Great Barrington, Massachusetts: We go into the downtown of this village, just on the fringe of the pulse of Tanglewood and the arts of the Berkshires. Not long ago it looked neglected. Today, it is a picture postcard -- the town is in a renaissance sparked in part by two men who thought they were going to retire.

Richard Stanley and Joe Wasserman are heroes because they jumped in to solve a problem. They didn't say, "Why doesn't somebody do something." They became the somebody and they caught the imagination of the town.

Comments long-time resident and businessman (and their insurance advisor), Marty Salvatore, "Richard and Joe have regenerated interest in the older buildings -- places in town that were being let go or run down. They created the momentum and now there is a lot of real activity .... if we lost the core area of town, if that died, the rest of the town would have died too. I think Richard and Joe are just great."

This show opens with Hattie's comments: "Richard Stanley and Joe Wasserman tried to quit. They came separately to Great Barrington to relax, retire and perhaps fiddle around with real estate and whatever caught their fancy. They met each other while attending a town meeting, and as entrepreneurs will do, they talked about their dreams for improving Great Barrington's historic business district.

Now you see what became of their first meeting."

The Lightbulb. Retire? Why? Is there something wrong with work? Most entrepreneurs we meet love to work and rarely think about retirement. They're having too much fun being creative. But beyond the issues around living a vibrant life, we believe it is not good for the country for our most experienced thinkers to leave the workforce just when we need them the most. There has to be a better way to balance the need for more time with grandchildren and the desire to contribute to the health of our communities and culture.

Key Points.

• Retirement is obsolete. In fact, many people believe that retirement seems to be the short path to death. And the corollary also seems to be true. If your work is good work (you just love doing it), you will work yourself to a long life, and away from death.
• Dare to be different.
• As soon as you're satisfied, you're no longer an entrepreneur. 
• Banks do loan money to experienced business owners.

GO DEEPER, EXPLORE FURTHER:

• BUY THIS VIDEOTAPE OR THESE FIVE:  Joe and Richard are seasoned veterans of business who take us through their start up phase of a new business. Today, they are growing this business and helping to shape a more vibrant community. If you are retired and need inspiration to re-join the workforce, get this videotape (Richard and Joe's story). Then, consider these others: Boardroom, Ebby and the Fountain of Youth, Sakata Farms, and Mr. Johnson's. And, instead of $100, tell Lydia (she'll trust you), and you can have these five tapes for half-price! Maybe we can re-define "growing old and growing wise" within our life time.

• READ THE TRANSCRIPT:  All the words of this show, for free!

• WORK WITH US TO DEVELOP THE QUESTIONS/ANSWERS FOR THE TEACHING NOTES & STUDY GUIDE:   What do you think is the most important element of this story? What are the teaching points for all of us small business owners? Let us know. We will give you the credit!
  Also, while you are thining about your education/learning/knowledge/wisdom, check this list of schools (partial). Also, check for classes with your local Small Business Development Center, Chamber of Commerce, and Economic Development Commission.

• LOOK AT STEP 1: INITIAL IDEA.  Deciding on a business path should be easy. Take a look at the first chapter of Hattie's book, Beating the Odds. You'll get some help to answer the question, ."What is your personal magic?" It is singularly the most important question you can answer -- at least a dozen times in a dozen different ways -- during your lifetime.

• MARKETING SEGMENT.  Marketing advisor, John Wargo, explains how we very small business owners can use new technology to reach customers.

• WATCH TV.  To find out which show is airing on your local PBS-member station, click here.

• CONTACT:
  The Triplex Cinema
  70 Railroad Street
  Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230
  Tel: 413-528-8885
  E-mail: mngr@thetriplex.com
  URL: http://www.thetriplex.com/
  And More : Read Michael Novak's Business as Calling. (a review) To order, first try Laissez-faire. They are a small business. The big two also have a review: Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble

• COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.  We invite your comments and questions. Was the show inpsirational and/or educational?