WhatsNext.com Launches for Boomers in Professional and Personal Transition

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - August 17, 2009) -

News Facts:

• 80 million baby boomers make up 40 percent of the current work force
  (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) and 12,000 Americans turn 50
  every day. (Source: U.S. Census) Their approach towards retirement and
  career will have a profound impact on work and life in America.
• 84 percent of American workers between the ages of 44-62 say they
  expect to work well into retirement age. Of note, 65 percent of these
  individuals expect to change their line of work after the age of 50.
  (Source: Harris Poll/Merrill Lynch collaboration)
• In the context of the economic downturn, the focus on work and
  financial security has intensified, resulting in millions of Americans
  devoting serious consideration to reinventing their careers and redirecting
  their lives.
• As many as 8.4 million people or 9.5 percent of those in the 44-70 age
  bracket are currently working in "encore" or "second act" jobs. (Source:
  MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey)
• For millions of baby boomers, the time to re-appraise their current or
  future professional and financial options is now. And the place to do it
  is WhatsNext.com.

WhatsNext.com:

• WhatsNext.com is the only online source solely dedicated to baby
  boomers' combined concerns about career reinvention and financial planning.
• The site offers a unique combination of inspiration, information and
  resources for mid-life professionals in transition.
• Registrants to WhatsNext.com receive the site's signature guide "Career
  Change & Life Balance." They also receive a biweekly newsletter on career
  change and life planning strategies.

Free Signature Guide:

WhatsNext.com has just released "Career Change & Life Balance," a signature
free guide that helps readers identify the best advice and tools for
midlife career transition. The in-depth, 36-page downloadable guide
features advice from top experts including Richard Bolles, author of "What
Color is Your Parachute," Richard Leider, author of "Whistle While You
Work," and financial planner Roger Wellington, as well as the author's own
insights and perspective. The guide was written and researched by Elizabeth
Pope, a veteran journalist and expert on careers and other topics of
interest to the 50+ population; her work has appeared regularly in The New
York Times, AARP publications, Time magazine and other publications.

Career Change & Life Balance and addresses topics including:

• The value of self-assessment tests
• The difference between career and life coaches
• How to test-drive new career options
• The importance of social networking
• How to use the Web to job search
• Pros and cons of pursuing an entrepreneurial path

Web site:

• WhatsNext.com features various sections containing helpful information,
  tools and tips, including:

• Careers 2.0
  -- A collection of personal and professional reinvention narratives, such
  as, "a developer who decided to help the homeless," "a Fortune 500
  professional who became a fish market owner," "a banker turned zoo owner"
  and "a college president who was a former psychotherapist."
• How-To Guides
  -- Step-by-step manuals for those contemplating a specific mid-life career
  such as how to become a teacher, creating the transition from private to
  non-profit management, establishing a consulting practice and managing job
  loss.
• Your
  Financial Plan -- This section of the Web site explores the link
  between financial planning and careers. Articles cover topics such as the
  optimal age to file for Social Security benefits, managing your 401(k)
  accounts and how to choose a financial planner. The section also includes
  links to free career planning resources.
• Find An
  Advisor -- A directory of career coaches, life coaches and financial
  advisors searchable by name, geography, specialty and certification.
• Tools -- Includes
  referrals to the best self-assessment tests on the Web, targeted job
  listings and financial planning calculators.
• DreamBlogs --
  What'sNext bloggers are embarking on new careers at midlife, and
  chronicling their adventures online.
• Of Note: Mark Miller, editorial director, has been interviewed on
  syndicated TV and in print and is available for interviews.

Attributable to Jeremy Koch, Founder & CEO, What's Next Media, LLC

"A growing number of Americans are re-examining their professional and
personal lives -- either by choice or out of necessity. Some seek stability
while others seek meaning. But whatever the underlying reason, people are
rethinking their fundamental priorities and need solid information and
advice as they make important decisions about how to live the rest of their
lives."

Attributable to
Richard Bolles, Author, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" 10 million
copies in print, revised annually

"I am happy to see Elizabeth Pope's new 'Career & Life Balance Guide.' In
these days of fading hopes for early retirement, people in mid-life face
much longer work lives than they thought they were going to; they need all
the help they can get. Elizabeth is a fine writer, and this guide is
stamped with her intelligence and restless quest for new and better ideas."

Attributable to Richard J.
Leider, Founder & Chairman, The Inventure Group, Renowned Career Expert
and Best-Selling Author

"People who are living on purpose feel a sense of aliveness every day and
seek to make a difference in the world around them. In times of deep
change, many people seek that aliveness. They want both daily bread (money
& health coverage) and daily meaning (purpose & balance). 'Career Change &
Life Balance Guide' from WhatsNext.com will help people discover both!"

Attributable to Roger Wellington,
Executive Director, Kinder Institute of Life Planning

"Thousands of people in mid-life and beyond are navigating complex
transitions as they approach retirement or redirect their careers.
WhatsNext.com will make an important contribution in facilitating this
process by providing relevant, targeted content and by helping consumers
find and connect with qualified financial planners and life coaches."

About What's Next Media, LLC

Founder and Chairman Jeremy Koch developed the idea for What'sNext in 2004
when he left a senior executive position at Time Inc. after a career in
consumer marketing and brand development. WhatsNext.com is the company's first
platform as part of a multi-media strategy. Koch's partners include
President Mark
Gleason and Editorial Director Mark Miller.