As I prepare to depart for the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, England next week, I’m enamored with this year’s theme — “Dare to Imagine!” This is especially fitting, since I’m happily driven as the producer of Jane Pauley’s NBC TODAY show segment, “Life Reimagined” to identify stories featuring those who are succeeding at daring to reimagine their lives at 50+.

There is this myth, that as we age we become “set in our ways” – rigid and unwilling to break free to make the powerful, impactful changes in our lives. This is the opposite of the stories we tell in our monthly TV series, which is why I especially like attending the Skoll World Forum. For three days, I find myself part of a worldwide delegation, all of us striving to reimagine ourselves, each other, and our shared world in bold, new ways. I come away renewed and recommitted to telling these kinds of stories.

Several years ago, AARP provided me the privilege of producing a film featuring Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland who received the prestigious Andrus Award for Public Service. Dr. Brundtland has continually dared to successfully reimagine her life, time and again. Now well into her 70s, she doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon, and the world is most fortunate. She’ll be keynoting several sessions at the Skoll World Forum.

Dr. Brundtland is a physician, the former first female Prime Minister of Norway, and first female Director of the World Health Organization. And that’s just for starters! She’s also worked to save thousands of people’s lives throughout the world, advocating for policies to eradicate HIV, malaria, and place an international ban on smoking. Below is my film on Dr. Brundtland — watch for your daily dose of inspiration.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m looking forward to being updated on Dr. Brundtland’s continued mission to help women and girls throughout the world reimagine their lives. No doubt, she’ll DARE all of us to do something BIG!

— Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of “Life Reimagined TODAY” with Jane Pauley.

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of ”Life Reimagined TODAY“ with Jane Pauley on NBC’s TODAY show.

On a rainy, cold, wintry night, Jane Pauley’s email popped up on my Blackberry with the words “be careful.”  Her cautionary message arrived just I was trying to securely strap myself into the back of an ambulance, all on behalf of our upcoming segment for NBC’s TODAY show in our series “Life Reimagined Today.”  We were profiling a guy named Jerry Leener, former CPA turned EMT with the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department in Maryland.

Jerry highly encouraged me to “ride along” before Jane shot the interview with him to better obtain a sense of what his job entails. Never one to shy away from the action, I agreed it made sense.

Before climbing into the 20,000 pound vehicle, I signed a release form, while Jerry’s EMT partner Kevin provided me with a green neon jacket so as to be safely attired. They assured me I was going to see some action. On a Friday night in rush hour traffic with freezing rain, the DC/Maryland Beltway is prime time for an accident. They were right!

When the firehouse alarm bell rang, Kevin pushed back his chair and was the first to shout, “Here we go.” I quickly followed them down the stairs into the back of the ambulance just as the station chief handed Jerry a computer printout while hurling himself into the front passenger’s seat. Before I could even buckle the seat belt, we were heading at record speed through oncoming traffic and the dark of night, making our way to the scene as lights flashed and sirens roared.

It was raining hard, and I was being whipped around in the back, my imagination running wild with what we might encounter. I reminded myself that I was here to only witness and observe, that trained professionals were on the scene. Still, that didn’t prevent me from saying a prayer or two for all involved.

When we finally came to a full stop, I made the executive decision not to get out of the ambulance. When I saw a second ambulance and an enormous fire engine, speeding cars, and spitting rain, my instincts told me it would be best to wait inside. These professionals didn’t need to worry about a rookie on the loose.

Within moments, Jerry and Kevin hoisted a stretcher into the back of the ambulance with a young man positioned on a yellow backboard. Jerry immediately grabbed a two-way radio and started communicating with the hospital, while starting to administer a series of tests. There were no visible injuries, but perhaps internal injuries.  The young man began to cry out in Spanish, holding his head.

In broken Spanish, Jerry begin communicating with this twenty-something. He learned he worked construction, lived in Loudoun County and the driver of the car was his cousin. Jerry looked me squarely in the eye and sternly said, “Keep talking to him and make sure he doesn’t fall asleep.”

Meanwhile, Jerry took his vitals, clicked on a penlight and examined the guy’s  pupils, all the while calmly typing all of this information into a small laptop.

When we arrived at the ER, their medical team quickly assessed Jerry had done all the right things. A flurry of nurses and other medical personnel took over and moved the young man to a treatment room as Jerry explained to the chief ER. doctor the guy might well have a serious neck injury and even a concussion. Before I knew it, much like the good accountant, Jerry was out in the hall again typing information into his small laptop. However, this is a far cry from his former desk job! I watched all this from afar, appreciating the calm both Jerry and Kevin exuded.

A few days later, Jerry left a voice mail telling me I could come back anytime and ride along. I didn’t realize how much of a compliment he had paid me. Rest assured I do not have the temperament to be an EMT – that takes someone very special!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show March 27 , 8:30-9 a.m. to learn more about Jerry Leener’s life reimagined.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s first-ever live webcast “Life Reimagined After TODAY” at 12:00 p.m. ET on March 27. Tune in at: www.facebook.com/lifereimagined.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of AARP’s “Your Life Calling TODAY” with Jane Pauley.

Jane Pauley and I along with AARP’s “Your Life Calling TODAY” TV production crew arrived in San Francisco by being unexpectedly welcomed by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, the world renowned flying aerobatic team. They were in the “‘City by the Bay” for their annual October air show! The stunts performed are amazing spectacles to behold – the roar of these fighter jets can wreck havoc when trying to record a network television interview. The sound waves from their jets can blast through any concrete building and our interview set-up adjacent to the Ferry Building was right in their line of performance fire. Fortunately, we finished shooting with Lauren Walters just before the air show took to the skies.

It’s the kind of unexpected serendipity Walters, co-founder of “Two Degrees Food” is known for – and our interview with him gave way for much food for thought.

Walters along with his co-founder, Will Hauser, a 25-year-old former Wall Streeter joined together in 2010 to form a company with the purpose of doing business for good. By that, I mean developing “Two Degrees Food,” a nutrition bar company where a portion of the proceeds go to feeding hungry children both here and abroad. Two generations, both yearning for a new “life calling”! They had no real food manufacturing company experience, only believing they had enough connections and experience between the two of them to create a profitable start-up company that works for good.

Lauren Walters is a man who is patiently persistent. From the moment we were first connected through a former AARP colleague, he never failed to patiently remind me on many different occasions and in many ways why his story might make for an inspiring “Your Life Calling TODAY” segment. His persistence included even tracking me down to schedule a first time face-to-face meeting prior to my arrival at the Skoll World Forum last April at Oxford. When he discovered via an online message board I was attending, he suggested we have coffee. Now, that’s a man who is paying attention.

When Lauren and I finally connected, the first thing he did was open a box of Two Degrees bars. I soon discovered they’re quite tasty. No doubt that’s why the bars are carried in more than 1,000 grocery retail stores including 350 Whole Foods Markets. But times are tough for Two Degrees, and their financial future is very unsure at the moment.

However, from the start of our series, Jane Pauley has prided herself on saying her definition of success is when people try. Lauren Walters is trying very hard to keep Two Degrees going and if for some reason it doesn’t make it, he’ll be back at the drawing board again. That’s just who he is – resilient, inspiring and most of all, patiently persistent. It serves him well!

Watch AARP’s “Your Life Calling TODAY” with Jane Pauley on the NBC TODAY show Thursday Nov. 15, 8:30-9a.m. For more information, please visit our website.

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of AARP’s “Your Life Calling TODAY” with Jane Pauley.

Earlier this year, both Jane Pauley and our colleagues at TODAY suggested we profile a 50+ model as part of our series. It sounded like an interesting idea to me. However, we could never seem to find someone who had reinvented their life to become a professional model and who also had a substantive story. That was, until we discovered Dawn Nakamura-Kessler!

It’s always the case, isn’t it – when we let go of something we want, it somehow finds us when we’re not looking for it. We met Dawn on-location this past April during a b-roll shoot for a previous “Your Life Calling TODAY” segment featuring Jan Erickson. Jan is the founder of Janska, a clothing company based in Colorado. Dawn was modeling for Janska and when she told us she was 50, we were amazed! When we learned she had also survived open heart surgery several times, wore a pacemaker, and lived most of her adult life being a stay-at-home mother hoping to so see her only child finish high school, we knew this story had a lot of merit.

Dawn isn’t just a beautiful woman with striking and exotic features. While battling chronic heart disease, she has found the courage to overcome her vulnerabilities and become a successful professional model at the ‘ripe old age’ of 50. That is truly both inspiring and astounding. Dawn’s also the ultimate empty nester, realizing at long last her “life calling” of being in front of the camera and gracing numerous magazine covers. We meet so many people in mid-life battling chronic disease and health challenges, who still want to try something new or realize a dream they’ve been holding close to their own heart. If this fits your description, this story will speak to you!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show October 17 , 8:30-9a.m. ET. to learn more about Dawn Nakamura-Kessler’s story of how she is reimagining her life.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s live internet radio show “ASK JANE” at 10:00a.m. ET on October 17. Listen at: www.aarp.org/Jane.

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of AARP’s Your Life Calling TODAY with Jane Pauley.

Champions Tour Golfer Michael Allen’s story is our 26^th segment of AARP’s “Your Life Calling” TODAY show series with Jane Pauley airing Sept. 17.  Along the way, we’ve experienced great moments of providential intervention during our work together. Things sometimes occur on our shoots that could never be scripted.

Jane brought her golf clubs along so we could shoot b-roll of her and Michael playing through a few holes. However, Jane soon confessed she had remembered the golf clubs but NOT her driver. Not a problem, I confidently told her. Unbeknownst to her, Michael Allen had already come to the rescue.

The crew and I arrived in Endicott, New York the day before Jane. I was purposefully avoiding meeting Allen until he had finished playing through the tournament. No need to distract him from his work, I thought. But that was not meant to be. The moment we entered the cordoned off players’ area, we ran right into him.

With a golf club in hand, Allen was gracious and appreciative of us being on-site at the tournament. As anxious I was for him to get on with his day, he was eager to show us something. We soon learned the golf club he happened to be holding had just been delivered as a present for Jane. Off came the cover, revealing a custom-made driver that included a hot pink shaft.

Emblazed on the top of the club was inscribed “Your Life Calling” along with the NBC peacock in the middle and below AARP’s logo. WOW – what a thoughtful, creative, and clever guy! And, my unanticipated problem as the executive producer (unbeknownst to me at the time) had now been solved.

The next day as he and Jane were about to tee off, Michael handed the driver to her as a surprise! Jane was extremely touched by this gesture, which we caught on camera.

Allen is an unusual character. He wears his relatively newfound success with humility and grace and hasn’t forgotten the tough times he’s overcome to get where he is now. He told Jane, “I thought there was a better life. I thought I could do something different. I believe that is what faith is, when you actually have no control over something and yet you still believe. I am so blessed to play golf, but I didn’t understand that until I was older.”

As always, l feel blessed to hold a front row seat alongside Jane in working to create these segments. Nothing beats telling stories about people who find their ‘life calling’ by trusting to never give up!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show September 17 , 8:30-9a.m. ET.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s live internet radio show “ASK JANE” at 10:00a.m. ET on September 17. Listen at: www.aarp.org/Jane.

Did you miss Part 1 & Part 2 of this series of posts? Click here to view them: PART 1, PART 2 

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of AARP’s Your Life Calling TODAY with Jane Pauley.

Champions Tour Golfer Michael Allen tells us he is a slow learner, while some call him a late bloomer. We think he’s right on par and the reason for being featured in our upcoming segment on AARP’s TODAY show series “Your Life Calling” with Jane Pauley. Allen is one Boomer who hasn’t given up on pursuing his life-long dream. At age 50, he finally won his first major tour victory, the Senior PGA Championship, the premier event on the senior golf tour.

However, it took him 20 years to attain that spot. Three years later, his name is still at the top of the leaderboard! When we caught up with him a few weeks ago at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, New York, it was another stellar performance on the fairway. Allen came from behind late in the day making his way into the number one spot in the tournament only then to be tied with Willy Wood. The tournament went into a sudden death challenge, with Allen’s ball heading into the water sinking his chance at victory — earning him a very respectable second place. Golf drama on the links at its finest!

Our crew caught it all tape along with the Golf Channel broadcasting it “live,” a dramatic finish to a day filled with lots of excitement including Jane’s guest appearance on the Golf Channel’s set with their announcers. She regaled them with descriptions of her golf game as comic relief.

The true comic relief came when Jane announced prior to being mic’d that she needed to use the ladies room. The nearest available restroom facility was a port-o-john outside the Golf Channel’s Broadcasting Booth. Yes, indeed Jane made her way outside and down the stairs to yet another type of booth. Talk about a double bogie! Even legendary broadcasters find themselves comprising their desire for comfort when nature calls.

Make sure you watch AARP’s Your Life Calling TODAY with Jane Pauley on the NBC TODAY show September 17, 8:30-9am ET.

Click here to see Part 1 & Part 3 of this series of posts: Part 1, Part 3

Jane Pauley and Champion’s Tour golfer Michael Allen.

The following is a post from Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of AARP’s Your Life Calling TODAY with Jane Pauley.

The first time I worked with Jane Pauley “on the road” she arrived with her golf clubs in tow. That was back in 2008. After our shoot, she was meeting up later in the afternoon with her former NBC Dateline  Co-Anchor Stone Phillips to play 18 holes on an early spring day.

I do believe the golf clubs weighed more than Jane. She is the first to admit she “plays at” golf. However, from what I recently witnessed while shooting her playing with Champions Tour leader Michael Allen, Jane has a fierce swing and a strong grip.

To see more of her on the course with Michael Allen join us on the TODAY show with AARP’s series “Your Life Calling” Monday, Sept. 17 between 8:30-9 a.m. EST.

Click here to see Part 2 & Part 3 of this series of posts: Part 2, Part 3

The following is a guest post by Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of Your Life Calling TODAY.

Santa Cruz, California is quite a place! Even Jane admitted that after all these years, she doesn’t take her job for granted. Who can complain when you’re sent to to such a beautiful location and spend the day working on the beach?

The first night we arrived, the most glorious full moon rose over the Pacific Ocean. I sat on my hotel room balcony jutting high over the beach and was dazzled by the brilliance of the orange and golden colors of the moon reflecting off the water. It was a perfect night. So much so, the crew wanted to shoot the moon (literally of course – no pun intended) and I of course had all the tape stock with me in my room. Thus, my reflective moments of solitude were soon zapped into reality – reminding me there was work to do. This was our 25^th segment for the NBC TODAY show. Time does fly when you’re having fun.

Our story features Kirk Rademaker, whose life at age 60 is all spent on the beach. He went from being a carpenter and cabinet maker to becoming a professional sand sculptor. Now, he spends his days turning piles of sand into amazing creations for a myriad of events, clients, and competitions. His structures include everything from sculpting cathedrals, iconic cars and flying dragons, – all out of sand! He’s now traveling the world with his “new life calling” and is in great demand.

How do you manage to become a professional sand sculptor? You’ll need to tune into TODAY on July 17 or visit www.aarp.org/jane to learn more.

Your Life Calling and Jane Pauley strike a pose by the TODAY show sand castle.

Despite the fact we secured beach permits for shooting, we couldn’t control it all. When word spread Jane Pauley was on site, people with cameras, dogs, surf boards along with even the local fire department showed up. We had a perfectly gorgeous day for working outside, but I’ve learned one thing in shooting 25 stories with Jane – privacy is everything.

The best part: Kirk and his assistant Morgan arrived very early the morning of the shoot to work on a surprise for Jane. They built a special sand castle just for TODAY! Little did we know Jane had been up since dawn and spent a good part of the morning spying on them from her top-floor beach-front hotel balcony. “This is hard work!” Jane exclaimed to Kirk when she met him for the first time that morning.

Kirk’s dream of making a successful living by making sand castles on the beach makes me believe anything is possible! On our way back to the San Francisco Airport, our lighting director Bob Lloyd – a huge surfing fan – met his all time hero, Jeff Clark. We drove by Maverick Surf Shop, and Bob couldn’t restrain himself. He begged us to stop the van so he could go inside the shop. When he came out, there was a mile-wide grin on his face!  Jeff  was minding the store with his wife, and Bob got to meet Jeff and talk to him. “He’s just one big kid,” someone else commented when they saw the look on Bob’s face.  Aren’t we all!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show July 17  at 9:15a.m. ET.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s live internet radio show “ASK JANE” at 10:30a.m. ET on July 17. Listen at: www.aarp.org/Jane. 

The following is a guest post by Kim Sedmak, Executive Producer of Your Life Calling TODAY.

Here we are — On the Road Again with AARP’s “Your Life Calling” and Jane Pauley, this time Colorado Springs which is home to both the “Garden of the Gods” park and Jan Erickson. Much like Jan, with her eclectic mix of life experiences, Garden of the Gods is a cross roads of plants, animals, and red rocks, making the area a diverse landscape. This part of the country just seems to give life to creativity.

Jan went from being a pastoral care counselor at a local church to creating Janska, a universal design clothing company. Jan’s mid-life reinvention as a fashion entrepreneur literally first started with a dream 10 years ago — and her designs are now in over 700 boutiques. Success equals vision combined with a lot of hard work. Janska is also 100 percent U.S. made.

Jane Pauley arrived in Colorado fresh from her interview with Michael J. Fox for NBC Datelines’ 20th Anniversary Show. So she was primed for a lengthy conversation with Jan that moved into the realm of life’s purpose. Jan reiterated several times “everybody has a gift; everybody comes to this planet with something to give. And you just keep chipping away at it until something hits.”

We shot Jane’s interview with Jan in a new warehouse where Janska plans to move, but at the time it was still empty. Janska’s team of stylists went into action before we arrived and constructed a set complete with clothing samples, a design studio, and a trade show booth. It looked spectacular upon our arrival and the entire crew burst into applause the very moment they saw it!

When Jane and I arrived – all we wanted to do was shop! We couldn’t resist the bright colors and comfortable clothing and I can assure you after the shoot we had a lot of fun trying on all the samples. (Check out Jane trying on JANSKA fashion in our video above).

Our presence was big news too, which included being featured on the front page of the Colorado Springs Gazette the very next day. There we all were modeling Janska’s hats and scarves only to learn the still photographer from our shoot shared our personal “behind the scenes” photo.

We also shot at Luma, a boutique on the grounds of the famous Broadmoor Hotel. This shop carries a lot of Janska items and the owner, Kathy Coleman allowed our cameras to roll on Jan and Jane looking at their latest designs. It’s a unique boutique filled with locally made jewelry and lots of artistic looking jackets, tunics and scarves galore.

Jan’s parting comments were her new dream, that millions of people everyday will be comforted by Janska. She’s well on her way to making that dream come true!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show June 20 between 8:30-9am ET.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s live internet radio show “ASK JANE” at 10am ET on June 20. Listen at: www.aarp.org/Jane.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When Jane Pauley arrived at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre in Sarasota, Florida she was greeted by stand-up comedian Gid Pool with a box of chocolates. And not just any chocolates, but a hand crafted box filled with the signature “Jane Truffles.” These were originally created for Jane by Antoinette Little whom we profiled on AARP’s “Your Life Calling” TODAY show segment in December 2010.

The crew knew all too well what Gid was up to! They all burst into laughter because we had a feeling Gid wanted to impress Jane, and he didn’t disappoint, “what you see is what you get,” he responded!

Gid and Jane immediately established a rapport and by the time we rolled on the interview, they were comparing notes and even boasting about situations where they had to “vamp” because they admit, despite their differences, they are performers. Perhaps two very different types of performers, but both know the importance of keeping an audience engaged.

We shot Jane’s interview early Friday morning, April 20^th, at the comedy club where Gid performed later on stage that night to a packed house. Comedy isn’t for the faint at heart or for the timid. You have to be willing to get up and be prepared at all times to make a fool out of yourself and hope the audience buys your act. Gid definitely delivered!

Gid told Jane “comedy is a young person’s game”, but he also went onto to suggest that older comedians like Bob Hope, George Allen, Jack Benny, even Phyllis Diller all performed well into their 80s and 90s, convinced that this kind of performing is a deterrent to Alzheimer’s disease.  We only have to look at  Betty White for inspiration. At 90 years-old she is another fantastic example of how the power of laughter is linked to the fountain of youth!

What came across more than anything is Gid Pool loves to make people laugh, have a good time, and forget their troubles for an evening. Something seemingly so simple yet a skill for the seriously talented. He works hard at it!

Jane came back that night to McCurdy’s for Gid’s performance and witnessed his showmanship firsthand. One thing we didn’t tell you in the segment on TODAY: before every show Gid plugs in his iPod and listens to Susan’s Boyle’s version of the song “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. It motivates him to keep getting up on stage and doing his thing night after night. He knows when the crowd laughs and somebody roars “Give it Up for Gid Pool everybody,” he’s a lucky guy. At 67, he has finally heard his life calling!

Watch our segment on NBC’s TODAY show May 31 between 8:30-9am ET.
Also, join us for Jane Pauley’s live internet radio show “ASK JANE” at 10am ET on May 31. Listen at: www.aarp.org/Jane.