Flip It On Its Head

It took some time, but having my first Tik Tok influencer as a guest on FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD was certainly worth the wait. Kellee Knighten Hough, who by trade is a theater actress, has spent the better part of 14 years using her online presence to discuss the importance of voting, of participating in this country's electoral process. From blog posts on her MySpace page to her now viral Tik Tok's, some of which get over one million views, she uses her distinctive and sometimes confrontational style to try and edify watchers on not being indifferent to the role they play in our country and the laws we all live with. We discuss low voter turnout, shifting demographics, White supremacy and its impact on the Republican party and the need to not lose hope, but to VOTE HEAUX! She yells, she cajoles, she informs, she confronts and she always, always brings receipts! Kellee's social handles: TikTok: @bellekurve YouTube: @bellekurve IG: @kellebelle09 Twitter: @voteheaux Website: https://voteheaux.org/#!/ For anyone wanting non-partisan information on how to register to vote, to look up their own current registration or to find a polling place: https://www.vote.org

When you want to know the best way to support someone in your life who may be a member of a marginalized community, you could do no better than to ask a smart, compassionate and accomplished member of said community. And that's precisely who we have on FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD, Christopher Oldi joins us for a little "Queer 101" as well as helping us understand what's happening to Transgender kids as they face a cycle of discrimination that always seems to land on members of the LGBTQ crowd. On this Transgender Awareness Week, getting Chris' input means a lot. His career as the LGBTQ staff attorney for Legal Services of Hudson Valley, New York gives him the bona fides to share some important insights at a time when support for young people on the margins is so desperately needed. GLAAD Transgender Resources: https://glaad.org/transgender/resources/

I dip into my list of awesome friends for my guest on this episode of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD, author Dan Bredeson joins me to discuss his new book SEEDS OF CULTURE. Dan shares how what he learned growing up on farm in Wisconsin to be the best way to influence culture in any organization. But we also dive into his life as a farm kid, and how from those humble beginnings went on to being a sales leader at a Fortune 500 company, a stay-at-home-dad home schooling his kids through COVID, and a graduate student securing a masters degree in organizational development. And each step on his journey required him to do something that many of us struggle with, trusting his instincts. If you need some encouragement trusting your gut, trusting that looking at something in your life differently might be a challenge, then this is the episode for you to listen to. Dan's book, SEEDS OF CULTURE, can be found here: https://greenleafbookgroup.com/titles/seeds-of-culture

Friends, I've got a special cross-over episode of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Jonathan Catherman, host of the RAISING THEM READY podcast and my good pal, shares an episode of his pod featuring IHRA Motorsports Hall of Fame member Doug Herbert. Doug is a racing legend, but it's what he's done off the track that made me want to share this remarkable conversation from RAISING THEM READY. After losing both is teenage sons in the same tragic, high speed auto accident, he committed to turning his tragedy into others salvation by starting the B.R.A.K.E.S. Foundation. Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe operates a driving academy to teach teens and their parents about the importance of being safe and responsible drivers. Through corporate sponsorships with partners like Kia Motors, Doug and his team offer these academies free of charge throughout the nation. He's an amazing person and his story will certainly resonate with those of us who have young drivers in our homes. And Jonathan is a thoughtful and great podcast host and author who also provides parents with tools to raise young people to be more confident and kind adults. I encourage everyone to listen and get involved with B.R.A.K.E.S. and to throw a follow on RAISING THEM READY. You won't be sorry! Doug Herbert's foundation, B.R.A.K.E.S. https://putonthebrakes.org/home Jonathan Catherman's pod, RAISING THEM READY https://open.spotify.com/show/5vkXRLy3YwYavEINCW8Ww3?si=a5bdca14bebc4e04 Jonathan's website featuring all his best selling books https://thecathermans.com

Imagine starting the chapter of your life just after college, ready to tackle the world and a new career only to start losing your eyesight. On this episode of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD we hear about this very scenario from Sonya Chapnick. In the very prime of her young adulthood, Sonya was diagnosed with a degenerative retinal disorder that would eventually lead to blindness. She shares the immense embarrassment and humiliation she felt having to explain her underperformance to her employer, and how this revelation transformed her entire perspective on life and career. But despite these difficulties, Sonya has not allowed her visual impairment to hinder her achievements or her passion. She has creatively, and with so much bravery, continuously showcased her remarkable resilience and determination throughout her life. Sonya's journey is such a great example of strength and perseverance in the face of adversity, one that is sure to inspire! Sonya's online Yoga Therapy practice Yoga Gently: https://www.yogagently.com

I'm so glad to welcome Dr. Amy Cooter, Director of Research, Academic Development and Innovation for the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at Middlebury College to discuss her area of expertise, the modern militia movement in the U.S. and its ties to political violence and domestic extremism. Dr. Cooter's years of study included spending time with actual militia members in the state of Michigan and what she discovered may surprise those who think of militias as a monolith of government hating Americans. Hers is an important voice on a topic that has reach into our present climate, and if we're to play a part in seeming the potential violence that appears to be brewing between political divides, I'm just grateful she has shared it with us on FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD. Show Notes: Essays Dr. Cooter's essay in American Scientific; Citizen Militias in the U.S. Are Moving toward More Violent Extremism - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/citizen-militias-in-the-u-s-are-moving-toward-more-violent-extremism/ Secy. Hillary Rodham Clinton's essay in The Atlantic: The Weaponization of Loneliness - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/hillary-clinton-essay-loneliness-epidemic/674921/ Books Nazis of Copley Square, by Charles R. Gallagher - https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674983717 Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism, by Jeffrey Toobin - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Homegrown/Jeffrey-Toobin/9781668013571

Hey friends, a quick shout out to let you know that I'm taking a little break to enjoy the summer with my family. A new episode will be in the feed soon. Thanks for listening!

If there's an issue that won't change until we all start looking at it differently it's race. And my guest, Glodean Champion, has decided she has had enough of the old ways that have been tried before. Her TEDx Talk, ENOUGH WITH RACE ALREADY, IT'S TIME FOR A NEW SOCIAL CONSTRUCT, takes a brave look at how love is the only antidote for the ills that have plagued us for far too long. Her journey through corporate America, the U.S. Navy, and living and working abroad has shaped her role as a thought leader and put her in a place where she is ready to be vulnerable with others in an effort to show them a way to look past race and see one another as God intended. Not an easy task or conversation, but I'm certain you'll be glad you listened. Glodean's TEDx Talk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8RAte5P4SOw My essay: In America, Our Ugly History Of Racism Isn't On Shuffle, It's On Repeat: https://medium.com/@reesegolchin/in-america-our-ugly-history-of-racism-isnt-on-shuffle-it-s-on-repeat-63aa777675a8

On a weekend when we celebrate America's birthday, FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD welcomes Roger Bennett, the co-host of the MEN IN BLAZERS podcast and NBC show, to discuss his unique journey to becoming an American citizen. Growing up in Liverpool, England in the 1980's was a grim experience, but Roger had his dreams of the America that MTV, Miami Vice and the Chicago Bears told him all about. And he turned that dream into a reality, becoming a citizen in 2018. We talk about being an immigrant and all that it means, as well as discussions of our beloved football. Roger Bennett's memoir, (RE)BORN IN THE USA, can be found here, and I encourage you to find it in a local bookstore near you: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/reborn Check out the MEN IN BLAZERS website: https://meninblazers.com/ Roger hosts ROAD TO THE CUP, with USWNT Captain Becky Sauerbrunn. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QaEEky2OHi8GZYElq43ro?si=457259b868df4ac5

There's an all-too painful reality of our time right now, it it's got to do with guns used in mass shootings in the United States of America. No other industrialized nation deals with this issue the way we do, and it's become so pervasive that gun deaths are now the leading cause of death for children in this country but rank no higher than fifth in other countries. Someone who knows this painful fact all too well is Melody Herzfeld, who was in her classroom at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14th, 2018 when a gunman entered with an AR-15 assault rifle and murdered 14 students and 3 teachers. And while she bravely recounts the horror of that day in a transparent attempt to shine a light on a path forward to dealing with guns, she also discusses how she and her kids threw themselves into theater, music, art as a way to start to heal. And how the New York Broadway community came to their aid, right when they needed it most. FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD is so lucky and pleased to have Melody as a guest, I hope everyone listens with an open mind and an open heart. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Theater students perform SEASONS OF LOVE from RENT at the 2018 Tony Awards. https://youtu.be/FUP4jY8kOGg After Parkland: What we've learned tracking school shootings for 5 years Perspective piece in The Washington Post, by John Woodrow Cox and Stephen Rich https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/14/school-shootings-parkland-5th-anniversary/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_the7&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F391e765%2F63eb76e51b79c61f8791098d%2F596bd0409bbc0f403f97be09%2F28%2F53%2F63eb76e51b79c61f8791098d&wp_cu=46a673f28ca5fff7258d8a311d1107b1%7C1a1f923a-45af-11e0-a478-1231380f446b

If you're at all like me, you are not only never done learning, but you'll take your education wherever you can. Well, I got an education recently from four of the most remarkable high school students and I wanted nothing more than for them to educate all our listeners. I'm so happy to welcome Phoebe, Stephanie, Madison and Sydney, all high school Seniors at William A. Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, to FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD. I had the pleasure of watching and listening to them present the Senior A.P. Research projects, thanks to their wonderful A.P. Research Advisor, Mrs. Jackie Smith. These four thoughtful, engaged and diligent young people will absolutely wow you with what they uncovered in their projects and through their research. As one of their last acts in their high school careers, they sat down with me at our local library for my very first live and multi-guest episode ever. You're gonna love listening to them, I promise! Malcolm Gladwell's episode of Revisionist History about Brown v Board of Education titled Miss Buchanan's Period of Adjustment https://open.spotify.com/episode/5oTapxBG4wPgqOepnfzM9U?si=RJOt2Kc6T_CB9kBNSMh3uw Jonathan Catherman's wonderful podcast Raising Them Ready, available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4mXt4KadeqbnOuoi597Uq6?si=OIM8kZ3PQCqbu8QaEv70rg or wherever you get your podcasts.

Lots of people make career changes, even I've made what I believe is a significant one, but no one I know has made one as drastic and impactful as my old friend Cameron Sellers. After a career in the United States Army where he rose to the rank of Colonel in the Civil Affairs Division, serving in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Korea, he retired and yielded to a calling he felt deeply to become a Catholic priest. And if that isn't enough of a fascinating journey, there's also the part where Cameron was born in Seoul, South Korea and immediately left at an orphanage. After being adopted by his parents who raised him in Arizona, his journey of assimilation countered his questions about his cultural identity and, most importantly, his purpose. But at every step of that journey he took opportunities to look at his life differently and, most importantly, trust his instincts and his guides to lead him where he knows he needs to be. Anyone making a significant change, in their career or their personal life, could do worse than to listen to Cameron on this episode of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD. The show that brought Cameron and I together, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA streams on Peacock. https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/battlestar-galactica/8522076936060621112

When was the last time you purchased a newspaper? I mean a legit walk-up-to-the-news-stand-plunk-your-money-down-and-get-the-paper experience. I bet it's been a minute. And that's precisely why my guest, veteran New York Times journalist Nick Madigan, is the perfect person to join FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD to discuss the state of newspapers in the age of the internet. Nick's 45 year career, primarily with the Times as well as stints with the Palm Beach Post and the Baltimore Sun and others gives him the kind of perspective that will help us all look at how we consume news. With the advent of click bait, pay walls, Twitter and Tik Tok, newspapers continue to be the most important source of vital information we all need to process this moment in our history. HIDDEN BRAIN: "Who Foots The Bill When Newspapers Disappear?" December, 2018. By Shankar Vedantam, Rhaina Cohen & Tara Boyle https://www.npr.org/2018/12/09/675092808/starving-the-watchdog-who-foots-the-bill-when-newspapers-disappear "Struggling Communities Hardest Hit By Decline In Local Journalism", Medill School of Journalism Research Project on state of local news https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/news/2022/struggling-communities-hardest-hit-by-decline-in-local-journalism.html

Can you imagine standing on a stage, alone, with just a mic in your hand and trying to make people laugh? Now imagine not being able to dream of doing anything else! Steve Mazan is a working comic, and for the past 20+ years he has devoted his life to the pursuit of his comedy career. And just when his career had gotten off the launch pad in the early 2000's, he was diagnosed with a form of liver cancer that could very well have ended his life. But his bigger concern was that he would die before getting booked to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman. But instead of letting his diagnosis waylay his pursuit, he got creative and determined and made it his mission to get booked on his comedy hero's show, and all of it is the subject of a wonderful documentary called Dying To Do Letterman. Steve's journey makes for a great watch, it's truly inspirational and we talk about that and a host of other bits of his story on this edition of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD. Find the documentary about Steve's journey, DYING TO DO LETTERMAN, here: https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Do-Letterman-Steve-Mazan/dp/B00AHSLH0C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QEMEW27MPWJ0&keywords=dying+to+do+letterman&qid=1681813642&s=digital-text&sprefix=dying+to+do+letterman%2Cdigital-text%2C73&sr=1-1

Holy Week seemed like a great time to share my conversation with Father Ed Beck, an author, playwright and, most importantly, a Passionist Roman Catholic priest who also doubles as the Faith & Religion Commentator for CNN and other major news outlets. Father Ed and I met at my old parish in Los Angeles and have known one another for a minute. I've turned to him for advice and guidance as a practicing Catholic, a religion I was raised with, left as an 18-year-old, only to return to in my early 30's. When I asked Ed to join me on FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD, I'd planned on asking him to shed light on why so many people seem to be looking at religion differently over these past few decades as participation in organized religion has dwindled. But like a lot of good conversations with smart people, our chat turned into something bigger than I'd planned. Like many Catholics who were horrified by the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church revealed by reporting in the Boston Globe in 2002, I had to decide if I was going to look at my own journey of faith differently. Ed and I did not shy away from having a frank discussion about the Church's failings and how it affected many of the faithful, to say nothing of those who were the victims of abuse. I appreciate Father Ed's candor and expertise and hope everyone who listens feels the same. Father Ed Beck's writings can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Edward-L.-Beck/author/B001ILIDFE?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY IS DUE FOR A REVIVAL, by Timothy Keller https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/christianity-secularization-america-renewal-modernity/672948/

The debut episode of FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD features a wonderful conversation with my old friend, entrepreneur Lori Barzvi who created a business based on a product she developed that, after many years of fits and starts and ups and downs, she learned how to sell on Amazon. After successfully marketing and selling her product, it blossomed into an entire brand that a larger business purchased from her for $2M. But the success she achieved only came after she bore the brunt of grief and loss. Lori lost her brother, Guy Barzvi, on 9/11, and a few short years after that her father lost his battle with cancer. Despite encountering the types of roadblocks that could have been the reasons to give up, she persisted in honor of her brother and her father. Her story will make anyone starting an endeavor whose conclusion is uncertain want to keep going no matter the challenge. RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS), by Beyonceé Knowles, Terius Nash, Adidja Palmer, Thomas Wesley Pentz, David Taylor and Nick van de Wall

FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD is a compelling podcast that features inspiring conversations with individuals who have managed to overcome life's challenges and turn them into opportunities for growth and transformation simply by looking at things differently. Hosted by Reese Golchin, a Gen-X husband and father living in a small, Southern town of 13,000, this show explores various aspects of life, including personal, professional, and spiritual journeys, through the lens of those who have experienced them firsthand. Throughout the the show, you'll hear from a diverse range of guests like: entrepreneurs who have overcome failure performers who have faced life-threatening illnesses individuals who have grappled with challenging issues within their faith communities And so many, many more! Each episode will be a powerful testament to the human spirit and the resilience that we all possess. Whether you're looking for inspiration to make changes in your own life, or simply enjoy hearing stories of triumph over adversity, FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD is the perfect podcast for anyone interested in learning how to look at life a bit differently. Tune in to hear honest, thought-provoking conversations that will leave you feeling inspired and empowered to take on whatever challenges come your way.