Since her mother taught her to sew at the age of eight, Vanessa Gavin always wanted to be a fashion designer. Throughout high school, she made her own clothes experimenting with different colors, fabrics and patterns. But in college she opted to study biology, went on to get her masters in public health and finally got a degree in medicine. Now Dr. Vanessa Gavin-Headen, she spent the next 25 years in a rewarding career as a family physician in Long Beach, California. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic when health professionals started wearing medical scrubs again that Dr. Vanessa returned to her fashion dream by creating a tailored product for "curvy women" in healthcare. Her new company, Valmasi, offers medical scrubs for females with a comfortable fit across the breasts, waist, hips and thighs. <a href="http://www.valmasi.com">Click here</a> to learn more about Dr. Vanessa and Valmasi.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Since her mother taught her to sew at the age of eight, Vanessa Gavin always wanted to be a fashion designer. Throughout high school, she made her own clothes experimenting with different colors, fabrics and patterns. But in college she opted to study biology, went on to get her masters in public health and finally got a degree in medicine.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Now Dr. Vanessa Gavin-Headen, she spent the next 25 years in a rewarding career as a family physician in Long Beach, California.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It was during the Covid-19 pandemic when health professionals started wearing medical scrubs again that Dr. Vanessa returned to her fashion dream by creating a tailored product for "curvy women" in healthcare. Her new company, Valmasi, offers medical scrubs for females with a comfortable fit across the breasts, waist, hips and thighs.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.valmasi.com"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about Dr. Vanessa and Valmasi.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Since her mother taught her to sew at the age of eight, Vanessa Gavin always wanted to be a fashion designer. Throughout high school, she made her own clothes experimenting with different colors, fabrics and patterns. But in college she opted to study...

Prescription For Change: A Doctor Pursues Her Passion For Fashion

<a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-scott-votaw-64ab3022b/">C. Scott Votaw</a> is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of the <a href= "https://www.usg.edu/">University System of Georgia</a>, where he is responsible for overseeing the <a href= "http://www.georgiafilmacademy.edu/">Georgia Film Academy</a>. After growing up in Georgia and graduating from college, Scott packed his car and headed west without a plan. With no relevant experience in film and production, he eventually networked his way onto a crew as a runner. Just by being present and paying attention, he found a way to save the production money and was rewarded with an almost immediate promotion to second assistant director. That auspicious start launched him into what would become an incredibly successful 25-year career in the film and production industry. His big break, a job working for <a href= "https://www.avid.wiki/Saban_Entertainment">Saban Entertainment</a> on its new and wildly popular Power Rangers television show, set him on a course to work with Hollywood legends including <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas">George Lucas</a> and Star Wars sound designer <a href= "https://www.skysound.com/people/ben-burtt/">Ben Burtt</a>. Then came his moment of reckoning. After building a career that was largely unplanned, Scott returned home to Georgia to care for a relative and try something new. He eventually networked his way into opportunities in education, but the timing was serendipitous as Georgia was in the process of building the infrastructure to support the growing film industry in the state. Thanks to Scott’s experience in both education and production, and his availability and willingness to take on something new, he found himself in a position to help launch and run the Georgia Film Academy. In this episode, Scott shares his unplanned journey through the film industry, his tough decision to leave it behind and move back home to Georgia, and the incredible timing that set him on a course to transition from an industry insider to an educator at the highest level. Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-scott-votaw-64ab3022b/"&gt;C. Scott Votaw&lt;/a&gt; is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of the &lt;a href= "https://www.usg.edu/"&gt;University System of Georgia&lt;/a&gt;, where he is responsible for overseeing the &lt;a href= "http://www.georgiafilmacademy.edu/"&gt;Georgia Film Academy&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;After growing up in Georgia and graduating from college, Scott packed his car and headed west without a plan. With no relevant experience in film and production, he eventually networked his way onto a crew as a runner. Just by being present and paying attention, he found a way to save the production money and was rewarded with an almost immediate promotion to second assistant director.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;That auspicious start launched him into what would become an incredibly successful 25-year career in the film and production industry. His big break, a job working for &lt;a href= "https://www.avid.wiki/Saban_Entertainment"&gt;Saban Entertainment&lt;/a&gt; on its new and wildly popular Power Rangers television show, set him on a course to work with Hollywood legends including &lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas"&gt;George Lucas&lt;/a&gt; and Star Wars sound designer &lt;a href= "https://www.skysound.com/people/ben-burtt/"&gt;Ben Burtt&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Then came his moment of reckoning. After building a career that was largely unplanned, Scott returned home to Georgia to care for a relative and try something new. He eventually networked his way into opportunities in education, but the timing was serendipitous as Georgia was in the process of building the infrastructure to support the growing film industry in the state. Thanks to Scott’s experience in both education and production, and his availability and willingness to take on something new, he found himself in a position to help launch and run the Georgia Film Academy.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this episode, Scott shares his unplanned journey through the film industry, his tough decision to leave it behind and move back home to Georgia, and the incredible timing that set him on a course to transition from an industry insider to an educator at the highest level.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes&lt;/p&gt;</description>

is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of the , where he is responsible for overseeing the . After growing up in Georgia and graduating from college, Scott packed his car and headed west without a plan. With no relevant experience in film and production, he...

Lights, Camera, Education: C. Scott Votaw Shifts from Making Movies to Molding Minds

Brent Rivard had a long, successful career in advertising, working for major ad agencies in New York and Toronto. But as he entered his 50s, Brent faced an industry that is focused on youth in both it’s work and it’s staffing. The average age of an individual working in advertising is just 29 years old. Teamed with two advertising executives also in their early 50s, he is in the process of building a groundbreaking agency called “Geezer.” The new company is different from traditional agencies in two major ways: <ul> <li>Geezer is focused on serving the 50+ market (the most lucrative segment of the population);</li> <li>The agency is staffed by seasoned veterans – all with 25+ years of experience in the advertising profession.</li> </ul> According to Brent, “Ageism is a big problem in the advertising agency world and we need to do something about it.” Click <a href="http://www.geezercreative.com">here</a> to learn more about Geezer and their unique approach to advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Brent Rivard had a long, successful career in advertising, working for major ad agencies in New York and Toronto. But as he entered his 50s, Brent faced an industry that is focused on youth in both it’s work and it’s staffing. The average age of an individual working in advertising is just 29 years old.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Teamed with two advertising executives also in their early 50s, he is in the process of building a groundbreaking agency called “Geezer.” The new company is different from traditional agencies in two major ways:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Geezer is focused on serving the 50+ market (the most lucrative segment of the population);&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The agency is staffed by seasoned veterans – all with 25+ years of experience in the advertising profession.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;According to Brent, &lt;em&gt;“Ageism is a big problem in the advertising agency world and we need to do something about it.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-6856" src= "https://www.secondactstories.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Geezer-Logo-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Click &lt;a href="http://www.geezercreative.com"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about Geezer and their unique approach to advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Brent Rivard had a long, successful career in advertising, working for major ad agencies in New York and Toronto. But as he entered his 50s, Brent faced an industry that is focused on youth in both it’s work and it’s staffing. The average age of...

Mad Men 2.0: Advertising Veteran Helps Launch “Geezer,” New Agency For 50+ Market

<a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-farmer-60a14319/">Justin Farmer</a> is one of the most recognizable people in Atlanta. He spent 17 years as the evening news anchor on <a href= "https://www.wsbtv.com/">WSB-TV</a>, Atlanta’s top-rated news station, and one of the biggest local market news stations in the country. News was a Farmer family business; Justin’s father, Don Farmer, was an <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/">ABC news</a> correspondent, a founding <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> anchor, and later the evening news anchor on WSB in Atlanta, a job he held until 1997. Ten years later, Justin landed the same job, at the same station. But let’s rewind: this all meant that Justin grew up with an inside track to history. While he graduated from <a href= "https://www.bc.edu/">Boston College</a> with a degree in political science, his family legacy and several internships at WSB naturally led him to broadcasting. His first TV job was as a sportscaster in Albany, Georgia. But a life in TV news is nomadic, and Justin moved from market to market before eventually landing back home in Atlanta and working for WSB. In 2007, he finally landed at the anchor desk. Everything was going well until the early 2020s, when in the span of 14 months, Justin lost both his biological parents and his beloved WSB co-anchor, <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovita_Moore">Jovita Moore</a>. This series of traumatic losses caused him to rethink what he wanted from life. He challenged himself to do something different, and his passion for investing and wealth management emerged as his new career goal. It wasn’t an easy path. Studying for the <a href= "https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/series65"> Series 65 - Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam</a>, is a full-time job itself, but Justin climbed that mountain around his very high-profile full-time job. He passed the first time he took it. Then, on November 26, 2024, he signed off from WSB-TV with three hilarious words and launched <a href= "https://www.exitwealth.com/">Exit Wealth</a>, a private investment firm that works with ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Our interview with Justin happened just weeks after he embarked on his second act. In this episode, Justin shares his history in TV news, some of the fun stories that are always part of live TV, his painful turning point, the thought process behind leaving what appears to be a “cushy” job, and the mountains he had to scale to make his second act a reality. Learn more about Justin by Googling his name and learn more about Exit Wealth by visiting their <a href= "https://www.exitwealth.com/">website</a>. Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-farmer-60a14319/"&gt;Justin Farmer&lt;/a&gt; is one of the most recognizable people in Atlanta. He spent 17 years as the evening news anchor on &lt;a href= "https://www.wsbtv.com/"&gt;WSB-TV&lt;/a&gt;, Atlanta’s top-rated news station, and one of the biggest local market news stations in the country. News was a Farmer family business; Justin’s father, Don Farmer, was an &lt;a href="https://abcnews.go.com/"&gt;ABC news&lt;/a&gt; correspondent, a founding &lt;a href="https://www.cnn.com/"&gt;CNN&lt;/a&gt; anchor, and later the evening news anchor on WSB in Atlanta, a job he held until 1997. Ten years later, Justin landed the same job, at the same station.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But let’s rewind: this all meant that Justin grew up with an inside track to history. While he graduated from &lt;a href= "https://www.bc.edu/"&gt;Boston College&lt;/a&gt; with a degree in political science, his family legacy and several internships at WSB naturally led him to broadcasting. His first TV job was as a sportscaster in Albany, Georgia. But a life in TV news is nomadic, and Justin moved from market to market before eventually landing back home in Atlanta and working for WSB. In 2007, he finally landed at the anchor desk.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Everything was going well until the early 2020s, when in the span of 14 months, Justin lost both his biological parents and his beloved WSB co-anchor, &lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovita_Moore"&gt;Jovita Moore&lt;/a&gt;. This series of traumatic losses caused him to rethink what he wanted from life. He challenged himself to do something different, and his passion for investing and wealth management emerged as his new career goal.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It wasn’t an easy path. Studying for the &lt;a href= "https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/series65"&gt; Series 65 - Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam&lt;/a&gt;, is a full-time job itself, but Justin climbed that mountain around his very high-profile full-time job. He passed the first time he took it. Then, on November 26, 2024, he signed off from WSB-TV with three hilarious words and launched &lt;a href= "https://www.exitwealth.com/"&gt;Exit Wealth&lt;/a&gt;, a private investment firm that works with ultra-high-net-worth individuals.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Our interview with Justin happened just weeks after he embarked on his second act. In this episode, Justin shares his history in TV news, some of the fun stories that are always part of live TV, his painful turning point, the thought process behind leaving what appears to be a “cushy” job, and the mountains he had to scale to make his second act a reality.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Learn more about Justin by Googling his name and learn more about Exit Wealth by visiting their &lt;a href= "https://www.exitwealth.com/"&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Second Act Stories theme music: "Between 1 and 3 am" by Echoes&lt;/p&gt;</description>

is one of the most recognizable people in Atlanta. He spent 17 years as the evening news anchor on , Atlanta’s top-rated news station, and one of the biggest local market news stations in the country. News was a Farmer family business; Justin’s...

All Eyes on Justin Farmer: Veteran WSB-TV News Anchor Launches a Second Act in Public

Kathleen Biggins is a prime example of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. The genesis of Kathleen’s second act began in 2006 when she was asked to attend the Garden Club of America’s National Legislative Conference in Washington on behalf of her local garden club. That’s where her education about climate change began and ultimately led to the formation of C-Change Conversations. The organization is dedicated to helping people across the political spectrum understand the science behind climate change. Kathleen and her colleagues have made presentations to 21,000+ individuals across 33 states. To learn more about C-Change Conversations, you can visit their website at <a href= "http://www.c-changeconversations.org">www.c-changeconversations.org</a>. .

<description>&lt;p&gt;Kathleen Biggins is a prime example of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The genesis of Kathleen’s second act began in 2006 when she was asked to attend the Garden Club of America’s National Legislative Conference in Washington on behalf of her local garden club. That’s where her education about climate change began and ultimately led to the formation of C-Change Conversations. The organization is dedicated to helping people across the political spectrum understand the science behind climate change.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Kathleen and her colleagues have made presentations to 21,000+ individuals across 33 states. To learn more about C-Change Conversations, you can visit their website at &lt;a href= "http://www.c-changeconversations.org"&gt;www.c-changeconversations.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Kathleen Biggins is a prime example of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. The genesis of Kathleen’s second act began in 2006 when she was asked to attend the Garden Club of America’s National Legislative Conference in Washington on...

Sparking Climate Conversations Across the USA: Kathleen Biggins' Second Act

Welcome to Second Act Stories, a podcast focused on life and career change. In each episode, we bring you the story of a courageous  individual who has made a decisive career pivot and is pursuing a more rewarding life in a second act. 

The stories are in their own words and the words of friends and family that helped them find a new path. Each episode examines the “before” and “after” phases of a life or career relaunch and offers lessons learned.

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