Curiosity Is the Retirement Skill Nobody Talks About

Hosted by Johnathan Burgess (Solo)

Episode 36 marks a new chapter — the show has officially changed its name to the Big Money Retirement Podcast. And Johnathan Burgess chose to mark the occasion not with a market update, but with something he believes is even more important: a leadership lesson about curiosity, and why it applies to retirement just as much as it does to running a business.

The Internal Memo Johnathan Shared with His Leadership Team

“Curiosity is not a personality trait. One of the biggest mistakes I have made as a leader is forming the story in my head before I have asked enough questions. It is easy to look at a missed deadline or a quiet team member and immediately start writing the narrative: they do not care, they are not bought in. But the longer I lead, the more I realize how dangerous that is.”

Johnathan Burgess

Once we decide a story is true, we start looking for evidence to confirm it — and we will almost always find it. That is how confirmation bias works. The best leaders assume the best and let the facts talk them out of it. Not because they are naive, but because they are fair.

The Question That Changes Everything

The memo offers a simple reframe: when something goes sideways, the first question should not be who dropped this? The first question should be: what happened here that I do not understand yet?

“When your first move is judgment, people learn to hide problems. When your first move is curiosity, people learn to surface issues early, tell the truth faster, and solve problems instead of protecting themselves.”

Johnathan Burgess

What Curiosity Has to Do with Retirement

The same mindset that makes a great leader is what makes a great retiree. The day you think you know everything is the day you know nothing. Retirement is not an ending — it is the beginning of a completely different kind of life, and the people who thrive in it stay curious.

“Where am I going to have curiosity in my retirement? Where am I going to try to develop a new skill? Where am I going to have curiosity with my family, with my friends, with my relationships? The world is your oyster in retirement.”

Johnathan Burgess

The Devil Lives in the White Space on Your Calendar

One of the most memorable lines from the episode comes from a mentor Johnathan had early in his career: the devil lives in the white space on your calendar. Retirement gives you back all the decision-making authority in your day — and that is both an incredible gift and a trap if you are not intentional about it.

Retirement Amplifies What Is Already There

“You can put an old man in a new car, but you are still going to have the old experience. Paint the most beautiful retirement picture you can imagine — because you have all the capability in the world to do it. Audit your mindset. Am I going into my daily life with curiosity, or with negativity?”

Johnathan Burgess

Retirement does not change who you are. It amplifies it. If the things outside of work in your life are positive — strong relationships, meaningful activities, a sense of purpose — retirement will multiply all of that. The work of building a good retirement is not just financial. It is personal. And it starts now.