MILLER MEETS WORLD

I set out to work in renewable energy and joined Sunrun to do my part to create a planet Run by the Sun. According to Bloomberg, Americans are poised to set new a rooftop solar record despite the coronavirus. Solar appeals to a broad set of values, is surging and Sunrun is leading the way. Do you want to know your potential for going solar?

We love our police officers. The level of scrutiny concerning use of force and racial justice is at a potentially climactic level. It's been tough to witness the accelerated deterioration in public trust. There is plenty of blame to go around as so many lives have been lost or changed forever, many instances caught on tape no less. What do police do and what should police do to take better care of themselves physically, mentally and emotionally? What policy or training can make them peace officers rather than warriors? Southern California Law Enforcement Officer, Garett Te Slaa joined me to talk about his mission to help the law enforcement community (and first responders) improve their health and wellness. One of his platforms is The Squad Room Podcast, where I fist heard him address really important issues from a very balanced perspective.

Throw out the stereotypes because the Boomer generation is breaking the mold. We are entering an era in which 52 million, or 17% (and rising) of Americans are over 65 and in the early stage of life's Third Age. From their attitudes and behaviors to how they wield their economic, political, cultural and social power, this generation is larger and more dynamic than any before. Bob Morison is a Senior Advisor for Age Wave (www.agewave.com), an organization dedicated to researching and reframing retirement. Bob and Ken Dychtwald are coauthors of the new book, What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age, culminating thirty years of research on aging and retirement, available now on Amazon.com. Age Wave recently cosponsored research with Harris Poll and financial services firm, Edward Jones (Four Pillars of the New Retirement). Their 10-part series is currently running on Forbes.com.

Simoon Dixon is the CEO of Idea Engineering (https://www.ideaengineering.com), a branding and strategic communications agency, and the creative force behind The Relational Intersect (https://www.therelationalintersect.org), a platform for discussing community. I subscribe to his newsletter where he addresses important issues from a unique perspective blending personal anecdotes, human observation and corporate responsibility. He grew up in England and has lived on both coasts of the US for all of his adult life. Simon has a good heart, is an optimist and has great faith in the human race. I've learned a lot from Simon, like an entirely new way to pronounce "aluminum" and a new word - "obverse". Enjoy the show!

Air Date 5/3/2020. We are never actually doing nothing, and we are ashamed to admit when we really are doing nothing, so Spike Gillespie and Steve Eckelman redefine "not doing" in their new book titled, Sleeping Bees: Why Doing Nothing Matters. As a public service during the pandemic, they are offering a free ebook download through May 15, 2020, at www.sleepingbees.com

Air date 4/28/2020. Luke plays Stargirl's step father, long time DC Comics Universe character, Pat Dugan in the new series, Stargirl, premiering Tuesday, May 19, on The CW Network. In this interview, you'll get some ideas for movies to watch as we talk films, a few of Luke's roles with SNL cast members and life in the biz.

Air date 4/23/2020. Dan Nathan is a CNBC Fast Money contributor, Principal of Risk Reversal Advisors, and co-host of In the Money With Fidelity Investments and Dan Nathan. The stock market seems disconnected from what so many people are experiencing during this time of crisis. Dan offers unique, professional perspective.

Air date 2/20/2020. Industrial farming has severely and negatively impacted the earth’s ecosystem. According to a 2015 Stanford report, the rate of global topsoil erosion is over 70%. But there’s a solution being implemented on a small scale right now - it’s called Regenerative Agriculture. It’s a method of land stewardship that directly and positively affects soil health, water quality and biodiversity. It also significantly cuts the emissions of the other two, and even more concentrated greenhouse gases of methane and nitrous oxide. I’m happy to share a regenerative agriculture story by welcoming Steve Finkel and Jesse Smith of White Buffalo Land Trust in the studio. They are part of global network of change agents and we had a very hopeful discussion.

Air date 2/4/2020. In Texas, license to carry and laws allowing guns in churches illustrate a culture that embraces firearms. So it’s important for civilians, security personnel and law enforcement alike to undergo intense, serious training to ensure safety for all. I wanted to experience this dynamic and visited Epic Shooting, Training & Tactical Defense Center in North Richland Hills, Texas, where Dr. Doug Ramsey and staff do their part to make their community safer. I learned some very interesting insights about improvements in training and tactics being implemented by law enforcement as well as not so obvious trends driving demand for this type of facility.

Air date 1/24/20. On a cool crisp cloudless day in late December 2019, I had my first equine therapy session in Pilot Point Texas with Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sara Willerson. and one of her herd, Domino. Through Horses, Heart & Soul, Sara helps kids, women, adults and veterans treat conditions such as anxiety and PTSD. Horses don't judge and being in their presence requires a level of awareness that leads to a state of openness and vulnerability. Sara has the training and skills to interpret and guide both patient and horse through this collaborative and soothing experience. For me, the results were undeniable.

1-22-2020. I’m honored to share the story of another important documentary film premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Bastard’s Road follows the healing journey of Marine Iraq War combat veteran Jon Hancock. Jon had the fortunate and unfortunate experience of fighting in the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. Ramadi was the center for insurgency in Iraq, Jon’s deployment troupe was called the Magnificent Bastards and 1 of every 4 members was either wounded or killed. The film follows Jon as he walks 6 thousand miles across the country to visit all of his battalion members or their family as a way to try and begin to adapt to a post combat civilian life. It is a detailed, graphic, personal and revealing look at the sometimes insurmountable challenge of returning to life after combat. Over 60 thousand veterans committed suicide from 2008 to 2017, and Jon attempted suicide, but fortunately he was unsuccessful.

1-20-2020. Overland is an amazing cross-cultural adventure of three Falconers who's individual stories help preserve world heritage. The film is considered a must see by critics attending the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and this episode is a great opportunity to go behind the scenes of the five year cinematic journey of husband and wife filmmakers Revere La Noue and Elisabeth Haviland James and two of the Falconers, Lauren McGough and Giovanni Granati. Audio Engineer: Justin Walker

1-17-2020. I had the privilege of screening and interviewing the filmmakers and cast of "The Prison Within." This documentary film is considered a must see by critics attending the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and is bringing awareness to a great cause: prison reform, specifically restorative justice through the Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG), a program of the Insight Prison Project at San Quentin California State Prison. Former inmates Sam, Troy and Michael are on an important journey that started with acknowledging trauma that led to their violent behavior, taking responsibility for the harm they’ve caused their victims so ALL can heal, and now, released from prison, helping prevent more violence. The film is directed by Katherin Hervey and co-produced by Erin Kenway and made its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Podcast Episode Audio Engineer: Justin Walker

David Silverander and Sky Gilbar, cofounders of Hitch, want to know: why do you continue to use a disposable cup and a reusable water bottle? Soon it will be much easier to answer their question and say, “I don’t.” Their mission led to the creation of the Hitch Courier: a reusable water bottle with a reusable coffee cup hidden inside. It’s a clever concept and an important story to follow. Visit www.carryhitch.com to see how easy it is to “carry better”, plant a tree and remove 100 plastic bottles from the ocean.

Air date 11/27/19. This is part 3 of a 3 part series on affordable housing. As the Santa Barbara Housing Authority celebrates it’s 50th birthday, CEO Rob Fredericks strikes a delicate balance among regulation, permitting, land value, demand and constituent voices. It’s going to require a lot of everything to get where we need to go and he has the ideas to get it done. In this interview we cover a lot of ground, including: disproportionate benefits of the mortgage interest deduction; successful implementation and need for more housing first; details of Johnson Court Veterans project on Carillo and the Garden Court Senior project on Hope; inclusionary model potential to help the missing middle; State Street density; AB 101 funding; use of potential local resources such as Carillo and 101, the Macy’s and Sears buildings and how funding sources such as corporate partners, philanthropists and public can combine to make progress.

Air date 11/27/19. This is part 2 of a 3 part series on affordable housing. William Russell is credited with turning around the Sarasota Housing Authority from one of the nation’s worst to one of the best. William's story starts with a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Maxwell School at Syracuse and follows a literal straight path down the East Coast and straight path up through the ranks with career stops in NYC housing and community development, as Deputy Asst Secretary to HUD and finally as the CEO of the Sarasota Housing Authority.

Air date 11/27/19. This is part 1 of a 3 part series on affordable housing. Peter Lewis is an active developer in Santa Barbara and the Western U.S. Solving the affordable housing crisis will require that investors be able to overcome the dynamic challenges of permitting, regulation, land value, and rent rates to make a profit on affordable units.

Air date 11/14/19. Shannon Kenny has a vision for improving travel through a better connection to local culture and people. Her journey creating and developing Prontopia is an exciting story of a fearless woman inspired by historical transformations and driven by sustainable values. Shannon has so much to share from a life traveling, running businesses and navigating the startup world, including golden nuggets from her experience in the Silicon Valley accelerator, Women’s Startup Lab, where she receives mentorship from Chris Yeh, co-author with Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn) of Blitzscaling. But this episode isn’t all business, we share some good laughs and just after the 32 minute mark, Shannon even answers a question I know you’ve been asking...about horse racing! I know you’ll enjoy my interview with Shannon.

Air date 10/28/19. This interview with Santa Barbara County 1st District Challenger, Laura Capps is Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 is an interview with Incumbent, Das Williams). In March 2020, Santa Barbara County residents will vote to either re-elect 1st District Supervisor Das Williams or pass the torch to challenger Laura Capps. Both are members of the Democratic party. Check out CappsforSupervisor.com to get involved and for campaign updates. In this episode Laura discusses her family and background (1:00), women in politics (3:00), work on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board and education (4:25), cannabis policy (11:25), affordable housing (14:00), energy (15:25), and her plan for good governance (18:50).

Air date 10/28/19. This interview with Santa Barbara County 1st District Supervisor, Das Williams is Part 1 (incumbent Williams) of 2 (challenger Capps). In March 2020, Santa Barbara County residents will vote to either re-elect 1st District Supervisor Das Williams or pass the torch to challenger Laura Capps. Both are members of the Democratic party. Check out DasWilliams2020.com to get involved and for campaign updates. In this episode Das discusses his motivation (1:00), county roles (2:30) response to natural disasters (3:00), family (7:00), housing (9:00), expedited rebuild (15:00), balanced budget and reductions (18:10), social services (23:25) gun control (26:35), cannabis policy (32:30), climate and energy (48:00), wrap up (55:00).

Air date 9/18/19. Part 2 of 2: I wanted to learn more about the healthcare landscape, policy and solutions so I could evaluate policy efforts of the current administration and democratic candidates. This is Part 2 of my interview with Dave Odell, owner or co-owner of several health care service provider businesses (Medbridge, Kinese, Elite Rehab, The Lab). In Part 1 we cover the background and foundation for Dave’s healthcare focus. In Part 2 we’ll go into the details of healthcare practice, administration and solutions. I hope they help you evaluate healthcare policy, but it won’t matter unless you make your position count and VOTE!

Air date 9/18/19. Part 1 of 2: I wanted to learn more about the healthcare landscape, policy and solutions so I could evaluate policy efforts of the current administration and democratic candidates. This is Part 1 of my interview with Dave Odell, owner or co-owner of several health care service provider businesses (MedBridge, Kinese, Elite Rehab, The Lab). In Part 1 we cover the background and foundation for Dave’s healthcare focus. In Part 2 we’ll go into the details of healthcare practice, administration and solutions. I hope they help you evaluate healthcare policy, but it won’t matter unless you make your position count and VOTE!

Air date 9/4/19. Homelessness is part of our national and local discourse. We all do our part by donating resources like food, clothes, time or money. The highest impact occurs through extra effort to connect and learn about individual circumstances. Mike and Sofia Tognotti are a Santa Barbara father and daughter duo who set out on a mission to make a deeper connection and in doing so learned there is a large percentage of homeless who are chronically unsheltered, recently or currently employed and lack the income necessary to obtain affordable housing, so they live in their cars. All remain connected or try to stay connected to society and services, and many have families. The New Beginning Counseling Center Safe Parking Program provides 150 spaces - from Santa Barbara to Goleta - for homeless living in cars to rest safely overnight. The Tognotti’s are sponsoring and administering the donation of solar powered lights and battery kits made by Unite to Light, a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to manufacture and distribute efficient, durable, low cost solar lamps to people without access to electricity. Unite to Light was founded by a UCSB professor, is Santa Barbara based and employs the buy one, donate one model. Support the Tognotti - Unite to Light - Safe Parking Program community partnership by donating to their Solar Light & Power for Homeless campaign: http://www.unitetolight.org/Donate/Homeless Unite to Light is currently running it’s Fall Fundraising Challenge. No matter where you are, it’s super easy to help bring light to the world and raise funds for your favorite project in your community: http://www.unitetolight.org/Fundraise

Air date 7/30/19. Abe takes us back to the January 9, 2018 Montecito Debris Flow with an insider’s viewpoint into the planning and response. Abe also shares how the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow shaped his vision for creating Community Self-Rescue (CSR), the system all communities and neighborhoods can adopt and implement in order to achieve coordination and collaboration when disaster strikes.

Air date 7/9/19. I recently interviewed Tim Cole, VP of Events for Mascot Sports. Based in Oakland, CA, Mascot is helping to define the evolution of running events by focusing on the experience, local partnerships and sustainability. Their impact is felt at the local, regional and national level. When Warner Brothers film studio decided to harness the positive demographics and enthusiasm of female runners to promote Wonder Woman the movie, Mascot got the call. Now, fresh off the successful five city run in California, The Wonder Woman Run Series is expanding to 10 more cities across the country. From comic book Icon to architectural Icon...Mascot just successfully executed the inaugural Bay Bridge Half Marathon. Now, Mascot is taking a minute to honor their roots and launch the Oakland Running Co. to celebrate and unite Oakland’s vibrant running community.

Tim Cole of Mascot Sports talks about the IMPACT of their events!

Air date 6/11/19. Community builder and leader, business titan, Power of Your Om yoga studio owner and instructor, triathlete, mother...Adrienne Smith tells us how she stays centered and focused so that she and the community can thrive!

Coming Soon - Smart and Spiritual conversation with Adrienne Smith, owner of Power of Your Om Yoga Studio

Air date 5/28/19. Dave's singular focus and winner's psyche led to multiple junior national championships; participation in top international competitions representing Team USA in the Goodwill Games, PanAm Games and the 1988 Olympics; working as Lance Armstrong's mechanic for the 2000 Tour de France; and being a beacon for cycling in Santa Barbara and beyond.

Air date 5/15/19. As a former NFL Tight End, Nate Lawrie knows how important a well tuned body is for maintaining peak performance. As Nate transitioned from football to business he envisioned a concept for a better foam roller that could fit in a backpack or suitcase like folded clothes. Many prototypes, athlete tests and a Kickstarter campaign brought the Morph Collapsible Foam Roller to life. Since Tom Hopkins, former professional Decathlete, joined Brazyn, the duo has appeared on Shark Tank, developed new products and built momentum - they are definitely enjoying the ride!