Shows
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 50: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary Agency PresidentJessica Faust, President of BookEnds Literary Agency, details her 26-year career as a literary agent, growing the company from a small boutique firm to a large agency representing fiction and nonfiction for adult and children's markets. Listen in as she shares insights on current publishing trends, including the resurgence of romance, the reimagining of the cozy mystery genre, and the challenges facing the middle grade and young adult markets.BookEnds LiteraryWebsite: https://bookendsliterary.com/Social: @bookends_literaryGood Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to he...2025-07-1655 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 49: Gloria Chao, Author & ScreenwriterAuthor Gloria Chao guides us through her unique journey from dentistry to writing! We also chat about her upcoming adult debut, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Listen to our conversation for fun insights on puzzles, coming-of-age YA stories, and learning there’s no “right” way to write.Gloria ChaoWebsite: https://gloriachao.wordpress.com/Social: @gloriacchaoGood Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the w...2025-06-1858 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 48: Niña Mata, Author-IllustratorChildren’s author-illustrator Niña Mata joins the Thriving Writers Podcast to chat about her publishing journey—from illustrating educational materials, working with Olympian athletes, to finally writing her own stories! Listen to hear Niña share some tips on what illustrators gravitate towards in manuscripts and ways writers can make the collaborative process smoother. Plus, get her thoughts on the value of storytelling and what she hopes readers take away from her work.Niña MataWebsite: https://www.ninamata.com/Social: @ninamataartGood Story Company: If you have a story in your he...2025-05-1451 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 47: Courtney Maum, Author & Writing CoachThrilled to be joined by author and publishing expert Courtney Maum! She gives us insight behind her terrific book, Before and After the Book Deal, and talks about the highs and lows of the publishing business. Tune in for her knowledgable tidbits about marketing, building an online platform, self-publishing, memoir, and more!Courtney MaumWebsite: https://www.courtneymaum.com/Substack: https://courtneymaum.substack.com/p/welcomeSocial: @cbmaumGood Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We he...2025-04-1652 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 46: Casey Moses, Cover DesignerWhat’s the secret behind designing a bestselling YA book cover? Are illustrated covers here to stay? Casey Moses, an Assistant Art Director at Penguin Random House, gives us some answers and provides insight into the role of a book cover designer. Listen to our in-depth conversation to learn about designing typography, special edition production, and the unusual methods for achieving perfect photoshoot conditions. Casey also shares her thoughts on international publishing markets and the importance of communication in creating covers that captivate readers and succeed in the market.Note: This episode was recorded in 2024, and we’ve s...2025-03-1254 min
GoodstoryEp. 72 — She went from a childhood filled with fears to becoming a fearless stunt performer and wilderness adventurer / Alice Ford, stunt actor and producer/host of “Alice’s Adventures.”
Ep. 72 — She went from a childhood filled with fears to becoming a fearless stunt performer and wilderness adventurer / Alice Ford, stunt actor and producer/host of “Alice’s Adventures.”
Alice Ford has had a long and evolving relationship with fear. An all-star gymnast, athlete, track and field runner, and diver, Ford’s life path came to a dead-end one day after she gave up her prestigious athletic scholarship from the University of Vermont and moved to the University of Arizona, to escape the cold. But instead, she wound up getting a whole lot of heat from some...2022-12-2848 min
Techtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 30 — A war photographer’s images from Ukraine capture the toll of war and Ukrainian resilience, and humanity / Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist.
On March 7, 2022, The front page of the New York Times ran a graphic photograph that summed up the tragic cost of Russia’s war on innocent Ukrainian civilians. It was a photograph of a mother, her two children, and a church volunteer crumpled to the ground. They were the victims of a Russian mortar attack on civilians as they attempted to flee over the Irpin River to Kyiv. The photo, which was was taken by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, sent shock-waves throughout the world.
Capturing that image also put Lynsey Addario in grave da...2022-11-1625 minGoodstoryEp. 30 — A war photographer’s images from Ukraine capture the toll of war and Ukrainian resilience, and humanity / Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist.
On March 7, 2022, The front page of the New York Times ran a graphic photograph that summed up the tragic cost of Russia’s war on innocent Ukrainian civilians. It was a photograph of a mother, her two children, and a church volunteer crumpled to the ground. They were the victims of a Russian mortar attack on civilians as they attempted to flee over the Irpin River to Kyiv. The photo, which was was taken by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, sent shock-waves throughout the world.
Capturing that image also put Lynsey Addario in grave da...2022-11-1625 minGoodstoryEp. 71 — A failed apprentice farmer turns into a renowned futurist / Thomas Frey, Founder and Executive Director, DaVinci Institute & Co-host, Futurati Podcast.
Ep. 71 — A failed apprentice farmer turns into a renowned futurist / Thomas Frey, Founder and Executive Director, DaVinci Institute & Co-host, Futurati Podcast.
Born on a grain farm in South Dakota, Thomas Frey was an unlikely candidate to become a world-renowned futurist and public speaker. But then one day, when he was four years old, Frey’s parents received a big mysterious box that would change his life forever.
His mom put him on a tractor at age 11 to distract him from the television but Frey would prove to be, in his own words, a “terribl...2022-10-2000 minGoodstoryEp. No. 70 — He built a career path at the age of eight to become a U.S. Air Force combat pilot and safe-keeper of U.S. nuclear weapons / Maj Gen Robert Wheeler, USAF (ret), CEO, Strategic Consulting Unlimited.
Ep. No. 70 — He built a career path at the age of eight to become a U.S. Air Force combat pilot and safe-keeper of U.S. nuclear weapons / Maj Gen Robert Wheeler, USAF (ret), CEO, Strategic Consulting Unlimited.
When Robert Wheeler was just 8 years old, his mother took him to the Chicago Air Show. It changed his life. From that moment on, Wheeler became obsessed with an unwavering goal: To become a U.S. fighter pilot.
Wheeler more than fulfilled his dream. During his 32-year career in the U.S. Air Force, he serv...2022-10-051h 03GoodstoryEp. No. 69 — A battered, bloodied, police officer proves her mettle during the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol / Officer Caroline Edwards, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP).
Ep. No. 69 — A battered, bloodied, police officer proves her mettle during the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol / Officer Caroline Edwards, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP).
Officer Caroline Edwards of the U.S. Capitol Police’s First Responder Unit reported for duty on January 6, 2021, along with her colleagues, with little warning from her supervisors about the clear and present danger of extreme violence and the potential use of firearms from the angry pro-Trump mob descending on the Capitol that morning.
Officer Edwards is believed to be the first law enforcement officer injure...2022-09-2754 minGoodstoryEp. 29 — Ukraine is the future war / Thomas Frey, Founder & Senior Futurist, DaVinci Institute, and Trent Fowler, Author & Keynote Speaker.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has turned a lot of assumptions about the fundamental nature and trajectory of how wars are fought, on its head.
For one thing, Ukraine’s strong defense has upended conventional wisdom about big powers being able to violate at will the sovereignty of little powers.
Technology, in particular, drones, has also leveled the playing field in unique ways.
The emergence of cryptocurrency, both as a means to fund the war and the relief efforts, raises all kinds of interesting questions about the ability to enforce sanctions and...2022-09-2244 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 29 — Ukraine is the future war / Thomas Frey, Founder & Senior Futurist, DaVinci Institute, and Trent Fowler, Author & Keynote Speaker.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has turned a lot of assumptions about the fundamental nature and trajectory of how wars are fought, on its head.
For one thing, Ukraine’s strong defense has upended conventional wisdom about big powers being able to violate at will the sovereignty of little powers.
Technology, in particular, drones, has also leveled the playing field in unique ways.
The emergence of cryptocurrency, both as a means to fund the war and the relief efforts, raises all kinds of interesting questions about the ability to enforce sanctions and...2022-09-2244 minGoodstoryEp. 68 — He survived a near-fatal shooting by a hitman hired by his ex-wife to become one of Hollywood’s top stuntmen / Garrett Warren, Stunt Actor/Director.
Ep. 68 — He survived a near-fatal shooting by a hitman hired by his ex-wife to become one of Hollywood’s top stuntmen / Garrett Warren, Stunt Actor/Director.
On May 20, 2000, Hollywood stuntman Garrett Warren was hanging out at his home in Westlake Village, California with his mom when the doorbell rang insistently.
When Warren opened the door, he found himself facing the barrel of a gun. What happened next was not a stunt scene with fake bullets. Warren was shot four times, including in his right eye, and left to die on his front porch.
2022-09-0747 min
The Hoffman PodcastS5E1 Scott "Scooter" Braun - I Reclaimed MyselfPhoto by Bradford Rogne Photography
We begin season five with Scott “Scooter” Braun. You might know him as Scooter Braun, one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and innovators in entertainment, music, tech, and beyond. Yet, during the Hoffman Process, Scooter reclaimed himself as Scott, the young boy he once was and the person he has always been.
Scooter shares that both sides of his familial line experienced great trauma and struggles. He was aware enough to know that his life as a child was good. Through the Process, he came to realize that he felt guilt for havin...2022-08-2500 minGoodstoryEp. 67 — He built a successful startup while waging a life-threatening battle against bipolar disorder / Andy Dunn, Co-founder, Bonobos, and Author, “Burn Rate: Launching A Startup And Losing My Mind.”
Ep. 67 — He built a successful startup while waging a life-threatening battle against bipolar disorder / Andy Dunn, Co-founder, Bonobos, and Author, “Burn Rate: Launching A Startup And Losing My Mind.”
Andy Dunn would never have predicted that he would wind up naked and writhing on the floor of Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric Emergency Room in New York — in the throes of a massive bipolar episode. Nor that when he would be released from Bellevue a week later, he would be arrested on charges of assaulting his then-girlfriend -now-wife, and her mother.
That night in 2016 was a spect...2022-08-181h 00Techtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 28 — An investor’s rejection leads to an epiphany about self and the future of AI-powered digital content creation / Iman Oubou, Founder & CEO, SWAAY, and Author, “The Glass Ledge.”
Do you want to be a writer but suffer from writer’s block? I know I often do! Well, my guest today may have the perfect solution for us — the world’s first AI-powered writing and publishing platform — that she says will help you put words 3x faster on the page, and transform the future of writing, publishing, and connecting.
The AI platform is the brainchild of tech entrepreneur, startup founder, and former beauty queen, Iman Oubou. Oubou is the author of a new book just released called, “The Glass Ledge: How To Break Through Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, And Create You...2022-07-2750 minGoodstoryEp. 28 — An investor’s rejection leads to an epiphany about self and the future of AI-powered digital content creation / Iman Oubou, Founder & CEO, SWAAY, and Author, “The Glass Ledge.”
Do you want to be a writer but suffer from writer’s block? I know I often do! Well, my guest today may have the perfect solution for us — the world’s first AI-powered writing and publishing platform — that she says will help you put words 3x faster on the page, and transform the future of writing, publishing, and connecting.
The AI platform is the brainchild of tech entrepreneur, startup founder, and former beauty queen, Iman Oubou. Oubou is the author of a new book just released called, “The Glass Ledge: How To Break Through Self-Sabotage, Embrace Your Power, And Create You...2022-07-2750 minGoodstoryEp. No. 66 — Fired by President Donald Trump, a distinguished diplomat helps impeach him and reclaims her narrative / Marie Yovanovitch, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and author, “Lessons from the Edge”.
Ep. No. 66 — Fired by President Donald Trump, a distinguished diplomat helps impeach him and reclaims her narrative / Marie Yovanovitch, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and author, “Lessons from the Edge”.
On April 24, 2019, in the dead of night, with no explanation, Marie Yovanovitch got a call from the U.S State Department, essentially removing her immediately from her post as Ambassador to Ukraine.
A few days later, back in Washington DC — a shell-shocked Yovanovitch learned the extraordinary details of why she had been fired from her job and that the man behind it was none...2022-07-1245 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 27 — The U.S. Government attempts to shape sweeping crypto policies amidst market turbulence and massive ransomware hacks / Carole House, Director of Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation at National Security Council, The White House
This past April, the FBI disclosed an astonishing fact about the breach of the blockchain behind the popular “play to earn” game Axie Infinity a few weeks earlier. The FBI said the hackers who stole $615 million dollars in cryptocurrency were, in fact, from the group “Lazarus” which has direct ties to the government of North Korea.
To add insult to injury, the brazen attack took place just weeks after President Joe Biden had released an Executive Order, authorizing a whole-of federal government approach to derisking digital assets.
It was the equivalent of North Korea th...2022-07-0752 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 26 — Technology is rewriting how human history is told / Alex Deane and Bryan Cunningham, “Hidden History, Happy Hour”
With Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — resulting in what’s become the first war to be largely televised and video-recorded — Ukraine has become Ground Zero for how technology is reshaping history’s narratives and the story of politics, war and conflict.
I have two great guests to talk about how technology is shaping human history and how it will be told. Bryan Cunningham and Alex Deane are co-hosts of a wonderful new podcast called, “Hidden History, Happy Hour”, available on YouTube and all the major podcast platforms.
As my regular listeners know, my friend Bryan...2022-06-011h 04Techtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 25 — A disturbing new report on the explosive growth of ransomware attacks and proliferation of Russian ransomware groups / Max Galka, CEO and Founder, Elementus.
It’s no secret that Russia has become the world’s playground for ransomware groups —- and that America is target #1.
The threat of ransomware attacks on U.S. businesses and critical infrastructure recently took an ominous turn when a prominent Russian ransomware group named Conti — threatened to attack any nation or organization retaliating against Moscow for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Now, a groundbreaking new report titled Ransomware: A Technology Pandemic on the Brink, from New York-based crypto forensics and analytics firm Elementus (where I serve as Chief Strategy Officer), documents the full extent of the threat of Russian ransomwar...2022-05-2340 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 24 — An exclusive look at the elite IRS Criminal Investigation where “accountants with guns” solve complex, federal tax crimes, including Russian oligarch sanctions violations /James Robnett, Deputy Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation.
“Accountants with guns” — These are the special agents of the Criminal Investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service. There’s 2,000 of them. And they have not only plenty of firepower, but they’re also armed with the sole mandate across the US Government to investigate violations of federal tax laws and related crimes.
For more than a century, CI special agents have worked quietly across 21 field offices and 11 foreign countries, on investigations of massive scale and complexity, seizing billions of dollars in assets.
Criminal Investigation has played an outsize role in some of the biggest, most fascinating criminal tax cases of o...2022-05-061h 01
Relationship Business#015 The Transforming Power of LoveKenny Morgan and his wife, Rachel, created Goodstory with the idea that authentic, lasting relationships have a foundation built in love. Kenny, Rachel and the entire Goodstory family have built a reputation for loving their clients, both personally and professionally, in ways that other companies cannot compete with. If you’re looking for ways to build your relationships, connect with clients or friends on a deeper level, or even practice ways of loving others, get cozy and settle in! Today’s solo podcast with Kenny will give you five practical, tangible ways to love others on a daily basis.
2022-03-2236 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 23 - Another year of death, disruption, and depression from COVID-19 and now, a new variant, Omicron. Is there an end in sight? / Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr, co-hosts, Coronavirus: The Truth.
Welcome to the final episode of Season 1 of Techtopia! I thought it would be appropriate to end the year as we began it, talking about Covid-19 and its pernicious impact on our lives, psyche, and the healthcare system at large. Hard as it may seem to imagine, we’re now entering year three of COVID-19 with a new variant, Omicron, upending lives globally. Two great guests join me in this episode to discuss our year in health or lack thereof and looking ahead to 2022. They are Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr, co-hosts of two great podcasts: Fixing He...2021-12-3056 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 22 — The Role of Technology in Human Trafficking / Anjana Rajan, Chief Technology Officer, Polaris.
Jeffrey Epstein never faced the consequences for allegedly trafficking dozens of girls, some as young as age 14, and engaging in sex acts with them. He committed suicide in jail 35 days after he was arrested, avoiding a trial and potentially, half a century in prison for his evil actions.
Now, however, more than two years later, at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Epstein’s former lover, and alleged enabler, Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial for aiding and abetting Epstein in satisfying his unmitigated sexual appetite for and exploitation of vulnerable girls.
...2021-12-1632 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 21 — The Global AI Arms Race and the Future of Artificial Intelligence / Courtney Bowman, Director of Privacy and Civil Liberties Engineering, Palantir Technologies.
The world is engaged in a new form of war — this one centered around the technology called artificial intelligence — which, put simply — is the science and art of making machines more human. But at what cost?
The race to dominate in Artificial Intelligence, also known as the global AI arms race has deep implications for how our society evolves in the decades to come and raises many troubling questions about privacy, civil liberties, and inherent biases transferred from human to machine and back to humans again.
I really enjoyed this deep conversation about the current state and future of AI with...2021-12-0239 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 20 — How the Department of Defense is acting like venture capitalists to draw in and nurture startups and adopt the best of the best in technology / Daniel Borkhus Co-Founder and CEO, Holos; Jeremy Neilson, Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force; and James
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been on the forefront of some of the biggest technological innovations in history. At the same time, the so-called, defense industrial complex — that is, DoD, in cahoots with the big legacy defense contractors or the so-called “Beltway Bandits” — have also built some of the most expensive, bloated, and bungled technologies known to man.
But now, increasingly, the Department of Defense is turning to lean, agile, and innovative software companies to build out its pipeline with dual-use technologies, acting very much like venture capitalists to find and nurture the best of...2021-09-2245 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 19 — A Veteran CIA Operative Looks Back on the Early Days of the War in Afghanistan and the Implications of the Recent Pull Out / Michael Hurley, Former CIA Operations Officer & Senior Counsel and Team Leader 9/11 Commission.
As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, the frenetic U..S. pullout of Afghanistan under dangerous conditions has reopened the wounds of those strikes and once again raises the specter of al Qaeda and ISIS taking root in Afghan soil — posing new global threats to American security and those of our allies for decades to come.
Joining me now to talk about the deepening crisis of the Afghanistan crisis and its ramifications is my dear friend, Michael Hurley who served for 25 years as a CIA operations officer, serving 15 of...2021-09-101h 03Techtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 18 — A War Photographer Assesses the Ramifications of the U.S. Pullout of Afghanistan / Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist.
As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates with shocking speed, tens of thousands of Americans and Afghan citizens — who’ve worked closely with Americans over the past two decades, are confronting perilous conditions as they try to reach the Kabul airport and leave the country.
Major news organizations are trying to extract both U.S. and fellow Afghan journalists even as these reporters put their lives on the line and continue to report from the field for as long as they can under dangerous conditions. Meanwhile, human rights activists are increasingly concerned about the plight of women...2021-08-2529 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 17 — The Global Race to Secure 5G Networks Against Cyber Threats from China and other Geopolitical Adversaries / Rob Strayer, EVP, Information Technology Industry Council & Former Ambassador for Cyber Policy at U.S. State Department.
The world’s wireless systems are going through a major technology transformation through fifth-generation cellular networks — known as 5G for short. In addition to lightning-speed downloads for your smartphones, and faster speeds for your favorite streaming videos, 5G is expected to help the growth and adoption of other cutting-edge technologies such as connected cars, drones, industrial robots, AR/VR, medicine, and next-gen supply chains.
Indeed, the power and potential of 5G and its role in giving the United States a competitive edge is such that it is a national security asset… one that the U.S. government is aggressively moving to prote...2021-08-1237 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 16 — The Abracadabra of the FDA’s Surprise Approval of Biogen's Alzheimer’s Drug, Aduhelm / Dr. Robert Pearl, Physician, Author, Podcast Co-Host, “Fixing Healthcare,” & Joanne Silberner, Freelance Health and Science Journalist.
Ever since the disease was recognized more than 100 years ago, patients with Alzheimer’s, and their families and caregivers, have longed for an effective drug for this brutal and tragic disease.
But last month, when the Food and Drug Administration finally approved a drug named Aduhelm for use as the first Alzheimer’s drug in 18 years, there was little rejoicing. Instead — a big uproar from critics both outside and inside the FDA who say that there’s no clear evidence that Aduhelm has any benefits. And, that it could actually have serious side effects including brain bl...2021-07-2957 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 15 — This sports startup is transforming the world of track and field data analytics for athletes, coaches, and fans / Chris Williams, Founder, and CEO, Zelos.
For decades, like in many other sports, track and field athletes and coaches have been stymied by their inability to easily use analytics to help athletes reach their highest potential, with their performance data trapped largely in paper silos.
In the lead-up to the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Seattle-based startup Zelos has integrated roughly 20 million track and field records dating back 50 years, into its data analytics platform to generate powerful, predictive insights into the world’s oldest and most popular sport.
COVID-19 has changed all aspects of life, work, and careers, especially for athletes wh...2021-07-1433 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 14 — The ABCs of NFTs and their role in digital journalism and the creator economy / Zach Seward, Co-founder & CEO, Quartz.
Over the past seven months, non-fungible tokens or NFTs have captured the world’s imagination and hype cycle, especially after the digital artist known as Beeple sold an NFT, which is a blockchain-verified proof of transfer of ownership, for one of his prints, for a record $69 million.
Since then, demand for these types of collectible digital art has exploded. Artists, writers, and entire industries are trying to tap into this lucrative new art form and create all kinds of NFTs for movies, albums, photographs, even a single tweet.
At the forefront of the NF...2021-07-0836 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 13 — The Exoplanet Revolution, Technosignatures, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence / Adam Frank, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Rochester.
After decades of secrecy, the US Government last week shared a new report about unidentified flying objects or UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence. The bottom line: more studies are needed, the report said, raising more questions than it answered.
Renowned astrophysicist Adam Frank says there’s little evidence to show a correlation between UFO sightings and extraterrestrial intelligence.
In May, Frank wrote a guest essay in the New York Times titled, “I’m a Physicist Who Searches for Aliens. UFOs Don’t Impress Me.”
But he argues that the gr...2021-06-3042 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 12 — A 64-year old non-fiction book, Flying Saucer Pilgrimage, has new resonance today in light of an upcoming U.S. government report on UFOs / Bryan Cunningham, Executive Director, UCI Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute.
UFOs are back in the news. After decades of secrecy, the American public and especially UFO-believers are waiting for a report from the Defense Department to Congress this month. The report is expected to reveal what our military, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies know, and don’t know, about unidentified aerial phenomena or UAPs. That’s the government’s fancy new terminology for UFOs.
The upcoming report would have been a wish-come-true for Bryant and Helen Reeve. Between 1953 and 1955 — one of the most prolific periods in U.S. history for UFO sightings — the Detroit couple traveled 2...2021-06-2300 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 11 – How Covid-19 is reshaping cities and smart cities / Michael Proman, Managing Director, Scrum Ventures.
COVID-19 virtually overnight changed the tone, tenor, and texture of cities, bringing the global economy to a slow grind and forcing people to retreat into bubbles, silos, and pods, and remote work — connected mainly through social media and Zoom.
Now, as we slowly start to get a grip on the virus and think about reopening society, what will the long-term impact of the pandemic be on cities and on the evolution of Smart Cities?
My guest today has some of those answers. He’s Michael Proman, Managing Director at Scrum Ventures, an early-stage vent...2021-06-0938 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 10 – The data-driven transformation of Hollywood and the television industry / Anjali Midha, CEO & Co-Founder, Diesel Labs & John Mass, Executive Vice-President, Content Partners.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the entertainment industry was being upended by the rapid pace of streaming and other technology. Then COVID-19 hit, shuttering movie theaters, shutting down the world, and driving people into their homes and in front of our television screens, where we’ve largely remained over this past year.
The pandemic has been a giant wakeup call to an already disrupted industry, which increasingly, is turning to data-driven insights, to figure out how to survive, and how to evolve in the post-pandemic streaming era.
This week, I have two amazing gu...2021-06-0244 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 9 — How Technology and the Digital Media Revolution are Transforming the Global Media Landscape / Marcus Brauchli, Journalist, Co-founder, North Base Media.
Technology is shaking up the news media — as content creators of every ilk and genre have taken advantage of the digital revolution, commoditizing content and forever blurring the lines between e-commerce and content, news and entertainment, information and disinformation.
One media executive who saw the digital revolution coming long before others did, is journalist, media investor and advisor, Marcus Brauchli. He is co-founder of North Base Media, an investment firm specializing in media and technology in global growth markets. Before co-founding North Base Media, Brauchli was executive editor of The Washington Post, shepherding the newspaper’s di...2021-05-2642 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 8 — How Polaris is fighting QAnon in its use of human trafficking disinformation campaigns / Anjana Rajan, Chief Technology Officer, Polaris.
When tech entrepreneur Anjana Rajan joined Polaris as its Chief Technology Officer last year, she thought she was setting aside her prior focus on domestic terrorism to help Polaris with its core mission of fighting human trafficking.
But then Rajan learned the far-right conspiracy group QAnon had been making outlandish human trafficking allegations against Polaris resulting in massive Denial of Service or DDoS attacks by QAnon followers who were even making death threats against the non-profit.
Suddenly, Rajan found that her world had come full circle. Over the past year, she’s had to...2021-05-0640 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 7 — How a patient with a rare tumor is taking personalized medicine to a new level through a unique non-profit biomedical research initiative / Vanessa Slavich, Head of Community, Celo & Peter Kane, Founder & Executive Director, Research to the Peopl
For nine years, Vanessa Slavich took a traditional, reactive, “whack-a-mole” approach to manage her battle against a rare and aggressive tumor, working with highly specialized doctors operating in various treatment silos. Frustrated with the outcomes, this year, Slavich is taking a new more proactive and strategic approach. She’s using her career in technology startups as a model for turbo-charging her research and treatment options in a unique way — which she describes in a recent post in Substack, called “The Startup Body: managing my health #Likea Boss.” And Slavich is “designing her health” in collaboration with Peter Kane, Founder and...2021-04-2837 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 6 — How the COVID-19 vaccines will change our approach to future pxandemics / Dr. Robert Pearl, Author, Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients.
The extraordinary scientific and technological innovations around the COVID-19 vaccines have enabled the U.S. government and governments around the world to deploy multiple vaccines against the lethal virus — allowing a gradual reopening of society and return to a new normal. What do we need to do to defeat COVID-19 once and for all and how can technology be used to prevent such devastating pandemics in the future? It’s always a wake-up call to speak with Dr. Robert Pearl, author of a new book out this spring called “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Pat...2021-04-2234 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 5 — Technology has given women a powerful voice in the alt-right movement / Seyward Darby, Author, Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism.
A large number of women participated in the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 by violent supporters of former President, Donald Trump. Some allegedly played a key role in plotting the protests and two of the five people killed in the riots were women. How have women exploited technology to expand their reach and influence in the alt-right movement? And have technology companies done enough to counter and combat their disinformation campaigns and hate messaging by white nationalists? Seyward Darby, author of Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism has...2021-03-2548 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 4 — The semiconductor chip shortage, what's causing it, why it matters, and what we need to do about it / John Neuffer, President and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association.
There’s a global semiconductor chip shortage brought on by the massive supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s hurting U.S. industries in a big way. President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order to try to help industries ranging from medical supplies to electric vehicles, that have been affected by this shortage. But will it solve the problem? If not, what does the U.S. government need to do to resolve the chip crisis? That’s the focus of our conversation today.
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Download the PDF...2021-03-1024 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 3 — Bitcoin and the boom in cryptocurrency investing / Perianne Boring, Founder and President, Chamber of Digital Commerce.
What’s causing Bitcoin mania and massive investments in cryptocurrency by institutional investors? Perianne Boring, Founder and President of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, explains the economic and geo-political forces at play.
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Chitra Ragavan:
Well, Bitcoin mania is sweeping the world. Investors, big and small, have propelled the cryptocurrency to record highs, rallying more than 400% over the past year, with one Bitcoin worth more than $50,000. That’s per coin as of this taping. Although with the volatility of Bitcoin, that price could dramatically plum...2021-03-0538 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 2 — Radicalization and the January 6 Capitol Hill Riots / Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism.
How did technology fuel the explosive birth and growth of the nationalistic extremist movements fueled by former President Donald Trump? How does it compare to the proliferation of foreign terrorist threats? And how can the U.S. government wield technology to combat domestic radicalization? Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism has interviewed hundreds of terrorists all over the world and offers her expert perspectives.
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Chitra Ragavan:
The January 6th attacks on the US Capitol by violent s...2021-02-1134 minTechtopia with Chitra RagavanEp. 1 — Conspiracy Theories and the January 6 Capitol Hill Riots / Joseph Coohill, Professor Buzzkill History Podcast.
How did technology fuel the conspiracy theories that resulted in the unprecedented sacking of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th by violent Donald Trump supporters? Joseph Coohill, professor of modern world history and host of the popular Professor Buzzkill History Podcast offers perspectives on how this event compares to others in history and its implications for American democracy.
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Chitra Ragavan:
How did technology help fuel the spread and reach of conspiracies that resulted in the unprecedented sacking of the US Capitol on J...2021-01-2433 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 10: Brittany Thurman, Picture Book AuthorDebut picture book author Brittany Thurman discusses writing about complex issues for a young audience, bias in the publishing industry, and supporting Black writers. Website: https://www.brittanythurman.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/janeebrittany Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help...2020-08-1955 min
Connecting GenerationsConnecting with Chitra Ragavan
What’s your story? Chitra Ragavan, Founder and CEO of Goodstory, feels passionate about the story. From her early days as a journalist to now working with tech startups helping organizations identify their stories, Chitra is open to the journey of identifying unique stories and how they can lead you to your next step. Chitra’s drive, passion, compassion, foresight, and adaptability can all be seen throughout her journey and story.
2020-08-0437 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 9: Kilby Blades, Romance AuthorA conversation with romance author Kilby Blades about changes the traditional publishing industry needs to make in order to be an inclusive space for writers of color.Website: http://www.kilbyblades.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/kilbyblades Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for...2020-07-1556 min
When it MatteredEp. 51 — A young employee gets a mediocre performance rating in her first job and transforms herself into an influential human resources leader and career strategist / Madeline Mann, Founder, Self Made Millennial.Ep. 51 — A young employee gets a mediocre performance rating in her first job and transforms herself into an influential human resources leader and career strategist / Madeline Mann, Founder, Self Made Millennial.
Three months into her first corporate job as a market research analyst, Madeline Mann got her performance review and it was a nasty wakeup call.
Always an academic high achiever, Mann was stunned to see her mediocre work scores.
“And it really was a moment of me realizing, ‘Wait, I do need to work harder. I do need to find more ways to contribute,’ says Mann. ‘I wasn't in those meet...2020-07-0633 minWhen it MatteredEp. 49 — A teenage runaway tries his hand at migrant work and becomes one of the most powerful food safety lawyers in the world / William Marler, Owner & Managing Partner, Marler Clark, LLP.Ep. 49 — A teenage runaway tries his hand at migrant work and becomes one of the most powerful food safety lawyers in the world / William Marler, Owner & Managing Partner, Marler Clark, LLP.
When Bill Marler was 16 years old, he ran away from home and became a migrant worker for a while, living in squalid cabins, sleeping outdoors, and hitchhiking rides to farms to pick crops.
The low point of Marler’s life came when he lost a gig and completely ran out of money.
For a week, he lived on just a five-pound sack of pancake flour.
“And it has changed my per...2020-06-2235 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 8: Jeff Lyons, Writing TeacherWriting teachers Jeff Lyons and Mary Kole in conversation about craft, from the big picture to the nitty gritty.Website: https://storygeeks.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/storygeeks Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your ide...2020-06-2259 minWhen it MatteredEp. 47 – A diplomat’s travel forces his psychologist wife to reinvent her career which she does by talking to terrorists / Anne Speckhard, Director, International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism.Ep. 47 – A diplomat’s travel forces his psychologist wife to reinvent her career which she does by talking to terrorists / Anne Speckhard, Director, International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism.
When her husband was named US ambassador to Belarus, Anne Speckhard was forced to give up her thriving private counseling practice in Virginia and reinvent her life and work.
Some security-related projects led her to begin talking to terrorists and it led to a most unique second career researching terrorists.
“When I went into Palestine was the first time I went in and just announced myself. I was very honest...2020-06-0859 minWhen it MatteredEp. 45 — A U.S. Army Special Operations team leader is haunted by the death of two comrades and devotes his career to data-driven decision-making / Justin Richmond, Founder, and Executive Director, impl. project.Ep. 45 — A U.S. Army Special Operations team leader is haunted by the death of two comrades and devotes his career to data-driven decision-making / Justin Richmond, Founder, and Executive Director, impl. project.
The twist in the road for Justin Richmond surfaced on September 29, 2009, at Camp Bautista — a key Filipino military base in the Southern Philippines — when two of his colleagues were killed in an IED attack.
Richmond was deployed as a U.S. Army Special Operations team leader helping the Filipino army with stabilization, counterinsurgency, and information operations. His superiors had decided to support what would prove to be a disast...2020-05-2537 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 7: Jessica Brody, Author and Writing TeacherAn interview with author and writing teacher Jessica Brody, where we discuss what makes a compelling story, how to apply story structure whether you're a plotter or pantser, and tackling large-scale revisions without ripping your hair out.Website: https://www.jessicabrody.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/jessicabrodyCrafting Dynamic Characters Online Course: https://bit.ly/writingcharacter Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at...2020-05-2045 minWhen it MatteredEp. 44 — A mentee takes up her mentor's mantle and devotes her career to diversity and inclusion in banking / Karen A. Clark, Senior VP and Multicultural Strategies Manager, City National Bank.Ep. 44 — A mentee takes up her mentor's mantle and devotes her career to diversity and inclusion in banking / Karen A. Clark, Senior VP and Multicultural Strategies Manager, City National Bank.
When Karen A. Clark got her first management assignment as a young banker at Bank of America in Los Angeles, she was blown away when a senior executive and Chinese immigrant named Regina “Reggie” Chun flew in from San Francisco to take her to lunch.
Chun told Clark that she had a unique opportunity to help other minorities rise in corporate America and she reminded Clark that if a person in her...2020-05-1839 minWhen it MatteredEp. 43 –– A physics major pursues a grounding in philosophy and finds his niche in Silicon Valley / Courtney Bowman, Director, Privacy and Civil Liberties Engineering Team, Palantir.Ep. 43 –– A physics major pursues a grounding in philosophy and finds his niche in Silicon Valley / Courtney Bowman, Director, Privacy and Civil Liberties Engineering Team, Palantir.
Courtney Bowman thought he was destined for a career in physics until he took a philosophy class. It triggered a deep skepticism of the ability of hard sciences to solve mankind's biggest problems.
When Bowman told his academic mentor and family about the desire to pursue philosophy, they were alarmed and tried to dissuade him, fearing a dead end to his career.
But Bowman went with his gut and ignored conventional wisdom and it paid...2020-05-1151 minWhen it MatteredEp. 42 — A voiceless young clubfoot patient grows into one of the most outspoken and renowned vaccine advocates in the world / Dr. Paul Offit, Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Ep. 42 — A voiceless young clubfoot patient grows into one of the most outspoken and renowned vaccine advocates in the world / Dr. Paul Offit, Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
When Dr. Paul Offit was five years old he got surgery for clubfoot and was sent to recover at a chronic care facility in Baltimore which was also a polio ward. He spent six lonely weeks there, feeling like a prisoner, with virtually no distractions, recreation, or visitors like many of the polio patients in that ward.
"It was hell. This was the mid-1950s, it was a polio ward...2020-05-0442 minWhen it MatteredEp. 41 — A young man gets held up at knifepoint and learns the value of grit and perseverance / Cliff Banks, Founder and President, The Banks Report.Ep. 41 — A young man gets held up at knifepoint and learns the value of grit and perseverance / Cliff Banks, Founder and President, The Banks Report.
When Philadelphia native Cliff Banks was 19 years old, he traveled to New York City to take a connecting train to Detroit to start a new job and a new life. But he got the fright of his life as he hailed a cab to get from Penn Station to Grand Central Station.
“Before I got into the cab, two guys came up and asked if they could help and I said, ‘No, thanks. I've got it.’ A...2020-04-2732 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 6: Gail Carson Levine, Historical and Fantasy AuthorHistorical and fantasy author Gail Carson Levine shares thoughts on the writing process, world-building, and her latest book.Website: www.gailcarsonlevine.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gailcarsonlevine Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your ide...2020-04-1553 minWhen it MatteredEp. 39 — A New York college graduate’s surefire path to success is upended by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks /Jared Carmel, Managing Partner, Manhattan Venture Partners.Ep. 39 — A New York college graduate’s surefire path to success is upended by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks /Jared Carmel, Managing Partner, Manhattan Venture Partners.
New York native Jared Carmel was ready to take on the world in 2001 when he hit the job market fresh out of college. But his dreams of a cushy job at a big Wall Street investment firm evaporated in the dust of the 9/11 attacks.
Carmel eventually got hired at a boutique investment bank where he earned his chops wearing lots of hats and learning lots of skills.
Carmel became a pioneer in the development of seco...2020-04-1345 minWhen it MatteredEp. 38 — A father’s gift and a brother’s illness sets a young boy on track to becoming a cryptocurrency pioneer / Joey Krug, Co-CIO, Pantera Capital, Core Dev, Augur.Ep. 38 — A father’s gift and a brother’s illness sets a young boy on track to becoming a cryptocurrency pioneer / Joey Krug, Co-CIO, Pantera Capital, Core Dev, Augur.
When Joey Krug was 10 years old, his dad bought him an old Apple computer on eBay. Although neither realized it at the time, it would prove to be a timely gift.
Around that same time, Krug's brother became really sick with a rare disease affecting only 600 people in the world. Krug quit school to be there for his brother during his year-long hospitalization, homeschooled himself and learned programming to help him cope wit...2020-04-0636 minWhen it MatteredEp. 37 — A tumultuous childhood filled with displacement and abuse draws a healthcare expert to the psychology of human behavior / Nicole Fisher, President of Health and Human Rights Strategies.Ep. 37 — A tumultuous childhood filled with displacement and abuse draws a healthcare expert to the psychology of human behavior / Nicole Fisher, President of Health and Human Rights Strategies.
To say that Nicole Fisher's childhood was tumultuous would be an understatement. Fisher's world fell apart when she was two years old when she began to experience a pattern of psychological, and physical abuse by her mother.
When her parents divorced, her dad won custody of Fisher and raised her with the help of loving relatives. But Fisher still endured years of brutal custody battles in which the courts often sided with he...2020-03-3135 min
Thank You Heartbreak with Chelsea Leigh Trescott159: Let's Run, Baby, Let's Run with Mary KoleFounder of Good Story Company Mary Kole joins Chelsea 8 minutes in to reflect on the serendipitous night she met her husband, the ease in which their relationship took shape, and the horrific, human tragedy they endured in creating a family. With sadness and strength, Mary recounts the night she lost baby Nora, being in the room with death, how an already solid foundation of sobriety saved her life, and why losing her 16 day old daughter to Ohtahara syndrome threw a wrench into all her ideas of what it was to be a “good girl.”2020-03-261h 04When it MatteredEp. 36 — A succession of friends dying early propels a hospital revenue cycle consultant to rethink the foundation of American healthcare / Dave Chase, Creator, Co-Founder, and CEO of Health Rosetta.Ep. 36 — A succession of friends dying early propels a hospital revenue cycle consultant to rethink the foundation of American healthcare / Dave Chase, Creator, Co-Founder, and CEO of Health Rosetta.
When Dave Chase turned 40, he was stunned to realize that nearly a dozen of his friends all around his own age had died due to health problems.
One in particular hit him the hardest, a successful executive who got cancer. “And really, at every step of the way the system failed. I mean, she got the wrong diagnosis which led to the wrong treatment plan,” says Chase. “Ultimately, this devastated her physical...2020-03-2342 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 5: Jake Burt, Middle Grade AuthorA podcast interview with middle grade author Jake Burt, all about writing diversity from a place of privilege.Website: https://www.jburtbooks.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JBurtBooks Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your ide...2020-03-1941 minWhen it MatteredEp. 34 — A Shanghai-based American journalist uncovers a Chinese spy caper that brings her full circle to her midwestern roots / Mara Hvistendahl, Author, The Scientist and the Spy.Ep. 34 — A Shanghai-based American journalist uncovers a Chinese spy caper that brings her full circle to her midwestern roots / Mara Hvistendahl, Author, The Scientist and the Spy.
When journalist Mara Hvistendahl began looking into the FBI’s arrest of a lone Chinese man behaving suspiciously in an Iowa cornfield, she was blown away by what she uncovered.
Hvistendahl’s two-year reporting journey led her into the heart of a massive FBI industrial espionage investigation into the theft of genetically modified corn seeds by Chinese agribusinesses, triggered by the arrest of that one individual, Robert Mo.
What began as idle curiosity ended...2020-02-2435 min
Writer, Writer, Pants On FireMary Kole: A Former Agent & Editor On Processing CritiqueToday’s guest is Mary Kole, Mary Kole is a freelance editor, author and blogger whose goal is to help writers of children’s literature create compelling stories for young readers. A former California and New York literary agent for the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and Movable Type Literary. Mary has spoken at over 75 writer’s conferences and workshops across the world, has been deeply involved with organizations including the SCBWI,Writer’s Digest, and NaNoWriMo. Her blog on children’s writing and publishing, Kidlit.com, receives an average of 17,000 hits per month. It has been named one of the “101 B...2020-02-2451 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 4: Laura Elliott, GhostwriterA podcast interview with ghostwriter Laura Elliott, all about deep research, finding inspiration from various sources, and telling stories … even other people’s.Website: https://www.lauraelliotauthor.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/Elliot_Laura Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help po...2020-02-191h 01When it MatteredEp. 33 — A writer-turned-filmmaker takes a mentor’s blunt advice to heart and becomes a pioneer in the art of visual branded storytelling / Megan Cunningham, Founder and CEO, Magnet Media.Ep. 33 — A writer-turned-filmmaker takes a mentor’s blunt advice to heart and becomes a pioneer in the art of visual branded storytelling / Megan Cunningham, Founder and CEO, Magnet Media.
Long before “narrative” and “storytelling” became buzzwords in the technology space, Megan Cunningham was pioneering the art of brand positioning.
At a time when YouTube, broadband and mobile phones were in their infancy and influencer marketing was virtually non-existent, Cunningham's brand studio, Magnet Media was putting her on track to becoming a media magnate in content marketing and branded storytelling.
But it wasn’t easy creating an entirely new media and marketing mode...2020-02-1831 minWhen it MatteredEp. 32 — An economics reporter is jolted by the 2016 Presidential race and rethinks all his assumptions about the American economy and electorate / Binyamin Appelbaum, Author, The Economist’s Hour.Ep. 32 — An economics reporter is jolted by the 2016 Presidential race and rethinks all his assumptions about the American economy and electorate / Binyamin Appelbaum, Author, The Economist’s Hour.
Binyamin Appelbaum had been reporting and writing about economics for more than a decade when Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential race.
The shocking outcome led Appelbaum to realize that he must go back to the drawing board, to Macroeconomics 101, in order to understand what had just happened.
What resulted is his terrific book, "The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society."
The Economists' Hour refers to the 40-year peri...2020-02-1045 minWhen it MatteredEp. 31 — A single mother of two young sons takes lessons from her grandfather, a small-time hustler turned big-time property owner, about the value of homeownership / Katrina Jones, VP, Single Family Mortgage Business, Fannie Mae.Ep. 31 — A single mother of two young sons takes lessons from her grandfather, a small-time hustler turned big-time property owner, about the value of homeownership / Katrina Jones, VP, Single Family Mortgage Business, Fannie Mae.
When her husband passed away at a young age, Katrina Jones was left to raise two kids, forcing her to drop out of college to confront her new responsibilities. It would prove to be the most challenging time of her life.
What kept Jones going was not just the support she got from her extended family but lessons from her grandfather, a street-smart hustler named George Ca...2020-02-0331 minWhen it MatteredEp. 29 — A second generation holocaust survivor stops carrying the weight of her father’s suffering and starts living life to the fullest / Helene Johnson, President & CEO, Bid2Win.Ep. 29 — A second generation holocaust survivor stops carrying the weight of her father’s suffering and starts living life to the fullest / Helene Johnson, President & CEO, Bid2Win.
When Helene Johnson was just six years old, she decided to get to the bottom of her beloved father’s bouts of anger and sadness.
Johnson demanded a full account of what her dad had been through for five years in Nazi captivity.
Obedient to her command, Johnson’s dad told her not only everything that had happened to him and his family but also what he’d seen happening to others in the Naz...2020-01-2137 minWhen it MatteredEp. 28 — A dermatologist from a pedigreed Los Alamos science family fights to break the mold in sports, medicine, and Silicon Valley / Dr. Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-Founder, Medable.Ep. 28 — A dermatologist from a pedigreed Los Alamos science family fights to break the mold in sports, medicine, and Silicon Valley / Dr. Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-Founder, Medable.
Her grandfather worked with Robert Oppenheimer on the hydrogen bomb. Her mother is a radiochemist and plutonium expert, her father is an expert in recombinant - DNA technology.
With that pedigree, there was little doubt that Michelle Longmire would embark on a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
Indeed, when she was young, one of Dr. Longmire’s annual science projects involved breeding multiple generations of hamsters to study Mendelian inhe...2020-01-1430 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 3: Peter H. Reynolds, Picture Book Author and IllustratorAn enlightening discussion about creativity, picture book writing, illustration, inspiration, and making mistakes ... in a good way! Peter H. Reynolds:Website: https://www.peterhreynolds.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/peterhreynolds Good Story Company:Website: https://www.goodstorycompany.comMembership: https://www.goodstorycompany.com/membershipWriting Workshop: https://www.storymastermind.com Mary Kole:Manuscript Submission Blueprint: https://bit.ly/kolesubCrafting Dynamic Characters Online Course: https://bit.ly/writingcharacterWriting Irresistible Kidlit: http://bit.ly/kolekidlit 2020-01-081h 04When it MatteredEp. 27 — A young African American raised on an Arkansas farm overcomes poverty and racial discrimination and finds his voice fighting for the underprivileged / David Branch, Employment Attorney, David Branch Law Firm.Ep. 27 — A young African American raised on an Arkansas farm overcomes poverty and racial discrimination and finds his voice fighting for the underprivileged / David Branch, Employment Attorney, David Branch Law Firm.
Dear Listeners,
The New Year brings a new season of When It Mattered, my podcast examining how leaders and pioneers are forged from critical moments in their lives.
I’m thrilled to launch Season Two with the inspiring story of Washington D.C. attorney, David Branch, a descendant of the extraordinary Branch family in Arkansas, with a lineage nearly 600-members strong.
The great-great-grandson of a slave from Africa, Victoria Wake...2020-01-0732 minWhen it MatteredEp. 26 — A Christian Scientist forsakes her religion after taking meds for the stomach flu and takes a life detour to uncover the science of spiritual experiences / Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic and Author, Fingerprints of GodEp. 26 — A Christian Scientist forsakes her religion after taking meds for the stomach flu and takes a life detour to uncover the science of spiritual experiences / Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic and Author, Fingerprints of God.
Barbara Bradley Hagerty found herself at a crossroads one day when she got the stomach flu and realized she could no longer abide by the rules of her religion, Christian Science, banning the use of any medications.
“I just lay there and this flashing in my head went off, Tylenol, Tylenol, Tylenol, so I got out of bed and I practically crawled to t...2019-12-3050 min
Classic Ghost StoriesEpisode 24: Smee by A M BurrageAlfred McLelland BurrageBackgroundAlfred McClelland Burrage was an English writer who was born in London in 1889. Both his father and his uncle were professional writers and a relatively young age Burrage began to write fiction to support his family.As well as being a writer , Burrage was a soldier in the First World War. He served in the First World War as a member of the Artists Rifles which was originally founded as a volunteer light infantry regiments. As a point of interest, after Burrage’s time the Artist Rifles became 21 Special Air service regiment one of Britain's elite forces.Burrage wro...2019-12-2423 minWhen it MatteredEp. 25 — A double-leg amputee with a love for running beats back a cocaine addiction and battles Olympic bureaucracy in his quest to become the fastest runner in the world / Blake Leeper, Eight-Time Paralympic Medalist. and 2020 Summer Olympics AspirantEp. 25 — A double-leg amputee with a love for running beats back a cocaine addiction and battles Olympic bureaucracy in his quest to become the fastest runner in the world / Blake Leeper, Eight-Time Paralympic Medalist. and 2020 Summer Olympics Aspirant
Born without legs from a congenital birth defect, Blake Leeper discovered his mission and passion in life when he watched South African Paralympic champion sprinter Oscar Pistorius competing in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
It triggered in Leeper a deep desire to run, despite being a double-leg amputee.
“They were saying, ‘Look how this man born without legs...’ I feel like they were talking...2019-12-2440 minWhen it MatteredEp. 24 — A bored and broke undergraduate has a terrible car crash and uses it as a turning point to pursue wealth and knowledge / Richard Wilson, CEO and founder of the Family Office Club.Ep. 24 — A bored and broke undergraduate has a terrible car crash and uses it as a turning point to pursue wealth and knowledge / Richard Wilson, CEO and founder of the Family Office Club.
Richard Wilson was phoning it in like many undergraduate students, feeling unmotivated and unrewarded. Then, driving home one night from college to his parent's home, Wilson hydroplaned in the rain into a cement barricade.
“The car just kind of crumpled in half and it was the middle of the night, pouring rain. I just kind of stumbled out of the car and several cars stopped because my head...2019-12-1626 minWhen it MatteredEp 23 — A political strategist loses his mojo and becomes one of the greatest comedy writers of our time / Jon Macks, Comedy Writer, Democratic Political Consultant, Author.Ep 23 — A political strategist loses his mojo and becomes one of the greatest comedy writers of our time / Jon Macks, Comedy Writer, Democratic Political Consultant, Author.
Jon Macks thought he was in for a great ride to the top. Having quit law school for a career as a political strategist, Macks won two big state elections for his clients.
But the euphoria quickly wore off and shock set in when Macks then lost 23 straight races in a row.
“It's almost self-fulfilling. What happens is that when you are on a losing streak, no one good will hire you,” says Macks, “And so t...2019-12-1043 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 2: Ryan Van Cleave, Nonfiction Writer and Writing TeacherA podcast all about nonfiction book proposals, nonfiction article pitching, and strategically growing your writing career, including a ton of tips for that ever-intimidating concept of marketing yourself and your writing.Website: http://www.ryangvancleave.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ryangvancleave Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a cri...2019-12-041h 02When it MatteredEp. 22 — An Iowa musician battles a lifetime of blues and gets his groove back on the international blues stage / Kevin Burt, Singer, Songwriter, blues heritage educator.Ep. 22 — An Iowa musician battles a lifetime of blues and gets his groove back on the international blues stage / Kevin Burt, Singer, Songwriter, blues heritage educator.
Raised by a single mom on $5,000 a year in food stamps, Kevin Burt spent most of his life in chronic “survival mode” in the school of hard knocks.
That meant a chronically anxious and overworked state of mind and body: “You're so worried about the basics of day to day that there's no way to think about tomorrow, there's no way to think about not a day from now, not a week from now, not a yea...2019-12-0343 minWhen it MatteredEp. 20 — A police officer is brought back to life after a near-fatal motorcycle crash and takes on a profound new mission / Frank Shankwitz, Creator and a Co-Founder, Make-A-Wish Foundation.Ep. 20 — A police officer is brought back to life after a near-fatal motorcycle crash and takes on a profound new mission / Frank Shankwitz, Creator and a Co-Founder, Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Arizona Highway Patrol Officer Frank Shankwitz was chasing after a drunk driver one day at 85 miles an hour when his motorcycle broadsided a second drunk driver who cut in front of him.
His partner could not revive Shankwitz who had suffered grievous injuries and reported him dead at the scene.
But an off-duty emergency room nurse driving past the crash performed CPR for four minutes and literally brought Shankwitz back to life...2019-11-1839 minWhen it MatteredEp. 19 — An aspiring scientist rejects the impersonal sterility of the profession to become a science writer and stumbles upon a gripping emotional saga of courage, heroism, and sacrifice / Sam Kean, Author, The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the ReneEp. 19 — An aspiring scientist rejects the impersonal sterility of the profession to become a science writer and stumbles upon a gripping emotional saga of courage, heroism, and sacrifice / Sam Kean, Author, The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb.
It wasn’t until the third year of college and endless science classes that Sam Kean realized he was temperamentally unsuited to becoming a scientist.
Shaken by the realization that he had to reinvent his future, Kean took to science writing and found his niche as a best-selling author.
But although he h...2019-11-1138 minWhen it MatteredEp. 18 — A young television news producer watches a colleague save a life by doing CPR and finds her true calling in medicine / Dr. Lisa Sanders, Yale School of Medicine and New York Times Columnist.Ep. 18 — A young television news producer watches a colleague save a life by doing CPR and finds her true calling in medicine / Dr. Lisa Sanders, Yale School of Medicine and New York Times Columnist.
Early in her career, becoming a doctor was the last thing on Lisa Sanders’ mind. She loved the television news producing business and was happy with her life.
Then one day, while shooting an episode on white water rafting, Sanders watched her doctor colleague save an elderly woman from drowning, through CPR.
It wasn’t an overnight transformation. But it was an inevitable one, she says.
Sander...2019-11-0543 min
Thriving Writers PodcastEpisode 1: Chris Baty, Founder of NaNoWriMo and Writing TeacherAn interview with NaNoWriMo founder and writing teacher Chris Baty, where we discuss plot, pantsing, not nipping good ideas in the bud, celebrating a hot pile of garbage, and the cult of busyness.NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.orgWebsite: https://www.goodstorycompany.com/membershipTwitter: https://twitter.com/chrisbaty Good Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we’re here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a h...2019-10-3056 minWhen it MatteredEp. 17 — A legendary CIA operative begins his career struggling with imposter syndrome / William Murray, Founder, Alphom Group and 38-year CIA Operations Officer.Ep. 17 — A legendary CIA operative begins his career struggling with imposter syndrome / William Murray, Founder, Alphom Group and 38-year CIA Operations Officer.
When William Murray walked through the doors of the Central Intelligence Agency as a young recruit, he was instantly filled with trepidation.
“Everybody that I met seemed to be better educated, better traveled, and have a better understanding of the world than me,” Murray remembers thinking.
Murray fought his insecurities and over the next nearly 38 years, grew into a highly successful and impactful senior Operations Officer and a legendary figure in the CIA, serving in some of the most w...2019-10-2945 minWhen it MatteredEp. 15 — A big time political advisor returns to his small town roots and finds an urgent new cause / James Carville, Democratic political strategist, author, public speaker.Ep. 15 — A big time political advisor returns to his small town roots and finds an urgent new cause / James Carville, Democratic political strategist, author, public speaker.
James Carville earned the privilege of breathing what he describes as the “most rarefied air on earth,” when, as Bill Clinton’s campaign manager, he helped Clinton win the Presidency.
Knowing that the only direction from that pinnacle of success was down, Carville made two life-changing decisions:
He walked away from working on domestic political campaigns, although he remains a prominent advisor to the Democratic Party.
And, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged his home state of Louis...2019-10-1542 minWhen it MatteredEp. 14 — A federal prosecutor kidnapped at gunpoint fights for his survival and discovers what’s truly important in life / Stanley Alpert, Environmental Lawyer and Author.Ep. 14 — A federal prosecutor kidnapped at gunpoint fights for his survival and discovers what’s truly important in life / Stanley Alpert, Environmental Lawyer and Author.
Federal prosecutor Stanley Alpert was enjoying the cold January New York air as he walked to his Greenwich Village home when he felt the gun pressing into his back and realized he was being held up for money.
But what started out as an armed robbery quickly turned into a kidnapping when the thugs learned of Alpert’s significant bank balance.
In an instant, the prosecutor’s plans to spend his 38th birthday the next day with...2019-10-0844 minWhen it MatteredEp. 13 — Uncovering a pre-Civil War era will takes an estate lawyer deep into his family’s history with slavery and helps him come to terms with his sexual identity / Terrence Franklin, Sacks, Glazier, Franklin & Lodise, LLP.Ep. 13 — Uncovering a pre-Civil War era will takes an estate lawyer deep into his family’s history with slavery and helps him come to terms with his sexual identity / Terrence Franklin, Sacks, Glazier, Franklin & Lodise, LLP.
For nearly a quarter century, Terrence Franklin practiced trust and estate litigation, not knowing how his expertise would reshape his own life some day.
Then, a family reunion took Franklin deep into his family history. At that event, Franklin noticed snippets of names and words taken from what appeared to be the last will and testament of a slave owner named John Sutton, freeing Frank...2019-10-0144 minWhen it MatteredEp. 12 — A brain cancer diagnosis leads a 27-year old mental health worker to use photography to help parents of critically ill children reconcile with death and dying / Caroline Catlin, writer, photographer.Ep. 12 — A brain cancer diagnosis leads a 27-year old mental health worker to use photography to help parents of critically ill children reconcile with death and dying / Caroline Catlin, writer, photographer.
Caroline Catlin knew something was really physically wrong with her after she graduated from college in 2015. But despite repeatedly reaching out to multiple doctors about her daily fevers, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, memory loss and cognitive issues, no one believed her.
After numerous incorrect diagnoses and only because of her persistence, Catlin finally got an MRI and the bottom fell out of her life. She was told she had...2019-09-2426 minWhen it MatteredEp. 11 — A reluctant beauty pageant winner finds a unique path to a Harvard education and develops a passion for public service / Erin Walczewski, Attorney, Cooley, LLP.Ep. 11 — A reluctant beauty pageant winner finds a unique path to a Harvard education and develops a passion for public service / Erin Walczewski, Attorney, Cooley, LLP.
When Erin Walczewski first entered the Miss Iowa beauty pageant, she never expected to win. Her goal was simply to win some scholarship money for college. To her surprise, the skeptical contestant won the Miss Iowa crown.
Walczewski wouldn’t realize for a long time what the true prize was from that competition.
Still a reluctant participant, Walczewski went on to the Miss America contest, which she lost. But it would prove to be the...2019-09-1730 minWhen it MatteredEp. 5 — A Dangerous Biker Bar Encounter Teaches a Teenage Musician a Lesson for the Boardroom / Aaron Warner, Founder and CEO, ProCircularEp. 5 — A Dangerous Biker Bar Encounter Teaches a Teenage Musician a Lesson for the Boardroom / Aaron Warner, Founder and CEO, ProCircular
In this episode, Aaron Warner, Founder and CEO of ProCircular describes how he and his teen metal band inadvertently provoked a bunch of drunk bikers to violence with an ill-chosen song.
Warner shares how the band defused the scary stand-off and how the decision they made in the face of danger taught them an invaluable lesson on what it takes to succeed in the corporate world and in life.
And he describes what that experience taught him about risk mana...2019-08-0627 minWhen it MatteredEp. 3 — A Home Invasion Trauma Leads to a Law Enforcement Career / James Comey, Former Director, Federal Bureau of InvestigationEp. 3 — A Home Invasion Trauma Leads to a Law Enforcement Career / James Comey, Former Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
In this episode, James Comey describes how, as a high school senior, he and his brother were held at gunpoint in their New Jersey home by a serial rapist and robber and how that confrontation with death ultimately influenced his decision to go into law enforcement.
Comey talks about how attending a bail hearing in a Mafia case as a young law clerk in New York convinced him to become a federal prosecutor and help bring down some of the most pow...2019-07-2340 minWhen it MatteredEp. 2 - From an L.A. Art Benefit to a Refugee Camp in Sudan / Mick Ebeling, Founder and CEO of Not Impossible LabsEp. 2 - From an L.A. Art Benefit to a Refugee Camp in Sudan / Mick Ebeling, Founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs
In this episode, Mick Ebeling describes how a date night with his wife at a Los Angeles gala for a graffiti artist with Lou Gehrig’s disease convinced him to coalesce technology warriors from around the world to help the artist, known as Tempt, draw again. He then shifts his focus from his thriving production company to start Not Impossible Labs and dedicate his life to building technology to help those with disabilities.
Ebeling reveals how this shif...2019-07-1422 minWhen it MatteredEp. 1 - A Family Illness Shapes an Intelligence Officer’s Career / Michael Hurley, President, Team 3i and 25-year CIA operations officerEp. 1 - A Family Illness Shapes an Intelligence Officer’s Career / Michael Hurley, President, Team 3i and 25-year CIA operations officer
In this episode, Michael Hurley describes how his mother’s battle with the autoimmune disease Lupus, which began when he was 11, shaped his 25-year service in the United States Government as a CIA operations officer. Hurley traces those early life experiences in coping with his mother’s long and ultimately fatal illness to his spur-of-the-moment decision to volunteer to go to Afghanistan to combat al Qaeda after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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Chitra: Hello, and welcome to When it...2019-07-1125 min
Unscripted and Unprepared: A Realscreen PodcastJD Roth, Co-CEO, GoodStory EntertainmentJD Roth got his start as a child actor, voicing characters like Jonny Quest before establishing himself as a television host. Then, at 20 years-old he became the youngest executive producer in NBC history. He would go on to launch 3Ball Entertainment and executive produce such reality hits as The Biggest Loser, Beauty and the Geek and Bar Rescue. Now, he returns to the producing fold with new business partners Scooter Braun and Adam Greener to launch GoodStory Entertainment. JD explains what has changed since he first came on the scene, why he never rehearses for pitches and why he...2018-11-281h 12
Ink and WormInk and Worm 16: Swimming, Writing and PublishingThe Guests: Alec Shane, Literary Agent for Writers House @alecdshane
Casey Barrett, Olympic Swimmer, Co-Founder of Imagine Swimming, and Writer @CapsandGoggles
UNDER WATER coming out Fall of 2017
The Books: “Fablehaven” by Brandon Mull, “Goosebumps” by R. L. Stine, “Misery,” “Dolores Clayborne,” “On Writing,” “The Shining” by Stephen King, John D. MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, James Lee Burke, “The Alexandria Quartet” by Lawrence Durrell, “The Chronology of Water” by Lidia Yuknavitch, “Encyclopedia Brown” by Donald J. Sobol, “Jack Reacher” by Lee Child, “The Chairman” by James Kaplan, “Blood Meridian” Cornac McCarthy, “The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher” Molly Bang, Shel Silverstein, Sara MacLean, “Danny Champio...2016-03-1158 min