Meet Gordon Parry
I’m Gordon Parry—author, consultant, and coach—committed to helping people flourish at every stage of life. For decades, I’ve worked with executives, teams, and organizations worldwide, translating research into practical approaches that unlock potential, fuel growth, and build lasting impact.
Questions have shaped my journey. Twenty years ago, as a member of the inaugural class of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, I asked how we might fully engage people’s hearts and minds in meaningful work. Under the mentorship of Christopher Peterson, my research focused on strengths, purpose, and job recrafting —work that redirected my career from senior leadership roles at global organizations to a life dedicated to leadership development and coaching.
Today, I’m pursuing another question: How can we flourish in the final third of life? Too often framed by decline and limitation, this stage holds extraordinary opportunities for contribution, vitality, and legacy. My forthcoming book, Along the Road: Thriving in the Final Third of Life (December 2025), blends research, story, and practical tools to reframe aging as a chapter of possibility.
I invite you to join me on this journey—through reflections, resources, and conversations—as together we explore what it means to live fully, contribute wisely, and finish well.
When I’m Not Writing:
Authentic Impact
Authentic Impact helps organizations and leaders navigate complexity, build clarity, and unlock potential. For executive teams and senior leaders, the firm provides strategic planning and decision alignment, purpose- and people-centered consulting, and culture integration that strengthens leadership clarity.
Co-founded nearly two decades ago by Gordon Parry and Helen Kain, Authentic Impact partners with organizations and leaders at every level of change—from strategic realignment to team reset to personal transformation. Its clients span industries and locations, reflecting a global reputation for insight and impact. With offices in Omaha, Nebraska, and Toronto, Ontario, the Authentic Impact team continues to help leaders and organizations discover clarity of purpose, navigate change with confidence, and create cultures where both people and performance thrive.
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12306 Emmet Street, Omaha, NE 68164
Hesly Center, Baileys Harbor, WI
More than a decade ago, Gordon Parry purchased a historic Wisconsin dairy barn that had undergone renovation but sat empty and unfinished for several years. He worked to transform it into the Hesly Center, a state-of-the-art retreat for leadership and executive development. Located on eight private acres, the beautifully renovated space preserves the barn’s original stone foundation—an enduring reminder of resilience—while embracing new possibilities through thoughtful, modern design.
The story of the Hesly Center mirrors the themes of Gordon’s work: honoring the past, building on enduring strengths, and creating environments where growth can flourish. Set amid Door County’s natural beauty—its 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, vibrant arts community, and award-winning wineries—the Hesly Center is more than a meeting place. It is a space designed for clarity, creativity, and transformation.
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2670 Kangaroo Lake Dr N, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
Coming January 2026!
Along the Road:
The Art of Thriving in the Third Period of Life
Is it possible to flourish in the final third of life?
Too often, aging is framed only as decline—marked by limitations, losses, and endings. This book challenges that narrative.
Blending research in positive psychology, neuroscience, and well-being with practical tools and lived experience, Along the Road reframes the final third of life as a season of growth, meaning, and contribution. It offers frameworks for navigating life’s later chapters, exploring how mind, body, and soul can remain sources of vitality. It provides practical approaches to cultivating generativity, resilience, optimism, and wisdom—while crafting a lasting legacy and achieving a fulfilling end.
The book is both roadmap and companion: a guide for anyone entering—or already in—their mid to later years who longs not just to endure but to flourish.
“Live fully. Contribute wisely. Leave a legacy.”
Contact
GORDON PARRY
12306 Emmet Street
Omaha, NE 68164
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Recent Posts
Everybody Loves Betty: Courageous Acceptance, Holland, and a Life Lived Beloved
Everybody Loves Betty: Courageous Acceptance, Holland, and a Life Lived Beloved Last week, I reread the latest CaringBridge update from my friend Betty’s sister, Mary Jo. She closed with a simple line that has become a familiar refrain: Everybody loves Betty. Every...
The Transformative Power of Turning the Other Cheek
“A feeling of lack is simply a call to give.” — Gene Plumstead “It will feel better when it quits hurting.” — Ron Searcy These two insights, one from Gene Plumstead, father of my friend, mentor, and professional colleague, the other from a man I love and admire, my...
Reclaiming Hope in the Midst of Chronic Illness
Recently, I’ve talked with friends and family dealing with chronic health issues, each of them strong, capable, and once very healthy. For all of them, the onset occurred later in life, an unexpected part of their sixties and beyond. Their stories are different, but...
Flourishing With Eyes Wide Open: The Real Story of Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is often misunderstood as a “feel-good” project centered on happiness and optimism. While this misconception is easy to repeat, it is far from reality. The field is deeply rooted in ancient philosophical traditions, grounded in rigorous science,...
The Return to Possibility
There was a time, not so long ago, when I found myself standing at the edge of cynicism. I was not only standing but also moving toward it. After decades of leading, teaching, and believing in human potential, I had lost touch with the very qualities that once...
Joy in the Third Period
Last week I wrote about walking with our elders, about listening instead of leading. That same posture of humility, patience, and attention is also the soil in which joy grows. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” It is not a feeling that...
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