PRETIREMENT: MAKING THE MOST OF LIFE AFTER THE CORNER OFFICE

New Book By ONYX Founder Rick Smith Helps Leaders Design A Life of Impact, Meaning, And Legacy

NEW YORK , NY, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — After decades leading organizations, making consequential decisions, and achieving professional success, many CEOs face an unexpected challenge: What comes next?

In his new book, PRETIREMENT: The Leader’s Playbook for Designing a Life of Impact, Meaning, Legacy (Forbes Books; February 16, 2027), Rick Smith, founder and CEO of ONYX and founder of World 50, identifies a new stage of life that can last twenty years or more—and provides a practical framework for making those years the most rewarding of a leader’s life.

Today’s senior executives often leave their final roles with decades of health, energy, and ambition ahead of them. Yet while they have spent their careers developing strategies for their organizations, few have created a plan for their own futures.

“Most successful leaders have spent their careers pursuing goals established by their organizations, their boards, and their shareholders,” says Smith. “When they leave, they suddenly have the freedom to decide what matters most to them. But very few have a plan for how to use that freedom.”

Smith developed his insights through decades of working with senior executives. At ONYX, an invitation-only membership organization for current and recent CEOs, two-thirds of members have led Fortune 500 companies, and collectively, its members serve on more than 400 corporate boards.

In PRETIREMENT, Smith shows leaders how to redefine success, discover new opportunities, and build a rewarding life beyond their primary careers. His practical, three-phase framework includes:

• Discovery: Identify what matters most, establish new personal priorities, and experiment with activities and opportunities before making major commitments.
• Foundation: Build a balanced portfolio of meaningful roles and activities that provide purpose, intellectual engagement, contribution, and personal satisfaction.
• Optimization: Continually refine commitments, concentrate on the most rewarding opportunities, and create more time for the relationships and experiences that matter most.

Smith also addresses the personal dimensions of Pretirement, including maintaining health and vitality, strengthening relationships, establishing boundaries, and creating what he calls an “ego-less legacy”— making a lasting contribution without depending on professional titles or recognition.

“What makes Pretirement so challenging is that almost everything that made you successful in your career will fail you now,” Smith writes.

Rather than simply replacing one demanding career with another, Smith encourages leaders to explore new interests, make deliberate choices about their commitments, and use their experience and resources to create meaningful impact.

An accompanying website that provides an interactive AI coaching experience using Smith’s framework will be available in February 2027 to help readers develop personalized plans for their next chapter.

ABOUT RICK SMITH
Rick Smith is the founder and CEO of ONYX, an invitation-only membership organization for current and recent Fortune 500 CEOs, and the founder and former CEO of World 50, a leading senior executive network. He also founded G100 Next Generation Leadership, a CEO succession development program for Fortune 500 companies.

A serial entrepreneur, Smith has founded seven successful companies, two of which surpassed $1 billion in value. In addition to PRETIREMENT, he is The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The 5 Patterns Of Extraordinary Careers and of The Leap. For more information, visit www.ricksmithauthor.com

ABOUT ONYX
ONYX is an invitation-only membership organization for current and recent Fortune 500 CEOs. Founded by Rick Smith, the organization provides a private forum where senior business leaders exchange insights, engage in strategic discussions, and explore opportunities to make a lasting impact. For more information, visit www.onyxleaders.com

Jane Wesman
Jane Wesman Public Relations, Inc.
yourbookmarketingpro@gmail.com

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