The Second-Act Show

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.

From an investment banker turned public school teacher, to a telephone repairman now designing and making shoes, to a Peace Corps volunteer in their 60s, to a nurse who is now a truck driver, Andy Levine has seen and chronicled just about every conceivable take on the second-act career. At a time when more and more people are waking up to the fact that they're not "done" in their 50s and 60s, Andy's podcast "Second Act Stories" (that he co-hosts with Scott Merritt) is a treasure trove of information and a valuable resource for anyone looking to create their own second-act career playbook.

In our Second-Act Show conversation, Andy discusses some of the patterns he has observed, and the success strategies and tactics he has collected from his many guests over the dozens and dozens of episodes in his archive.

Check out the show wherever you listent to podcasts, or at https://www.secondactstories.org/.

Join us as we talk with Dr. Mona Mourshed, the founding CEO of Generation.org, a non-profit dedicated to improving education, training, and employment for marginalized workers of all ages.

Mona has decades of experience as a leader in the education and workforce space. She previously founded and led McKinsey & Company’s global education practice, and led McKinsey’s global social responsibility agenda.

She is the author of numerous widely-cited studies and reports aimed at the education sector, including a study last year that found a high degree of hypocrisy and insincerity amongst hiring managers faced with hiring older workers. We're going to get into the weeds and learn more about what older workers can do to ensure they get a fair shake when they apply for a position.

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Another way of looking at your second-act career is to think of it as what financial planner Justin Smith calls a "Victory Lap."

After establishing your expertise and building a career, you're at (or should be at) the point where you can acknowledge your value and put it to optimal use. It's no longer about striving to get to the top. Now it's about sharing that expertise, delivering that value, and paying it forward as a mentor and a guide.

In this week's Second-Act Show, we'll explore the concept of the Victory Lap and look at ways older workers can define as their second-act careers as opportunities to celebrate their achievements and leave lasting legacies.

On this episode of the Second-Act Show, we interview Tim Driver, the founder of Age Friendly Ventures. Tim is a social entrepreneur who revolutionized the career space by being the first to understand the economic imperative of second-act careers. He launched Retirementjobs.com and Mature Caregivers to address the needs and ambitions of older workers and founded the Age Friendly Institute to recognize employers who welcome older workers and promote the idea of a multigenerational workforce. Tim has a long track record of supporting workplace empowerment and transparency, having previously worked at Salary.com and AOL. Tim has appeared in numerous national media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, NBC News, NPR, and CNN. He also served as Employment Committee Co-Chair for Massachusetts Governor Baker’s Council to Address Aging.