Latest Secondcareer Podcast Episodes
Bartender to Bestselling Author: The Man Behind "The Gray Man"
Second Act Stories - July 01, 2024 08:45 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsMark Greaney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His debut thriller, The Gray Man, was published in 2009 and became a national bestseller and Netflix film starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. He wrote twelve subsequent Gray Man novels that have been released to date. He is also the co-a...
Sam McKinlay Made an Abrupt Break From PR… and Became a Real Estate Rookie of the Year
Second Act Stories - June 10, 2024 05:36 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSam McKinlay experienced something a lot of people can relate to in work and in life: she spent almost 25 years married… in her case, to a career that was exciting, fulfilling and rewarding. But over time she and the career she once loved grew apart from one another. They fell out of love and sp...
A Dream Deferred: Publishing A First Novel At 47
Second Act Stories - May 16, 2024 14:26 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsDann McDorman always dreamed of writing and publishing a novel. After graduating from Columbia University, he spent a decade pursuing that dream with little impact. "Not only was I never published, I never heard back from a single publisher. I had zero success." As he hit his 30s, he found his...
PYTHON HUNTRESS! Amy Siewe Left Real Estate to Hunt Pythons in the Everglades
Second Act Stories - May 06, 2024 01:53 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsAmy Siewe is the quintessential embodiment of how passion drives a second act. She left a safe and lucrative career as a real estate broker to hunt pythons in the Everglades. She proudly shares that she’s 5’ 4”, 120 lbs., and captures pythons as big as 180 lbs. by physically jumping on them ...
🚨SPECIAL ALERT🚨 Four Reasons To Vote For Second Act Stories in the Webby Awards
Second Act Stories - April 04, 2024 03:48 - 4 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSecond Act Stories has officially defied the odds. We've been nominated for a Webby Award! But our category is stacked with stiff competition: Michelle Obama, Sarah Silverman, TED Audio, Lemonada, and Slate. We need your vote! We can win this with your help. Here’s how you vote: Go to v...
🚨SPECIAL ALERT🚨 IT’S ON, MICHELLE OBAMA! Four reasons to vote for Second Act Stories in the Webby Awards
Second Act Stories - April 04, 2024 03:48 - 4 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSecond Act Stories has officially defied the odds. We've been nominated for a Webby Award! But our category is stacked with stiff competition: Michelle Obama, Sarah Silverman, TED Audio, Lemonada, and Slate. We need your vote! We can win this with your help. Here’s how you vote: Go to v...
A Stray Bullet Killed Her 8-Year-Old Son...In Grief, She Formed Strong Azz Mothers
Second Act Stories - March 31, 2024 13:43 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsTiffani Evans' life changed completely on August 24, 2021. That's when her 8-year-old son PJ was killed in gang-related, gun violence in the Washington, DC region. Emerging from the dark days that followed his death, she helped form the "Strong Azz Mothers," a group of area women who lost ...
The Case of Rachel Humphrey: Trial Attorney Turned Women’s Leadership Champion
Second Act Stories - March 25, 2024 03:00 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsRachel Humphrey was a trial attorney who was certain she would spend her entire career in front of judges and juries and eventually retire in a courtroom. After relocating from Virginia to Atlanta with her husband, she took a job at a firm where she represented clients in the hospitality industr...
Retired Banker Helps Others Avoid "Retirement Shock"
Second Act Stories - March 02, 2024 21:39 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsMike Drak worked as a banker in Toronto for his entire professional career. When he was laid off at the age of 59, he received a sizeable severance from his employer. Telling his spouse "Contessa, we hit the lottery," he was initially ecstatic to be retired. But he quickly faced "Retirement S...
Stuckey’s Gamble: Stephanie Stuckey Cashes in Her Future to Revive Her Family’s Iconic Roadside Brand
Second Act Stories - February 19, 2024 05:27 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsStuckey’s is a legendary and iconic thread in the fabric of Americana. Founded in Eastman, Georgia in 1937 by WS “Sylvester” Stuckey, Sr., Stuckey’s grew into a roadside empire by the 1970s, with 368 stores in more than 30 states. Part of the charm that made Stuckey’s so iconic were its ubiquito...
Best of 2023 Audience Pick: Brian "Q" Quinn's Impractical Career Shift: Fireman to Funny Man
Second Act Stories - February 02, 2024 05:49 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSurprise, Second Act Stories fans! We have one more “Best of 2023” episode to share with you. It's the episode you picked as your favorite of the year: our interview with Brian “Q” Quinn, who's best known as one of the four stars of the smash hit TV show "Impractical Jokers." Currently in its ...
Best of 2023: Sweeter Days Ahead: How Baking Transformed Janie Deegan's Life
Second Act Stories - January 21, 2024 18:56 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSecond Act Stories annual “Best of” episodes give us an opportunity to re-share remarkable stories, and welcome new listeners by giving them a good taste of what we do here: profile people who have made major life and career changes to pursue a more rewarding life in a second act career. We’re s...
Best of 2023: The Unlikely Launch of a 54-Year-Old, YouTube Star
Second Act Stories - January 14, 2024 21:04 - 34 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSecond Act Stories annual, “best of” episode gives us an opportunity to re-share a remarkable story, and welcome new listeners by giving them a good taste of what we do here: profile people who have made major life and career changes to pursue a more rewarding life in a second act career. We’r...
Act II: Dynamic CEO Pens New Role As Playwright
Second Act Stories - December 21, 2023 11:20 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsDonald Loftus had a difficult upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio. His father left him and his two sisters at a young age. His mother worked at Sears and struggled to make ends meet. From grades 1-8, he was a C student. But in 9th grade, his world changed when a class trip brought him to New York Ci...
Empowering Moms: She Left Corporate Real Estate to Launch A Breast Pumping Startup
Second Act Stories - November 21, 2023 19:16 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsPatrice 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. But like other working parents, she struggled with the challenge of balancing her work life and rais...
School's Out, Laughs Are In: Retired Teacher Patty Forehand Becomes a Standup Comic
Second Act Stories - October 30, 2023 00:03 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsThe 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 comedy club stage, those notions are immediately blown away, and the results are hilarious. It’s funny on...
Lawyer to Clown to Children’s Musician: Robert’s Unusual Journey
Second Act Stories - September 25, 2023 09:03 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsRobert 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 headed to Mexico to escape the job he hated. When he finally returned to the United States, he was 37...
On Patrol: Deputy Royce James Trades Financial Service for Public Service
Second Act Stories - September 08, 2023 04:29 - 37 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsAfter growing up in what he describes as the ghettos of Daytona Beach, Royce James spent a decade working as a financial advisor, ultimately reaching the elite level of working with high-net-worth individuals. In spite of that success, he was frustrated by the fact that very few of his clients f...
"I Work With My Hands Everyday"...Ex-KPMG Consultant Finds Bliss Crafting Custom Furniture
Second Act Stories - August 18, 2023 16:53 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsSergio 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. Woodworking was always a hobby and a way to relieve stress from his high-pressure job. But it became a “...
'From the Vault' How Noa Shaw, an Overweight Drug Dealer, Became a SoulCycle Instructor
Second Act Stories - August 08, 2023 03:06 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsWe 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. And he has struggled as both a drug addict and drug dealer for most of his adult life. But eight years a...
'From the Vault' Cathy & the Crankshafts: Social Worker Learns To Fix Cars For Working Poor
Second Act Stories - July 25, 2023 03:33 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsWe 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 in Minneapolis, Cathy Heying observed a continuing problem among the working poor in the church’s neighbor...
From GE Engineer to Bladesmith: Jonathan Bahlatzis' Epic Exit Strategy
Second Act Stories - July 10, 2023 16:02 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsJonathan 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 trappings of success. But even with all that safety and security, he had a passion he needed to follow. In...
Alt Rock Icon Finds New Gig Teaching Music To Toddlers
Second Act Stories - June 17, 2023 11:03 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsTracy 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 of Being Upright" album were nominated for two Grammy awards and led to arena tours with Aerosmith and the Blue...
Sweeter Days Ahead: How Baking Transformed Janie Deegan's Life
Second Act Stories - June 05, 2023 01:11 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsIn 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 to today...she is the owner of "Janie's Life Changing Baked Goods," a thriving business with three, NYC bake...
Ed Calderon’s After Party: Empowering Others with Lessons from the Cartel Wars
Second Act Stories - May 23, 2023 23:23 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsEd 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 worked for a special paramilitary police force that was created for the sole purpose of battling the drug cartels. Just being there meant he was ...
Meet A "Salvage Angel"...Hair Stylist Cuts A New Path In Restoration
Second Act Stories - May 01, 2023 10:32 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsAfter 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 she purchased a 100-year-old, Victorian house in Asbury Park, New Jersey and set about restoring it to...
Everything Rick Beato: The Unlikely Launch of a 54-Year-Old YouTube Star
Second Act Stories - April 16, 2023 19:29 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsRick Beato is one of the most successful YouTube stars in the world. His channel, Everything Music, has 3.5 million subscribers and is approaching 600 million views. Among the different types of videos Rick posts are his Top 20 Countdowns, What Makes This Song Great?, and his Rants on all thi...
Grateful Ted: A Second Act In Psychedelic Rock Poster Art
Second Act Stories - April 03, 2023 07:49 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsTed 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 own firm, BZ Media. When he sold BZ Media in 2017, he returned to an early passion: the collection of ...
Brian “Q” Quinn’s Impractical Career Shift: Fireman to Funny Man
Second Act Stories - March 19, 2023 05:13 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsBrian “Q” Quinn is one of the stars of the massive hit TV show, Impractical Jokers. Currently in its 10th season on truTV, Q and lifelong friends Sal Vulcano and James “Murr” Murray (a fourth friend and member of the show, Joe Gatto, departed from the show last year) “compete to embarrass each o...
The Michael Strahan Interview: How an NFL Legend Became a Giant in Entertainment
Second Act Stories - March 04, 2023 06:43 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsMichael 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 appeared in seven Pro Bowls, he accumulated 141.5 career sacks, he held two NFL sack titles, and he was a key member of the NY Giants team th...
Related Secondcareer Topics