Retiring at 56...Am I Crazy?

In this episode, Cristie shares something she has been sitting with for nearly a year: she is retiring at 56, after thirty-four years in the mortgage industry. And it has been one of the most emotional, disorienting, and surprisingly complicated decisions of her life. She talks about the fear, the imposter syndrome, the identity she is leaving behind, and the chapter she is trying to design on the other side. Because retiring does not mean stopping. It means finally getting to choose. If you have ever thought about what it would mean to walk away from the career that has defined you, this one is for you. 00:00 Welcome back — episode 111 and Costa Rica retreat update 02:20 Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation — retreats and how to reach out 03:00 Cristie's announcement — retiring at 56 05:00 When the thought first started and would not leave 07:00 Recognizing you no longer have that fire 08:00 Ten months of knowing — designing your own departure 10:30 Being included in every decision — the gift and the torment 12:30 The leaders who kept asking — are you sure? 13:45 What retirement actually looks like — the book, the foundation, the travel 16:00 Kenny's countdown and what he is really gaining 17:30 The fear underneath it all — identity, relevance, being needed 20:00 Who are you when nobody is calling anymore? 21:30 The guardrails she is putting in place 23:00 Journaling the emotions and talking through the fear 25:00 What she would tell anyone whose retirement door is knocking 🎙️ Pieces of a Woman is hosted by Cristie North and DeAnna Robbins. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every two weeks. 📲 Instagram:   / piecesofawomann   🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast... #PiecesOfAWomanPodcast #PiecesOfAWoman #RetirementAt56 #WomenAndRetirement #WomenInMidlife #NewChapter #IdentityAndWork #ThirtyFourYears #WomenInLeadership #LifeAfterWork #MidlifeReinvention #WomenSupportingWomen #RetirementPlanning #DesignYourLife