Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
What if we reimagined aging not as something to fear—but rather as something aspirational?
Today we reframe aging as a sacred phase of life to be celebrated. An opportunity to share accrued wisdom, channel it into a second act, and leverage it to make your life and relationships more meaningful.
Leading us on this philosophical journey is my new friend Chip Conley .
A hotelier and hospitality maverick, Chip is the founder or Joie De Vivre, America’s second-largest boutique hotel company. He subsequently served as Strategic Advisor and Global Head of Hospitality for Airbnb, where he was instrumental in guiding the founders of this fast-growing start-up into the global hospitality brand it is today.
In addition, Chip is a New York Times bestselling author, in-demand public speaker, and multiple TED Talk-er. He sits on the Board of Burning Man, and he’s the founder of Modern Elder Academy, the first midlife wisdom school dedicated to transforming aging.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
– CHIP CONLEY
Today we discuss overcoming our collective fear of aging. Navigating midlife transitions. What it means to be a Modern Elder, the critical role of elder wisdom in the workplace, and the different forms and functions of mentorship.
We also talk about mindset, identity, and what is essential to finding fulfillment. The difference between pursuing ‘accumulation’ versus ‘attunement’—and how to reimagine continuing education and community living.
Chip is a wonderful spirit and this conversation will leave you inspired to reimagine the possibilities that await your. later decades—and put a smile on your face along the way.
The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube . As always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Final Note: Chip will be hosting a few workshops in Baja in June and early July 2022, as well as a new 8-week online course called Designing Your Purposeful Path to Work , which starts June 4th, 2022. You can learn more HERE .
For anyone looking to weave more meaning and fulfillment into their professional life–particularly those who have pursued a certain career track for some time and are now contemplating new possibilities, consider this conversation appointment listening.
Peace + Plants,

Listen, Watch, & Subscribe
I'm proud to announce my new book 'Voicing Change II'. To learn more & reserve your copy, click the button below.
Athletic Greens: 75 whole food sourced ingredients designed to optimize 5 key areas of health, AG1 is the delicious daily habit that sets you up for a healthy future. I take the packets everywhere I go. Invest in your health without compromise! Go to: athleticgreens.com/richroll to get a FREE year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase.
Calm: The app designed to help you ease stress and get the best sleep of your life with guided meditations, sleep stories, and more. Right now, my listeners can get a special limited-time promotion of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/richroll . It includes unlimited access to ALL of Calm’s amazing content. Get started today!
GoMacro : Packed with 100% sustainably sourced plant-based ingredients to fuel your body and mind, GoMacro bars are organic, vegan, gluten-free, and wildly delicious. These are my all-time favorite bars—get your hands on some at gomacro.com and use the promo code RichRoll for 30% OFF plus free shipping on all orders over $50.
Indeed delivers 4x more hires than all other job sites combined, so you can meet and hire great people faster. There are no long-term contracts and Indeed gives you full control so you only pay for what you need. Listeners can get a FREE SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAR CREDIT to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/RICHROLL. Terms and conditions apply.
UCAN: With patented SuperStarch that delivers long-lasting energy while stabilizing blood sugar levels, UCAN is my go-to fuel when it comes to working smarter and harder. From energy powders & bars, to granola and almond butter, check out my favorites at ucan.co/roll and save 30% on your entire order with code ROLL.
- Connect with Chip: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Books: Chip Conley
- Modern Elder Academy: About
- Modern Elder Academy: Upcoming Retreats
- Modern Elder Academy: Wisdom Well
- The New York Times: The New 50s: Far From Retirement
- Fast Company: Airbnb’s Chip Conley is doubling down on being a “modern elder”
- The Atlantic: The Kind of Smarts You Don’t Find in Young People
- The Wall Street Journal: The New Post-60 Career Paths
- Forbes: Modern Elder Academy: The Cool School For Midlifers
- Forbes: Finding Our Second Wave Is Key To Maintaining Career Success As We Age
- Forbes: Chip Conley on Modern Elder Academy, Curiosity, And How to Overcome Fear
- Market Watch: Airbnb executive and ‘modern elder’ Chip Conley’s pitch to reinvent retirement living
- The Business of Business: An Airbnb exec is launching a 2,600 acre retreat in New Mexico to help Silicon Valley types manage their midlife crisis
- Los Angeles Times: At this Baja school, post-50-year-olds learn to grow whole, not old
- TED: Becoming a Modern Elder
- TED: Measuring what makes life worthwhile
- TED: What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work—and vice versa
- TED: Toward a Psychology of Business
There are a few simple ways you can support the show and the content we strive to craft and share every single week
Subscribe & Review: Please make sure to review, share comments and subscribe to the show on the various platforms ( Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Spotify ). This helps tremendously!
Patronize Our Sponsors: Supporting the companies that support the show! For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity URLs and discount codes, click the ‘Sponsors’ tab in the ‘Shop’ menu.
Spread The Word: Help grow our reach by sharing your enthusiasm for the podcast and/or your favorite episodes by posting about it on social media.
Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; with additional audio engineering by Cale Curtis and additional music by Moby ; Blake Curtis & Dan Drake for video, & editing; graphics by Jessica Miranda & Daniel Solis; portraits by Davy Greenberg & Grayson Wilder; the copywriting by Georgia Whaley; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
Amazon Disclosure : Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to the Amazon affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.