Aging, Purpose, and Not Retiring

Today's episode is a little different, in a really wonderful way.

I sit down with Dick Schwartz and Jeanne Catanzaro, President and Vice President of the IFS Institute, and partners in both leadership and life. This isn't a traditional interview; it's more like listening in on friends and colleagues talking about the things they care about, the serious, the personal, and the very human.

I've been feeling curious about what's happening inside IFS leadership right now. The model keeps growing, reaching more people, and carrying more responsibility with it. I wanted to hear directly from Dick and Jeanne about what that growth and momentum have been like for them, not just in terms of roles and plans, but personally and as partners.

In this candid conversation, we explore questions many of you have been holding. What happens as the Institute grows? Is Dick going to retire? What does transition even look like? We talk about all of that, but in a funny, sometimes ridiculous, and very real way.

What I hope you hear is the care, thoughtfulness, and humanity behind the scenes of both the IFS Institute and the IFS model.

We talk about:

• Jeanne stepping into leadership and visibility over time

• What it means to steward a model that's bigger than any one person

• Succession, responsibility, and caring for the future of IFS

• Collaboration and "sharing the stage"

• Knowing when to take a break from "parts talk"

• Bringing IFS beyond the therapy room and into the wider world

• Holding research, spirituality, and accessibility at the same time

• Finding balance between work, partnership, family, and rest

• Favorite shows, hobbies, and Firefighter behaviors

There's a lot of warmth here, some laughter, a little potty talk, and plenty of insight.

Links:

IFS Institute

Jeanne Catanzaro

Dick Schwartz

Word of the Year on Substack

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Unblend.me web app. You know those moments between sessions when something comes up and you need a gentle nudge to pause, slow down and go inside? The Unblend app helps you do just that. It's IFS informed, HIPAA compliant, and guides you through checking in with your parts to calm your nervous system. Learn more and try it for free at Unblend.me

I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.

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