Why Retirement Is Antiquated: The Nest Egg Myth and What Successful Women Should Build Instead

What if everything you've been told about retirement is wrong? What if the "golden years" you've been planning for by building a "nest egg" are actually holding you back from preparing for your most meaningful chapter yet?

Tracey Lundell has spent over three decades helping women navigate their financial futures, and she's come to a revolutionary conclusion: "Retirement is an antiquated concept." For women who've built successful corporate careers and accumulated decades of wisdom, expertise, and connections, traditional retirement planning isn't just outdated; it's limiting your potential.

In this post, we'll explore why the retirement model no longer serves successful women and how you can create a financial foundation that supports lifelong flexibility, purpose, and impact. You'll discover practical strategies for transitioning from corporate success to your next meaningful chapter, along with the mindset shifts that will unlock possibilities you never imagined. As I say, "It's not all about the money." However, money is energy, and therefore it's important to align our "money story" with our values.

The Retirement Model That No Longer Fits

Traditional retirement planning was designed for a different world; one where people worked for 30-40 years at the same company, received a pension, and then fully stopped working at 65. This model assumed you'd want to completely disengage from productive work and live a life of leisure until your final days.

But successful women today don't fit this mould. At 55, 60, or even 70, you're not looking to fade into the background. You're healthier, more energetic, and more knowledgeable than previous generations. You have skills that took decades to develop, networks that represent years of relationship-building, and wisdom that can only come from experience.

The traditional retirement model ignores several crucial realities:

You're living longer. Women today can expect to live well into their 80s and 90s. That means you could have 20-30 years after leaving corporate life. That could be nearly as long as your entire career. Your encore phase could be the longest phase of your life. Are you really going to spend three decades playing golf or organizing photo albums?

Your identity is complex. After building a successful career, your sense of purpose and identity extends far beyond leisure activities. The idea of complete retirement can feel like professional death rather than liberation.

Your financial needs are dynamic. Unlike the old model that assumed decreasing expenses in retirement, your costs could actually increase as you pursue new ventures, travel, maintain your health, and perhaps support adult children or aging parents.

Your capacity for contribution remains high. You have knowledge, skills, and insights that the world needs. Complete retirement wastes this valuable resource and deprives you of the fulfillment that comes from meaningful contribution.

Tracey's Revolutionary Approach: Values-Driven Financial Planning

Tracey Lundell's approach to financial planning centers on a powerful principle: true financial success comes from aligning your resources with your core values and creating a foundation for lifelong flexibility rather than complete cessation of work.

"When women come to me thinking about retirement, I ask them to think differently," Tracey explains. "Instead of planning to stop, we plan to evolve. Instead of accumulating money to fund inactivity, we build wealth to support the life you truly want to live."

This values-driven approach requires three fundamental shifts:

1. From Accumulation to Alignment

Traditional financial planning focuses heavily on accumulation and saving enough to replace your current income for 20-30 years. Tracey's approach focuses on alignment by ensuring your financial strategy supports your values, passions, and desired lifestyle.

This means asking different questions:

• What kind of impact do I want to make in my next chapter, my encore?
• How much flexibility do I want in my schedule and commitments?
• What activities energize me and align with my deepest values?
• How can I structure my finances to support multiple scenarios rather than just one "retirement" path?

2. From Fixed Timeline to Flexible Evolution

Instead of planning for a specific retirement date when you'll completely stop earning, plan for a gradual evolution that might include entrepreneurship or portfolio careers that combine multiple interests.

A portfolio career is a dynamic approach to work that combines multiple income streams and diverse activities, rather than depending on a single full-time job. It offers flexibility and often includes a mix of part-time roles, freelancing, consulting, and other ventures. This model empowers individuals to harness a variety of skills, explore different passions, and cultivate both financial stability and personal fulfillment.

Your financial strategy should support this evolution with multiple income streams and flexible withdrawal strategies rather than the traditional model of living solely off accumulated savings.

3. From Risk Avoidance to Purpose-Driven Risk Taking

Traditional retirement planning becomes increasingly conservative as you age, moving money into "safe" investments that provide steady but modest returns. Tracey's approach recognizes that successful women may want to take calculated risks to fund new ventures, support causes they care about, or invest in opportunities that align with their values.

Understanding Your Personal Money Story

Before you can create a financial foundation for your encore, you need to understand the deep-seated beliefs about money that have shaped your decisions throughout your career. Tracey calls this your "money story", the collection of beliefs, emotions, and patterns that influence how you earn, spend, save, and invest.

For successful women, money stories often include:

The security seeker: "I need to save as much as possible because you never know what might happen." This story, while protective, can prevent you from investing in opportunities or experiences that would enrich your life.

The achievement validator: "My net worth reflects my success and value." This story can make it difficult to spend money on yourself or take financial risks that don't clearly increase your wealth.

The caretaker: "I need to make sure everyone else is financially secure before I focus on my own dreams." This story often leads to over-saving for others while under-investing in your own encore.

The traditional planner: "I should follow conventional financial advice and retire when I'm supposed to." This story can limit your vision of what's possible and keep you stuck in outdated planning models.

Rewriting Your Money Story

To create a financial foundation for your next chapter, you might need to rewrite parts of your money story. This process involves:

Identifying limiting beliefs. What assumptions about money might be holding you back from taking bold steps in your transition? Common limiting beliefs include "I can't afford to take risks at my age" or "I should be more conservative with my money now."

Exploring the origins. Where did these beliefs come from? Understanding the source can help you evaluate whether they still serve you.

Testing current relevance. Are these beliefs helping or hindering your goals for your next chapter? A belief that served you in building your corporate career might not be appropriate for your transition phase.

Creating new narratives. What new beliefs would better support your values and goals? For example, "My financial foundation gives me the freedom to take calculated risks on meaningful opportunities" or "I deserve to invest in my own growth and dreams."

Building Your Financial Foundation for What's Next

Creating a financial foundation that supports lifelong flexibility and purpose-driven living requires a different approach than traditional retirement planning. Here are the key elements:

1. Multiple Income Stream Strategy

Instead of planning to live solely off accumulated savings, build multiple potential income streams that can provide both financial security and personal fulfillment:

Consulting income: Leverage your corporate experience and expertise to provide consulting services. This can be structured flexibly around your other priorities.

Business income: Consider starting a business around your passions or expertise. This doesn't have to be a high-growth startup; it could be a lifestyle business that provides supplemental income and personal satisfaction. Trust yourself and your own advice, especially when you're pressured to define business success by the clichéd 6 or 7-figure revenues.

Investment income: Build a diversified portfolio that can provide steady income while also supporting growth. This might include dividend stocks, real estate investments, or other income-producing assets. When working with financial advisors, ensure that they understand the full spectrum of your income stream strategy, not the antiquated "traditional retirement" strategy.

Royalty or passive income: Explore opportunities to create assets that generate ongoing income, such as writing books, creating online courses, or investing in businesses where you can be a silent partner.

2. Flexible Withdrawal and Spending Strategy

Traditional retirement planning often relies on the "4% rule", withdrawing 4% of your portfolio annually. This rule originated from William Bengen's 1994 research, which examined historical 30-year retirement periods. That was 1994; now it's 2025. For women planning dynamic, evolving careers, you need more flexibility.

Consider a "bucket strategy" that divides your assets into:

• Immediate needs (1-3 years of expenses) 
• Medium-term goals (3-10 years)
• Long-term wealth building (10+ years)

This strategy allows you to take advantage of market growth while maintaining the flexibility to fund new ventures, adjust your spending habits, or adjust to changing circumstances.

Again, when working with financial advisors, ensure that they take into account the full spectrum of your income stream strategy and the life you want to experience. Also, ensure that they are qualified to assess your tax implications. See below.

3. Values-Based Investment Approach

Many women now recognize the personal importance of aligning their investments with their values to create both financial returns and personal satisfaction. This might include:

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing: Investments that meet specific criteria for environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

Impact investing: Investments in companies or funds specifically designed to create positive social or environmental impact alongside financial returns.

Direct investment in meaningful ventures: Angel investing or direct investment in businesses or causes that align with your values and expertise.

4. Tax-Efficient Transition Planning

Your transition from corporate employment to your next chapter involves complex tax considerations. Work with qualified financial professionals to optimize:

Timing of major financial moves: When you leave corporate employment, take distributions from retirement accounts, or start new income-producing activities, it can significantly impact your tax liability.

Business structure optimization: If you're starting a consulting practice or business, choose the right legal and tax structure to optimize your financial position.

Healthcare and insurance transitions: Plan for healthcare coverage and disability insurance that protects your financial foundation during your transition.

Mindset Shifts for Your Next Chapter - Your Executive Encore

Creating a successful transition from corporate success to your next meaningful chapter requires more than just financial planning; it requires fundamental mindset shifts:

From Scarcity to Abundance: Many successful women developed a scarcity mindset during their climb up the corporate ladder. You learned to compete for limited opportunities, save for uncertain futures, and protect what you'd earned. Your next chapter requires an abundance mindset. You have decades of experience, extensive networks, and accumulated wisdom. You can afford to be generous with your knowledge, take calculated risks, invest in opportunities that align with your values, and invest in what brings you joy.

From External Validation to Internal Direction: Corporate success often relies on external validation: promotions, salary increases, and recognition from superiors. In your encore, success metrics become more personal and values-driven. You are now liberated to focus on your goals, not an organization's goals. This shift requires developing a stronger internal compass and trust in your own judgment about what constitutes a meaningful and successful life.

From Linear Progression to Portfolio Living: Corporate careers typically follow a linear progression, each role building on the last, moving up hierarchical ladders. Your Executive Encore might look more like a portfolio, combining multiple interests, activities, and income sources in ways that create a rich, multifaceted life. This requires comfort with ambiguity and the ability to find connections between seemingly different activities and interests.

From Risk Avoidance to Strategic Risk Taking: As you advanced in your corporate career, you may have become more risk-averse, protecting the security and status you'd built. Your Executive Encore may require taking strategic risks like starting a business, making career pivots, or investing in new opportunities. The key is distinguishing between reckless risks and strategic risks that are aligned with your goals and backed by your experience and financial foundation. Believe in your abilities, strengths, and decision-making skills.

Practical Steps for Your Values-Based Financial Transition

Ready to move beyond traditional retirement planning and create your next meaningful chapter? Here are practical steps to get started:

Step 1: Clarify Your Values and Vision

Step 2: Assess Your Current Financial Foundation

Step 3: Explore Your Options

Step 4: Create Your Transition Plan

Step 5: Build Your Support Network

Contact me direct @ [email protected] for the coaching resource Executive Encore Practical Steps for Values-Based Financial Transition and a personal invitation to join The Encore Network (for women).

Your Encore Awaits

The traditional concept of retirement, the complete cessation of productive work at a predetermined age, doesn't fit the reality of successful women today. You have too much to offer, too many dreams to pursue, and too much life ahead of you to simply stop.

Tracey Lundell's insights challenge us to think bigger and plan smarter. Instead of accumulating money to fund inactivity, build wealth to support the dynamic, purpose-driven life you want to live. Instead of planning for one fixed future, create financial flexibility that supports multiple possibilities.

Your corporate career was just the beginning. You've spent decades building skills, knowledge, and relationships. You've developed resilience, leadership abilities, and deep expertise. Most importantly, you've gained the confidence and wisdom that can only come from experience.

Now’s the time to put all of that towards something that really matters to you. It’s your chance to see a return on investment that’s not about money, but about you.

The question isn't whether you can afford to pursue your next meaningful chapter. The question is whether you can afford not to. You have what you need to create a financial foundation that supports not just survival, but significance.

Your encore is waiting. And unlike retirement, it's going to be extraordinary. Ready to redefine your financial future? 

Call to Action

Reach out to Tracey Lundell, Senior Investment Advisor at Sea Glass Wealth, who understands values-based planning for women and can help you create a flexible foundation for the dynamic life you want to live.

Comment below or share this post to spread the inspiration! What’s your next move? How will you transform this chapter into your most meaningful one yet? The stage is yours.

Next Steps 

You don't need to tackle transformation in your Executive Encore alone. Learn about a different and more effective way to take charge of your Executive Encore experience. Learn about consulting and coaching for women-owned businesses to accelerate sustainable growth. Contact me on my website's Contact Page or schedule an Executive Encore: 30-Minute Complimentary Call.

Are you ready to redefine your encore chapter? Share your story in the comments below. Join the The Encore Network, a community of supportive women prepared to uplift and inspire. Subscribe to the Sunday Encore below to receive your personal invitation to the The Encore Network membership and community. Together, let’s turn uncertainty into unstoppable momentum and build the Executive Encore movement!