Never Too Late: Stories of Reinvention

09/01/2026

Check out NTL's latest episode available today!

I sit down with Mike Bolland — motivational speaker, cancer survivor, nonprofit founder, stand-up comedian, inventor, and host of the We’re Not Stumped podcast — whose life is a powerful example of resilience, adaptability, and purpose.

If this episode resonates with you, please comment and tag ACT. I read every one.

Born without his right hand, Mike has spent his life defying expectations. From becoming the first one-handed bowler to compete in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), to leading digital innovation in the corporate world, to surviving cancer and founding a nonprofit that helps amputees access prosthetics, Mike’s story is one of continual reinvention.

His journey reminds us that limits are often assumptions — and that purpose can emerge from the very challenges we once wished away.

In this conversation, we explore:
• Growing up with limb difference and building resilience early
• Breaking barriers in professional sports
• Reinventing identity beyond athletic achievement
• Surviving cancer and redefining purpose
• Advocacy, comedy, and creativity as tools for empowerment
• Why reinvention is not a moment — but a lifelong mindset

🎧 Listen to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IQcLFiNHt1g50sLyGzFnD?si=01c3ec76c16c408f

🎥 Watch episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SXL5DUl9MdI

🤝 Visit Mike's Media and Podcast:
https://mikebolland.com
Mike's Story: https://youtu.be/XZpxatmM6_g?si=PV8wXuGgK660vZNH
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/officialmikebolland
Trial of Billy Jack Movie Character: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur9jFj_dhjU

If you’re navigating change, facing limitations, or wondering whether it’s too late to pursue something meaningful, Mike’s story offers a clear reminder: resilience is built, purpose evolves, and it’s never too late to live beyond the limits placed on you.

In this episode of NTL: Never Too Late — Real Stories of Re-inventi...

08/16/2026

I’m reminded of Erin Hanson’s beautiful words: "There is a freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, what if you fly?"

Wisdom at this stage of life is grounded in awareness and merely quietly turning the page with grace and peace. There are no longer dramatic shifts, just a steady step into the next chapter of the story.

Looking forward to what’s ahead with an open heart and a grateful spirit. 🙏🛩️

08/09/2026

What is holding you back?

08/06/2026

This podcast is live now! This is one you will want to hear. Risa's story will inspire and encourage you to stay resilient in spite of life's challenges.

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-too-late-stories-of-re-invention-ntl/id1841411138?i=1000779376771

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Lv076JQD0Gc0HJOpdSVv7?si=64fd95adb20b4185

YouTube https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSnDxcZV8s&si=T6fI-K1Q3MGFyo-c

In this episode of NTL: Never Too Late — Real Stories of Re-invention, author Risa August shares a powerful story of reinvention after illness, loss, and ide...

07/29/2026

My next Podcast episode is available August 1, 2026!

In this episode of NTL author Risa August shares a powerful story of reinvention after illness, loss, and identity upheaval. Following a rare pituitary disease diagnosis, brain surgery, and the collapse of her eighteen-year marriage, Risa embarked on a six-week bicycle journey from Canada to Mexico — a journey that became both a physical challenge and a profound act of self-discovery.

If this episode resonates with you, please comment and tag ACT. I read every one.

In this conversation, we explore:
• Reinventing identity after serious illness and brain surgery
• Letting go of who you were to become who you’re meant to be
• Grief, resilience, and living in a changed body
• The healing power of movement, meaning, and story
• Why limits don’t have to define the life you’re capable of living

🎧 Listen to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AzeRDsgXGzFEQBx2pP5U2?si=a48aa2392b634a16

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTp4klmlCBYAy-FXNIq550nphdFQSfz63

Connect with Risa:
• Website: https://www.risaaugust.com
• TedX Talk: https://youtu.be/lK9SITnpvcA?si=3ImFnIFx3EaWb8MA
• Purchase Risa's Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CM9SGLKH?ingress=0&visitId=3927b6b4-0093-4e93-96f9-4df5922a16d8&ccs_id=85904d1e-3468-4f1d-8693-0d24406cdc87
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risaunleashed/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risa.august.unleashed

06/30/2026

🎙️ New Episode July 1, 2026! — NTL: Never Too Late - Stories of Reinvention

What does it look like to pick up a pen for the first time later in life — and discover that a story has been waiting inside you all along?
That's exactly what happened to R. A. Bellson.

R.A. is a Brooklyn-born storyteller, award-winning videographer, professional singer and pianist, historic preservation advocate, and author of the Charcoal the Elf fantasy trilogy. What began as a creative charity project during the isolation of COVID unexpectedly became a powerful reinvention later in life. As R.A. shares, this wasn't a story he set out to write — it was a story that insisted on being told.

In this conversation, R.A. and I talk about what it really means to say yes to a creative calling later in life — and how fantasy, music, and history can become tools for healing and belonging.
We dig into:

✅ Reinvention later in life and creative second acts

✅ When stories choose their authors — not the other way around

✅ Fantasy as a mirror for society and shared humanity

✅ Retirement as creative freedom rather than closure

✅ Storytelling as a moral, cultural, and healing force
If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to finally listen to a long-held creative calling — this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ntlpodcast_reinvent
🤝 Connect with R. A. Bellson:

🌐 https://www.charcoaltheelf.com

📚 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Elf-Book-One-novel/dp/B0DFNMYXTR

🎧 Audible: search "R.A. Bellson"

▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/HIiotm7r1bA

Drop a 🔄 in the comments if you know someone who needs to hear this — and share it with them. These stories reach the people who need them most when they travel person to person.

05/31/2026

🎙️ New Episode Tomorrow — NTL: Never Too Late
What does it look like to start a company in your 50s, build it into a global consulting firm working with Fortune 50 clients — and then pivot again at 61 to launch something even more personal That's exactly what Scott Siff did.

Scott is the founder of Quadrant Strategies and the creator of Pivoters — a job-matching platform built specifically for people 55 and older. The idea was born from watching his own father struggle to find meaningful work later in life. That personal pain became a professional calling.

In this conversation, Scott and I talk about what it really takes to reinvent yourself at midlife and beyond — the courage, the clarity, and the conviction that your best work might still be ahead of you.

We dig into:
✅ Starting over — and starting up — after 55
✅ The untapped potential of experienced workers
✅ Why he refuses to call them "older workers" — and calls them Pivoters instead
✅ How purpose and curiosity shape a meaningful second chapter
✅ What it means to pivot with intention when the path isn't obvious

If you or someone you love has ever wondered whether it's too late to do something that matters — this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ntlpodcast_reinvent
🤝 Connect with Scott & Pivoters:
🌐 http://pivoters.com
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-siff-5358963/

Drop a 🔄 in the comments if you know someone who needs to hear this — and share it with them. These stories reach the people who need them most when they travel person to person.

05/03/2026

MY SPECIAL EPISODE Listen Today!
Ever felt like your identity is slipping away? Here’s the real cost of rediscovering who you are.

In this episode, I share my personal journey of rediscovery, reflecting on the challenges and costs associated with pursuing dreams and navigating life transitions. I emphasize the importance of identity, resilience, and the spiritual journey, encouraging listeners to embrace their own paths of rediscovery and to recognize the hope that exists even in times of darkness.
Tag someone who needs to hear this!

Life is a series of changes, and each transition brings a sense of uneasiness. I've learned that it’s not just about career shifts; it’s about understanding our deeper selves.

As I reflect on my journey from priest to pilot, I realize that rediscovery isn’t about throwing away your past. It’s about embracing every chapter of your identity and the lessons learned along the way.

Sometimes, the hardest part is facing the loss that comes with change. Whether it’s a role you’ve outgrown or relationships that shift, it can feel like you’re wandering in the dark, searching for your light.

But remember, it’s okay to feel lost during this process. It’s part of the journey. What matters is that we keep moving forward, searching for the joy that awaits us on the other side.

Let’s support each other in our journeys of rediscovery!

Click here to Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1d4Xlltj7Ydin4pdI7FedY?si=vyszdAnRS3yj6yWKn06HmA

Click here to Watch: https://youtu.be/jLq5Po_SqYw?si=jgoEU6B87euQhVnJ

In this episode, I share my personal journey of rediscovery, reflecting on the challenges and costs associated with pursuing dreams and navigating life trans...

04/27/2026

NEW EPISODE drops 5/1/26! 🎙️🎥

In this upcoming episode of NTL: Never Too Late — Real Stories of Re-invention, I sit down with Liz Benditt, a senior marketing executive, six-time cancer survivor, educator, and the founder of The Balm Box — a mission-driven company born from lived experience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to dignity in care.

If this episode resonates with you, please comment and tag ACT. I read every one.

Over the course of 15 years, Liz faced six different cancer diagnoses while continuing to build a demanding professional career, raise a family, and redefine what leadership looks like when life is anything but predictable. What began as survival slowly became something more: a calling to serve others walking the same path she knew all too well.

In our conversation, we talk about:
• How illness can interrupt — and ultimately reshape — identity and purpose
• Balancing cancer, career, and motherhood through seasons of uncertainty
• Seeing unmet needs from the inside and responding with empathy and action
• Why Liz founded The Balm Box to bring thoughtful, functional self-care to cancer patients
• Reinvention through entrepreneurship, advocacy, and teaching
• How resilience, humor, and perspective shape a meaningful life after diagnosis

This is a powerful, honest conversation about forced reinvention, courage under uncertainty, and transforming personal hardship into service for others. Liz’s story is a reminder that even in life’s most fragile seasons, something deeply meaningful can emerge.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d be honored if you’d consider sharing it with someone navigating illness, change, or an unexpected turning point. These stories often reach the people who need them most when they’re shared person to person.

🎧 Listen to the podcast here:
https://linktr.ee/ntlpodcast_reinvent

Connect with Liz
• The Balm Box: https://www.thebalmbox.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalmBox
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BalmBoxIG
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheBalmBox

Thank you for being part of the growing NTL community — and for helping these stories travel a little farther.
— Eric Cooter
NTL: Never Too Late — Real Stories of Re-invention

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03/31/2026

NEW EPISODE April 1, 2026 Chef Steve Corso!

In this episode of NTL: Never Too Late — Real Stories of Re-invention, I sit down with Chef Steve Corso — classically trained chef, author, television host, and founder of Outdoor Eats — whose story proves that sometimes the most powerful reinvention happens when you trade the boardroom for the backcountry.

After more than 20 years building a prestigious culinary career — from classical training at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and Northern Italy, to developing products as a research chef and training culinary staff for Starbucks worldwide — Steve had mastered his craft. But something was missing. It took one backpacking trip into Washington State's Enchantments wilderness, cooking Tom Yum noodle bowls and chicken fajitas under an open sky, to ask a question that would change everything: Why does the food have to be bad out here? The answer launched a movement.

Today, Outdoor Eats is home to 300+ trail-tested recipes, a cookbook series with over 30,000 copies sold, and a nationally airing TV show on PBS, Outside TV, and FanDuel Sports — taking audiences from alpine fondue in Switzerland to solo hikes in the Smokies and beyond.

In this conversation, we explore:
• Growing up with food and training as a classical chef
• Building a high-achieving corporate culinary career — and what was quietly missing
• The backpacking trip that sparked an entirely new calling
• Leaving the stability of corporate life to bet on himself
• Building Outdoor Eats from scratch — cookbooks, YouTube, TV, and a global community
• Why food is the missing piece of every great outdoor adventure
• The philosophy of "blue sky time" and what the trail teaches about creativity and presence
• What he'd tell anyone scared to leave a successful career for something that truly lights them up

🎧 Listen to and Watch the podcast: Here are links to the podcast:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reinventing-life-one-meal-at-a-time-with-chef-steve-corso/id1841411138?i=1000758588590

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7u3XqIM9jllqeT0icsIb6I?si=UxsW4uaXQyC_m1htLpiLqw

YouTube: https://youtu.be/nnkbfqGNGQs

🤝 Connect with Chef Steve:
Website: https://outdooreats.com
🛒 Use code NTL15 for 15% off anything in the Outdoor Eats shop at outdooreats.com
PBS Show: https://www.pbs.org/show/outdoor-eats/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdooreats365
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
Substack: https://chefcorso.substack.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/

If you've ever built something successful and still felt the pull toward something more — something that actually lights you up — Chef Steve Corso's story is your reminder that the leap is worth it. The best adventures, in the outdoors and in life, often begin with one unexpected trip and a single bold question. And it's never too late to ask it.

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