Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Troy Horne, a multi-hyphenate creative whose career spans music, Broadway, television, entrepreneurship, and authorship. The conversation explores what it really means to take intentional risks—especially in midlife—and how clarity, courage, and self-trust compound over time.
Troy shares how his creative journey began with a childhood performance in church that revealed both his talent and his appetite for risk. From there, he followed a path shaped by persistence rather than certainty, navigating choir, talent shows, and eventually national television on Star Search. That experience became an early lesson in how the entertainment industry actually works—where talent matters, but timing, narrative, and business needs often matter just as much.
The discussion traces Troy’s decision to move to Los Angeles with limited resources, highlighting the importance of “networking sideways” rather than chasing gatekeepers. Troy recounts his time working alongside peers who would later become industry leaders, including Octavia Spencer, and how those early peer relationships proved more valuable than traditional ladder-climbing.
A pivotal moment in the episode is Troy’s Broadway story. While auditioning for Rent, he turned down a touring role because it conflicted with his personal values and family priorities. That clarity led to an unexpected outcome: a Broadway role as Tom Collins. This moment anchors a central theme of the episode—knowing what you want, and being willing to say no, often creates space for the right yes.
The episode culminates in a discussion of Troy’s latest book, Middle Management: How to Find Meaning, Clarity, and Success in the Second Half of Life. Troy outlines the mindset shifts required for midlife reinvention, including the necessity of quieting external noise, reconnecting with one’s internal voice, and recognizing that experience—not youth—is the true advantage of the second half of life.
Throughout the episode, Troy reinforces the idea that reinvention is not about starting over, but about reapplying everything you already know with greater intention. Midlife, he argues, is not a closing chapter—it is often the moment when the best tools, clearest values, and boldest opportunities finally converge.
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EPISODE TAKEAWAYS
- Midlife is not a limitation but an advantage, because experience, resources, and clarity make it the best time to pursue meaningful dreams
- Intentional risk means saying no to opportunities that don’t align with your values, even when they look impressive from the outside
- Knowing what you want your life to feel like is more important than chasing titles, validation, or conventional success paths
- The entertainment industry, and life more broadly, rewards timing, fit, and narrative as much as raw talent
- Networking sideways with peers on a similar journey often leads to deeper, longer-lasting opportunities than chasing gatekeepers
- Building community before selling anything creates trust, momentum, and sustainable success
- Reinvention is not about starting over but about reusing what you already know with greater intention and confidence
- Clarity comes from turning down external noise long enough to hear your own internal voice.
- Fear never fully disappears, even for highly successful people, but it does not have to dictate your choices
- The greatest regret is not failure, but never giving yourself permission to live the life you truly wanted