a role that has helped define them for most of their adult lives. They want to continue to be of service in the world and to keep minds and bodies active, but they are uncertain of the right way to do this. Some clients need to continue to generate some income. Others want to turn a side hustle into something more substantial. Many want an encore career, the term used by writer Marc Freedman to describe a vocation pursued post-retirement. Still others want to devote more time to family, hobbies, travel, and volunteer roles. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for a happy retirement, and I try to help them identify their deepest desires and their nagging fears so that they can chart a path forward.
A couple of years ago, I worked with Debbie Bloom, a local history librarian and genealogist in Columbia, South Carolina. In this, the latest installment in my series of interviews about the experiences of real-life clients, Debbie shares the concerns that brought her to coaching, the process we followed in our work together, and the satisfying encore career that she has forged using the skills and knowledge she amassed in two decades as a librarian. Her story is a classic example of what writer Arthur C. Brooks calls moving from strength to strength. She is harnessing her crystalized intelligence—the knowledge, experience, and insights accumulated over decades—and using them to serve the world in new ways.
Image provided by Debbie Bloom
HC: Could you start by introducing yourself to my readers? Tell us a little about who you are and how you spend your days.
DB: Hi everyone. My name is Debbie Bloom. Two years ago, after working with Melissa, I decided to retire from a 20+ year career as a librarian. My job in the Walker Local & Family Center at Richland County Library was more than a job. It was also my passion. I loved helping customers discover their family history and helping others uncover Columbia’s history. After retiring from the library, I started a side gig doing historical research for clients. Most days you will find me at my computer researching historic newspapers or walking my dogs in a nearby urban forest.
HC: We met some years ago when you were writing an essay about educator and agricultural agent Henrietta Aiken Kelly for a book that I was co-editing with historian Giselle Roberts. It was later that you sought coaching. What prompted you to seek out coaching? What were you looking for in a coach?
DB: LOL!! I was looking for a anyone who would tell me if I should retire or not! Yes, we met while working on South Carolina Women in the Progressive Era. After that project, I heard the news that you retired from teaching and reinvented yourself as a career/life coach. I just kept that interesting tidbit in the back of my mind until the summer of 2019 when I found myself involved in a major research project. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
In the spring of 2019 I had the idea I would retire in the next 3-5 years. But I didn’t want to stop working so I put my name on the researcher list at a university library to get an idea if there was outside work available that could supplement my pension. I was using my professional connections while I had them. Believe it or not I was thinking ahead! By the end of the summer, I was involved in a pretty big project via the researcher list, and I realized that things were moving ahead a little faster than I expected. Honestly, I called Melissa out of panic while sitting in the UNC Wilmington Library where I was researching.
HC: Could you talk a little about the coaching process? How did we work together? What was most helpful for you?
DB: The coaching process helped me catch my breath. The question about whether to retire and when was creating lots of anxiety that was growing exponentially. It was all I could think about! The coaching process let me focus on the idea of retiring instead of the action of making the decision to retire. Looking back on it, I see that just calling Melissa meant I was ready to retire, forget that 3–5-year bit! The coaching process prepared me to accept the decision.
HC: What kinds of shifts did you make in your life as a result of coaching?
DB: Coaching helped me be less afraid of losing myself when I left a position that I thought solely identified me. I remember Melissa gave me an assignment to think about my life view/work view. In my answer I explained some of my family history and how previous generations embraced a strong work ethic. I felt strongly about my work ethic, and I wondered how I could ever retire and let go of that. Then, in the answer, I said something like my ancestors would never see a difference between their life view and their work view. There was no separation between the two. Dolt! I realized that I would be taking my work ethic and my work identity with me. It was a part of my life. What I did with it was up to me. Does that make any sense? Answering those thoughtful questions helped me sort through the emotions of making a life change.
HC: You’ve built a successful small business in your so-called retirement. Can you tell our readers something about the work you do, the types of clients you serve, and how you built your client base?
DB: I mentioned before that I used my professional connections to hook into research projects. At first, I anticipated requests for genealogy research. I had a big plan for working with lawyers on probate genealogy, too. However, I discovered a different need. My client base right now is 100% authors looking for someone to do historic research. I work with non-fiction authors, and they contact me from around the country. I might start the day in 1930’s Harlem and end in 1850’s Charleston. Technology has also made it possible for me to research in any state and my library degree helps me communicate with all sorts of libraries around the world. I still receive requests from the archival institution researcher lists, but word-of mouth is also becoming another way to build my client base, although, honestly, I turn away more clients than I take. The first project I worked on, when I panicked at the UNC library, was about tennis champion, Althea Gibson. The author is Sally Jacobs (The Other Barack) and it is at the publisher, St. Martin Press, right now. Look for it in 2023.
HC: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about working with a coach? Any special advice for people who are thinking about making a big shift like retiring from a long-time career or starting a small business?
DB: If someone is making a shift from a career but they fear losing that identity, then this is a good time to take a leadership role in professional organizations. I was asked to be a board member of a professional organization, and it has kept me in contact with former colleagues and expanded my networking connections. And now it is fun and not just another meeting!
As to the small business part, it was very comforting to me that Melissa started her own small business, too. She had an answer for many of my questions and concerns. Melissa also made a big switch. She was a well-respected author, historian and teacher and switched to “something completely different” as Monty Python would say. She has walked the walk.
HC: Any other wisdom you want to share?
DB: I’ve really embraced Melissa’s idea that life is made up of chapters. I like to read on my Kindle and sometimes the book starts off very slow but when I hit the 50% mark in the book it always gets more interesting and speeds right up. So now that I have passed the 50% mark in my life (yeah, ok, well-passed…) the chapters are going by quicker, but my story is so much more interesting. My decision is already made about the next chapter and poor Melissa will have to be at the starting gate, again. Feel free to contact me at dbloom803@gmail.com if anyone has a particular question.
Thanks to Debbie for sharing her story. On her blog at The Dead Librarian, you’ll find posts that describe how she built her business in more depth. (And for the genealogists among you, you’ll also find a wealth of links to great resources.)