Eight Over 80: Harold I. Gould

0

How many hours a week do you work?

It depends on the season and the work load at any particular time. Right now we’re going into our busy season. I try not to put in more than 40 hours, though.

Why not retire?

I really like what I do and by now I’m pretty good at it. Over the years, I have developed some warm professional relationships. Staying in touch with those clients and still being able to help their businesses grow and prosper is very satisfying to me.

Does your wife want you to retire?

No. My wife is a busy psychotherapist and we both lead full lives by continuing with our respective professions.

Best part of working past 80?

Age brings wisdom as well as experience.

Worst part of working past 80?

There isn’t a worst. Being able to work at the age of 83 is a joy. My mother was forced to retire from her job at 65 and I remember she really didn’t like that.

Are you up to date on technology? Do you use email, cellphones or social networking?

Yes. Eminutes has invested well over $1 million on technology. So you can see we prioritize it in a very substantial way. Plus, using technology early on actually made it easier for me to extend my career and continue practicing law.

What’s the best advice you ever got?

Find a career or work that makes you happy and validates who you are as a person.

What advice would you give to people who want to work well past 65?

Embrace technology. It can really help you become more efficient while taking much of the effort out of what you do. And the newest technology is really fascinating to boot. Pun intended.

What’s the secret to staying healthy and active?

Be interested in people, in the arts and in the world. Being in love with and married to the same woman for 56 years is a huge asset. We started taking yoga classes recently, and that’s making us both feel younger and more flexible.

Do you work as much as you used to in your 40s and 50s?

I would say that I work a lot smarter now. It’s allowed me to slow down a bit and to enjoy other parts of my life, too.

How has your work routine changed?

I have been developing a second career as a working actor and I enjoy that very much. So when things are going well my routine gets interrupted a lot, with auditions and jobs.

What do you miss most from when you were young?

I grew up in Los Angeles so I miss the Helms truck, the Red Car line, the original Angels Flight, being able to drive from downtown to the beach without traffic. And that particular vibrancy that comes with youth.

What do you see in the future?

I subscribe to Popular Science and read science-fiction in general, so I think much of what I see in those articles and read about is going to be in our future.

No posts to display