Finding Fulfillment in a “Third Act”
A Chat with Marcia Grubel
March 2026
Marcia Grubel
Photo Courtesy: Marcia Grubel
Photo Courtesy: Marcia Grubel
By Carol Lippert Gray
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Marcia Grubel is a personal coach and community activist who, as she says, “helps people live a life of purpose and outreach.” In addition to dividing her expertise and focus to those two zones, she divides her time between New York city and Delray Beach, Florida.
In a wide-ranging conversation that touched on her early career as an educator who developed groundbreaking K-12 curricula on human sexuality, the abuse of women, and preventing unwanted pregnancies as well as her involvement in efforts to educate communities about the connection between Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington (more on that later), she has been involved in literacy programs that help children who have non-English-speaking parents. Marcia assists people in making career transitions, building businesses, creating projects, and, as she says, “achieving greatness more defined as fulfilling their purpose.” Her most recent endeavor is helping the over-55 population to create a meaningful “third act” in their lives by developing wealth transfer strategies and creating philanthropic awareness for the next generation. |
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Tell us about the Rosenwald-Washington connection and why it’s significant. I was adamant that no one knew about this history and the cooperation of both cultures. I’ve launched a project with an African American woman, Joyce Sharrock Cole, who went to a Rosenwald school. We built a classroom exhibit on the grounds of the Bethany Arts Center in Ossining, New York. Twenty-four hundred kids went to see that exhibit and participated in raising money for philanthropy. Editor’s note: Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) was a Jewish American businessman and philanthropist. He was a longtime president and a part owner of Sears, Roebuck and Co., the preeminent retailer of the 20th Century. He donated millions in matching funds to build "Rosenwald" schools and promote Black American education. Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), born a slave in Virginia, became a prominent educator, author and orator. His 1901 dinner with Theodore Roosevelt in the White House marked the first time a Black person met a President on equal footing. Together these men built state-of-the art schools for African American children across the South. The effort has been called the most important initiative to advance Black education in the early 20th century. |
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It’s tough to talk about money, isn’t it?
One of the things I’ve read about is how people who have a certain amount of wealth or inherited wealth, especially now, when there are so many cuts to [social] programs, can begin to expand on what they’re doing. It’s about having a great third act to structure their time, talent and treasure to make decisions and form relationships with their families. The time is now to build their legacy. I work with women and families who are recently empowered by wealth to use it in a way that impacts society as well as helps them develop personally. |
"Wealthy families, as you may know, have the highest rate of depression amongst their children. We help [those children] to become responsible citizens of a community, to build on their good fortune rather than be destroyed by it." ~ Marcia Grubel |
I’m trained by a group called 21/64 that builds communication tools into families for constructive wealth transfer. Wealthy families, as you may know, have the highest rate of depression amongst their children. We help [those children] to become responsible citizens of a community, to build on their good fortune rather than be destroyed by it.
I’m not limiting it to the wealthy population. The first thing we look at is awareness. It’s when someone says, ‘This is what I’m concerned about.’ As long as there’s a concern and curiosity, I think there’s a great opportunity for learning.
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Re-evaluate and create new ways to become involved in life, starting with the following questions:
Excerpted from: Creating a Great “Third Act” ~ Marcia Grubel (AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer Program; RSVP Westchester) |
How can one achieve a great third act? Women managing life transitions — widowhood, sudden financial responsibility, taking on roles they hadn’t before — goes into the whole arena of coaching. There’s always growth that can come out of change. Of course, the most difficult is grief. [Mitigating that] is often under the purview of healing professionals. We distinguish coaching from psychotherapy and psychology. People involved in psychotherapy counseling are involved in a healing process. I’m trained to understand where people are coming from and where their need is. There are people who are better off working with a healing professional who deals with really deep emotion and the past, and things that contribute to the grieving process. It starts with the question, ‘What do I want to do with the rest of my life? How do I want to do it? How do I figure it out?’ That’s the nub, and that’s where the coach comes in. |
Where do you find sanctuary?
“I’m an athlete. I’m a cyclist. This morning, I finished a 20-mile ride. I play tennis. I have a lot of good friends that I communicate with about important things. I have two grandchildren and two sons, and they each have families, and I have step-grandchildren. I don’t know if this is true of many people, but these families are very busy.
I’m active in meeting people that are of common mind, [those] who want to live a life of purpose, outreach and conversations about what’s important. Even on the tennis court, many of them are 55 and above, some much older. We’re so supportive of one another, knowing that some of us aren’t as good as we used to be. But there’s a camaraderie of ‘Great shot,’ you know?
More to Explore
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Marcia shares: “I would be happy to explore creating an interactive, online, two-session program limited to 8-10 women that helps them answer some of the questions in the article. The result would be ‘identity- driven mission statements with action steps to get started.’ The goals of the first session would be to introduce concepts and start thinking. The second session would process thoughts into actionable possibilities.” There would be a $35 registration fee with all proceeds going to a charity supportive of women. Contact Marcia.
The Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, New York, is hosting "Black History & Culture: Revolutionary Legacies" through March 6, 2026, which explores 250 years of Black history and contributions. Curated by Joyce Sharrock Cole, the exhibit uses art, photography, and interactive installations to showcase how African Americans have redefined freedom, featuring collaborations with local schools and Historic Hudson Valley. |
Carol Lippert Gray is an award-winning, public relations professional and a longtime journalist and editor. She is Sanctuary's associate editor.
