Chip Conley

Modern Elder Academy

The Modern Elder Academy (MEA) is the world's first "midlife wisdom school" dedicated to career and life transitions. Chip's role as a "mentern" at Airbnb (part mentor/part intern) inspired him to write the book "Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder" and to develop a unique place and curriculum to help people repurpose a lifetime of experience.

Chip is both founder and facilitator at MEA, bringing his experience and wisdom to the Academy classroom, along with storied guest faculty at weeklong workshops including, "How to Prepare for a Career or Job Transition" to "The Psychology of Presence" to "The Art of Really Living."

Modern Elders are wisdom seekers as much as wisdom keepers. The Academy offers a new roadmap for this phase of life's journey -- a kind of midlife pitstop to restore oneself and reframe one's mindset for the destinations that await. Graduates receive a certificate in "Mindset Management" and a new sense of resilience and relevance for the modern workplace.

Founder & CEO

Airbnb

After four years as Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Chip now serves as an advisor to the company advising the company's leadership.

Strategic Advisor for Hospitality & Leadership

In 2010, Chip was approached by the three Millennial founders of Airbnb to help grow their promising tech start-up into a global hospitality brand. At age 52 Chip knew nothing about tech, but was an award-winning hospitality veteran with a disruptive entrepreneurial streak. He joined Airbnb with the intention to mentor cofounder/CEO Brian Chesky. What he didn't expect was that he'd also become an intern as he was surrounded by smart, passionate employees half his age, with twice the digital smarts. During his tenure, Chip created the Airbnb Open and oversaw a variety of business units: Hospitality, Strategy, Leadership & Development, Business Development, Business Travel, Multifamily Housing Partnerships, and served as what Chesky called, "the Secretary of State to the travel industry" for Airbnb.

Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy

Everfest

Chip's company Fest300 merged with Everfest in 2016 and he remains their part-time Chief Strategy Officer.

Chief Strategy Officer

Fest300

"The more virtual we get, the more ritual we need." Chip Conley launched Fest300 to cultivate cultural curiosity and bring his love of festivals to the world. Fest300 merged with Everfest in 2016.

Founder, Editor-in-chief

Joie de Vivre Hospitality

Handcrafted California hotels with soul...
Whether you are looking for hotels in Marin, San Francisco, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County or the Coastal regions, you will find style, serenity, personality and friendly service whenever you stay at a Joie de Vivre boutique hotel in California. We’re in the business of creating dreams and landmark destinations full of personality and heart. Joie de Vivre hotels mirror the California lifestyle: we’re fresh, inventive, grass-roots, casual and experience-driven. Our eclectic collection of California boutique hotels offers something for every budget and personality. We’ve got a distinctive hotel for every travel need, whether you seek a romantic getaway, destination wedding, family vacation, weekend escape, unique event or meeting venue, or the alternative to the bland and cookie-cutter business hotel. We’re the rebel in hospitality; no two hotels are the same. We invite you to celebrate the joy of life at one of Joie de Vivre’s 35 boutique hotels in California.

Founder

Chip Conley is on a mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the world, and then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded Modern Elder Academy in January 2018. 

Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a ‘modern elder’ at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary transformation from fast-growing start-up to the world’s most valuable hospitality brand, Modern Elder Academy is the first-ever ‘midlife wisdom school.’ Dedicated to reframing the concept of aging, Modern Elder Academy supports students to navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. Modern Elder Academy has more than 3,000 alumni from 42 countries and 26 regional chapters globally and is is expanding to the United States with a new campus and regenerative community slated for Santa Fe, New Mexico to open in 2024. 

Conley is also the award-winning author of New York Times bestseller Emotional Equations, alongside Peak: Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, The Rebel Rules, Marketing That Matters: 10 Practices to Profit Your Business and Change the World, and Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, which forms the core of the Modern Elder Academy's curriculum. Conley's book A Year of Wisdom coming out this year is based on daily inspiration and insight from his Wisdom Well blog. Learning to Love Midlife, a book about rebranding midlife to help people understand a life stage that is misunderstood, will be released in January 2024.

A near death experience survivor, Conley is the recipient of hospitality’s highest honor, the Pioneer Award, and was named the Most Innovative CEO in the San Francisco Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. He is the founder of the Celebrity Pool Toss that supports families in the Tenderloin neighborhood where he opened his first hotel, and San Francisco’s Hotel Hero Awards. Chip holds a BA and MBA from Stanford University, and an honorary doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University. He serves on the board of Encore.org, and the advisory board for the Stanford Center for Longevity.

I found myself wrestling with the skepticism of an experienced luxury hotel professional. During his visit to our campus near Santa Fe, he remarked, “You’re quite a risk taker.” He wasn't wrong, but his tone felt like it might be less cheerleading and more cautionary. This led to a day of introspection, pondering whether our ambitious project was a leap too far into a realm of the unconventional.

I realized throughout my career that people have said that to me in various ways. They expressed shock when, at 26, I bought a bankrupt, pay-by-the-hour motel in San Francisco to turn it into a rock ‘n roll hotel. They told me I was nuts to join the Millennial founders of Airbnb as their “modern elder” before most people had heard of them. They told me there was no precedent for a “midlife wisdom school” when I co-founded MEA. 

I hear a voice in my head saying, “I’ve been here before.” That’s what wisdom is: the ability to call upon our metabolized experience. Our painful life lessons are the raw material for our future wisdom. I’ve now had forty years of entrepreneurial experience, so I have lots of raw material to work with. At 63, I trust that my intuition is lubricated with my past lessons. 

Getting into a state of flow requires the melting together of action and consciousness, the state of finding a balance between a skill and the challenge of that task. To do this, you have to be open to failing. If the task isn’t challenging, you’ll be bored, and there’ll be no flow. 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, reminds us that wisdom flows from joy (which I particularly like since my boutique hotel company was called Joie de Vivre):

“It is essential to remember that the pursuit of wisdom, and its deployment, thrive on joy. The best recipe for the spread of wisdom is the encouragement of curiosity, respect for the best accomplishments of the past, coupled with a burning desire for improving on them; and all of this within a conception of self that extends to other people, the planet and beyond. When these elements are in place, a joyful immersion in the complexity of life is likely to ensue - an openness to experience, a willingness to dive deep into issues of concern to self and others. If such an attitude develops far enough, then understanding life becomes increasingly rewarding in itself. The person will be seen as wise, and his or her actions also will be considered wise.” 

Rather than take offense to this statement from the luxury hotelier, I take it as a compliment that my risk-taking is just reacquainting me with my past experiences, which I’m just trying to improve. In so doing, I’m finding my flow…and my joy.

How might you consider the statement, “I’ve been here before,” when trying to summon your wisdom and courage?

If this post intrigues you, I hope you’ll join me, Steven Kotler (the world’s leading expert on flow), and my cofounder Christine Sperber for “Finding Flow in Midlife and Beyond” June 10-15 at our Santa Fe campus

meawisdom.com • 1 min read

Mastery Week: Finding Flow in Midlife and Beyond with Steven Kotler - MEA

When we shortened our Modern Elder Academy name to MEA, we didn't expect we'd have to do a "mea culpa" to Spanish and Portuguese-speaking people as "mea" is the third person for urinating. Not exactly a great word association. 

But, more recently, we've found that "mea" means "growth" or "sprout" in Swahili, to "measure" in Sanskrit, and it has a relationship "to host" in Hawaiian, where they call a host "mea ho'okipa." Ho'okipa means hospitality (in a simplified English translation sort of way), and, in this case, the word mea, when added in front of it, means "the one who brings/delivers/establishes/creates." 

Phew! I know that's a lot to take in. What can I say? I'm a word nerd, but you already knew that. The bottom line is that MEA can mean "to host," which makes perfect sense to me as someone who has spent my life hosting as a boutique hotelier, as the head of all the hosts at Airbnb, and now as your host at MEA.  

We hope you'll give us the opportunity to host your midlife growth spurt, which we will measure in margaritas (or, better yet, merriment).

So excited to announce that I was a guest on the Making Space podcast, hosted by the amazing Hoda Kotb from the Today Show! 

To hear the full conversation now, just search for MAKING SPACE wherever you get your podcasts or click here: https://buff.ly/3xigZH3    

It was truly an honor to be featured on the show and to share some personal reflections. I have to say, there's something really magical about getting the chance to connect and share with someone as inspiring as Hoda.

link.chtbl.com • 1 min read

Making Space with Hoda Kotb

A friend said this to me the other day after she read this New York Times profile (https://buff.ly/3x7lW5r) of the 71-year-old actress/director/model/farmer. Isabella is a role model for living life with gusto, especially in her recent years when she doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks of her, nor does she retouch her photos. 

Here’s an excerpt from the article about the woman whose parents were actress Ingrid Bergman and filmmaker Roberto Rossellini:

She was married to Martin Scorsese, and another partner, David Lynch, famously directed her in the 1986 film “Blue Velvet.” But she also built her own interesting and varied career, becoming one of the most recognizable models in the world as the face of Lancôme until, in her 40s, the beauty brand dumped her for being too old. Rossellini was suddenly faced with a question, she told me, that she’s still working through today: “Who am I, and how do I fulfill the rest of my life?”

That’s such a valuable question she asked at age 45. We would do well by asking it of ourselves as we explore the second half of our lives. In Isabella’s case, she has become increasingly more playful with age. She laughs at the fact that Lancôme wizened up and invited her back to be the face of the cosmetic brand in her mid-60s. She’s loving being single and 71, no longer feeling the need to be defined by a romantic partner. It’s a worthy article to check out just to enjoy the interview, as Isabella has a ferocious and lovely mind and spirit. If you can’t get beyond the NYT paywall and don’t want to subscribe, check out her Instagram (https://buff.ly/4aubPGs).

A routine is a habit without a soul. The difference between a routine and a ritual is the meaning we ascribe to it. Or as African author Malidoma Somé suggests, the difference between a ritual and a routine is a willingness to be altered. What may look outlandish to someone else may have deep meaning to you, so don’t feel that you have to explain your ritual to a non-believer (“Don’t rip my ritual!”). More than anything, a ritual offers you a landmark: a before and an after. A healthy ritual can give you the confidence and faith that you’ve crossed a threshold. 

I’ve made it a ritual to write my books near the ocean. MEA has made it a ritual to do the “Great Midlife Edit” purge at the firepit within the first 24 hours of the workshop. More than one MEA alum makes it a ritual to place ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday as a sign of remembrance. Anyone can devise a simple ritual and integrate it into their day, week, or month. The key is your intentionality. Zen monks even see washing the dishes as a ritual because it’s infused with the spirit of service. 

I don’t want to denigrate routines, as they can make the chaos of everyday life more containable and controllable. Given how nuts our lives are and how much we’re trying to accomplish, having some routine calms the nervous system enough to accomplish what needs to get done. 

But ritual aims to imbue the mundane with an element of the magical. While a routine comforts us, a ritual revitalizes us. It gives us a sense of hope and optimism (to doubters that may be seen as “false hope”). Given how much of our life is on rinse and repeat, ritual offers us a little seasoning with our habitual lives. 

For example, each morning when I shower, I think of it as a cleansing ritual, and I say three prayers and six mantras (I say each mantra three times). This little early-day ceremony lasts the same length as my shower, 5 minutes, which leaves me feeling invigorated and ready for my day. My “Spying on the Divine” ritual (doing an awe walk in nature with my dog, asking, “Nature, what do you have to teach me?”) is the thing I do to get out of my head and to feel a deeper sense of connection to the world. Routines are for successful people. Rituals are for joyful people.

What habit or routine could you turn into a ritual just by infusing it with more intentionality or meaning?

If this sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend you check out Renewing Purpose: Modern Rituals to Navigate Life Transitions with Day Schildkret July 1-6 in Baja (https://buff.ly/3Oatv19). Yes, it’s over the U.S. Independence Day, but maybe it’s time to experience a new kind of independence ritual for yourself. All I can say is that Day is a magician, as the people who were in his workshop a few months ago found it life-changing, including Kelvis, whose story is included in this blog post, “Our Society is Starving for Ritual.” (https://buff.ly/4cRQqZy)

On average, the financial odds are stacked against women. I’m not telling most women something they don’t know. Both men and women are affected by the number of retirement years growing in the past half-century. The average number of years Americans spend in retirement has risen from 13 in 1970 to nearly 20 by 2010. 

The risk of running out of money in retirement rises for those with lower pay, longer lives or no partner. Millions of single women wrestle with all three.

Consider these facts. 

1. Women earn less than men on average during their working years and are more than twice as likely as men to leave the workforce for more than one year to care for children or aging parents.

2. This shortfall compounds in retirement. Social Security checks are 20% smaller for women who first claim at 62 to 64 years of age, compared with men the same age. 

3. Single women, in particular, have smaller 401(k) and IRA nest eggs. On average, single women between 55 and 64 have about $88,600 in retirement savings, compared with $136,685 for single men and $423,800 for married couples in the same age group.

4. Women also tend to live longer, raising the projected total cost of retirement as they have to stretch their smaller savings over more years.

As a society, we need to develop new programs to address this inequity whether it be more of a social infrastructure for shared living in homes or ways to compensate family caregivers. If you want to read more about this, here’s a recent Op-Ed by Peter Coy of the New York Times (https://buff.ly/3PL7g2i).

The challenge of being an author with a big publisher is that you deliver the final manuscript about a year before the book comes out, which means new ideas may percolate to the surface that won’t be captured in the published book. 

Here are the 3 big ideas (3 months after my most recent book was published) that came to me after I’d submitted the “Learning to Love Midlife” (https://buff.ly/3SRB5kt) manuscript, which I would include in a revised edition:

A revised definition of midlife. One of the big questions that arises at my book talks is, what’s the definition of midlife? Most people are looking for a quantified answer. As many of you know, I suggest there are three stages to midlife: early midlife (35-50), core midlife (50-60), and later midlife (60-75). But, my new answer is this: “Midlife is the bridge between early adulthood and later adulthood,” which makes sense since early, mid, and later seems like a logical progression. The longer we live, the longer that bridge, so midlife may stretch forty years. 

Invisibility vs. Irrelevance. I wish I had spent more time in the book discussing the difference between how women and men experience midlife based on social science and what we’ve observed at MEA. Women in their 50s often cite “invisibility” as one of the biggest challenges, while men cite “irrelevance.” Given those two very different perspectives, I could have written a whole chapter on this topic. 

The social science of longevity. In the past year, a lot of journalist ink has been spilled on tech bros, biohacking their way to immortality. The media is obsessed with the physical science of turning back the human clock. And, yet, no intervention has proven to be as effective in extending longevity as Yale’s Becca Levy’s study, showing that shifting one’s mindset on aging from a negative to a positive adds 7.5 years to life. I wish I could have amplified that message in the book since it’s so much more accessible to the average reader than spending $2 million per year on Bryan Johnson’s rigid regimen (https://buff.ly/4aKPRPD) or Peter Diamandis’ Abundance Platinum Longevity & Immunity Trip (https://buff.ly/49pa3W9), which costs $70,000 per person for a 4-day experience.

If you enjoyed reading or listening to “Learning to Love Midlife,” (https://buff.ly/3SRB5kt) I’d appreciate it if you could leave an Amazon review for the book at THIS LINK: https://buff.ly/4asw3Rq. The day after the book launched in mid-January, it hit #1 on Amazon’s Happiness/Self-Help bestsellers list. Still, the best way to keep a book relevant to those who scan books at Amazon is the frequency and quality of the reader reviews, so I deeply appreciate your assistance. It’ll only take you a couple of minutes. Thanks!

Part of the reason I decided to write “Learning to Love Midlife” (https://buff.ly/3SRB5kt) was because I didn’t feel there were many mainstream books that told the modern midlife story. But, I recently cracked open James Hollis’ insightful first book, “The Middle Passage,” and was reminded of just how influential this work of art was on my early thinking on midlife. 

Read my thoughts on this gem here: https://buff.ly/49tL3wS

Gravitas and levity are Latin words that represent seriousness and lightness, respectively. The wisest people I know intuitively recognize when a group could use a bit more of one or the other. 

One of my mentors, Buzz McCoy, told me that the first thing he noticed upon entering a room of people in a meeting was whether they needed depth or humor or the perfect alchemy of both. 

How can you be a wise social alchemist who knows which situations need a little more gravitas and which need a little more lightness? Often, the wisest one in the room knows the perfect timing to shift the energy.

Thrilled to announce that I will be speaking at the 35th Anniversary PBWC Conference in San Francisco on May 23rd, 2024! 

Join me at BeYou! so we can gather to exchange ideas and promote personal growth. You can grab your tickets here: https://buff.ly/4arIJay 

Your conference registration includes:

- Inspiring and thought-provoking speakers in morning and afternoon keynote sessions
- Topic-focused networking luncheons to support personal development and career advancement
- Expo Marketplace access for meaningful connections with sponsors and exhibitors
- Iconic 360° views of the San Francisco skyline from The Moscone Center
- On-demand access to conference recordings for a limited time following the live event

Hope to see you there! 👏🌟

A muse is a person who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. I love author Liz Gilbert’s 2009 TED talk (https://buff.ly/3DMlJ80) about genius coming from the ethereal genie (by the way, Liz and Tererai Trent are co-leading a workshop in October at our MEA Santa Fe campus on “Awakening Magic.”(https://buff.ly/3vwdqN7)). Liz suggests that we have to be a conduit for the genie to come through us as our muse. 

There are 2 angels who’ve been my muses and they both have MEA workshops in May. Evolutionary astrologer Steven Forrest’s every-three-year readings for the past quarter century have given me a hint that I would become a modern elder, live in a foreign country, start a school, and reconnect with my partner Oren after 15 years of separation. Steven didn’t tell me any of these things were going to happen but he helped me to see the themes in my life and the potential doors that might open. 

While a twentieth century psychological astrologer might focus on the dynamics of childhood, Steven focuses on the childhood of the soul—prior lifetimes, and the issues left unresolved from them. All kinds of artists have praised his work including the musician Sting, who said that Forrest "manages to disarm the skeptic, as well as debunk the charlatanism that surrounds popular astrology, with language that is as intelligent and cogent as it is poetic.” And, actor Robert Downey Jr. has praised Steven’s work saying “I marvel at the accuracy of Steven’s readings. He insists that nothing is so grave as to be beyond repair, and correspondingly that there is no rainbow that won’t be evaporated by poor judgment in the now. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”

Vanessa Inn was my tai chi teacher over 30 years ago and this transitioned into a close friendship and being neighbors in Baja. She’s got a gift for seeing themes in one’s life and being a “first-class noticer” of patterns which is why she’s been a coach to so many Hollywood celebrities (here’s an Instagram interview between her and the singer Pink, one of her clients: https://buff.ly/3VGeRmT). I’ve found her to be insightful about relationship dynamics so, in particular, couples seek her out. I consider her to be a muse for me because she’s helped me to see that when I’m in my essence, powerful things happen including the two of us seeing this cloud image as we were talking about the way the two of us figuratively dance together as friends. 

Vanessa Inn’s Essence Leads to Power workshop is May 13-18 at our Baja campus (https://buff.ly/49iVEun) and there’s a special offer for couples for that workshop: make a brief call appointment our Admissions department (https://buff.ly/49edLSo) and when the first partner signs up at full-tuition, the second partner is free. Steven Forrest’s workshop is May 20-25 at our Santa Fe campus (https://buff.ly/3vgsgXM). I did an online fireside chat last week with the two of them which you can see here: https://buff.ly/4aCbfGx.

The first half of our lives is influenced by our tuition, paying for access to schools and teachers that allow us to accumulate knowledge. The second half of our life is influenced by our intuition, the gut instinct that is a conduit to our wisdom. Yet, while we’re used to paying tuition, how do we invest in our intuition (that’s a great topic for an MEA workshop, right?)? 

For too many of us, our intuition is buried deep under that accumulated knowledge. It’s like a paradise paved over by the skyscrapers of learning and intellect. We become so habitual in our conscious reasoning that we don’t know how to notice and value our unconscious knowing. The tutoring of our mind in the first half of our life must be balanced with the awakening of the mind, heart, and spirit in the second half. One of the most valuable ways to do this is through mindfulness practices. 

Want to work on your intuition? I’d highly recommend Zee Clarke’s upcoming workshop in Santa Fe Aug 5-10, “From Conventional to Intentional: Attune to Your Purpose.” () Back by popular demand, Zee is a perfect example of someone who has gone from tuition (Harvard MBA) to intuition (mindfulness training in India). She’s a delight, and people loved her Baja workshop last year.

From Conventional to Intentional: Attune to Your Purpose with Zee Clarke - MEA

Solitude vs. Loneliness. 

One is a choice. The other is a crisis. 

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy cites the health risks of loneliness are as lethal as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than those associated with obesity and physical inactivity. In case you're wondering, Americans are lonelier than Europeans (). In fact, the number of Americans over 50 living alone has nearly doubled since 2000. Living alone doesn't mean you're lonely, but it does mean that you better start believing that friendship is a practice, a muscle you need to exercise; otherwise, it will atrophy. 

Of course, solitude is more enjoyable if you're in control of it. People who pursue solitude of their own volition tend to report that it feels full—like they're full of ideas or thoughts or things to do. They enjoy their own company and their connection to animals and nature. Wendell Berry knew this when he observed that "true solitude is found in the wild places, where one is without human obligation" - the places where "one's inner voices become audible."

A few years ago, I did a survey on the MEA Facebook group (https://buff.ly/3JdBfMI) asking, "Are you more or less extroverted than you were 20 years ago?" We got 430 responses with the following distribution, which suggests that as we age, we appreciate our alone time: 

Less extroverted, more introverted 48%
More extroverted, less introverted 21%
Pretty much the same, I'm an extrovert 11%
I've become an "ambivert" 9%
Pretty much the same, I'm an introvert 3%
Various other added answers 8%

In fact, most research (https://buff.ly/4aDbocW) shows that we benefit more from solitude as we age, develop more control over our time, and improve our cognitive and emotional skills to use it more constructively. Maybe this can be summed up in two sentences: Loneliness is happening to me. Solitude is happening for me. 

For many of us, our 30s and 40s were the decades when our friendships go to die. If you're ready to re-exercise your muscles, check out poet Mark Nepo's "The Power of Friendship" workshop at our Santa Fe campus September 16-21 (https://buff.ly/3JbDDnh).

yahoo.com • 1 min read

Why are middle-aged Americans so lonely — and what habits can we learn from Europeans?

Live Fireside Chat: Michael Bungay Stainer & Chip Conley - Unlock Greatness

❇️ Register here: https://bit.ly/49Cq4YM

This live event offers practical insights for personal and professional growth, effective leadership, and overcoming obstacles. Drawing from extensive coaching experience, they provide actionable advice to unlock full potential in life. Expect thought-provoking discussions on achieving greatness across diverse life aspects.

April 24, 2024 | 1:30pm PT | 4:30pm ET

❇️ Register here: https://bit.ly/49Cq4YM

Taplio

Chip Conley's Linkedin Analytics

Chip Conley

What is Chip talking about?

Chip Conley's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Chip Conley's Linkedin Analytics

Chip Conley

What is Chip talking about?

Chip Conley's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Chip Conley's Linkedin Analytics

Chip Conley's Best Posts (last 30 days)