Career-Change Facts

In 2021, KPMG offered accountant Scott Ruskan a full-time job. He said no and joined the Coast Guard instead. On his very first mission as a rescue swimmer - the July 2025 Texas rising waters - he saved 165 people at a summer camp. He was the only rescuer on scene for four hours.

Frankie Muniz became famous playing Malcolm on Malcolm in the Middle. When the show ended, he left Hollywood to chase a different dream. Today he races full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 33 truck for Team Reaume. He finished top 10 at Daytona in his rookie season. He just re-signed for a full-time 2026 season.

Dave Goelz worked on John Deere tractors as an industrial designer. In 1973, Jim Henson hired him, but only as a puppet builder. Three years later, he got his own puppet: a blue, big-nosed oddball named Gonzo. He never put Gonzo down. In 2026, he performed Gonzo again in the ABC and Disney+ Muppet Show revival. Fifty years later, he still performs Gonzo.