lisa Schmidt
I help accomplished professionals transition from successful careers to meaningful, fulfilling lives in retirement.
About
For decades, you've focused on building a successful career, supporting others, leading your team or organization, and achieving meaningful goals. Then retirement arrives.
While financial planning is important, many of us discover that retirement is also something else entirely: a change not only in what we do, but who we are. After years of being the leader, the expert, the trusted colleague, retirement can raise unexpected questions:
- Who am I without my career?
- What gives my life meaning now?
- How do I create purpose and structure in this next chapter?
- What happens when I am no longer shaping the future of my organization?
That's why after decades of working in leadership development and executive coaching, I now work with successful executives, entrepreneurs and professionals navigating the emotional and psychological side of retirement—the part few people talk about openly. My coaching focuses on helping my clients:
- redefine identity beyond work
- process the emotional transition out of a career
- design a meaningful and fulfilling next chapter
- reconnect with purpose, curiosity, and possibility
Retirement is not simply about stopping work; it's about intentionally creating a life that reflects who you are becoming. If you're approaching retirement and wondering what comes next—or you have retired and are keeping busy but feel unfulfilled—I invite you to access my free Retirement Readiness Index then book a discovery call in which we'll engage in a confidential conversation to explore if coaching can support you.
Packages
Next Chapter Discovery Call
If you’re approaching retirement and wondering how to create a meaningful and fulfilling next chapter, this brief conversation is a simple place to begin. This complimentary 30-minute call gives us an opportunity to connect, talk about where you are in your retirement transition, and explore whether my coaching program might be helpful for you.
90-Minute Clarity Session
You’ve spent decades building a successful career, contributing your expertise, and showing up for others. Now retirement is approaching—and while part of you feels excited about the freedom ahead, another part may be wondering:
- Who will I be without my career?
- What will give my days meaning and structure?
- How do I create a life that feels fulfilling, not just busy?
Financial planning prepares you for retirement on paper—but very few people help you prepare for the personal and emotional transition of leaving a career behind. That’s exactly what this focused session is designed to explore.
Three-Month Transition Program
Life after work, designed with purpose
For many executives, entrepreneurs and professionals, retirement is something they've worked toward for decades. Yet when the moment begins to approach, it often raises deeper questions than expected.
For many executives, entrepreneurs and professionals, retirement is something they've worked toward for decades. Yet when the moment begins to approach, it often raises deeper questions than expected.
Your career provided structure, identity, purpose, and connection for many years. Stepping away from it can feel both exciting and uncertain at the same time.
The Three-Month Transition Program is designed to support you through this important life transition with thoughtfulness and intention. Over the course of three months, we will explore what matters most deeply to you now, and begin shaping a vision for a fulfilling and meaningful next chapter.
This is our most popular package and for good reason: it is long enough to do the deep work of moving forward, and short enough to quickly shift you from “What now?” to a clear vision for the life you want to create next.
The Three-Month Transition Program is designed to support you through this important life transition with thoughtfulness and intention. Over the course of three months, we will explore what matters most deeply to you now, and begin shaping a vision for a fulfilling and meaningful next chapter.
This is our most popular package and for good reason: it is long enough to do the deep work of moving forward, and short enough to quickly shift you from “What now?” to a clear vision for the life you want to create next.
The Next Chapter Strategy (Flagship Program)
Retirement Re-imagined and Re-designed
Your career has been all about achievement, breaking down barriers and making a difference. And given the kind of energy and motivation you have, you will not settle for a retirement focused on leisure and rest. In fact, you see this time in your life as the opportunity you've yearned for to do—or build or accomplish—something you've had your heart set on for years.
This is your time to give yourself over to an inspired new chapter of life.
But where to start, and how to go from giving your all to your job to giving it all to your third act? If this is you, this tailored one-of-a-kind coaching package is the answer to your quest for profound growth, meaning and transformation in your post-career life.
Your career has been all about achievement, breaking down barriers and making a difference. And given the kind of energy and motivation you have, you will not settle for a retirement focused on leisure and rest. In fact, you see this time in your life as the opportunity you've yearned for to do—or build or accomplish—something you've had your heart set on for years.
This is your time to give yourself over to an inspired new chapter of life.
But where to start, and how to go from giving your all to your job to giving it all to your third act? If this is you, this tailored one-of-a-kind coaching package is the answer to your quest for profound growth, meaning and transformation in your post-career life.
FREE TOOL :: Letting Go of Work
An exercise for reflecting on—and releasing—the career you are retiring from.
Testimonials
lisa has the experience, expertise and personality to help draw out my aspirations, then encourages me to think broadly to find several possible actions to further these goals. Her comfortable communication style never makes it seem like work, so sessions are energizing and fun. She is also very well organized and reliable, and follows up as promised.
- Mary McDonald
lisa is one of the smartest, most passionate and well-read people I know. She has a talent to propel others into immediate action while also ensuring there's a strategic foundation. If I could borrow lisa's brain for a day, there's no telling what I could create, imagine, reinvent and transform.
- Sarah McVanel
Frequently Asked Questions
How is retirement coaching different from life coaching?
Retirement coaching differs from other types of coaching in a few key ways: most retirement coaches have developed expertise in this major life change through specialized training and certification, our own experience with retirement, and our membership in the Retirement Coaching Association.
We also understand (and are living through) the multiple changes that happen at this stage of life. For instance:
- We understand the identity shift that happens after leaving a senior leadership role and that transition to retirement for high-achievers requires a period of processing and decompression.
- We know that the blank page of retirement can feel overwhelming at first with the many opportunities others seek us out for before we've had time to really think about what we want and need.
- We get that after a period of rest and reflection, a desire to build a legacy and continue to contribute in significant ways often emerges.
- We have witnessed the dynamics in couples who retire on different timelines and the impact this has on the quality of the relationship.
- We work with people who, in addition to leaving the workforce, are empty-nesters, or have taken on care-giving for older family members and feel exhausted and isolated.
- We address the reality of aging, and are able to engage in conversations about legacy, mortality and end-of-life decision-making.
What are possible differences between women and men in retirement?
While there are no absolute differences, there are a few broad themes in how women and men experience retirement differently. This is because women and men have often been socialized differently throughout their working lives, so retirement tends to challenge them in different ways.
Here are some examples:
IDENTITY:
Women: Often derive identity from multiple roles (career, family, friendships, care-giving, community) so they have a greater number of ways to think about who they are.
Men: Often derive a greater proportion of identity from occupation and status, so the loss of a professional identity can hit them harder.
SOCIAL CONNECTION:
Women: Often maintain broader friendship networks outside work which continue after their careers.
Men: More likely to lose daily social interaction because many friendships were work-based.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT:
Women: Greater likelihood to process emotions through conversation and relationships, and are more open to seeking outside support such as coaching.
Men: May struggle to talk openly about loneliness, loss of status or grief and are less likely to seek ways to process the emotional fallout of retirement.
Generally, many men tell me they miss feeling useful once they walk away from their careers, while many women tell me they're trying to figure out what they want after decades of putting everyone else first.
Here are some examples:
IDENTITY:
Women: Often derive identity from multiple roles (career, family, friendships, care-giving, community) so they have a greater number of ways to think about who they are.
Men: Often derive a greater proportion of identity from occupation and status, so the loss of a professional identity can hit them harder.
SOCIAL CONNECTION:
Women: Often maintain broader friendship networks outside work which continue after their careers.
Men: More likely to lose daily social interaction because many friendships were work-based.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT:
Women: Greater likelihood to process emotions through conversation and relationships, and are more open to seeking outside support such as coaching.
Men: May struggle to talk openly about loneliness, loss of status or grief and are less likely to seek ways to process the emotional fallout of retirement.
Generally, many men tell me they miss feeling useful once they walk away from their careers, while many women tell me they're trying to figure out what they want after decades of putting everyone else first.
What's the difference between a coach and therapist?
While both coaches and therapists help individuals improve their lives, therapists typically focus on looking back in time to address mental health issues and past traumas, while coaches focus on the future, helping individuals achieve their goals or become who they've always longed to be.
Is coaching right for me?
Of all the different ways we can learn, grow and change, coaching is by far the most powerful modality because it's all about you—your unique circumstances, your hopes and desires, and your entire life experience to date. Coaching offers you the ability to have the most open-hearted and authentic conversation you can have about what you most need to be happy, healthy and engaged with the world. If you are ready to proactively fuel your future with deeper awareness, insights and decisions, coaching is a great fit for you.
I haven't yet retired but am thinking about it. Will coaching help me decide when the time is right?
Absolutely. In many ways, the months before making the decision to leave work are in fact the best time to start designing your transition – this way you intentionally build what is waiting for you when you hand in your keys and walk away from your career.
I'm not ready to fully retire but want to change my relationship to work. How can coaching help?
For some people, retirement means a full stop, making the leap from work to leisure. For others it's a pivot, a second (or third) act or a chance to go back and pick of the threads of the life not yet lived.
If you're looking the answer the question of what's next? you're in the right place.
If you're looking the answer the question of what's next? you're in the right place.
How will I know if your coaching style is the right fit for me?
One of the important parts of starting to work with a coach is to assess how you feel in—and after—our initial discovery call. It's critical that you have a sense that there is chemistry between us as I will be the person you will share what you most long for and want to create.
During that first call, you can ask all the questions you have about how coaching works, about my qualifications and experience, and what you can expect from our work together. In addition, once we start working together, I will regularly ask you how the process is unfolding for you and will make sure I am meeting your expectations.
During that first call, you can ask all the questions you have about how coaching works, about my qualifications and experience, and what you can expect from our work together. In addition, once we start working together, I will regularly ask you how the process is unfolding for you and will make sure I am meeting your expectations.
How do I know how many sessions I will need?
In my experience, major transitions such as leaving work and carving out a new identity—and life—typically take three-to-six months of biweekly sessions. This is why my most popular programs are the Three-Month Transition Package and my Six-Month Next Chapter Strategy.
If a coaching package seems like a big commitment, I also offer a powerful 90-Minute Clarity Session to start your preparation for the personal and emotional transition of leaving a career behind.
Let's connect over a discovery call to help you decide what will best meet your needs at this stage. Book a complementary Next Chapter Discovery Call with me here.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Confidentiality is of utmost importance in my coaching practice. As a professionally-certified coach, I adhere to the International Coach Federation's (ICF) Code of Ethics, which includes strict guidelines for maintaining client confidentiality.
Let's Connect