Thriving in Retirement

What happens when you leave a high-powered career and the phone stops ringing? Join Dr. C for a profound conversation with Luis Burgos, the former Commissioner of Recreation and Human Services for the City of Rochester. After a distinguished 32-year career revitalizing city parks and programs, Luis shares his candid journey through the "emotional void" of retirement and how he successfully navigated the transition to a life of vibrant purpose.

In this episode, Luis opens up about the difference between financial planning and emotional preparation. He shares how he moved from a "tennis bum" phase to finding deep fulfillment through intentional community service on boards like Foodlink and the Seneca Park Zoo. If you are looking for a roadmap to a happy, debt-free, and socially engaged retirement, this episode is your blueprint.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The Identity Shift: How to cope with the unexpected sense of emptiness after leaving a leadership role and redefine who you are outside of work.
• The Power of Choice: The difference between "assigned" work and "chosen" purpose, and how to select opportunities that align with your passion.
• Sacred Boundaries: How to manage your calendar to protect your peace—including creating your own personal sanctuary (like Luis’s "Casita").
• Financial Peace: Practical wisdom on living below your means to ensure a comfortable and generous retirement.
• The #1 Key to Longevity: Why meaningful social engagement is the single most important factor for your physical and emotional health.

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Thank you for listening! We'd love to hear from you!

Transcript

Dr C: 0:05

Now, theory is one thing. But real life is where our lessons are truly learned. So I am so honored to welcome a guest who is the embodiment of today's topic. Welcome to the live podcast, Luis Burgo. Luis has had an incredible 32-year career with the city of Rochester, where he retired as the Commissioner of Recreation and Human Services. He left the legacy of revitalized parks, rec centers, and youth programs that have such a conflict of lives. But what's truly inspiring is that since retiring in 2014, 11 years ago, he hasn't slowed down. He continues to serve our community on board of crucial organizations like Foodlink and the Seneca Park Zoological Society. He is the perfect person to talk to about building a life of purpose after career. Hola Louis, and thank you so much for being here today with me in the live podcast. Welcome.

Luis Burgos: 1:09

Thank you. Glad to be here. Thank you for including me in this podcast.

Dr C: 1:14

Absolutely. Absolutely. So let's just dive right in. Okay. So after such a long and distinguished career shaping our community, what was the biggest surprise for you about your own wellness needs after you officially retired?

Luis Burgos: 1:30

So it, you know, I had, I had um I had prepared for the change um many years in advance of my retirement, uh, naturally, you know, financially, that was on the radar screen. I knew because of my position that whenever there's a new mayor, that they have the opportunity to create their own leadership team. So, you know, of course, I hoped that I would be included, but I always knew that that that was a distinct possibility that uh I may retire at that time. And and I knew that the timing was right in terms of the number of years of service and my age and all that for retirement benefits and the like. But when it actually happened, it it the surprise for me was the emotional impact, a sense of like a void, a sense of emptiness. You know, when you are in charge and in a leadership position for so many years, and you have 500 employees, 31 buildings, dozens of programs, and you you have that sense of leadership and ownership and responsibility, and all of a sudden, and like it's gone. There, there is a a huge void that I did not expect. Like literally the next morning, it it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, but at the same time, there was this deep sense of uh of of emptiness that that I did not anticipate.

Dr C: 3:09

Yeah, yeah, that's a that's a really interesting point, right? Oh, so that's actually a great question, a great segue. And that makes me think about intentionality, right? So you're clearly you've clearly been very intentional about staying involved after your retirement. Can you give me some concrete example of how you intentionally structured your time now to like invest in your well-being?

Luis Burgos: 3:37

Well, I I went through a bit of of transition. So immediately after, so I I used to have a personal assistant that did amazing things for me in terms of calendar and and and the like. So, you know, now all of a sudden I had to do that for myself. But again, as I mentioned earlier about that that sense of of void, I uh again, I I had planned financially, but I did not plan in terms of what I was going to be doing with my time, especially in the community. It it took a little while for me to kind of sort that out and settle in. And it it it also two days after I I retired, my dad passed away. Oh so you know, I immediately focused on that. That was my immediate focus on family and and kind of healing from that that loss. Then I you know, af after that, and it takes a while for for that to to heal. And and I'm sure that you and others who are who may be watching know what that process is. It can take weeks and months to really work through that and war to work through that. That spring, I retired at the end of 2013, the beginning of 2014. So that spring and summer and fall, I I basically became a tennis bum. You know, I it was like my escape. It's something that I loved to do, I hadn't done in a while. So I just took care, I I I I kind of went into this zone where I took care of my basic, you know, responsibilities for my pets, my grandson who was staying with me, who was still in high school, my mother who had, you know, just lost her husband. But I spent a lot of time, you know, on the tennis court. And it was it was actually about a year, almost exactly a year later, that I received a phone call that really it was a transition for me. And I had served on the board of directors for Neighborworks Rochester uh for many, many years. And the the executive director, she had been hired as the CEO of the Western Region Neighborworks Organization, of which the local uh neighborworks office was a partner. And she reached out to me and said, Would you be interested in you know serving uh as the executive director? And that came out of left field. And I really it it was so sudden and unexpected. I I I really didn't, you know, react that well. I was I I I wasn't ready for that. So we we went back and forth and decided, okay, I I at least I can, you know, I know the board, I know the programs, I know the staff, I can come in and be an interim and tell you you guys go ahead and find somebody that wants to do that. And I went in there, worked there for for five months, had a great time there. I felt that I had a really good impact there. But word got out that I was working. And you know, being doing that work instead of playing tennis all the time, it it kind of like got the gears moving a little bit, and and I reconnected, you know, with with folk in the community and with the city. And like I said, word got out. And next thing you know, I'm getting, you know, text messages, phone calls, and you know, opportunities were coming out of the woodwork. Yeah, people people just assumed that, yeah, you know, Luis is not working anymore. He's a tennis bum. Leave him alone. You know, he's not interested. And the fact is that they didn't, I I think people just didn't realize or didn't think that, you know, I I hadn't figured things out. And that that I I would be open to, you know, some some opportunities.

Dr C: 7:50

Beautiful. So it sounds like that spirit of public service is still a core driver for you. Would you say that's accurate?

Luis Burgos: 8:00

Absolutely.

Dr C: 8:01

So let's talk about that idea of purpose. Because I think that one of the things that you mentioned early on is, you know, kind of how do you repurpose your time for things that you're passionate about? Because now you have an opportunity to be selective. Correct. So I know you've moved from may you move from a major leadership role to now serving on boards. So, how did you navigate finding and redefining your sense of purpose outside of that demanding career?

Luis Burgos: 8:33

So, you know, after first of all, I should mention that after it was after I left neighborworks, then it was I don't remember six, seven, eight months or so that ibero reached out to me.

Dr C: 8:48

I remember we connected when you were working at ibero.

Luis Burgos: 8:52

Exactly, exactly. And I had heard so much about you because I I do a lot of I've I've always done a lot of mentoring, and a few of my mentees and one in particular knew you and just you know thought so highly of you. And so I I went to Ibero and they they they reached out to me because their youth services department was really floundering. And so I went in there and it was a lot of work, a lot of work. You know, when I was with the city, you know, we had a law department, we had a finance department, I had uh assistants and you know, administrators, whatever, and uh I had to wear all the hats as director of theirs. But over the course of three years, I was able to rebuild that that department and triple the budget, triple the staff, wow, you know, refocused it, you know, our partnerships and programs and services. And and so, and in doing so, again, it was like another level of engagement within the community with the school district, with the city of Rochester, and and and it again taking it to another level in terms of the awareness in the community that I was really there, you know, working and and as you said, uh, but I was doing something, you know, it was it was it was something that that that that I decided to do. It wasn't an assignment, you know. Like when I was at the city, I had a great career, but but they were like I was assigned to do things. This was something that I chose to do. It was my purpose. And and then, you know, organizations would reach out to me and and inquiring about board service. So that's when I I was contacted by the the Zoological Society, a friend of mine in the community, Orlando Ortiz, who I worked very closely with at the Puerto Rican Festival for many years, reached out to me about an opportunity at Food Link. Rena Golden, who established the Black Box Theater, reached out to me. And and and I and there were other organizations that reached out to me as well. But I was able to, you know, look at all those opportunities and and and and and decide which ones I wanted. So those were the three that I selected for myself. And and and and I've you know had a wonderful time, and I feel like I've had had you know you know a positive impact in each of those organizations. It's fulfilling for me as well as for them, I I hope.

Dr C: 11:32

Well, I'm I'm sure you've had positive influence. It's what you do, and it's amazing, right, how you're shifting your focus, but you're still it can still be so fulfilling. And so some would say, Yeah, maybe someone who's listening would say, You're cheating. You haven't really retired, right? So how can you say, how can you be on this episode talking about retirement when you're still working? But one of the things that I want to put, I I want to emphasize is that you said you got to choose, right? So it wasn't an assignment that was given to you, which is traditional work. You decided I'm still very passionate about serving my community, and I am going to be selective on how I pour into it now that I'm retired. Is that accurate?

Luis Burgos: 12:18

Exactly. Yeah, absolutely.

Dr C: 12:20

Beautiful. And so, how how do you, and I know I this wasn't one of the questions, but now I I have a I do have a question for you. How do you manage your time? Because it could be very easy to fill up your time with a bunch of projects that you're passionate about and then kind of creep into that traditional type of work style. So, how do you manage your time and have some strong boundaries so that you're not now you're not filling 60 hours worth worth of work?

Luis Burgos: 12:53

Right. So I I I I keep a calendar now that I don't have a personal assistant anymore. I've learned to do that, and and I I have some some fixed, you know, schedules and obligations for for my family, for myself, and and and and those are kind of hard and fast. They it so I'm in a position now in in in in there there are times like for example, like on Thursdays at at noontime, you know, I I visit my my parents at the mausoleum, you know, and that's sacred. It's sacred to me.

Dr C: 13:35

Yeah.

Luis Burgos: 13:36

So if somebody wanted to meet with me on Thursday at noontime, I'm I'll say, no, I'm sorry, I'm not available for that, you know. Yeah. And and and that's just one example. But I I I spend a lot of quality time with with families, with members and and close friends. And you know, I own a home and I have a lot of projects. I had a a long list of projects that have been deferred. I make time and I schedule time for all those things. I've made a lot of progress on my house uh and garden over the over the past 10 years. And and and I'm able to just you know work around it. And I I don't I don't feel bad. And and and and folk that I work with are are very understanding and accommodating with that. They, you know, they understand that I, you know, I'm a busy person and I have other responsibilities, and they're very respectful of that.

Dr C: 14:31

You know, that's so thank you for that, because I think having that strategy of not feeling guilty, but having some real strongholds on your on your time. And in retirement, you have that flexibility to be able to say, these are the things that are important to me, and I'm going to hold that time sacred, and then I'm going to give the rest of my time to the community, right? So I really appreciate you distinguishing right how you prioritize when you are, how you prioritize your time in your calendar and and really think about how that's part of your criteria when accepting new projects, right? And I know you have an amazing garden in your backyard. I have only seen pictures, but I know it's an amazing garden. And I know that you also take a lot of time, not a lot of time, but you also take time to make sure that you're enjoying your garden. Can you tell us a little bit about how you intentionally enjoy your garden?

Luis Burgos: 15:30

I have a 16-year-old chihuahua, Momo. And my my daily routine almost every day, sometimes something will come up early in the morning, but 99% of the time it's it's a cup of coffee. And I go and sit weather, you know, if the weather's cooperating, I I go and sit in the garden with him. He walks around and does his business, and then he'll sit on my lap, and I just enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to some music. And then this this past summer, I I did a completed a project that I've that's been on the drawing boards for many years. In the back of my garage, there was a a tool shed that I really didn't use because I I don't park my car in my garage. So the main garage had all that equipment and all that. So this is a small room that's about six feet wide and ten feet long. And I renovated into what I call the casita. And it has um, you know, a couple of chairs and and the high table, and it's painted, it has a rug in there, it has lamps and art, and it's a peaceful little place. And I'll go anywhere if it's very hot, and and it's my garage is brick, so it's very cool in the summer.

Dr C: 16:52

Oh, nice.

Luis Burgos: 16:53

And it's a very peaceful little place. And sometimes in the evening, friends will come by and and once they've discovered my casita, they I have a nice house, but they want to go in the casita. I'm like, why don't you go in this room? It's just it's it's just very, very cozy, cute little place.

Dr C: 17:11

Yeah, so it looks like your creativity has taken center stage, right? After your retirement.

Luis Burgos: 17:17

Yeah, that's amazing.

Dr C: 17:21

Amazing. So let's touch on a topic that can be stressful for some or for all, right? Financial wellness. Without getting too personal, how has your relationship with money and budgeting changed since retiring? And what's one tip you have for managing it without constant worry?

Luis Burgos: 17:40

Well, I I I I think that so me personally, I've always lived below my means. I I've always been a very good aggressive saver. I very early in life, I I purchased a home. I was in like my mid-20s when I purchased a home, and I still live in that same home. It's been 42 years, I think. So that was paid off, you know, many years ago. And I I would say, you know, there are a lot of things about my financial situation, which is which is comfortable. It's not worrisome for me. But there are a lot of things that are unique about my personal situation. I worked for 32 years for the city, so I I benefit, you know, from a pension. And then, you know, recently with the addition of Social Security, but I had significant savings that is was the result of just a very you know modest lifestyle. Um and I've I'm known to be amongst my family and the community of being a very generous person. And that generosity and that comfort, you know, comes from the fact that you know, I don't live a luxurious lifestyle. I've lived in the same home. And you know, I've just been able to save that way and and and have a nice you know competition, so to speak. Yeah.

Dr C: 19:08

So very practical, right? Traditional almost planning for your retirement, saving and ensuring that you have what you need when you do retire. And you said something living below your means. You know, everything's becoming so expensive these days, and a lot of uh uncertainty around Social Security and what will actually happen to it. So I can imagine that there are a lot of individuals that are planning retirement and feeling, you know, apprehensive, right? Of what's actually going to happen to them. So what would you say? Last question. What would you if you could give one single piece of advice to someone who is maybe a year or two away from their retirement, what would it be?

Luis Burgos: 19:57

I would say to prioritize meaningful and sustainable social engagement. And so, you know, my story as I've related to you from the start of this conversation, was that, you know, in the beginning I I kind of retreated and was isolated in in many ways. And, you know, in some ways, all the tennis playing was great for me physically, for my physical health, but it wasn't it wasn't the best thing socially, uh, emotionally, and you know even financially, because I I have to add, you know, backtracking a little bit to the financial part is that you know, I did do some work after I retired from the city, you know, and that was kind of like frosting on the cake, but nevertheless, you know, it did it did add to my uh level of of comfort, right? Financially. But I think when when you prioritize social engagement, what happens is that you it'll naturally need lead to many opportunities for you know your physical health, your your your mental health, financial opportunities, jobs, projects, you know, and the like, you know, if you have, you know, when you retire, you you you have you know many, many years of experience and expertise. You have, you know, you have networks and and and you can put that to your advantage. But but I I think the key is is social engagement. So when you when you remain socially engaged, all of those those opportunities come to the forefront, and they're to your benefit. Your physical health, your emotional health, your sense of of relevance and stability and purpose. They I think they all derive and and and come from from that social engagement.

Dr C: 22:02

Yeah, thank you so much. Louis, this has been incredibly helpful, and I know our listeners are taking notes. So thank you so much for sharing your time and wisdom with us today. I really appreciate you being transparent and helping others understand how to plan appropriately for their well being after retirement. Thank you so much for being on the live podcast.

Luis Burgos: 22:25

It's been a pleasure.