S1 – Ep. 6: Chip Conley on Growing Wise at Modern Elder Academy (Modern Elders, Part 1)
Debbie Weil
Chip Conley: Growing Wise at Modern Elder Academy
EPISODE SUMMARY
Debbie interviews Chip Conley who is a New York Times best-selling author, rebel hospitality entrepreneur and a rock star of the mid-life transition movement. Chip’s newest book is Wisdom @ Work and he is the founder of Modern Elder Academy, the world’s first mid-life wisdom school, in Baja California, Mexico.
SHOW NOTES
Debbie interviews Chip Conley, New York Times best-selling author, rebel hospitality entrepreneur and now a rock star of the mid-life transition movement. After selling Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest boutique hotel brand in the U.S., Chip was invited at age 52 to work for AirBnB as an advisor to the young founders. He soon found himself to be both mentor and intern; the result was his newest book, “Wisdom @ Work, The Making of a Modern Elder.” In January 2018, Chip founded Modern Elder Academy, the world’s first mid-life wisdom school, in Baja California, Mexico. Together they talk about MEA’s mission, which is to help mid-lifers mine their mastery, repurpose it and reset their mindset for the second half or third third of their life. They also talk about the experience of attending MEA where Debbie spent a week as a student and where she interviews Chip with waves pounding in the background.
MENTIONED IN EPISODE
- Chip Conley
- Wisdom @ Work: the Making of a Modern Elder
- Modern Elder Academy
- Chip’s mid-life transition articles on LinkedIn
- Debbie and Michael Campbell: the Senior Nomads
- At this Baja school, post-50-year-olds learn to grow whole, not old (LA Times)
- A New Luxury Retreat Caters to Elderly Workers in Tech (30 and Up) (NYTimes)
Note: the NYT article didn’t get the story quite right. MEA is for more than tech workers; it’s for those 35 – 75 seeking a next step.
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Credits:
- Host: Debbie Weil
- Producer: Far Out Media
- Music: Lakeside Path By Duck Lake
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- Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com
- Twitter: @debbieweil
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Thanks to our media partners
Encore.org, our newest media partner, is an ideas and innovation hub tapping the talent of those 50+ as a force for good. Founder and CEO Marc Freedman is an award-winning social entrepreneur and author, most recently, of How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations. Looking for a great gap-year transition program? Check out Encore Fellowships, which match skilled, seasoned professionals with social-sector organizations in high-impact, paid assignments.
Modern Elder Academy is a program dedicated to navigating mid-life transitions. MEA, based in Baja California, Mexico, provides the place and the tools to start reframing your lifetime of experience. Grow whole, not old. Founder Chip Conley is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning hospitality entrepreneur and a rock star of the mid-life transition movement. His newest book is Wisdom @ Work: the Making of a Modern Elder.
Next For Me is an important new resource for the 50+ crowd focused on rewriting life. Taking a gap year or timeout may be the best way to figure out "what's next" when you're in this stage of life. Founder Jeff Tidwell explains, Next For Me "connects and inspires our generation to evolve our post-50 lives through new work, a new purpose, or a new social contribution."