My Friends Second Act Article in the Wall Street Journal
I am excited to share with you that a long-time and close friend, Don Sonderling, was interviewed by Julie Halpert for her Wall Street Journal (WSJ) column, “Second Act” (the article is attached 10/25/21).
I’ve known Don since his wife Lynn and I worked together in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ironically (as you will see), we worked at the UCLA Alcohol Research Center where she was the administrator and I was a research assistant on several grants.
Don has developed an interesting “Second Act” by writing about the Paso Robles and Napa Valley winemakers. He does very clever and interesting interviews with some of the wine industry’s thought leaders, movers, and shakers.
Having really diverged from his career in the pet supply and aquarium industries, he found a calling and passion for both wine and writing. His stories about his so-called “post-retirement” work show that, at 75, he just ain’t stopping. Don is energized by both the people he interviews and the process of interviewing. What I see is that he is engaged in some of the key elements of so-called retirement, that is, Curiosity and Connectedness. And he is thriving. Further, he is enjoying the spectrum of the various generations of winemakers, finding them engaged and enjoying him and he, them. Further, while pursuing his “Second Act” by writing and talking about wine (ok, and savoring wine too), Don is also devoted to his family and enjoys a very robust life here in Los Angeles.
I could not be more excited for Don’s write-up in the WSJ. Please take the time to have a read.