The Second-Act Show Kerry Hannon & John Tarnoff

Paul Irving is almost synonymous with the positive aging movement. As founding Chair of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, Paul was and continues to be at the forefront of the conversation about the role and the value of the aging population. He is the author/editor of "The Upside of Aging," a must-read book that lays out the opportunities and breakthroughs that have developed over the past few decades and changed the way we think about aging. On our broadcast, we talk with Paul about the need to address the "age bubble" happening around the world as the average population ages (as we're seeing dramatically in Asia) and focus on revamping our workforce culture around an intergenerational approach.

Mike Drak's latest challenge was to train and run an Ironman! Check out our interview to find out how he did. We also cover a number of other inspiring stories and lessons from his recent life journey. In this new identity, Mike has become a recognized advocate for proactive lifestyles in the second half of life. After 36 years as a commercial banker in Toronto, Mike Drak retired 8 years ago to what he describes as "retirement shock." In response, he pivoted to a new calling as an advocate, author, and speaker. He is a regular contributor to the news site Booming Encore, and is the author of two books: Victory Lap Retirement and Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose?

Beverly Jones is a serial career reinventor. A corporate executive, lawyer, and university leader who is now an entrepreneur and executive coach, she is an author and podcaster specializing in career transitions. Her focus is on creating a thriving career and a rewarding life. In our conversation, Bev shares some great insights on how to use an incremental approach to changing our career - and our mindset around that career. She also shares some of the pillars of her book, "Find Your Happy at Work," and recommends focusing on people, purpose, and process as a way of developing positivity, kindness, clear goals, and fulfillment.


Check out her podcast, "Jazzed About Work," at: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/524588388/jazzed-about-work

Feeling like you're running out of steam? Succumbing to a mid-life career crisis and not sure how to get your mojo back?


That's where our guest Tom Matt comes in. An author, broadcaster, and serial reinventor, Tom has been leading the charge from his home base in Michigan to help people "refire" vs retire and find the inspiration and energy to step into their second acts.


In our conversation, Tom shares his story of personal transformation and what he has learned from the past nine seasons hosting his own successful radio show, and as a faculty member at Michigan State. Successful "refirement" requires a certain amount of mindset shifting and a lot of self-love. For Tom, Choice + Challenge = Change. Now is a great time of our lives to fulfill that equation.

Job seekers often feel under-valued and under-represented in their quest for a viable and sustainable job - especially when it comes to transitioning into their second-act career.


Mark Anthony Dyson, "the voice of the job-seeker," is exactly the kind of advocate and guide that job seekers need.


He uses practical strategies sprinkled with empathy to clarify their career paths according to their values, lifestyles, and skills He equips them with the insights and strategies to ensure meaningful, long-term careers.


In this episode, Mark encourages job seekers to adopt a growth mindset and think about their career for the long term - not simply in terms of landing their next job. He believes we should think of ourselves more as consultants and less as employees, and present ourselves as specific solution providers to solve employer problems.


Make sure to follow his two LinkedIn live streams:


#JobSeekerNation on Wednesdays at 1 PM ET"The Modern Job Search Checklist" on Fridays at 1 PM ET

And his podcast: The Voice of Job Seekers

On this episode of The Second Act Show, we talk with social entrepreneur Lawrence Kosick, President and Co-Founder of GetSetup.io, a learning community where older adults train older adults on a wide range of topics from technology to the arts to health, nutrition, and, of course, our favorite, careers.


Lawrence shares how he started the platform, where it's headed, and how it supports older workers in finding jobs and sustaining their careers over 50. We also talk about how older subscribers are using the platform and the importance of the user interface and optimizing the user experience.