Buddy’s Unusual Path: Radio Disc Jockey to Economic Developer

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From the age of eight, Buddy Rizer wanted to be in radio. He landed his first job at the age of fifteen and rose up through the ranks to actually owning his own radio station in his early 40s. But like many other industries, radio changed. “Deregulation” not “video” killed the radio star (to amend the 1979 hit song by the Buggles). And it sent Buddy on a completely different path into the world of economic development – a profession that he has excelled over the past 11 years.

Today Buddy Rizer is the Executive Director of the Loudon County Economic Development Authority. His job is to create jobs and opportunities for the 400,000 residents of Loudon County, Virginia – a county about 50 miles west of Washington, DC.

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“Mama, I’m Gay” Fuels A Second Act

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Eva Levias Andino is a big personality with a compelling back story. She grew up in Cuba and proudly counts herself as a 9th generation Cuban. But at the age of 17 years old she left Cuba with her mother. She married and raised four children living in Puerto Rico and California before settling in Miami, Florida.

Her life changed dramatically when her 20-year-old son Paolo invited her to lunch and told her “Mama, I’m gay.” Over the next eight years she struggled with this news. But it eventually led her to work with the Yes Institute, an organization focused on suicide prevention and ensuring the healthy development of all youth through communication and education on gender and orientation. What started as a volunteer role turned into a full time position as Director of Development and eventually Chief Financial Officer. At the age of 75, she is now retired but still actively involved with the organization.

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Click here to learn more about the work of the Yes Institute.

What Is “Post Traumatic Growth?” Interview with “Jolt” Author Mark Miller

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In this episode, we spend time with Mark Miller, a veteran journalist who has covered the retirement beat for a dozen years.  Today, we’re talking with him about his new book “Jolt: Stories of Trauma and Transformation.” The book tells the stories of people have experienced traumatic events — the loss of a child, a natural disaster, a life-threatening accident or illness, financial ruin or a terrorist attack — and bounced back to thrive and grow.

I sat down with Mark at his home in Evanston, IL and had a conversation about “Jolt” and what it can tell us about Second Acts.

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“Jolt: Stories of Trauma and Transformation” is available on Amazon.com.

Fired at 64…An Entrepreneur at 66

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In December 2009, Paul Tasner walked into a conference room and was let go from his position as the Senior Director of Operations of a San Francisco-based manufacturing firm. He was 64 years old. He met his wife Barbara and another couple for  dinner that evening and proceeded to get “silly drunk.”

He wasn’t ready for retirement. So two years later, he started Pulpworks, a company that designs and manufactures biodegradable packaging replacing the toxic, disposable plastic packaging to which we’ve all become accustomed to. With his 2017 TED Talk, “How I Became an Entrepreneur at the Age of 66,” he’s became a poster child (or perhaps “poster senior”) of older entrepreneurs.

The episode also includes interviews with Dr. Benjamin Jones, Professor of Strategy at Northwestern University who directs the Kellogg School’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative and Barbara Walter, Paul’s wife.

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