Midlife Remix

Paige Scott, a senior search leader with 20+ years placing executives in asset management, shares candid reflections on midlife career shifts. She discusses authenticity over performance, navigating multi-generational teams, saying no and setting boundaries, avoiding the underemployment trap after 50, and using manifestation journals to rebuild purpose and energy.

Keith Lawrence, a former Procter & Gamble executive turned author and life-planning coach, helps people design purposeful next chapters. He talks about why work-based identity fails at transition. He outlines a written life plan and the 10 keys to a fulfilling next chapter. He highlights the friendship gap, couples’ alignment, and taking small courageous experiments now.

Jack Swift, former Army Ranger turned entrepreneur and leadership-builder, shares a candid arc from fear and failure to inner alignment. He talks about letting go of ego, rewiring fear into steady practice, walking away from misaligned success, and how human intuition and rhythms matter as AI reshapes leadership.

Yogesh Chavda, a marketing leader, educator, and AI consultant who advised brands like P&G and Spotify, shares his move from corporate life to a portfolio career. He discusses the challenges of going independent. He explains how AI is reshaping consulting, the value of packaging knowledge into products like custom GPTs, and why critical thinking and human creativity still matter.

What happens when your title no longer defines you? In this episode of Midlife Remix, I sit down with Brett Wright, former senior executive at Macquarie and AXA, now Chief Revenue Officer at Tortoise, to explore how leadership evolves in midlife. Brett shares the lessons that shaped his leadership, including the influence of legendary coach Joe Paterno, his experience with imposter syndrome, and how actual growth often comes from moments of discomfort. We unpack what it means to shift from resume values to eulogy values, and how vulnerability, curiosity, and community can help us lead with intention. Whether you're in transition, feeling stuck, or seeking to deepen your sense of purpose, this conversation is worth taking the time for. Timestamps & Chapters: 0:00 – Vulnerability as strength 1:17 – Introducing Brett Wright: From Wall Street to ski trips 2:35 – Building real community through connection 5:16 – What Brett learned about leadership 6:55 – Joe Paterno’s impact: Leading with care, courage & balance 8:48 – Humbling moments, imposter syndrome, and growth 10:48 – Taking risks and navigating nonlinear paths 11:56 – Advice for making a career pivot 14:00 – Facing uncertainty and identity loss 16:43 – Designing a life: Meditation, movement, and meaning 17:19 – Eulogy values vs resume values 18:44 – Midlife loneliness and the power of friendship 19:46 – Beyond transactions: Cultivating lasting relationships 22:45 – Who are you really? Identity beyond the title 25:08 – Hobbies, crafts, and fulfillment outside of work 27:34 – Golf and side-door conversations 28:09 – Final reflections on growth, humanity, and being seen Resources Mentioned: - From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks - The Second Mountain by David Brooks - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - Dare to Lead by Brené Brown - Fast Friends Protocol - Harvard Study on Adult Development Takeaways:- Building community is essential for personal and professional growth.- Leadership is about connection and caring for others.- Navigating uncertainty requires focusing on the process, not just outcomes.- Vulnerability is a strength in leadership and relationships.- Finding purpose is crucial for a fulfilling life.- Investing time in relationships is as important as work.- Loneliness can be an epidemic in professional life.- Crafting a life involves understanding your values and experiences.- Adaptability is key in navigating career changes and risks.- Intentional relationships lead to deeper connections and support.About the Guest: Brett Wright Brett Wright is Chief Revenue Officer at Tortoise and has held senior roles at Macquarie and AXA Investment Managers. He's also the founder of Leadership Nexus, a community focused on navigating personal and professional change. Brett is passionate about redefining leadership through humility, intention, and meaningful relationships. #MidlifeRemix #coachingmetta #stevenmiyao #LeadershipInMidlife #FromStrengthToPurpose #JoePaterno #CareerReinvention #VulnerabilityInLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #SecondMountain #EulogyValues #ProfessionalGrowth #CommunityBuilding #BrettWright #StevenMiyao #pennstate #pennstatefootball

For midlife professionals rethinking how they lead and create, this conversation between Sam Sellers and Steven Miyao offers an unexpected lens: hip hop pedagogy. Together, they explore how principles like collaboration, improvisation, and authenticity, core to hip hop, can reshape leadership and personal growth. They unpack the tension between tradition and reinvention, the role of competition without ego, and how to stay grounded while pursuing success. Rooted in community and self-governance, this dialogue invites listeners to consider new ways of showing up at work, in art, and in life with clarity, courage, and connection.Takeaways• Collaboration and improvisation are essential for effective leadership.• Hip hop pedagogy intertwines ends and means in facilitation.• The relationship between performer and audience is symbiotic.• Commercial success does not equate to losing authenticity.• Ego-based relationships can hinder personal and professional growth.• Creating a space for open exchange of ideas is vital.• Self-governance is crucial in artistic expression.• Tradition and competition coexist in the art world.• Mindful loving can enhance personal relationships.• Engaging with the community fosters deeper connections.Chapters00:00 - Living Life on Your Own Terms02:40 - The Six Pillars of Hip Hop Reeducation05:01- The Cipher: Collaboration and Community06:18 - Wrapping the Code: Tradition and Innovation08:28 - Walking Your Path: Individuality and Influence09:26 - Carrying a Passport: Global Perspectives and Cultural Exchange11:38 - Shining the Light: Uplifting Through Hip Hop12:25 - Joy Proliferation: The Heart of Hip Hop14:20 - A Chance Encounter: Meeting ARIatHome19:53 - The Six Pillars in Actionhttps://www.samsellersmusic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/samsellersmusichttps://www.youtube.com/@samsellersmusic#collaboration #improvisation #leadership #hiphop #pedagogy #authenticity #community #art #competition #commercial #success #self-governance #midliferemix #coachingmetta #stevenmiyao #samsellers #ARIatHome

In this heartfelt Father’s Day reflection, executive coach and Midlife Remix host Steven Miyao and Mark Hsu share a deeply personal look at the tension so many midlife parents face—trying to be present for our kids, support aging parents, sustain our partnerships, show up at work, and still somehow stay connected to ourselves.They explore the quiet question behind all the doing:- What will my children remember about me?- Not what we provided or achieved, but how we made them feel.It is a powerful conversation with author and father Mark Hsu, whose book Please Open in the Event of My Death began as a way to preserve his voice for his young daughters. Steven and Mark explore parenting, presence, fear, and legacy—not from a place of certainty, but from a willingness to ask better questions.Watch this video if you’re navigating:- Midlife transitions and identity shifts- The pressure to “do it all” as a parent, child, and professional- What it means to lead with presence instead of perfectionThe emotional work behind intentional fatherhood and leadershipWhether you’re a parent, caregiver, or someone reflecting on who you want to be, this video invites you to pause, notice, and choose presence over performance.Chapters: Mark Hsu on Legacy, Fear, and Fatherhood00:00 – The Plane Thought: A Father's Fear00:46 – Why the Book Matters01:22 – Rethinking Success in Midlife03:01 – Parenting by Reflection03:39 – Coaching Through Mistakes: The Volleyball Story04:53 – Presence in the Age of Distraction07:26 – The Power of Walking Together09:03 – Using Fear to Move Forward10:38 – Helping Kids (and Adults) Cope with Uncertainty12:29 – Letting Go of Control as a Parent14:00 – The School Morning Breakthrough15:27 – Letting Kids Fail: The Modern Parent Dilemma16:32 – Cultivating Curiosity and a Sense of Adventure17:38 – What Legacy Really Means19:26 – Modeling Growth: “We’re Works in Progress Too”20:03 – Where to Find the BookConnect with Steven Miyaowww.coachingmetta.comInstagram: @CoachingMetta#StevenMiyao #MarkHsu #CoachingMetta #MidlifeRemix #FathersDayReflection #ParentingInMidlife #LegacyWork #ExecutiveCoach #LiveWithIntention #PresenceOverPerfection #PleaseOpenInTheEventOfMyDeath #fathersday2025 #fathersday #fathersday

For Gen Xers quietly questioning the life they’ve built, this conversation is for you.Dr. Eric Dawson has led an extraordinary life: Harvard degrees, a youth-led global nonprofit, and now the founder of Rivet, a Gen Z-powered platform for social impact. But none of that protected him from the hard work of letting go of an identity he’d held for 30 years.In this episode of The Midlife Remix, Eric and Steven Miyao dive into the unseen emotional cost of change, the spiritual weight of transition, and why the most honest version of leadership sometimes means stepping away from what you built.This isn’t about dramatic reinvention. It’s about the quiet, often uncomfortable process of becoming who you’re meant to be next. Whether you’re reevaluating your career, navigating personal change, or starting to feel like “this isn’t it,” you’ll find language, clarity, and resonance here.If you’ve ever wondered:- Why doesn’t this life I built feel right anymore?- How do I let go of who I was without losing myself?- What does the real purpose look like now?You’re in the right place.Subscribe for honest conversations about change, midlife, identity, and purpose.⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps0:00 – Eric on what it really takes to make a pivot1:15 – Introducing Dr. Eric Dawson and his winding path2:27 – Founding Peace Games: youth, violence, and imagination4:33 – Teaching peace vs. modeling violence6:39 – The impact of shame vs. love8:59 – Why Eric went to divinity school10:59 – Calling, chaplaincy, and being useful12:20 – Steven reflects on finding meaning through hardship13:09 – Elderhood, wisdom, and the role of midlife14:07 – Giving up power so others can grow16:04 – What Eric gave up—and why it mattered17:13 – The deep melancholy of Gen X success stories18:42 – The grief of stepping away from an identity19:47 – The universal questions Gen X is asking22:08 – Expectations, suffering, and the delta of life23:22 – Why change lives in the small, daily decisions24:56 – External vs. internal validation25:44 – Letting go of outcomes to be a good human26:19 – Final reflections#MidlifeReinvention #CareerChange #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #PurposeDriven #MindsetShift #LifeTransitions #EmbraceChange #midliferemix #coachingmetta #stevenmiyao #Ericdawson

What happens when you reach your biggest goal, and it doesn’t feel like enough?In this episode, I talk with Bruno del Ama, co-founder of Global X and co-founder of Sangha, about what it really means to redefine success. Bruno built a multi-billion-dollar asset manager, but what came next surprised even him. We explore his journey from chasing growth to building with purpose, from managing teams to leading with trust, and from external achievement to internal alignment.Whether you’re a founder, executive, or high performer in transition, this conversation offers a rare window into what conscious leadership looks like in real life.Subscribe for more honest conversations about navigating midlife, career evolution, and purpose-driven success.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & the problem with chasing success02:11 – Bruno’s early experience with intuition and saying no to Opus Dei05:18 – Moving to the U.S. and the start of Bruno’s entrepreneurial path08:12 – Founding Global X during a financial crisis10:20 – The risky pivot: launching two new ETFs12:55 – From $11M to $1.3B in 18 months14:36 – Rethinking leadership: managing people vs. seeing people16:45 – Why coaching felt uncomfortable—and what changed19:30 – The Nadal analogy and hiring two transformational coaches22:10 – Creating Sangha: a spiritual peer community for leaders25:40 – What Sangha is (and what it’s not)27:30 – Bruno’s new definition of success30:00 – Closing reflections and what leaders need nowTopics Covered- The hedonic treadmill of success- Intuition in leadership- Conscious entrepreneurship- Coaching and personal growth- Leadership reframes- Spirituality in business- Redefining success beyond scale- Sangha and peer-based inner developmentLearn more about coaching and resources at: www.coachingmetta.com#LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #MidlifeCareer #RedefiningSuccess #ConsciousLeadership #FounderJourney #InnerWork #PurposeDrivenLife #SpiritualityInBusiness #MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao #GlobalX #Sangha #CoachingMetta #BrunodelAma #sangha

In this episode of Midlife Remix, I sit down with Maryann Bruce, a remarkable woman whose life was forever changed on US Airways Flight 1549, better known as the Miracle on the Hudson. When Captain Sully said “brace for impact,” Maryann didn’t think she was going to die. She thought about why she had to live.From the moment of impact to the decision that followed—to leave her high-powered executive career behind—Maryann shares her deeply personal journey through trauma, reflection, and renewal.We talk about:- Facing mortality and the clarity that comes with it- The emotional and spiritual aftermath of surviving a plane crash- How Maryann redefined success from title and money to meaning and impact- Her "two P’s" philosophy—and the third one she discovered after the crash- Practical mindsets and habits for living a purpose-driven life- A simple litmus test she uses to help others decide when it’s time to walk awayNow an advocate for women in leadership and board member at organizations like Amalgamated Bank, Maryann proves that you can do well and do good, and that it’s never too late to rewrite your life.Subscribe for more conversations about midlife reinvention, career transitions, and living intentionally: @MidlifeRemixChapters:0:00 – When Sully said "brace for impact"1:14 – Surviving the Miracle on the Hudson4:26 – Becoming the “Diva of Disaster”7:14 – How the crash changed her life8:17 – The missing “P”: Perspective10:32 – Redefining priorities after trauma12:16 – Creating impact through board service15:36 – A new definition of success16:30 – Five mindset shifts that changed her life19:54 – A litmus test for when to walk away21:02 – The one truth that changed everythingQuote of the episode:“It’s as if I went to my own funeral… and didn’t have to die.”#MidlifeRemix #MaryannBruce #MiracleOnTheHudson #CareerChange #LifePurpose #Perspective #ExecutiveCoaching #RedefiningSuccess #StevenMiyao #coachingmetta