Podcasts by Second Act Stories

Empowering Moms: She Left Corporate Real Estate to Launch A Breast Pumping Startup from 2023-11-21T19:16:48

Patrice Meagher had a lucrative career in real estate. For 15 years, she worked in New York City as an Executive Vice President at CBRE, one of the world's largest, corporate real estate firms.<...

School's Out, Laughs Are In: Retired Teacher Patty Forehand Becomes a Standup Comic from 2023-10-30T00:03:33

The moment Patty Forehand opens her mouth, you know she’s from the deep south. And with that comes a certain set of preconceived notions. If she opens her mouth in front of a microphone on a com...

Lawyer to Clown to Children’s Musician: Robert’s Unusual Journey from 2023-09-25T09:03:31

Robert Markowitz was a criminal defense attorney in Palo Alto, California. But the work caused him a great deal of stress and he started developing all sorts of physical ailments. So he quit and...

On Patrol: Deputy Royce James Trades Financial Service for Public Service from 2023-09-08T04:29:56

After growing up in what he describes as the ghettos of Daytona Beach, Royce James spent a decade working as a financial advisor, u...

"I Work With My Hands Everyday"...Ex-KPMG Consultant Finds Bliss Crafting Custom Furniture from 2023-08-18T16:53

Sergio Raynal was at the top of his game. With a staff of 25+, he was responsible for KPMG’s real estate and hospitality consulting for Pacific Asia and the West Coast of the United States.

'From the Vault' How Noa Shaw, an Overweight Drug Dealer, Became a SoulCycle Instructor from 2023-08-08T03:06:45

We hope you enjoy this ‘From the Vault’ episode, which reintroduces one of our favorite guests: Noa Shaw.

Noa Shaw has led a hard life. Drugs and alcohol took hold of him at an early age....

'From the Vault' Cathy&the Crankshafts: Social Worker Learns To Fix Cars For Working Poor from 2023-07-25T03:33:03

We hope you enjoy this 'From the Vault' episode, which reintroduces one of our favorite early guests: Cathy Heying.

While working as the Director of Social Justice at St. Stephen’s Church...

From GE Engineer to Bladesmith: Jonathan Bahlatzis' Epic Exit Strategy from 2023-07-10T16:02:32

Jonathan Bahlatzis spent 15 years in corporate America,  11 of which were spent working as an engineer for GE. He rose through the ranks and took on leadership roles that gave him all the trappi...

Alt Rock Icon Finds New Gig Teaching Music To Toddlers from 2023-06-17T11:03:11

Tracy Bonham built a reputation as a "badass rocker" with "Mother, Mother," a powerful anthem that made it to #1 on Billboard's "Alternative Rock" charts. The song and her "The Burdens ...

Sweeter Days Ahead: How Baking Transformed Janie Deegan's Life from 2023-06-05T01:11:21

In 2009, Janie Deegan returned home from college with a serious alcohol and drug problem. Eventually, she found herself homeless and living on the streets of New York City.

Fast forward t...

Ed Calderon’s After Party: Empowering Others with Lessons from the Cartel Wars from 2023-05-23T23:23:30

Ed Calderon is surprised he didn’t die by the age of 30. That’s the fate that many Mexican law enforcement officers face. But Ed wasn’t just a cop; he...

Meet A "Salvage Angel"...Hair Stylist Cuts A New Path In Restoration from 2023-05-01T10:32:56

After graduation from high school, Carolyn Curtin enrolled at the Wilfred Academy and received a degree in cosmetology. For years, she worked as a hairstylist. But her path changed in 2002 when ...

Everything Rick Beato: The Unlikely Launch of a 54-Year-Old YouTube Star from 2023-04-16T19:29:29

Rick Beato is one of the most successful YouTube stars in the world. His channel, Everyth...

Grateful Ted: A Second Act In Psychedelic Rock Poster Art from 2023-04-03T07:49:15

Ted Bahr's career in magazine publishing and trade show management spans 35+ years. He held senior management positions at publishing giants Ziff-Davis and Miller-Freeman before launching his ow...

Brian “Q” Quinn’s Impractical Career Shift: Fireman to Funny Man from 2023-03-19T05:13:39

Brian “Q” Quinn is one of the stars of the massive hit TV show, Impra...

The Michael Strahan Interview: How an NFL Legend Became a Giant in Entertainment from 2023-03-04T06:43:09

Michael Strahan is an NFL legend. He spent his entire 15-year Hall of Fame career as a defensive end for the New York Giants. A five-time All-Pro, Strahan ...

Leap of Faith: Greg&Pam Ayers Quit Their Jobs To Answer God's Call from 2023-02-20T22:50:21

Greg and Pam Ayers were living the good life in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were living the American Dream...senior management positions with  significant salaries, a nice home and two young chil...

How To ROAR Into Your Second Act: 21 Minutes with Michael Clinton from 2023-02-01T16:09:19

Michael Clinton is a uniquely-talented individual. A former president and publishing director of Hearst Publications (which includes Cosmopolitan, Esquire, O The Oprah Magazine, Redbook and Woma...

Best of 2022: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s Coda: A Doobie Brother Focuses on Counter Terrorism from 2023-01-09T05:06:59

At the beginning of each year, we at Second Act Stories like to take a look back at the incredible interviews we shared and pick one episode that truly exemplifies the surprising, inspiring and ...

Elementary School Custodian Tylan Bailey Finds a Perfect Second Act as a Teacher from 2023-01-04T06:12:27

Tylan Bailey had a tough home life growing up. He had more than his fair share of adversity, which brought him to no fewer than 14 schools by the time he was ready to graduate from high school. ...

Hats Off To Deborah: At 60, She Became A Milliner from 2022-12-08T06:39:05

Deborah Kase Lillian always loved hats. She played dress up with her mother's and grandmother's hats as a child. And she always loved rummaging through thrift stores to find unique hats.

...

Adam Carolla: The Carpenter Who Built a Legendary Comedy Career from 2022-11-16T05:41:45

Adam Carolla is a bona fide comedy legend with a seemingly endless number of credits to his name. He co-hosted the “Loveline” radio show wit...

Animal Rescue Is Dr. Peter Rork's Second Act from 2022-11-04T01:58:18

Dr. Peter Rork was a highly-successful, orthopedic surgeon in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. But at the age of 59, he unexpectedly lost his wife Meg and grief took hold of him. He quit his work. He stop...

Veda Semarne’s Leap from the Classroom to “The Office” from 2022-10-16T20:37:24

Veda Semarne grew up loving everything about education. So much so that she earned a PhD in Art History from Yale University and entered the workforce as an ...

After the White House: A Speechwriter Finds Joy Teaching from 2022-10-03T05:41:22

Cody Keenan started working in the White House at the age of 28 and rose up to the role of Chief Speechwriter for President Barack Obama. In terms of his chosen profession, he was at the top of ...

Day With M Night Shyamalan Inspires A Second Act In Filmmaking from 2022-09-08T11:17:18

Melissa Davey was a senior, corporate executive turning 65 and facing a key decision point in her work life -- Do I stay or do I go? At the same time, an odd series of events resulted i...

The Wolf of Late Night: Paul Mecurio’s Journey from Wall Street to Comedy from 2022-08-09T05:17:37

Paul Mecurio has achieved a level of success in comedy that budding comics only dream of. He’s a writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; he was a...

Recipe for Success: A Red Truck, Amazing Pies&Barack Obama from 2022-07-22T10:27:51

Brian Noyes was an art director for 30+ years with top publications like The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Architecture and House & Garden. He loved his work. But he also loved baking. ...

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s Coda: A Doobie Brother Focuses on Counter Terrorism from 2022-07-01T01:18:22

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is a rock and roll legend. He was the founding lead guitarist in Steely Dan, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...

Ready For A Career Transition? 26 Minutes With Coach John Tarnoff from 2022-06-12T09:37:52

John Tarnoff is a non-traditional, career transition coach. A veteran of Hollywood, John was fired 7 times over the course of his lengthy career in entertainment.

At age 50, he decided to...

A Second Act Creates the World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie from 2022-06-01T22:20:57

Steve Lewis is objectively one of the most creative people on the planet. So much so that pure creativity is what motivates him; money just isn’t part of the equation. That doesn’t mean he isn’t...

Goodbye Hedge Fund...Hello Sourdough Bread from 2022-05-13T18:21:22

Adam Simon was a partner in Echo Street Capital Management, a successful hedge fund in New York City. While he enjoyed the challenge of the work and it's financial rewards, the demanding 80+ hou...

Heavy Metal Lawyer: Black Sabbath Bassist Dave “The Beast” Spitz, Esq. from 2022-05-05T19:35:47

Referring to someone as a rock star usually means they’re excellent at what they do. Dave “The Beast” Spitz is a rock star lawyer in south Florida. Sure, he’s a really good lawyer, but he’s also...

Life After The NFL: Arrelious Benn's Java Journey from 2022-04-18T01:18:14

Arrelious Benn was a star football player at Dunbar Senior High School (Washington, DC) and the University of Illinois. He entered the NFL draft after his junior year in college and was selected...

Why Leah Gorham Scrubbed Out of Nursing to Drive a Truck from 2022-04-04T12:33:24

Leah Gorham spent 16 years working as a nurse, helping patients while she also helped an industry known for a shortage of talent. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced and spread, causing workl...

Dumping Oil&Gas Careers To Make A Better Dumpling from 2022-03-21T14:33:12

Chih Lin and Mike Dorsey were trained as engineers and worked in the oil & gas industry in Houston, Texas. But both were miserable at work and decided they needed to make a change.

They l...

Actress Turned CEO: Anna Vocino’s Path to Eat Happy from 2022-03-06T23:25:29

Anna Vocino has an impressive IMDb resume dotted with comedic acting roles, sketch comedy appearances on shows including the...

An Unlikely Mayor: A Retired Lawyer Enters Public Service from 2022-02-17T15:45:03

Josh Cohn worked as top, derivatives lawyer for a series of well-respected, law firms. He commuted by train to New York City everyday from the affluent suburb of Rye, NY. But at the age of 66, h...

Tech Entrepreneur Brews a Plan to Reform Street Gangs from 2022-02-07T03:12:48

George Taylor built a career as a serial tech entrepreneur, launching, growing and exiting from nine different companies. Five years ago, after settling in Wilmington, North Carolina, George was...

Presto Chango: An Industrial Salesman’s Magical Transition from 2022-01-24T11:56:53

David Bowers worked as a salesman for the Columbia Rubber Company for 39 years. He spent his professional life selling conveyer belt hoses to quarries and heavy machinery operations. But since t...

Best of 2021: A Suicide, A Mother's Grief And A Second Act from 2022-01-17T12:46:24

As we start the new year, we’re pleased to share the episode named the "Best Of 2021." The episode features the amazing Anne Moss Rogers and is titled "Pain Turns To Purpose: A ...

From Paycheck To Purpose: A Conversation With Author Ken Coleman from 2022-01-10T03:24:11

Ken Coleman is the #1 bestselling author of “The Proximity Principle” and host of the nationally syndicated radio show “The Ken Coleman Show.” As America’s Career Coach, he helps callers discove...

Told "Boys Don't Knit" At 7, Russell Opens A Yarn Shop At 51 from 2021-12-15T12:28:55

Russell Brent learned how to knit from his mother at seven. But he put away his knitting needles at a young age after hearing the phrase "boys don't knit."

In his mid thirties, Russell st...

Scott Weiss Traded Executive Pay For Purpose from 2021-11-29T12:35:51

Detroit native Scott Weiss grew up in a family that emphasized formal education, but by his own admission, he was not a particularly good student. Scott attended Michigan State University, which...

Exit Stage Right: An Actress Shifts To Fashion from 2021-11-15T09:33:51

Nita Novy grew up in the small town of Courtdale, Pennsylvania (population 400). But via a series of unusual events, she made her way to the Broadway stage at the age of eight acting alongside E...

Not Your Average Joe: Math Teacher Trades Angles For Arias from 2021-11-01T00:07:10

For 31 years, Joe Gladstone worked as a math teacher in Syosset, New York. "I loved teaching, loved the kids, loved math, loved Syosset High School, loved my department. We had a bunch of people...

Second Act Masterclass: 6 Key Takeaways From 100 Episodes from 2021-10-18T12:05:03

We’re hitting a major milestone – the 100th episode of the Second Act Stories podcast.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, we’ve met and profiled some amazing people. Many are pursuing no...

A Perfectly-Blended Second Act: Cop&Reporter Start A Winery from 2021-10-04T00:13:50

Today's episode comes from Woodinville, Washington and our interview with Jerry Riener and Jennifer Sullivan. Jerry is a sergeant for the Woodinville Police Department. Jennifer is a journalist ...

An Unusual Road To Celebrity Trainer from 2021-09-14T09:33:57

Robert Brace grew up in London -- the eldest son of a single mother who emigrated from Ghana. His family expected him to pursue a traditional career -- a lawyer, accountant or doctor. But at the...

Nasim's Second Act: This Overnight Success Took 7 Years from 2021-08-04T21:01:56

Nasim Alikhani is the owner and executive chef of Sofreh, an amazing Persian restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. The restaurant opened in 2018 to rave reviews from The New York Times, Food & Wine,...

Ballerina To Barrister: Melody's Surprising Second Act from 2021-07-06T11:31:03

Melody Lynch fell in love with the ballet. She started dancing at 3 and made it in the professional ranks by the age of 15. She continued ballet studies at Butler University and after graduation...

Next Move, Best Move...22 Minutes With Author Kimberly Cummings from 2021-06-08T11:13:41

We sit down for a face-to-face interview with Kimberly B. Cummings. Her first book, "Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into A Career You’ll Love," debuts on June 9th 2021.

Kimberly is a...

Striking The Right Note: Cindy Returns To Music from 2021-05-22T21:31:13

Cindy St. Clair made an unusual transition from the legal profession – working as a paralegal and then a legal administrator -- to the world of academia.

As you’ll hear, she went back to ...

He Built A Global Company...Then He Rebuilt His Alma Mater from 2021-05-01T08:57:12

Pete DeBusk is a true entrepreneur. He started from humble beginnings growing up in coal mining towns in the Appalachian Mountains. In his "Act 1," he founded DeRoyal Industries, a major manufac...

Pain Turns To Purpose: A Suicide, A Mother's Grief&A Second Act from 2021-04-12T19:44

Anne Moss Rogers was at the pinnacle of a 20-year professional career. She opened her own digital marketing agency in 2010. The business grew quickly and by 2015 she and her partner had 9 employ...

Dave’s Gambit: A New Life Teaching Chess To Youth from 2021-03-29T10:22:40

Dave Lazarus worked for 35 years in information technology. But at 60 years old he found himself unemployed. And the prospects of landing a new job in IT weren’t terribly encouraging.

So ...

How An Overweight, Drug Dealer Became A SoulCycle Instructor from 2021-03-16T11:04:22

Noa Shaw has led a hard life. Drugs and alcohol took hold of him at an early age. And he has struggled as both a drug addict and drug dealer for most of his adult life.

But eight years ag...

Marianne The Vaccine Hunter: New Gig For Lifelong, Springsteen Fan from 2021-03-02T11:50:44

Mariane Sugrhue had a long career as an information technology manager with AT&T, Telecordia and NCS Technologies. She retired in 2018 at the age of 60 and has pursued an eclectic schedule of vo...

Puppy Love: Tara&Jess Leave Big Pharma To Form DIG Labs from 2021-02-14T08:27:16

In 2015, Tara Zedayko and Jessica Chu were both employed at Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies with $82 billion in annual revenue. They bonded over their work...

He Advised Major Companies...Now He Works With Aspiring Athletes from 2021-02-02T01:17:29

Mike Huber had a 20-year career as a top consultant with Ernst & Young, Cushman Wakefield and KPMG. His focus was in the area of site selection consulting – helping major companies like Samsung,...

Single Mother&16-Year-Old Daughter Launch "One Hot Cookie" from 2021-01-17T23:50:18

Bergen Giordani was a single mother working a full-time job during the day and bartending at night in her hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. It was tough road.

So back in 2013 and with the hel...

Best Of 2020: Fraidy Reiss' Unorthodox Second Act Story from 2021-01-02T22:36:49

As we start the new year, we’re pleased to share the episode named by Second Act Stories listeners as the “Best of 2020.” Fraidy Reiss’ story is among the most inspiring tales w...

A Navy Veteran Launches A Winery (And Yes, It's In Cleveland)! from 2020-12-23T00:57:55

Right after high school, Destiny Burns enlisted in the armed forces as a cryptologic officer. She had an exciting, 20-year career traveling the globe with the Navy. And when she retired from act...

Goodbye Executive Recruiting... Hello Furniture Making from 2020-12-05T22:04:59

Sheldon Myeroff is a true entrepreneur. He launched Direct Recruiters, Inc. at the age of 31. And over the next 37 years, he successfully grew th...

A Magazine Writer Finds New Life As A Funeral Director from 2020-11-22T03:06:43

For more than 30 years, Amy worked as a writer, both on staff and on a freelance basis, for a wide range of top magazines. But when her father passed away in 2009, his funeral had a profound imp...

Leaving Advertising Sales To Become A Hypnotist from 2020-11-09T11:40:08

What most of us know about hypnotism comes straight from Hollywood and involves swinging pocket watches and devious characters reciting the words “you are getting sleepy.” But Lisa Ludovici oper...

Sweet Story: Like A Nurse&Pilot In A Candy Store from 2020-10-25T23:18:18

Robin and Carl Mennie opened River Street Sweets-Savannah's Candy Kitchen in Asbury Park, NJ on July 2, 2020. It’s an amazing shop filled with freshly-made pralines, rice krispie treats, loggerh...

She Escaped A Forced Marriage&Now Helps Others Do The Same from 2020-10-10T13:45:03

Fraidy Reiss' story is among the most inspiring tales we’ve ever profiled on the Second Act Stories podcast.

Part of the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York, Fraidy was marrie...

Lifequakes&Life Transitions: 27 Minutes With Author Bruce Feiler from 2020-09-28T14:07:13

Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers (including Walking The Bible, The Secrets of Happy Families and Abraham), the presenter of two prime-time series on PBS and the ins...

After A 50-Year Hiatus, A Return To The Courtroom from 2020-09-12T09:56:21

Kiku Mehta was born in 1937 and grew up in the Gujarat Province on India. He was trained as a lawyer there but emigrated to the United States in 1964.

When he arrived here in the US, he s...

A Revolutionary Change: How A Financial Planner Became Benjamin Franklin from 2020-08-30T17:34:35

We first read about Terry Kutz in a terrific article in The Wall Street Journal Listen

Out of Africa: An Executive Recruiter Launches "American Rhino" Clothing from 2020-08-15T09:30

Chris Welles was a 46-year-old executive recruiter in Boston, Massachusetts. He was happy in his job and he had no plans for a change. But in 2008 he took a summer vacation with his wife, four k...

Conversation With A Contact Tracer: A Look At America's Fastest Growing Job from 2020-08-03T12:09:02

We depart from our traditional format with this episode to offer a glimpse inside the world of contact tracing. This is the fastest growing job in America, with the need for an estimated 200,000...

Everybody Loves A Second Act ... 24 Minutes With Actress Patricia Heaton from 2020-07-21T09:18:01

Patricia Heaton starred in two wildly successful television series: Everybody Loves Raymond and Listen

Humor Me: A Speech Pathologist Finds A New Voice from 2020-07-13T09:49:18

Susan Goldfein is 79 years old, in great shape and splits her time between Florida and Connecticut. For most of her professional career, she served as a speech pathologist in a range of differen...

With Socks, Snacks&Shampoo, Kevin Forms The Blessing Bag Brigade from 2020-06-29T02:17:10

Kevin Garrison worked the overnight shift for Amtrak helping to keep the trains running in an out of New York City. And in 2016, he was looking for a charitable Christmas project. An online post...

At 75, Marty Herman Writes The First Of 5 Mystery Novels from 2020-06-08T11:19:31

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing the Great American Novel, this episode is for you.

For most of his professional career, Marty Herman was a business turnaround specialist. He would come ...

Legally Blonde Redux: From Lawyer To Burlesque Dancer from 2020-05-22T10:21:14

Over the course of the past two years, we’ve interviewed quite a few lawyers. Mark Salvacion was a corporate lawyer who found a more fulfilling life as a Methodist minister. Richard Turner was a...

Two Friends Ditch The Corporate Job Search; Launch “Second Act Women” from 2020-05-10T21:43:14

Barbara Brooks and Guadalupe Hirt are two, talented women based in Denver, Colorado. Both have entrepreneurial backgrounds but had the same plan as they approached their 50s: Get a stable, corpo...

Mary Lost Her Father At 14: Today She Helps Kids Overcome Grief from 2020-04-22T20:57:48

Mary Robinson was just 14 when she lost her father. Throughout high school, college and her 20s, that grief stayed bottled up inside her. A therapist helped her get her life together by helping ...

Life After COVID-19...Is It Time For My Second Act? from 2020-04-05T00:58:14

Expert estimates predict the U.S. unemployment rate could rise from anywhere from 10% - 32% in 2020. Whatever the final number, that represents millions of individuals who will be unexpectedly l...

Telephone Repairman Follows His Dream: Designing Women's Shoes from 2020-03-28T10:22:31

Since his junior year in high school, Chris Donovan has been sketching women’s shoes. It’s been his quiet obsession for the past 30+ years.

At the age of 50, he was diagnosed with prostat...

At 63, He Joined The Peace Corps And Moved To Moldova from 2020-03-18T20:59:26

The majority of Peace Corps volunteers are idealistic, recent college graduates looking to make a difference in the world. But David Jarmul and his wife Champa are different. They joined the Pea...

California Dreaming: A 3,000 Mile Journey Starts One Family's Second Act from 2020-03-01T22:56:52

Kathy and Gary Friedle and their two boys lived in New York City. Both had high-powered jobs – Kathy as an architect and Gary as an asset manager in a financial management firm. They worked long...

After 25 Years, An NBA Referee Finds A New Calling from 2020-02-16T22:57:11

Steve Javie worked as an NBA referee for 25 years. He officiated nearly 1,500 games including 20 NBA finals. He was widely regarded as one of the best referees in the league.

But in his 2...

An Extra Cheesy Second Act: Paulie Follows A Love Affair With Pizza from 2020-02-04T01:17:43

Paul Giannone (known to all as “Paulie Gee”) grew up in Brooklyn, NY but moved to New Jersey as an adult. For most of his professional career he worked with AT&T and their subsidiaries as an inf...

“I Want To Learn How To Weld”…Becoming An Artist at 48 from 2020-01-18T13:53:48

Zammy Migdal arrived in the United States from Israel in his early 20s. He studied hospitality in college and built a career in Miami’s hotel industry. And at a fairly young age he launched an a...

Best Of 2019 Episode: Goodbye Accounting...Hello Acting from 2020-01-03T02:31:23

As we start the new year, we're pleased to share the episode named by Second Act Stories listeners as the "Best of 2019."

Most of America already knows Kyle Merker. The <...

Life's A Beach For Phil and Arthur: Two Lawyers Start AP Yoga from 2019-12-22T21:45

Arthur and Phil have been together for 20 years as a committed couple. Both had long careers as lawyers. Phil worked for 30 years as an in-house corporate lawyer for a large insurance company. A...

At 65, Descendant Of Georgetown Slaves Finds Second Act On Campus from 2019-12-08T02:17:09

Today’s story goes back 181 years to 1838. That’s when 272 men, women, and children were sold by an order of Jesuit priests and the proceeds of the sale was used to pay the debts of Georgetown C...

Of All The Gin Joints In Washington: Retired Lawyer&Son-In-Law Launch Distillery from 2019-11-20T19:07:53

Michael Lowe was a corporate lawyer in Washington DC. When he left Verizon’s legal department at the age of 59, he started doing yoga five days a week and reading like a fiend. But his wife was ...

Prescription for Change: From Pharmacist To Flight Attendant from 2019-11-06T16:41:23

Venetia Clark loved her job as a Walgreens' pharmacist for 30 years.

But as she approached 55 years of age, she had the opportunity to take advantage of an early retirement program with s...

Ready For A Career Pivot? Expert Interview With Marc Miller from 2019-10-18T18:40:15

Marc Miller has changed career paths a total of seven times. But after suffering a near fatal bike accident, he switched gears – no pun intended – and focused his talents on counseling friends a...

A Passage To India: Her Second Act Started With A Trip from 2019-10-07T16:07:09

Shila Desai’s life has an intriguing and international timeline. She is of Indian descent – with her grandparents coming from the country’s Gujarat province. But she was born in Kenya and grew u...

A Dream Deferred: How A Banquet Waitress Became A Doctor At 45 from 2019-09-23T17:30:54

Ruth Lavigne grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her father was a doctor (a radiologist) and she used to fill-in the date on patient sheets when her dad reviewed their films at home. As Ruth followed h...

At 70, Jim Found A New Passion: Helping Others Get Fit from 2019-09-06T13:01:08

Jim Owen is 78 years old and he is in awesome shape. He works out regularly and part of his routine is doing three sets of 50 push-ups. That’s pretty amazing for a man of his age.

But for...

Encore! Encore! Leaving Wall Street For The Non-Profit Sector from 2019-08-26T00:52:47

Russell Abbott spent most of his career on Wall Street working in the management of hedge funds. About two years ago, he transitioned to working for a non-profit based in Brooklyn, New York call...

Ready to Start A Business After 50? Expert Advice from Kerry Hannon from 2019-08-08T20:09:12

Kerry Hannon is an absolute rock star in the world of career transitions and personal finance. She has written 12 books in this area as well as literally hundreds of articles for The New York Ti...

Goodbye Accounting...Hello Acting: Meet Ancestry’s “Lederhosen Guy” from 2019-07-29T08:53:18

Most of America already knows Kyle Merker. The Ancestry.com commercial where he "trades in his lederhosen for a kilt" has aired 22,000 times o...

A Reluctant-Preneur: Laid Off at 51, Jane Launches Grownup Travels from 2019-07-18T01:19:51

Jane Canapini was a 20-year-veteran of the advertising world in Toronto, Canada. She worked as a creative director for both ...

Pittsburgh’s Next Act: A Region Prepares For The Next 75 Years from 2019-06-25T03:29:56

Today's episode is different. Rather than focusing on an individual’s "second act," we’re going to look at...

THEN: Homeless, Addicted&Convicted...NOW: Time’s “100 Most Influential People” from 2019-06-08T11:28:16

For the past 15 years, Time magazine has selected it's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." The 2019 issue includes Lady Gaga, Donald Trump, Miche...

Never Too Old To Rock N' Roll: Meet Tom "The Suit" Forst from 2019-05-29T19:58:49

Tom
Forst was 57 years old. He was a regional vice president with Cox Media, a huge
communications company. He was jetting around the country on private ...

The Proximity Principle: Ken Coleman’s Formula for Second Act Success from 2019-05-13T20:40:23

Ken Coleman is a highly-successful ,broadcast personality and career coach who hosts a daily radio show, aptly called “The Ken Coleman Show.” Every day, he counsels ...

A Midlife Shake-up: Stay-At-Home Mom Pursues A Year Of Public Service from 2019-05-08T07:53:22

This episode is a bit different (and we love “different” here at Second Act Stories). Today, we'll introdu...

No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town: A Christmas Project Sparks A Second Act from 2019-04-24T16:23:29

I first learned about Luke Mickelson and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that he founded in 2012, via the CNN Heroes Program. I immediately thought to myself “...

Ready To Live Forever? Surprising Advice From Marc Freedman from 2019-04-10T13:26:33

You don't have to freeze your body. No need for bionic limbs. And you can hold off on eating mountains of kale (thank goodness). If you want to live forever, then fo...

A Culinary Instructor's Second Act Brings Fine Dining To A Soup Kitchen from 2019-03-29T20:08:54

Warren Schueller (on the left in the purple t-shirt) worked for 28 years as a chemistry teacher in Staten Island, New York.

Finding New Life As A Hospice Chaplain from 2019-03-23T22:04:08

Today’s episode focuses on someone I’ve known for a long time. Don Hessemer and I were part of a Saturday morning running group when I lived in Central New Jersey. H...

The Making Of A Modern Elder: Chip Conley Joins The Millennials At Airbnb from 2019-03-09T21:01:30

In the hospitality industry, Chip Conley is a legend. Back in 1987, he created Joie de Vivre, that grew to 52 hotels in California and set off a boutique hotel craze...

Facing The Music: A DJ Side Hustle Turns Into A Full-Time Gig from 2019-03-02T21:56:22

After a twenty-year career in hospitality sales and management at Marriott, Amani Roberts decided to turn his weekend passion as a disc jockey playing music at clubs...

Can A City Have A Second Act? Welcome to Irving, Texas from 2019-02-15T02:26:21

We’re going to mix things up a bit with today’s episode. Instead of focusing on an individual’s story, we’re going to ask the question, “Can a city have a second act...

A Neighbor's Dying Wish Launches A Second Act from 2019-02-10T16:27:16

This episode takes us to Richmond, Virginia for an interview with Lynne Tickle. Lynne spent most of her adult life in the banking industry working up to a position a...

A Cop Leaves The Force for Corporate America from 2019-01-26T09:29:32

For today’s episode, I traveled to Frisco, Texas and met with Steve Paz. Since he was a boy, Steve always wanted to be a police officer and he got his chance initial...

Lizzie Leaves Tech And Starts "The Humble Retreat" from 2019-01-17T11:37:27

This episode takes us to the United Kingdom for an interview with Lizzie Fouracre, a 33-year-old Brit with a sparking personality. Lizzie was living the dream helpin...

Can One Woman Fix Foster Care? Meet Judy Cockerton from 2019-01-08T21:32:19

A force of nature.” That’s how one person described Judy Cockerton.  

Judy’s life changed dramatically when she became a foster parent at the age of 48. She and her husband Arthu...

An Injury Ended His NFL Career: So He Became An Opera Singer from 2018-12-31T19:13:26

T’au Pupu’a came to the United States from Kingdom of Tonga at the age of five. He grew up in a home of modest means in Salt Lake City, Utah and started playing football at the age of ten.

Tennis Anyone? Leaving Boeing To Become A High School Coach from 2018-12-18T15:44:11

Joe Tedino had a long career as a journalist and public relations executive. But tennis was always his passion. So when he finally opted to retire from a senior position with Boeing, he decided ...

Changing His Tune: Dr. Arnie Rosen Is Now A Band Grandpa from 2018-12-02T18:26:36

Today's episode takes place at the Lincoln Middle School in Rockford, Illinois. I spent the morning here with Arnie Rosen, a retired doctor, and 80+ seventh and eighth graders in the school's ba...

The Man Who Sends College Students To Prison: Jim Farrin's Second Act from 2018-11-18T16:02:22

In this episode, we meet an incredible man named Jim Farrin. After a highly successful career as a globe-trotting, corporate executive, Jim helped start an organization called The Petey Greene P...

Don't Retire, REWIRE! 24 Minutes with Author Jeri Sedlar from 2018-11-04T00:32:44

Career expert Jeri Sedlar wrote “Don’t Retire, Rewire!” back in 2002 with her business partner and husband Rick Miners. They were largely responsible for blowing the lid off our traditional view...

Telephone Repairman Follows A Life-Long Dream: Designing Women's Shoes from 2018-10-18T17:40:15

When I first heard Chris Donovan’s story I thought to myself, I don’t care what it takes. I have to interview this man.

It took several months and a dozen or so email exchanges. But last ...

Cathy&the Crankshafts: Social Worker Learns To Fix Cars For Working Poor from 2018-10-08T15:35:36

While working as the Director of Social Justice at St. Stephen's Church in Minneapolis, Cathy Heying observed a continuing problem among the working poor in the church's neighborhood:

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Identifying Your Ideal Second Act: Nancy Collamer and the 25 Questions from 2018-09-24T18:27:56

Nancy Collamer is the author of Second Act Careers: 50 Ways to Profit From Your Passions During Semi-Retirement. She is a recognized expert on career change and writes a monthly blog for the PBS si...

She Started "Beat Cancer Boot Camp" (This Pity Party Is Over) from 2018-09-06T16:00

Anita Kellman is a little like Superman. During the day, she is a quiet, mild-mannered patient navigator at the office of a breast cancer oncologist. But on Tuesday afternoons at 5:30 pm and Sat...

A Gambler Gets A Second Chance: The Fall And Rise Of Terence Gerchberg from 2018-08-26T16:00

Terry is a compulsive gambler who hit “rock bottom” at the age of 30 when he lost nearly $1 million in a 36-hour period in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But he got himself into rehab, shifted gea...

Buddy's Unusual Path: Radio Disc Jockey to Economic Developer from 2018-08-11T16:00

From the age of eight, Buddy Rizer wanted to be in radio. He landed his first job at the age of fifteen and rose up through the ranks to actually owning his own radio station in his early 40s. B...

"Mama, I'm Gay" Fuels A Second Act from 2018-07-29T16:00

Eva Levias Andino is a big personality with a compelling back story. She grew up in Cuba and proudly counts herself as a 9^th generation Cuban. But at the age of 17 years old she left ...

What Is "Post Traumatic Growth?" Interview with "Jolt" Author Mark Miller from 2018-07-16T16:00

In this episode, we spend time with Mark Miller, a veteran journalist who has covered the retirement beat for a dozen years.  Today, we’re talking with him about his new book “Jolt: Stories of T...

Fired at 64...An Entrepreneur at 66 from 2018-07-01T16:00

In December 2009, Paul Tasner walked into a conference room and was let go from his position as the Senior Director of Operations of a San Francisco-based manufacturing firm. He was 64 years old...

Exiting the Courtroom: A Trial Lawyer Finds Nature Photography from 2018-06-20T16:00

Over the course of a 40+ year legal career, Richard Turner served as Governor Ronald Reagan’s personal attorney and then as a high-powered trial lawyer. But at the age of 60, he had a series of ...

Not Just For Kicks: NFL Place Kicker Returns For Diploma 33 Years Later from 2018-06-04T16:00

Kevin Butler had a dazzling football career that began at the University of Georgia. He then played for 13 seasons as a place kicker in the NFL from 1985-1998. In his rookie season, he was part ...

Honey, I Just Bought A Liquor License: Sharon Starts A Wine Store from 2018-05-20T16:00

Sharon Sevrens had a thriving career as an investment banker. But when she and her husband experienced September 11^th from their apartment building just a block and a half from the Wo...

Goodbye GE...Hello JC: Father James Martin's Second Act from 2018-05-07T16:00

Father James Martin is an American Jesuit priest who has written a dozen books including The New York Times best sellers “The Jesuit Guide to Almost Anything,” “Building a Bridge” and “Jesus: A ...

Acting Is Her Second Act: A Public Relations Star Finds A New Role from 2018-04-30T16:00

For 40+ years, Judi Schindler worked in the field of public relations. For most of that time, she ran her own firm called Schindler Communications. According to Judi, it was "a hugely rewarding ...

James and the Perfect Burger: Redemption With A Side of Fries from 2018-04-17T16:00

This "Second Act" Story takes us to Rockford, Illinois, a city of about 150,000 people in Northern Illinois. We’ll meet a successful entrepreneur and hometown hero named James Purifoy. He has bu...

The Last Laugh: 81-Year Old Man Tries His Hand At Stand-Up Comedy from 2018-04-09T16:00

Trained as a chemist but working as an executive recruiter, Art Schill decided he wanted to try his hand at stand-up comedy -- at the age of 81. And it turns out, he’s r...