The Final Third: A podcast about life, learning, and growing
A podcast for thinkers, quiet leaders, and those who want to be deliberate in life. Hosted by John Mesko—a man of diverse experiences and talents, father, spouse, CEO, unapologetic INTJ, and a man always chasing the perfect pairing—of flavor, place, and meaning. The Final Third isn’t about self-help or trending topics—it’s about legacy, lessons, and living deliberately.
Episodes
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Title: Finishing Well — Legacy, Old Age, and Becoming an Elder
Length: Approx. 29 minutes
Theme: This final episode in the Essentials Series reflects on the transition from career peak to elderhood, exploring what it means to finish well and live deliberately in the final third of life.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Aging is a mindset. Life after 55 demands intentionality—time moves fast, and t...
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📘 EPISODE 9: Sports, Heroes, and Lessons Learned
🎧 Episode Summary
In this heartfelt and nostalgic episode, John reflects on how sports have shaped his life—from childhood play on the farm to his admiration for elite athletes and love of Purdue basketball. He shares personal stories, childhood memories, and life lessons drawn from heroes like Nolan Ryan, Bo Jackson, and Wayne Gretzky. The epis...
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🎙️ Episode Overview
Title: Food, Wine, and the Joy of the Table
Series: Essentials
Episode #: 8
Theme: Our relationship to food goes far beyond sustenance. This episode explores how food connects us to the natural world, our cultures, our faith, and each other—and how slowing down to share a meal can nourish body, mind, and soul.
🧭 Segment Breakdown
Segment 1: Created to Eat
- T...
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🎙️ Episode Title: Body and Brain – Health, Fitness, and Aging
📌 Episode Number: Episode #7
🧭 Summary:
In this episode, John explores the intersection of physical and mental health as we age. He shares personal stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical strategies for staying active, maintaining mental sharpness, and living with purpose. Drawing from family history, personal experience, and sc...
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🎙️ Podcast Title: Dealing with Difficult People
📄 Episode Number: Episode 6 of The Essentials Series
🧭 Episode Summary:
In this episode, John Mesko dives into a universal challenge: dealing with difficult people. With a listener-suggested topic, he examines four common types—Aggressors, Victims, Narcissists, and Passive-Aggressive personalities—with a special focus on the last. Drawing from pe...
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What happens when you wake up one day and realize a 26-year marriage has reached its breaking point? This raw, reflective episode explores the challenging journey through divorce in your 50s and the unexpected wisdom that comes from starting over during life's "final third."
Walking away from nearly three decades of shared history isn't a decision made lightly. Aft...
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📄 Episode Summary:
In Episode #4 of The Final Third, host John Mesko explores the complex and essential topic of agriculture and food. Drawing from his lifelong career in agriculture—as a farmer, researcher, leader, and advocate—John reflects on the history of farming, the rise of industrial agriculture, and the evolving choices we make about what we eat. From the commodification of food to th...
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Theme:
Understanding yourself through self-reflection and personality frameworks, with a deep dive into the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Episode Summary:
In this episode, John explores the power of self-reflection and how personality frameworks like the MBTI can enhance personal growth. He shares his own journey as an INTJ and how understanding his personality type has sh...
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🎧 Episode Summary:
In this reflective and personal episode, John records from his backyard lanai in Central Florida, exploring the themes of cigars, bourbon, and the deliberate life. Join him as he lights up a good cigar, pours a glass of bourbon, and shares what those mean to him. Rather than focusing on tasting notes or pairings, John shares how these elements help create space for reflect...
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🎧 Episode Summary:
In this heartfelt inaugural episode, John introduces 'The Final Third' — a podcast reflecting on life, legacy, and lessons learned. He shares his motivations for creating the show, his journey into podcasting, and a preview of the first ten 'Essentials' episodes. With warmth and reflection, he sets the stage for conversations on family, work, agi...
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