Second Act Stories

11/11/2024

Fran Tarkenton is unquestionably one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game of football. A true legend who rightfully earned his place in the NFL Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame (for his championship career with the University of Georgia Bulldogs), and on the list of the 50 Greatest Minnesota Vikings AND the 50 Greatest New York Giants. In his rookie season in 1961, Fran joined an expansion team called the Minnesota Vikings, and in the first-ever Vikings game he threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth, upsetting the great Chicago Bears. At the time of his retirement from the NFL in 1978, Fran owned every significant passing record: 3,686 pass completions, 47,003 passing yards, and 342 touchdowns. Legend.

After retirement, Fran became a commentator alongside the one and only Howard Cosell in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth, he landed a job hosting That’s Incredible, one of the biggest sensation TV shows of the 1980s, and he became an early entrant into the software business, a visionary move that launched what would become the longest-lasting and most lucrative part of his illustrious and multifaceted career.

At 84.6 years old as of the date of this interview, Fran is as sharp – and as busy – as he’s ever been. His company, Tarkenton, is as highly regarded as it is successful in helping other businesses grow and prosper. All the incredible lessons he learned growing up, on the gridiron, in entertainment, and in his many business ventures coalesce into his leadership of Tarkenton to this day.

But Fran claims no responsibility for the success he’s achieved. He attributes it all to the coaching he’s received; in the NFL, from greats like Sid Luckman, Norm Van Brocklin and Bud Grant; and in business, from former IBM CEO John Akers to Walmart founder Sam Walton.

In this episode, Fran shares colorful stories about his journey from the streets of Washington, DC; to Athens, Georgia, home of UGA; to the NFL; to entertainment; and ultimately to a wildly successful business career.

Fran Tarkenton is unquestionably one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game of football. A true legend who rightfully earned his place in the ...

06/10/2024

Andy Levine has done it again! Somehow he always finds these amazing and inspirational gems hidden among us.

This week's episode of Second Act Stories features Andy's interview with Bruce and Mira Brach, owners of Toy Utopia, an independent toy store in Red Bank, NJ.

Bruce and Mira opened Toy Utopia in May 2022. Their aim was to create a “magical place that sparks interest, curiosity, imagination and creativity in children and adults.”

The business is a leap for both of them. Bruce had managed a landscaping business for over 25 years; Mira was – and still is – a registered nurse.

A lifelong collector of vintage toys, Bruce was ready to exit his company. Mira asked him, “What do your really want to do next?” Bruce’s response? "Open a toy store." And that’s what they did together.

Click here the link to hear their incredible story. And if you find yourself in Red Bank, NJ, we hope you’ll pay Bruce and Mira a visit.

Bruce and Mira Brach opened Toy Utopia, an independent toy store, on May 27, 2022. Based in Red Bank, NJ, their aim was to create a “magical place that spark...

20/08/2024

Dan Spitz spent a dozen years as the lead guitarist of the thrash metal band Anthrax. So what is his second act? Today, he is a master watchmaker. His timepieces typically sell for over six figures.

Kudos to Scott Merritt, my cohost of the Second Act Stories podcast, for conducting this amazing interview.

Dan Spitz is a true pioneer in every sense of the word. As the lead guitarist of legendary band Anthrax, Dan ...

19/08/2024

This week on Second Act Stories: Scott's interview with thrash metal pioneer and Anthrax lead guitarist Dan Spitz, who left an incredibly successful music career and became one of the world's most sought-after master watchmakers.

He's the watchmaker who watchmakers go to when they can't solve a problem.

Dan recently agreed to sit down with us for an interview where he shared:
🤘 Stories about the roots of thrash metal
😱 Some surprising details about his time in Anthrax
🎸 The well-known band he was in prior to Anthrax
🏃🏻 What led to his departure from the band that made him famous
⌚︎ How he became a serious watchmaker
🙉 Why he doesn’t play, or even listen to, music anymore
🙌 And so much more

If you enjoy this inspirational story about a surprising career shift, we hope you'll subscribe to Second Act Stories wherever you listen to podcasts.

Dan Spitz is a true pioneer in every sense of the word. As the lead guitarist of legendary band , Dan was one of the innovators who birt...

10/06/2024

Sam McKinlay experienced something a lot of people can relate to in work and in life: she spent almost 25 years married… in her case, to a career that was exciting, fulfilling and rewarding. But over time she and the career she once loved grew apart from one another. They fell out of love and split up.

Sam faced plenty of adversity over the years: a series of poorly timed recessions in her native England; an initial move to America that landed her in Florida (which wasn’t a match for her); and later the clean break from a well-established career and a leap into the unknown.

After dipping her toe in the real estate waters, Sam found her calling. She was able to apply a surprising amount of her PR and marketing experience to launch a new career as a concierge real estate agent. And it worked! In her first year she earned a prestigious “Rookie of the Year” award from her broker.

In this week's episode of Second Act Stories, Sam walks through the challenges she faced trying to find a meaningful career path early on; her journey through working for other people, then working for herself, then selling her firm and working for other people again; and the eventual abrupt end of her time working in PR.

You can learn more about Sam McKinlay by visiting her website at www.sammckinlay.com.

Sam McKinlay experienced something a lot of people can relate to in work and in life: she spent almost 25 years married… in her case, to a career that was ex...

06/05/2024

When we say we're looking for unusual, surprising and awe-inspiring guests for The Webby Awards-nominated Second Act Stories podcast, this is what we're talking about.

Amy Siewe, The Python Huntress, is the quintessential embodiment of how passion drives a second act.

She left a safe and lucrative career as a real estate broker to hunt pythons in the Everglades!

She proudly shares that she’s 5’ 4”, 120 lbs., and captures pythons as big as 180 lbs. by physically jumping on them and wrestling them into submission.

Pure. Passion.

In this fascinating episode, Amy shares what motivated her to leave a relatively safe career selling real estate to become The Python Huntress.

She shares how she became so interested in snakes, unbelievable accounts of actual hunts, how she built a business out of hunting pythons, why her role is necessary, and which of her two careers is more stressful. It's a wild ride. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as Scott enjoyed interviewing her.

Welcome to -nominated podcast.Amy Siewe is the quintessential embodiment of how passion drives a second act.She left a safe ...

12/04/2024

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes. If you are looking for a way to celebrate my birthday, you have two options:

1) Buy me a really expensive gift -- maybe a Porsche or a nice sailboat,
2) Vote for my podcast, Second Act Stories, in The Webby Awards (www.VoteSecondAct.com).

We're competing with Michelle Obama, Sarah Silverman, TED Audio and Slate so we need every vote we can muster!!!

07/04/2024

Support an underdog in a fairy tale situation.

This past week, the most magical thing happened: our independent, bootstrapped podcast, Second Act Stories, was nominated for a .

Our fellow nominees are titans:
👉 Michelle Obama
👉 Sarah Silverman
👉 A TED Audio podcast
👉 A Slate Media podcast

This is the equivalent of a garage band with a self-funded album being nominated for a Award against Taylor Swift.

So can we score enough People's Voice votes to claim a popular vote victory?

We believe Henry Ford. We think we can.

We've already moved up thanks to hustle, grit and determination, and you can help us turn this into a true Cinderella story by spending literally *one minute* to cast your vote.

Vote for Second Act Stories at this link:
https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting #/2024/podcasts/shows/advice-how-to

Underdogs always have a chance.

I just voted in The Webby People's Voice Awards and checked my voter registration.

03/04/2024

Support the underdog!

They say you're judged by the company you keep.

Well, today is a banner day for Second Act Stories.

Defying all the odds, Second Act Stories became the only independent podcast to earn an official The Webby Awards podcast nomination, in the Advice & How-to category.

Our fellow nominees include:
👉 Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast from Audacy, Inc.
👉 The Sarah Silverman Podcast from Lemonada Media
👉 How to Be a Better Human from TED Audio Media
👉 How To! from Slate.com

Underdogs.

Now it's time to vote.

Andy and Scott are asking you to support the underdogs in the Webby's People's Voice competition.

It's easy:
1️⃣ Go to the voting link (in the comments)
2️⃣ Click to vote on Second Act Stories
3️⃣ Register with your email address and a password
4️⃣ Click on the confirmation link in the email they send to validate your vote

That's it!

It's an honor just to be nominated.

30/10/2023

The moment Patty Forehand opens her mouth, you know she’s from the deep south. So it's not surprising when you hear that she spent 31 years as an elementary school teacher.

But it's her second act that blows away any preconceived notions. After retirement, Patty found her true calling as a standup comic. And the results are hilarious. Once the F-bombs start flying, you realize she’s not the stereotypical, retirement-age, “proper southern lady” society expects when they see her. She's really, really funny.

In this episode of Second Act Stories, Patty discusses her southern roots and upbringing, her career as “the funny teacher” in an elementary school classroom, her decision to do standup comedy, and why working dirty is a natural result of finding her authentic self.

If you enjoy this episode, please don't hesitate to share it.

The moment Patty Forehand opens her mouth, you know she’s from the deep south. And with that comes a certain set of preconceived notions. If she opens her mo...