At 79, Richard Grove, CEO of Ink Inc. Public Relations for the past 30 years, shows no signs of slowing down. He recently shared he has no plans to retire and has never experienced burnout.
"I'm the founder, chairman, and CEO of Ink Inc. Public Relations, and I'm 79 years old. I live on a 27-acre property in Kansas and am fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends and family who support my desire to continue to work."
"My career began at Burson-Marsteller in New York City in 1968 and progressed through several other large PR firms and C-level stints on the corporate side. Thirty years ago, I founded Ink Inc. to go off on my own," he told Business Insider.
Mr Grove shared that retiring in his sixties never really crossed his mind.
"I never really considered retiring in my 60s when many people typically do. However, when it becomes drudgery, or I find myself bored beyond recovery, which hasn't happened yet, I may."
"One of the things that keeps me going is having a competitive nature. Securing media can be a chase, and the chase never gets old. There's a lot of "no" in PR, and if you don't embrace the chase, you're lessening the chances to feel and earn on your client's behalf the satisfaction of succeeding," he said.
Despite acknowledging public relations as a "pressure-filled profession," the 79-year-old CEO remarkably claims to have never experienced burnout.
"Most people experience fatigue, but I've never felt burned out. PR is a pressure-filled profession, a little more so at the top. Sometimes, clients, the media, or your employees can drive you a little nuts. I've been doing it for so long that I know these trials come in cycles and have a way of working themselves out with a little skill and patience."
"I'm extremely fortunate that I continue to be in excellent health. I've lost close friends and family to various ailments and remain conscious of my fortuity. I'm committed to exercising and watching my diet. I still work out several times a week. I also keep my mind sharp and am always learning," Mr Grove said.
