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. #secondactcareer #secondact #unretirement #retirementcareer #retirementincome #over50 #career #careers #careercoach #careeradvice #careerpivot #careergrowth #jobsearch #jobadvice

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.

Built by and for women 40 and beyond, Second Act Women (https://secondactwomen.com/) is an IRL and virtual club for women 40 & 50+ that provides access to professional and self-development courses and workshops led by industry experts, resources, and on-demand content. It's a network of women entering middlescence with vigor. Founded to counter the ageist bias waged against females 40 & 50+ in corporate, business ownership, and in society, SecondActWomen gives women the opportunity and the community to ReThink, ReTool and ReBoot in order to design their future on their terms. We talked with Second Act Women co-founders Barbara Brooks and Guadalupe Hirt, two marketing and PR professionals with decades of experience between them. They'll share how Second Act Women came together, the programs they're running, and their plans for the future. We'll also talk about what they're learning about their own second acts. A 29-year marketing and public relations specialist, Barbara launched her award-winning career in the shopping center industry where she oversaw regional and super-regional malls and downtown districts like Trolley Square in Salt Lake City, Sundance Square in Fort Worth, and Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas. In 2001, she began an eight-year career in broadcasting where she worked as a senior sales and business development representative at iHeart Radio, CBS Radio, and Gannett before returning to shopping centers where she marketed Denver’s own Park Meadows Retail Resort. A 26-year public relations professional turned four-time entrepreneur and social justice advocate, Guadalupe now champions women’s issues and is helping break down female ageist bias that lingers in corporate America and society. Most recently, she worked as an associate producer on a short-subject documentary that explored the intersection of culture, identity, and belonging from the lens of first-generation American-born Latinos. During this time, she also co-authored a cultural workbook that helps middle school and high school teachers bring this important conversation into the classroom.

Chris Farrell is Senior Economics Contributor for Minnesota Public Radio and for American Public Media's Marketplace, both nationally syndicated public radio business and economic programs. He is co-host of the podcast, small change: Money Stories from the Neighborhood. and a columnist for PBS Next Avenue, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Marketwatch. He has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Times, Kiplinger’s, and other publications. His most recent book is Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money and Happiness in the Second Half of Life. He and I first met in connection with his previous book, a fan favorite, Unretirement: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and the Good Life, in which he coined the term "unretirement."

Hannah Morgan is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and job search strategist. She is the founder of Career Navigator LLC and the awesomely useful website Career Sherpa (https://careersherpa.net) where she provides guides and resources, and also blogs about the topics, techniques, and best practices that all job seekers should learn to help them maximize their careers. Additionally, she is a regular contributor to top outlets including USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, LifeHacker, The Muse, and Business Insider. She believes that online visibility and personal branding are the secrets to landing a job in the digital age. In this week's conversation, we learn more about how job seekers, particularly those looking to create a Second-Act Career, can tap in: -How to deal with the dreaded APS (applicant tracking system) -Job prospects in the wake of the "great resignation" and the precarious jobs marketplace -The important of personal/professional branding -Staying open to non-traditional but more intentional career options -Applying the "ikigai" concept to your second-act career

Our guest this week on The Second Act Show is our good friend, the powerhouse workplace guru and encore career advocate, Marci Alboher. Marci has served as encore.org's VP of Narrative Change & Thought Leadership, a position she has held for more than a decade. She is one of the leading authorities on career issues and workplace trends. Marci’s current focus is on the power of connecting, collaborating and innovating across the generations. A former blogger and columnist for The New York Times, she is the author of “The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life.” Marci is a frequent commentator on second-act and encore career issues, including NBC’s Today and Nightly News, NPR, AARP, and USA Today. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade practicing law.

In this episode, we have a lively conversation with Bradley Schurman, a demographic futurist and the author of "The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny." Bradley explains how increasing longevity and decreasing birthrates are rapidly creating seismic shifts that are impacting pretty much every aspect of how the world lives and works. Bradley addresses the challenges we're all facing in this unexplored world and provides some actionable tips we can all use to be more proactive. Check out Bradley's book: "The Super Age" on Amazon

Carl Kurlander is a screenwriter ("St. Elmo's Fire," "Saved By the Bell") turned social entrepreneur and documentarian. In a series of unexpected and cascading events, Carl found himself over the course of a few short years saying goodbye to his Hollywood career, establishing a non-profit in his hometown (Pittsburgh, PA), churning out a handful of notable documentaries, and landing on the Oprah show to put it all in perspective. In our conversation, Carl shares the lessons from his experience, and some tips for the rest of us who are questioning how we, too, can transition into our second-act careers.

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Catherine Collinson, CEO and President of the Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Catherine is a champion for Americans who are at risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement. Transamerica's Annual Retirement Survey is one of the top benchmarks tracking Americans' ability to successfully navigate this crucial life stage. With her deep background in this field, we look forward to a spirited and informative exchange!

Elizabeth White is the author of the groundbreaking "55, Underemployed and Faking Normal." She is an age solutions advocate for older adults facing uncertain work and financial insecurity. Elizabeth is going to talk to us about her new venture, collaborating with an early-stage venture incubator to develop a scalable solution to the growing economic uncertainty in our global aging population. She is fierce, wise, and knows her sh*t. Join us for what is bound to be a great conversation! Buy her book on Amazon Learn more about Ideas42, the sponsor of Elizabeth's new venture.

Mark Miller is a journalist, author, and podcaster with a national reputation as a top expert on retirement and aging - and at age 68, he is asking many of the same questions facing millions of other older Americans. Mark has more than 15 years of experience covering the field. Mark contributes regularly to The New York Times “Retiring” column, which appears in the Sunday edition, where they are among the best-read personal finance stories in the paper. He also writes monthly national columns on retirement for Reuters, Morningstar, and Wealth Management magazine. Mark’s website, RetirementRevised.com, publishes a newsletter and podcast that features interviews with authoritative experts in the field of retirement.

We are thrilled to kick off our interviews here on The Second Act Show with our longtime friend, colleague, mentor, and second-act sage Rich Eisenberg. Rich has just stepped into his "unretirement," a term first popularized by our colleague Chris Farrell in his eponymous book. Listen to how Rich is redefining what he's doing as a freelancer, coping with being master of his own schedule, and focusing on the stories and themes that matter most to him. One key for all of us to remember at this stage of our careers is the crucial importance of finding a professional niche. We should use all of the knowledge and experience we have accumulated over the years, but synthesize it into a specific solution or set of solutions that are useful and in demand.