The question that arrives when success stops feeling like enough
What Happens Next?
You did what you were supposed to do. You built the career. You earned the money. You created security.
And yet, quietly, a new question starts to surface.
What happens next when work no longer defines you? When time feels more precious than money? When the future feels open but unclear?
Official Book Launch
May 28, 2026 • London Book IncludedWhen the plan works but the answer does not
Mike spent over thirty years as a senior engineer in a large organisation. He worked hard. He saved well. He planned carefully.
When he finally stopped working, he asked the question most people focus on:
"Have I got enough money to retire?"
The answer was yes.
Then one day, Mike sent a photo.
Mike was not struggling financially. He was struggling with meaning.
He had planned the money. He had not planned the life.
Mike’s story is not unusual. It is the reason this book exists.
Why retirement thinking is broken
For decades, we have been sold a simple model.
That model no longer works.
- People live longer.
- Work has become identity. Status has become meaning.
- When work stops without a replacement for purpose, structure, and connection, a void appears.
This book is about helping you fill that void intentionally.
Start designing your next chapter
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Prefer the full experience? Join the live launch.
May
The "What Happens Next" Launch
Locke Bar and Lounge, Tower Bridge, London • Ticket includes a signed copy of the book
Designing the next chapter on purpose
What Happens Next is not a retirement guide. It is a practical framework for navigating change.
The N.E.X.T Framework
A practical way forward
Navigate
Where do you want to head next
Evaluate
Where are you today across money, wellbeing, and purpose
Execute
Small, low risk actions to move forward
Track
Review, adapt, and evolve
You are cordially invited.
Join us for real conversation, connection, and author insights. Includes book signing and drinks.
Wellbeing Areas
Working out what happens next is not just about money. It is about understanding the different areas of wellbeing that shape how your life actually feels day to day.
A Connected System
This book explores wellbeing as a connected system. Improve one area thoughtfully and others often improve with it.
"Financial clarity can unlock social experiences. Physical wellbeing supports mental resilience. Purpose strengthens emotional health."
Financial Wellbeing
Not about accumulation, but clarity, confidence, and control. Moving from accumulation to intention.
Purpose & Meaning
Redefining contribution and identity when the job title goes. Designing a sense of purpose that fits this stage.
Physical Wellbeing
Consistency, recovery, and sustainability. Protecting and investing in the platform everything else sits on.
Mental Wellbeing
Navigating uncertainty and noise. Reducing mental load and increasing emotional resilience during change.
Social Wellbeing
Rebuilding connection through friendship and community when the ready-made network of work disappears.
Intellectual Wellbeing
Keeping the mind alive through learning, teaching, and exploring. Curiosity does not have an expiry date.
Community & Contribution
Giving back out of meaning, not obligation. Mentoring, volunteering, and supporting others.
Time & Freedom
Designing time intentionally so freedom becomes something you enjoy rather than something that drifts away.
Who this book is for
This book is for you if:
- You are financially comfortable but emotionally uncertain
- You feel successful on paper but restless inside
- You want more meaning, not just more leisure
- You suspect there is another chapter waiting
- You want structure without being boxed in
"If Mike's story resonates, this book was written for you."
Expert Voices
The insights in this book are shaped by conversations with leading thinkers in financial wellbeing, psychology, and life design.
Nick Elston
One of the UK's leading inspirational speakers on the psychology of anxiety and resilience in high performance.
David Scarlett
Founder of The Soul Millionaire. Expert on values-based leadership and finding deep purpose beyond profit.
Chris Budd
Author of The Financial Wellbeing Book and founder of the Institute for Financial Wellbeing.
Catherine Morgan
Multi-award winning financial coach helping women build wealth and emotional financial security.
Roland Butcher
Former England cricketer, mentor, and advocate for purposeful work and legacy building.
Dr Sasha Sutherland
Educator, director, mentor, and collaborator on building lasting cultural and educational legacy.
Penny Power OBE
Entrepreneur, author, and pioneer of business communities, known for her work on trust, connection, and relationship-led growth.
George Kinder
Financial life planning pioneer and thought leader, best known for reframing money as a tool for living a more purposeful and meaningful life.
When Connection Changes Everything
Dellis was in her eighties and had lived a full life.
She had stories - incredible ones. Seeing the Beatles play at the Cavern Club before anyone knew who they were. Falling in love. Losing it. Carrying on.
But as the years passed, the people around her slowly drifted away. Her husband had died. Her family lived elsewhere. Days became quieter. Then quieter still.
Jason entered her life as a volunteer.
At first, he thought he was there to help. A weekly phone call. A bit of company for someone who was lonely. Polite conversations. Careful questions. The sort of thing you do because it feels like the right thing to do.
But something unexpected happened.
The calls became easier.
A shared laugh turned into a running joke.
A story sparked a memory.
What started as “support” slowly became friendship.
"Jason later reflected that he hadn’t really been volunteering at all - he’d been making a mate."
Dellis felt seen again. Less invisible. More connected to the world.
Jason found himself looking forward to their calls, energised by the conversations, grounded by her perspective, reminded of what really matters.
What this story shows us is something simple, but profound:
- ✦ Connection is rarely one-way.
- ✦ Meaning is often mutual.
- ✦ And wellbeing grows when we show up consistently for other people.
Social wellbeing isn’t built through grand gestures.
It’s built through small, regular acts of human connection - a call, a conversation, a shared moment.
Sometimes, the most powerful change in our lives doesn’t come from fixing ourselves. It comes from connecting with someone else.
Don't Navigate Your Next Chapter Alone
Join a community of people designing a life of meaning, connection, and purpose. Get the insights you need to move forward.
Meet the Community Live
Connect with fellow readers and the author at the official London launch event.
Standing on the Shoulders of Wisdom
The ideas in What Happens Next are shaped by centuries of thinking about purpose, meaning, wellbeing, and how to live a life that actually feels worth living.
Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.
Aristotle
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Epictetus
Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.
Viktor Frankl
Money isn't just numbers. It is about living the life you truly want.
George Kinder
Happiness is not enough. A well-lived life requires purpose, growth, and meaning.
Carol Ryff
People thrive when their needs for autonomy, competence, and connection are met.
Richard Ryan
Motivation flourishes where choice, meaning, and human connection exist.
Edward Deci
A strong sense of purpose is associated with longer life and better health.
Patricia Boyle
Values guide action, justify behaviour, and give meaning to life.
Shalom Schwartz
When identity is too rigid, change becomes psychologically destabilising.
Sheldon Stryker
Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.
Aristotle
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Epictetus
Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.
Viktor Frankl
Money isn't just numbers. It is about living the life you truly want.
George Kinder
Happiness is not enough. A well-lived life requires purpose, growth, and meaning.
Carol Ryff
People thrive when their needs for autonomy, competence, and connection are met.
Richard Ryan
Motivation flourishes where choice, meaning, and human connection exist.
Edward Deci
A strong sense of purpose is associated with longer life and better health.
Patricia Boyle
Values guide action, justify behaviour, and give meaning to life.
Shalom Schwartz
When identity is too rigid, change becomes psychologically destabilising.
Sheldon Stryker
Learning to choose is hard. Learning when not to choose is harder.
Barry Schwartz
Scarcity captures the mind, changing how we think and behave.
Sendhil Mullainathan
When people feel they have less, they have less mental bandwidth.
Eldar Shafir
Money is best spent strengthening relationships and creating experiences.
Elizabeth Dunn
How you spend your money matters more than how much you have.
Michael Norton
Quality of life depends more on how people live than what they own.
Ruut Veenhoven
You do not rise to your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
James Clear
You don’t need to know your purpose - you need to design your way toward it.
Bill Burnett
Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be designed.
Dave Evans
The most beautiful people are those who have known loss, suffering, and growth.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
Mike Tyson
Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Learning to choose is hard. Learning when not to choose is harder.
Barry Schwartz
Scarcity captures the mind, changing how we think and behave.
Sendhil Mullainathan
When people feel they have less, they have less mental bandwidth.
Eldar Shafir
Money is best spent strengthening relationships and creating experiences.
Elizabeth Dunn
How you spend your money matters more than how much you have.
Michael Norton
Quality of life depends more on how people live than what they own.
Ruut Veenhoven
You do not rise to your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
James Clear
You don’t need to know your purpose - you need to design your way toward it.
Bill Burnett
Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be designed.
Dave Evans
The most beautiful people are those who have known loss, suffering, and growth.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
Mike Tyson
Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Stories from the Next Chapter
This book isn't just theory. It's a tool that is already helping people navigate change, find purpose, and design a life that feels like their own.
“ This book is a vital resource for founders navigating the often-overlooked transition into their next chapter.
Alex Keay
“ What Happens Next is exactly the kind of guide you wish you’d had earlier. Thoughtful, practical, and refreshingly human.
Justin Walton
“ The real-life case studies add depth and context, making the ideas feel relatable, practical, and genuinely meaningful.
Louise McNamee
“ I found the book full of genuinely useful insights, clearly structured around stories, research, and practical things to think about.
David Reeve
“ This book came at exactly the right time for me. It’s empathetic, practical, and feels like a reassuring companion through change.
Graham Alldis
“ A genuinely valuable guide for people standing on the edge of a major life transition. The stories land, the thinking is sound.
Ian Price
“ This book feels completely authentic - helpful, grounded, and written with a genuine desire to support people through change.
Geoff Sober
“ A great read that takes you on a journey - blending experience, reflection, and the softer, human side of financial planning.
Jamie Jenkins
“ Chris understands that life isn’t fixed. This book encourages small, low-risk experiments that help you build the life you actually want.
Tom Mathar
Chris Daems
Chris Daems is a Chartered Financial Planner, founder of Cervello, and the creator of What Happens Next.
For more than two decades, Chris has worked closely with founders, senior professionals, and business owners as they navigate some of the most significant transitions of their lives. This includes stepping away from long-held roles, redefining success, and deciding how to spend their most finite resource, time.
Through thousands of client conversations, extensive research, and interviews with experts across wellbeing, purpose, work, health, and identity, Chris noticed a recurring gap. While people spend years planning financially for the future, far fewer prepare for the emotional, social, and psychological realities of what comes next.
What Happens Next is the result of that insight.
Blending real-life stories, evidence-based research, and practical frameworks, Chris’s work focuses on helping people move beyond the outdated idea of retirement and towards a more intentional and meaningful next chapter. One shaped by purpose, wellbeing, and choice rather than withdrawal.
Away from his professional work, Chris is a devoted family man. He lives in the UK with his wife and children, values time spent together above all else, and believes that strong relationships sit at the heart of a life well lived. That belief shapes both his personal life and the way he works with clients.
Chris continues to advise clients while quietly preparing for his own version of what happens next, whenever that day comes.
Your Next Chapter
Starts Here.
There is no perfect time to begin. There is only the decision to start.
Join Chris and a community of changemakers for the official launch of What Happens Next.
Secure Your Place
Launch Ticket
General Admission
- Signed copy of "What Happens Next"
- Live Q&A with Chris Daems
- Networking & Drinks Reception
"Your next chapter does not need to be dramatic. It needs to be intentional. And it can start today."