Anthony Brooks

And over the past 24 years, Juliana Richardson has raised close to $40 million and recorded something like 4,000 interviews, all of which are now available through the Library of Congress.

and through many colleges and universities across the country.

And so, as she told me, it took a while, but Historymakers became her third act.

I think so.

I think a lot richer.

And another thing I like about Juliana's story is how she pushed through that classic midlife crisis.

You know, some of the people who study this concept of middle essence say we shouldn't think about these periods as crises, right?

It can be difficult, tumultuous, but it can be a gateway to self-discovery and really find yourself and contribute in a big way to the world as well.

We'll be right back.

No, it's a totally fair point, Ayesha.

And clearly having the ability to reinvent yourself might be a bit of a luxury that a lot of people can't afford.

But also consider this, that there are lots of people, no matter their social economic status, that are really creative and resourceful.

For example, one academic who's written about reinvention later in life told me about a woman who cleaned hotel rooms for a living, but her passion was helping animals.

So she changed careers late in life and went to work in an animal shelter, not to earn tons of money, but it brought her way more happiness in a sense that she was doing some good in the world.

And Aisha, there's another woman who I met who also found a new path despite limited resources.

Can I tell you about her?

Yes, please.

Okay, so her name is Natalie Jones.

She grew up in Boston in the 1960s in a working class family, granddaughter of Italian immigrants.

And she told me that from a very early age, there was zero expectation that she would go to college.