Suiting Up at 61: Tom Green Aims To Become The NCAA's Oldest, College Football Player
Second Act Stories
Football is a difficult sport. It demands physical strength, speed, endurance and mental toughness. So it surprised us when we heard about Tom Green, a 61-year-old man focused on becoming the oldest football player in NCAA history. Tom is now a sophmore at McDaniel College, a few minutes away from his home in Westminster, Maryland. He is on the practice field as a defensive lineman playing against athletes who are one-third his age. If he gets on the field for just one play in the upcoming season, he will tie the record as the oldest college football player in history. But what makes his...
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"Stand By Me" Made Andy Lindberg Famous; Nature Gave Him a Calling
Second Act Stories
If you’re of a certain age, you may not know the name Andy Lindberg. But you definitely know his most famous role. Andy played Lard Ass Hogan in the legendary Rob Reiner film “Stand By Me,” one of the most beloved coming-of-age movies ever made. His scene, the unforgettable “barf-o-rama” at the pie-eating contest, remains one of the most memorable movie moments of the 1980s. It was gross. It was hilarious. It was impossible to forget. Andy was 14 years old when he filmed the scene in Oregon, a local kid doing local theater who suddenly found himself working on a major motion picture...
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Restoring Dignity One Load At A Time: Retired Cop Creates Mobile Laundry Service For Homeless
Second Act Stories
Wade Milyard worked as a police officer in Frederick, Maryland for nearly 20 years and planned to retire from the force in January 2025. As retirement approached, he had no idea what he was going to do next. In his final year as a police officer, he and his partner were called to a domestic dispute with a homeless couple living in a tent. “As we were leaving the campsite, God put it in my heart to ask a simple question: where do you do your laundry?” And that was where the idea of “Fresh Step Laundry” first began to take shape. Fresh Step Laundry provides free laundry service to...
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David Pogue Says Yes to Everything
Second Act Stories
If you know tech, you know . His resume includes 13 years as the top personal technology columnist for , and prior to that, 13 years as a columnist for magazine. Today he’s a full-time correspondent for the venerable weekly news program . His work there has earned him seven… SEVEN… Emmy Awards. He’s also a five-time speaker, and he’s hosted 20 NOVA science specials on . David is also a prolific author. He’s written or cowritten more than 120 books, including dozens in the Missing Manual tech series, which he created in 1999; six books in the For...
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Second Servings: Paul Giannone
Second Act Stories
Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn’t a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they’d learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Paul...
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Second Servings: Anna Vocino
Second Act Stories
Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn’t a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they’d learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Anna...
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Second Servings: Steve Lewis
Second Act Stories
Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn’t a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they’d learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Steve...
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Second Servings: Andrew Pudalov
Second Act Stories
Some people change careers. These people rewrote the menu. This week on Second Act Stories we highlight an incredible group of entrepreneurs who traded in wildly different first acts for lives spent building bold, food-focused brands. What connects them isn’t a straight line or a master plan, but the moment they realized it was time for a second serving: to take what they’d learned, trust their instincts, and build something deliciously their own. These are stories of reinvention, risk, and recipes. Proof that sometimes the most satisfying work comes after you decide to start over. Andrew...
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Author! Author!: Dann McDorman
Second Act Stories
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our “Author! Author!” series, we’re sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn’t something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you’ve already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date, and that...
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Author! Author!: Marty Herman
Second Act Stories
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our “Author! Author!” series, we’re sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn’t something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you’ve already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date, and that...
info_outlineThis week we’re bringing you a powerhouse series of episodes that celebrate some of the most formidable women to ever take the mic on Second Act Stories. These conversations are fueled by bold decisions, hard-won confidence, and the kind of reinvention that only comes after you’ve lived a little. From breaking the rules to rewriting the script, these women didn’t just pivot; they claimed their second acts with clarity, grit, and momentum. Whether you’re a longtime listener or tuning in for the first time, these episodes capture the fire at the heart of our show: fearless choices, earned wisdom, and stories that prove it’s never too late to bet big on yourself.
Anne Moss Rogers was at the pinnacle of a 20-year professional career. She opened her own digital marketing agency in 2010. The business grew quickly and by 2015 she and her partner had 9 employees and a growing roster of clients.
While her professional life was going especially well, life at home had significant problems. Her son Charles – the younger of two boys – suffered from a combination of depression and drug addiction. The problems began early in high school and escalated. At considerable expense to Anne Moss and her husband Randy, they tried to help by placing him in a therapeutic boarding school followed by rehab. But on June 5, 2015 at the age of 20, Charles took his own life.
In the aftermath of her son’s passing, Anne Moss sold her agency and has became a staunch activist for suicide prevention. She launched “Emotionally Naked” – a blog about the experience. She speaks frequently before both high school and adult audiences. And she has written a powerful book called “Diary of a Broken Mind.”
Anne Moss Rogers is a textbook example of what psychologists call “post traumatic growth.” When Charles committed suicide in 2015, she entered an unimaginable cauldron of pain and grief. And she came out the other side stronger and focused on making a difference in the world. And her work is saving lives.
We concluded our interview by asking her, “What would Charles think of what you’re doing now?” Anne Moss responded, “I think he would be proud to know that I’m following my heart.”
On the first anniversary of Charles death, Anne Moss Rogers recorded an emotional reading of the lyrics of “Forgive Me Momma,” one of many songs that were discovered in her son’s backpack after his passing. It’s about four minutes long and we hope you’ll give it a listen by clicking the link above.
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Second Act Stories theme music: “Between 1 and 3 am” by Echoes.