My idol for as long as I can remember is George Plimpton, American journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. Plimpton is renowned for “participatory journalism” which included competing in professional sporting events, acting in a Western, performing a comedy act at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and playing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. His influence on me spanned my career and inspired me to be a career coach; producer, engineer and talent scout for London Records; host my own radio show on WSTC/WNLK; produce and host for public television; write several books; perform at iconic venues like CBGBs and Nashville’s Bluebird Café; head-up my own record label; serve as a senior leader for companies including MCI, Cablevision and Cablevision; and even take a motorcycle trip across Egypt featured in New York Rider. I am a staunch believer that you can achieve fulfillment and do meaningful work at any age.
I was thrilled to see a recent article by Kevin Evers in the Harvard Business Review entitled, The Art of Blooming Late in which he captures the feelings of so many: “Even if you never hope to reach Mozart’s level of mastery, you may relate to his need to break free from convention. Maybe you feel as if your job is like painting by numbers. Maybe you’ve done everything right—excelled at school, worked hard, and landed a good, high-paying job—but you’re tired of being just like everyone else. Maybe you yearn to achieve something that is unmistakably you.” Continue reading THE ART OF BLOOMING LATE
Midway through my decade as a producer, songwriter, engineer, performer, and artist and repertoire executive for London Records during the height of the British wave, I was an analog guy struggling to escape the undertow of receding vinyl LPs, 24-track tape machines, cassettes and 8-tracks as CDs and digital recording were quickly revolutionizing the recording business. But, as I reflect back on the 70s a half-century later, and the fact that according to Intuit, 43% of Americans are projected to be working in the gig economy by next year, the success lessons I learned from music while “gigging” are timelessly relevant to the emerging future of independent gig work. 
Eric Clapton is one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll guitarists of all time and an icon of musical career reinvention. In 1963, he joined the Yardbirds in which his blues-influenced style and commanding technique began to attract attention. Clapton left the Yardbirds in 1965 and joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers where his guitar playing soon became the group’s principal drawing card on the London club scene. 
As a teenager, Andy Weir aspired to becoming a writer. “But I also wanted to eat regular meals and not live in a box in an alley. I was a happy little cubicle dweller.” But, in-between programming, he continued writing as a hobby and decided to self-publish to test the waters. With a positive response, he then published The Martian which became a bestseller and was adapted as a film starring Matt Damon. The resulting success enabled Weir to pursue writing full time. Artemis, his second novel and also a bestseller, is following its big brother to the big screen. Andy Weir fulfilled his long-held dream. 
Ken Jeong created and starred in the role of Dr. Ken, a sitcom that aired on ABC from 2015 to 2017. But, he wasn’t just playing doctor. Jeong was a real full-time practicing physician for years before shifting to focus primarily on acting and comedy. “Growing up, I only ever wanted to be a doctor. There was never a thought I’d go into acting,” Jeong told The Hollywood Reporter.