Carl talks with Scott Miller, who landed his dream job at 56 after having many different acts—and he’s still chasing his dreams. He is currently a pilot for a major airline but is also an aviation professor, flight instructor, TV broadcaster, Tiki enthusiast, and silent business investor in the restaurant world, including, of course, a Tiki Bar. Scott is a man of many passions and his enthusiasm is infectious.

In college, Scott enrolled in the San Jose State aviation program and thought his course was set. He had intended to join the Navy to gain flight experience, but a medical issue made him change course and he then decided to become a civilian flight instructor. Although he thought that job would lead him to his ultimate goal, he discovered he really liked it. “I was shocked by how much I enjoyed teaching and being an instructor,” Scott tells us.

By 2009, Scott was also a pilot for a regional airline when the recession hit. Wanting to return back to Sacramento, he changed course again, this time teaching in a new aviation program that Sacramento City College had just launched. “I wasn’t flying, but at least I was talking and teaching about flying,” Scott says. He was nervous. He hadn’t taught a room full of 40 students before. “When the students at the end of that first semester were able to do well on the FAA tests, I knew I had done my job. I took a breath, knowing I was able to do this.”

During that time, Scott took on yet another act when a local TV station called, wanting expert advice on a recent major airplane accident. “I wasn’t nervous, because I was talking about flying!” Gigs at CNN and other stations followed. By 2015, opportunities with major airlines came calling. Even though he was a tenured professor by then, he jumped at the chance to fly again. Scott eventually became a full-time pilot for a major airline at age 56. “I thought I was completely past realizing that dream,” he reflects. Now 58, he still appears in news programs, part-time teaches aviation and flight instruction, in addition to his full-time dream job. Clearly, Scott’s drive to seek new heights keeps him going.

Scott’s (Un)retirement insights:

•“I developed a passion at a very young age. Obviously, that passion has driven a lot of the decisions I have made in life!”

•“If there’s something you truly want to do, give it a try and go for it. Make them tell you ‘No’!”

• This Week's Sponsor is LoveMyHeartStudy.com or call (866) 955-159

• Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the “I Used to Be Somebody” weekly blog.

Tags:    blog   interview   scott miller   pilot   investor   unretirement   sacramento   dreams  

Carl talks with Dan Kennedy, former Publisher of the Sacramento Business Journal. He has achieved so much in media and business mentoring over the years. Whether working with journalists, as head of the Small Business Administration or now actively teaching students in UC Davis’ MBA program, Dan has also forged a mindful path--- practicing yoga for decades and even spent some time in his youth living in a Pennsylvania monastery.

Dan was born in Brooklyn and his parents moved the family when he was young to New Jersey. Dan’s father was a Harvard CPA, traveled globally for corporations, and then died suddenly from hepatitis when Dan was only 5, his brother 3. After high school, he went into the monastery, even living a cloistered year in the mountains with no talking or contact with the outside world. “It’s all about inner development. You are cut off from the world,” Dan says, “but the impact (on my life) has been huge and wonderful.”

After four years at the monastery, Dan went to Boston University and The University of Toronto. He began working in media and with journalists, and at one point was the head of the Small Business Administration locally. Dan became the Publisher of the Sacramento Business Journal, during its heyday. “We had huge staff, good profits, and wrote hard news, “ Dan says. By the time Dan was in his early 50’s, he tired of the corporate pressure and started thinking about new things he wanted to do. “It’s great to have something rolling before you retire. I wondered, where do I move on from here?”

Dan eventually left the Journal and started teaching students at UC Davis’ MBA program. He enjoyed it so much he wondered if he could begin teaching even more—and an opportunity opened up for a full position. Now 75, he enjoys mentoring students, teaching, yoga, and world travel, serving on nonprofit Boards like Make-a-Wish, hobbies, and more. He still remains social-media-free. “I am pursuing my best self,” Dan tells us.

Dan’s (un)retirement wisdom:

• Inner Development: “Now you have the time to look inward. Ask, how can I be a better person? Who would my loved ones want me to be? Why aren't I? I want to make everyone in my life feel better that I was alive.”

• Volunteering: “Even busy business people can volunteer, (as in helping the organization strategically vs contact with actual those in need). You can be one step away and still change the world.”

• Zen Life: “Meditation and yoga partner up very well. Begin with five minutes or even two minutes. Go online, it’s the easiest place to get started." 

• More about Dan Kennedy

• This Week's Sponsor is LoveMyHeartStudy.com or call (866) 955-1594

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the “I Used to Be Somebody” weekly blog.

Tags:    blog   Dan Kennedy   interview   Small Business   yoga   zen   meditation   Sacramento   journalism  

Carl sat down with Jerry Reynolds, a former NBA coach, General Manager, broadcaster and so much more for the Sacramento Kings. Jerry is a local legend and one of the most respected people in the league. It was a truly a highlight in Carl's life to meet and interview him.

Jerry just (un)retired recently at age 77 and now is the star of the Kings Herald Show. Jerry coached and served as the General Manager for the Sacramento Kings (more about that in the podcast), as well as General Manager for the Sacramento Monarchs WNBA team. He was also the director of player personnel, color commentator and lead analyst for broadcasting of the organization. Prior to the NBA, Jerry was a successful coach in the college ranks for various teams. He was selected for induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

So, after 35 years of service to the Kings organization, the media entrance to the Golden 1 Center will be officially known as the “Jerry Reynolds Media Entrance.” There is a plaque and pictures adorning the walls leading into the area and signage outside for the fans to visit. Jerry has a sense of humor and insight about the tumultuous times the Kings had under very different, often changing and under-funded ownership. “Whether you win or lose, it’s a stressful job either way. You need a really good team off the floor to have a really good team on the floor.”
 

Born in French Lick, Indiana, Jerry is a country boy at heart. He's the second most famous person born there—NBA legend Larry Bird is also a native and he and Jerry are long-time friends. The family was quite poor, with no running water or indoor plumbing. His father eventually got a job with the Texas Eastern Corporation and the family moved into subsidized housing. Jerry grew up with 5 siblings and he remembers his parents laughing a lot—which is probably where his sense of humor began.

Jerry played basketball on a college scholarship and eventually landed a coaching gig after college. The rest is history. Jerry recalls the NBA of simpler times, when there were 10 players, 2 coaches, a trainer and they all flew on commercial airlines. In 1985-1986 he started advance scouting, flying all over the country, and loved it. “I got about 5 years of experience in one year!” he says. “It was the best of times. The league was pure, the game was better, more physical. You kinda had to earn your points.” Career highlights for Jerry include the first game ever played in Sacramento and the Monarch’s World Championship win.
 

About a year before his (un)retirement, Jerry started thinking about how to ease into it. He went part-time as a transition. Now he continues to do a bit of broadcasting and hosts the podcast. Jerry and his wife Dodie have been married 53 years and live in the Sacramento region. He also enjoys spending time with family and going up to Lake Tahoe. “I’ve been blessed,’ he says. “I got to pick my own end.”

Jerry’s (un)retirement advice:
 

• Do what you want to do when you want to do it!

• Be true to yourself. If you're taking on to a job only for money or fame, you're probably gonna fail.

• Take your time to explore hobbies, community service and find ways to make yourself valuable.

• Find two things a day to do—one activity in the morning and one in the afternoon. That makes for a great, relaxing day!

More information about Jerry Reynolds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Reynolds_(basketball,_born_1944)

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the “I Used to Be Somebody” weekly blog.

Tags:    blog   interview   WNBA   General Manager   unretirement   basketball   legend   NBA   halloffame   collegescholarship   sacramento   

Carl interviews local legend and cool coffeehouse owner Tim Jordan in the Tiki Bar. Tim had a big time career in the printing industry for 20+ years, starting out as a copy clerk for a small printer and working his way up to production manager, then working for a big-time printing company and eventually moving up the ladder to VP then CEO. Carl says he has always had a soft spot for printing companies, as he used to be a niche magazine publisher.

In 2004, dissatisfied with corporate life, Tim left the print biz. He wanted to get back to his roots. He took off a year to find his passion. In what he calls “the world’s craziest decision,” Tim became a first-time entrepreneur with his biz partner Jason Griest, working 20 hours a day roasting artisanal coffee, learning to bake, and creating one of the coolest art coffeehouse vibes in the Sacramento region. Today, Old Soul has 4 locations with 3 more in the works, a catering side, wholesale operations, and a thriving online retail biz in 50 states. True to their artisan pledge, Tim adds, “We have a small local business that we’re proud of and we don’t have to work 20+ hours a day anymore.”

Tim grew up in Sacramento and both his parents worked for the State of California. His older brother works for the State too. “My mother was always wondering about what trouble I’d get into,” Tim tells us. “I was precocious, maybe obnoxious?” Carl says he was the same way as a kid. He first wanted to be a baseball player when he grew up and still today is a loyal St. Louis Cardinals fan, like his father. His first job was frying chicken at KFC at age 15. “I thought I’d earned a future in fine dining,” Tim recalls. He began working in printing at age 18 and the rest of his first career is history.

Lucky for Sacramento, Tim and his partner gave Midtown the cool vibe it needed. The neighborhood has become the hub of culture, creativity and vibrancy in the urban core. It wasn’t so easy in the beginning, however. At first, Tim and Jason intended to create a wholesale biz, selling artisan coffee and baked goods to local high-end restaurants. (Never mind that the two didn’t know how to roast coffee and bake but they learned!) They spent a year renovating an old warehouse space and soon the aromas of great coffee and tasty baked goods were wafting out the door. No surprise, people kept dropping by to see what was happening. It got to the point where they had a self-serve station, an “honor jar” for money and some vintage furniture to settle in. Tim says he had been working 7 days a week, crazy long hours, and people kept asking how much they should put into the honor jar. “I was tired and I got mad and just said two dollars! Everything is two dollars!!! (This blogger fondly remembers that time and how chill it was to sip exceptional $2 coffee in the funky vibe of that warehouse. It’s still there, but the pricing is truer now.) Their artisan coffeehouse grew organically into the successful business it is today.

“I’m old and Jason’s the soul. We have a real brotherhood,” Tim says of his business partner of 16 years. “And I’m working less than 40 hours a week now.” He lives on 38 acres of “delta breeze bliss” with his wife of 18 years, Jill Withrow. They are big supporters of the local community, and also have their non-profit literacy foundation, “Sacramento Has Soul” which helps students who have fallen behind in their reading skills.  It’s no surprise that Tim is already thinking 4-5 years ahead for his third act, pondering what his next (ad)ventures will be……..

Tim Jordan’s advice on Second Act Entrepreneurship:

• “Do something that you really love and that you feel like you're good at.”

• “I wished I’d recognized a little earlier on which details to sweat and then start to pro forma ones you can’t sweat so much, so you can find your balance…. (and) you can have a quality of life that is not dictated to you, rather you can dictate it instead.”

• It’s essential to find a good fiduciary that is a steward for the company’s finances. It gives you peace of mind and clarity.”

• “Know your business, know what’s important, know what to let go.”

• More information about Tim Jordan and Old Soul Company: https://oldsoulco.com/about/

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the “I Used to Be Somebody” weekly blog.

Tags:    blog   interview   entrepreneur   Tim Jordan   coffeehouse   small business   local   Sacramento   Midtown   soul   baking   coffee