Rewriting the Playbook: Mike Huber


This week on Second Act Stories, we’re featuring a series called “Rewriting the Playbook.” This group of episodes features guests whose journeys share a common connection to sports, sometimes front and center, sometimes quietly shaping the path forward. In these conversations, the influence of competition, teamwork, and discipline shows up in different ways, informing career pivots and personal reinvention. Together, these stories explore how the lessons learned on the field can echo long after the final whistle, guiding second acts that are anything but predictable.

Mike Huber had a 20-year career as a top consultant with Ernst & Young, Cushman Wakefield and KPMG. His focus was in the area of site selection consulting – helping major companies like Samsung, Time Warner and Bausch & Lomb find new business locations. He worked hard and made a very good living. But over time he became frustrated with the corporate rat race and began to ask, “is this the right career for me?”

He went back to school, got a masters in Sports Psychology and became a mental performance coach. Today he works with middle-school and high school athletes helping them improve their mental fitness and game performance.

Mike took a major cut in compensation to launch Follow The Ball, his new consulting practice. But he is so much happier in his new line of work.

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Rewriting the Playbook: Arrelious Benn


This week on Second Act Stories, we’re featuring a series called “Rewriting the Playbook.” This group of episodes features guests whose journeys share a common connection to sports, sometimes front and center, sometimes quietly shaping the path forward. In these conversations, the influence of competition, teamwork, and discipline shows up in different ways, informing career pivots and personal reinvention. Together, these stories explore how the lessons learned on the field can echo long after the final whistle, guiding second acts that are anything but predictable.

Arrelious Benn was a star football player at Dunbar Senior High School (Washington, DC) and the University of Illinois. He entered the NFL draft after his junior year in college and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His NFL career with Tampa Bay, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars spanned seven years, twice the league average. But it is also included two ACL tears, a fractured lumbar and a shattered collarbone.

After his final season with the Jaguars, he and his family put down roots and decided to open Social House Coffee in the Avondale section of Jacksonville. Replacing a former gun store, his neighborhood shop is all about great coffee and building community.

As Benn shares in the podcast, “Football consumed my life for so many years. But I know I only have one body. And I want to see my kids grow up and there are other things I want to do. It’s a breath of fresh air to do something new and be creative.”

Benn is now working in what he calls “my first real job.” He spends his days taking customers’ orders, serving coffee/pastries and managing a staff of six. And he couldn’t be happier.

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Key Changes: Dan Spitz


This week we’re sharing a series of episodes that capture one of our favorite themes on Second Act Stories: the moment when life changes key. These Key Changes episodes feature people whose lives have been shaped by music: some who left it behind for something new; others who found their way to it later than expected. Together, they’re the stories we return to when we want to show how reinvention really works, not as a clean break, but as a shift in rhythm, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering the show, these episodes reflect the heart of the podcast: bold pivots, unexpected harmony, and second acts that still have plenty to say.

Dan Spitz is a true pioneer in every sense of the word. As the lead guitarist of legendary band Anthrax, Dan was one of the innovators who birthed the entire genre of thrash metal music. Anthrax is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands, a group that also includes Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. He sold millions of albums, played on the world’s biggest stages, and saw his music influence legions of acts that would follow.

In 1995, as Anthrax continued to reach new heights, something changed. Dan realized his heart was no longer in it, so he quit the band without a plan for what was next.

Dan had been exposed to watchmaking at a young age through his grandfather, who owned a jewelry store where he repaired watches in New York’s Catskill Mountains. That childhood experience came rushing back when he stumbled across an ad for the Bulova watchmaking school. The pieces fit together as perfectly as the mechanics of a complicated watch, and Dan enrolled, graduating a four-year program in 18 months. Then he became the first American to be accepted into a Swiss watchmaking school, and his incredible second act was official.

Today, Dan is 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.

In this episode, you’ll hear some of the details about the birth of thrash metal, the conflict that led to Dan’s departure from Anthrax, and the journey that led a thrash metal legend become a legend in the world of fine watches.

You can learn more about Dan Spitz by visiting his website at www.delraybeachvintagewatches.com, and www.danspitz.com.

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Key Changes: Rick Beato


This week we’re sharing a series of episodes that capture one of our favorite themes on Second Act Stories: the moment when life changes key. These Key Changes episodes feature people whose lives have been shaped by music: some who left it behind for something new; others who found their way to it later than expected. Together, they’re the stories we return to when we want to show how reinvention really works, not as a clean break, but as a shift in rhythm, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering the show, these episodes reflect the heart of the podcast: bold pivots, unexpected harmony, and second acts that still have plenty to say.

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 CountdownsWhat 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 FramptonStingDerek TrucksBrian 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.”

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Key Changes: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter


This week we’re sharing a series of episodes that capture one of our favorite themes on Second Act Stories: the moment when life changes key. These Key Changes episodes feature people whose lives have been shaped by music: some who left it behind for something new; others who found their way to it later than expected. Together, they’re the stories we return to when we want to show how reinvention really works, not as a clean break, but as a shift in rhythm, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering the show, these episodes reflect the heart of the podcast: bold pivots, unexpected harmony, and second acts that still have plenty to say.

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is a rock and roll legend. He was the founding lead guitarist in Steely Dan, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doobie Brothers. As a hired gun, he’s played with a who’s who of music royalty, including Linda Ronstadt, Donna Summer, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon… the list goes on and on.

From the time he was a child, the mechanically inclined Baxter loved taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together. He became an expert guitar repair technician and built custom guitars. He traded a custom white Fender Stratocaster he built in the 1960s to Jimi James, who would later re-emerge as the legendary Jimi Hendrix.

In the 1980s, Skunk parlayed his more-than-casual interest in all things technical into a career as a missile defense consultant. After writing a paper that was quickly classified, he received the necessary clearances and now regularly consults with the U.S. government, the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs on topics including counterterrorism and wargaming.

Skunk just released a new solo album, his first, called Speed of Heat.

Please enjoy our exciting deep dive into the second act of one of rock’s greatest guitarists.

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Key Changes: Tracy Bonham


This week we’re sharing a series of episodes that capture one of our favorite themes on Second Act Stories: the moment when life changes key. These Key Changes episodes feature people whose lives have been shaped by music: some who left it behind for something new; others who found their way to it later than expected. Together, they’re the stories we return to when we want to show how reinvention really works, not as a clean break, but as a shift in rhythm, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering the show, these episodes reflect the heart of the podcast: bold pivots, unexpected harmony, and second acts that still have plenty to say.

Tracy Bonham built a reputation as a “badass rocker” with the debut of  “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. 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 Tracy, Melodeon and songs like “Feeling Pretty Major,” “I Like Big Beats” and “Let’s Take the Subway.”

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Key Changes: Tom Forst


This week we’re sharing a series of episodes that capture one of our favorite themes on Second Act Stories: the moment when life changes key. These Key Changes episodes feature people whose lives have been shaped by music: some who left it behind for something new; others who found their way to it later than expected. Together, they’re the stories we return to when we want to show how reinvention really works, not as a clean break, but as a shift in rhythm, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering the show, these episodes reflect the heart of the podcast: bold pivots, unexpected harmony, and second acts that still have plenty to say.

Tom Forst was 57 years old. He was a regional vice president with Cox Media, a huge communications company. He was jetting around the country on private planes. He had an army of people reporting to him. He was making a hefty salary.

That was 10 years ago. He decided to quit his corporate gig to pursue a life-long passion – music. He put out his first blues-rock album as Tom “The Suit” Forst. He did a month-long tour of China as the headlining act. And now he’s back in the studio now working on his next album. You can check out his music at www.TomTheSuitForst.com.

He also launched the “Chasing The Blues” podcast which is well worth a listen. As the Jethro Tull song concludes, “You’re never too old to rock n’ roll.”

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Unbelievable All-Stars: Fraidy Reiss


This week we’re bringing you a series of five episodes we always point to when people ask what Second Act Stories is all about. These “Unbelievable All-Stars” all have one thing in common: they exemplify what we’re looking for in an incredible Second Act Story. Whether you’re a longtime listener or brand new to the show, these episodes bring together the stories that best capture the heart of the podcast: bold choices, hard-earned wisdom, and journeys that continue to surprise and inspire.

Fraidy Reiss’ story is among the most inspiring tales we’ve ever profiled on the Second Act Stories podcast.

Part of the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York, Fraidy was married at the age of 19. It was an arranged marriage to a man she barely knew. He demonstrated a violent streak within a week of the wedding punching his fist through a wall and threatened to kill her. Over the next twelve years, she feared for her own life on a daily basis. But she eventually she found a way to get a college education, achieve financial independence, divorce her husband and escape with the custody of her two daughters.

Today, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Unchained At Last, the only organization in the United States dedicated to ending forced and child marriage through direct services and advocacy.

Want to learn more about Fraidy Reiss and Unchained At Last? Check out her TED Talk on YouTube and visit the Unchained At Last website. Fraidy is also featured in Bruce Feiler’s book “Life Is In The Transitions” (which is how we first heard of her) and Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s “The Book of Gutsy Women.”

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Unbelievable All-Stars: Leah Gorham


This week we’re bringing you a series of five episodes we always point to when people ask what Second Act Stories is all about. These “Unbelievable All-Stars” all have one thing in common: they exemplify what we’re looking for in an incredible Second Act Story. Whether you’re a longtime listener or brand new to the show, these episodes bring together the stories that best capture the heart of the podcast: bold choices, hard-earned wisdom, and journeys that continue to surprise and inspire.

Leah Gorham spent 16 years working as a nurse, helping patients while she also helped an industry known for a shortage of talent. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced and spread, causing workloads and stress levels to skyrocket for first responders, Leah took it in stride.

Although healthcare workers were widely recognized for being profoundly affected by the pandemic, it wasn’t until she was attacked by a patient in what she calls the worst assault of her career (sadly, this is an ongoing issue in nursing) that she finally chose to scrub out and do something different. But instead of shifting to a career that would be easy, she moved to another industry that was profoundly affected by the pandemic: trucking.

Today, Leah Gorham is a long-haul trucker, doing her part to alleviate challenges in the supply chain. But that’s not the reason she went into it. She and her boyfriend are partners, taking to the open road together, and living life on their terms. She’s never been happier.

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Unbelievable All-Stars: Chris Donovan


This week we’re bringing you a series of five episodes we always point to when people ask what Second Act Stories is all about. These “Unbelievable All-Stars” all have one thing in common: they exemplify what we’re looking for in an incredible Second Act Story. Whether you’re a longtime listener or brand new to the show, these episodes bring together the stories that best capture the heart of the podcast: bold choices, hard-earned wisdom, and journeys that continue to surprise and inspire.

Since his junior year in high school, Chris Donovan has been sketching women’s shoes. It’s been his quiet obsession for the past 30+ years.

At the age of 50, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. And he knew it was time to leave his safe job at the phone company to pursue his lifelong dream. “I need to follow this. I need to find out why I have this passion for shoes.”

Based on the recommendation of European shoe designer Aki Choklat, he was accepted to Polimoda, one of the best fashion design institutes in the world. He enrolled in an accelerated masters program and packed his bags for Florence, Italy. And while his first few months were difficult, he ended up graduating at the top of his class.

Since our initial interview with Chris in October 2018, he has figured out how to turn his amazing designs into an actual product. Take it from Tim Gunn of Project Runway: “It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

For more examples of Chris’ amazing designs, visit www.ChrisDonovanFootwear.com.

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Second Act Stories theme music: “Between 1 and 3 am” by Echoes.