Jonathan Bahlatzis spent 15 years in corporate America,  11 of which were spent working as an engineer for GE. He rose through the ranks and took on leadership roles that gave him all the trappings of success. But even with all that safety and security, he had a passion he needed to follow. In 2016 – in the midst of his GE career – Jonathan launched Kopis Designs, an artisan blade company where he designs and hand crafts beautiful knives and blades. Kopis’s tag line is “Form, fit, and function for every day carry.” A successful Kickstarter campaign established a following for Kopis Designs. He finally made the decision to make Kopis Designs his full-time job in January 2023. In this episode, Jonathan discusses his engineering career, his decision to leave that behind to become a full-time bladesmith, and the personal challenges he faces on a daily basis. He offers unique perspectives as a newer entrepreneur and talks about where he lives, at the intersection of artistry, manufacturing and craftsmanship. Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes

Tracy Bonham built a reputation as a "badass rocker" with "Mother, Mother," a powerful anthem that made it to #1 on Billboard's "Alternative Rock" charts. The song and her "The Burdens of Being Upright" album were nominated for two Grammy awards and led to arena tours with Aerosmith and the Blue Man Group. But in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music across the world, Tracy launched Melodeon in 2020. The new enterprise is aimed at teaching a younger audience she lovingly calls "young music enthusiasts." Inspired by Sesame Street, Electric Company and School House Rock, she created an innovative, music education curriculum for pre-school children. In April 2021, Tracy released her first children's album, Young Maestros along with a series of music videos. Click here to learn more about Tracey, Melodeon and songs like "Feeling Pretty Major," "I Like Big Beats" and "Let's Take the Subway."

In 2009, Janie Deegan returned home from college with a serious alcohol and drug problem. Eventually, she found herself homeless and living on the streets of New York City. Fast forward to today...she is the owner of "Janie's Life Changing Baked Goods," a thriving business with three, NYC bakeries and booming e-commerce division. At the center of her success is the "pie crust cookie" -- essentially a baby pie that comes in five, different flavors. Her company and her cookies have been featured on Good Morning America, The TODAY Show, CNN and The New York Times. The company is dedicated to helping other young women through mentorship and second chance employment. As Janie shares in the podcast, "The person you show up for at the interview is the person we're looking at. We're not doing background checks...we have formerly incarcerated employees, homeless staff and those with addiction problems. It's been really beautiful to see how people blossom when they are given a chance."  Interested in trying Janie's pie crust cookies? They come in apple, pecan, triple berry, chocolate and cherry and can be ordered from www.JanieBakes.com.  

Ed Calderon is surprised he didn’t die by the age of 30. That’s the fate that many Mexican law enforcement officers face. But Ed wasn’t just a cop; he worked for a special paramilitary police force that was created for the sole purpose of battling the drug cartels. Just being there meant he was being hunted by some of the most dangerous people in Mexico with no code of ethics. He learned to use a knife as a kid, and guns, well… everyone had guns in Mexico in spite of the laws. A series of events in his childhood, profoundly marked by the loss of his brother, broke apart Ed’s family and left him rudderless. After working a bunch of odd jobs, Ed found an ad in the newspaper seeking single men without kids for a new special police force. He knew he had to join. That’s when Ed found himself on the front lines of the Mexican cartel wars, seeing and experiencing things that would put most of us in a psychiatric institution. When fate eventually handed Ed a daughter, he reconsidered his career and made his way to America. In this episode, Ed shares his journey from his hometown of Tijuana, one of the hottest battlefields in the cartel wars, to what he refers to as his “after party,” teaching others the means to their own survival. From hosting classroom seminars, to consulting on movies, to consulting with the military and Congress, Ed’s path to his after party is a wild and captivating ride. Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes

After graduation from high school, Carolyn Curtin enrolled at the Wilfred Academy and received a degree in cosmetology. For years, she worked as a hairstylist. But her path changed in 2002 when she purchased a 100-year-old, Victorian house in Asbury Park, New Jersey and set about restoring it to it's original glory. The city was in the midst of a major revitalization and historic buildings were been "clear cut" to make way for progress. Carolyn saw both beauty and historical significance in these structures and she started to extract items of value in advance of the wrecking ball. She began offering items she didn't need for her own restoration -- columns, railings, doors and reclaimed lumber -- to others around her. Local Asbury Park Historian Helen Pike gave her the moniker of "Salvage Angel" and that ultimately became the name of her new company. Today, "Salvage Angel By The Sea" has hundreds of thousands of items for sale -- moldings, exterior doors, custom made rugs, stained glass, lighting, plumbing fixtures, tile, furniture, nautical fittings, bathtubs, mantles and housewares. And it’s all things that were headed to the junkyard but Carolyn figured out a way to reclaim and save it for others. It's housed in a 20,000 square foot former Canada Dry warehouse which Carolyn acquired in 2014. In the past seven years, she has also begun renting items to the television/film production industry and her wares have been featured in shows ranging from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to West Side Story to Pretty Little Liars. Production crews now represent 70% of the company's revenue. 39bZYcvf8bSnNWDRFBug

Rick Beato is one of the most successful YouTube stars in the world. His channel, Everything Music, has 3.5 million subscribers and is approaching 600 million views. Among the different types of videos Rick posts are his Top 20 Countdowns, What Makes This Song Great?, and his Rants on all things music. Rick also has an incredible series of long-form, sit-down interviews with some of the most acclaimed music artists in the world, including Peter Frampton, Sting, Derek Trucks, Brian May, and a group interview with grunge legends Krist Novoselic, Kim Thayil and Jack Endino. But Rick didn’t find success on YouTube until he was in his mid-50s, following the viral success of a video he posted of his 8-year-old son Dylan demonstrating his perfect pitch. In fact, he didn’t even launch his channel until he was 54. Prior to his YouTube success, Rick taught music at the college level, he held private lessons (by his estimation, he taught more than 12,000 lessons), he was a music producer and engineer, and he even co-wrote the song "Carolina" by the band Parmalee, which hit #1 on the Billboard Country chart. Rick is also one of the only people in the world who isn't a rock star to have his own Gibson Artist Series Signature Les Paul Special guitars. In this episode, Rick shares his journey from childhood, when he first played the cello, to the classrooms of upstate New York, to his experience working in the music industry, to the incredible success he enjoys today as one of the world’s most well-respected experts on “Everything Music.” Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes

Ted Bahr's career in magazine publishing and trade show management spans 35+ years. He held senior management positions at publishing giants Ziff-Davis and Miller-Freeman before launching his own firm, BZ Media. When he sold BZ Media in 2017, he returned to an early passion: the collection of psychodelic, rock poster art. Ted launched the world's first art gallery to focus on this narrow niche of first-printing posters primarily from 1966-1970. Via the Bahr Gallery, Ted collects and sells works of art designed to promote the concerts of the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and others. Beautifully framed in museum quality glass, the posters range from $1,000 to upwards of $20,000. According to Ted, "When I sell these posters, they're going to somebody who is filled with joy, Probably 35% of my sales are gifts. So people are buying these posters for somebody in their life that has no idea they even exist. They are getting this gift of Santana poster from 1968 -- an original poster with the screaming colors beautifully framed. I get massive psychic reward from this."   You can view his amazing collection of 600+ posters online. But the best way to see this art and get a personal tour by Ted, is to visit the Bahr Gallery in Oyster Bay, Long Island (just an hour outside of New York City). A sampling of six posters from the collection are shared below. A special shout-out to Carl Landau and the "I Used To Be Somebody" Podcast for connecting us with Ted Bahr.

Brian “Q” Quinn is one of the stars of the massive hit TV show, Impractical Jokers. Currently in its 10th season on truTV, Q and lifelong friends Sal Vulcano and James “Murr” Murray (a fourth friend and member of the show, Joe Gatto, departed from the show last year) “compete to embarrass each other,” with hilarious results. It’s wildly popular because it doesn’t force you to think, and it’s guaranteed to make you laugh. At the age of 36, Q was working as an FDNY fireman in Staten Island, New York, but then something incredible happened: Impractical Jokers was born and it took off like a rocket. It quickly became truTV’s highest-rated show, and it’s one of the most successful comedies on cable TV. After using all his available leave time from the fire department, Q was faced with a dilemma: stay with the FDNY, work his 20 years and retire with a pension, or leave his career behind to continue with the show? In this episode, Brian Quinn talks about his career as a fireman, the tough decisions he faced when Impractical Jokers became successful, and some of the hilarious experiences he’s had as a star of the show. Featured image credit: truTV/Warner Bros. Discovery Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes Episode title credit: Amanda Loduca (from Facebook group: It's an Impractical Jokers thing, you wouldn't understand, created by Dawn Marie). For more about Impractical Jokers, visit them at www.trutv.com/shows/impractical-jokers

Michael Strahan is an NFL legend. He spent his entire 15-year Hall of Fame career as a defensive end for the New York Giants. A five-time All-Pro, Strahan appeared in seven Pro Bowls, he accumulated 141.5 career sacks, he held two NFL sack titles, and he was a key member of the NY Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots in 2008. Following his NFL retirement, Michael Strahan joined Fox NFL Sunday as an analyst. This first foray into the broadcast booth was the catalyst for what has made him a broadcasting legend. Strahan went on to host Live! with Kelly and Michael after Regis Philbin retired, and today he’s one of the hosts of ABC News Good Morning America. The two-time Emmy Award winner also hosts the highly successful reboot of the popular game show, The $100,000 Pyramid. In 2023, Strahan was honored with a star on the venerable Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this episode, Michael Strahan shares details about his careers, he discusses his transition from the gridiron to the TV studio, and he reveals the mindset and philosophies that have helped him reach the top in such a profound way. Episode image credit: Fox Sports

Greg and Pam Ayers were living the good life in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were living the American Dream...senior management positions with  significant salaries, a nice home and two young children. But the loss of a close friend caused Greg to question his own life and ask “Am I really making a difference in the world?” And the couple decided it was time for a change. Both Greg and Pam quit their jobs, relocated to Tucson, Arizona and started a new organization called GAP Ministries. Over the past 24 years, they have built an amazing non-profit that is focused on foster care, reuniting families and breaking the cycles of poverty and abuse. With a staff of 120 people and an annual budget of $10 million, the group is having a significant impact in Southern Arizona. On more than one occasion, they have "emptied" their own retirement savings to keep the organization moving forward. Click here to learn more about the inspiring work of GAP Ministries.