My Semi-Retirement Life
I have a unique set of skills that has allowed me to earn a full-time income even though I haven’t had a traditional full-time job in over 16 years. I haven’t kept ‘regular’ office hours for 12 years. As such, I’ve considered myself semi-retired since I was 37.
It wasn’t always this way. My early career spanned nearly two decades working a typical corporate job. Like many, I was under the impression this was the path to a good life. Work 40-50 hours a week with nights and weekends off, a few weeks of vacation (that would increase over time), and a generous 401k match. The promise was clear: If I kept my focus and invested properly, I could retire with a fat bank account and ride off into the sunset. No sweat, it would only take 40 years or so to get there.
A long story, incredibly short: I was in the right place at the right time. My company was a pioneer in the world of direct marketing and was one of the early leaders in eCommerce, Internet marketing, and search engine optimization.
For some strange reason, this digital frontier made sense to me, and I was able to acquire the skills to help other companies navigate their entry into the world wide web as a part-time side hustle.
Over the next few years, in a series of moves, I took positions at a few marketing agencies which expanded my understanding of marketing while increasing my salary and reducing my working hours.
Eventually, my side hustle became my full-time income. I was able to leverage my skills into a sustainable business model.
I developed a system where I have long-term service contracts that cover my basic overhead and income needs. These contracts are mostly remote, require very little on-site work, and are deadline driven. As long as I meet my deadlines, my clients are happy.
My business is supplemented by short-term special projects. Upon completion, many of these projects feed my long-term service contract business. I don’t count on this income as this can vary wildly from year to year.
Since 2021, I’ve been able to become an extended ‘fractional’ team member for a few select marketing agencies and businesses who find themselves needing longer-term help. These engagements are all custom, and tend to be more lucrative, but they require more of a scheduling commitment.
My income is spread across a variety of clients in many industries, spanning a wide geographic area. In addition to creative freedom, I have multiple streams of income from a diverse client base that has provided me financial stability.
By investing properly, as well contributing to my 401k’s, SEP’s and Roth IRA’s, long term, I’m in a good position to retire when I’m old enough to start drawing on my retirement accounts.
In the meantime, I work when I want, I play when I want, and travel the world. I’ve found a work/life balance that allows me to enjoy many of the benefits of being retired, while still creating meaningful work and contributing to the success of others.
