Letter from Lifetime's founder, Larry Slabotsky
Bless You Boys!
It’s hard to imagine, but 2024 was our 40th year in business. We feel so blessed by and grateful to our wonderful clients and talented staff for helping make our first 40 years so successful.
As many of us remember, the 1980s were a challenging time for Detroit and for the auto industry. The city was shrinking dramatically, with the population falling from over 1.2 million in 1980 to 679,000 by 2020 (a far cry from its peak of 1.8 million in 1950). GM's headcount similarly declined from a 1980s high of 877,000 to just 163,000. During such uncertain times, planning for the future took on greater urgency.
Sports has a way of bringing people together and uplifting a city during difficult times.
In 1984, the Detroit Tigers roared out of the gate to a historic 35–5 record, the best 40-game start in MLB history. Led by Cy Young winner Willie Hernández and Hall of Famers Alan Trammell, Jack Morris, and Sparky Anderson, that season culminated in a World Series Championship. Along the way, they brought joy, unity, and just the medicine Detroit needed.
Coincidentally, that summer also marked the beginning of The Society for Lifetime Planning. While the Tigers were making history on the field, we launched our first retirement workshops at GM, Chrysler, and Ford. Our original “starting lineup” included Larry Slabotsky, Ken Morris, Marvin Lee, and T. Michael Dolan.
They quickly made a name for themselves, hosting a radio show on WJR and conducting celebrity seminars featuring Art Linkletter, Governor George Romney, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Mark Fidrych, and many more. Before long, thousands of Michiganders were preparing for life after work with guidance from the Society for Lifetime Planning team.
The years sometimes seem to fly by, and milestone anniversaries give us a reason to pause and reflect. Over the years, countless families have walked through our doors seeking guidance for their next chapters. Thanks to careful planning, supportive families, and a cooperative stock market, most have stepped into retirement with confidence. We are proud that so many of our clients have found retirement to be deeply rewarding, and we’re honored to have played a role in that journey.
So how do you measure 40 years? Is it the Dow Jones rising from 1,211 in 1984 to 44,000 in early 2025? Is it watching your children get married or meeting your grandchildren for the first time? Is it the trips taken, hobbies pursued, or championships won — like the 1989 Pistons or 1997 Red Wings? (We’re still holding out hope for the Lions!) Or is it the deep relationships you’ve built with loved ones, your community, and your faith? However you measure, we hope the years have been good to you and your family.
Today, our team is stronger than ever, with newer stars including Nina Preston, Wendy Potter, Eva Roda, Joe Maleszyk, and several others. And for Ken and me, one of the greatest joys has been watching our sons, Brandon Morris and Zack Slabotsky, grow into rising leaders on our team.
As we begin our next decade, we look forward to the future while carrying a deep appreciation for the past. The world may be unpredictable, but with advance planning, clear goals, and sound judgment, we believe the odds of winning remain in our favor.
Cheers to many more championships together!
Larry Slabotsky
