But Enough About Me...

When things fall apart, how do you know if it's your fault? John Richardson is a financial planner, boy scout leader, mentor, and husband. His relentless optimism makes him easy to like, but it's his deep integrity that makes him a good man.

Do emotions have sounds? Does Joy? Or Grief? Bob Farnsworth is the president and creative director of Hummingbird Productions. If you can still sing the Skip-It song or know how many frogs it takes to promote beer, you know Bob's work, but you you'll have to listen closely to know Bob.

How many cities can you live in without ever finding "home?" Brian Hendrix is a veteran, husband, father, grand-father, IT professional, naturalist and avid bird watcher. He has traveled all over the world, but chose middle TN to be his home.

How much abuse can one person take before they "snap?" Sarah LaFever is a wife, mother, and credit fraud analyst. Her story is one of harrowing abuse, self destruction, and redemption. The most amazing part is the woman that came through all of it.

What does childhood look like without parents? Mike Guzman is husband, father, and a blue collar professional. His story is one of early childhood pain and loss, ill-advised coping mechanisms, and well-timed mentors. He has an upbeat, often hilarious take on things that most of us would struggle to even imagine.

How would you go about developing super powers? Dave Whitley is a husband, father, speaker, coach, and instructor. He also happens to be a literal strong man performing feats of strength for audiences all over the world.

How do you know the difference between a "lucky break" and well earned recognition? Consistency. Ben Hockey is a husband, & father of 5. His life has taken him from Australia to Nashville, New Jersey, and Colorado. No matter what he decides to do, Ben is successful because of his deep curiosity and his generous heart.

When given the option, why do we knowingly choose the more difficult path? Sally Beasley is a wife, mother, conservationist, and educator. In addition, she spends time volunteering with the crisis pregnancy group Portico, as well as on her passion project, Hiking4Him (https://www.facebook.com/hiking4Him/).

What should a second act look like? What does it take to overhaul the parts of life that just aren't working? Jacques Sirois has lived two very different lives. He grew up in the middle of a huge family in Vermont, and spent years as the primary caregiver for his aging parents. When that role ended, he made huge changes that have lead to a joy and freedom in life he'd not previously experienced.

How much of an impact can a single act of kindness have? Can one conversation change the course of a life? Pastor Henry Mugarula Solomon is a Ugandan pastor, husband, and father to four children. He is educated, respected, and a leader. To the homeless, parent-less child growing up on the streets of Kampala years earlier, that would have seemed impossible.

Where you begin does not dictate where you finish. A quick read of Andrew Morton's childhood would leave you prepared for a very dark punchline: poverty, instability, abuse, and a series of "step-fathers." But that's just where things begin, not where they finish.

What is it like to have the happiest day of your life turn into a nightmare you can't wake up from? Bryn Sierra is a California loving daughter of the Navy, a teacher, and administrator. She's happily married with two beautiful daughters, but was the birth of her first daughter that triggered postpartum depression and anxiety, and lead her straight into the darkest days of her life.

Regret is poison. Avoiding it is the work of a lifetime. Dr. Charles Marable is a family doctor, father, and my friend. He has lost much in his one-man crusade against the broken model of care in modern medicine... but those losses aren't something he'll blame on others, nor is he willing to accept them as a done-deal.

Lots of kids dream about bright lights in the big city. Not all of them follow that dream with so much purpose and dedication. Jamie Yost is a Tennessee native from a rural, farming community who went to some pretty extraordinary lengths to get a chance at being on the radio. Her experiences in her tiny home town and in Nashville radio has given her plenty of hilarious stories to share.

Does becoming a rock star change you? What if you're a preacher's son and barely old enough to vote? By any estimation, Jon Thatcher is a not your typical rock star. He's soft spoken, wears nondescript clothing, has zero social media presence, and your car is probably fancier than his. Also, Jon is gentle, kind, and deeply thoughtful. He also has an absolutely wicked English sense of humor that can take your knees straight out from under you.

When life and circumstances conspire to steal your stability and joy, how do you continue to find beauty? Maranda Stebbins is an artist, daughter, sister and friend. She's gotten to travel across the country and even the world in pursuit of her craft, but it was in the most difficult circumstances of her life that she was able to find something beautiful, painful, and completely human.

If a doctor used the phrase "not compatible with life" to describe your baby girl, how would you respond? Eric Brown is a Nashville based photographer, husband and father. Until becoming a parent, nothing about his life would have stood out as being totally unique, but when his third daughter was diagnosed with Alobar holoprosencephaly, Eric and his family experienced the deepest levels of grief, but also discovered disproportionate joy.

Who do you want leading and teaching your children in your absence? Intentionally seeking out and identifying the sort of integrity and wisdom I want in my kids lives has been a non-stop job... but not an impossible one. Craig Hargrow exudes those qualities. He is humble, forthright, gentle and strong. What does it take to raise a man like that? What sort of parents? Experiences? Which struggles do you allow and which do you protect from? Forget the kids, how can I be more like Craig when I grow up?

For modern women, having both a successful career and a family isn't an impossibility, but that doesn't mean it comes easily. Amy Atkin has been a mother, wife, and executive, and she always jumps in with both feet. In fact, she seems to thrive on going "all-in." While that strategy can lead to phenomenal success, it can also result in sudden and complete collapse.

Humans seem to have a built in preference for extremes. We don't often rest in a central position. Andy makes most people look mellow. Whether in sports as a kid, music as a teen and twenty-something, or philanthropy as an adult, Andy Meldrum is a man of passionate extremes. He knows nothing of half-measures. Where that comes from and the effect it has on himself and those around him is a fascinating story... with some unexpected twists.

Lots of people can make lemonade out of lemons, but a select few can make lemon meringue pie. Bree Reynolds was born with all of the qualifications for justified self-pity: poverty, divorced parents, and a birth defect... But that's just not her style. She's tough, tenacious, faith-filled, and very funny. Underestimate her at your peril!

Legacy is a curious thing. It's almost impossible to control what we actually pass to our children. Israel Anthem grew up in a family of successful Christian musicians. The legacy being passed to him and his sisters was clear from the start: faith, music, and success. But there was more to the legacy than just that... and escaping it would be a matter of life and death.

What does it take to be "successful" in life? Obviously, that depends on how you define success. No matter how you define it, George Gecowets is a success. His story is so quintessentially "American Dream" that it's a bit hard to believe it's not from a Jimmy Stewart movie. He's a veteran, businessman, writer, educator, father, and husband. He's also my uncle... And everyone should have an uncle like my Uncle George.

"Hitting bottom" is a phrase we toss around pretty casually. What does hitting bottom really look like? Corey Trimble, like millions of Americans, grew up in a "broken home." After his parent's called the family together to announce their decision to divorce, Corey's downward spiral began in earnest. The journey from that family meeting in Mt. Juliet to pastor of a large church in Murfreesboro was anything but a straight line.

Some stories are graphic reminders of the awful things humans are capable of. Better stories remind us that we’re capable of overcoming the evil with good. Abdou Kattih grew up in Syria, long before the official beginning of the civil war. He witnessed, first hand, the events and attitudes that lead up to the violence we've seen in the last 8 years. How do those experiences shape the life and views of someone so young? What lasting impacts do they have on an extended family?

Dealing with an anorexia and bulimia is a huge struggle... but what do you do if you have never even heard of an eating disorder?  Krystal Cook grew up in an Amish community near the Canadian border. She shares her life story to this point, and how she was able to get help and overcome struggles her family didn't even have words for.