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 Pudalov spent 15 years working his way up the ladder in the competitive ranks of NYC’s financial industry. But the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center changed everything. “I was traumatized. My wife too. We have little kids. I lost good friends. One jumped. I could not believe the towers came down.”
Andrew, his spouse and their young family were ready for a change. So they headed west to Boulder, Colorado with very little idea what was ahead. With zero experience in the retail food industry, Andrew started Rush Bowls a company that specializes in all-natural acai bowls and smoothies.
Over the past 20+ years, the company has grown to over 50 locations across the United States with another 20 stores in development.
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Second Act Stories theme music: “Between 1 and 3 am” by Echoes.