Did I Miss My Chance at Love? Why I Started a Podcast at Midlife

So, you wanna start a podcast?

No. LOL.

At least, that’s what I thought when the idea first came up.

I am not the “let me grab a microphone and go live” girl. I’m not even the “post every day on social media” girl. I’m the “can I just stay home with my colorful books, my Diet Coke with lime, and my 80’s music?” girl.

And yet… here we are.

I am officially the host of Second Chance on Love: Side B, a storytelling podcast for anyone who’s ever whispered, “Did I miss my chance at Love?”

Pull up a chair. Get cozy. You’re not too late.

For years, I believed love had passed me by. I thought maybe my second chance on love had come and gone. That maybe timing had failed me. That maybe the plane had already taken off while I was still standing there on the tarmac, clutching my purse… and my pride.

And during all my travels -which, let’s be honest, happens a lot – kept meeting people with stories that sounded like mine. Strangers, Couples with missed connections, broken engagements, long silences, and decades between chapters.

That’s when it hit me:

Maybe I wasn’t the only one who thought they were behind in love.

Maybe there were more of us quietly wondering if our best chapter had already been written.

So, I created a space to tell real-life second chance love stories. Stories about rekindled romance, restored marriages, unexpected reunions, and meaningful reconnections. Stories that don’t gloss over heartbreak — but refuse to give up on hope.

Because here’s the twist.

I thought I missed my chance…

Until love quite literally dropped out of the sky and landed back in my life decades later.

And if that can happen to me?

It can happen to you too.

If you’ve ever wondered whether love passed you by… whether your big moment came and went while you were busy reinventing yourself, switching careers, healing from what broke you, or simply figuring out who you are now — this podcast is for you.

If you’ve ever felt like love slipped through your fingers and quietly thought, “Maybe that was it for me,” this blog shares the very real story behind why I decided to launch Second Chance on Love: Side B in the first place.

Go ahead — flip the tape.
You’re not late. You’re not off-track.
You’re right where the music changes.
And this is where Side B begins.

Every Great Love Story Has a Side B

From Alaska 1985 to America’s Favorite Couple 2025: The Story That Started It All

And that’s where the name Side B comes in.

If you grew up in the 80s like I did, you remember cassette tapes. Side A held the hit single — the one everyone expected, the one that got all the airtime. But Side B? That’s where the depth lived. The overlooked songs. The hidden gems. The tracks that ended up meaning the most.

Our love story had a Side A. Alaska. 1985. Big hair and bigger feelings.

But Side B? That’s where the magic happened.

Our rekindled, lost-and-found love story captured hearts nationwide. Out of 210,000 couples, we were crowned America’s Favorite Couple 2025 — which still feels surreal to type. But the award isn’t the point.

The point is this: love didn’t expire. It evolved.

And that’s what this podcast is really about.

Not just our second chance — yours.

Second Chance on Love: Side B is a storytelling podcast sharing real, hope-filled stories of love found again. Rekindled romances. Restored marriages. Unexpected reunions. Parents and children reconnecting. Lifelong friends finding their way back.

Side B is intentional. It’s the chapter that plays after you flip the tape over. The part people sometimes overlook. The season that comes after the heartbreak, the silence, the misunderstanding, the “I guess that’s it.”

We met in the 80s. We’re honoring the 80s. And we’re proving something timeless: love doesn’t expire — it evolves.

Each week, we share stories from people who believed their chance at romance was gone… until love surprised them.

Because sometimes your best chapter isn’t your first one.

It’s the one you almost gave up on.

Each week on Second Chance on Love: Side B, we share stories from people who believed their chance at romance was gone—until love surprised them.

Because sometimes your best chapter isn’t your first one.

The Podcast Lives in a Room Full of Stories: An Office Split Down the Middle (and the Coffee Shop That Inspired It)

Let me tell you about where this podcast actually lives.

It lives in my husband’s office.

Yes. I moved in.

We split it right down the middle. His desk on one side. Mine on the other. Marriage counseling through furniture arrangement, if you will.

And behind me?

Books. So many books.

Colorful books. Antique books. Hardbacks with gold-embossed spines. Some new. Some used. Some I may or may not have impulsively purchased.

Last spring, I was in Little Rock, Arkansas visiting my book worm bestie, Tricia in Little Rock, Arkansas. We found this inspiring coffee shop with bookcases lining the walls from floor to ceiling. They were filled with beautiful antique books. Some worn and weathered. Some pristine. All full of history.

It felt like stepping into a story.

I remember thinking, this feels like home.

So, I recreated it.

Now, my backdrop looks like that coffee shop. Shelves lined with color and character. It’s cozy. It’s nostalgic and grounding. It feels like flipping through a well-loved novel.

And that’s exactly what this podcast is. A collection of stories. Some dog-eared. Some freshly written. All worth reading.

There’s something grounding about sitting at my desk, microphone in front of me, surrounded by shelves of books, knowing I’m about to record another second chance story. Facing those colorful spines feels like sitting inside a living library of redemption. It reminds me that every life, every love, every story has chapters.

Plot twists.

Redemption arcs.

And sometimes… a Side B.

Growth Requires Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone

How Did I Get Myself into This? (AKA The Evolution of Podcasting and Me)

Let’s rewind.

The idea for this podcast came from Tricia Goyer. She already hosts several podcasts and apparently saw potential before I did — which tells you she has excellent vision. When we started collaborating on our upcoming book, As Sure as the Stars, she casually suggested a podcast would be the perfect companion.

Casually.

At first, I agreed to be a guest on her show. One conversation. One microphone. Very safe. Very controlled.

And then somehow… that tiny little “yes” turned into me hosting my own podcast.

I’m still not entirely sure how that happened, and just like that… I own a microphone.

I leaned on other podcasters I follow. They guided me through equipment decisions. Microphones. Audio interfaces. Editing platforms. Things I never thought I’d Google.

When it came down to it, I ended up producing my own show. I worked on the artwork. The thumbnails. The visual identity.

Our logos, designed by the incredibly talented Karen Lewis, is a playful nod to an 80’s cassette tape — because of course it is. Side A. Side B. First chapters and second chances. It carries that retro warmth we grew up with, but with a modern twist that feels like this new season of life.

And then there’s the Northern Star.

If you visit the Second Chance on Love website, you’ll notice it — quietly shining in our branding. That star isn’t just pretty design work. It’s personal.

Our story began under the northern skies of Alaska in 1985, where teenage love sparked beneath big open skies and even bigger dreams. Decades later, that same love found its way back to me in Arizona — the state where I was born — unfolding into what feels like a full-circle, fairytale ending I never saw coming.

The Northern Star represents guidance. Steadiness. The idea that even when we wander, there’s something constant above us. It mirrors the heart of our novel, As Sure as the Stars — a title rooted in the belief that some things are fixed, faithful, and divinely aligned, even when life feels anything but.

From Alaska to Arizona. From nervous teenagers to America’s Favorite Couple 2025. From Side A to Side B.

If you had told 16-year-old me that one day I’d be hosting a podcast about this love story, complete with a star guiding the brand? I would have laughed, flipped my cassette, and said, what is a podcast?

And yet… here we are.

Nostalgia with a modern twist—that’s the heartbeat of our journey, and it’s also where things start to get interesting.

Podcasting is shifting, evolving from what it once was.

And that’s the fascinating part: we’re experiencing a transformation, a shift in the landscape.

Why the Podcasting Landscape Is Shifting Toward Video

Podcasting started as an intimate audio space. You could listen while folding laundry or driving carpool.

Now? It’s evolving into multi-channel storytelling.

Audio. Blog. Email. Social clips. Video. Community.

There’s a term for recording both audio and video at the same time: simulcasting.

Why does that matter?

Because video increases discoverability. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Platforms prioritize video content. Faces build trust faster than voices alone.

And yet…I’m hesitant.

I’m not naturally drawn to being on camera. Adding video feels like turning on bright lights in a room where I’ve been quietly writing.

But growth rarely happens inside comfort zones.

So here I am. Learning. Praying. Expanding.

Because the mission is bigger than my comfort.

The mission is this:

Collect second chance love stories to provide hope and inspiration to anyone who feels behind.

If video helps one person sitting alone believe they’re not too late… then maybe vulnerability is worth it.

Going Outside My Comfort Zone: Leaping Off the Comfort Couch (in Full HD)

I would not be here without Bryan and Tricia.

Tricia saw the potential before I did. Bryan gently nudged me out of hiding.

My cheerleaders!

Sometimes you need people who believe in your Side B before you do.

Kicking off a podcast at this point in my life feels a little bit like signing up for a roller coaster in slippers—totally bonkers, but strangely perfect.

I am an unapologetic 80’s girl at heart. I love nostalgia. I love books. I love real conversations. I love stories with plot twists that don’t end where you think they will.

And I especially love stories that prove it’s not too late.

Second Chance on Love: Side B isn’t polished perfection. It’s honest. It’s hopeful. It’s sometimes me laughing at myself because I never thought I’d be here.

It’s proof that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date.

This Is Your Invitation

If you’ve ever asked yourself…

Did I miss my chance at love?
Is love still possible after heartbreak?
Can something broken truly be restored?
Can something lost be found again?

Then Second Chance on Love: Side B is for you.

Each week, we share real stories of rekindled romance, restored marriages, unexpected reunions, and meaningful reconnections. Stories from people who thought their chapter was closed — until love surprised them.

This isn’t just entertainment.

It’s encouragement.

It’s hope with proof.

It’s a reminder that Side B can be even sweeter than Side A.

Reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date.
Love doesn’t expire — it evolves.
And your second chance might be closer than you think.

Pull up a chair with your favorite drink, get cozy and let hope sink in!

Listen to Second Chance on Love: Side B on Spotify

Join our growing community, and share your Side B story.

Because this isn’t just our story anymore. It’s yours, too.

Welcome, friend.

You’re not too late. 💕