10/22/2025

Understanding the ‘Multi-retirement’ Strategy

Building intentional pauses into your working life could strengthen your professional prospects

"I'd got to a point where my professional world was so demanding that I’d almost lost what was important to me,” said Lucy Coutts, recalling the moment when she realized her career was dictating her choices instead of the other way round. A specialist in AI innovation, Coutts cared about – and was good at – her job, but part of her knew that she needed to shift her frame of mind if she was to regain control of her future.

"I'd worked with a lot of entrepreneurs and had always been impressed with how they had taken that leap of faith – so when I reached the end of a contract at work and the time came to decide what to do next, I realized this was my opportunity to explore something new," added Coutts.

There are plenty of stories about burnt-out executives throwing in the towel and starting their own businesses, but in Coutts' case, she had no intention of turning her back on her industry for good. "I knew I wanted to go back to a traditional corporate career at some point, but what I decided to do in the meantime was to pause and figure out what brought me joy; what I was really interested in and passionate about," she said. That turned out to be Jóia: the vintage-jewelery business that she spent eight months using her savings to build, taking it from conception to a stage at which it was financially sustainable. The process, she said, was immensely satisfying, enabling her to discover a different side of herself and giving her the confidence that, if she should ever need to step off the professional treadmill again in the future, she would have other skills on which to fall back.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harper's Bazaar.