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Retirement Is a Terrible Time to Slow Down; Advice from a Retired Communications Director

What happens when you retire after 21 years in a demanding career? If you're Janet Kacskos, apparently you get even busier!

After retiring as Director of Communications at Millersville University, Janet had big plans to play golf, work out, and enjoy a little more free time. Instead, she started her own communications business, became a volunteer advocate for children, joined two golf leagues, and discovered that retirement can be a whole new adventure.

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Esther sits down with her neighbor Janet to talk about knowing when it's time to retire, trusting your gut, and finding purpose beyond your career.

Along the way, they explore the importance of making new friends, spending time with people of different generations, and staying curious and connected as life changes. Plus, there's a little talk about neighborhood dogs, because sometimes that's the best way to meet your neighbors!

Janet's advice is a refreshing reminder that retirement isn't necessarily about slowing down. It's about having the freedom to choose what keeps you moving.

🎧 Whether retirement is decades away, right around the corner, or already underway, this conversation might just change how you think about your next chapter.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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What happens when you stop trying to map out every step of your life and start paying attention to what inspires you?

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Esther sits down with supply chain leader Amy Beck for a wide-ranging conversation about careers, identity, family, leadership, and the experiences that shape who we become. Amy’s own path has been anything but predictable: studying art history and organic chemistry, working in fashion in New York, moving into aerospace, and eventually finding her way to biotech and work that has a very personal connection to her family story.

They talk about the women who influence us, the importance of finding and using your voice, and what it means to carry pieces of the people who came before us into the work we do today. Amy also shares her experience becoming a mother later in life, maintaining a strong sense of self and career through that transition, and finding a workplace whose culture and leadership aligned with what she valued.

Along the way, the conversation touches on everything from liberal arts and creative problem-solving to supply chain, workplace culture, mentorship, community, relationships, motherhood, and why great leaders should be working themselves out of a job.

Amy’s advice? Pay attention to the wind. Notice what interests you. Stay open to where it might lead. And don’t be too quick to pigeonhole yourself into a title, a career path, or someone else’s definition of what your life is supposed to look like.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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What are you waiting for before you start living the life you want?

Pete Moore spent nearly four decades building a career in sales, including 35 years with one small, family-owned company. Along the way, he learned that success isn’t always about chasing the next title, making the most money, or being the cheapest option. Sometimes it’s about knowing what you’re good at, taking care of your customers, and recognizing what “enough” looks like for you.

Now retired, Pete is putting another lesson into practice: enjoy life while you’re able to enjoy it.

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Pete and Esther talk about planning for retirement without waiting for retirement to live, the daily habit that helped Pete transform his health, why staying active matters, and how something as simple as walking around your neighborhood can help build a real community.

They also get into the lessons Pete learned from a lifetime in sales—including why being the cheapest isn’t always a winning strategy and why working for a small company sometimes means that even the vice president grabs a snow shovel.

It’s a conversation about work, retirement, health, neighbors, grandkids, and making sure you’re actually enjoying the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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Most people would expect a mathematician to talk about formulas, equations, or numbers. Lucy's most important lesson has nothing to do with math.

After careers as a math professor, defense industry program manager, business owner, and tax professional, Lucy has discovered that success isn't determined by talent alone. It's shaped by something much simpler: your attitude.

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Lucy shares why the people who succeed are often the ones willing to work a little harder, stay curious, create opportunities instead of waiting for them, and treat others with fairness and respect. Along the way, we explore how she navigated multiple career changes, built a thriving business through relationships and word of mouth, and continues to stay engaged through volunteer work and lifelong learning.

Whether you're starting your career, leading a team, or simply looking for a fresh perspective, Lucy's advice is a reminder that the way you approach your work—and your life—can solve far more than equations.

Unexpected Advice? Your attitude solves more than equations.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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How do you make new friends as an adult?

For many of us, building friendships seems to get harder with age. We settle into routines, lean on the people we've always known, and assume our community is already set. But what if your next great friendship is still waiting to be discovered?

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Esther sits down with her neighbor, Odette, whose simple philosophy is one we could all use more of: it's never too late to collect friends.

From moving across the country and starting over to helping customers find exactly what they need in retail, Odette shares how curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and simply putting yourself out there can create meaningful relationships in the most unexpected places.

Whether you're new to a community, looking to expand your circle, or just wondering how to connect more intentionally with the people around you, this conversation is a reminder that some of life's greatest opportunities begin with a simple conversation.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why it's never too late to build new friendships.
• How asking better questions helps people feel seen and understood.
• What moving to a new place teaches you about creating community.
• Why putting yourself out there is worth the risk.
• How authenticity builds trust—in business and in life.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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What can a front porch teach us about building a better life?

In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Esther sits down with neighbor Colleen Jacobsen for a conversation that starts with wraparound porches and Long Island roots, but quickly turns into something much bigger. Together they explore why community doesn't just happen—it starts with showing up, saying hello, and making the first move.

Along the way, you'll hear unexpected advice about meeting your neighbors, finding your sense of home, why where you're from shapes who you become, and one dating rule that might just save you some awkwardness.

Because great communities are built one conversation at a time.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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What advice would you expect from someone who has worked in the White House, the U.S. Senate, and state government?

Surprisingly, it isn't about politics. It's about leaving home without losing it.

In this episode of Unexpected Advice: Right Next Door, Esther's neighbor Erica shares the lessons she learned while building a remarkable career that took her across the country before bringing her back to the neighborhood where she grew up. They talk about taking chances, building community wherever you land, staying connected to the people who matter most, and why sometimes the greatest success isn't how far you travel, it's what you bring back with you.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast

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Neighbor Jaime Sumner shares why the best education doesn't come from staying put - it comes from saying yes to the journey.

Some of the best advice comes from people who've lived a little differently. In this episode, Esther sits down with neighbor Jamie Sumner, whose decades of road trips, cross-country adventures, and conversations with strangers have taught him that curiosity is less about where you go and more about how you experience the world. From exploring America's backroads to discovering hidden local gems, Jaime reminds us that life gets bigger the moment we stop saying "I can't" and start saying "Let's go."

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast