Today my guest is John Bronson.
John Bronson's career includes 20 years of experience as a professional journalist and 20 years of experience in corporate PR. He spent 10 years working as a writer and editor in Pittsburgh with the AP and was the business editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before jumping over to US Airways to establish a regional corporate affairs function at the airline’s then-largest hub in Pittsburgh. He later worked with US Airways in Washington, DC heading up employee communications. But he was in the airline industry in some tumultuous times -- mergers, bankruptcies, 9/11, five fatal crashes in five consecutive years and more.
His career also included a stint in Zurich, Switzerland, which he called the capstone of his career.
John retired in 2013 and promptly moved to Tahoe -- So Tahoe -- that’s our connection. John and his wife Mary bought their first winter timeshare at Squaw Valley in 1982 so their move in 2013 was like coming home. John was introduced to me years back when I was looking for an editor for a project I won’t mention for legal reasons -- and that’s a story in itself.
I have to say I’ve admired John from the first time I met him. I’ve viewed him as someone who stuck a balance similar to what I am looking for in terms of career and family life. I’ve observed the close relationship he has with his kids -- and I enjoy his embrace of life -- from his stories to hitchhiking Europe and getting a job at a ski resort in Switzerland in his younger years -- to moving to Tahoe and watching him continue his adventures in his older years. When you hear John talk about his life and career, there was intentionality. There’s a move to Austria, because skiing was a passion and he knew that he wanted travel to be a big part of his life. He figures out how to work in the airline industry so he could have access to free flights.
Things I appreciated about this interview:
John talked about 20-40 being a time to gather experiences and make mistakes and grow in wisdom, and at 40 your career is just getting started.
Family obligations and feeling less free to make mistakes after 40.
Gather experience and follow your gut. You may not be sure where they are taking you, but they are taking you where you need to go. I loved this as he talked about getting to his Zurich experience at the end of his career.
Parting wisdom. 1. Keep moving. 2. Eat right. 3. Spend less than you make.
