Crazy Good Turns

Hal Donaldson has a goal to feed a million children every day. And his organization, Convoy of Hope, is on pace to make it happen.

In this episode, Hal joins us to discuss how he overcame tragedy early in life to found one of the world’s biggest charities. He’ll share what it’s like to come face-to-face with Mother Teresa, and the powerful advice she gave him. And he’ll explain the “secret sauce” behind Co...

Just 5 years ago, Oklahoma State University and the Cherokee Nation launched a first-of-its-kind medical school. 

The College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation is the first and only medical college to be founded on tribal land and linked to a native tribe. The school made history when its first graduating class of doctors received their degrees in May 2024. 

Drs. Natasha Bray and ...

Each year, thousands of women give birth while in jail or prison. What happens to them, and their babies? 

Amy Ard had been working as a doula (a caregiver for labor and delivery) for decades when she saw a prisoner who was in the hospital to give birth. Amy also saw a set of handcuffs hanging from a gurney, which said so much about the start of that prisoner’s journey.

That image led her to d...

Alle Amoroso is the founder of ROSE Women’s Foundation, which helps impoverished women in Kenya learn how to launch and run small businesses. To date, the organization has launched more than 3,500 businesses — and lifted thousands of people out of poverty. 

Allie shares: 

• The awakening that led her to quit her dream life of venture capital...

Tom is the spokesperson behind Motel 6’s TV and radio spots and their famous tagline: “We’ll leave the light on for you.” His latest idea, HatchSpace, might be exactly what our world needs right now. 

After all, Tom is more than a great baritone. He’s lived a fascinating life — and now he’s giving back in an excellent way. 

In today’s episode, Tom shares how he moved west from his Michigan hom...

Leung is an award-winning business columnist and associate editor of the Boston Globe, as well as host of a Globe Opinion podcast called “Say More.” 

She’s also a working mom who struggled to keep up with work and home-schooling her kids during the pandemic. Her motivation and abilities suffered until she finally acknowledged the problem and asked for help. 

After she regained her stride, Shir...

Crazy Good Turns listeners like you sent in more than 120 nominations of organizations that are helping others. In this show, we profile four of those organizations who were selected to receive a $10,000 grant. They are:

Heart of Mary House, a hospice in the Nashville area that specifically serves patients who have nowhere else to go. Volunteer Rebecca Grunkemeyer nominated the group. You’ll hear from her and organiza...

When Luther’s daughter, Jane Lockwood, was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy. 

Luther and his family resolved to do something about it. During the two decades since, they founded the McColl-Lockwood Laboratory and dedicated enormous resources to creating more effective treatments for the disease to help not only Jane, but thousands of others like her. 

We mark 1 year since the October 7 attacks by speaking with Dan Senor. 

Dan is the host of ‘Call Me Back,’ a podcast that is home to some of the most thoughtful and thorough reporting on the multi-front war Israel now faces. Dan’s work provides a valuable service to all of us – especially to people like myself, and many other Americans, who have only a general understanding of the conflict. 

O...

Jenn is the first woman to climb the “seven second summits,” or the second-highest mountain peaks on all seven continents – which are arguably even tougher to climb than the tallest ones, for reasons which will surprise you. 

She is also a successful businesswoman, a mother of seven children, and the author of “BreakProof: 7 Strategies to Build Resilience and Achieve Your Life Goals.” During our interview,...

Alongside two African pastors, Justin founded Untold - a nonprofit that helps support the physical, spiritual, and mental health of those affected by AIDS and HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa. 

During the past 17 years, their organization has helped more than 40,000 people let go of their stigma and embrace a more positive future. 

Justin’s story is especially impressive because his commitme...

In her new book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History," Bowles documents how she risked her career – and her friendships – by continuing to ask questions after being told not to. 

As a reporter for the New York Times, Nellie tackled some of the most controversial topics of our times, from the George Floyd protests to Defund the Police to DEI. Her writing was fundamentally...

Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom struggling to make ends meet. Then her skill with coupons made her a national sensation.

After helping millions save money, Nelson is paying it forward with a book, “Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential,” which aims to guide people with big dreams.

And she’s not stopping there. Nelson also is offering seed funding to those dreamers. She’s giv...

Godin is a renowned entrepreneur and author of more than 20 books – including one that helped our host, Frank Blake, turn around Home Depot during his time as CEO. Frank starts the show by sharing an all-important passage from that book, and then kicks off a wide-ranging discussion around meaningful work, finding success through strategic quitting, and the art of creating opportunities for yourself and for others. 

Travis Ellis joins Crazy Good Turns to talk about his fundraising efforts for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Those efforts include a 684-mile run from Atlanta to Washington D.C. and then a journey twice as long from Boston back to their home down south. 

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Walter Kirn is the bestselling author of “Up in the Air,” which became a smash hit movie starring George Clooney. Now Kirn is taking a risk on a longshot business that views America as one giant small town.

And that’s just the beginning. In addition to his writing, Kirn is a non-partisan political commentator who appears regularly on TV and in podcasts, including one of my personal favorite shows, “America This Week,”...

Dan and his brother Chip are the authors of several best-selling business books, including one that was highly influential for Frank Blake during his time as CEO of The Home Depot. Dan joins Frank to talk about the legacy of his first big book, "Made to Stick," and his new passion project, a podcast interviewing real people working real jobs that they love. 

We’ll discuss:

• The surprising...

Trubek is an author, publisher and entrepreneur who’s been the driving force being an independent book publisher since 2012. She blogs about her experiences on Substack at notesfromasmallpress.substack.com. 

We’ll discuss: 

• Why publishing is “slow motion gambling,” and how she manages to stay afloat
• How she finds new authors — including one who published her first book at a...

We asked listeners to tell us about groups and individuals making a difference in their communities. The response was incredible.

We heard so many amazing stories about everyday heroes doing powerful work. It was no easy task, but we eventually narrowed the list for our award down to three organizations: Hearts & Hooves of Chattanooga, Tenn., Just Keep Smiling of Gardendale, Ala., and Joshua’s Place of South Lebanon, ...