Event Archives ______________________________________________________


Encore: Making a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life
A SHiFT Special Event



Monday, April 29
5:30-6:30 PM Reception 
6:30-8:30 PM Program

Program                                                
Schulze Hall
University of St. Thomas
1000 LaSalle Ave.
Minneapolis

Parking information: https://www.stthomas.edu/eventservices/parking/minneapoliscampus/

On April 29, SHiFT will bring writer and career planning expert Marci Alboher to the Twin Cities for a special town hall-style gathering, Encore: Making a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life. Alboher, author of the newly published Encore Career Handbook, will be at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, with advice on shifting gears in the second half of life. Alboher’s book responds to a growing movement among the 45+ generation, a quest for meaningful ways to engage in the community via new careers and new volunteer activity.

One of the nation’s top experts on career issues and workplace trends, Marci Alboher is a vice president of Encore.org, a nonprofit that helps millions of people move into second acts for the greater good. A former blogger and columnist for The New York Times, Alboher is also the author of One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success.

Offering opening remarks at the April 29 gathering will be former St. Paul Mayor Jim Scheibel, who’s now an advocate for opportunities for people of all ages to serve and honorary professor of practice at the Hamline University School of Business. Joining Alboher in the town hall discussion will be three Twin Cities business leaders who have launched encore careers. Todd Bol is co-founder of the Little Free Library, which promotes free book exchange via small, neighborhood distribution boxes. Tene Wells, a current Bush Fellow and former executive director of WomenVenture, is exploring ways to turn her passion for economic development into a social business. After 23 years in various leadership roles at Medtronic, Jodi Harpstead left the corporate world for a career in the nonprofit sector. She is now CEO of Lutheran Social Service as well as Children’s Home Society of Minnesota. The discussion moderator will be Chris Farrell of public radio’s Marketplace Money and author of the bestselling book The New Frugality.

Copies of Encore: Making a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life will be available for purchase at the event. A book signing will follow the discussion.
 


SHiFT Forum
April 1st
6:30 PM: Networking
7:00 PM: Presentation

Mankato State University Edina Campus
7700 France Avenue South

Act Happy: Create the Chemistry of Peak Performance and Laugh for the Health of It

Dr. Dale Anderson has been called a “dramatologist.” He prescribes and dispenses theater skills that can lead to a physiology that creates health, happiness and success. In this SHiFT Forum, he’ll help you learn, create and experience his “method”—setting the stage for you to assume an upbeat, enjoyable role in your real life, every day.

Dale Anderson, MD, has been a physician for more than 50 years and is a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. In 2011, he was inducted into the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame.

Join us April 1 for fun and creative method acting techniques that can enhance your life by generating the chemistry of success.
 

SHiFTing In and Out of Neutral
 
In this workshop, facilitators lead exercises that encourage participants to reflect on the ups, downs and occasional confusion of being in “the neutral zone,” a phase between endings and new beginnings identified by writer William Bridges. Bridges says the neutral zone is not to be avoided or feared; instead it should be embraced as a necessary internal process of reassessing on the way to new beginnings.

Winter 2013 Series:
Wednesday, February 27
6:00-9:00 pm
International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Minneapolis

Facilitators: Gerry Kegler, Catherine Mullinax-Jones





SHiFT Forum
Monday, February 4

6:30 pm Networking
7:00 pm Program

Mankato State University Edina Campus
7700 France Avenue South

How to Start a Successful Small Business

In a troubled economy, the best strategy for finding security is starting your own business.

That’s one lesson Bob Voss has learned in the process of launching, managing and developing five businesses. Now he teaches aspiring entrepreneurs as an instructor at Dakota County Technical College and as the author of three books on starting a business. In 2008, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship named him National Entrepreneur Instructor of the Year. He is currently the chief manager of BizOwner Training, LLC, an online assessment company.  

In his SHiFT Forum presentation, Bob will explain:

  • The importance of business planning
  • An easy way to create a business plan
  • How to get started from a legal and tax standpoint
  • The four main reasons start-up businesses fail (and what we can learn from failure)
  • The #1 secret to make sure your new business is a success

Bob will also share a variety of resources on starting a business.

Bob Voss likes to point out that he was 51 when he started teaching. “That goes to show that it's never too late to find your calling in life,” he says. “You can’t just say that you want to be something. You have to know that you are that something.”



WorkAbility - Strategies for Our Aging Workforce
Leveraging Older Workers to Fill the Skills Gap

Organizations know the workforce is aging, yet few have taken steps to adequately prepare for these shifts in demographics.  There are lots of reasons for inaction: competing organizational priorities; assumptions that existing talent management approaches are adequate; lack of current talent shortages; and skepticism about all the crisis hype without current impact.
Make no mistake – the Great Recession may have delayed talent shortages, but it didn’t change the demographic realities.  Some industries are starting to see talent shortages today, and more will see them tomorrow.  Now is the time to build a strategy to attract and retain older workers and make the most of their talents and skills.
This session will bring together corporate, government, and individual voices as we explore solutions to an aging workforce.  Please join us for an interactive program that will:

  • Focus on the facts
  • Outline the importance of workforce analytics
  • Hear from innovators who are launching new initiatives
  • Share ideas with others in the business community
  • Explore solutions and ways to make the business case
  • Combine organizational, governmental, and individual perspectives
Session Highlights

Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon will update us about Minnesota’s job outlook, and point to opportunities for Minnesota employers.

A panel of local will highlight the role workforce analytics can play in making the business case for a concerted talent management strategy that focuses on older workers.

Local employers will share unique initiatives that they have implemented to help them adapt to the changing workforce.
 
A panel of innovators will explore successes with creative, tradition breaking efforts, such as mid career internships (“Midternships"), encore careers, phased retirement and partnering with the nonprofit community to create innovative practices to fill talent gaps.

Time to connect with others in the business community, to share ideas, ask questions and develop solutions that will fit their organizations' unique needs.

Event Flier Download/More Information






Navigating Midwinter Transitions: How to Shed that Holiday Stress

SHiFT Forum
Monday, January 7

6:30 pm Networking
7:00 pm Program

Mankato State University Edina Campus
7700 France Avenue South

Get the New Year off to a healthy start by learning simple and valuable tools that will lessen the impact of stress in your life.

Although stress is an inevitable part of life and most stressors are out of our control, we can learn to manage our responses to them.

In the January SHiFT Forum, our two speakers will explain how our bodies respond to stress and introduce coping mechanisms that can ultimately break the ties to our stress-related habits.

Jean Fraser, a trainer specializing in wellness and personal development, will demonstrate her “No-Mat Yoga: Mindful Movement and Breath Breaks,” exercises you can do seated in a chair or simply standing. She will also provide handouts for home practice. Through her Twin Cities-based company, Soma Ventures, Jean assists groups, organizations and individuals with wellness initiatives. Her teaching is informed by more than 30 years of study in therapeutic movement, stress management and yoga. She refines these practices into accessible tools for everyday life.

If your pants are getting tighter, Jody Orfield says stress, not your diet, may be the problem. Many of us turn to food when we’re feeling anxious. As a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes care, Jody knows how to help families and individuals find healthy ways to manage the pressure in their lives. She is also a holistic lifestyle coach and an emotional brain-training provider. Jody’s personal experience has motivated her to start It’s Your Journey: A Holistic Lifestyle Center. 


December 12th :  6:00 to 9:00 PM

SHiFTing In and Out of Neutral

International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Mpls.

According to William Bridges, author of Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, each transition we experience comprises three stages: an Ending, a Neutral Zone, and a New Beginning. In this workshop you will explore your own transitions



 

Connect: Build Networking Skills  

   

 

 

with Stevie Ray      

 

SHiFT Forum

Monday, December 3    

6:30 PM Reception  

7:00 PM Program                                                 

 

Note this month's special location!!

   

Metropolitan State University

Great Hall, New Main

700 E. 7th Street, St. Paul 

SHiFT Members Free**

Non-members $15**   

 

Join us for a festive and active session with Stevie Ray!

Well over 90 percent of hiring decisions are based on personal interaction. You will experience new ways of networking by actually practicing on the spot. This promises to be an interactive and spontaneous evening, combining the best of both worlds: We have fun and we learn.

The Forum begins at 6:30 with a reception (refreshments provided), a chance for newcomers to learn more about SHiFT and information about a range of opportunities for midlifers. The program starts at 7:00 p.m.  

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November 14th:  9:00AM to 1:00 PM

Life Reflection Stories

Lunds Uptown, 1450 Lake St. W., Minneapolis

Every life is extraordinary and your life stories should be shared as a part of your legacy. These are short chapter-of-life stores to help you reflect upon and share your life lessons, experiences, and accomplishments with loved ones and your community.

SHiFT members $30, non-members $40



 

October 25th, November 1st and 8th:

5:30 to 8:30 PM

SHiFT Circles: We Are All Teachers and Learners

Linden Hills Library, 2900 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis

SHiFT Circles are a three-session series of small-group lifework discussion and planning. In a setting of acceptance and support, you'll explore your strengths and challenges, connect with others, and create a future vision. Led by professional facilitators

 

November 5th:  7:00 to 9:00 PM

SHiFT Forum

Stories of Transition: A Panel Discussion

Mankato State University, 7700 France Ave. S., Edina

Mike Mann, award-winning storyteller, public speaker and certified trainer for the Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance, where he teaches workshops on storytelling. Plus Panelists to be announced.

 

November 5th:  7:00 to 9:00 PM

 

SHiFT Forum

Stories of Transition: A Panel Discussion

Mankato State University, 7700 France Ave. S., Edina
Forums are free to members, $15 to non-members




Bio - Mike Mann
An award-winning storyteller, speaker and parenting columnist; Mike has won the Parents’ Choice Award, the Storytelling World Award and the National Association of Parenting Publications Award. He comes from a background in HR and corporate training where he discovered that stories have the power to motivate, spark the imagination and inspire solutions. Before launching the Center for Imagination, Mike was a trainer with the National Institute on Media and the Family for 12 years, speaking to parents, teachers and business leaders about brain development, parenting and media use. He is passionate about helping people realize the power of their imagination.

Click here for more information about Mike Mann.
 


Bio - Greg Jodzio

In 2008 Greg Jodzio realized that with the change in the stock market, his personal financial position along with his ‘planned’ retirement was going to change . . . so too would his personal and professional career.  As the Southwest Initiative Foundation’s first ENCORE Entrepreneur, Greg modeled the way for many other ENCORE business owners.  Today, Greg leads the program at the Southwest Initiative Foundation in southwestern Minnesota by providing guidance and technical assistance to other ENCORE Entrepreneurs. His mantra to Renew/Reinvent encourages other Boomers to join the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the country.


October 24th:  6:00 to 9:00 PM

SHiFTing In and Out of Neutral

International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Mpls.

According to William Bridges, author of Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, each transition we experience comprises three stages: an Ending, a Neutral Zone, and a New Beginning. In this workshop you will explore your own transitions


SHift Forum
Monday, February 6, 2012

Your Story — Pathway to Your Greatest Life
It’s never too late to start living a life that’s true to who you are. And the starting point for that journey of discovery is as simple as your own personal story.

Drawing on new research and fun tools like the 4 Mores™, Catherine Reid Day will define how to uncover the clues to your story and create the future you want. You’ll discover where you’ve been, who you are, where you belong, and where you want to go.

Catherine is the founder of Storyslices, a company using story as tool for navigating transitions, and a co-founder of The Creative Enterprise Zone — which supports those who want to make a living by using their creative capacities. She is a recognized writer, speaker, media producer and consultant.

►  Visit Catherine's LinkedIn page ...




SHiFT Forum
Monday, January 9, 2012

Get Good at the Art of Living
Life is a creative process. And it’s far easier to create the life you want when you’re feeling positive, energized and motivated.

At this inspirational Forum, Maryanne O’Brien presents the scientific principles and hands-on tools designed to move you out of your comfort zone, tap into your creative energy, and discover what’s possible. The session also includes a Personal Energy Assessment to measure where you are right now, plus daily practices to keep you on track.

Maryanne is a speaker, writer, trainer, consultant — and the founder of Live Dynamite. She has spent more than 20 years leading strategic planning and transformation within Fortune 500 companies such as Hormel Foods, Famous Dave’s, Coldwell Banker Burnet, and Ameriprise Financial.

Bonus: A SHiFT first!  Maryanne will lead a special networking exercise to help you make connections, nurture them, and create a support system for yourself during the next 30 days.  Don't miss this energizing Forum!


SHiFT Forum
Monday, November 7, 2011

Technology, You, and a Networked World
New technologies challenge us to let go of old ways of thinking and doing. They also unleash a torrent of ideas, innovations, and opportunities for collaboration. How could we embrace technology, so that we can tap into our deeper potential -- both individually and collectively?

Anne Pryor, Ginger Sorvari Bucklin, and Paul DeBettignies will outline the new information technology tools, explain their impact and potential, and how we might use those tools to help us move more fluidly through our own transitions.

Anne is Online Visibility Strategist and a Career Coach at Career Partners International-Twin Cities and the co-founder of Meaningful Connections. Since 2008, she has coached and taught more than 20,000 clients how to be found online for business development opportunities.

Ginger is a partner at Cimarron Winter, a consultancy that delivers effective digital strategies and program management services to companies of all sizes. A self-described "nerd at heart", she founded the Bucklin Family Foundation in 2010, which is dedicated to building closer families through technology.

Paul is VP of Recruiting at HireCast Consulting. He's a frequent speaker and writer — and a sponsor, volunteer and mentor in the marketing and social media community. 

At his Minnesota Headhunter blog he's coached people of all ages on effective networking and job search strategies.



SHiFT Forum
Monday, October 3, 2011

The Joys and Challenges of Pursuing the Work You Love

The vision is compelling. The journey’s not always smooth. What does it take to stay the course? Join Ann Bancroft, Kate DiCamillo and moderator Chris Farrell for an evening of exploration into what we all face as heroes and heroines of our own life stories.

Born to a family of risk-takers, Ann Bancroft is the first known woman in history to cross the ice — by dogsled, on skis, and on foot — to the North and South Poles.

Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1995, she leads the Ann Bancroft Foundation, a non-profit organization that celebrates the achievements of women and girls. “Listen closely to what your heart tells you to pursue,” she says. “Let it drown out the negative voices and step forward."

"I think of myself as an enormously lucky person," says award-winning children's author Kate DiCamillo. "I get to tell stories for a living."

After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her 20s, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire her very first published novel in 2000 -- Because of Winn-Dixie. It became a runaway bestseller and then a movie. That success was followed by The Tale of Despereaux. Of her readers, she says “my hope is they will be more inclined to believe in the impossible."

Forum Moderator Chris Farrell is economics editor for public radio's weekly "Marketplace Money" program and author of the bestselling The New Frugality.

A graduate of the London School of Economics, he’s the recipient of a National Magazine Award, two Loeb Awards, and the Edward R. Murrow Award.

This Forum is presented by ...                   


SHiFT Forum
Monday, September 12, 2011

Change Your Life in 30 Days
We will not change, says Verna Price, until we are challenged: a job layoff, a divorce, a life-threatening illness. Why? Because we're socialized to stay in our comfort zones. Fear of the unknown keeps us from saying Yes to change.

In this Forum, you'll be challenged to consider who you are, how you think, why you think the way you do, and what you want out of life.

Verna Price is the founder, president of J. Cameron & Associates, an organization committed to empowering and motivating people to realize and positively use their personal power. She is an author, organizational consultant, motivational speaker, executive coach, and educator.

           ♦ See Verna Price's Bio ...        ♦ View a Video Clip ...        ♦ Buy the Book at Amazon.com ...



SHiFT Forum
Monday, June 6, 2011

Life Changes and Life Changers
Three presenters. Three stories. Three lives changed ... and a commitment to help others change their lives, too.

Catherine Byers Breet is Chief Stripe Changer at Arbez. In 2001, when her dream job burst along with the dot.com bubble, she ran away from her fear — and into the fire. She landed in a corner office, wearing a fancy title.  It wasn't enough.

After grad school, Pete Machalek of Sage Presence took a safe day job for the summer while he weighed his options. Three months turned into six, then a year. It paid the bills, but the job left him feeling unfulfilled. It took 10 more years to accept who he was — and what he wanted.

At age 62, Jeanne Larson of The Incubator is a 'serial entrepreneur' now running her 6th business.  "Retirement is not in my vocabulary," she says. "It's a myth and an antiquated term. All I can see are opportunities."

Finding what aligns with who you are at midlife can be a life changer. Come for the stories, fresh ideas, and some inspiration!

►  Forum sponsored by ...               



SHiFT Forum
Tuesday, May 3, 2011


The Encore Stage of Life: A Call to Action
Finding passion, purpose and a paycheck at midlife is more than just an individual aspiration. It’s a social imperative that should engage Americans of all generations.

That’s the message from Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures — a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. His new book The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife challenges us to turn down the volume in our dialogue about the staggering economic costs of a dramatically aging society.

In its place, he says, we need to convert the “encore” stage between midlife and old age from a do-it-yourself project (with little guidance, few role models and scarce resources) to an energetic force to solve our most pressing national problems.


SHiFT Forum
Monday, March 7, 2011

Find the Hidden Gifts in Overcoming Adversity
The path of major life transition is often marked with obstacles and diversions. At this Forum, you’ll hear the stories — and explore the resources — that can help you navigate with greater clarity.

Mike Hanson, a Twin Cities attorney who is blind, found himself unemployed, newly divorced — and feeling highly vulnerable. He chose to make a powerful statement about independence and the creative spirit: hiking the Appalachian Trail.

After leaving Women Venture as its President and CEO, Tene Wells slipped into self-doubt. For 10 years, that pinnacle job had been her identity. She re-emerged after connecting with her passion: consulting with non-profits to help them become risk-taking, disciplined innovators.

Peter Bailey, an organization development consultant at The Prouty Project, found inspiration in classic tales such as The Lion King, Wizard of Oz, and The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell.  Then he developed his Heroic Journey model, with its keys to the cycle of life and learning ... which he'll present at this Forum.




SHiFT Forum
February 7, 2011

The Life of Simple Abundance: Money, Food, and Home
Come join three Twin Cities leaders in the areas of economics, nutrition, and home living for a provocative conversation on how to live more fulfilling and abundant lives with ... less!

Chris Farrell is an award-winning journalist and the economics editor of NPR's "Marketplace Money". His recent best-seller The New Frugality asks us to rethink how we choose to spend our money. 

Lisa Kane is a registered dietitian with an emphasis on whole foods and balanced lifestyle and a background in oncology. She has written a local column for Minnesota Publications for 5 years, making nutrition information accessible and its practical application tangible. Paul Neseth of LOCUS Architecture works with a wide range of clients to reimagine their building needs to meet simpler lifestyles.

Looking for a "new normal" that will sustain you longer into your life?  Plan to attend this free event.

►  View Presenter Bios ... 



SHiFT thanks Wells Fargo for its generosity in sponsoring this event.



SHiFT Forum
December 6, 2010

Life's Season of Giving ... When Midlife meets Legacy
Imagine a little more Christmas all year round.  Come join Sean Kershaw (Director of The Citizen's League), Judy Alnes (Director of MAP for nonprofits), and Jon Pratt (Director of Minnesota Council of Nonprofits), and a visit from Mike Mann of Center for Imagination) for a discussion on the art of giving back at midlife.

What are the many ways civic engagement can be brought into our lives? What are volunteer and job trends in the non-profit sector? What are good first steps to take? Interested in changing lives? Come to this event!


SHiFT Forum
November 1, 2010

Myths & Realities at Midlife
Midlife is what we make of it. Some smart strategies: upgrade skill sets for your current career; stay physically and mentally fit; nurture your connections; and be willing to shift your vision when your values change.

Janet Pelto, George Dow, and Kate Schaefers are Twin Cities career counselors who specialize in coaching people at midlife. They'll outline the big questions and offer some answers:
  • What are the myths about midlife?
  • Can they be broken?
  • What are they keys to navigating change?
  • In the face of challenges, how do we become our best selves?
  • What are the 5 best practices for finding new work at midlife?
From their coaching practices, they'll also present real life case studies of people who defied the myths.

► See Presenter Bios ...
 

SHiFT Stories
Monday, October 18

The Power of Story in Playback Theater
For thousands of years, we humans have gathered together to share stories. Stories of our lives. Stories carrying the experience and wisdom of our tribe through the generations. We offer our accounts of what has happened -- and wonder what it all might mean.

River's Edge Playback Theater presents a form of improvisation in which audience members share stories from their lives -- amusing, sad, silly or profound. And a group of actors bring the heart of the story to life. On the spot. It's where theater meets storytelling ... and forms community.


SHiFT Forum
October 4, 2010

Unleashing Your Inner Change Artist
At a time of great social and cultural change, people are also living longer and more active lives. The ability to reinvent oneself — again and again — is key to investing more meaning in life and work.

Author and artist Fred Mandell has just published Becoming a Change Artist, a book with profound implications for those of us entering midlife and beyond.  What can master artists teach us about the creative process?  At this Forum, Fred shared the "7 Creative Skills to Reinvent Yourself at Any Stage of Life" ... insights that will surprise and inspire you. 

Fred Mandell has earned a reputation as a highly innovative business leader, author, and catalyst for personal change. His life and work has been featured in the PBS series Boomers; Redefining Life After 50.

► View the Presentation ...