A Ripple Spring 2023 article

I “retired” in April 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, after a career in financial services, healthcare, and business consulting. My last consulting assignment turned into full-time employment in the retirement industry for over a decade. This experience was surprisingly rewarding, and I now find myself sharing this knowledge as a consultant. I have, therefore, been around retired people for more than fifteen years, making new friends and learning about this next chapter of life.

Retirement for me began by being locked down with Mrs. Case, an interesting experience for two people who both worked throughout our 44-year marriage. Thankfully, we made the necessary adjustments for continued cohabitation without serious material or collateral damage! During this close encounter, we developed a new perspective on our past, present, and future. I include the past because looking back is an important step to prepare for a rewarding future.

During my business career, I had the privilege of getting to know the late Dr. William Bridges, author of “Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes.” Bill consulted Fortune 500 companies and political leaders around the world, and I have used his simple 3-step model in every major change I have faced. His counter-intuitive wisdom teaches us that new beginnings start with an ending.

While change can happen in an instant, accepting change and transitioning to a new future is a process that takes time. It involves letting go of the past sufficiently to move forward and embrace a new and different future.

This change often includes material loss. Retirement can be quite sobering, especially for male egos, since our identities are often intertwined with our positions and careers. Yesterday I was a business leader, scientist, specialist doctor, or senior politician, but who am I today? Many feel lost and have difficulty letting go. As the diagram above suggests, once we let go, we must pass through the so-called neutral zone before moving into the next chapter with confidence and enthusiasm.

The neutral zone can be an exciting and creative space if you allow it. During this time, it’s an opportunity to meet new people, try new things, and test your appetite for change without making long-term commitments. What does one have to lose?

Being locked down with Mrs. Case gave me ample time in the neutral zone to plan my next chapter… Our next chapter. I won’t bore you with some of the painful endings I had to make, or my learnings from the neutral zone. I will brag that I perfected a killer lamb potjie that knocks the socks off anything you can order in a restaurant. I tinkered endlessly on my motorcycle in the garage, planning the next outride with friends once freedom of movement returned.

Today I am enjoying my retirement, or should I say semi-retirement, as I am still consulting. I love having a little more free time and opportunities to ride more mountain passes on Dirty Harry, my trusty BMW K1200 RS. I enjoy spending extended weekends at our little cabin in the quaint Overberg village of Suurbraak, with Mrs. Case and my family.

2023 opened new doors for me with an opportunity to consult with Rabie Property Group on their exciting new Oasis Life development in Constantia. It’s always great to be part of a winning team with an unbeatable formula, which is definitely the case with Oasis Life. In my opinion, the Constantia development ticks all the fundamental boxes of the 4Ps of marketing, namely:

PRODUCT: An excellent mix of houses and apartments with superb leisure and healthcare facilities.

PLACE: The estate is located off Old Kendal Road, close to the Constantiaberg Hospital and just down the road from the Constantia Village shopping centre.

PRICE: The launch of this development achieved an unheard-of rate of sale with 75% of the development sold out since the launch mere months ago, on 1 March 2023.

PROMOTION: Rabie’s marketing team, supported by competent sales professionals from Seeff Constantia, were able to bring the vision to life for those buying off plan.

The 4Ps marketing formula (McCarthy J: 1960) is one of the foundational frameworks of marketing and shows us clearly that some things needn’t change, simply refreshed. What I would like to leave you with is my belief that we are never too old to mix it with the youngsters, to add value in new environments and derive both pleasure and purpose from taking on new challenges. In fact, a blend of youth and experience has always been a winning formula. Let’s hope this formula will work for the Springboks as they travel to France to defend our title as World Champions.

Arthur Case

Vive le Bokke. Vive le Ripple Readers!