Second Act: Lives Beyond the Job Title

After 15 years in tech, Mel Hoeppner thought she knew what success looked like.Then chronic illness forced her to step away from the career she'd spent years building.What followed wasn't just a career pivot—it was the beginning of The Healing Habit, a wellness brand born from her own healing journey.In this episode of Second Act, Mel shares the deeply personal story behind her transition from tech executive to founder, and the practical lessons she learned while building a consumer brand from scratch.From experimenting with ingredients in her own kitchen to finding manufacturers, validating demand, building an audience through storytelling, landing wholesale customers, and even using AI as a personal founder coach, Mel offers an honest look at what it really takes to build a business with purpose.Whether you're launching a startup, navigating a career transition, or redefining success on your own terms, this conversation is packed with practical insights and a reminder that your next chapter doesn't have to look like your last.In this episode• Recognizing when burnout is something more serious• Making the difficult decision to leave a successful tech career• The story behind building The Healing Habit from scratch• Finding manufacturers and validating a consumer product idea• Growing a brand through storytelling and social media• Landing wholesale customers without a big budget• Using AI as a founder's accountability coach• Overcoming analysis paralysis and building in public• Redefining success beyond job titles and incomeAbout MelThe Healing Habithttps://thehealinghabit.com/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/thehealinghabit.co/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mel-hoeppner-76930624Timestamps00:00 From Tech Executive to Health Crisis03:32 The Diagnosis That Changed Everything07:41 Choosing Health Over Career09:57 Learning to Slow Down12:09 Finding Clarity Through Stillness13:18 The Book That Changed Everything (Anti-Cancer)14:49 From Kitchen Experiment to Business Idea16:35 Building a Consumer Brand from Scratch19:48 Validating Demand Through Storytelling22:22 Why Social Proof Matters23:05 Cold Outreach & Landing the First Customers24:36 Life as a Solopreneur26:00 The Tech Stack Behind a One-Person Business26:51 Using AI as a Founder Coach29:15 Overcoming Analysis Paralysis31:18 Redefining Success32:27 Milestones, Community & Support37:44 More About The Healing Habit

What does it actually look like to build a life beyond your job title?In this episode of Second Act: Lives Beyond the Job Title, Gayathri Geetha speaks with Alexandra Levich, a tech product leader who has led major platforms at Google, Meta, and Tinder, while also building a real estate investment path and serving as an elected trustee for the Mountain View Los Altos School District.Alex shares how her identity expanded beyond work, why motherhood made her a better leader, how she thinks about real estate investing through a product management lens, and what it takes to balance tech leadership, investing, public service, family, and personal growth.This conversation is for anyone who has a strong career but is wondering: What else could my life include?We talk about:• Building a portfolio life without walking away from your career• Why second acts do not have to mean starting over• How real estate investing works at a practical level• What tech teaches, and does not teach, about investing• Running for school board and entering public service• Managing multiple commitments through systems, teams, and support• How to start exploring your next path in the next 30 daysThe biggest takeaway: you do not have to burn everything down to build something new. You can create parallel paths, expand your identity, and design a life that is wider than one title.Chapters:00:00 The real challenge of a portfolio life00:48 Meet Alexandra Levich (Alex)01:47 Identity expansion beyond the job title04:25 Real estate investing as a second path06:37 What tech doesn’t teach you about investing07:50 How to evaluate a real estate deal10:27 Product thinking and real estate13:14 Getting started as a new real estate investor14:16 Why Alex ran for school board19:26 What school board work actually looks like21:30 Managing multiple commitments23:29 Systems, teams, and support24:30 What a portfolio life actually gives you26:01 Alex’s five-year plan27:02 Advice for exploring your next path28:32 Closing thoughts28:49 OutroTags: #Career • #Wealth • #PurposeMusic Credits:Track 1 ID: YDW7UIT055Q5FPQBTrack 2 ID: 3VDCV70HXRPMR6FISource: Royalty-free media library provided by Riverside.fmLicense: Content used in accordance with platform end-user terms for creators. [1, 2]

For nearly two decades, Bosky Mukherjee played the career game the way many high achievers are taught to: work hard, climb the ladder, and never leave without a backup plan.She rose to the C-suite, became a company president, and built a reputation as the person who could always push through. But behind the success, her body was telling a very different story.In this episode of Second Act, Bosky shares the moment she realized staying had become riskier than leaving, how a heartbreaking question from her young son changed everything, and why she finally walked away from corporate life with no next job lined up.We talk about burnout, identity, women in leadership, the glass ceiling, sponsors vs. mentors, commercial fluency, and how Bosky built her second act as the founder of PM Dojo and She Trail Blazes.This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered:What if the life I worked so hard to build is no longer the life I’m meant to live?In this episode, we discuss:The health scare that forced Bosky to stop and reassess her lifeWhy high-achieving women often become “workhorses”The difference between work ethic and unhealthy provingWhy women hit the glass ceilingWhy mentors are not enough — and why sponsors matterWhat commercial fluency means for senior leadersHow Bosky built a business without waiting for the perfect ideaWhy paid pilots matter more than praiseHow to start building optionality before you need itIf this episode resonates with you, subscribe to Second Act for more conversations about identity, reinvention, ambition, and life beyond the job title.Chapters00:00 Can I leave?00:38 Meet Bosky Mukherjee: From C-Suite to Second Act01:09 When Staying Became Riskier Than Leaving04:16 The Turning Point: Health and Family04:41 The Workhorse Identity and the Cost of Proving Yourself09:57 Bosky’s Mission to Help Women Break the Glass Ceiling12:26 Why Women Hit the Glass Ceiling16:15 Mindset, Strategy, and Letting the Right Balls Drop18:36 Why Work Harder Stops Working: Sponsors, Influence, and Commercial Fluency26:27 After the Health Scare: Choosing the Next Move29:44 Building a Real Business: Paid Pilots, Storytelling, and Scrappiness44:03 Advice for Anyone Considering Their Second Act50:45 Future Aspirations and Personal GrowthAbout Bosky MukherjeeBosky Mukherjee is a founder, product executive, advisor, and coach helping women leaders and founders build influence, revenue, and optionality in a changing world of work.She is the founder of PM Dojo and She Trailblazes, where she leads programs like Leadership Edge for senior women leaders and Founders Edge for women building revenue-generating businesses. Her work blends commercial fluency, storytelling, product strategy, and lived experience as a former C-suite leader, working mom, and immigrant.Through her work, Bosky helps women break the glass ceiling — whether that means rising into bigger leadership roles or building a business of their own.Links:She Trailblazes:https://www.shetrailblazes.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bosky/Tags: Second Act podcast, women in leadership, career reinvention, C-suite burnout, women founders, leaving corporate, commercial fluency, Bosky Mukherjee

What if you didn’t have to quit your job to build a deeply creative life?In this episode of Second Act: Life Beyond the Job Title, I sit down with Cielo De La Paz — UX leader at YouTube, photographer, filmmaker, educator, and creator — to talk about what it really means to build a creative second act while keeping a full-time career.Cielo shares the story behind her photo being featured in Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign, what happened when she tried to take photography full-time, and why she eventually realized that not every passion needs to become a business. We also talk about imposter syndrome, building a YouTube channel, teaching what you know, using AI tools as a creator, and why your job can sometimes be the “angel investor” for your art.This conversation is for anyone with a creative dream, a side project, or a quiet part of themselves they are ready to take more seriously.Chapters00:00 Cold Open: Photography as Art vs. Business01:12 Meet Cielo: UX Leader, Photographer, Creator01:45 The Red Umbrella Photo That Went Global04:15 Becoming a Creator and Facing the Camera05:38 Imposter Syndrome and Sharing Your Work07:28 What Happened When She Tried Photography Full-Time10:48 Building a Course Business — Then Walking Away14:06 Your Job Can Be the Angel Investor for Your Art15:19 How to Create While Working Full-Time18:03 AI Tools and the Future of Creation22:00 Finding Community Through Art24:12 Long-Term Goals and Aspirations in Art26:17 A Bridge, Not a Leap28:32 Is YouTube Too Saturated?29:52 Why Being Multi-Hyphenate Is an AdvantageTags: Second Act, creative career, career reinvention, side hustle, creator economy, YouTube creator, photography, AI tools, creative life, multi-hyphenate, personal brand, imposter syndrome, UX leader, women in tech, career and creativity, passion project, creative entrepreneurship, art and work, building in public, life beyond the job title, Cielo De La Paz

In this episode of Second Act, Zach Hawtof shares his journey from Salesforce to building Tightknit — and the deliberate decisions that led him there.Instead of jumping straight into a startup, Zach chose to first move to a smaller company to get closer to customers, product, and the realities of building. What followed was a journey that was far less polished — and far more real — than most startup stories you hear.We talk about what it actually takes to start from scratch: the messiness, the uncertainty, the early chaos, and the moments that make it all worth it.If you’ve ever thought about leaving a “safe” path to build something of your own, this conversation will give you a grounded, honest look at what that really means.🎯 Key TopicsZach’s journey from Salesforce to building TightknitWhy he deliberately moved to a smaller company before startingThe reality of startup life: why it’s always messyWhy you don’t need to be a genius to build a companyThe importance of talking to customers early and oftenWhy handshakes beat scale in the early daysThe case for starting with services before building a productEarly struggles: side hustles, financial trade-offs, and uncertaintyThe first customer moment — before anything was readyWhy founders should chase problems, not ideas⏱️ Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: Choosing building over the safe path00:32 - From developer to PM to founder01:02 - What Tightknit does01:37 - Early days at Salesforce02:41 - Discovering Slack and community building04:14 - The idea behind Tightknit05:13 - Finding the right co-founder06:39 - Why it gets harder to leave big companies09:47 - Making the move toward entrepreneurship09:55 - The first startup idea that didn’t work11:53 - First customer chaos (before onboarding existed)12:46 - Why handshakes beat scale early14:07 - Service-first validation15:17 - Surviving financially in the early days17:48 - The moments that made it worth it20:03 - The reality of startup life22:30 - When everything breaks23:52 - Managing time as a founder25:22 - Building community beyond the product26:41 - Rethinking traditional planning frameworks28:37 - How AI changed the game30:48 - Features customers actually value32:18 - Why Slack is the center of work33:50 - Advice: Chase problems, not ideas35:52 - Zach’s vision for Tightknit🔗 Resources & LinksTightknit — https://tightknit.aiLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhawtof/

Embracing Nonlinear Journeys: From Tech Leadership to Inner Transformation with Anubha KothariIn this episode, Anubha shares her inspiring journey from Silicon Valley tech roles to guiding women through inner transformation. Discover how embracing the nonlinear path, trusting your instincts, and celebrating small wins can lead to a fulfilling second act. Whether you're contemplating a career pivot or seeking greater alignment with your true self, this conversation offers practical insights and heartfelt stories to motivate your next chapter.Key TopicsAnubha's diverse career journey across Amazon, Meta, eBay, and her transition to inner transformation coachingHow her early experiences and passion for depth influenced her multiple life chaptersThe concept of "radiance" and reclaiming one's innate vitality and authenticityNavigating nonlinear career pivots: experimentation over leaps, trusting intuition, and embracing uncertaintyPractical strategies for financial planning and maintaining motivation during transition phasesThe power of celebrating wins through tools like a Win Book to reinforce momentumThe realities of being a transformational coach: emotional energy, ongoing learning, and client intimacyDesigning cohort programs for women to explore leadership, sovereignty, and self-led livingAdvice for listeners feeling called to explore their own authentic paths amidst rapid changeTimestamps00:00 - Introduction: From tech leadership to inner transformation02:00 - Anubha's multifaceted journey across tech and healing modalities04:17 - What is radiance? Reclaiming your innate vitality05:07 - Supporting women as a transformational coach06:39 - Embracing a nonlinear, experimental approach to career pivots08:23 - Signals and intuition guiding meaningful change10:16 - Financial readiness and creative solutions during transition12:21 - Maintaining motivation and celebrating small wins with a Win Book14:55 - Behind the scenes: What it takes to be a leadership transformation coach16:26 - How clients discover Anubha and her marketing insights17:48 - Surprising aspects of coaching: Emotional intensity and growth19:03 - Redefining success: Inner alignment over external metrics20:16 - Planning for cohort programs and her future offerings22:29 - Impacting women through programs like Bloom and Bone & Bloom23:06 - Parting advice: Embrace your calling and expand into your true selfResources & LinksAnubha Kothari - WebsiteRadiantly Human Substack https://anubha.substack.com

After years as a product leader in tech, Fabrice found himself at an unexpected crossroads: a layoff.Instead of searching for another tech role, he took a risk he’d quietly dreamed about for years — starting a food business centered around traditional French butter cookies.In this episode, we unpack:How he evaluated financial and emotional risk before making the leapThe surprising economics of running a food businessWhy his first product wasn’t his final productThe power of marketing and storytelling in building demandHow AI tools now power everything from operations to contentWhat it really means to “fail fast” outside of techThis is a story about identity, reinvention, and courage — about choosing passion without abandoning discipline.If you’re navigating your own second act, this conversation will resonate deeply.Keywords: entrepreneurship, food startup, product launch, AI in business, marketing strategy, startup journey, business pivot, personal growth