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| Gail and Michael Holmes, volunteer and mom, nonprofit business consultant, St. Louis. |
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NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) -
"I felt I wanted more meaning in my life now. There's a big need for people to be helped out there," says Michael.
Michael Holmes was around, oh, say, age 30 when he first realized he needed to plan for a life in retirement, not just for an income.
A human-resources pro throughout his career (which culminated in the top HR job at St. Louis brokerage Edward Jones), he says he has seen too many people exit work without a clue as to how they'll fill the next 30 or 40 years.
"You have to figure out what will really matter to you," he advises, "then put a toe in the water before you leave."
Now 10 months into retirement at the tender age of 47, he is a cheery, Gospel-quoting perpetual-motion advertisement for his own advice.
Holmes left Jones to found his own consultancy, which helps nonprofit organizations run smarter. He trained for his second act for a couple of decades, carving out time from work to serve on the boards of such groups as the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America and the United Way.
Work, meanwhile, was going fine. On his watch, Holmes notes, Fortune named Edward Jones the best company to work for in America. Open-heart surgery last year gave him the impetus to leave.
"I had time for reflection. I realized I had all the money I needed," he says. "I wanted a more meaningful way to make a contribution."
His experience on nonprofit boards gave him instant credibility in his new endeavor, and he's now as busy as ever. (He is working with the National Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship and the local chapter of 100 Black Men of America.) He joined a golf club in March but rarely picks up his sticks.
His wife Gail, 46, just smiles. "Michael thought he could go from 110 mph to zero," she says. "But Michael is just not a zero-mph kind of guy."
Play-time for grown-ups: Pam and James Weil's story. »»
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Read more of MONEY's special report: The Dream Retirement
Lee Eisenberg is the author of "The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life," to be published by Free Press in January 2006.
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