So You're Getting Older and Wondering "What's Next?" Yeah... Me Too.

I didn't have a strategy. I had a job I couldn't stand and just enough stubbornness to try something else — without quitting tomorrow.

Here's what actually happened, in the order it happened:

Ditched the Daily Grind: How I started moving from a 9-to-5 toward work-when-I-want, without blowing anything up overnight.
Brought Old Skills Back Into Play: How I started using what I already knew (plus a few new tools that actually stuck) to stay sharp and stay in the game.
Started Loving Work Again: How I found work that doesn't feel like a chore most days which still catches me off guard, honestly.

Want it?

Plus, you'll get my weekly email mixtape with stories, side gigs, 80s/90s nostalgia, and whatever else I'm figuring out along the way. No hustle-bro energy or smoke up your ass. Unsubscribe whenever — no hard feelings.

future of work

Nov 22, 2024

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8 min read

How I Built a One-Person Business at 50 with Blogs and Newsletters

From a $40K Desk Job to Running a Business I Love: How Blogging and Newsletters Changed My Life

Corey Koehler

future of work

Gen X: The Unexpected Winners of the AI Revolution

Nov 17, 2024

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7 min read

Gen X: The Unexpected Winners of the AI Revolution

How the OGs of internet adaptation are perfectly positioned to profit from artificial intelligence

Corey Koehler

future of work

Dec 6, 2025

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5 min read

The "Quiet" AI Side Hustle That’s Perfect for Gen X (No Coding Required)

Stop trading time for money. Here is how to use AI and Beehiiv to build a digital asset without dancing on TikTok.

Corey Koehler

future of work

Feb 15, 2025

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12 min read

ChatGPT Newsletter Strategy: The Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Your Launch

Stop guessing if your idea will work. Here is the simple ChatGPT blueprint to map out your subscribers, sales, and strategy in minutes.

Corey Koehler

The Guy Behind All This…

Corey Koehler

Corey Koehler is a former foundry worker and mechanical draftsman who somehow ended up running ad campaigns and marketing systems for businesses, brands, and even musicians for the past decade-plus. None of that was the plan, which is sort of the point. Redefining Retirement is Corey's email mixtape with stories, side gigs, and a healthy dose of 80s/90s nostalgia for anyone who's done pretending they've got it all figured out. He's 54, getting lazier by the year, growing allergic to hustle-bro energy, and mostly just writing down or videoing what he's learning as he goes which is also mostly what this whole thing is about. Oh and, if you ever catch him sounding like a guru, do him a favor and tell him to knock it off.

What readers have to say…

[Corey is] uniquely capable of getting people enthused about their own potentials.

Forrest Dailey

I've been spending months trying to untangle my domain expertise and passions to direct everything into a focused offering. Corey has been a huge help here, pointing out oversights and helping me to personally see where dots are connecting.

Matt Durgavich

Gaming Professional turned Creator

If you’re the one writing this, it’s damned good writing…very personal, (actually interesting) captivating, compelling, etc. Bravo!! I’m glad I get these - you’re giving me some ideas. I’m inspired.

Scott Zosel

Journalist turned Senior Marketing Manager and Musician

Corey has provided a lot of inspiration and encouragment for making the final step from full time employment to full time self deployment :). Better than that are the excercises he has suggested that really help clarify what it is I want to accomplish in life so that I can work through the process and discover how to best serve my overall "why" in day to day business.

Cory Tomesh

Employee turned Business Owner, Sprint Graphics

Your posts always spark ideas for me. So glad I met you on my business ownership journey. And I like your newsletter, the voice and tone is fun and easy to read and helpful.

Clorissa Osborn, CMA

Career Ownership Coach / Small Business Owner

When I was just getting started with my email newsletter, I didn't have much experience or confidence. Corey walked me through the early steps, gave me clear advice, and helped me find my footing. He made the whole process feel simple and doable. Thanks to his coaching, I now have a newsletter that basically runs on autopilot, and it's working great!

Dustin Hauer

Founder, Social Media Bites

This column may have saved my career. The AI Rory prompt helped put something in perspective for me about my new job and guided how I am going to approach it going forward. I can't explain it without giving you a ton of detail, but I just wanted to say thank you!

Andy

Redefining Retirement reader

I just connected with Corey Koehler and had my first one-on-one chat with him. He is engaging, personable, and very easy to talk to. After signing up for his newsletter, he sent me a note and asked me a couple questions. When we met, he already had a feel for how he could help me, via his prior experience, plus new research he conducted. He had several great ideas for me that I had not considered, at least not fully. I highly recommend connecting with him and subscribing to his “blog-letter” and I don’t do that often. What he says will make you think, make you laugh, and will really resonate with you, especially for us Gen-Xers. Thanks Corey!

Steve Swiatek

Independent CRM Consultant

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