Adding Context

Jess Zafarris is many things. An author, a lover of words, an editor, and so much more. She recently released “Words from Hell,” a book on the origins of words. Written with a blend of fact and snark, it is highly improbable for you to finish it without laughing and coming away with a new respect for both our more common and more obscure words. We covered a spectrum of words from the subdued words like shenanigans to the more color...

Scott Beuerlein went from working for Delta Airlines to turning his hobby and passion into a new career as the Manager of Botanical Outreach and a hortoculturist at the Cincinnati Zoo. He did something many hope they can, to live by the adage, “If you find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” We spoke about his adoration for all things botany, his love of the environment, and how we can both h...

Karen Simmons CEO/Founder of Autism Today Foundation, author of several books including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs. She has been on a mission crossing three decades in advancing awareness and strategies for individuals that are neurodiverse and/or on the Autism spectrum. We spoke about what drove her into becoming an advocate (being the mother of an autistic child) and how she continually adapts to the c...

Jordan Waggoner is a just a guy from rural Minnesota, with a little bit of property and some horses. He, to his surprise, accidently gathered nearly half a million followers on TikTok. His content of choice? Pretty much everything. Science? Check. Random stories? Check. History? Check. He just puts his thoughts out to the world and the people like it. 

Please check out his content and his website, https://linktr.ee/off_jawaggon.

We are back! Our apologies for the extended hiatus. We return with a “2-fer.” This episode I spoke to Jean Dvorak and Vivian Scavo, two women I have known for many years. Two women who are true educators. Two women who helped me try to grasp the current state of education. Given headlines across the nation of hyperbolic nonsense and cringe worthy anti-intellectualism, I wanted to talk to people who actually are in the classroom. As...

This episode’s guest is DeTravis Bethea. Detravius is an old friend, we both “took the scenic route” after high school. He is an attorney, business coach, public speaker, entrepreneur, educator, and more these days. DeTravius moved to my hometown in 8th grade, after moving 5 times during his K-8th years! He is living proof people are more than their class rank or GPA in school. He shows that with personal drive, you can become what...

Debbie Peterson’s story reads like some dark noir script from the ’30s. Full of intrigue, shady backroom deals, and death, possibly murder?! Debbie is, like me, a wearer of many hats. Of her many ventures in life, she is a mother, a 2X Best Selling Author, a well-established entrepreneur, an orator, an atypical politician, an educator, and just a pleasant person to chat with! Check out her link tree for all her socials, books, podc...

Charles Chadwick is a former college student who experienced the challenges many others face in these times of predatory college lending. He made the decision to use his trials to help others. Charles has two degrees but he also learned a trade before going to college. 

He believes that learning a trade can add more value given today’s very competitive job market as it adds marketable and tangible skills to one’s resume. Careers ...

Nick Klingensmith has received “bad news” more than he cares to count. Obstacles seem to find a way of appearing before him, although now, they more often come on his terms. Battling cancer four times, type-1 diabetes, a litany of physical injuries including herniated discs and torn chest ligaments, and the demons of alcoholism, he shifted his perspective from that of a victim long ago. Now he faces self-imposed challenges of Spart...

Roger Smith is the “unlikely leader.” His life story is full of peaks and valleys, an incredible mix of productivity and addiction, and a turnaround worthy of a Hallmark movie. From a high school dropout to a CEO, something that seems to be an essential element for some of the most successful people like “Auntie Anne” Beiler and Ralph Lauren. Roger has taken the less-than-orthodox lessons he learned on the streets and intertwined t...

Jackie London is a Registered Dietitian (RD), a New York State Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN), an author, and the former head of Nutrition & Wellness for Weight Watchers, these are just some of her titles. We spoke about a number of aspects of personal health and nutrition. Given her extensive background, she shared her knowledge on ways we can improve our health by small changes to what we eat. We spoke about some of the “...

Marlene Sharp hails from the entertainment town of New Orleans. After college, she wanted a change of pace, so she headed out west to LA, for a different kind of entertainment. In the time she has spent building her resume, she has held several positions in the gaming and video industries. She has worked for Sega of America in a number of production capacities, most notably developing SONIC the Hedgehog from a game to an animated s...

Geoffrey D. Calhoun is an award-winning screenwriter. When not writing his own original scripts, he is a sought-after consultant and re-writer. He also enjoys teaching newer writers how to sharpen their skills in storytelling. Through his seminars, his book, and his podcast, he explores all elements of narrative storytelling to help writers create pitch-ready scripts. Tune in to hear about his experiences in the industry and some n...

Nick Loper is an author, entrepreneur, and a lifelong student in the game of business. Through his personal experiences, he has amassed a nuanced knowledge of how to properly navigate the side hustle. He shares his ideas and thoughts on his website, his podcast, in his TED talk, in his books. He thrives on helping people better understand the “Side Hustle” and how to help choose the right for them. The “gig economy” is growing expo...

Melanie Gibson is a martial artist and an author among her many titles. She has been to some dark places, as many of us have. She shares her journey from her “madness” in her book, “Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts. She wants to use her experiences and the methods she employed to get to a better, healthier place to help others. We spoke about the slow deteriorating stigma that envelopes many aspects of me...

Dan Henk is a talented, multi-medium artist. Raised under a conservative roof, he grew into a punk rockin’ tattoo artist. His well-traveled life has provided him with a wealth of experiences and traumas that come with being human. Dan is a survivor of many obstacles including cycling accidents, being stabbed, and brain cancer. Dan is a painter, an illustrator, a tattoo artist, an author, and much more. Find his various works on his...

David Fishof is a walking example of a self-made success story. From the Catskills to Los Angeles and around the world, he has been the guy behind the scenes. He is an entertainment architect that knows how to put together not just a show, but all-out tours. He revived groups like the Monkees and the Association with sensational tours. He has represented athletes as an agent on the side of being a music promoter. He is not just the...