An interview with Chip Conley, founder of The Modern Elder Academy and the author of Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, as well as, Wisdom at Work, The Making of a Modern Elder

By Steve Moran

The first time I heard Chip speak was at the Senior Living Innovation Forum in Napa. I had already consumed his book Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslowwhich was unusually good because it, unlike most leadership books, tackles leading frontline staff.

A year or so later I got to spend an hour with him at the Airbnb offices in San Francisco and have continued to stay in touch. His time at Airbnb was the spawning of a new book Wisdom at Work, The Making of a Modern Elder where he thinks about and talks about how individuals can repurpose their careers in midlife. It is a great read. He has also founded The Modern Elder Academy that is located on Mexico’s luxe Baja peninsula to help aspiring elders explore their next chapters.

While the book is primarily written for individuals in the 50-65 age cohort, the content has application even for those in their 70s, 80s & 90s. After reading the book I am convinced that much of what is in there could apply to assisted living and even dementia residents.

What follows are two videos. The first is a short 3-minute clip from the interview and the one below is the entire interview . . . which is the one you should really watch.

VIDEO CLIP:


FULL VIDEO: