NEW YORK — Calling the shots isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. But for people over 50, it’s become a more popular choice.

Tony Uzzi knows about that. At 52, after 30 years in traditional jobs, he accepted a buyout from a pharmaceutical company and went into business for himself. Now, instead of having a predictable schedule as a salesman, he has work that can interrupt just about anything — even dinners out.