Second Acts Greatest Hits

Be inspired. These women followed their passions and so can you.

Jennifer Jeanne Patterson • MORE.com Reporter

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The Other Makeup Mogul

After her divorce, Bobbie Weiner began a three-month course at Joe Blasco Makeup School--and eventually launched a multimillion-dollar makeup empire in The Other Makeup Mogul.
Photo Credit: Photo by Misty Keasler

From Fashion Exec to Health Coach

Holli Thompson's personal journey to holistic health inspired her reinvention in From Fashion Exec to Health Coach.
Photo Credit: Katherine Wolkoff

From Physicist to Forensic Genealogist

A love of genealogy led Colleen Fitzpatrick to her second act in From Physicist to Forensic Genealogist.
Photograph: Photo: Jessica Haye and Clark Hsiao

Best Ways to Make Someone Smile

Social entrepreneur Erin Newkirk built a career out of her appreciation for etiquette in Best Ways to Make Someone Smile.
Photo Credit: Stacy Dunlap

Reinventing Rick's Cafe

Kathy Kriger left the foreign service to open a restaurant in Casablanca in Reinventing Rick's Cafe.
Photo Credit: DITTE ISAGER

When Life Forces You to Reinvent

When the tragedy of 9/11 struck, these women discovered light in a dark place in When Life Forces You to Reinvent.
Photo Credit: Ben Hoffman

My First Year Farming Alpacas

Leda Blumberg shares her joy in raising alpacas on Faraway Farms in My First Year Farming Alpacas

Amazing Body Transformations

A high blood pressure diagnosis led Jennifer Hutt to lose close to 70 pounds in Amazing Body Transformations.
Photo Credit: David M. Russell

How to Revolutionize Your Career in 6 Steps

Anne M Cramer took her sewing habit out of her living room and into retailers across the country in How to Revolutionize Your Career in 6 Steps.
Photo Credit: Liz Banfield

Reinventing as a Farmer: The Sheep Farmer

After her divorce, nurse Rebecca Denoff fixed up Solitude Farm, a 100-acre plot with no running water or electricity, and reinvented as a sheep farmer in Reinventing as a Farmer: The Sheep Farmer.
Photo Credit: Joel Sternfeld

Sand Dollars

Part-time dental hygienist, Barbara Bigford, hits it big with her invention, the Beach Pockets Umbrella, in Sand Dollars.
Photo Credit: Jessica Haye and Clark Hsiao

Reinventing as a Farmer: The Beekeeper

A designer and creative director of a giftware company, Marina Marchese turned her beekeeping hobby into a career in Reinventing as a Farmer: The Beekeeper.

Doing Good for People & the Planet

A former health insurance executive, Danielle Butin's made it her mission to ship unwanted medical supplies destined for landfills to impoverished regions in Doing Good for People & the Planet.
Photo Credit: Ed Ou

Small Changes, Big Results

These six women weren't looking to change, but life surprised them in Small Changes, Big Results. 

Reinventing as a Professional Organizer

Monica Ricci left the hospitality industry to go into business for herself. Now she's got a recurring gig as an expert organizer on the HGTV show, MISSION: Organization in Reinventing as a Professional Organizer.
Photo Credit: Lauren Rubenstein

Becoming a Wine Bar Owner

When the recession hit, Beth Lemke lost her tech job. Which gave her the courage to follow a dream in Becoming a Wine Bar Owner.
Photo Credit: Photo by Aya Brackett

A 9/11 Burn Survivor's Inspiring Recovery

Lauren Manning, who suffered burns on over 82 percent of her body in the attack on the World Trade Center, writes about her recovery in A 9/11 Burn Survivor's Inspiring Recovery.
Photo Credit: Henry Holt Publishing

Amazing Body Transformations

After seeing herself in her son's high school graduation pictures, Kathie Anderson vowed to lose weight so she'd be smiling at her family's next big event in Amazing Body Transformations.

Reinventing as a Farmer: The Organic Meat and Vegetable Farmer

Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems, sold off her holdings and purchased Ayrshire Farm, an 800-acre property in Virginia, in Reinventing as a Farmer: The Organic Meat and Vegetable Farmer. 

Foodie Reinventors

These women followed their love of food in Foodie Reinventors. 

 

 

 

 


Jennifer Jeanne Patterson is a freelance writer and author of 52 Fights. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children. Find her blog at Unplanned Cooking.

 

Related: Best Websites for Women Entrepreneurs

 

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First Published December 22, 2011

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