Strike a Chord: Transitioning Into Retirement

When a person decides to retire from their career the next steps forward can be difficult, but there's one organization that provides a network of women who help each other navigate this change.

 

MaryLou Floyd, Chair of the New York City Chapter of The Transition Network, joined the organization because she was starting a business, but Floyd said women join for a whole host of reasons. 

 

"I was just looking for some synergies on the business I was working on, but as a result I have a whole slew of new friends because you tend to meet people who are in you similar situation and that you have a lot in common with," Floyd said.

 

Floyd said the Transition Network offers different interest groups for members like going to the opera, dining together or going to the movies. They also offer workshops for women to figure out the next steps following retirement. Floyd said women often have to come to terms with several key questions. 

 

"How do I readjust to this new way of life that I'm now going to be leading or get some ideas on how to do it?" 

 

Floyd said it's hard to pinpoint just one way that the Transition Network can help women. 

 

"We're all over the map," Floyd said. "We want to do a whole lot of different things. You can't really do a single sentence or a paragraph. The women are just really varied and  are of ten taking advantage of a whole bunch of opportunities and creating the world for themselves."

 

Floyd said that the most important aspect of the organization is it's ability to celebrate women who are entering a new phase of life.