Second Act Stories

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 some significant financial benefits. And she also spent quality time with her 91-year-old father who was in the final year of his life. It caused her to conclude it was time for a change. A love of travel and the encouragement of two flight attendant friends led her to a new job opportunity. She has been flying for the past five years and loving the new job with United Airlines.

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 and associates on their career journeys. And he realized that he had found his true calling. From there, he wrote a powerful book called “Repurpose Your Career” that is now in its third edition…He launched the “Repurpose Your Career” podcast which now has nearly 150 episodes. And he started the “Career Pivot” online community. We caught up with Marc at the Princeton Public Library where he was speaking on the topic of ageism.  

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 up there. She got her professional degree in the United Kingdom. And at the age of 24, Shila relocated to Canada where she spent most of her adult life. She arrived in Canada and didn’t know a soul. She met her future husband in the first few weeks in Toronto, they married and started a family. And they bought a bankrupt garment manufacturing company and turned it into a home run success. On the outside it looked like a wonderful life. But Shila struggled with depression and thirsted for something that she could call her own. At the request of her writer's group, she put together a tour that brought nineteen of her friends to India. The experience was such a success she turned it into a travel company called Eat Your Heart Out Tours (or EYHO Tours for short). As you'll hear in the podcast, EYHO Tours has developed a par

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 her father around his hospital, she always thought "that will be me someday." She ended up studying French in college and then business in graduate school. After marrying, starting a family and relocating to California, she found herself working as a banquet waitress in a San Diego hotel. She enjoyed the work and the flexible schedule which gave her time with two kids. Ruth's dream of becoming a doctor re-emerged one night as she held her oldest daughter Ariel in her arms and told her "you can be anything you want when you grow up." And Ruth thought, "one day this kid is gonna look back up at me say, so you wanted to be a waitress all your life?" With financial help from her parents and childcare support from her in-laws, she went back to school at 31 to take the necessary pre-med coursework. At 36, she returned home an

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 most of his life he was a self-described, "certified couch potato." On his 70th birthday, his life changed when he watched a video of himself going on stage to give a speech. "My shoulders were hunched over. My knees were shot, so I was sort of shuffling along. And I had chronic back problems. It was humiliating." Jim lost 50 pounds, hired an experienced trainer and got serious about working out. And the impact on his life has been incredible. He wanted to share his new passion with others so he wrote and published a book called “Just Move: A New Approach to Fitness After 50.” For anyone who has ever said late in life, "Gee, I wish I could get in shape," this book is for you. DOWNLOAD EPISODE OUTLINE  

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 called Extreme Kids and Crew. The organization is a community center where children with disabilities and their families can socialize, create and play. He’s a whole lot happier in the new job. Russell was first introduced to Extreme Kids and Crew via the Encore Fellowship Program. Run by a group called Encore.org, it’s essentially a matchmaking service that connects senior corporate executives with non-profit organizations looking for experienced talent. The program is now in it's tenth year and has placed over 2,000 executives in positions in 50+ cities across the United States. Episode Outline (Abbott) - website  

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 Times, Forbes, Money, USA Today, US News and World Report and AARP. She is a sought- after speaker and expert who has appeared on everything from ABC News to NPR to The Dr. Phil Show. Her latest book is "Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneur's Guide To Starting A Business Mid-Life." We caught up with Kerry before a book signing in New York City for her perspective on the emerging trend of late-in-life entrepreneurs. It's a fast-paced discussion littered with nuggets of Kerry's wisdom from years studying second acts. DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPT For more about Kerry and her work, here's a link to her website. Special thanks to Encore.org's Marci Alboher for connecting me with Kerry.

  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 on broadcast television. Kyle filmed the Ancestry commercial at the age of 53. And the experience sparked an old passion that encouraged him to pursue acting after 25+ years in the world of accounting and finance. In just three short years, he’s been remarkably successful being featured in range of other commercials, television programs, films and theater projects. But he took acting seriously enrolling in a two-year program at the Michael Warner Studio in New York City. And he prepares meticulously for each and every audition. DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Special thanks to friend and neighbor Sue Check for connecting me with Kyle Merker.  

Jane Canapini was a 20-year-veteran of the advertising world in Toronto, Canada. She worked as a creative director for both large and small advertising agencies. But in 2012, her last agency downsized and she was laid off at the age of 51. Rather than landing another job in advertising, she decided it was time to make a major career change. She pursued her life-long passion by launching a travel blog called Grownup Travels.     DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPT    

Today's episode is different. Rather than focusing on an individual’s "second act," we’re going to look at a region of the United States that has emerged as the leading example of a “second act” or “turnaround” community. I’m talking about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I traveled to Pittsburgh at the invitation of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a group that has been focused on advancing the region’s future over the past 75 years. In fact, this podcast will debut later this month at an event in Pittsburgh called “Our Next 75 Summit.” During my visit, I had the chance to sit down with more than a dozen leaders from the area. We talked about the past and difficult challenges the region has faced. But mostly we talked about the future of Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania – essentially what I’m calling the Pittsburgh’s next act. DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTDownload

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, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Mark Zuckerberg and Dwayne Johnson. It also includes Desmond Meade, a name you've probably never heard before. In 2005, Desmond Meade had three strikes against him. He was homeless. He was a drug addict. And he was a convicted felon. Reaching the lowest point in his life, he was prepared to commit suicide by jumping in front of a moving train. But according to Meade, the train "never came that day." And he opted to check himself into a rehabilitation facility instead. He set a new path for himself earning an associates, bachelors and law degree. And then Desmond set his sights on the passage of Florida's Amendment 4. Officially known as the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative, Amendment 4 was a ballot initiative to restore the voting rights of an estimated 1.5 million Floridians with felony convictions. Po

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 planes. He had an army of people reporting to him. He was making a hefty salary. That was 10 years ago. He decided to quit his corporate gig to pursue a life-long passion – music. He put out his first blues-rock album as Tom “The Suit” Forst. He did a month long tour of China as the headlining act. And now he’s back in the studio now working on his next album. You can check out his music at www.TomTheSuitForst.com. He also launched the "Chasing The Blues" podcast which is well worth a listen. As the Jethro Tull song concludes, "You're never too old to rock n' roll."  DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTDownload

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 thousands of listeners on how to best find their dream job. He also hosts the highly-successful EntreLeadership podcast which consistently ranks among the top five business podcasts on the iTunes charts. Ken is a genuine “Second Act” success story himself. At the age of 34, Ken started to pursue a broadcast career despite zero background and training in the profession. Nine years later, he has written a book that draws heavily on that personal experience as well as literally hundreds of telephone calls with his listeners. It’s titled “The Proximity Principle” and it is a strong guide for anyone exploring a second act. The simple formula described by him in his book and this episode: The Right People + The Right Places = Opportunities Special thanks to McKenzie Masters and Madison Crowder for the assistance in facilitating this interview.

This episode is a bit different (and we love “different” here at Second Act Stories). Today, we'll introduce you to Amy Yontef-McGrath. She lives in Montgomery County, Maryland and is the proud mother of three. Amy found herself in a bit of a funk as she approached her 49th birthday. She loved her job as a stay-at-home mom. But as her children were getting older and starting to leave the nest, it was clear that she needed something new. As she put it, I needed to “shake-up my life.” In a stroke of creative genius, she came up with “Follow Me To Fifty,” a year-long journey to complete 50 public service projects in advance of her 50th birthday. Amy joined a group of volunteers in kayaks to clean-up the Anacostia River. She helped a refugee family settle into their new home. She did a monthly-long stint as a food coordinator at the local food bank. She placed American flags on the graves of war veterans on Veterans Day. And along the way, she documented each of these projects in her "Follow Me To Fifty" b

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 “I have to interview this man.” Then I found out he lives in Twin Falls, Idaho – a mere 2,369 miles from my home in New Jersey. But as luck would have it, I was traveling to Salt Lake City for a business conference. So I rented a car and drove three hours across Idaho's wide open spaces to the national headquarters of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. So what is Sleep in Heavenly Peace? It’s an amazing non-profit with 150 chapters across the United States. In 2018, they built 4,144 bunk beds for children whose families can’t afford a bed for them. In 2019, they expect to build over 10,000 beds.   On the wall behind Luke Mickelson's desk, is a framed photo of the 2012 Facebook post that helped launch Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Those might seem like a lot of beds but here’s a scary number. Sleep in Heavenly Peace estimates that 1.5 to 2.0 million kids

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 focus on building a legacy via meaningful work with younger generations. Last month, I sat down for an hour with the man who is essentially the creator of the encore career movement. His name is Marc Freedman and he appropriately heads up an organization called Encore.org. Here’s a quick summary of some of his accomplishments: Marc is the winner of the 2018 Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence; He was named a “Legend in Mentoring” by Mentoring.org; He was named an “Influencer in Aging” by PBS’ Next Avenue;  Marc is the author of five books including his latest work, “How To Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations.” "How To Live Forever" gives dozens of fascinating examples of intergenerational experiences from across the United States and the globe. It lays out a road map for finding purpose and happiness lat

Warren Schueller (on the left in the purple t-shirt) worked for 28 years as a chemistry teacher in Staten Island, New York. But at the age of 57 he began working with a group called Careers Through Culinary Arts (CCAP) and transitioned to being a culinary instructor. He trained a wide range of schools including the French Culinary Institute (New York City), Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales and the New York Restaurant School and helped prepare New York City high school students for culinary careers. He retired in 2012. But you'll find him cooking every Tuesday at the St. Marks Center for Community Renewal in Keansburg, New Jersey. At this area "soup kitchen," Warren and his team are producing upscale meals for 60+ hungry, "down on their luck" individuals each week. Warren will turn 74 years old next month. And he hopes to keep cooking at St. Mark's soup kitchen "forever." Earlier this year the St. Mark's Center for Community Renewal embarked on a $50,000 campaign to renovate the kitche

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. He had a 38-year career as an environmental consultant in New York and New Jersey. But in 2018, Don decided it was time for a change. So at the age of 61, a time when many people are counting the days to retirement, Don decided to switch careers and become a hospice chaplain. Everyday he works with patients and their families as they approach the end of life.  When I read Don's announcement about this new position on Facebook, I remember thinking to myself, “What an awful and difficult job.” But Don doesn’t think of it awful or difficult. And in some ways, he doesn’t even think of it as a job. It took him nearly 40 years but he feels that he has found his true calling. Don's path to his work as a hospice chaplain began shortly after his ordination as a deacon in the Catholic Church. "One of the priests in our parish would frequent the Center

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. But after 24 years of managing the company, he decided to retire and pursue other ventures. Writing. Speaking. He was on the board of the Burning Man Festival. He created a new website called Fest 300 which celebrated the best festivals in the world. He kept busy. But then out of the blue, he was contacted by Brian Chesky, a 31-year-old CEO of a start-up company with a new concept called home-sharing.  The company was called Airbnb. And Brian said, “Come work with us and help me democratize hospitality.” Chip said “yes.” So over the past six years, his second act has been a fascinating ride at Airbnb. And it led to Chip’s latest book titled “Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder.” So what exactly is a modern elder? According to Chip it is someone who can "marry an air of gravitas with a spirit of humility." In a business setting, t

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 and special events into a full-time career. Today, he has made it as a sought-after DJ, teacher of aspiring DJs, writer and podcast creator.    A combination of dedication and education fueled his success over the past sevens years. He reports that he is working harder than ever but he’s happier than ever too. Amani and I met in a study room at the public library in Manhattan Beach, California. Tell learn more about Amani Roberts, check out his website which includes The Amani Experience podcast. Special thanks to Alex Petrarca, Booking Agent at Interview Connections, for suggesting Amani as a profile for Second Act Stories.