A lot of people plan for retirement financially. Fewer people plan for it physically. On this episode, Nick talks with Julie Wilde, a former global business leader who reinvented her career as a health coach. Julie works with busy professionals, couples, and retirees to help them build energy, reduce stress, and feel better in their daily lives as they transition toward retirement.
Watch on YouTube HERE
In this conversation, Nick and Julie dig into:
• Why your health is one of the most valuable assets you have in retirement• Why prevention and daily habits matter more than quick fixes• How small changes can lower risk for expensive health problems later• What it really means to build a strong foundation for healthy aging• Why health is emotional, just like money• Why it is so easy to set health goals and still not follow through• The mindset shift that helps people finally commit and get results
Julie also walks through a simple first step for anyone who is five years or less from retiring. She explains how to assess where you are, what is working, and where you may want to improve. She calls this gaining clarity. You can download her Health Clarity Review HERE.

Key ideas from this episode
Your health is an investment, not an afterthought.Julie makes the case that your health is something that compounds over time, just like retirement savings. Most of us would spend any amount of money to get our health back once we lose it. So it makes sense to protect it now instead of waiting.
Give your health a place at the front of the line.For many people in their 50s and 60s, work, kids, grandkids, and obligations tend to crowd out basic self care. Julie suggests one simple shift. Move health from the bottom of the list to the top. When you make that mental change, your habits begin to follow.
Build your foundation before you retire.Good sleep, steady movement, stress management, and food choices that actually fuel your body are not complicated ideas. The challenge is making them consistent. Julie explains why this foundation can help you stay active longer, delay or reduce medical costs, and enjoy what you saved for.
Track how you feel, not just a number on the scale.Nick and Julie talk about how easy it is to let a number define success. Body weight. Step count. Sleep score. Those tools can help, but they are not the whole story. Julie recommends paying attention to signals from your body and even keeping short notes about energy, sleep quality, and mood over time.
Why people struggle to follow through.Most people have good intentions. The problem is commitment. Julie explains why being fully in matters. When your goals and your daily habits are not aligned, you get stuck in repeat mode. When they line up, change finally happens.

Getting Started
Julie shares a simple exercise you can do in about five minutes:



Write down why your health matters to you in this stage of life.


Rate yourself in areas like sleep, energy, movement, stress, and eating habits.


Note one small action for each area. That becomes the start of your personal plan.


Resources mentioned in this episode
Health Clarity Review download

Connect with Julie WildeWebsiteLinkedIn
About Julie Wilde
Julie Wilde is the founder of Transformed With Wellness. She works with professionals, couples, and groups through a whole person approach she calls 10 Weeks to Transformation. Her focus is simple. Help people build energy, feel better, and stay capable in the years leading up to retirement and beyond.

About Kitchen Table Finance
Kitchen Table Finance is hosted by Nick Nauta and Dave Shotwell of Shotwell Rutter Baer. We help clients plan for retirement with clarity and confidence.

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