For decades, the story was simple: work hard, save up, retire at sixty-five.But that story isn’t true anymore.
Brian Clark —writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the legendary Copyblogger—knows what happens when the system we’ve been sold stops making sense. After building multiple 7-figure digital businesses, he didn’t retire; he adapted. Now, through his project Further, he helps Generation X navigate a new reality where the rules of work, money, and meaning have changed.
In this episode of Foreign Radio, we talk about rewriting the playbook for midlife: turning experience into freedom, replacing “security” with flexibility, and building a life that actually fits today’s world.
What You’ll Learn
* Why the old “work hard, retire at 65” story no longer works
* Unlearning loyalty to employers who can’t return it
* The demographic and economic shifts forcing adaptation
* Why adaptation isn’t a dream—it’s survival
* How to turn decades of experience into portable income
* Midlife reinvention and the business of “just-in-time” expertise
* Strategic relocation and the rise of the “slowmad” lifestyle
* The practical side of living abroad→ healthcare, cost, and mindset
* How to prepare before you leap: the first steps toward independence
* A simple mindset for moving from fear to action
Show Notes
* The myth of retirement: how the system that promised freedom became one that traps people in fear
* The collapse of loyalty: when employers stopped building careers and workers stopped believing in stability
* Demographic upheaval: longer lives, lower birth rates, and why “old age” isn’t what it used to be
* From pensions to 401(k)s: how the financial playbook broke down
* A global perspective: healthcare, cost of living, and why relocation is a practical—not idealistic—move
* The “slowmad” mindset: living three to six months in different places to test real-world fit
* Expertise as currency: how to turn what you know into independent income streams
* Reinvention over retirement: the unretirement movement and why purpose matters more than age
* Portable work, portable life: building freedom before the system forces your hand
* The first decision to break free from the corporate treadmill
More About Brian
Brian Clark is a writer, traveler, and entrepreneur best known as the founder of the pioneering content-marketing platform Copyblogger, along with its StudioPress and Rainmaker business lines. Between 2007 and 2017, his companies generated more than $70 million in sales—without investment or traditional advertising—thanks to his innovative content-driven approach.
After selling Copyblogger’s assets and taking time to travel the world, Brian launched Further, a publication helping Generation X navigate midlife, longevity, and the shifting definitions of work and retirement. He also leads Leading Expert, offering coaching and consulting for expertise-based business owners adapting to rapid change.
Brian has been featured in numerous books by leading thinkers, including Seth Godin, James Clear, Daniel Pink, and others, recognizing his role in shaping the early landscape of online entrepreneurship and modern content strategy.
Today, Brian and his wife live a “slowmad” lifestyle, spending several months at a time in places like Baja Sur and Costa Rica—continuing the same experiment in adaptation that his work inspires others to try.
Find Brian’s work:🌐 Further.net📬 news.further.net (Substack newsletter)🔗 LinkedIn @thatbrianclark
Episode Recorded on September 18, 2025
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