0:07-3:36

Dan Cooper introduces himself, Acumen, and his guest, Augie Grasis, a multiple exit CEO, serial board member, and Acumen Growth Catalyst. Their topic for the day: when "retired" is the wrong r-word, or the power of always adding value! Augie gives a high-level overview of his leadership career, which includes a software company, a mobile computing company, a freight technology business, and several "little breaks" before he wound up as a Growth Catalyst at Acumen.

3:37-7:03

Dan guides the conversation into the day's topic: the "big break" of retirement, which is so often stereotyped and misunderstood. Augie shares about his experience in retirement: although it does involve the standard hobbies and relaxation, he points to the human drive to contribute and add value as a part of the reason he chose to get involved in the meaningful work of Acumen, serving entrepreneurs and sharing his learned wisdom. He speaks to the value of the breaks he took between companies, relaxing and traveling with his wife, as well as the drive to move on to the next thing quickly. 

7:04-11:50

Dan introduces the next question: what exactly does it mean to add value, particularly during the retirement stage? Augie's reply is simple: be a giver, not a taker. If all you're doing is going to the beach day after day, how can you evaluate yourself? What value was added to the world through that activity? Entrepreneurs are always keeping score in business, and that doesn't stop when there's no longer a company to grow. When it comes to determining WHAT to do in order to continue adding value during retirement, Augie reflects on a recent conversation with a friend who is contemplating whether to keep his large house now that his children have all grown up and left. The question to consider and then take baby steps toward became clear: "What do you want your life to be like three years from now?" Starting with the end in mind helps clarify priorities as you evaluate how to continue giving during retirement. 

11:51-15:08

Dan asks: so how did Augie determine exactly what to spend his time on, and how much time to spend on each of the pieces - fun, family, work, and so on? Augie devotes two weeks a month to Acumen, and pursues his other interests - including his family, hobbies, and involvement on a Board - the rest of the time. He reflects on how when you're in the midst of hurried business leadership, you may long for a life of no responsibilities at all; but in reality, some measure of productivity is clearly necessary, at least in his case.

15:09-18-17

Augie speaks to his experience walking others through the process of selling their own companies, including some who moved to become Acumen Growth Catalysts themselves, like Sean Miller. Sean did a really wonderful job gradually transitioning leadership within his family, and used a freeform process with Post-it notes on a whiteboard to document and sift through ideas and feedback around what to do after retirement. 

18:18-20:43

Augie shares about one experiment with his time that didn't exactly work out: the freight-booking company he started with his son. It was fun, but not the right thing for the time. He had forgotten about the incredible investment of time and energy it took to start and run a business, and it allowed him to realize he was ready for a new phase of life. He was happy to move into the more scheduled, supportive role of Acumen Growth Catalyst!

20:44-25:20

Dan summarizes some learning from the conversation: start with the end in mind, get feedback from other people. experiment, and always add value, somewhere and somehow. He asks: how much does the commerce and financial aspect contribute to Augie's scorekeeping now? Is it more about impact, now? Augie responds by pointing to the value Acumen adds to the lives and companies of those involved as they navigate a changing and challenging world. One example he gives was the impact Acumen had in keeping teams supported during COVID. Seeing those he supports thrive is what he now counts as success!

25:21-30:02

The conversation turns to the power of focusing on others. Augie reflects on the difference between those who give and those who are self-focused as they age. He then shares about someone he knows, an expert in his field, who invested in Augie's company when he was 72 years old. When Augie asked why he wanted to invest after all his accomplishments, the man laughed and pointed to the lull in his life caused by retirement. He just wrote a book, completed the New York marathon, started a venture fund investing in technologies around aging, and plans to live till he's 114! When retirement happens around 60, that's nearly half your life yet. Staying engaged is important. The beach isn't enough to spend that many years on alone.

30:03-33:35

Finally, Augie shares how learning about AI is keeping him sharp today, and mentions two books he is currently reading: Being Mortal and Going Infinite. Dan asks for Augie's contact information for those who want to connect.

Linkedin: Augie Grasis III

Dan closes out and shares more information about learning about Acumen at acumenimpact.com.