Client Testimonials

I retired from my career of 40 years, just before COVID hit. I wasn’t able to start a second career in the way I had envisioned. Two years later, my office lease came to an end and very unexpectedly, I was hit with a wave of grief. I didn’t know what it was about at all, and so I contacted Jen, because I knew that I needed retirement coaching.

Jen listened well to my story and realized that I needed to be grounded by providing me a map for what transition looks like as it relates to retirement. She gave me that map, and some meaningful exercises to do, which got me back on solid ground, with a plan.

I am so grateful that Jen could see what I needed, and calmly, effectively provide it to me. Thank you Jen!

After happily stepping off the work/career treadmill after almost 3 decades, I thought I had planned well for this huge transition but I couldn’t get my head around using the term “Retirement”.

After about 8 months into this journey, I found myself feeling lost and stuck. I was struggling with the uncertainty of what my future may look like. I needed help.

Thankfully, I enlisted the professional services of Jennifer as a coach. Jennifer put me at ease right away, reassuring me that my feelings were normal and no one knows what life is going to be like in retirement until they live it.

Jennifer’s positive, creative and collaborative style was a turning point for me to take a step and embrace this new exciting chapter of life. Jennifer is also: proactive, responsive and listens very well. We did some creative work together to develop the steps for me to take and options of what this new chapter could look like. It gave me the confidence to switch directions and happily decide to pursue bridge employment for the next few years. 

I am approaching retirement perhaps before I am ready to do so. I work in a vocation with which Jennifer has limited familiarity. She has more now. She was open to learn the unique dynamics related to my vocation and how retirement has been handled by others I have known in this vocation. I actually found it advantageous that she could be more objective than if I had chosen someone specializing in retirement from my chosen vocation. Jennifer was able to underline those issues that are common to anyone’s retirement. She helped in identifying my areas of avoidance. I still have much work to do in the months to come.

I am grateful that Jennifer maintained poise and patience as she worked with a rather challenging client such as me who can be very tentative and resistant when it comes to life-changing matters like retirement. Jennifer has assured me that she is there for follow-up with me.

I found Jennifer’s collaboration to be inspiring, educational and enjoyable. Her professional background, easy going demeanor, mastery of the subject matter, and genuine, sincere interest in helping all contributed to a productive, rewarding experience for me.

Jennifer reaffirmed and validated some preconceived beliefs that I held, helped to controvert others in a positive way, and generally left me feeling better about moving into the retirement phase of life.

When thinking about retirement I was at a loss. Retirement loomed in my mind as a large blank slate. I couldn’t imagine what kinds of things I would be doing, or who I would be without my work, which has been a large part of my identity for 35 years. Jennifer Rovet led me through a series of processes, and conversations which helped to facilitate a journey of discovery. Now when I think of retirement I am looking forward to the many opportunities coming my way.

Working with Jennifer at Retire Ready Canada provided me with a singular opportunity to test the assumptions, theories and even the early misconceptions I had about retirement.

I found Jennifer to be a wonderful listener. This is her great strength as a coach. She demonstrated insights and knowledge about many of the concerns and problems facing me as a retiree but she never presumed to tell me what I should be doing or thinking.

She provided a supportive environment that allowed me to discover these “truths” on my own if I chose to and in my own time. She did not assume the role of an instructor or didact but, as her title suggests, she was first and foremost a coach, allowing one to find his own way and discover his own path.

Jennifer gave me the confidence I needed to validate my goals and activities in retirement. She encouraged me to become less worried about retirement and more confident that an extraordinary opportunity was in my grasp for the taking. By the end of our coaching sessions, rather than worrying about the work life I was leaving behind, I welcomed the chance to experience a new way of living.

Today I am confident and happy in my choices and this feeling is entirely attributable to Jennifer’s coaching skills and sincere encouragement.

I found Jennifer’s approach to retirement coaching to be organized and extremely helpful. Many of the issues of retirement that I had not considered were addressed and added to my considerations for the big day.

She was very professional and especially helped with setting realistic goals and advice. I will always remember her parting words ‘try extra hard to keep a fit mind and body.’ Coaching is well worth taking for people considering their life after work.

Jennifer is a terrific coach: she is understanding; a great listener and most of all is able to steer people on a path where they can discover what they seek the most in their retirement.

I enjoyed spending time with Jennifer. She is personable and engaging while being entirely professional. She made the sessions pleasant and productive. When considering the process we were undertaking, what I enjoyed most was actually coming up with some things I could do to take ownership of my retirement and enhancing it.

The best thing I did for my retirement was to work with Jennifer Rovet. She helped me to plan ahead, to focus on what was important to me and also to identify areas that I needed to work on in order to transition smoothly to being a successful retiree. She is very patient and understanding and with her calm demeanor, was able to steer me in the right direction so that I’m not so fearful about retiring. I am now able to look forward to the future with confidence and I have no regrets about my decision to retire, all thanks to Jennifer.

I retired 6 years ago and had a pile of projects that I couldn’t wait to start! Now those projects are completed, and I felt a little lost, perhaps my second retirement.

Jennifer took me through a journey of thoughts and ideas, to understand my strengths and passions, and piece together a few possible plans for my future. This included not only my project focus, but also family, fun and satisfying my needs, wants and passions.

Thank you Jennifer. You have added clarity to my future vision.

Jennifer was incredibly professional and non-judgemental. She provided thoughtful and respectful discussions each time we met and was very positive and helpful. I enjoyed the relevancy of topics discussed and that Jennifer was very open to where the conversation moved during each session. At no time did I feel pressured to complete exercises.

I had 3 sessions with Jennifer (at the behest of my son), at the top half of this year, as I contemplated life at the conclusion of a long tenured employment. I benefited from some ideas that she shared with me in response to guidance that I had sought from her with regard to aspirations I (already) had, but lacked clarity about.

For example, as an immigrant, I always wanted to learn ice skating. Thanks to Jennifer’s research/suggestions, I enrolled at a nearby community centre for a series of 8 “Learn to Skate” lessons for adult beginners. After struggling for a bit, I was thrilled to bits when I learned to glide, without doing any serious damage to my body parts!

Jennifer also pointed me in the right direction, by referring me to an organisation, MAS, with whom I could sign up as a Volunteer Consultant and leverage the skills I had gained during my work life.

While I have no doubt that one would benefit from engaging with Jennifer, I personally would have liked a bit of structure and outcome orientation. Having said that, I am aware that many would simply like to have a sounding board, and she is a perfect fit for that.