Second Act Stories

Andy Levine
  • 4.9 (75)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to Second Act Stories, a podcast focused on life and career change. In each episode, we bring you the story of a courageous individual who has made a decisive career pivot and is pursuing a more rewarding life in a second act. The stories are in their own words and the words of friends and family that helped them find a new path. Each episode examines the "before" and "after" phases of a life or career relaunch and offers lessons learned.

  1. 1D AGO

    David Pogue Says Yes to Everything

    If you know tech, you know David Pogue. His resume includes 13 years as the top personal technology columnist for THE New York Times, and prior to that, 13 years as a columnist for Macworld magazine. Today he's a full-time correspondent for the venerable weekly news program CBS Sunday Morning. His work there has earned him seven… SEVEN… Emmy Awards. He's also a five-time TED speaker, and he's hosted 20 NOVA science specials on PBS. David is also a prolific author. He's written or cowritten more than 120 books, including dozens in the Missing Manual tech series, which he created in 1999; six books in the For Dummies line; two novels; his three bestselling Pogue's Basics books of tips and shortcuts; his practical guide to the climate crisis, How to Prepare for Climate Change; and his newly released magnum opus, Apple: The First 50 Years. This is a man who doesn't sit still. But before he summited the tech world, David climbed to the top of the mountain on Broadway. He spent ten years conducting and arranging Broadway musicals. During that time he earned a reputation as the kid who could help people with tech. That reputation led him to the apartments of the Broadway elite, where he gave private lessons to the likes of Cy Coleman, Mia Farrow, Stephen Sondheim, and a host of others whose names you definitely know. In this episode David shares what prompted his love of technology, how it gave way to success on Broadway, and the unusual way it all came together to reveal the path that led directly to the pages of The New York Times and the airwaves of CBS News. How did the magic happen (pun intended; he's also an accomplished magician and has written a book on magic)? It's the advice he gives to everyone: "Say yes to everything." He didn't have a plan for his career, but he reached the peak in more than one industry. One of the most interesting things, however, is how his career in tech journalism started. Believe it or not, it had nothing to do with wanting to write. In this episode, David shares his journey from Shaker Heights, Ohio to the "Great White Way," to the pages of The New York Times, and beyond. He also dives deep on two of his legendary CBS Sunday Morning segments: his interview with Elon Musk that created worldwide headlines, and his experience as a passenger in the ill-fated OceanGate Titan submersible. Learn more about David by Googling his name or visiting his website. Buy David's new book, Apple: The First 50 Years anywhere books are sold. ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    1h 1m

  2. FEB 16

    Second Servings: Paul Giannone

    Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn't a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they'd learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. 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 information technology staffer and eventually a consultant. And candidly he never liked the work – he never felt he was very good at it either. But he needed to support his family so he stuck it out. While he didn't love his work, he loved pizza — absolutely loved everything about it. And at the age of 56, he took an incredible leap of faith – returning to Brooklyn and opening up Paulie Gees — a pizza restaurant. He's been remarkably successful and "Paulie's Slice Shop" followed in Brooklyn as did Paulie Gees franchise restaurants in Chicago, Columbus and Baltimore. Paulie secured 15 different investors that helped him launch the restaurant. But he also took out a home equity loan and put his own "skin in the game" to pursue his dream. It was a big risk but it has all worked out. As Paulie told us, "This is beyond my wildest dreams, I had no idea how happy I could be…I am doing what I was born to do, what I am wired to do." ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    16 min

  3. FEB 16

    Second Servings: Anna Vocino

    Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn't a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they'd learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Anna Vocino has an impressive IMDb resume dotted with comedic acting roles, sketch comedy appearances on shows including the Lance Krall Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, and professional narration work for a number of TV series and documentaries. She has risen to the top of the voiceover industry, lending her vocal skills to an endless array of video games and TV commercials, and she's even the female voice of the NBC television network. In the midst of a career in entertainment, Anna was diagnosed with Celiac disease and was forced to eliminate gluten from her diet. A gifted cook, she created gluten-free versions of the recipes she loved and posted them to a blog. A circuitous series of decisions led her to co-host a very successful podcast with health entrepreneur Vinnie Tortorich, and her path ultimately resulted in the release of two bestselling Eat Happy cookbooks. She combined her love of cooking with a passion to create foods that are clean, gluten-free, no sugar added alternatives to the processed options available on most store shelves. Today, Anna is also the CEO of packaged food company Eat Happy Kitchen, which has realized substantial growth in both distribution and revenue since its launch. Most surprisingly, Anna's path was not linear. She didn't set out to embark on a second act, and she didn't know she was on that path until she looked back and realized it. Learn more about Anna Vocino at www.annavocino.com. ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    22 min

  4. FEB 16

    Second Servings: Steve Lewis

    Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn't a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they'd learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. 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 successful. He is. Very. But his success is a byproduct of executing his incredible creative vision. Steve originally wanted to be a professional musician – a goal he achieved by the age of 14 – but a botched hand surgery set him down a different path. After college, he followed his passion for comic books, pop culture and community and opened Uberbot, a unique, high-end art gallery and comic book store. That's where he originally shared the cookies that would become the foundation of Gideon's Bakehouse. Gideon's Bakehouse is a fully immersive "tattered Victorian" experience – an entire world with stories, characters and histories – that just happens to sell the world's best cookies, according to Insider.com, The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated and a host of other media. Steve Lewis calls baking a hobby, but his title – Sublime Prince of the Esoteric Order of Cookie – and his accolades say otherwise. This is an inspiring story that chronicles an immensely creative person and his journey to also become one of the world's most renowned bakers. You can find Gideon's Bakehouse at www.gideonsbakehouse.com, but they don't ship their products. To try them, you have to visit one of the two Gideon's Bakehouse locations, at Orlando's East End Market or Disney Springs. ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    25 min

  5. FEB 16

    Second Servings: Andrew Pudalov

    Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn't a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they'd learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Andrew Pudalov spent 15 years working his way up the ladder in the competitive ranks of NYC's financial industry. But the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center changed everything. "I was traumatized. My wife too. We have little kids. I lost good friends. One jumped. I could not believe the towers came down." Andrew, his spouse and their young family were ready for a change. So they headed west to Boulder, Colorado with very little idea what was ahead. With zero experience in the retail food industry, Andrew started Rush Bowls a company  that specializes in all-natural acai bowls and smoothies. Over the past 20+ years, the company has grown to over 50 locations across the United States with another 20 stores in development. ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    24 min

  6. FEB 7

    Author! Author!: Dann McDorman

    Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our "Author! Author!" series, we're sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn't something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you've already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn't have an expiration date, and that sometimes the most meaningful work begins after you've already lived a few chapters. Dann 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 way to a career in broadcast journalism initially working for Fox News but then climbing the ladder as a producer at MSNBC. Starting a family, his dream of being an author was put on the back burner. Today,  Dann is the Executive Producer of "The Beat With Ari Melber" that airs weeknights from 6:00-7:00 pm. During the Covid-19 Pandemic and without a daily commute to the MSNBC Studios, Dann had some extra time on his hands. He started thinking about writing again. With his wife's encouragement, he wrote a full length mystery novel called West Heart Kill. And at the age of 47, his book was published by Knopf Publishing. Dann's advice to aspiring authors and second act pursuers: "Don't give up…Stick with it and don't think it's too late to be successful." ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    24 min

  7. FEB 7

    Author! Author!: Marty Herman

    Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our "Author! Author!" series, we're sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn't something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you've already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn't have an expiration date, and that sometimes the most meaningful work begins after you've already lived a few chapters. 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 into troubled companies, figure out what was wrong and implement a solution. And then he'd move on to the next company. But he always had a love of writing – he even sold a couple of short stories in his life. So at the age of 75, and with the help and encouragement of his youngest daughter Aimee, he published his first mystery novel called "The Jefferson Files." Since then he's published four other mystery novels, a book of short stories and a biography of a local jazz musician. Marty loves writing. But he also loves selling his books. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he attended 200+ book and craft fairs each year and estimates that he's sold 15,000-18,000 of his books in this manner. Click here to learn more about his work and purchase one of his books. I read his latest mystery, "The First Tuesday Of The Month Murder Files," and it is terrific. ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    20 min

  8. FEB 7

    Author! Author!: Mark Greaney

    Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our "Author! Author!" series, we're sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn't something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you've already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn't have an expiration date, and that sometimes the most meaningful work begins after you've already lived a few chapters. Mark 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-author of seven Tom Clancy novels. His latest book, Sentinel, was released on June 25th, 2024. It is his 25th published work. Before emerging as a top thriller author, Mark spent 20+ years working as a bartender, waiter and midlevel office worker in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. But in his late thirties and after the death of his father, he finally got serious about writing. "I had this amazing epiphany. I was stressed about where I was in life. I didn't have a good position. And I had a lot of social anxiety. I drove a beat-up car. But it came to me one day that I loved to write and I was doing what I loved. And I realized I was successful even if I never got published…And within two years, I was published. And within four years, I was writing with Tom Clancy. And within twelve years, I had a movie out." ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes.

    24 min
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4.9
out of 5
75 Ratings

About

Welcome to Second Act Stories, a podcast focused on life and career change. In each episode, we bring you the story of a courageous individual who has made a decisive career pivot and is pursuing a more rewarding life in a second act. The stories are in their own words and the words of friends and family that helped them find a new path. Each episode examines the "before" and "after" phases of a life or career relaunch and offers lessons learned.

Information

  • Creator
    Andy Levine
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    206
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Second Act Stories

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