Act Three

In this episode of Act Three, host Cara Gray welcomes Dani Klein Modisett, a comedian, writer, actor, and founder of Laughter On Call. Dani shares her compelling journey of developing laughter therapy for Alzheimer's patients, inspired by her mother's diagnosis. The discussion expands to her innovative work using comedy to enhance workplace culture, her transition to virtual services during COVID-19, and her initiatives like 'Lunchtime Laughter' live streams. Through personal anecdotes and professional experiences, Dani underscores the profound impact of laughter on mental wellness, community building, and team unity. The episode encapsulates her dual efforts in engaging seniors and corporate teams with interactive, humor-based activities, emphasizing the essential role of connection and authenticity in life's transitions. Join us for an inspiring conversation about resilience, purpose-driven work, and the healing power of laughter.

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message

00:23 Guest Introduction: Dani Klein Modisette

02:13 The Birth of Laughter on Call

07:25 Memorable Moments and Success Stories

16:02 Teaching Stand-Up at UCLA

20:43 The Call That Changed Everything

22:04 Pregnancy and Career Shift

22:38 Writing and Motherhood

23:31 The Birth of a New Show

24:16 Transitioning to Long-Form Writing

25:03 Philosophy on Career Transitions

26:21 The Courage to Keep Going

27:37 Unexpected Turns and New Beginnings

30:14 Entrepreneurial Journey

35:24 Laughter On Call: Vision and Future

40:04 Conclusion and Contact Information

To connect with Dani and learn more about Laughter on Call: https://www.laughteroncall.com/

Dani's Forbes 50 Over 50 profile: https://www.forbes.com/profile/dani-klein-modisett/

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

In this episode of 'Act Three,' host Cara Gray brings on Scott Wozniak, CEO of Swoz Consulting, to dive deep into his multifaceted career journey. With an impressive background that spans professional acting, non-profit leadership, and strategic consulting for global giants like Chick-fil-A, Scott shares invaluable insights on navigating career transitions. Learn how Scott's early experiences in theater under his mother's direction planted the seeds for a lifelong pursuit of impactful leadership. Discover why Scott believes that true growth comes from stepping into the unknown, and how his innovative strategies can help transform businesses from startups to legendary brands. Also, hear about his latest venture, the Legendary Brands Academy, designed to help small to mid-size businesses achieve excellence. Don't miss this episode filled with practical advice and inspirational stories! 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:23 Guest Introduction: Scott Wozniak 02:37 Scott's Early Career as a Child Actor 08:08 Transition from Acting to Nonprofit Work 11:05 Discovering Leadership and Consulting 17:57 Joining Chick-fil-A 20:46 Considering a Career Change 21:02 Understanding the Role at Chick-fil-A 22:01 The Unique Job Opportunity 23:15 Embracing Lifelong Learning 24:23 The Importance of Growth 25:14 Overcoming Ego and Embracing Change 26:27 The Value of Being a Beginner 32:46 Launching a New Venture 38:10 Introducing Legendary Brands Academy 41:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Scott's New Online Program: www.LegendaryBrandsAcademy.com Bestselling book: Make Your Brand Legendary - https://amzn.to/3PD3szu

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/

or Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/

or Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Special Offer for My Listeners:

As a gift to my listeners, I am offering a free 60-minute zoom session with me to chat about where you are at and do a bit of dreaming about your next chapter! You can book time with me via: https://CaraGray.as.me/60minutes. I will also put this link in the show notes or reach me via email at [email protected]. I love this work. I love helping people discover how to live inspiring lives. And I look forward to meeting you and hearing about your journey!

Transcription of Episode:

This is episode 24 of the Act Three podcast, the final episode of Season 2 and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my previous guests for their time and thank my growing audience for their support. If you are enjoying this podcast, please make sure you are following it. And if you are really enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. That would mean the world to me.

Today is going to be a solo podcast. I realized that while I have been busy interviewing others about their Third Act, I've never taken the opportunity to introduce myself.

So here I am! My name is Cara Gray and I am a certified retirement coach - which means I help my clients plan the non-financial part of their retirement. I assume clients that come to me have worked closely with their financial advisors over the years and have planned well for their future. But I do find that the focus has been on money and not about how they are really going to live their lives. I look at these years as an incredible opportunity to design what you want your life to look like. When has there been a time where you have the freedom to make decisions and actually thoughtfully plan how you want to spend your time. Who you want to spend it with. Where you want to live. We've often been constrained by the limitations of our careers in terms of time and geography and now that is over!

You should also know that I struggle with the word "retirement". I've even chosen to call this podcast Act Three as an alternative. But using the word retirement helps my communication - it's more clear what I do - which is a relatively new field. And when I use the word retirement, think of Serena Williams. Think of Tom Brady. Think of younger people who are obsessed with the concept of FIRE which means they have reached financial independence and can now choose how they want to spend their time. That's the vibe I operate from.

I look at this time in your life as a beginning. What have you always wanted to do, but haven't had the time to explore? It's possible that you haven't even let yourself have those thoughts and dreams because you've been so busy with your life and your job over the years. You may want to start a new venture. You may want to try on another totally different career. You may want to be a mentor for the next generation and work part-time at a startup. You may want to travel the world. You may want to learn about and become an expert in a totally new field like artificial intelligence or wine or horticulture. Or maybe you want to write a book and launch a speaking career. The point is that absolutely anything is possible! And what I do is help you uncover the possibilities and start dreaming them into your reality.

We are also going to talk about the very big word that is PURPOSE. Some of you have been lucky enough to have had careers that gave us a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Others of you can't exactly use that word to describe your life's work, but you did feel needed and essential and those concepts are similar and need to be replaced as you transition to our next chapter. Now that you are going to have the opportunity to choose how you spend your time you can intentionally choose to live with purpose and that, my friends, is a gift. I also want to share that this work is my purpose and I feel grateful to be helping others discover theirs.

In my client work we also look at things like your health, both physical and mental, and make sure you have a plan to optimize both. We also will spend some time talking about your relationships and social networks that become more important as we age and often need to be replaced when you leave your main career. My work is holistic in scope. We want to have a plan for all areas of your life so that you continue to grow and thrive at this time in your life where you also can experience a vast amount of freedom.

At the end of our work together, I put together what I call Your Retirement Blueprint. This document is full of all the things we identified for you to explore, some short and long term goals that we agree on together, plus a ton of resources that make it easy for you to start exploring and prototyping some of the possibilities that are exciting for you. Your work with me is just the beginning of your retirement exploration. The last Blueprint that I put together was nearly 30 pages to give you an idea! This is a document that you will reference long after our time together. But if you want some additional time with me to hold yourself accountable as you dig into the Blueprint, that can be arranged.

You intuitively know that transitions go more smoothly if you have a plan and some goals and accountability that align. When the transition happens well, awesome things follow. But if there is a poor transition, years can be lost. Let's make sure you don't lose any of your hard-earned time.

As a gift to my listeners, I am offering a free 60-minute zoom session with me to chat about where you are at and do a bit of dreaming about your next chapter! You can book time with me via: https://CaraGray.as.me/60minutes. I will also put this link in the show notes or reach me via email at [email protected]. I love this work. I love helping people discover how to live inspiring lives. And I look forward to meeting you and hearing about your journey!

Until then, be well. And thanks for listening.

Julie Danis is not just a former marketing executive but also a writer, storyteller, and an advocate for creative exploration. In this episode, Julie shares her diverse career journey, her transitions, and how she has embraced her third act with a vibrant mix of creativity, resilience, and openness to new experiences.

Show Notes:

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Episode Description:

In this enlightening episode of Act Three, host Cara Gray chats with Alex Hayes-Griffin, a former banker who transitioned to a fulfilling career as an independent advisor and coach. After a dynamic banking career, Alex shares insights on planning for the next life stage, embracing new identities, and finding personal and professional fulfillment. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone contemplating or navigating significant life transitions.

Key Moments:

Resources Mentioned:

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Episode Highlights:

Key Quotes:

Joan's Philanthropic Ventures:

www.wellmetphilanthropy.org www.friendsny.orgwww.Bronxworks.orgwww.Wpti.org

Find a women's giving circle: https://philanos.org/

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

About Chris Farrell:

Chris Farrell is an esteemed voice in the realms of business, economics, and personal finance, contributing to platforms such as Minnesota Public Radio, Marketplace from American Public Media, and several notable publications. He is the author of impactful books like The New Frugality, Unretirement, and Purpose and a Paycheck, which challenge traditional narratives around aging, retirement, and the workforce.

Episode Highlights:

Guest's Upcoming Projects:

Chris hints at another book in the early stages of development, promising more insightful explorations into the themes of work, retirement, and purpose.

Host's Comments:

Cara Gray reflects on the enlightening conversation with Chris Farrell, reiterating the importance of rethinking retirement as an opportunity for growth, learning, and meaningful engagement. She encourages listeners to explore their passions and consider the non-financial aspects of retirement planning through Good Morning Freedom's retirement blueprint package.

Closing Remarks:

Chris Farrell's insights into the evolving landscape of retirement underscore a shift towards a more purpose-driven, engaged, and flexible approach to the later stages of life. This episode invites listeners to contemplate their own 'act three,' encouraging a reimagined perspective on retirement that embraces opportunity, purpose, and continued contribution.

Chris' Books:

Purpose and a PaycheckUnretirement The New Frugality

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Guest Introduction:

Joan Pagano, a leading authority in strength training for women and bone health, shares her vast experience and knowledge. With a career that began in 1988, Joan has dedicated herself to empowering women through exercise, specifically focusing on strength training and osteoporosis prevention. Her work, including a comprehensive 10-part series on the best exercises for osteoporosis prevention, has made her a respected figure in the fitness industry.

Celebrity Training Insights:

Joan shares fascinating anecdotes from her time training Jacqueline and Carolyn Kennedy, offering a glimpse into her approach to personalized fitness and the importance of strength training at any age.

The Path to Specializing in Women's Strength Training:

Discover how Joan's career path and personal experiences led her to specialize in strength training for women, particularly those recovering from breast cancer and those at risk for or living with osteoporosis.

Key Takeaways from "Strength Training Exercises for Women":

Joan discusses the highlights from her book, emphasizing the importance of starting with bodyweight exercises and progressing based on individual needs and goals. She underscores the empowering nature of strength training and its benefits for overall health and well-being.

Customizing Exercise Programs:

Learn how Joan tailors exercise programs to meet her clients' specific health histories, objectives, and lifestyles, ensuring that each program is both safe and effective.

Debunking Strength Training Myths:

Joan addresses common misconceptions about strength training, highlighting the adaptability of strength training routines to meet current needs and goals rather than constantly increasing intensity.

Finding the Right Trainer:

Tips on how to find a qualified trainer, including the importance of certifications from reputable organizations and the value of word-of-mouth recommendations.

Exercises to Avoid with Osteoporosis:

Joan provides crucial advice on which movements to avoid if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, stressing the importance of modifying exercises to prevent injury.

Looking Ahead:

Joan shares her insights on the future of women's fitness, particularly the growing awareness and education around strength training for bone health.

Conclusion:

Cara and Joan wrap up the conversation with details on how listeners can find more information, access Joan's resources, and the importance of incorporating strength training into one's fitness routine.

For more information and resources from this episode, visit Joan Pagano's website at Joan Pagano Fitness and check out her book, "Strength Training Exercises for Women," available on Amazon.

www.joanpaganofitness.com

www.facebook.com/JoanPaganoFitness

www.linkedin.com/in/joanpagano

www.twitter.com/JPaganoFitness

www.youtube.com/user/joanpagano

www.pinterest.com/jpaganofitness

sign up for free fitness tips here!

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Our new Retirement MERCH Collection - stylish hoodies, sleek t-shirts, and classic baseball caps, each crafted to embody the spirit of retirement. It's not just about kicking back and relaxing; it's about embracing Freedom, stepping into a new phase of being Rewired, and thriving in your Act Three. Our collection celebrates these moments with designs that are minimal yet chic, modern yet timeless - perfect for you or as thoughtful gifts for your retired friends and family. https://goodmorningfreedom.myshopify.com/

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Guest Introduction:

Today's episode features a special guest, David Campbell, a distinguished American technology executive, corporate board member, and the founder of All Hands and Hearts, a non-profit organization focused on natural disaster response and rebuilding efforts. With a rich history of leadership roles across various sectors, David shares insights from his multifaceted career and his journey towards philanthropy.

Episode Highlights:

Links from the Episode:

Donate: https://www.allhandsandhearts.org/

https://www.neidonors.org/

https://www.guidestar.org/

https://www.charitynavigator.org/

https://www.interaction.org/

https://www.amazon.com/All-Hands-Evolution-Volunteer-Powered-Organization/dp/1632990628/

Final Thoughts:

David Campbell's journey from technology executive to philanthropic leader illustrates the profound impact that one individual can have on both local and global communities. His advice for finding purpose and making a difference in retirement offers valuable insights for anyone looking to redefine their Act Three.

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/

Episode Overview:

In this inspiring episode of "Act Three," host Cara Gray sits down with Cynthia Round, a trailblazing brand strategist known for revitalizing legacy brands and making them relevant to new audiences. Cynthia shares her journey through the advertising world, her strategic pivot into meaningful nonprofit work, and her role in making art accessible to all at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through her stories, Cynthia offers invaluable insights into identity, career evolution, and the art of thriving in life's third act.

Show Highlights:

This podcast is sponsored by Good Morning Freedom, my retirement coaching firm. I help executives and professionals plan the non-financial part of their retirement, like how to discover new purpose and how you want to spend your time. I offer a 1:1 coaching retirement blueprint package where we work together to discover some new avenues of exploration for your Act Three. This coaching is completely custom and will provide you with a ton of resources and support as you transition to this new stage of life. For all the details, please go to goodmorningfreedom.com/services.

Our new Retirement SWAG Collection - stylish hoodies, sleek t-shirts, and classic baseball caps, each crafted to embody the spirit of retirement. It's not just about kicking back and relaxing; it's about embracing Freedom, stepping into a new phase of being Rewired, and thriving in your Act Three. Our collection celebrates these moments with designs that are minimal yet chic, modern yet timeless - perfect for you or as thoughtful gifts for your retired friends and family. https://goodmorningfreedom.myshopify.com/

Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraliveslife/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraliveslife/ or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.a.gray/