How Two Career Women Turned Retirement Into ‘Renewment’

By their 70s, women retirees are typically turning to practical matters, such as their health and that of their spouse. After that, the focus tends to be on legacy and independence.

Renewment groups provide a sounding board and opportunities for women to learn from each other about negotiating these stages, the founders say. “It’s not a support group, but the women are supportive of each other,” Dennis says. “They share their thoughts, perspectives, experiences, outlook. That doesn’t happen in a book group or a church group.”

It can also help address the social isolation often faced by older women, many of whom outlive their partners. More than three-quarters of Renewment members said in a survey that the sense of connection was their main reason for joining.

“This is what I’ve heard over and over again: ‘I feel like I’m not alone,’ ” says Janette Brown, a former assistant vice provost and adjunct professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California, who started a Renewment group of current and emeritus faculty members.

“It allows small groups of women to connect who don’t know each other,” says Brown, 73. “These are well-educated or experienced women who have been in the workforce in some shape or form. They bond over feeling that they want to learn more.”

Margit Novack, the retired founder of a Philadelphia-based company that helps older adults downsize and move, says she still struggles with not being part of a team.

“For many people, retirement is not very rewarding,” says Novack, 75, who now splits her time between suburban Philadelphia and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “It’s sort of a nether land. I had a business I didn’t want to retire from, which I think is true of a lot of Renewment women.”

After meeting Dennis at an American Society on Aging conference in 2018, Novack started a Renewment group too.

“You talk about [things like] what is your purpose and what keeps you up at night. You’re able to get into deep conversations very quickly,” she says. “It’s stimulating. You always hear from people who are doing some remarkable and inspiring things.”

Renewment meetings can also be “a place for voicing vulnerabilities and hearing vulnerabilities without judgment,” Novack adds. That kind of self-reflection, she says, “is one of the obligations and privileges of aging.”

The movement has traveled far from its L.A. roots, with groups springing up in Tennessee, Indiana, and the sprawling Central Florida retirement community of The Villages. There are two chapters of retired therapists, a Labor Day group (named for the holiday on which they first met) and a Yayas group of Greek grandmothers. There’s even one in Paris, with background material translated into French.

“You can call it whatever you want, as long as you hold onto the mission,” Dennis says.

Men can renew, too

To date, the burgeoning movement has been limited to women. Dennis says she’s found they are more willing than men to open up about the issues Renewment aims to tackle.

“Women seem to get to whatever needs to be discussed quicker than men,” she says. “Men are a little more reluctant than women to show vulnerability.”

This gets no argument from Ron Dresher, cofounder of a similar organization for men, the Life Transition Group, which also originated in Southern California. But he says things are changing.

“Guys tend to talk about sports, politics and that type of stuff,” says Dresher, 78, who owned a marketing and event-production firm whose clients included Fortune 500 companies. “But my experience is that guys are starting to be more vulnerable, more attentive, more active listeners. As we age, that does happen.”

After all, he says, men face the same questions in retirement that women do: “What do we do with our time? How do we spend it? How do we stay relevant? Most people are just unprepared.”

Using their newfound connections, the men have helped each other find retirement roles with purpose. A retired radiologist now photographs disaster scenes for the Red Cross. A retired engineer trains service dogs.

“People open their eyes to what they can do besides get up in the morning and watch TV,” Dresher says.

The Life Transition Group invites guest speakers, including a Buddhist monk, a yoga master and a psychologist who taught members how to meditate, and takes field trips to sites such as L.A.’s Petersen Automotive Museum. A delegation meets once a year with a delegation of Renewment women.

The connection with other groups helping people transition to retirement is an example of how Renewment has grown beyond even its founders’ imagining — and how similar efforts, like the men’s group, are emerging.

“We never intended to do anything more than have this discussion in one person’s living room,” Dennis says.

COVID-19 provided an additional, unexpected boost. Having to switch to virtual living rooms during the pandemic accelerated the movement, which grew rapidly as remote meetings became commonplace and women outside Southern California could more readily take part.

Now the founders are contemplating how to maintain the momentum. They have filed for nonprofit status so they can hire an executive director to coordinate and schedule meetings, line up guest speakers and organize occasional retreats, such as one the women had in October 2025 in Palos Verdes, California. And Bratter and Dennis are making plans to hand the organization over to new leaders when they are ready to step away.

“I don’t know that when I’m 90, I want to continue doing this,” Bratter says.

Not every older person needs something like Renewment. But as more people seek greater purpose in retirement or enter it without having planned — especially if they’re leaving powerful positions and busy jobs — many are seeking something like it, Dennis says. “There are millions of people who are retired who are thrilled with it,” she says. “But there’s an increasing number who are asking questions and looking for the next step.”