The Reaching Higher Podcast

What happens when your professional mission and your deepest personal loss become the same thing? Phyllis Barkman Ferrell — former Eli Lilly executive, global health architect, and relentless Alzheimer’s advocate — knows firsthand. Six months after taking over Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio in 2011, her father was diagnosed. Eighteen months later, her father-in-law was too. That loss became the fuel for a 30-year career and,...

What if the most powerful tool for your mental and physical health has been with you your entire life? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Charlie Baldwin, a certified breathing instructor with the Art of Living — a global wellness organization founded in 1981, now active in over 185 countries.

During this episode, Charlie shares his remarkable journey from a college student battling depression and nearly dropping out, to a tr...

What if the most powerful cancer-fighting tools aren't found in a pharmacy, but in your daily habits? In this episode, Aaron sits down with Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, a pioneer in integrative oncology who has spent nearly 30 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center blending conventional cancer care with evidence-based lifestyle interventions.

Dr. Cohen introduces us to the "Mix of Six" — six lifestyle pillars that can meaningfully reduce canc...

In this special crossover episode, Aaron trades his usual hosting chair for the guest seat alongside "Joyosity" author Jenn Whitmer — and the two are interviewed by none other than bestselling author and Non-Obvious Company founder Rohit Bhargava. What unfolds is a rich, candid conversation about two books, two missions, and one shared conviction: that humanity — joy, purpose, belonging, and genuine human connection — is the most p...

Aaron and Justin cover a remarkable amount of ground, from Justin's early days as a clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown (where he and Aaron first crossed paths) to his decision to quit a stable law professorship and launch the California Innocence Project in 1999. Justin explains what compelled him to visit a young woman on death row in Illinois who claimed innocence — and how that single visit changed the trajectory of his life...

Chef Christine Ha — MasterChef Season 3 winner, New York Times bestselling cookbook author, restaurateur, and disability advocate — joins Aaron Strout for a deeply moving and inspiring conversation. Christine shares how losing her mother at 14, gradually losing her sight to neuromyelitis optica, and competing on the world's biggest cooking stage all shaped the chef, author, and advocate she is today. From the kitchen of her Houston...

In this deeply moving episode, host Aaron Strout sits down with Luke Mickelson, founder of nonprofit "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" (SHP) — the organization behind the powerful mission: "No kid sleeps on the floor in our town."

What started in Luke's Idaho garage after discovering local children sleeping on piles of clothes has grown into a global movement with over 400 chapters across the US and four countries, delivering hundreds o...

What does it take to go from a terminal diagnosis to transforming an entire industry? In this episode, we sit down with Kathy Giusti — two-time cancer survivor, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), Harvard Business School faculty member, and author of Fatal to Fearless — to talk about adopting a CEO mindset when navigating a cancer diagnosis, breaking down silos in healthcare, and why curing cancer is as much...

Today’s guest is someone who truly embodies what it means to reach higher—Chef Aaron Sanchez. I met Chef Aaron Sanchez about 15 years ago at his friend's restaurant in New Orleans. My family and I had discovered him on the Food Network's show, Chopped back in 2009 and he was one of our favorites.

Over the years, we kept in touch and he was gracious enough to be a guest on my previous What2Know (which morphed into the Real Chemis...

In this episode, Aaron Strout sits down with Alaina Percival, co‑founder of Women Who Code to explore her journey from global brand management at companies like Puma and Versace to building one of the world’s most influential communities for women in tech.

During the conversation, Alaina shares how teaching herself to code sparked a mission that ultimately supported women across 147 countries before Women Who Code transitioned o...

This week I did a thing. I launched a book I've been working on for the last 10 months. Hell, you might say I've been working on it for the last 30+ years. It's a codification of all the things I've learned over the course of my life, starting with my parents and marching up to my last boss, mentor and good friend, Jim Weiss.

Since both the book: Wired for Purpose and the Reaching Higher Podcast overlap in terms of their goals, I th...

In this episode of Reaching Higher, host Aaron Strout sits down with Dr. James McKowen, a clinical psychologist and addiction specialist at Mass General, to explore the evolving mental health challenges facing today’s youth. Dr. McKowen shares his unconventional journey from marine biology to youth addiction research, shaped by personal loss and deep scientific curiosity. Together, they unpack the misunderstood realities of youth a...

On this episode of The Reaching Higher Podcast, Aaron Strout sits down with legendary futurist Faith Popcorn for a mind‑bending conversation about cocooning, ethical consumerism, AI agents, corporate “troublemaking,” and the rapidly shifting social landscape. Faith unpacks how she predicts the far future with 95% accuracy, why bots will soon shop on our behalf, and how women are poised to reshape the global economy. From business i...

Today on the Reaching Higher podcast, we're joined by someone whose life story is as extraordinary as his talent, comedian, actor, storyteller, and Oakland native, Don Reed. Don's journey spans two radically different worlds, from a deeply religious upbringing to the chaotic vibrancy of his father's street-level hustle, ultimately shaping a performer with unmatched empathy, range, and heart.

He went from navigating moral extreme...

Today's guest is not only a dear friend, but also someone who has spent her career standing at the intersection of health, economics, technology, and humanity. That’s right, I’m talking about Jane Sarasohn Kahn who is a renowned health economist, trend weaver, author, and global educator whose voice has shaped how we think about healthcare in the modern era.

From launching her influential blog Health Populi—now home to more than...

On this episode we’re joined by actor and advocate Tyler Ritter, whose path has been anything but ordinary.

The son of beloved comedian John Ritter, Tyler forged his own journey—stepping away from Hollywood after his father’s passing to teach English in Argentina, where he immersed himself in a cooperative community and met his future wife. That time abroad reshaped his understanding of purpose and ultimately reignited his passi...

In this conversation, host Aaron Strout interviews Amy Webb, a quantitative futurist, who discusses her unique role in advising Fortune 100 CEOs and global leaders on future trends. They explore the importance of grounding narratives in data, the challenges of communicating foresight effectively, and the evolution of her initiative, Spark Camp. Amy also shares insights on emerging trends in computing and reflects on her experiences...

In this episode of Reaching Higher, Gary Vaynerchuk reflects on his journey from a Belarusian immigrant to a globally recognized entrepreneur. He discusses how a scarcity‑filled yet love‑rich childhood shaped his grit, curiosity, and drive to build. Gary shares why he left Wine Library to create VaynerMedia, his belief that leaders must embrace AI rather than resist it, and how transparency—through projects like DailyVee—builds tru...

In this conversation, Dr. Vanessa Kerry discusses her journey in global health, influenced by her early experiences in countries like Vietnam, Uganda, and Rwanda. She emphasizes the importance of addressing health inequities and the need for a robust healthcare workforce. As the co-founder of Seed Global Health, she shares insights on training healthcare workers and the organization's mission to improve health systems. Dr. Kerry al...