“If you don’t start, you’ll never finish” — that is the way Peter Winslow summarized his approach to “Encore Careers” in a panel presentation June 4 in at Weavers Way Mercantile in Mt. Airy.

More than 40 people gathered to hear the four panelists on the program describe how they moved into new spheres of activity after decades of accomplishment in different areas. The program was sponsored by the Weavers Way Education Committee, the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill (www.chestnuthillrotary.org) and Northwest Village Network (www.northwest villagenetwork.org).

Winslow was referring to the process of evaluating one’s strengths and interests, and using one’s skills in fashioning a new career, whether on a volunteer or an income-producing basis. This notion of designing a new career is based on the idea that we all have gifts. Yosaif August, the program coordinator, distributed worksheets to help people define their interests and their strengths. The idea was not to focus on what we cannot do, but on what we can do. He then introduced three people he described as “exemplars” of success in establishing encore careers.

Winslow, educated in business and accounting, moved away from those traditional areas to a set of community oriented activities that he is now engaged in. Even though he maintained that he can handle only three things at a time, the scope of his activities seemed much wider. As an example, he talked about community economic development in Germantown through FLAG, the Free Loan Association for Germantown, which works with small businesses. He also is upset about climate disruption, and has been active in the coalition opposing SEPTA’s plan for a gas power plant in Nicetown. “I’m never going to retire” was his theme.

Ellen Frankel described her strengths as a writer in finding time to be alone to do her work. She spent 18 years as the CEO of a small publishing house, retiring at age 58. Now that she controls her own schedule, she has become very productive as a writer and as a volunteer at Henry School. In addition, she and her husband figured out that they could afford to live for three months a year in Costa Rica.

Ellen also described the decision-making technique of “clearness committees,” described in the book “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation,” by Parker Palmer (1999, Jossey-Bass). Take your time to make decisions; then gather a group of friends who can ask very specific questions about the direction you should take.

Herb Levine, Frankel’s husband, used to be a college professor and later worked with nonprofits in the area of homelessness. Now that he spends several months a year away from Philadelphia, he does volunteer work with a number of organizations that do not require him to come to regular board meetings. 

Finally, August himself described how he moved from being CEO of Healing Environments International to becoming an accredited life coach and an activist in various social causes, now including teaching an approach to Encore Careers at Mt. Airy Learning Tree and elsewhere. He is the inventor of the Bedscapes healing environment system for hospitals and author of “Coaching for Caregivers: How to Reach Out Before You Burn Out” (2013, Yes to Life Publishing). He led the audience in some exercises intended to help them look at their own interests, beliefs and strengths.