Podcasts about guide dogs

hi hello hey, what do you mean 2025 is over?? We truly cannot believe another year (and season SIX of Rare with Flair) is coming to a close. Before we get sappy, we're keeping up our longtime tradition of recapping the year. These episodes mean a lot to us—they're like little time capsules of what our lives looked like at the end of each year. It's also a chance to pull back the curtain just a bit and let you in on what we were up to throughout the year (with boundaries, of course). Oh—and there's a breaking announcement at the very beginning of this episode that we know you won't want to miss!! As we mention in the episode, we're always intentional about how much we choose to share. By no means do we want y'all to think our lives were perfect—we simply try to strike a balance between openness and privacy. That said, we genuinely look forward to this episode every year, and it wouldn't be complete without sharing our top artists from our Spotify Wrapped. No matter what kind of year you had, we're so grateful we got to be a small part of it. We hope you enjoy celebrating whichever holidays are meaningful to you, and we couldn't be more thankful for such loyal listeners. Be sure to join us at the beginning of 2026 to find out what's landing on our vision boards next year! related episodes Check out other episodes we mention in this one for more fun from our 2025: 110. are we ready to thrive in 2025? what we put on our vision boards this year 117. few but many: hps conference 2025 our time at the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome conference 120. still alive but barely breathing lmao: ats recap our time at the American Thoracic Society in 2025 Our two-part series from when Cass went to guide dog training this year! 127. guide dog training, part 1: meet cass' new guide! 128. guide dog training, part 2: come train with cass & mr. a! 132. yer a wizard, bestie: live from universal orlando! our trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter If you'd like to binge our complete set of year-in-review episodes to see how we've changed over time, let us know if you take on the challenge! 109. our wildest vision board dreams came true! 2024 recap 83. getting personal: recapping 2023 59. recapping a wild & wacky year 2022 recap 36. 2021 wrapped: our year in songs & seasons 11. looking back & moving forward 2020 recap Cass playing outside with Mr. A and Case with the love of her life, 2025

Beatles Song For Dogs Sir Paul McCartney is confirming that one of the all-time best Beatles songs has a special sound included in the track that only your dog can hear. It has long been a rumor that dogs knew something about the song that humans didn't. Listen Now Dealing With Off-Leash Dogs It's the stuff of nightmares. You and your dog are enjoying a walk through the neighborhood when, all of a sudden, you spot an unaccompanied canine heading your way. It could turn into a bad scene even if your dog is socialized. Stephanie Colman, the manager of the "Puppy Department" at Guide Dogs of America, has the five things you need to do if you encounter an off-leash or stray dog. Listen Now Do Pets Slow Down Your Aging Process? After all the recent studies about pets keeping humans youthful, there is a new report out in the British Medical Journal that says having a pet doesn't seem to slow down your aging process after all. Listen Now Enrichment In The Home During Winter Cold weather usually means the kids and pets spend more time indoors. Less exercise and activity could result in unwanted behavior issues. Dr. E'Lise Christensen is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. She'll share some great ideas for keeping your pets occupied and out of trouble. As far as the kids go, you're on your own. This is part of the Fear Free Expert Series. Listen Now Most Popular Pet Names for 2025 The Netflix series "Stranger Things" has some influence on the top pet names of 2025. "Eleven" is becoming commonplace among pet names, after the main character in the popular series. "Star Wars" names like Rey and Leia are up 70%. Listen Now Pet Food Sector Seeing Tremendous Growth Online U.S. researchers say most of the growth in the pet food sector is going to behemoths Amazon.com and Chewy.com (owned by PetSmart). Other trends include home-delivered and customized fresh foods. Listen Now Read more about this week's show.

What happens when curiosity, resilience, and storytelling collide over a lifetime of building something meaningful? In this episode, I welcome Nick Francis, founder and CEO of Casual Films, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, presence, and what it takes to keep going when the work gets heavy. Nick's journey began with a stint at BBC News and a bold 9,000-mile rally from London to Mongolia in a Mini Cooper, a spirit of adventure that still fuels how he approaches business and life today. We talk about how that early experience shaped Casual into a global branded storytelling company with studios across five continents, and what it really means to lead a creative organization at scale. Nick shares insights from growing the company internationally, expanding into Southeast Asia, and staying grounded while producing hundreds of projects each year. Along the way, we explore why emotionally resonant storytelling matters, how trust and preparation beat panic, and why presence with family, health, and purpose keeps leaders steady in uncertain times. This conversation is about building an Unstoppable life by focusing on what matters most, using creativity to connect people, and choosing clarity and resilience in a world full of noise. Highlights: 00:01:30 – Learn how early challenges shape resilience and long-term drive. 00:06:20 – Discover why focusing on your role creates calm under pressure. 00:10:50 – Learn how to protect attention in a nonstop world. 00:18:25 – Understand what global growth teaches about leadership. 00:26:00 – Learn why leading with trust changes relationships. 00:45:55 – Discover how movement and presence restore clarity. About the Guest: Nick Francis is the founder and CEO of Casual, a global production group that blends human storytelling, business know-how, and creativity turbo-charged by AI. Named the UK's number one brand video production company for five years, Casual delivers nearly 1,000 projects annually for world-class brands like Adobe, Amazon, BMW, Hilton, HSBC, and P&G. The adventurous spirit behind its first production – a 9,000-mile journey from London to Mongolia in an old Mini – continues to drive Casual's growth across offices in London, New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Greater China. Nick previously worked for BBC News and is widely recognised for his expertise in video storytelling, brand building, and corporate communications. He is the founding director of the Casual Films Academy, a charity helping young filmmakers develop skills by producing films for charitable organisations. He is also the author of ‘The New Fire: Harness the Power of Video for Your Business' and a passionate advocate for emotionally resonant, behaviorally grounded storytelling. Nick lives in San Francisco, California, with his family. Ways to connect with Nick**:** Website: https://www.casualfilms.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@casual_global  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casualglobal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualFilms/  Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfrancisfilm/  Casual's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casual-films-international/  Beyond Casual - LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6924458968031395840 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hello everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, that's kind of funny. We'll talk about that in a second, but this is unstoppable mindset. And our guest today is Nick Francis, and what we're going to talk about is the fact that people used to always ask me, well, they would call me Mr. Kingston, and it took me, as I just told Nick a master's degree in physics in 10 years to realize that if I said Mike hingson, that's why they said Mr. Kingston. So was either say Mike hingson or Michael hingson. Well, Michael hingson is a lot easier to say than Mike hingson, but I don't really care Mike or Michael, as long as it's not late for dinner. Whatever works. Yeah. Well, Nick, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Nick Francis  02:04 here. Thanks, Mike. It's great to be here. Michael Hingson  02:08 So Nick is a marketing kind of guy. He's got a company called casual that we'll hear about. Originally from England, I believe, and now lives in San Francisco. We were talking about the weather in San Francisco, as opposed to down here in Victorville. A little bit earlier. We're going to have a heat wave today and and he doesn't have that up there, but you know, well, things, things change over time. But anyway, we're glad you're here. And thanks, Mike. Really looking forward to it. Tell us about the early Nick growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to get us started. Nick Francis  02:43 That's a good question. I grew up in London, in in Richmond, which is southwest London. It's a at the time, it wasn't anything like as kind of, it's become quite kind of shishi, I think back in the day, because it's on the west of London. The pollution from the city used to flow east and so, like all the kind of well to do people, in fact, there used to be a, there used to be a palace in Richmond. It's where Queen Elizabeth died, the first Queen Elizabeth, that is. And, yeah, you know, I grew up it was, you know, there's a lot of rugby played around there. I played rugby for my local rugby club from a very young age, and we went sailing on the south coast. It was, it was great, really. And then, you know, unfortunately, when I was 10 years old, my my dad died. He had had a very powerful job at the BBC, and then he ran the British Council, which is the overseas wing of the Arts Council, so promoting, I guess, British soft power around the world, going and opening art galleries and going to ballet in Moscow and all sorts. So he had an incredible life and worked incredibly hard. And you know, that has brought me all sorts of privileges, I think, when I was a kid. But, you know, unfortunately, age 10 that all ended. And you know, losing a parent at that age is such a sort of fundamental, kind of shaking of your foundations. You know, you when you're a kid, you feel like a, you're going to live forever, and B, the things that are happening around you are going to last forever. And so, you know, you know, my mom was amazing, of course, and, you know, and in time, I got a new stepdad, and all the rest of it. But you know, that kind of shaped a lot of my a lot of my youth, really. And, yeah, I mean, Grief is a funny thing, and it's funny the way it manifests itself as you grow. But yeah. So I grew up there. I went to school in the Midlands, near where my stepdad lived, and then University of Newcastle, which is up in the north of England, where it rains a lot. It's where it's where Newcastle Football Club is based. And you know is that is absolutely at the center of the city. So. So the city really comes alive there. And it was during that time that I discovered photography, and I wanted to be a war photographer, because I believe that was where life was lived at the kind of the real cutting edge. You know, you see the you see humanity in its in its most visceral and vivid color in terrible situations. And I kind of that seemed like an interesting thing to go to go and do. Michael Hingson  05:27 Well, what? So what did you major in in college in Newcastle? So I did Nick Francis  05:31 history and politics, and then I went did a course in television journalism, and ended up working at BBC News as a initially running on the floor. So I used to deliver the papers that you know, when you see people shuffling or not, they do it anymore, actually, because everything, everything's digital now digital, yeah, but when they were worried about the the auto cues going down, they we always had to make sure that they had the up to date script. And so I would be printing in, obviously, the, you know, because it's a three hour news show, the scripts constantly evolving, and so, you know, I was making sure they had the most up to date version in their hands. And it's, I don't know if you have spent any time around live TV Mike, but it's an incredibly humbling experience, like the power of it. You know, there's sort of two or 3 million people watching these two people who are sitting five feet in front of me, and the, you know, the sort of slightly kind of, there was an element of me that just wanted to jump in front of them and kind of go, ah. And, you know, never, ever work in live TV, ever again. But you know, anyway, I did that and ended up working as a producer, writing and developing, developing packets that would go out on the show, producing interviews and things. And, you know, I absolutely loved it. It was, it was a great time. But then I left to go and set up my company. Michael Hingson  06:56 I am amazed, even today, with with watching people on the news, and I've and I've been in a number of studios during live broadcasts and so on. But I'm amazed at how well, mostly, at least, I've been fortunate. Mostly, the people are able to read because they do have to read everything. It isn't like you're doing a lot of bad living in a studio. Obviously, if you are out with a story, out in the field, if you will, there, there may be more where you don't have a printed script to go by, but I'm amazed at the people in the studio, how much they are able to do by by reading it all completely. Nick Francis  07:37 It's, I mean, the whole experience is kind of, it's awe inspiring, really. And you know, when you first go into a Live, a live broadcast studio, and you see the complexity, and you know, they've got feeds coming in from all over the world, and you know, there's upwards of 100 people all working together to make it happen. And I remember talking to one of the directors at the time, and I was like, How on earth does this work? And he said, You know, it's simple. You everyone has a very specific job, and you know that as long as you do your bit of the job when it comes in front of you, then the show will go out. He said, where it falls over is when people start worrying about whether other people are going to are going to deliver on time or, you know, and so if you start worrying about what other people are doing, rather than just focusing on the thing you have to do, that's where it potentially falls over, Michael Hingson  08:29 which is a great object lesson anyway, to worry about and control and don't worry about the rest Nick Francis  08:36 for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, it's almost a lesson for life. I mean, sorry, it is a lesson for life, and Michael Hingson  08:43 it's something that I talk a lot about in dealing with the World Trade Center and so on, and because it was a message I received, but I've been really preaching that for a long time. Don't worry about what you can't control, because all you're going to do is create fear and drive yourself Nick Francis  08:58 crazy, completely, completely. You know. You know what is it? Give me the, give me this. Give me the strength to change the things I can. Give me the give me the ability to let the things that I can't change slide but and the wisdom to know the difference. I'm absolutely mangling that, that saying, but, yeah, it's, it's true, you know. And I think, you know, it's so easy for us to in this kind of modern world where everything's so media, and we're constantly served up things that, you know, shock us, sadness, enrage us, you know, just to be able to step back and say, actually, you know what? These are things I can't really change. I'd have to just let them wash over me. Yeah, and just focus on the things that you really can change. Michael Hingson  09:46 It's okay to be aware of things, but you've got to separate the things you can control from the things that you can and we, unfortunately aren't taught that. Our parents don't teach us that because they were never taught it, and it's something. That, just as you say, slides by, and it's so unfortunate, because it helps to create such a level of fear about so many things in our in our psyche and in our world that we really shouldn't have to do Nick Francis  10:13 completely well. I think, you know, obviously, but you know, we've, we've spent hundreds, if not millions of years evolving to become humans, and then, you know, actually being aware of things beyond our own village has only been an evolution of the last, you know what, five, 600 years, yeah. And so we are just absolutely, fundamentally not able to cope with a world of such incredible stimulus that we live in now. Michael Hingson  10:43 Yeah, and it's only getting worse with all the social media, with all the different things that are happening and of course, and we're only working to develop more and more things to inundate us with more and more kinds of inputs. It's really unfortunate we just don't learn to separate ourselves very easily from all of that. Nick Francis  11:04 Yeah, well, you know, it's so interesting when you look at the development of VR headsets, and, you know, are we going to have, like, lenses in our eyes that kind of enable us to see computer screens while we're just walking down the road, you know? And you look at that and you think, well, actually, just a cell phone. I mean, cell phones are going to be gone fairly soon. I would imagine, you know, as a format, it's not something that's going to abide but the idea that we're going to create technology that's going to be more, that's going to take us away from being in the moment more rather than less, is kind of terrifying. Because, I would say already, even with, you know, the most basic technology that we have now, which is, you know, mind bending, compared to where we were even 20 years ago, you know, to think that we're only going to become more immersive is, you know, we really, really as a species, have to work out how we are going to be far better at stepping away from this stuff. And I, you know, I do, I wonder, with AI and technology whether there is, you know, there's a real backlash coming of people who do want to just unplug, yeah, Michael Hingson  12:13 well, it'll be interesting to see, and I hope that people will learn to do it. I know when I started hearing about AI, and one of the first things I heard was how kids would use it to write their papers, and it was a horrible thing, and they were trying to figure out ways so that teachers could tell us something was written by AI, as opposed to a student. And I almost immediately developed this opinion, no, let AI write the papers for students, but when the students turn in their paper, then take a day to in your class where you have every student come up and defend their paper, see who really knows it, you know. And what a great teaching opportunity and teaching moment to to get students also to learn to do public speaking and other things a little bit more than they do, but we haven't. That hasn't caught on, but I continue to preach it. Nick Francis  13:08 I think that's really smart, you know, as like aI exists, and I think to to pretend somehow that, you know, we can work without it is, you know, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I mean, it's like, well, saying, you know, we're just going to go back to Word processors or typewriters, which, you know, in which it weirdly, in their own time, people looked at and said, this is, you know, these, these are going to completely rot our minds. In fact, yeah, I think Plato said that was very against writing, because he believed it would mean no one could remember anything after that, you know. So it's, you know, it's just, it's an endless, endless evolution. But I think, you know, we have to work out how we incorporate into it, into our education system, for sure. Michael Hingson  13:57 Well, I remember being in in college and studying physics and so on. And one of the things that we were constantly told is, on tests, you can't bring calculators in, can't use calculators in class. Well, why not? Well, because you could cheat with that. Well, the reality is that the smart physicists realized that it's all about really learning the concepts more than the numbers. And yeah, that's great to to know how to do the math. But the the real issue is, do you know the physics, not just the math completely? Nick Francis  14:34 Yeah. And then how you know? How are the challenges that are being set such that you know, they really test your ability to use the calculator effectively, right? So how you know? How are you lifting the bar? And in a way, I think that's kind of what we have to do, what we have to do now, Michael Hingson  14:50 agreed, agreed. So you were in the news business and so on, and then, as you said, you left to start your own company. Why did you decide to do that? Nick Francis  14:59 Well, a friend of. Ryan and I from University had always talked about doing this rally from London to Mongolia. So, and you do it in an old car that you sort of look at, and you go, well, that's a bit rubbish. It has to have under a one liter engine. So it's tiny, it's cheap. The idea is it breaks down you have an adventure. And it was something we kind of talked about in passing and decided that would be a good thing to do. And then over time, you know, we started sending off. We you know, we applied, and then we started sending off for visas and things. And then before we knew it, we were like, gosh, so it looks like we're actually going to do this thing. But by then, you know, my job at the BBC was really taking off. And so I said, you know, let's do this, but let's make a documentary of it. So long story short, we ended up making a series of diary films for Expedia, which we uploaded onto their website. It was, you know, we were kind of pitching this around about 2005 we kind of did it in 2006 so it was kind of, you know, nobody had really heard of YouTube. The idea of making videos to go online was kind of unheard of because, you know, broadband was just kind of getting sorry. It wasn't unheard of, but it was, it was very, it was a very nascent industry. And so, yeah, we went and drove 9000 miles over five weeks. We spent a week sitting in various different repair yards and kind of break his yards in everywhere from Turkey to Siberia. And when we came back, it became clear that the internet was opening up as this incredible medium for video, and video is such a powerful way to share emotion with a dispersed audience. You know, not that I would have necessarily talked about it in that in those terms back then, but it really seemed like, you know, every every web page, every piece of corporate content, could have a video aspect to it. And so we came back and had a few fits and starts and did some, I mean, we, you know, we made a series of hotel videos where we were paid 50 quid a day to go and film hotels. And it was hot and it was hard work. And anyway, it was rough. But over time, you know, we started to win some more lucrative work. And, you know, really, the company grew from there. We won some awards, which helped us to kind of make a bit of a name for ourselves. And this was, there's been a real explosion in technology, kind of shortly after when we did this. So digital SLRs, so, you know, old kind of SLR cameras, you know, turned into digital cameras, which could then start to shoot video. And so it, there was a real explosion in high quality video produced by very small teams of people using the latest technology creatively. And that just felt like a good kind of kick off point for our business. But we just kind of because we got in in kind of 2006 we just sort of beat a wave that kind of started with digital SLRs, and then was kind of absolutely exploded when video cell phones came on the market, video smartphones. And yeah, you know, because we had these awards and we had some kind of fairly blue chip clients from a relatively early, early stage, we were able to grow the company. We then expanded to the US in kind of 2011 20 between 2011 2014 and then we were working with a lot of the big tech companies in California, so it felt like we should maybe kind of really invest in that. And so I moved out here with some of our team in 2018 at the beginning of 2018 and I've been here ever since, wow. Michael Hingson  18:44 So what is it? What was it like starting a business here, or bringing the business here, as opposed to what it was in England? Nick Francis  18:53 It's really interesting, because the creatively the UK is so strong, you know, like so many, you know, from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones to, you know, and then on through, like all the kind of, you know, film and TV, you know, Brits are very good at kind of Creating, like, high level creative, but not necessarily always the best at kind of monetizing it, you know. I mean, some of those obviously have been fantastic successes, right? And so I think in the UK, we we take a lot longer over getting, getting to, like, the perfect creative output, whereas the US is far more focused on, you know, okay, we need this to to perform a task, and frankly, if we get it 80% done, then we're good, right? And so I think a lot of creative businesses in the UK look at the US and they go, gosh. Firstly, the streets are paved with gold. Like the commercial opportunity seems incredible, but actually creating. Tracking it is incredibly difficult, and I think it's because we sort of see the outputs in the wrong way. I think they're just the energy and the dynamism of the US economy is just, it's kind of awe inspiring. But you know, so many businesses try to expand here and kind of fall over themselves. And I think the number one thing is just, you have to have a founder who's willing to move to the US. Because I think Churchill said that we're two two countries divided by the same language. And I never fully understood what that meant until I moved here. I think what it what he really means by that is that we're so culturally different in the US versus the UK. And I think lots of Brits look at America and think, Well, you know, it's just the same. It's just a bit kind of bigger and a bit Brasher, you know, and it and actually, I think if people in the US spoke a completely different language, we would approach it as a different culture, which would then help us to understand it better. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, it's been, it's been the most fabulous adventure to move here and to, you know, it's, it's hard sometimes, and California is a long way from home, but the energy and the optimism and the entrepreneurialism of it, coupled with just the natural beauty is just staggering. So we've made some of our closest friends in California, it's been absolutely fantastic. And across the US, it's been a fantastic adventure for us and our family. Michael Hingson  21:30 Yeah, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, and I hear negative comments about one place or another, like West Virginia, people eat nothing but fried food and all that. But the reality is, if you really take an overall look at it, the country has so much to offer, and I have yet to find a place that I didn't enjoy going to, and people I never enjoyed meeting, I really enjoy all of that, and it's great to meet people, and it's great to experience so much of this country. And I've taken that same posture to other places. I finally got to visit England last October, for the first time. You mentioned rugby earlier, the first time I was exposed to rugby was when I traveled to New Zealand in 2003 and found it pretty fascinating. And then also, I was listening to some rugby, rugby, rugby broadcast, and I tuned across the radio and suddenly found a cricket game that was a little bit slow for me. Yeah, cricket to be it's slow. Nick Francis  22:41 Yeah, fair enough. It's funny. Actually, we know what you're saying about travel. Like one of the amazing things about our Well, I kind of learned two sort of quite fundamentally philosophical things, I think, you know, or things about the about humans and the human condition. Firstly, like, you know, traveling across, you know, we left from London. We, like, drove down. We went through Belgium and France and Poland and Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, like, all the way down Bulgaria, across Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea, and through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, into Russia, and then down into Mongolia. When we finished, we were due north of Jakarta, right? So we drove, we drove a third of the way around the world. And the two things that taught me were, firstly that human people are good. You know, everywhere we went, people would invite us in to have meals, or they'd like fix our car for not unit for free. I mean, people were so kind everywhere we went. Yeah. And the other thing was, just, when we get on a plane and you fly from here to or you fly from London, say to we, frankly, you fly from London to Turkey, it feels unbelievably different. You know, you fly from London to China, and it's, you know, complete different culture. But what our journey towards us, because we drove, was that, you know, while we might not like to admit it, we're actually quite, you know, Brits are quite similar to the French, and the French actually are quite similar to the Belgians, and Belgians quite similar to the Germans. And, you know, and all the way through, actually, like we just saw a sort of slowly changing gradient of all the different cultures. And it really, you know, we are just one people, you know. So as much as we might feel that, you know, we're all we're all different, actually, when you see it, when you when you do a drive like that, you really, you really get to see how slowly the cultures shift and change. Another thing that's quite funny, actually, was just like, everywhere we went, we would be like, you know, we're driving to Turkey. They'd be like, Oh, God, you just drove through Bulgaria, you know, how is like, everything on your car not been stolen, you know, they're so dodgy that you Bulgarians are so dodgy. And then, you know, we'd get drive through the country, and they'd be like, you know, oh, you're going into Georgia, you know, gosh, what you go. Make, make sure everything's tied down on your car. They're so dodgy. And then you get into Georgia, and they're like, Oh my God, you've just very driven through Turkey this, like, everyone sort of had these, like, weird, yeah, kind of perceptions of their neighbors. And it was all nonsense, yeah, you know. Michael Hingson  25:15 And the reality is that, as you pointed out, people are good, you know, I think, I think politicians are the ones who so often mess it up for everyone, just because they've got agendas. And unfortunately, they teach everyone else to be suspicious of of each other, because, oh, this person clearly has a hidden agenda when it normally isn't necessarily true at all. Nick Francis  25:42 No, no, no, certainly not in my experience, anyway, not in my experience. But, you know, well, oh, go ahead. No, no. It's just, you know, it's, it is. It's, it is weird the way that happens, you know, well, they say, you know, if, if politicians fought wars rather than, rather than our young men and women, then there'd be a lot less of them. Yeah, so Well, Michael Hingson  26:06 there would be, well as I tell people, you know, I I've learned a lot from working with eight guy dogs and my wife's service dog, who we had for, oh, gosh, 14 years almost, and one of the things that I tell people is I absolutely do believe what people say, that dogs love unconditionally, unless they're just totally traumatized by something, but they don't trust unconditionally. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are more open to trust because we've taught ourselves and have been taught by others, that everyone has their own hidden agenda. So we don't trust. We're not open to trust, which is so unfortunate because it affects the psyche of so many people in such a negative way. We get too suspicious of people, so it's a lot harder to earn trust. Nick Francis  27:02 Yeah, I mean, I've, I don't know, you know, like I've been, I've been very fortunate in my life, and I kind of always try to be, you know, open and trusting. And frankly, you know, I think if you're open and trusting with people, in my experience, you kind of, it comes back to you, you know, and maybe kind of looking for the best in everyone. You know, there are times where that's not ideal, but you know, I think you know, in the overwhelming majority of cases, you know, actually, you know, you treat people right? And you know what goes what goes around, comes around, absolutely. Michael Hingson  27:35 And I think that's so very true. There are some people who just are going to be different than that, but I think for the most part, if you show that you're open to trust people will want to trust you, as long as you're also willing to trust Nick Francis  27:51 them completely. Yeah, completely. Michael Hingson  27:54 So I think that that's the big thing we have to deal with. And I don't know, I hope that we, we will learn it. But I think that politicians are really the most guilty about teaching us. Why not to trust but that too, hopefully, will be something we deal with. Nick Francis  28:12 I think, you know, I think we have to, you know, it's, it's one of the tragedies of our age, I think, is that the, you know, we spent the 20th century, thinking that sex was the kind of ultimate sales tool. And then it took algorithms to for us to realize that actually anger and resentment are the most powerful sales tools, which is, you know, it's a it's something which, in time, we will work out, right? And I think the problem is that, at the minute, these tech businesses are in such insane ascendancy, and they're so wealthy that it's very hard to regulate them. And I think in time, what will happen is, you know, they'll start to lose some of that luster and some of that insane scale and that power, and then, you know, then regulation will come in. But you know whether or not, we'll see maybe, hopefully our civilization will still be around to see that. Michael Hingson  29:04 No, there is that, or maybe the Vulcans will show up and show us a better way. But you know, Nick Francis  29:11 oh, you know, I'm, I'm kind of endlessly optimistic. I think, you know, we are. We're building towards a very positive future. I think so. Yeah, it's just, you know, get always bumps along the way, yeah. Michael Hingson  29:24 So you named your company casual. Why did you do that? Or how did that come about? Nick Francis  29:30 It's a slightly weird name for something, you know, we work with, kind of, you know, global blue chip businesses. And, you know, casual is kind of the last thing that you would want to associate with, a, with a, with any kind of services business that works in that sphere. I think, you know, we, the completely honest answer is that the journalism course I did was television, current affairs journalism, so it's called TV cadge, and so we, when we made a film for a local charity as part of that course. Course, we were asked to name our company, and we just said, well, cash, cash casual, casual films. So we called it casual films. And then when my friend and I set the company up, kind of formally, to do the Mongol Rally, we, you know, we had this name, you know, the company, the film that we'd made for the charity, had gone down really well. It had been played at BAFTA in London. And so we thought, well, you know, we should just, you know, hang on to that name. And it didn't, you know, at the time, it didn't really seem too much of an issue. It was only funny. It was coming to the US, where I think people are a bit more literal, and they were a bit like, well, casual. Like, why casual, you know. And I remember being on a shoot once. And, you know, obviously, kind of some filmmakers can be a little casual themselves, not necessarily in the work, but in the way they present themselves, right? And I remember sitting down, we were interviewing this CEO, and he said, who, you know, who are you? Oh, we're casual films. He's like, Oh, is that why that guy's got ripped jeans? Is it? And I just thought, Damn, you know, we really left ourselves open to that. There was also, there was a time one of our early competitors was called Agile films. And so, you know, I remember talking to one of our clients who said, you know, it's casual, you know, when I have to put together a little document to say, you know, which, which supplier we should choose, and when I lay it on my boss's desk, and one says casual films, and one says agile films, it's like those guys are landing the first punch. But anyway, we, you know, we, what we say now is like, you know, we take a complex process and make it casual. You know, filmmaking, particularly for like, large, complex organizations where you've got lots of different stakeholders, can be very complicated. And so, yeah, we sort of say, you know, we'll take a lot of that stress off, off our clients. So that's kind of the rationale, you know, that we've arrived with, arrived at having spoken to lots of our clients about the role that we play for them. So, you know, there's a kind of positive spin on it, I guess, but I don't know. I don't know whether I'd necessarily call it casual again. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that or not, but, oh, Michael Hingson  32:00 it's unique, you know? So, yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to it. It's a unique name, and it interests people. I know, for me, one of the things that I do is I have a way of doing this. I put all of my business cards in Braille, so the printed business cards have Braille on them, right? Same thing. It's unique completely. Nick Francis  32:22 And you listen, you know what look your name is an empty box that you fill with your identity. They say, right? And casual is actually, it's something we've grown into. And you know it's we've been going for nearly 20 years. In fact, funny enough for the end of this year is the 20th anniversary of that first film we made for the for the charity. And then next summer will be our 20th anniversary, which is, you know, it's, it's both been incredibly short and incredibly long, you know, I think, like any kind of experience in life, and it's been some of the hardest kind of times of my entire life, and some of the best as well. So, you know, it's, it is what it is, but you know, casual is who we are, right? I would never check, you know? I'd never change it. Michael Hingson  33:09 Now, no, of course not, yeah. So is the actual name casual films, or just casual? Nick Francis  33:13 So it was casual films, but then everyone calls us casual anyway, and I think, like as an organization, we probably need to be a bit more agnostic about the outcome. Michael Hingson  33:22 Well, the reason I asked, in part was, is there really any filming going on anymore? Nick Francis  33:28 Well, that's a very that's a very good question. But have we actually ever made a celluloid film? And I think the answer is probably no. We used to, back in the day, we used to make, like, super eight films, which were films, I think, you know, video, you know, ultimately, if you're going to be really pedantic about it, it's like, well, video is a digital, digital delivery. And so basically, every film we make is, is a video. But there is a certain cachet to the you know, because our films are loved and crafted, you know, for good or ill, you know, I think to call them, you know, they are films because, because of the, you know, the care that's put into them. But it's not, it's, it's not celluloid. No, that's okay, yeah, well, Michael Hingson  34:16 and I know that, like with vinyl records, there is a lot of work being done to preserve and capture what's on cellular film. And so there's a lot of work that I'm sure that's being done to digitize a lot of the old films. And when you do that, then you can also go back and remaster and hopefully in a positive way, and I'm not sure if that always happens, but in a positive way, enhance them Nick Francis  34:44 completely, completely and, you know, it's, you know, it's interesting talking about, like, you know, people wanting to step back. You know, obviously vinyl is having an absolute as having a moment right now. In fact, I just, I just bought a new stylist for my for my record. Play yesterday. It sounded incredible as a joy. This gave me the sound quality of this new style. It's fantastic. You know, beyond that, you know, running a company, you know, we're in nine offices all over the world. We produce nearly 1000 projects a year. So, you know, it's a company. It's an incredibly complicated company. It's a very fun and exciting company. I love the fact that we make these beautifully creative films. But, you know, it's a bit, I wouldn't say it's like, I don't know, you don't get many MBAs coming out of business school saying, hey, I want to set up a video production company. But, you know, it's been, it's been wonderful, but it's also been stressful. And so, you know, I've, I've always been interested in pottery and ceramics and making stuff with my hands. When I was a kid, I used to make jewelry, and I used to go and sell it in nightclubs, which is kind of weird, but, you know, it paid for my beers. And then whatever works, I say kid. I was 18. I was, I was of age, but of age in the UK anyway. But now, you know, over the last few 18 months or so, I've started make, doing my own ceramics. So, you know, I make vases and and pictures and kind of all sorts of stuff out of clay. And it's just, it's just to be to unplug and just to go and, you know, make things with mud with your hands. It's just the most unbelievably kind of grounding experience. Michael Hingson  36:26 Yeah, I hear you, yeah. One of the things that I like to do is, and I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I am involved with organizations like the radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, which, every year, does recreations of old radio shows. And so we get the scripts we we we have several blind people who are involved in we actually go off and recreate some of the old shows, which is really a lot of fun, Nick Francis  36:54 I bet, yeah, yeah, sort of you know that connection to the past is, is, yeah, it's great radio. Radio is amazing. Michael Hingson  37:03 Anyway, what we have to do is to train some of the people who have not had exposure to old radio. We need to train them as to how to really use their voices to convey like the people who performed in radio, whatever they're doing, because too many people don't really necessarily know how to do that well. And it is, it is something that we're going to work on trying to find ways to get people really trained. And one of the ways, of course, is you got to listen to the old show. So one of the things we're getting more and more people to do when we do recreations is to go back and listen to the original show. Well, they say, Well, but, but that's just the way they did it. That's not necessarily the way it should be done. And the response is, no, that's not really true. The way they did it sounded natural, and the way you are doing it doesn't and there's reality that you need to really learn how to to use your voice to convey well, and the only way to do it is to listen to the experts who did it. Nick Francis  38:06 Yeah, well, it's, you know, it's amazing. The, you know, when the BBC was founded, all the news readers and anyone who appeared on on the radio to to present or perform, had to wear like black tie, like a tuxedo, because it was, you know, they're broadcasting to the nation, so they had to, you know, they had to be dressed appropriately, right, which is kind of amazing. And, you know, it's interesting how you know, when you, when you change your dress, when you change the way you're sitting, it does completely change the way that you project yourself, yeah, Michael Hingson  38:43 it makes sense, yeah, well, and I always enjoyed some of the old BBC radio shows, like the Goon Show, and completely some of those are so much fun. Nick Francis  38:54 Oh, great, yeah, I don't think they were wearing tuxedo. It's tuxedos. They would Michael Hingson  38:59 have been embarrassed. Yeah, right, right. Can you imagine Peter Sellers in a in a tux? It just isn't going to happen. Nick Francis  39:06 No, right, right. But yeah, no, it's so powerful. You know, they say radio is better than TV because the pictures are better. Michael Hingson  39:15 I agree. Yeah, sure, yeah. Well, you know, I I don't think this is quite the way he said it, but Fred Allen, the old radio comedian, once said they call television the new medium, because that's as good as it's ever going Nick Francis  39:28 to get. Yeah, right, right, yeah. Michael Hingson  39:32 I think there's truth to it. Whether that's exactly the way he said it or not, there's truth to that, yeah, but there's also a lot of good stuff on TV, so it's okay. Nick Francis  39:41 Well, it's so interesting. Because, you know, when you look at the it's never been more easy to create your own content, yeah, and so, you know, and like, in a way, TV, you know, he's not wrong in that, because it suddenly opened up this, this huge medium for people just to just create. Right? And, you know, and I think, like so many people, create without thinking, and, you know, and certainly in our kind of, in the in the world that we're living in now with AI production, making production so much more accessible, actually taking the time as a human being just to really think about, you know, who are the audience, what are the things that are going to what are going to kind of resonate with them? You know? Actually, I think one of the risks with AI, and not just AI, but just like production being so accessible, is that you can kind of shoot first and kind of think about it afterwards, and, you know, and that's never good. That's always going to be medium. It's medium at best, frankly. Yeah, so yeah, to create really great stuff takes time, you know, yeah, to think about it. Yeah, for sure, yeah. Michael Hingson  40:50 Well, you know, our podcast is called unstoppable mindset. What do you think that unstoppable mindset really means to you as a practical thing and not just a buzzword. Because so many people talk about the kinds of buzzwords I hear all the time are amazing. That's unstoppable, but it's really a lot more than a buzzword. It goes back to what you think, I think. But what do you think? Nick Francis  41:15 I think it's something that is is buried deep inside you. You know, I'd say the simple answer is, is just resilience. You know, it's, it's been rough. I write anyone running a small business or a medium sized business at the minute, you know, there's been some tough times over the last, kind of 1824, months or so. And, you know, I was talking to a friend of mine who she sold out of her business. And she's like, you know, how are things? I was like, you know, it's, it's, it's tough, you know, we're getting through it, you know, we're changing a lot of things, you know, we're like, we're definitely making the business better, but it's hard. And she's like, Listen, you know, when three years before I sold my company, I was at rock bottom. It was, I genuinely thought it was so stressful. I was crushed by it, but I just kept going. And she's just like, just keep going. And the only difference between success and failure is that resilience and just getting up every day and you just keep, keep throwing stuff at the wall, keep trying new things, keep working and trying to be better. I think, you know, it's funny when you look at entrepreneurs, I'm a member of a mentoring group, and I hope I'm not talking out of school here, but you know, there's 15 entrepreneurs, you know, varying sizes of business, doing all sorts, you know, across all sorts of different industries. And if you sat on the wall, if you were fly on the wall, and you sit and look at these people on a kind of week, month to month basis, and they all present on how their businesses are going. You go, this is this being an entrepreneur does not look like a uniformly fun thing, you know, the sort of the stress and just, you know, people crying and stuff, and you're like, gosh, you know, it's so it's, it's, it's hard, and yet, you know, it's people just keep coming back to it. And yet, I think it's because of that struggle that you have to kind of have something in built in you, that you're sort of, you're there to prove something. And I, you know, I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder whether, kind of, the death of my father at such a young age kind of gave me this incredible fire to seek His affirmation, you know. And unfortunately, obviously, the tragedy of that is like, you know, the one person who would never give me affirmation is my dad. And yet, you know, I get up every day, you know, to have early morning calls with the UK or with Singapore or wherever. And you know, you just just keep on, keeping on. And I think that's probably what and knowing I will never quit, you know, like, even from the earliest days of casual, when we were just, like a couple of people, and we were just, you know, kids doing our very best, I always knew the company was going to be a success act. Like, just a core belief that I was like, this is going to work. This is going to be a success. I didn't necessarily know what that success would look like. I just but I did know that, like, whatever it took, we would map, we'd map our way towards that figure it out. We'd figure it out. And I think, you know, there's probably something unstoppable. I don't know, I don't want to sound immodest, but I think there's probably something in that that you're just like, I am just gonna keep keep on, keeping on. Michael Hingson  44:22 Do you think that resilience and unstoppability are things that can be taught, or is it just something that's built into you, and either you have it or you don't? Nick Francis  44:31 I think it's something that probably, it's definitely something that can be learned, for sure, you know. And there are obviously ways that it can there's obviously ways it can be taught. You know, I was, I spent some time in the reserve, like the Army Reserve in the UK, and I just, you know, a lot of that is about teaching you just how much further you can go. I think what it taught me was it was so. So hard. I mean, honestly, some of the stuff we did in our training was, like, you know, it's just raining and raining and raining and, like, because all your kits soaking wet is weighs twice what it did before, and you just, you know, sleeping maybe, you know, an hour or two a night, and, you know, and there wasn't even anyone shooting at us, right? So, you know, like the worst bit wasn't even happening. But like, and like, in a sense, I think, you know, that's what they're trying to do, that, you know, they say, you know, train hard and fight easy. But I remember sort of sitting there, and I was just exhausted, and I just genuinely, I was just thought, you know, what if they tell me to go now, I just, I can't. I literally, I can't, I can't do it. Can't do it. And then they're like, right, lads, put your packs on. Let's go and just put your pack on. Off you go, you know, like, this sort of, the idea of not, like, I was never going to quit, just never, never, ever, you know, and like I'd physically, if I physically, like, literally, my physical being couldn't stand up, you know, I then that was be, that would be, you know, if I was kind of, like literally incapacitated. And I think what that taught me actually, was that, you know, you have what you believe you can do, like you have your sort of, you have your sort of physical envelope, but like that is only a third or a quarter of what you can actually achieve, right, you know. And I think what that, what the that kind of training is about, and you know, you can do it in marathon training. You can do it in all sorts of different, you know, even, frankly, meditate. You know, you train your mind to meditate for, you know, an hour, 90 minutes plus. You know, you're still doing the same. You know, there's a, there's an elasticity within your brain where you can teach yourself that your envelope is so much larger. Yeah. So, yeah, you know, like, is casual going to be a success? Like, I'm good, you know, I'm literally, I won't I won't stop until it is Michael Hingson  46:52 right, and then why stop? Exactly, exactly you continue to progress and move forward. Well, you know, when everything feels uncertain, whether it's the markets or whatever, what do you do or what's your process for finding clarity? Nick Francis  47:10 I think a lot of it is in having structured time away. I say structured. You build it into your calendar, but like, but it's unstructured. So, you know, I take a lot of solace in being physically fit. You know, I think if you're, if you feel physically fit, then you feel mentally far more able to deal with things. I certainly when I'm if I'm unfit and if I've been working too much and I haven't been finding the time to exercise. You know, I feel like the problems we have to face just loom so much larger. So, you know, I, I'll book out. I, you know, I work with a fan. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic assistant who, you know, we book in my my exercise for each week, and it's almost the first thing that goes in the calendar. I do that because I can't be the business my my I can't be the leader my business requires. And it finally happened. It was a few years ago I kind of, like, the whole thing just got really big on me, and it just, you know, and I'm kind of, like, being crushed by it. And I just thought, you know what? Like, I can't, I can't fit other people's face mask, without my face mask being fit, fitted first. Like, in order to be the business my business, I keep saying that to be the lead in my business requires I have to be physically fit. So I have to look after myself first. And so consequently, like, you know, your exercise shouldn't be something just get squeezed in when you find when you have time, because, you know, if you've got family and you know, other things happening, like, you know, just will be squeezed out. So anyway, that goes in. First, I'll go for a bike ride on a Friday afternoon, you know, I'll often listen to a business book and just kind of process things. And it's amazing how often, you know, I'll just go for a run and, like, these things that have been kind of nagging away in the back of my mind, just suddenly I find clarity in them. So I try to exercise, like, five times a week. I mean, that's obviously more than most people can can manage, but you know that that really helps. And then kind of things, like the ceramics is very useful. And then, you know, I'm lucky. I think it's also just so important just to appreciate the things that you already have. You know, I think one of the most important lessons I learned last year was this idea that, you know, here is the only there. You know, everyone's working towards this kind of, like, big, you know, it's like, oh, you know, when I get to there, then everything's going to be okay, you know. And actually, you know, if you think about like, you know, and what did you want to achieve when you left college? Like, what was the salary band that you want? That you wanted to achieve? Right? A lot of people, you know, by the time you hit 4050, you've blown way through that, right? And yet you're still chasing the receding Summit, yeah, you know. And so actually, like, wherever we're trying to head to, we're already there, because once you get there, there's going to be another there that you're trying to. Head to right? So, so, you know, it's just taking a moment to be like, you know, God, I'm so lucky to have what I have. And, you know, I'm living in, we're living in the good old days, like right now, right? Michael Hingson  50:11 And the reality is that we're doing the same things and having the same discussions, to a large degree, that people did 50, 100 200 years ago. As you pointed out earlier, the fact is that we're, we're just having the same discussions about whether this works, or whether that works, or anything else. But it's all the same, Nick Francis  50:33 right, you know. And you kind of think, oh, you know, if I just, just, like, you know, if we just open up these new offices, or if we can just, you know, I think, like, look, if I, if I'd looked at casual when we started it as it is now, I would have just been like, absolute. My mind would have exploded, right? You know, if you look at what we've achieved, and yet, I kind of, you know, it's quite hard sometimes to look at it and just be like, Oh yeah, but we're only just starting. Like, there's so much more to go. I can see so much further work, that we need so many more things, that we need to do, so many more things that we could do. And actually, you know, they say, you know, I'm lucky enough to have two healthy, wonderful little girls. And you know, I think a lot of bread winners Look at, look at love being provision, and the idea that, you know, you have to be there to provide for them. And actually, the the truest form of love is presence, right? And just being there for them, and like, you know, not being distracted and kind of putting putting things aside, you know, not jumping on your emails or your Slack messages or whatever first thing in the morning, you know. And I, you know, I'm not. I'm guilty, like, I'm not, you know, I'm not one of these people who have this kind of crazy kind of morning routine where, like, you know, I'm incredibly disciplined about that because, you know, and I should be more. But like, you know, this stuff, one of the, one of the things about having a 24 hour business with people working all over the world is there's always things that I need to respond to. There's always kind of interesting things happening. And so just like making sure that I catch myself every so often to be like, I'm just going to be here now and I'm going to be with them, and I'm going to listen to what they're saying, and I'm going to respond appropriately, and, you know, I'm going to play a game with them, or whatever. That's true love. You know? Michael Hingson  52:14 Well, there's a lot of merit to the whole concept of unplugging and taking time and living in the moment. One of the things that we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, that we published last year, and it's all about lessons I've learned about leadership and teamwork and preparedness from eight guide dogs and my wife's service dog. One of the things that I learned along the way is the whole concept of living in the moment when I was in the World Trade Center with my fifth guide dog, Roselle. We got home, and I was going to take her outside to go visit the bathroom, but as soon as I took the harness off, she shot off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog. Asked the veterinarians about him the next day, the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they said, Well, did anything threaten her? And I said, No. And they said, there's your answer. The reality is, dogs live in the moment when it was over. It was over. And yeah, right lesson to learn. Nick Francis  53:15 I mean, amazing, absolutely amazing. You must have taken a lot of strength from that. Michael Hingson  53:20 Oh, I think it was, it was great. It, you know, I can look back at my life and look at so many things that have happened, things that I did. I never thought that I would become a public speaker, but I learned in so many ways the art of speaking and being relaxed at speaking in a in a public setting, that when suddenly I was confronted with the opportunity to do it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Nick Francis  53:46 Yeah, it's funny, because I think isn't public speaking the number one fear. It is. It's the most fit. It's the most feared thing for the most people. Michael Hingson  53:57 And the reality is going back to something that we talked about before. The reality is, audiences want you to succeed, unless you're a jerk and you project that, audiences want to hear what you have to say. They want you to be successful. There's really nothing to be afraid of but, but you're right. It is the number one fear, and I've never understood that. I mean, I guess I can intellectually understand it, but internally, I don't. The first time I was asked to speak after the World Trade Center attacks, a pastor called me up and he said, we're going to we're going to have a service outside for all the people who we lost in New Jersey and and that we would like you to come and speak. Take a few minutes. And I said, Sure. And then I asked him, How many people many people were going to be at the service? He said, 6000 that was, that was my first speech. Nick Francis  54:49 Yeah, wow. But it didn't bother me, you know, no, I bet Michael Hingson  54:54 you do the best you can, and you try to improve, and so on. But, but it is true that so many people. Are public speaking, and there's no reason to what Nick Francis  55:03 did that whole experience teach you? Michael Hingson  55:06 Well, one of the things that taught me was, don't worry about the things that you can't control. It also taught me that, in reality, any of us can be confronted with unexpected things at any time, and the question is, how well do we prepare to deal with it? So for me, for example, and it took me years after September 11 to recognize this, but one of the things that that happened when the building was hit, and Neither I, nor anyone on my side of the building really knew what happened. People say all the time, well, you didn't know because you couldn't see it. Well, excuse me, it hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And the last time I checked X ray vision was fictitious, so nobody knew. But did the building shake? Oh, it tipped. Because tall buildings like that are flexible. And if you go to any tall building, in reality, they're made to buffet in wind storms and so on, and in fact, they're made to possibly be struck by an airplane, although no one ever expected that somebody would deliberately take a fully loaded jet aircraft and crash it into a tower, because it wasn't the plane hitting the tower as such that destroyed both of them. It was the exploding jet fuel that destroyed so much more infrastructure caused the buildings to collapse. But in reality, for me, I had done a lot of preparation ahead of time, not even thinking that there would be an emergency, but thinking about I need to really know all I can about the building, because I've got to be the leader of my office, and I should know all of that. I should know what to do in an emergency. I should know how to take people to lunch and where to go and all that. And by learning all of that, as I learned many and discovered many years later, it created a mindset that kicked in when the World Trade Center was struck, and in fact, we didn't know until after both towers had collapsed, and I called my wife. We I talked with her just before we evacuated, and the media hadn't even gotten the story yet, but I never got a chance to talk with her until after both buildings had collapsed, and then I was able to get through and she's the first one that told us how the two buildings had been hit by hijacked aircraft. But the mindset had kicked in that said, You know what to do, do it and that. And again, I didn't really think about that until much later, but that's something that is a lesson we all could learn. We shouldn't rely on just watching signs to know what to do, no to go in an emergency. We should really know it, because the knowledge, rather than just having information, the true intellectual knowledge that we internalize, makes such a big difference. Nick Francis  57:46 Do you think it was the fact that you were blind that made you so much more keen to know the way out that kind of that really helped you to understand that at the time? Michael Hingson  57:56 Well, what I think is being blind and growing up in an environment where so many things could be unexpected, for me, it was important to know so, for example, when I would go somewhere to meet a customer, I would spend time, ahead of time, learning how to get around, learning how to get to where they were and and learning what what the process was, because we didn't have Google Maps and we didn't have all the intellectual and and technological things that we have today. Well intellectual we did with the technology we didn't have. So today it's easier, but still, I want to know what to do. I want to really have the answers, and then I can can more easily and more effectively deal with what I need to deal with and react. So I'm sure that blindness played a part in all of that, because if I hadn't learned how to do the things that I did and know the things that I knew, then it would have been a totally different ball game, and so sure, I'm sure, I'm certain that blindness had something to do with it, but I also know that, that the fact is, what I learned is the same kinds of things that everyone should learn, and we shouldn't rely on just the signs, because what if the building were full of smoke, then what would you do? Right? And I've had examples of that since I was at a safety council meeting once where there was somebody from an electric company in Missouri who said, you know, we've wondered for years, what do we do if there's a fire in the generator room, in the basement, In the generator room, how do people get out? And he and I actually worked on it, and they developed a way where people could have a path that they could follow with their feet to get them out. But the but the reality is that what people first need to learn is eyesight is not the only game in town. Yeah, right. Mean, it's so important to really learn that, but people, people don't, and we take too many things for granted, which is, which is really so unfortunate, because we really should do a li

We sit down with Guide Dog Mobility Instructor Katie Wattles, who brings over 20 years of experience, to explain the art and science behind matching a client with the right guide dog.

A road experience training track for visually impaired people has opened in Stapleford, which is the first of it's kind in the UK. It features traffic lights, button-operated crossings, bus stops, kerbs, road and pavement markings and has tactile maps provided by RNIB. Amelia spoke to Ryan Vaughan, Economic Development Officer from Broxtowe Borough Council, and Rebecca Morley, a Habilitation Specialist at Guide Dogs, who approached Bthe council about creating the space. Learn more on the Broxtowe Borough Council website - Stapleford to host the UK's first road experience training track for vision impaired people

Several guide dogs and their handlers have been attacked by roaming or out control dogs in the four weeks. Blind Low Vision New Zeaand says there are parts of South Auckland where they're no longer placing guide dogs because of the risk of attacks. Blind Low Vision NZ chief executive Andrea Midgen spoke to Lisa Owen about how uncontrolled dogs mean some people are missing out on guide dogs.

A Northshore woman's at risk of losing her guide dog after several encounters with out of control dogs have left her working dog fearful and potentially unable to do its job properly.

This week on Guide Dog Blogs, Hubert welcomes back Caroline, as they talk about another one of her great dogs, this time we talk about Gavin the guide, a dog with a great personality, and one quite honest when he's tired of watching his mum work, find out more about what we mean by listening to this episode. 

Actor, writer, and advocate Aria Mia Loberti joins Marcie and Fenway to share the magic behind her new children's book, I Am Ingrid—a heartfelt story that speaks to both kids and adults about the meaningful path to becoming a guide dog. Aria invites us into "Ingrid's world," where courage, identity, and a pair of beloved plastic pearls shine at the center of the tale. In this uplifting and insightful conversation, she explores disability representation, the heart of guide-dog work, and the universal longing to follow our dreams. It's charming, wise, and full of joy—an episode you won't want to miss.EPISODE NOTES: I Am IngridBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-like-dogs-service-dogs-and-working-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6668004/support.

On Guide Dog Blogs this week, Hubert chats to Caroline Thomas once again, this time they chat about her former guide dog Monty, nicknamed Monty Zoomer due to his speed, Caroline also shares what Monty liked to do while she was working at school. 

Steven Scott and Shaun Preece dive into birthday laughs, vivid dreams, Black Friday shopping mishaps, and the hilarious realities of living blind. From canes and guide dogs to tech talk on keyboards and Windows 11 updates, this episode blends humour, practical advice, and life lessons for the blind and visually impaired community.In this lively Double Tap episode, Steven and Shaun explore the ups and downs of everyday life as blind tech enthusiasts. Steven shares his surreal, emotional dreams brought on by medication and celebrates his December birthday, while Shaun recounts missing out on Black Friday deals and last-minute gift regrets. They chat about the evolving role of wallets in a cashless world, the surprising nostalgia of piggy bank savings, and why learning to love your white cane takes time. Listener emails spark thoughtful discussions on independence, daily living skills, and the social aspects of disability. Tech fans get insights into accessible keyboards, comparing the Logitech MX Keys and Keychron B6 Pro, plus a practical warning about using Rufus to install Windows 11 on unsupported devices. The episode wraps up with reflections on confidence, acceptance, and why no one should apologise for their blindness.Relevant LinksKeychron Keyboards: https://www.keychron.comLogitech MX Keys: https://www.logitech.com/mx-keysWindows 11 and Rufus Tool: https://rufus.ie Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What struck me most in my conversation with author Jennifer Shaw is how often we underestimate the power of understanding our own story. Jennifer grew up sensing she was different, yet never had the words for why. Hearing her share how a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD finally helped her trust her own voice reminded me how important it is for all of us to feel seen. As she talked about raising two autistic sons, finding healing through writing, and learning to drop the shame she carried for so long, I found myself thinking about the many people who still hide their struggles because they don't want to be judged. I believe listeners will connect deeply with Jennifer's honesty. She shows that creativity can grow out of the very things we once thought were flaws, and that resilience is something we build each time we choose to show up as ourselves. This episode reminded me why I created Unstoppable Mindset: to hold space for stories like hers—stories that help us see difference as strength and encourage us to build a world where every person is valued for who they truly are. Highlights: 01:33 – See how early misunderstandings can shape the way someone learns to navigate people and communication.06:53 – Learn how masking and observation influence the way neurodivergent adults move through the world.11:21 – Explore how parenting experiences can open the door to understanding your own identity.12:20 – Hear how finally naming a lifelong pattern can shift shame into clarity and self-trust.20:46 – Understand why self-doubt becomes a major barrier and how stepping forward can change that story.25:57 – Discover how personal journeys can naturally weave themselves into creative work and character building.29:01 – Gain insight into why creative careers grow through endurance rather than rapid wins.30:55 – Learn how creative practices can act as grounding tools when life becomes overwhelming.33:20 – Explore how willpower and environment work together in building real resilience.40:23 – See how focusing only on limitations can keep society from recognizing real strengths.45:27 – Consider how acceptance over “fixing” creates more space for people to thrive.46:53 – Hear why embracing difference can open a more confident and creative way of living.51:07 – Learn how limiting beliefs can restrict creativity and how widening your lens can unlock growth.59:38 – Explore how curiosity and lived experience fuel a deeper creative imagination. About the Guest: J. M. Shaw lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two young children. She has been writing for most of her life, though it took years to find the courage to share her stories. What began as a childhood hobby evolved into a passion that, at times, borders on obsession—and is decidedly cheaper than therapy. Though initially interested in teaching and psychology, Shaw ultimately graduated and worked as an X-ray technologist—all the while continuing to write in secret. Through it all, storytelling remained her constant: a sanctuary, a compass, and a way to make sense of the chaos. Her early work filled journals and notebooks, then spilled into typewritten manuscripts and laptop hard drives—worlds crafted from raw imagination and quiet observation. A pivotal turning point came in 2019, when Shaw was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. The news brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling “too much” or “too different.” She realized that her intense focus, emotional depth, and ability to live inside fictional worlds weren't flaws—they were the gifts of a neurodivergent mind. Her unique insights allow her to create characters with emotional realism, while her mythical creatures, societies, and belief systems draw inspiration from both history and modern culture. In many ways, her fantasy series mirrors her own arc: navigating society through the lens of autism, embracing her differences, and discovering where she belongs. Shaw's fiction blends magic with meaning, often exploring themes of identity, resilience, and redemption. Though her worlds are fantastical, her stories remain grounded in human truths. Her characters—flawed, searching, and sometimes broken—feel eerily real. Literary influences like Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, and Dean Koontz helped shape her genre-bending style, while her mother—an English major and blunt-but-honest critic—instilled in her a love of classic literature and the drive to become a better storyteller. In 2021, Shaw released The Ascension, the first book in her fantasy-adventure series, The Callum Walker Series. Since then, she's published three sequels, with dozens of short stories, poems, and manuscripts still in her vault. Though painfully introverted, she attends book signings and author talks to connect with readers—shedding ecstatic tears as they share how deeply her work resonates with them. While these moments can be overwhelming, they remind her why she writes: to create stories that matter. Currently, Shaw is working on the fifth installment of The Callum Walker Series, expanding the emotional arcs and raising the stakes in her imagined realms. Alongside it, she is developing a new dystopian-adventure that blends inequality, rebellion, love, and moral complexity. Whether indie or traditionally published, her dream remains the same: to see her books in bookstores across the world and to keep building worlds for those who need them most. Ways to connect with Jennifer**:** Website: www.jmshawauthor.com Facebook: jmshawauthor Instagram: @jmshaw_author About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And we put it that way, because a lot of diversity people never address the issue of or include people with disabilities in their world, and some of us confront that, and I specifically take the approach you either are inclusive or you're not. There's no partial inclusion. So we put inclusion at the first part of unstoppable mindset, then diversity and the unexpected, which is everything that doesn't have anything to do with inclusion or diversity, which is most things, but it makes it kind of fun anyway, and we're glad that you're here, wherever you happen to be listening or watching, the Podcast. Today, we get to chat with Jennifer Shaw. Jennifer is an author, and she's been a a closet writer part of her life, but but she came out of the closet and has been publishing, which is cool, and she has a lot of other stories to tell, unstoppable in a lot of different ways. So I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun talking today, and I hope that you learn some interesting and relevant concepts to your world. So Jennifer, thanks for being here and for being on unstoppable mindset. We really appreciate you coming. Jennifer Shaw  02:36 Thank you so much for having me. Well, Michael Hingson  02:38 why don't we start at the beginning, and why don't you tell us about kind of the early Jennifer, early Jennifer, Jennifer Shaw  02:44 so I was very much of an introvert, very shy. I didn't really know how to talk to people. Kind of was trying to figure things out, and was having, was having a hard time figuring things out, and became more of a misfit. And I needed a way of dealing with, you know, my misunderstandings. I came became very much a people watcher, and for a while, that worked, but I needed an outlet in order to be able to analyze and sort out my ideas. And then my mom bought me a typewriter because, you know, I'm that old. And I started, I know about typewriters? Yeah, and I started writing as a hobby, and then it became a passion and obsession. Now it's just cheaper than therapy. And in 2019 I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, which makes total sense, looking back at all the things that I used to do and the way I felt, it makes sense now, and I thought I never shared any of my stories, but I've been writing by that point for over 30 years. And I thought, well, maybe writing is my special interest. And I got brave, and I sent off my first book in my series. It's now published because I just finished that one at the time to an editor, and I'm thinking, well, the worst they can say is it sucks. And my editor came back and said, This doesn't suck. You should publish. So two years later, I did Michael Hingson  04:05 cool well. So of course, one of the big questions, one of the most important ones of the whole day, is, do you still have the typewriter? No, yeah, I know. I don't know what happened to mine either. It is. It has gone away somewhere. Jennifer Shaw  04:19 Mine was really cool. It was a plug in electrical one had a white out strip and everything. I gave a presentation for grade five classroom, and I told them, I got started on a typewriter, and then I was going into how I got published, and different aspects of fiction writing and and plots and character development, that stuff and that, after an hour and a half, the only questions they had to ask was, what's a typewriter? Michael Hingson  04:43 Typewriter, of course, if you really want to delve into history and be fascinating to learn the history of the typewriter, do you know it? Jennifer Shaw  04:51 No, I do not. Michael Hingson  04:53 So the among other things, one of the first ways a typewriter was developed and used was. Was a countess in Europe who had a husband who didn't pay much attention to her. So she had a lover, and she wanted to be able to communicate with her lover. She is blind, and so she couldn't just have people write down messages and relay them and all that. So somebody invented this machine where she could actually create messages with a keyboard a typewriter, and then seal them, and she could get her ladies in waiting, or whoever to to give them to her, her lover. That was her way to communicate with with him, without her husband finding out. Yeah, so the ultimate note taker, the ultimate note taker, I learned to type. Well, I started to learn at home, and then between seventh and eighth grade, I took some summer school courses, just cuz it was something to do, and one of them was typing, and I didn't even think about the fact that all the other kids in the class kept complaining because they didn't know what letters they were pushing because there were no labels on the keys, which didn't bother me a bit. And so I typed then, I don't know. I assume it still is required out here, but in the eighth grade, you have to pass a test on the US Constitution, and for me to be able to take the test, they got the test transcribed into Braille, and then I brought my typewriter in and typed the answers. I guess. I don't know why they didn't just have me speak to someone, but I'm glad they did it that way. So it was fine. I'm sure it was a little bit noisy for the other kids in the class, but the typewriter wasn't too noisy. But, yeah, I typed all the answers and went from there. So that was kind of cool, but I don't remember what happened to the typewriter over the years. Jennifer Shaw  06:52 I think it gave way to keyboards and, you know, online writing programs. Michael Hingson  06:58 Yeah, I'm sure that it did, but I don't know what happened to my typewriter nevertheless, but oh well. But yeah, I did, and keyboards and everything else. But having used the typewriter, I already knew how to type, except for learning a few keys. Well, even mine was a manual typewriter. And then there was a Braille typewriter created by IBM. It's called the Model D, and it was like a regular typewriter, except instead of letters on the the keys that went up and struck the paper, it was actually braille characters and it and it struck hard enough that it actually created braille characters on the paper. So that was, that was kind of fun. But, yeah, I'm sure it all just kind of went to keyboards and everything else and and then there were word processors, and now it's just all computers. Jennifer Shaw  07:53 Yep, yep. We're a digital age. Michael Hingson  07:55 Nowadays. We are very much a digital age. So you went to to regular school and all that, yep, Jennifer Shaw  08:04 and I was never like I was it was never noticed that I was struggling because, I mean, for the most part, women tend to mask it. That's why less, fewer women are diagnosed than men. I just internalized it, and I came up with my own strategies to deal with things, and unless you were disruptive to class or you had some sort of learning difficulties and stuff, you never really got any attention. So I just sort of disappeared, because I never struggled in school and I was just the shy one. Yeah, taught myself how to communicate with other kids by taking notes of conversations. I have notebooks where I'm like, okay, so and so said this. This was the answer, okay, there was a smile. So that must be what I need to say when somebody says that. So I developed a script for myself in order to be able to socialize. Michael Hingson  08:55 And that was kind of the way you you masked it, or that was part of masking it. Jennifer Shaw  09:00 That was part of masking it. I spent a lot of time people watching so that I could blend in a lot more, kind of trying to figure it out. I felt like I was an alien dropped off on this planet and that somebody forgot to give me the script. And, you know, I was trying to figure things out as I went. Michael Hingson  09:15 Well, maybe that's actually what happened, and they'll come back and pick you up someday, maybe, but then you can beat up on them because they didn't leave a script. Jennifer Shaw  09:25 Yeah, you guys left me here with no instructions, Michael Hingson  09:27 or you were supposed to create the instructions because they were clueless. There's that possibility, you know, Jennifer Shaw  09:33 maybe I was like, you know, patient X or something, Michael Hingson  09:37 the advanced model, as it were. So you, you went through school, you went through high school, and all that. You went to college. Jennifer Shaw  09:45 I did, yes, yeah, I went through I was going to be a teacher, but they were doing the teacher strike at that time, and that I was doing my observation practicum. And I was like, I don't know if that's something I want to go into. I'm glad I didn't. And. Instead, you know, I mean, I had an interest in psychology, and I took some psychology classes, and loved them. It intrigues me how the mind works. But I ended up going into a trade school I went to in Alberta. It's the, it's called an innate northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and I became an x ray technologist, and I worked in that field for many years. Michael Hingson  10:22 Did you enjoy it? I loved it. I love that I Jennifer Shaw  10:25 didn't have to, you know, like, yes, you have to work in an environment where you got other people there, but you can still work independently and, and I loved that. And I love this. I've always been very much a science math geek, you know, things numbers. I have a propensity for numbers and and then science and math, just, you know, they were fun. Michael Hingson  10:45 Yeah, well, I agree, having a master's degree in physics and I have a secondary teaching credential, so I appreciate what you're saying. It's interesting. I would think also, as an x ray technician, although you had to give people instructions as to where to position themselves and all that. It wasn't something where you had to be very conversationally intensive, necessarily, Jennifer Shaw  11:07 yeah, and I mean, people didn't, you know, I didn't spend a lot of time with each patient, and I was able to mask a lot of my awkwardness and stuff and short short bursts, so nobody really noticed. And, you know, I had fun with the science part of it. And, yeah, it just it was never noticed. Although the social aspects, interacting with co workers and stuff, was bit difficult after, you know, outside of the actual tasks, that was interesting. Michael Hingson  11:38 I have a friend who just recently graduated from school learning to be an x ray technician. And I tease her all the time and tell her, you got to really be careful, though, because those x rays can slip out of your grasp if you're not careful, that you just never know when one's going to try to sneak away. So you better keep an eye on them and slap it when it does. Yeah, go catch them. I sent her an email last week saying, I just heard on the news an x ray escape from your hospital. What are you doing to catch it? They're fun, yeah, but, but you, but you did all of that, and then, so how long were you an x ray technician Jennifer Shaw  12:22 a little over 10 years I retired once my kids were born, Michael Hingson  12:27 okay, you had a more, well, a bigger and probably more important job to do that way, Jennifer Shaw  12:36 yes, and I mean, like at the time, we didn't know that both my boys would be, you Know, diagnosed on the spectrum, both of them have anxiety and ADHD, but I just, I was struggling with with work and being a mom, and it, in all honesty, it was going to cost me more for childcare than it was for me to just stay home. Michael Hingson  13:00 How did your so when they were diagnosed, what did your husband think Jennifer Shaw  13:04 my husband was? He says, okay, okay, I get it. Yeah, I can see those things and stuff like that. And I know when from my perspective, because both my boys went through the ADOS assessment, my thoughts were, those are the things you're looking for, because I've done those my whole life. And then, so, like, my oldest was diagnosed in like, June or July, and I received my diagnosis that September, and then my littlest guy was diagnosed the following year. Michael Hingson  13:29 You went through the assessment, and that's how you discovered it. Yep. So how old were you when they when they found it? Jennifer Shaw  13:35 Oh, I don't know if I want to give ages. I was just under 40. Okay. Michael Hingson  13:40 Well, the reason I asked was, as we talked a little bit about before we actually started the recording, I've had a number of people on the podcast who learned that they were on the spectrum. They were diagnosed later in life. I've talked to people who were 40 and even, I think, one or two above, but it just is fascinating to learn how many people actually were diagnosed later in life. And I know that part of it has to do with the fact that we've just gotten a lot smarter about autism and ADHD and so on, which which helps. So I think that that makes a lot of sense that you can understand why people were diagnosed later in life, and in every case, what people have said is that they're so relieved they have an answer they know, and it makes them feel so much better about themselves. Jennifer Shaw  14:36 Yeah, I know for myself, once I was diagnosed, I've never really kept it a secret. I've, you know, I I've given myself permission to ask questions if I'm confused, and then it opens up the doors for other people, like I will, I will tell them, like some things I don't understand, like I don't understand sarcasm. It's difficult. I can give it I don't understand when somebody is being sarcastic to me, and there's some idioms. And jokes that I that just they weigh over my head, so I'm giving myself permission to ask if I'm confused, because otherwise, how will I know? Michael Hingson  15:11 Yeah, it's it's pretty fascinating, and people deal with it in different ways. It's almost like being dyslexic, the same sort of concept you're dealing with, something where it's totally different and you may not even understand it at first, but so many people who realize they're dyslexic or have dyslexia, find ways to deal with it, and most people never even know, yeah, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  15:39 Well, I mean, I've like, not this year, but within the last couple years, I've been diagnosed with dyslexia as well. And then come to find out that my father had it as well, but he just never mentioned. It just never came up. Michael Hingson  15:51 Yeah, yeah. It's, it's pretty fascinating. But human the human psyche and the human body are very malleable, and we can get creative and deal with a lot of stuff, but I think the most important thing is that you figure out and you learn how to deal with it, and you don't make it something that is a negative in your life. It's the way you are. I've talked many times to people, and of course, it comes from me in part, from the being in the World Trade Center. Don't worry about the thing you can't control. And the fact is that autism is there, you're aware of it, and you deal with it, and maybe the day will come when we can learn to control it, but now at least you know what you're dealing with. And that's the big issue, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  16:39 And I think it like you hit it on the nail on the head, is like, the reason so many adults are being diagnosed is because we know more about it. I distinctly remember somebody asking me shortly after I was diagnosed, and they asked me specifically, oh, what's it like to be autistic? And I was like, I don't know. What's it like to not be. It's all I know. You tell me what it's like to not be, and I can tell you what it's like to be. Says it's not something you can really, yeah, people just can't experience it, I guess. Michael Hingson  17:08 Well, people ask me a lot, what's it like to be blind, and what is it like that you're just live in the dark? Well, I don't live in the dark, and that's something that is so unfortunate that we believe that eyesight is the only game in town, or most people do, and the reality is, blindness isn't about darkness. So I don't see, all right, the problem with most people is they do see, and that doesn't work for them. When suddenly the power goes out and you don't have lights anymore. Why do you distinguish one from the other? It's so unfortunate that we do that, but unfortunately, we collectively haven't taught ourselves to recognize that everyone has gifts, and we need to allow people to to manifest their gifts and not negate them and not demean the people just because they're different than us. Jennifer Shaw  17:56 Yeah, and I know I've had I've had people tell me it's like, oh well, you don't look autistic, and I'm like, I don't know what you would expect me to look like, but I've honestly tried really hard not to think of of the autism and the ADHD. I tried really hard not to look at it as a disability. In my own life, I've looked at it as it's just my brain is wired differently. Yeah, I've explained this to my boys. It's, you know, our minds are always open. We can't filter anything that's coming in. And it's like our computer, you know, our brain, if you imagine our brain as being a computer, we've got every possible tab open trying to perform a million different tasks. We've got music playing here, video playing here. We're trying to search for this file. We can't find anything. And then every now and then, it just becomes very overwhelming, and we get the swirly wheel of death and we have to restart, yeah, but we can multitask like nobody's business until then well, and Michael Hingson  18:45 the reality is, most people can learn to do it, although focusing on one thing at a time is always better anyway, but still, I hear what you're saying. My favorite story is a guy wanted to sell me life insurance when I was in college, and I knew at the time that people who were blind or had other disabilities couldn't buy life insurance because the insurance companies decided that we're a higher risk. It turns out that they weren't making that decision based on any real evidence or data. They just assumed it because that's the way the world was, and eventually that was dealt with by law. But this guy called up one day and he said, I want to sell you life insurance. Well, I thought I'd give him a shot at it, so I invited him over, and he came at three in the afternoon, and I didn't tell him in advance. I was blind, so I go to the door with my guide dog at the time Holland, and I opened the door, and he said, I'm looking for Mike Hinkson. And I said, I'm Mike hingson. You are. I'm Michael Hinkson. What can I do for you? Well, you didn't sound blind on the telephone. And I'm still wondering, what are the heck does that mean? Jennifer Shaw  19:52 Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's just, I think, you know, it's a lack of understanding. And. You know, the inability to put yourself in somebody else's shoes? Michael Hingson  20:03 Well, I think we have the ability, but we just don't, we don't learn how to use it. But you're right. It's all about education. And I think, personally, that all of us are teachers, or should be or can be. And so I choose not to take offense when somebody says you don't sound blind, or makes other kinds of comments. I i may push a little hard, but I can't be angry at them, because I know that it's all about ignorance, and they just don't know, and we as a society don't teach which we should do more of Jennifer Shaw  20:38 Yeah, I know that once I made, you know, like I posted on my, you know, with talk to my friends and stuff about the fact that I have autism and that I just, I'm learning about it myself as well. I've had a lot of people come to me and ask me, it's like, well, what, what? What did you notice? How did you find out? And I think I might be on the spectrum. And there's, you know, and it's amazing how many people came out of the woodwork with queries about, you know, questions. And I was like, This is awesome. I can answer questions and educate, yeah, Michael Hingson  21:09 well, and it's true, and the only way we can really learn and deal with some of the stuff is to have a conversation, and to have conversations with each other and be included in the conversation, and that's where it gets really comfortable, or uncomfortable is that people don't want to include you. Oh, I could end up like that person, or that person just clearly isn't, isn't as capable as I because they're blind or they have autism. Well, that's just not true, yeah, and it's, it's a challenge to deal with. Well, here's a question for you. What do you think is the biggest barrier that that people have or that they impose on themselves, and how do you move past it? Jennifer Shaw  21:52 I think that the biggest barrier that people pose on them, pose on themselves, is doubting whether or not they're worthwhile and and I know I did the lat I did that for many years and and, like I said, it wasn't until I received my diagnosis, I thought maybe, maybe, you know, I won't know unless I try. So I got out of my comfort zone, and I surpassed my doubt, and I tried, and then I come to find out that, okay, I should publish. And I've had some, you know, I've had a lot of fun doing that, and I've seen some success in that as well. Michael Hingson  22:24 One of my favorite quotes goes back to the original Star Wars movie Yoda, who said there is no try, do or do not. Don't try. I think that's absolutely true. Do it. That's why I also totally decided in the past to stop using the word failure, because failure is such an end all inappropriate thing. All right, so something didn't work out. The real question, and most of us don't learn to do it, although some of us are trying to teach them, but the biggest question is, why did this happen? What do I do about it? And we don't learn how to be introspective and analyze ourselves about that, I wrote a book that was published last year called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and moving forward in faith, and it's all about teaching people from lessons I learned from my dogs about how to control fear and how to really step back when things happen and analyze what you do, what you fear, what you're about and how you deal with it. But there's no such thing as failure. It's just okay. This didn't work out right. Why? Why was I afraid? Or why am I afraid now? And what do I do about it? And we just don't see nearly as much analytical thinking on those kinds of subjects as we should. Jennifer Shaw  23:49 Yeah, wasn't there a quote somewhere? I can't remember who it was. I think was Edison, maybe, that he didn't fail 99 times. He found 99 times how not to do it right, and he just kept going and going and going until we got it right. Yeah. The other Michael Hingson  24:04 one I really like is the quote from Einstein that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing every time and expecting something different to happen. I think Jennifer Shaw  24:12 they said that at my graduation from high school, you'll get what you got, yeah, Michael Hingson  24:19 and you can decide to look for alternatives and look for ways to do it better, but, but it is, I think you're I don't know if it was Edison, but I'm going to assume it was who said that, but I think you're right, and it certainly makes a lot of Jennifer Shaw  24:35 sense, yes, yeah, and I've tried to live by embracing, because I've told this to my kids as well, and I've embraced the idea that, you know, we learn better from our mistakes than we do from the things we did right, Michael Hingson  24:49 although we could learn if we really thought about it, when we do something right and we go back and look at it and say, What could I have done to even make that better? And we usually don't do that well, that worked out well, so I don't have to worry about that. Well, exactly we should, you know, Jennifer Shaw  25:07 2020 looking back and saying, Well, what would we have done if this had happened? We just sort of stop. It's like when you're looking for your keys in your house. Once you find them, you stop looking. You don't keep looking for possible places it could have been. You just stop the journey. Michael Hingson  25:20 Or you don't look at why did I put them there? That's not where I usually put them. Speaker 1  25:26 Yeah, exactly, yeah. So when Michael Hingson  25:30 you discovered that you were on the spectrum, what did your husband think about Jennifer Shaw  25:34 that? He thought it made sense. Um, that Michael Hingson  25:37 explains a lot about you. Jennifer Shaw  25:38 Yeah, a little bit might be on the spectrum as well. He might be ADHD, because he has a lot of the same traits as me. But he says, yeah, it's kind of not worth going and getting it checked out and stuff like that so Michael Hingson  25:54 well, until he he wants to, then that probably makes sense. Jennifer Shaw  25:59 And there's no reason. There's no reason. Yeah, Michael Hingson  26:03 things go well, and that that's the big, important thing. But you look at at life, you look at what's going on, and you look at how you can change, what you need to change, and go forward Exactly. So tell me about your writing. You have, you have been writing a series. What did you do before the series? What was sort of the first things that you wrote that were published? Jennifer Shaw  26:26 That I wrote a short story for in a classroom assignment, my teacher published it. Wrote a couple poems. I had a teacher, a different teacher published those. But this, the series that I've written is kind of my first foray into publishing and stuff. And then just prior to that, it was just writing stories for myself, or writing scenes that came to to mind that I wanted to explore, and a lot of them had to do with characters overcoming adversity, because that's how I felt. That was what was going on in my life, Michael Hingson  26:57 and it was so what's the series about? Jennifer Shaw  27:03 So it's a magic, fantasy action adventure, some supernatural suspense kind of all sprinkled in for good measure, because I get bored of my series is there's our world, our time, coexisting magical realm, but there's a veil that separates us, and we can't see across this veil because we don't have magic. But these creatures that do can and have and they've been the source of inspiration for our fairy tales and Monster stories. And then my main character, a young man by the name of Callum Walker, is born with the ability to use magic. He doesn't know why. He's trying to make the most of it. We do learn why as we go through the series, but he doesn't know. And because he has magic, he's able to cross this veil into this magical realm. And he's learning about this world. He's learning about the beings in it. Adventures ensue, and we follow him through the series, trying to figure out as he's trying to figure out who he is, where he belongs, because he's too magic for here, but to human care and then master these abilities to survive. Michael Hingson  27:56 So has he figured out an answer to the question of why or where? Jennifer Shaw  28:00 Not yet. No answers as we go, but he's learning more. Mostly it's he's learning to accept himself and to start to trust and open up. And, you know, instead of thinking that there must be something wrong with him, and that's why he has these abilities, he starts to think, Okay, well, what can I do with these abilities and stuff? So in a lot of ways, his journey mirrors mine Michael Hingson  28:23 well, and he's asking questions, and as you ask questions, that's the most important thing you're willing to consider and explore, absolutely. So are these self published, or does a publisher publish them? Jennifer Shaw  28:40 I'm indie, published through press company called Maverick first press. Michael Hingson  28:44 Inc, have any of the books been converted to audio? Jennifer Shaw  28:48 Not yet, but I am looking into it. Michael Hingson  28:51 Some of us would like that I do read braille, and I could get a book in electronic form, and I can probably get it converted, but it'll be fun if you do get them into an audio format. I love magic and fantasy, and especially when it isn't too dark and too heavy. I've read Stephen King, but I've gotten away from reading a lot of Stephen King, just because I don't think I need things to be that dark. Although I am very impressed by what he does and how he comes up with these ideas, I'll never know. Jennifer Shaw  29:20 Yeah, I know. I don't think that it's as dark as Stephen King, but it's certainly a little darker and older than Harry Potter series. Michael Hingson  29:26 So, yeah, well, and and Harry Potter has been another one that has been certainly very good and has has encouraged a lot of kids to read. Yes and adults, Jennifer Shaw  29:42 yeah, we don't all have to be middle grade students to enjoy a middle 29:46 grade book, right? Michael Hingson  29:49 Oh, absolutely true. Well, so if you had to give one piece of advice or talk about experiences, to write. Writers who are trying to share, what would you what would you tell them? Jennifer Shaw  30:05 I would say that writing and publishing, it's a marathon. It's not a race. Don't expect immediate success. You have to work for it. But don't give up. You know? I mean, a lot of times we tend to give up too soon, when we don't see results and stuff. But if you give up, you'll never reach the finish line if you continue going, you may, you know, eventually you'll reach the finish line, and maybe not what you expect, but you will reach that finish line if you keep going. Michael Hingson  30:30 Yeah, we we are taught all too often to give up way too early. Well, it didn't work, so obviously it's not the right answer. Well, maybe it was the right answer. Most people aren't. JK Rowling, but at the same time, she went through a lot before she started getting her books published, but they're very creative. Yep, I would, I would still like to see a new series of Harry Potter books. Well, there is a guy who wrote James Potter his son, who's written a series, which is pretty good, but, you know, they're fun, yeah. Jennifer Shaw  31:07 Oh, I mean, that's why we like to read them. We like to imagine, we like to, you know, put ourselves in the shoes of, you know, the superhero. And I think that we all kind of, you know, feel a connection to those unlikely heroes that aren't perfect. And I think that appeals to a lot of people. Michael Hingson  31:27 I think it certainly does. I mean, that's clearly a lot of Harry Potter. He was certainly a kid who was different. Couldn't figure out why, and wasn't always well understood, but he worked at it, and that is something that we all can take a lesson to learn. Speaker 1  31:45 Exactly yes. So Michael Hingson  31:48 given everything that goes on with you, if the world feels overwhelming at some point, what kind of things do you do to ground yourself or or get calm again? Jennifer Shaw  31:59 Well, writing is my self care. It's my outlet. It's therapy. Aside from writing, I I'm getting back into reading because I'm going to book signing events and talks and such, and everybody's recommending, oh, read this book, read this book, and I'm finding some hidden gems out there. So I'm getting back into reading, and that seems to be very relaxing, but I do go. I do have to step away from a lot of people sometimes and just be by myself. And I'll, I'll put my headphones on, and I'll listen to my my track. I guess it's not track anymore. It was Spotify. And I'll just go for a walk for an hour, let my mind wander like a video and see where it leads me, and then come back an hour later, and my husband's like, Oh, where'd you walk? Because, like, I have no idea, but you should hear the adventures I had, yeah, Michael Hingson  32:44 both from what you read and what you thought Jennifer Shaw  32:45 about, yeah, just the things going through my head. What? And then the same thing when I'm writing, I see it as a movie in my head, and I'm just writing down what I see a lot of times, long for the ride. Michael Hingson  32:55 Yeah, your characters are writing it, and you're just there, Jennifer Shaw  32:58 yeah, you know. And when I'm when I'm in the zone. I call those the zone moments. And I won't know what's going to happen until it starts to happen. And I'm writing a sentence, oh, I didn't know that was gonna happen. I want to see where this goes. And it'll take me to somewhere where I'm like, wow, that's an amazing scene. How could I, how did I think of that? Or, on the contrary, it'll take me somewhere and I'll be like, What is wrong with me? I know that came out of my head, but what is wrong with me? So, you know, it's a double edged sword, Michael Hingson  33:26 but write them all down, because you never know where you can use them. Jennifer Shaw  33:29 Oh, absolutely. I don't delete anything. I can just wind and then start again, see where it leads. And it never goes to the same place twice. Michael Hingson  33:37 That's what makes it fun. It's an adventure. I don't know. I think there's an alien presence here somewhere. Jennifer Shaw  33:44 Who knows? Maybe I'm the next step in evolution. Could Michael Hingson  33:47 be or you come from somewhere else. And like I said, they put you down here to figure it out, and they'll come back and get you Jennifer Shaw  33:57 well, but never know. There's so many things we don't understand. You know, Michael Hingson  34:00 well, then that's true, but you know, all you can do is keep working at it and think about it. And you never know when you'll come up, come up with an answer well, or story or another story, right? So keep writing. So clearly, though, you exhibit a lot of resilience in a number of ways. Do you think resilience is something we're born with, or something that we learn, or both. Jennifer Shaw  34:25 I think it's a little of both. You know, maybe we have a stronger determination or willfulness when we're born, but it can also be a part of our environment. You know, we develop things that we want to do. We develop desires and dreams and stuff. And you know the combination of the two, the you know, the willful resolve and the desire to dream and be better. And I think those two combined will drive us towards our our goals. Michael Hingson  34:53 Now are your parents still with us? Yes. So what did they think when. You were diagnosed as being on the spectrum. Jennifer Shaw  35:03 Um, I think my dad was more open to the idea. I don't think my mom believed it, but then she's kind of, she's kind of saying, like, okay, maybe, maybe it's, oddly enough, she was, you know, more open to the idea of me having ADHD than autism. And I just think there was just a lack of understanding. But as time has gone on, I think she sees it, not just in me, but I think she sees aspects of that in herself as well. Michael Hingson  35:28 And in a sense, that's what I was wondering, was that they, they saw you grow up, and in some ways, they had to see what was going on. And I was wondering if, when you got an answer, if that was really something that helped them or that they understood? Jennifer Shaw  35:46 Yeah, I I think so. Although I did internalize a lot of of my understandings and misconceptions about life, I internalized it a lot, and I was the annoying cousins because I just, you know, said the appropriate things at inappropriate times and didn't catch jokes and didn't understand sarcasm and and I was just the oddball one out. But I think now that my mom understands a little bit more about autism and ADHD, she's seeing the signs Michael Hingson  36:13 well, and whether she understood it or not, she had to, certainly, as your mom, see that there was something going on. Well, I don't know my I'm whether she verbalized it or she just changed it out. Jennifer Shaw  36:28 I think she was just, she was working two full time jobs raising five kids on her own. I think that there just wasn't enough time in the day to notice everything. 36:37 Yeah, well, Michael Hingson  36:40 but it's always nice to really get an answer, and you you've accepted this as the answer, and hopefully they will, they will accept it as well. So that's a good thing. Jennifer Shaw  36:54 Whether or not they accept it is up to them. I'm that's their choice. Yeah, yeah. It's their choice. The most important thing is that I'm understanding it. Michael Hingson  37:04 Yeah, well, and then helps you move forward. Which is, which is a good thing? Yes. So do you think that vulnerability is part of resilience? Jennifer Shaw  37:18 I think it's important to understand where we're vulnerable. It's like accepting your weaknesses. We all want to improve. We don't want to stay weak and vulnerable, but the only way to improve is to accept those and to understand those and to identify those so that we know where to improve. So I think that it is important. Michael Hingson  37:38 I think it's crucial that we continue to work on our own ideas and attitudes and selves to be able to to move forward. And you're right. I think vulnerability is something that we all exhibit in one way or another, and when we do is that a bad thing? No, I don't think it should be. I think there are some people who think they're invulnerable to everything, and the reality is they're not Jennifer Shaw  38:09 those narcissists. Yeah, Michael Hingson  38:11 was getting there, but that's and that's exactly the problem. Is that they won't deal with issues at all. And so the fact of the matter is that they they cause a lot more difficulty for everyone. Yep, of course, they never think they do, but they do. Yeah. Jennifer Shaw  38:30 I mean, if you don't accept the fact that you're not perfect and that you have weaknesses and vulnerabilities, then you're just it turns into you're just either denying it or you're completely ignorant. How do you Michael Hingson  38:41 balance strength and softness? And because, you know when you're dealing with vulnerability and so on, and it happens, well, how do you, how do you bring all of it to balance? Jennifer Shaw  38:50 Um, it's the yin and yang, right? Um, you know, the strength keeps you going, the softness keeps you open to accepting and learning. Michael Hingson  38:59 Yeah, that makes sense. It gives you the opportunity to to go back and analyze and synthesize whatever you're thinking. Yes. Well, autism is, by the definitions that we face, considered a disability, which is fine, although my belief is that everybody on the planet has a disability, and for most people, as others have heard me say on this podcast, the disability that most people have is their light dependent, and they don't do well if suddenly the lights go out until they can find a smartphone or whatever, because the inventors, 147 years ago created the electric light bulb, which started us on a road of looking for ways to have light on demand whenever we wanted it and whenever we do want it, when that works, until suddenly the light on demand machine isn't directly available to us when light goes away. So I think that light on demand is a lovely thing, but the machines that provide it are. Only covering up a disability that most people have that they don't want to recognize. Jennifer Shaw  40:05 And I'd also argue that the more dependent we become on technology, that the harder it is to adjust to, you know, the way we used to live. If you go to the grocery store, everything's automated. And if the power goes out at the grocery store, nobody knows how to count out change now, yeah, Michael Hingson  40:22 they they cannot calculate on their own. I continue to work to be able to do that. So I like to to figure things out. People are always saying to me, How come you got the answers so quickly of how much change or how much to leave for a tip I practice, yeah, it's not magical. And the reality is, you don't always have a calculator, and a calculator is just one more thing to lug around. So why have it when you can just learn to do it yourself? Yeah? Jennifer Shaw  40:49 Or we have a cell phone which has got everything on it. Michael Hingson  40:52 Oh, I know, yeah, there is that too. But you know, the the thing about all of this is that we all have disabilities, is what I'm basically saying. But if you use disability in sort of the traditional sense, and by that I mean you have certain kinds of conditions that people call a disability, although I will submit absolutely that disability does not mean a lack of ability. But how do societal definitions of disability, kind of affect people more than the actual condition itself, whatever it is. Jennifer Shaw  41:26 I think society as a whole tend to focus on the negatives and the limitations, and if you focus solely on those, then nobody can see beyond those to what a person can do, because there's a whole, you know, there's a whole lot out there that people can do. You can, you can learn to adjust to a lot of things. The brain is very malleable. And, you know, we're not just given one sense for one reason. You know, we have five senses, well, arguably more, depending on who you talk to, yeah, to feel out the world. And same thing with autism is, you know, I mean, I had a hard time those things that would come naturally to people, like socializing, learning to speak, even my son at the playground, he didn't know how to approach kids to ask him to play and but those things can be learned. They just have to spend the time doing it well. Michael Hingson  42:19 And I hear you, do you think that autism is under the definition of disability? Jennifer Shaw  42:26 I think it can be very debilitating. I think that, you know, and then some people suffer more severe. They're more ranges than than I do mine, but I do think that the brain can learn to adjust a lot, maybe not the same as everybody else, and there will be struggles and there will be challenges, and there'll be anxieties and and things is it is, in a way, a disability. It'll never go away. But I don't think it has to be debilitating Michael Hingson  42:59 struggles and anxieties, but everyone experiences that in one way or another, and that's, of course, the point. Why should some of us be singled out? Jennifer Shaw  43:07 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I do know, though, that with there's, I guess we call them an invisible disability, because I don't look autistic, I don't look ADHD, but I struggle inwardly. It's a lot more emotional. It's a lot more mental, you know, analyzing every conversation I've ever had. It's very exhausting and confusing, and it can lead to other things and stuff that, you know, I mean, I don't think everybody else goes around counting license plates obsessively, you know, adding up numbers on license plates and stuff. And if I don't, it can be very anxiety inducing. I don't think everybody else has to, you know, make notebooks worth of conversations to learn to talk to people and watch the world around them, to try to figure out how to act. I think for a lot of people, it comes naturally. And because I had to learn all those things on my own and stuff, it created a lot more anxiety than another person would have in that area, and life is already chaotic enough, you know, more anxiety on top of anxiety and such. Michael Hingson  44:11 Yeah, but some of that we create ourselves and don't need to. And again, it gets back to the fact we all have different gifts, and so some people are much more socially outgoing, so they can do so many more things that seem like everyone should be able to do them. But again, not everyone has the same gifts. Yeah, I think that we need to recognize that. Sorry, go ahead. I was gonna say, Jennifer Shaw  44:34 just like, not everybody has the same weaknesses, right? I learned. I think, you know, if we, if we learned to, you know, share the strengths that we have that might overcome somebody else's weaknesses and stuff. It would be a whole lot better place. Instead of trying to label everybody and segregate everybody based on their limitations, let's, let's look at their strengths and see which ones coordinate. Yeah. Michael Hingson  44:56 How does HD? ADHD manifest itself? Jennifer Shaw  45:00 Yeah, it's some, in a lot of ways, very similar to autism, and that's probably why it's now considered part of the autism spectrum. I have a difficult time focusing on things that I don't find intriguing, like, oh gosh, if I had to read a social studies textbook, I would go stark raving mad and fall asleep. And I've really hard time staying focused. Don't have to read the same paragraph 20 times, but you give me a textbook on physics, and I'm right in there, and I'll hyper focus for like, 12 straight hours, forgetting the world exists and don't eat, don't sleep, don't move, and I will just immerse myself in that. And then there's a difficult time regulating emotions so somebody gets upset about something for the most part. You know, you can calm yourself down and stuff like that. With autism and ADHD, it's really hard to regulate those emotions and come down from that hyper, hyper emotional state down to a normal state. Michael Hingson  46:00 I can see that in a lot of ways, it can look very similar to to autism in terms of the way you're describing it. It makes, makes sense, yeah, which? Which is something one has to deal with. Well, if people stop trying to fix what makes us different? What could we do with the world? How would things be different? Jennifer Shaw  46:22 I think the world be very interesting if we stopped trying to fix people and just started trying to accept people and see how, you know, like, I think that for one we would also be a lot more open to accepting people, but that would have to come first. And I think that would be amazing, because, you know, if we were all the same and we all tried to fit into the same mold, it's going to be a very boring place. Michael Hingson  46:46 The thing that is interesting about what you just said, and the question really is, when we try to fix things, why do we need to fix things? What is it that's really broken? And that's of course, the big issue is that people make assumptions based on just their own experiences, rather than looking at other people and looking at their experiences. Is that really broken? As it goes back to like when I talk about blindness, yeah, am I broken? I don't think so. I do things differently. If I had been able to see growing up, that would have been nice. But you know what? It's not the end of the world not to and it doesn't make me less of a person, and you happen to be on the autism spectrum, that's fine. It would be nice if you didn't have to deal with that, and you could function and deal with things the way most people do. But there are probably advantages, and there's certainly reasons why you are the way you are, why I am the way I am. And so why should that be a bad thing? Jennifer Shaw  47:48 I don't think it is. I mean, other than the fact that I would love to be, you know, not have to suffer with the stress and anxieties that I do, and the insecurities and the doubt and trying to figure out this world and where I belong and stuff, I wouldn't. I like the way my brain works. I like the way I think, you know, very What if, very out of the box, very creative mindsets. And I wouldn't change that for the world. Michael Hingson  48:15 Yeah, and I think people really should be accepted the way they are. Certainly there are people who we classify as geniuses because they do something that we didn't think of, and it catches on, and it's creative. Einstein did it. I mean, for that matter, there's something that that Elon Musk has done that has created this vehicle that no one else created successfully before him. Now I'm not sure that he's the greatest business guy, because I hear that Tesla is not the most profitable company in the world, but that's fine. Or Steve Jobs and Bill Gates created things. Did they do it all? Jennifer Shaw  48:56 Sorry, Sebastian Bach too. Yeah. I mean those prodigies, right? Michael Hingson  49:01 And they didn't do they didn't do everything. I understand that Einstein wasn't the greatest mathematician in the world, but he was great at concepts, and he had other people who who helped with some of the math that he didn't do, but, but the reality is, we all have gifts, and we should be able to use those gifts, and other people should appreciate them and be able to add on to what they do. One thing I always told employees when I hired people, is my job isn't to boss you around because I hired you because you demonstrated enough that you can do the job I want you to do, but my job is not to boss you, but rather to use my skills to help enhance what you do. So what we need to do is to work together to figure out how I can help you be better because of the gifts that I bring that you don't have. Some people got that, and some people didn't. Jennifer Shaw  49:50 Some people are just, they're less, you know, open minded. I think I don't know, like, less accepting of other people and less accepting of differences. And it's unfortunate. Passionate, you know, and that creates a lot of problems that, you know, they can't look beyond differences and to see the beauty behind it. Michael Hingson  50:11 Yeah, and, and the fact of the matter is that, again, we were all on the earth in one way or another, and at some point we're going to have to learn to accept that we're all part of the same world, and working together is a better way to do it. Yeah, absolutely. How do we get there? Jennifer Shaw  50:28 Yeah, I don't know. Maybe idealistic, you know, Star Trek society, or utopian society, you know. And maybe in 100 or 200 years, we'll get there. But if you think about 100 years ago, if you look at us 100 years ago, and then you think of all the technology that we have today, and that's in, like, one century is not a long time, given how long people have been on this planet. And look at all the things we've accomplished, technology wise, and look at all the great things that we have done, you know, and it's just imagine how many more, or how much, how much more we could do if we work together instead of working against each other. Michael Hingson  51:06 Yeah, and that's of course, the issue is that we haven't learned yet to necessarily work together. To some, for some people, that gets back to narcissism, right? They, they're, they're the only ones who know anything. What do you do? But yeah, I hear you, but, but, you know, I think the day is going to come when we're going to truly learn and understand that we're all in this together, and we really need to learn to work together, otherwise it's going to be a real, serious issue. Hopefully that happens sooner than later, Jennifer Shaw  51:39 yes, yeah, I don't think so, but it would be a nice to imagine what it would be like if it happened tomorrow. Michael Hingson  51:47 Yeah, how much potential do you think is lost, not because of limitations, but, but rather because of how we define them? Jennifer Shaw  51:58 I think we use limitations to set our boundaries, but by setting boundaries, we can never see ourselves moving past them, and nor do we try so. I think that setting limitations is hugely detrimental to our growth as as you know, creative minds. Michael Hingson  52:18 I think also though limitations are what we often put on other people, and oftentimes out of fear because somebody is different than us, and we create limitations that that aren't realistic, although we try to pigeonhole people. But the reality is that limitations are are are also representations of our fears and our misconceptions about other people, and it's the whole thing of, don't confuse me with the facts. Jennifer Shaw  52:51 Yes, yeah. And you know there's Yeah, like you said, there's these self limitations, but there's also limitations that we place on other people because we've judged them based on our understanding. Michael Hingson  53:03 Yeah, and we shouldn't do that, because we probably don't really know them very well anyway, but I but I do think that we all define ourselves, and we each define who we are, and that gets back to the whole thing of, don't judge somebody by what they look like or or what you think about them. Judge people by their actions, and give people the opportunity to really work on showing you what they can do. Jennifer Shaw  53:36 Absolutely, that's definitely a motto by which I've tried to live my life. I honestly don't know everybody out there. I mean, I don't think anybody does. And unless somebody gives me a reason or their behavior says otherwise, I'm going to assume that they're, you know, a good person, you know. I mean, if they, you know, if I assume this person is a good person, but maybe they smack me across face or take, you know, steal from me and stuff, then I'm going to judge those behaviors. Michael Hingson  54:02 One of the things that I learned, and we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, is dogs, and I do believe this love unconditionally, unless something really hurts them, so that they just stop loving. But dogs love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between dogs and people is again, unless something truly has been traumatic for a dog. Dogs are more open to trust than we are. They don't worry about, well, what's this guy's hidden agenda, or why is this woman the way she is? The fact is that they're open to trust and they're looking to develop trusting relationships, and they also want us to set the rules. They want us to be the pack leaders. I'm sure there are some dogs that that probably are better than the people they're with, but by and large, the dog wants the person to be the pack leader. They want them to tell the dog, what are the rules? So. Every guide dog I've had, it's all about setting boundaries, setting rules, and working with that dog so that we each know what our responsibilities to the relationship are. And I think absolutely dogs can get that just as much as people do. They're looking for us to set the rules, but they want that, and the fact of the matter is that they get it just as much as we do. And if that relationship really develops, the kind of trust that's possible, that's a bond that's second to none, and we should all honor that we could do that with with each other too. Yeah, there are people who have hidden agendas and people that we can learn not to trust because they don't want to earn our trust either. They're in it for themselves. But I don't think that most people are that way. I think that most people really do want to develop relationships. Jennifer Shaw  55:51 Yeah, and another aspect of dogs too, is they're very humble, you know, they they don't, I mean, they probably do have some, you know, some egos, but for the most part, they're very humble, and they don't dwell on the mistakes of their past. They live in the moment. And I love Yeah, no, go ahead. They do absolutely they do Michael Hingson  56:14 one of the things that I learned after September 11, because my contacted the folks at Guide Dogs for the Blind about it, my diet, my guide dog was Roselle, and I said, Do you think this affected her, the whole relationship? And the veterinarian I spoke with, who was the head of veterinary services, the guide dogs asked, did anything directly threaten her? And I said, no, nothing did. He said, Well, there's your answer. The fact is, dogs don't do what if they don't worry about what might have been or even what happened if it didn't affect them? They they do live in the moment when we got home after the events on September 11, I took roselle's harness off and was going to take her outside. She would have none of it. She ran off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with our retired guy dog, Lenny. It was over for her. It was done. Jennifer Shaw  57:06 It's finished, the journey's done, and I'm living in this moment now, yeah, Michael Hingson  57:10 different moment. I'm not going to worry about it, and you shouldn't either, which was the lesson to learn from that. Yes, but the reality is that dogs don't do what. If dogs really want to just do what they need to do. They know the rules, like I said. They want to know what you expect, and they will deal with that. And by and large, once you set rules, dogs will live by those rules. And if they don't, you tell them that you didn't do that the right way. You don't do that in a mean way. There are very strong ways of positively telling a dog, yeah, that's not what the right thing was to do. But by the same token, typica

Is AI overhyped or a genuine game-changer for blind users? Stephen Scott and Shaun Preece dive into the benefits, risks, and future of AI tools like Alexa Plus, Be My Eyes, and smart home tech for blind and visually impaired people.In this lively episode of Double Tap, Stephen and Shaun tackle a packed inbox of listener emails, exploring everything from AI hype to the real-world challenges of accessible tech. They discuss the pros and pitfalls of AI assistants like Alexa Plus, share listener feedback on smart home security risks, and reflect on how blind users can balance independence with privacy. The conversation also covers the emotional side of accessible living—from guide dog retirement to the quirks of using smart appliances. With candid humour and thoughtful insights, the hosts consider whether AI is truly intelligent or simply confident in its own “hallucinations.”Key themes include: AI's practical impact on everyday life for blind users Voice assistants, smart home security, and privacy trade-offs How AI might evolve from “prompt-driven” to more autonomous tools The emotional realities of guide dog retirement and accessible living Enjoyed this discussion? Share your thoughts in the comments, subscribe for daily episodes, and email your questions to:feedback@doubletaponair.com Relevant LinksWired – Google Gemini Smart Home Hijack (article): https://www.wired.com/story/google-gemini-calendar-hijack-smart-homeThe Verge - Large Language Mistake (article): https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/827820/large-language-models-ai-intelligence-neuroscience-problems Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Central Bark: A Podcast by Guide Dogs for the Blind. Today, we're sharing a powerful live recording from a mindfulness workshop led by Dr. Jason Doorish during our recent Alumni Reunion. In this exclusive session, Jason guides listeners through grounding techniques, stress-reduction strategies, and a calming guided meditation designed to support guide dog handlers, puppy raisers, volunteers, and anyone seeking mental wellness tools. Whether you're navigating the busy holiday season, preparing for guide dog training, or simply looking to build a more mindful daily routine, this episode offers practical, accessible techniques to help you reset and recharge.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/48DwLvhShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we share the heartbreaking news of Anne Peters' passing. Anne was more than a guest on Stories of Vision Loss—she was an author and storyteller whose vibrance and laughter were a gift. Anne's creative talents shone brightly in the young adult book, "The Dragon Who Would be King," touching the hearts of readers young and old. Her Christian faith was the cornerstone of her life, and she embodied its principles through her actions and the warmth of her companionship. She approached life with a rare combination of strength and gentleness, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those she met with generosity.For those wishing to revisit her voice, her interview that follows remains a cherished space and an enduring tribute. Her memory will not fade.  Donations may be made in memory of Anne M. Peters to Guide Dogs for the Blind, San Rafael, CA or to the Zelma Odle Memorial Fund, c/o Abilene Christian University.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/stories-of-vision-loss--5626029/support.

Stories have a way of helping us recognize ourselves, and that's exactly what happened in my conversation with Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. Nana shares what it was like to grow up in Queens, then suddenly move to a boarding school in Ghana, and how that experience shaped her identity in ways she's still uncovering today. As Nana describes her path from writer to author, her years of persistence, and the curiosity that led to books like Powder Necklace and Blue, I felt a deep connection to her commitment to keep creating even when the process feels uncertain. We also explored trust, partnership, and the lessons my guide dogs have taught me—all ideas that tie into the heart of Nana's storytelling. This conversation is an invitation to see your own life with more clarity, courage, and compassion. Highlights: 00:00:10 – Step into a conversation that explores how stories shape courage and connection. 00:01:41 – See how early environments influence identity and spark deeper questions about belonging. 00:02:55 – Learn how a major cultural shift can expand perspective and redefine personal truth. 00:23:05 – Discover what creative persistence looks like when the path is long and uncertain. 00:27:45 – Understand what distinguishes writing from fully embracing authorship. 00:33:22 – Explore how powerful storytelling draws people into a moment rather than just describing it. 00:46:45 – Follow how curiosity about history can unlock unexpected creative direction. 00:59:31 – Gain insight into why treating a publisher as a partner strengthens both the work and the audience reach. About the Guest: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is the author of Powder Necklace: A Novel, the award-winning children's picture book Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, the collection Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices, and My Parents' Marriage: A Novel.  Tapped for her passion about Africa's rich fashion traditions and techniques, Brew-Hammond was commissioned by the curators of Brooklyn Museum's "Africa Fashion" exhibit to pen and perform an original poem for the museum's companion short film of the same name. In the clip, she wore a look from the made-in-Ghana lifestyle line she co-founded with her mother and sister, Exit 14. The brand was featured on Vogue.com. Every month, Brew-Hammond co-leads the Redeemed Writers Group whose mission is to write light into the darkness. Learn more about it here.Learn more at nanabrewhammond.com. Ways to connect with Nana**:** Instagram, Facebook and Threads: @nanaekuawriter Twitter: @nanaekua  www.NanaBrewHammond.com  ORDER my new novel   MY PARENTS' MARRIAGE Read 2023 NCTE Award Winner & NAACP Image Award Nominee   BLUE: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky   Read RELATIONS: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices , stories, essays & poems by new and established Black writers   Shop Exit 14 , all weather, uniquely designed, 100% cotton apparel sustainably made in Ghana About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:20 And a pleasant, Good day to you all, wherever you happen to be, I would like to welcome you to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to have a conversation with Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond And Nana has a lot of interesting things to talk about. She's written books, she's done a variety of different things, and rather than me giving it all away, it'll be more fun to let her tell the stories and get a chance for us to listen to her. She is in Oakland, California, so she's at the other end of the state for me, and we were just comparing the weather. It's a lot colder where she is than where I live down here in Victorville, where today it's 104 degrees outside. And Nana, you said it was like, what, somewhere around 70. Yeah, it's 68 There you go. See lovely weather. Well, Nana, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here, and I want to thank you for taking the time to be with us. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  02:23 I feel the same way. Thank you for having me on your amazing show. And it's so wonderful to be in conversation with you. Michael Hingson  02:30 Well, I'm glad we get a chance to spend some time together and we can, we can talk about whatever we want to talk about and make it relevant and interesting. So we'll do that. Why don't we start with what I love to do at the beginning of these is to talk about the early Nana growing up and all that. So take us back as close to the beginning as your memory allows. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  02:52 Oh gosh, as my memory allows. Um, I so I was born in Plattsburgh, New York, which is upstate near Montreal, Canada. Michael Hingson  03:06 Been there. Oh, cool in the winter. I even crossed the lake in an icebreaker. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  03:12 But yeah, oh my gosh, wow. Okay, yeah. Bring back memories. Well, I was only there for till I was, like two years old. So, but I do, I have gone up there in the winter and it is cold. Yes, it is cold, yeah. So I was born there, but I grew up in New York City and had that really was sort of my life. I lived in New York, grew up in Queens, New York, and then at 12 years old, my parents decided to send me to Ghana to go to school. And that was sort of like a big, the biggest change of my life, like I know that there was a before Ghana and an after Ghana, Nana and so, yeah, wow. Michael Hingson  04:02 So, so when was that? What year was that that you went to Ghana? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  04:06 That was 1990 August of 1990 actually. Michael Hingson  04:11 So what did you think about going to Ghana? I mean, clearly that was a major change. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  04:15 Yeah, you know, I, you know, my parents are from Ghana originally. So when, you know, they would always talk about it. We, you know, back then phones, long distance phone calls to Ghana. I, you know, that was, that was the extent of my sort of understanding of Ghana, the food that we ate at home, etc. So going to Ghana was just sort of mind blowing to me, to sort of be crossing, you know, getting on a plane and all of that, and then being in the country that my parents had left to come to the United States, was just sort of like, oh, wow, connecting with family members. It was just, it was a lot. To process, because life was very, very, very, very different. So yeah, it was just sort of a wild eye opening experience about just the world and myself and my family that ultimately inspired me to write a book about it, because it was just, I just, it was a lot to process. Michael Hingson  05:25 Why did they want you to go to to Ghana to study? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  05:30 Yeah, so in the 90s, in New York City or and in the late 80s, there was the crack epidemic was happening, and we, you know, I mean, I remember, we lived in a house in Queens, and when we would, you know, part of our chores was to sweep in front of the house, you know, rake the leaves, that kind of thing in the fall. And we would, all the time there would be crack files, you know, like as we're sweeping up, and I didn't get there where we were young. My sister was, you know, a teenager. I was 12, and my, you know, my younger brother had just been born. He was just like a, like, a little under a year old. And I think my parents just didn't feel that it was a safe place for us as kids to grow up. And so, yeah, they wanted to kind of give us an opportunity to get out of, you know, that environment for a while. Michael Hingson  06:33 What did you think of it? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  06:35 I mean, you know, as a kid, you never want to leave what to you. So it was, I would say it was, it was, it was interesting. Because initially I loved it. I was like, I actually campaigned, you know, I was like, I really, you know, would like to stay in Ghana, but I didn't want to stay for, you know, the three years, which is what I what happened? I wanted to stay for maybe, like a year, kind of try it, you know, go to school for a year. I found it this really cool adventure, go to boarding school and on all of that. But my parents made the decision that we should just sort of ride it out and finish like I had to finish high school. And, yeah, so, so great for me. Michael Hingson  07:25 So you were there for three years, yes. So by you were 12, so by 15, you had finished high Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  07:32 school, yeah, because the system there is different. It's it was at the time the British system. So it was like a form system where I saw I entered in form three, because it was, it wasn't quite the equivalent in the sense that I probably should have started in form two or form one, but I was also an advanced student, and and they, the way the system there works is you have to take a common entrance exam from primary school to get into secondary school. So it's very difficult to get into school midstream there. So we had to go through all of these hoops. And, you know, there was an opening in form three, and that was higher than my, you know, than where I should have been, but I was advanced, so I was able to get into that school that way. You did okay. I assume I did. I mean, I struggled, which was interesting, because I was a very, you know, good, strong student in the States, but I struggled mightily when I first got there, and throughout, it was never easy, but I was able to manage. Michael Hingson  08:49 Now, did your sister also go to Ghana? She Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  08:52 did, and she was hopping mad. Michael Hingson  08:55 How old was she when you were 12, she was Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  08:59 17, so she Okay, yeah, almost about to go to college. She was really excited about, like, that portion of life. And then it was like, okay, she's in Ghana. She was hopping mad. Michael Hingson  09:13 Well, how long did she stay? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  09:16 Well, so she stayed for two years. Because what Ghana has is sort of like, at the time it was something called sixth form, which is, again, the British system. So it's sort of like a college prep in between the equivalent of that. So she basically did that in Ghana. Michael Hingson  09:38 Okay, well, and your little brother didn't go to Ghana, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  09:44 not yet, not not yet. You Michael Hingson  09:47 mean they didn't send him over at one year? No, okay, well, that's probably a good idea. Well, so looking back on it, what do you think about having spent three years in. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  10:00 Ghana, looking back on it, I think it was actually really, really good for me. I mean, it was that doesn't take away from the fact that it was very difficult. It was very, very challenging, not only academically. It was I was bullied really hard at this boarding school that I went to. The girls just kind of made my life hell. But what was amazing about it for me was that I had, I had exposure to Ghanaian culture in a way that I would never have had in the States. As I mentioned to you, Ghana was sort of that country over there when I lived in America. And you know, it existed as you know, family members coming to visit, long distance phone calls, the food that we ate, that you know, the accents that we had, things that made us different, and at the time, that was not cool. You know, as a kid, you just want to fit in and you don't want to be different. And going to Ghana was my opportunity to learn that, wow, I didn't have to be embarrassed or ashamed of that difference. There was so much to be proud of. You know, my family was, you know, a sprawling family, you know, my my grandmother owned a business, my grandfather owned a business, you know, it was, it was really, it was eye opening, just to sort of be in another environment. People knew how to, you know, pronounce my name, and I didn't have to, you know, just explain things. And that was really affirming for a 12 year old and a 13 year old when you're going through that, you know. So it was really good for me. And in Ghana is where I came to know Christ. I became a Christian, and it was something that spiritually, I was not really, I don't know, I just didn't really think about spiritual. I did on some level. But going to Ghana, it everything just felt so palpable. It was really like we're praying for this. And it happened, you know what I mean, like, yeah. It felt very Yeah. It was just a time in my life when life really felt very the mysteries of life really felt like they were open to me, Michael Hingson  12:37 interesting and so you clearly gained a lot of insight and knowledge and experience over there that you were able to bring back with you when you came Yes, yes. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  12:55 When I returned to the States, I was just, I think of myself, I guess, as a weirdo. Like, when I came back, I just felt so weird because I couldn't really, fully, you know, connect with my friends, because I had missed out on three years of culture, you know. And you You don't realize how much culture means, like, until, like, you know, you don't have those references anymore. I didn't know the songs that were popular. I didn't, you know, know about, I forget, there was some sort of genes that were really popular while I was gone. I didn't know what they were. I didn't have a pair of them. So it was just sort of this, this interesting time. And I was also young, because I had finished high school, and I was 15, yeah, my friends were, you know, sophomores, yeah, you know, and I was beginning the process of looking into college. So it was just a really isolating time for me and I, but also, you know, interesting and I, again, I say it was, it was ultimately in the in the wash of it. I think it was good because it enabled me to sort of, I guess, mature in a way that enabled me to start college earlier. And, you know, sort of see the world in a much different way. Michael Hingson  14:26 So when you went to college, what did you want to do? Or had you had you decided to start laying plans for a major and what you wanted to do post college, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  14:36 I did not know what I wanted to do. I kind of, I mean, I kind of thought I wanted to be a doctor. I thought I wanted to be a doctor. Like, all my life, growing up, I was like, I'm going to be a doctor. And I was a science student in Ghana, but I struggled mightily. But still, I went. I entered college with us. You know, the plans? To become a bio psychology major. And you know, I took two, three classes, well more than that, I did, like, a year of classes. And I was just like, This is not for me, not for me at all. But yeah, yeah. So it was, it was that was a little rough. Michael Hingson  15:21 Things happen. So what did? What did you go off and do? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  15:25 Then I ended up majoring in political science and Africana Studies, and it was, I remember taking a political science class my freshman year, and I, my my professor was amazing, but it was, it was interesting to me. I think looking back now, being able to think about the world in a way that was sort of linking history and politics and culture together. And I think that was interesting to me, because I had just come from Ghana and had been exposed to, like, sort of this completely different culture, completely different political system, and, you know, kind of having that, I that thinking, or that wonderment of like, wow, you can Life can be so different somewhere else, but it's still life, and it's still happening, but also having that connection as an American to America and what's happening there. And so holding both of those things in my hands when I got to college, I think I was, I just what I was really sort of intrigued by the idea of studying politics and studying culture and society, Michael Hingson  16:48 and that's what you did. Yes, I did. So you got a degree in political science. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  16:54 Yes, a double degree political science and Africana Studies. Michael Hingson  16:57 Africana Studies, okay, and again, that that's probably pretty interesting, because the the Ghana influence had to help with the Africana Studies, and the desire to to do that, and you certainly came with a good amount of knowledge that had to help in getting that as a part of your major. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  17:16 Well, interestingly, my focus was on African American Studies, because I really growing up as an immigrant, like with immigrant parents, their understanding or their their thought process wasn't necessarily, I don't know they weren't. They didn't really raise us to think about race or being black, because their consciousness wasn't about that. It was they were immigrants. You know what? I mean, they weren't thinking about that. So I was actually quite curious, because I did grow up in America and I was black, but I didn't understand, you know, the history of America in that way. And I remember, actually, when I was in was it the third or maybe it was the second or third grade, or maybe it was fifth grade. I did a project on the Civil War, and I remember being so interested in it, because I had, I just didn't, you know, it wasn't. I was so fascinated by American history because I really wasn't. I didn't, I didn't understand it in the way that maybe somebody who wasn't the child of immigrants, you know, might, you know, connect with it. So I was just Yeah, so I was really fascinated by African American history, so I ended up double majoring in it and concentrating on African American politics, which was really fascinating to me. Michael Hingson  18:55 Yeah, and there certainly has been a fair amount of that over the years, hasn't there? Yes, there has, but you can, you can cope with it and and again. But did your time in Ghana, kind of influence any of what you did in terms of African American Studies? Did it help you at all? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  19:15 Um, I, I don't know, because I don't because, because I think what, what I what, what Ghana helped me with was, I remember, I'll say this. I remember one time in Ghana, in class, we were reading a book by an author who had we were reading a play, actually by a Ghanaian writer who was writing about a Ghanian man who married an African American woman and brought her to his home. And there was a lot of clash between them, because, you know, they were both black, but they had different sort of backgrounds. Yeah, and I remember the teacher asking, because the. The the wife that he brought home, the African American woman, mentioned certain things about America, and no one in the classroom could answer any questions about America, and I was the only one who could. And I was, you know, very, very sort of shy in that in that school and in that context. But I remember that day feeling so emboldened, like I was, like, I can actually contribute to this conversation. And so maybe, you know, in on some level, when I got back to the states, maybe there was some interest in linking those two things together. But it wasn't as as is in life. It wasn't obvious to me. Then it was sort of just kind of me following my interest and curiosity. And I ended up, I didn't set out to be an Africana Studies double major, but I ended up taking so many classes that I had the credits. And, you know, I was like, Okay, I guess I'm I have two degrees now, or two, two concentrations, Michael Hingson  21:02 yeah, did you go and do any advanced work beyond getting bachelor's degrees? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  21:08 No, I did not. When I graduated, I initially thought I might get interested, get in, go to law school. But this was me again, following my muse. I realized that my real interest was in writing papers when I was in college. You know, give me a 15 page paper, 20 page paper, I was ecstatic. I loved writing papers. And I think that's one of the reasons, too, why I loved political science and Africana Studies, because we were assigned tons of papers, and it enabled me to sort of, you know, writing these papers enabled me to kind of think through questions that I had, or process what I was reading or thinking about or feeling. And so when I graduated from college, you know, I got, you know, a job, and was working, trying to figure out, Okay, do I want to go to law school? But at the time that I graduated, that was also during the time of, like, the.com boom, and there were a lot of online magazines that were looking for writers, and so I started, kind of, you know, submitting, and I got some some things published. And as that was happening, I was like, I think this is what I want to focus on. Michael Hingson  22:30 So when did you really know that you were a writer? Then? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  22:34 I mean, I don't I think that when I got back, when I started working, so I, ultimately, I got a job in advertising, and I was working, you know, as an assistant in the on the account side of things, but there was this whole creative department that, you know, got to, you know, come up with all of the, you know, the the taglines and write commercials and write jingles and all that kind of stuff. And I was, like, so fascinated by that, and that's what I thought, okay, I could if you know, I need a job, I need money, and I want to write, so maybe this is what I need to be doing. And so I ultimately did get a job as a copywriter and and I still, you know, do that work today, but I think I always knew that I needed to write, and I wanted to actually write about my experience in Ghana. So I remember, you know, I started kind of very fledgling. Would began to write into that, and I ultimately started writing that the book that became my first book, powder necklace, on the subway to and from work. Every morning I would wake up very early, write what I could get ready for work, right on the bus, right on the subway, you know, get to work after work. You know, repeat. And it took me many years, but that's what I did. And I wrote my first book, Michael Hingson  24:14 and that was published in 2010 right? Yes, it was, did you self publish? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  24:18 Or I well, I did not self publish. I was published by Simon and Schuster. Simon and Schuster's Atria Books, Washington Square press. And part of my process was I started just kind of, you know, the Internet. The Internet was new. It was something that was available to me. So I started just kind of Googling, how do you get published? And they said you needed a literary agent. So I started looking online for literary agents. And because I lived in New York City at the time, I would literally write my my query letters and like, hand deliver them different agencies. 90s, and one woman, after four years of looking, said, Okay, this sounds interesting. I'd love to meet with you. And I didn't believe. I was like, wow, I've been rejected for four years, and somebody actually wants this, and she was able to sell the book. And I was shocked. I was like, Simon and sister, okay? And at the time they bought it, the, you know, the America, the US, was going through the whole financial, you know, crisis, the recession, in 2008 so they held my book for a year, and then we began the process in 2009 and then they, you know, we were on track to publish it in 2010 Michael Hingson  25:46 Wow. Well, tell me about that book. Yeah. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  25:51 Powder necklace is a novel. It's a fictionalized account of my experience going to high school in Ghana. I when I went to school in Ghana. I went to a girls boarding school in the mountains of Ghana central region, and that school was going through a major water crisis. We did not, I mean, we the short story is that, I guess, because of we were on the mountain, the water pressure was very low, and so it was really difficult to get the water up that mountain. And they didn't have like enough, you know, tanks around the school and what have you. So we had one artificial well, and then we had, like, an underground well, and that was it. And the underground well wasn't always, you know, full of water to service the whole school. It was really difficult. So, you know, we had to bring in our own water, some. And then it became, if you had money, you could bring water. But if you didn't have money, you didn't and it was a very desperate time for for young girls without being not being able to take a shower on demand. And it was, it was wild. Michael Hingson  27:15 Where does the title powder necklace come from? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  27:19 So the title, I named it powder necklace, because, as I mentioned, taking a shower became this like symbol of the haves and the have nots. And, you know, all of this having water, really. And if so, what, what the girls, what we would do is, you know, after you've taken a bath, people would put tons of powder on their necks. And it was sometimes it was okay we didn't take a bath, so we're going to put powder on our necks to scented powder to cover the odor. But it was also a way, like if you had bathed, to sort of, you know, show off that you'd bathed. So for me, it was as I was reflecting on the on this as I was writing this story and reflecting on that whole experience, I thought, wow, it was sort of our way of holding our heads up, you know, in the difficult situation, and kind of making the best of it. So that's why I called it powder necklace, Michael Hingson  28:17 okay? And that was for children. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  28:20 Well, it was for young adults, young adults, but Michael Hingson  28:25 it was more writing than pictures. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  28:27 Yeah, it was a young adult novel. I actually, I mean, this was my first book. I really didn't know what I was doing. I just, I wrote the book and I didn't know that it was a young adult novel, until people were like, Yeah, you wrote a young adult novel. I'm like, okay, Michael Hingson  28:47 works for me. Well, what does, what does being a writer mean to you? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  28:54 Um, I think being a writer means to me being able to articulate. A time, a place, a mood, a moment, being able to articulate it, one for myself, but also to create a record that helps people who don't necessarily have that gift to be able to sort of put words to the experience of living at a time place, having a certain feeling about something. Michael Hingson  29:34 Do you think there's a difference between being considered a writer and being an author, are they the same, or are they really different? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  29:45 I do think that there is a difference, and not in a sort of, you know, highfalutin way. I think the difference is the fact that when you I think, like, when you asked me initially, like, when do you think that you you became. Became a writer. My My instinct is to say that I think I was always a writer, because I think if you write, you're a writer. And whether you're published or not, you're a writer. If you have that inclination, that gift, and you sort of invest in that gift, and invest and develop it. I think you're a writer, but I think with an author, I think then that's to me. I think of it as the business of being a writer, or the business of being, yeah, you are now sort of in business with your publisher. Publisher has invested a certain amount in you, and it then becomes a more sort of public facing thing. The work is not just for you anymore. The work is now being disseminated to a group and hopefully to as many people as possible, and you as the writer now have to figure out, like, how do I get to my audience? How do I maximize or expand the reach of this thing that I wrote? How do I connect with people around the story and build build a readership. And how do I ultimately, you know, the my desire and goal would be to live off of this. How do I make turn this into something that I can, I can do, you know, full time and live off of Michael Hingson  31:38 so you turn from a writer to being an author. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  31:42 I'm, yes, I am an author, and I'm and I'm hoping to get to the to the, you know, the point where I can do it 100% full time, and it be, you know, 100% lucrative in that way. Michael Hingson  31:56 So what are you doing now? In addition to doing books, I Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  32:01 also freelance as a copywriter, so I'm still copywriting, Michael Hingson  32:05 okay, I was wondering what you what you did? So you're doing, still marketing and jingles and all those things, yeah, well, I Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  32:13 I'm my focus. I do do that, but my focus is mainly in the digital space. So I write lots of websites and web ads and social media copy, and, you know, things of that nature, campaign work. Michael Hingson  32:33 Well, that's, is there anything that you've written or copy written that we would all know, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  32:42 yeah, I mean, I did. I've done a lot. I guess the maybe the most recent thing that I've done that people might be aware of, or some people might be aware of, is the Brooklyn Museum in New York, did a an exhibition called Africa fashion. And I, they created a short film to promote it, and I, they commissioned me to write an original piece for it. And so I wrote that piece and and performed it in the film. So, you know, people who are into that kind of thing a museum, that that museum might be aware of it. But I've also written for, I did a lot of work for L'Oreal Paris, USA, and I've just done a lot of beauty work. So many of the beauty brands you might be aware, you know, you might know, I've done some work for them, cool. Michael Hingson  33:45 Well, that, you know, you do have to do things to earn an income to to be able to afford to write until you can do it full time. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  33:53 Yeah, yeah. And I actually really love copywriting. I think it's an it's been an incredible teacher in the sense of how to how to crystallize an idea in very short, you know, in just a few words, how to convey emotion in just a few words. And also that storytelling is not just the words, it's how you deliver the story that's all part of it. So I think it's been an incredible teacher in that way. Michael Hingson  34:28 I know for me as a speaker, it is how you tell the story. And I've learned over 23 and a half years of speaking how to take people inside the World Trade Center and actually have them travel with me and do all the things that, and experience all the things that that I went through, and then come out of the other side and I and I say that because so many people after I speak somewhere, well. Come up and say, we were with you in the building. We were with you with everything that you did. And I appreciate that there is a real significant art to storytelling, and part of it is also, and I'm sure that this is true for you as a writer and an author, that part of it has to be that you have to actually connect with the audience. You've got to understand the audience. You've got to connect with them, and you have to bring them along, because they're not expecting to go with you. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  35:33 Absolutely, absolutely. And I will say that I started one of your books just the beginning of it, and I was just running with Roselle, and I was so taken, so absorbed by the first few pages of it. You really do immerse us. And I think that that's the best kind of of writing. You know, when you're able to kind of present material that people may or may not be familiar with, and make it riveting and really bring us into it, and then have us invest being, feel invested well. Michael Hingson  36:16 And I think the last book that we did last year live like a guide dog. I worked really hard to make sure that we were drawing people into the experiences, because every chapter is actually taking lessons from one of my guide dogs and also from Fantasia, which who is my wife's service dog, but each chapter relates to one of those dogs, and I wanted them to be environments where people again were drawn in and appreciate the dogs for what they are and what they do, not just some dumb Animal that comes along. Yeah. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  37:00 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, yeah, so interesting. I think there's, there's so much, I guess. I don't want to use the word, I guess what I want to say, there's a lot of mystery in in the sort of human animal interaction, and people just aren't aware of how powerful it is, and I can, I'm saying that I speak for myself, because growing up, actually, I was really, really scared of dogs and animals, all animals, and I so there's, there's two, there's kind of two stories I'll share. But one is when we were, when we were growing up, my parents, you know, were from Ghana. They wanted to eat goat meat. And at the time, you couldn't just go to a supermarket goat meat. So we used to go to a farm out in New Jersey that had goats, and we would have to go and have the goat, you know, slaughtered and, you know, cut up and all that kind of stuff for the meat. And I remember that whenever the hand would go into, you know, the pen where the goats were, the goats would just were. They would be so stressed out, they would like, you know, part like the ocean walked in, and if he picked, when he picked one out. There would be other people, other goats in the pen that would start screaming in agony, along with the goat that had been picked out. And I was just like, Oh my gosh. That must be his family members, like, or his loved ones. And it was so I remember that was so eye opening to me, like, wow. So I ended up years, years later, I wrote a short story, and I actually did some research on goats and how brilliant they are, and I was just like, wow, oh my goodness, I remember that so well. But I have a cat right now, and my kitty cat is just such a such a joy, like just sort of to build that relationship with, with my with my pet, is just such a beautiful thing, and how she just kind of, because I grew up really scared of pets, and I sort of inherited her when I got when I got married, you know, she's been very patient with me, like, because at first I was so skittish around her, and I could see her, kind of like rolling her eyes, like, I mean, you no harm. You can pick me up. It's all good. And she's just been so wonderfully patient with me. We've built that bond over time. Michael Hingson  39:31 Well, yeah, I have, of course, my my eighth guy, dog, Alamo, and stitch the cat. Stitch is 15 and a half and a real cutie pie. We rescued her. Actually, there were people who were living next to us, and he was moving out. His wife had died, and he just told the people who were moving all of his stuff out, take the cat to the pound. I don't want anything to do with it. And we, we said, Absolutely not. We'll find it a home. And then I asked, What the. Cat's name was, and they told me the cat's name was stitch. And I knew that this cat wasn't going to go anywhere because my wife had been, well, my wife had been a quilter since 1994 and a quilter is never going to give away a cat named stitch. Yes. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  40:14 Oh, I'm so glad stitch found a home with you. Michael Hingson  40:18 Oh, yeah. Well, we found a stitch. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  40:20 Oh, that's right, that's right. Michael Hingson  40:23 And, and, and so she's, she's got lots of personality. And so it really works out pretty well. No, no complaints. And I've always said, Whenever I get a guide dog, because my wife has always had cats, when I get a new guide dog, I've always said, and will continue to say, it has to be a dog that's been raised around cats and has no problems with cats. I have seen a couple of Guide Dogs, actually, that hated cats, and one almost killed a cat, and that's I will never tolerate that. Yeah, they have to get along. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely now, when we brought Alamo home, stitch had a few concerns about this dog in her house. She got over it when she decided that Alamo wasn't going to do anything to bother her and they they talk all the time now and rub noses and all that sort of stuff. Oh, that's so cool, yeah, but, but it's, it is great, and they, they bring so much joy and so many lessons to us that I think it was really important to learn. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  41:34 Yeah, yeah. You're reminding me the first dog, because my grandmother actually loves animals, and when I went to Ghana, she got a dog, and, you know, as a kid, so we got a puppy. And I remember the puppy was initially supposed to be a guard dog, but we I, I would feed the I would hand feed the dog sausages and just spoil the dog so much. Could not be a guard dog, so I loved that dog. Joshua, yeah, Joshua, Michael Hingson  42:07 well, but you and Joshua got along really well. On we got along great. One of the things that people sometimes ask me is if my dog trained to protect and the answer is no, they're not trained, and then they've said, Well, what would happen if somebody were to decide to attack you with the dog around? And my response will always be and rightly so, I wouldn't want to be the person to try that and find out what will happen, because much more than guarding, there's love. And I've always believed that dogs love unconditionally. I think trusting is a different story. They are open to trust, but, but you have to earn their trust. They'll love you, but will they trust you? That depends on you. And so it's it's really pretty cool, but I would not want to be the person to ever decide to try to attack us, because I, I am sure that Alamo would not tolerate that at all. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  43:10 Oh, not at all. How do, how do you or how have you built trust with your your pets? Michael Hingson  43:17 Well, a lot of it has to do with they want us to be the pack leaders. They want us to be their team leader. And so I have to set the ground rules. So, for example, no jumping on the furniture and all that. But again, it's also how you convey that. So if my dog is going to jump up on something and I don't want that, I'll say, leave it. And as soon as the dog obeys, I'll give the dog a food reward, a kibble, to let the dog know, and I'll also use a clicker, but I'll let the dog know I approve of what you did, not punishing them for, you know, something else. Yeah, so it's not punishment, it's positive rewards. I think that's extremely important, but also it is in the stressful times being very focused and calm. So if we're walking somewhere and we get lost, that is not the dog's fault, because it's my job to know where to go and how to get where I'm going, and it's the dog's job to make sure that we walk safely to get there, so if we get lost, that's on me. And what I can't do, or shouldn't do, is panic and become very fearful and upset, because the dog will sense that I have to stop and figure it out and continue to praise the dog, saying what a good job you're doing, and so on. And those kinds of things are the things that will, over time, build that trust. I think it takes a good year to truly build a trusting relationship that is second. To none. And that's the kind of teaming relationship that you want, whether it's a guide dog or any dog. And even as far as that goes, although they're different cats, yeah, but it's, it's all about building that relationship and conveying the command and conveying that you want to trust and be trusted? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  45:24 Yeah, yeah. I think you're you. What you said that really resonated with me is that they want to know. They want you to be the pack leader and the and part of that is, you know, you lay down the ground rules, but also you're responsible for them and their well being. And, yeah, that really, that really resonated with me. Michael Hingson  45:48 Well, so you wrote your first book, and then when did you write your second book? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  45:55 My second book came out in 2022, so it was a 12 year spread in my first book and my second book, Why so long? Oh my gosh, my book, I was the book I was working on, like to sort of follow, was just rejected for, for all that whole time, and I was, you know, in more and more distraught, and, you know, in despair about it. I didn't know what to do about it. And I actually, you know, I was actually reading the Bible, and I came across the fact that there was a curtain, a blue curtain, in King Solomon's temple. And I was like, why does it matter that the curtain was blue? And so I just started googling casually, and I discovered that there was a snail in antiquity that was harvested for the blue drops that it it secreted, or it secreted drops that were ultimately oxidized to turn blue. And I was like, what I've never heard about this? I started doing some more research, and I realized, like, oh my gosh, the color blue has such a fascinating history. Kids need to know about this. And so I wrote it really as a poem initially, but then I thought, you know, I really want to see if I can get this published. And I was able to get it published, and that became my children's book blue, which was such a bomb to my soul, because after sort of a decade of getting, you know, rejected, and, you know, close to a decade of getting rejected, this, this sort of beautiful, like, sort of knowledge, you know, I came across, But I was able to create a book, and it's just been a wonderful experience with the children's Michael Hingson  47:45 book, wow, so the full title of blue is, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  47:51 it's blue a history of the color as deep as the sea and as wide as the sky. Wow. Michael Hingson  47:57 That should be enough to get the book sold. But as you point out, there's, there's a lot of history, yes, and that, that's pretty cool. So it was, it was released in 2022 and they finally, the publishers finally bought into that, huh? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  48:16 Well, yeah, I mean, that wasn't the novel that I've been working on. So I was still working. I ultimately, I did sell the novel, but that was its own journey, and I ended up writing another book that became the book is called my parents marriage, and it is not about my actual parents marriage. It's a novel about a young woman for adult readers. It's my first book for adult readers, and it is about a young woman whose parents are in a polygamous union, and how they're they have a really turbulent polygamous union, and how that relationship kind of kind of cast a shadow on this woman's, you know, choices in relationships and marriage for herself. Michael Hingson  49:10 So you you publish that my parents marriage. You also did a collection relations. Tell me about relationships. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  49:18 I did. Yeah, so relations is an anthology of its stories, essays and poems that are by writers from all across the continent of Africa. So I have Egyptian poets and Libyan you know essayists and you know, Nigerian storytellers, just it was, it was a really amazing project to work on. I started working on it during August of 2020, which was sort of like I've heard it described as peak pandemic, right? You know, we were several months. Into lockdown, and you know, it became this wonderful way for me to kind of connect while I was sort of holed up in my apartment in New York. Michael Hingson  50:15 Okay, now, were you married by then? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  50:18 No, I was not. I had just started dating my now husband, and I was like, Am I ever gonna see this man again? Because he lived in California, so at that time, the planes were grounded. I remember we were, like, on the first, very first flights that were able to start, you know, that started and be on planes, there'd be like, four people on the entire plane. Michael Hingson  50:42 Yeah, hopefully you both weren't on planes going against each other at the same time. No, you did communicate a little more than that. Oh, good. Well, so you published. So when was well? What was relations published? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  51:02 Relations came out in 2023 okay, February of 2023, and my parents marriage came out in July of 2024. Just came out in July of 2025, Michael Hingson  51:14 which one the paperback of the paperback? Oh, okay. Have any of them been converted to audio Yes, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  51:23 all, but my first book, are audio books. So blue is an audio book, beautifully read, and then their relations, the stories and essays and poems are read by two speaking artists, and then my parents, marriage is is also wonderfully performed. So, yeah, they're all an audience. Michael Hingson  51:50 That's cool, yeah. So when you're writing, what, what's kind of the difference, or, how do you differentiate between writing for young people and writing for adults. There must be differences. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  52:07 Yeah, I think, I think with for young people, and the practical thing that I try to do is make sure that the vocabulary is are is familiar to them, mostly familiar. I like to put in a stretch word now and then to kind of get them to, like, get to the dictionary and find out what. But if I'm right, when I when I wrote blue, for example, knowing that, you know, the the age group is, the age spread is four to 888, year olds are in third grade. Four year olds are in pre K, so that's that's pretty big spread. So my sweet spot is first and second grade vocabulary words. Okay, it has to be something that they've been exposed to. So thinking of it in that way, the other thing too is breaking down concepts that are, you know, as adults, you know, we just assume that you know, or you can go look it up, but just kind of thinking it through. So if I'm talking about, instead of saying that, you know, there was a snail in antiquity who, you know, heart, you know, dyers were harvesting blue dye from these snails through after a process of oxidation. I wouldn't use any of those words. I would say, snail produced some drops that when exposed to the air and the sun turned blue. And so just sort of really, kind of being mindful of that, and also thinking very visually, writing, very visually. How can I create pictures with words that would be familiar to a child, that can sort of ignite their imagination? Michael Hingson  53:53 Yeah, I think it's extremely important to to deal with the visual aspects of it, but using words and really drawing again, drawing people in because if you just say, well, you can see this in this picture. That doesn't mean a lot, and you're also, I would think, helping to teach or create the concept that some people might some children might want to go off and write because they like how you say and what you say Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  54:24 absolutely and when I when I talk to kids, I go or visit schools, I invite them like I wrote about the color blue. What's your favorite color? These are some some things that I did to kind of learn about it. You can do these things to learn about your favorite color and write your own book? Michael Hingson  54:42 Yeah, yeah, it's, I think, so important to really draw people in and get them to think. And I think it's so much fun for me, I do some of that, but I have probably more of a chance. Challenge, because kids want to play with the dog. Yeah, it's all about the dog. I did a lecture at a K through six elementary school in San Francisco several years ago. I'm trying to remember what school it was anyway, and the teacher said you can only talk for about 10 or 12 minutes, because they just won't pay attention any longer than that. 35 minutes later, I finally ended the discussion, because they were so fascinated to hear me talk about what my dog did. And then I carried that over to how blind people work and function and all that. And the fact is, they were fascinated. The teachers couldn't believe it, but for me, it was a great lesson to know that it's all about creating these pictures that people can follow, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  55:53 yeah, and also to extending those pictures or those words into an experience for kids. Yeah, they really, they really appreciate, sort of like seeing it, kind of, you know, see if the having the concept come to life, yeah, way. And so I'm sure when they see your dog, or are able to interact with your dog, that must be so wonderful for them, Michael Hingson  56:22 but it's important for them to understand what the dog is all about. So by the time they get to interact with the dog, we've talked about things like, you never pet a guide dog in harness. This is what a guide dog does, and this is what they don't do. There are a lot of things to to cover. So it's great when I have the opportunity to really teach them. And sometimes we'll walk around a classroom and I'll show them what he does. Yeah, it's important to be able to do that. Oh, I love that. I love that. And he loves it, of course, all the way. So no question about that. He's you haven't lived until you've seen two or 300 kids all wanting to pet this dog. And the dog knows what to do. He's down on the floor with every appendage stretched out as far as he can go to maximize petting places, petting. Oh, it is so funny. I love that. He loves it. He's, he's, he's so happy. He doesn't care whether he'll do it more with kids even than adults, but, yeah, he'll do it with everybody. It's all about petting me and just remembering I'm the dog. I love that. Well, you've gone through a fair amount of time between books, and I'm sort of curious, what do you think about all the various kinds of changes and ebbs and flows that have come along in the book business, in the book publishing business and so on. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  57:56 Yeah, there have been a lot of changes. Um, I think, um, when my first book came out, like things like, you know, Instagram Bookstagram did not exist. There weren't many sort of podcasts or things of that nature. So I think that there is, there's definitely, there are more venues and more platforms to, you know, get the message out about the book. But I think also there is, it's also just hard. It's in some ways, it also feels in some ways more challenging to get the word out, because in addition to, like, yes, there are more venues in that way, regard, there are fewer book reviewers and fewer places to get a book reviewed, and there's a whole kind of interesting business about around getting reviews. So it's just not the same in that way. But then at the same time. I think what remains the same is connecting with readers. I think the most effective thing is, you know, writing a book that's good and then getting people who have read it and liked it to evangelize, to tell people I liked it, please buy it, or you should have you heard of and because at the end of the day, you know, that's what's going to, you know, give it some wind Michael Hingson  59:30 when thunder dog came out, and we did mention about reviews, and it actually has had, like well over 1600 reviews since it came out in 2011 live like a guide dog hasn't had, of course, so many yet, but every time I get a chance to talk about that book, I ask people to go review it and tell them why it's so important, because potential readers want to know what people think of the book. Yeah, for sure. For sure, it's. It really is important for readers to review and just be honest and say what you think. It's fine, but people should do that. For me, I think one of the biggest things that I see that publishers are doing less of is in a lot of ways, true marketing. You don't, you know, you don't see them doing nearly as much. Of course, I know it's more expensive, but to help create book tours or anything like that, they focus only on social media, and that's not the way to market the book. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  1:00:33 Yeah, I think, I mean, I've never worked inside a publishing office, so I don't know what actually, how they make these decisions and what goes on, but I do. I think what I have come to sort of think, how I've come to think of it, is the publisher is my business partner, sort of invested in terms of, they've given me an advance. They're going to do the turn key things like, you know, make sure the book gets reviewed by Publishers Weekly, or, sorry, Publishers Marketplace, or no Publishers Weekly. I was correct, and Kirkus review, Kirkus right, and all those kinds of things. And maybe they'll do a mailing to you know who they believe are the people that they need to mail it to. But outside of that, unless you know you, you know it's stipulated in your contract, or you know you are that high, yeah, you know that that celebrity author, or that that best selling author that they you know, are willing to put that money behind. You're working with some your publicist, who's been assigned to your book has is probably working on 10 other books. Can devote so much to it. And so what I've learned is thankful. I'm thankful that, you know, I have this publisher, but I also know that I need to do a lot of work on my own to get Michael Hingson  1:02:04 you've got to be your best marketer, yes, but, but there's value in that too, because you can tell the story whatever it is, like no one else, exactly, exactly. And so that's that's really pretty important, yeah, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  1:02:18 for sure, for sure. And you can be, you know that I think, also giving yourself permission to be creative, yeah, you know, how can you get the word out in really creative ways, like, again, the publisher. These are things that like, if there was, you know, people, there were many people dedicated to your book for this amount of time, they could kind of sit there and brainstorm and do all those things. But, you know, the reality is, in most cases, it's a small it's a lean and mean team. They don't have that bandwidth, so yeah, just kind of coming up with creative ways. And at times, what I have learned to do is, how can I, if I have an idea that is maybe low cost and but I can't necessarily do it on my own? How can I ask them for support, because they do have, you know, a little bit more resources, Michael Hingson  1:03:16 yeah, and, and the how is really pretty simple. Actually, you just ask exactly, exactly, and you know either they will or they won't, or you'll share it, or whatever. And I have found that same thing to be true. Well, Nana, if people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? If they might want to talk about you doing copywriting for them or whatever, how can people find you? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  1:03:41 So my website is Nana brew-hammond.com, can you spell please? It's n, a n, a, b, r, e, w, H, A, M, M, O, N, d.com, and I have a newsletter there. So a newsletter sign up. So they can sign up to be a part of my newsletter and connect with me that way. They can also find me on Instagram, I'm at n, a, n, a, e, K, U, a writer on Instagram, and I'm also on Facebook at that same name, and then on Twitter, I am that without the writer. So, n, a, n, a, e, K, U, a, Michael Hingson  1:04:28 okay, cool. Well, I hope people will reach out and and I hope that they will read your books and like them and review them. I hope the same thing. Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching us today. We really appreciate you being here with us. I'd love to hear what you think. Please feel free to email me. I'm reachable at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I. B, e.com, Michael H i@accessibe.com love to hear your thoughts and love to get your your opinions. I would really appreciate it if you would give us a five star rating when you have the opportunity to review this podcast. We really value your ratings and reviews very highly, and definitely want to know what you think, but please give us a great rating. We love that. If you know anyone who wants to be a guest on a podcast, or you think ought to be a guest, we're always looking for guests. And Nana you as well. If you know anyone, we're always looking for more people to come on the podcast and tell their stories. So we appreciate it. If you'd let us know. By the way, you can also go to my podcast page, www dot Michael hingson, M, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s o n.com/podcast, that's another way to reach out to me as well. But definitely anything you can do to bring more folks to us, we value it very highly. And so with that, once again, Nana, I want to thank you for being here. This has been great. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond  1:06:01 Thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me on, and you are such an inspiration. And thank you. Michael Hingson  1:06:13 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

On this episode we talk with client Luis Sanchez about his journey with blindness and receiving services at Leader Dog.

Discover the realities of guide dog eligibility, shared ownership, and new assistive tech like Glide, as Steven Scott and Shaun Preece share candid experiences from their own lives insights from blind tech users visiting Sight Village London.Steven opens up about being declined for a guide dog due to low daily activity levels, revealing the emotional impact and the surprising alternative offered. The discussion explores the practicalities, responsibilities, and emotional rewards of guide dog ownership and how shared partnerships work in the UK. The episode then moves into the future of assistive navigation, featuring conversations with Mark and Mustafa, early adopters of Glide, an AI-powered mobility device dubbed “a dog with a plug.” They share hands-on experiences, the evolution of Glide's design, and how it complements rather than replaces guide dogs or canes. Mustafa also explains why he relies on an iPad as his primary computer for university studies, highlighting generational shifts in tech use and accessibility. Like what you hear? Share your guide dog stories or your thoughts on Glide!Subscribe for more conversations where blind people talk tech, and leave a comment to join the discussion.Relevant LinksGuide Dogs UK: https://www.guidedogs.org.ukGlide Mobility: https://glidance.io #GuideDogs #AssistiveTech #BlindCommunity #Accessibility #GlideDevice Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Guide Dog Blogs, we meet Jason, a guide dog who's very protective, very energetic, and loves his ice creem. 

Join us for a heartwarming episode of the Reading With Your Kids podcast, where host Jed Doherty welcomes three inspiring guests from the world of children's books. First, we celebrate Aria Mia Loberti's debut picture book, I Am Ingrid, a touching guide dog story about Ingrid, the world's greatest guide dog, and Aria's personal journey from living with low vision to regaining her sight. Aria shares deeply moving insights about her partnership with Ingrid, her life-changing vision correction, and the unique challenges of adapting to sight. In addition to her experience as a children's author, Aria discusses the impact of literacy advocacy and the importance of reading together as a family. Aria also tells us of her unique journey from academia to starring in Netflix's hit series All The Light We Can't See. The episode also features Claire Tattersfield and Rob Sayegh, the author-illustrator duo behind the festive new picture book, Cupid Saves Christmas. Discover how Claire and Rob collaborate to bring holiday magic and creativity to life, offering valuable advice for aspiring children's book authors and illustrators. They reveal behind-the-scenes secrets from the publishing industry and highlight the joys (and hilarious surprises) of sharing stories with their own families. Whether you're looking for inspiration, guidance on creating picture books, or ideas to spark engaging family reading, this episode delivers uplifting conversations and actionable insights. Tune in to Reading With Your Kids for authentic interviews, children's book recommendations, and tips to foster a lifelong love of reading. Don't miss this episode celebrating literacy, creativity, and the power of storytelling!

We take a closer look at what it truly means to be ready for a guide dog. 

Devon In Sight's Children and Young People's Counselling Service won the Customer Excellence Award sponsored by Guide Dogs at the 2025 Visionary Awards. Amelia spoke to Grahame Flynne, Chief Executive Officer, and Louise Millington, Sight Loss Advisor, to hear about their work and the win. Learn more about Devon In Sight on their website - Welcome to Devon in Sight - Devon in Sight or call 01392 876 666 Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font. 

Guide Dog Training at The Seeing Eye: Paralympic medalist Evan Wilkerson introduces his partner, Titus, and shares the critical safety rules pet owners must know.

Kyle Kittleson brings the wow! In this fantastic, fun interview, Kyle shares wild and wonderful animal-training stories (yes, dolphins!) and how those lessons power his work as host of MedCircle—where he translates expert mental-health insights for everyday life—and creator of Baba Blast, a kids' series that builds empathy and resilience. We dive into grief, practical tools for mental health, and the magic of human–animal connection that Working Like Dogs listeners love. EPISODE NOTES: Feathers, Fins, and Four Paws: Empathy in Motion with Kyle KittlesonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-like-dogs-service-dogs-and-working-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6668004/support.

On this episode, we explore the remarkable and personal journey of receiving a new guide dog, a process that goes far beyond simply picking up a companion. Gain insight into what happens for the dog and partner, the intensive training both undergo, and the emotional transition that comes with building trust and teamwork.On this podcastNarratorSara Brown, APH Public Relations ManagerDanielle Burton, APH Accessibility EditorAdditional LinksGuide Dogs for the BlindGuide Dogs of AmericaAmerica's VetDogsThe Seeing Eye

App-based taxi company Uber have launched a new accessibility tool for assistance dog owners. The optional feature allows people to self-identify within the Uber app, which will inform drivers that they are traveling with their dog. The aim is to offer riders better support and to try to combat trip refusals. General Manager of Uber UK Andrew Brem tells In Touch how people can use the feature and how it will contribute to their combatting of refusals based on assistance dogs. Fancy yourself a keen baker? Love Productions, the company behind Channel 4's popular baking programme The Great British Bake Off, is calling for visually impaired amateur bakers to apply for the next series of the show. Molly Midlane, Casting Producer at Love Productions, describes how people can apply.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio' in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Get ready for an incredible episode of Working Like Dogs! I'm joined by Sharon Gattas and Peter Sellas, two extraordinary handlers who know firsthand the life-saving power of canines in times of crisis. Fresh from their recent deployment to the Texas flood recovery, they'll be sharing what it's really like to work side by side with their remarkable Belgian Malinois partners, Riley and Harley. These highly trained dogs aren't just companions —they're dedicated rescuers, using their skills to bring hope and relief when disaster strikes. From the bond that fuels their teamwork to the grit it takes to face floodwaters together; Sharon and Peter's stories will give you a front-row seat to the heart and heroism of canine recovery work.EPISODE NOTES: Canine Heroes in Action: Riley and Harley on the Frontlines of DisasterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-like-dogs-service-dogs-and-working-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6668004/support.

Meet Lauren Holtz, Guide Dogs for the Blind's Breeding Program Manager! Lauren sits down with Theresa to talk all things guide dogs, from puppy raising to the science of purpose breeding future generations of guide dogs.

On this episode we talk with Stephanie Enyart the Chief Public Policy and Research Officer at the American Foundation for the Blind.

Daniel sits for a chat with Melissa Rubin, a volunteer puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America.

We at In Touch have increasingly been hearing from people who say that if you're totally or near totally blind, you are harder to pair with a suitable guide dog and are being given lesser priority over people with more vision. These impressions have been circulating for a while and so we address them with Guide Dogs' Deputy Chief Executive Officer Peter Osborne.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio' in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Did you know that there are times when a guide dog is trained to ignore a request from it's owner when out and about? RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell spoke to Tim Stafford from Guide Dogs to find out why… If you'd like more info on Guide Dogs UK, go to www.guidedogs.org.uk #RNIBConnect Image Show RNIB Logo, White Background, RNIB In Bold Black Letters A Pink Line Below With Connect Radio Underneath In Black Letters

In this episode, I have a chat with New York Times bestselling author Michael Hingson. We discuss his latest book, Live Like a Guide Dog. We chat about the books lessons for overcoming fear, how being afraid can be a positive thing and all the principles that each of his guide dogs have taught him. Have a listen and learn about Michael's adventures and learning from his guide dogs. Enjoy!EPISODE NOTES: Michael Hingson - Live Like a Guide DogBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/animal-writes-animal-writers-and-best-selling-authors-pets-animals--6666984/support.

In this episode, we talk with client Jeff Petersen, who came to Leader Dog for both orientation and mobility as well as a guide dog. He shares his experiences with blindness and how our programs have impacted his journey. 

If you work with (or just adore) canine partners, don't miss this conversation with veterinary behaviorist Dr. Simone Sidel and researcher Jaci Gandenberger from the University of Denver's Institute for Human–Animal Connection (IHAC). We dig into their new open-access paper, “Recognizing and Mitigating Canine Stress in Human–Canine Interaction Research,” and the big idea behind it: centering dog welfare so studies treat dogs as true participants—with consent cues, low-stress handling, and ethical protocols—rather than research tools. You'll come away with practical ways to spot and reduce stress, design kinder sessions, and still produce rigorous science that benefits both species. EPISODE NOTES: Listening to Dogs: Stress, Signals, and Welfare-CenteredBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-like-dogs-service-dogs-and-working-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6668004/support.

Dr. Laura welcomes #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author and Inspirational Speaker Michael Hingson to Where Work Meets Life™for a conversation about his escape from the World Trade Center with his guide dog Roselle and the lessons we can all learn from their teamwork. Michael shares his story of being born blind, never allowing that fact to hold him back, and how the trust between him and his guide dog helped him overcome fear on a very dark day. His advocacy for disability access and employment is now changing the world alongside his story.On 9/11, Michael Hingson was at work in the World Trade Center when the first plane hit the tower. In the panic that followed, Michael's guide dog Roselle stayed calm, which allowed him to also remain calm and use his emergency preparedness knowledge to work with Roselle to walk down 78 flights of stairs to safety. Thirty other people followed them down and also escaped. Michael explains how teamwork with a guide dog works, how overcoming fear is part of everyone's life, and the ways in which his parents set the tone for his life by raising him with the belief that he could do anything. Dr. Laura learns about important accessibility tools, why disabilities are not limitations, and the power of hope in these trying times from Michael.“I learned all I could about everything concerning the World Trade Center, where things were, where all the emergency exits were, what the process was, even what the firefighters would be doing when they come up the stairs. I learned all of that so that I would know in reality. And as we all know, knowledge is power. And so by knowing all that, what I never thought about was until much after September 11th, when the emergency happened and the plane hit the building, and it tipped, and then it came back vertical, a mindset kicked in that said, you know what to do and how to get out of here. And so I didn't allow fear to overwhelm me. I just focused and used every skill in my body to focus, to deal with the events. And among other things, observed Roselle, and how she was behaving. And she never exhibited fear.” - Michael HingsonAbout Michael Hingson:Michael Hingson is a #1 New York Times Best-selling Author & Inspirational Speaker.On September 11, 2001, a blind man escaped the World Trade Center by walking down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog. Days later, America fell in love with Mike and Roselle and the special bond that helped them both survive one of the country's darkest days.Immediately after the 9-11 tragedy, Michael was featured on the Larry King show five times. To quote Larry King…“Michael Hingson is an international hero honored and awarded by top organizations worldwide.” This media exposure changed the course of Michael's life and launched him into a speaking career that has spanned over nineteen years. He now travels the world as a keynote and inspirational speaker who can motivate audiences to action.Resources:Website: MichaelHingson.comLinkedIn: MichaelHingson“Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust” by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory“Live like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and his Dogs about Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith” by Michael Hingson and Keri Wyatt Kent“Running with Roselle: How a Blind Boy and a Puppy Grew Up, Became Best Friends, and Together Survived One of America's Darkest Days” by Michael Hingson and Jeanette HanscomeAiraAccessibe Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The head of MI5 has said Chinese state operatives present a daily national security threat to the UK and expressed frustration about the collapse of a case into alleged spying on behalf of Beijing in Britain. Also: The Chancellor says she's planning targeted action in her Budget next month to tackle cost of living challenges. And a lucky thirteen for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, as it celebrates its biggest litter of pups for three years.

Hôm nay là Ngày Gậy Trắng Quốc tế hay International White Cane Day 15 tháng 10, với những câu chuyện về những người Úc khiếm thị đang tái định lại những điều thông thường có thể xảy ra. Trong khi đó tổ chức Guide Dogs hay Chó Dẫn Đường, kêu gọi tất cả người dân Úc hãy hành động, tích cực ủng hộ sự độc lập cho họ và trở thành những người đồng cảm tốt hơn.

Talk about a 4-legged lifesaver! A loyal canine leads cops straight to his 86-year-old granny who fell in the middle of the night. NY Cops are sifting through a landfill in a desperate search for a boy - whose own mother denies he even exists! Plus, talk about dumb luck! Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we chat with client Maria Kristic and cohost Timothy Cuneio about Meta Smart Glasses, exploring their pros and cons for users in the blind and low vision community. 

The U.S. Department of Justice recently sued Uber for refusing rides to passengers who use service dogs. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires ride-hailing services to accommodate riders who use service animals and mobility devices such as wheelchairs. A self-selected survey from the nonprofit Guide Dogs for the Blind found that 83% of respondents had been refused a ride at some point, causing them to miss appointments, flights, job interviews and more.   Kirsten French, community education and advocacy manager at Guide Dogs for the Blind, has had drivers cancel rides due to her service dog. She joins us with more details about the lawsuit, along with Lynn Dubinski, vice president of client engagement and impact at the organization.  

Case + Cass share stories from Cass' guide dog training journey with her new partner, Mr. A, and celebrate graduation in part 2!

In this powerful and heartwarming episode of Working Like Dogs, hosts Marcie Davis and Fenway welcome Paige Mazzoni, CEO of Canine Companions - the groundbreaking nonprofit that founded the service dog movement in the United States. As the organization celebrates 50 years of transforming lives through expertly trained service dogs, Paige reflects on the legacy, growth, and deep human-canine connections at the heart of their mission. From powerful graduate stories to behind-the-scenes insights on innovation, accessibility, and volunteerism, this conversation offers a meaningful look into how service dogs are changing the world—one life at a time.EPISODE NOTES: Canine CompanionsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-like-dogs-service-dogs-and-working-dogs-pet-life-radio-original--6668004/support.

This is a classic episode of Things People Do (following last week's disaster where every guest dropped out on us

Case and Cass dive into Cass' two-week guide dog training experience and introduces her new partner in part 1 of this special podcast series.

On this episode we talk with Avril Rinn a guide dog client who is working with her 3rd dog Louie and she serves as the secretary on the Leader Dog board. 

I'm excited to welcome back my friend, writer, and podcaster Kim Lengling for her second appearance on Unstoppable Mindset. Kim's journey is a powerful example of how unexpected changes can lead to new beginnings filled with purpose, faith, and hope.   In our conversation, Kim shares how losing her corporate job in 2020 opened the door to writing, podcasting, and a deeper exploration of the things that bring her joy. Together, we talk about the importance of balance, kindness, and being present—whether that's through connecting with nature, learning from animals, or practicing gratitude even during life's hardest moments.   What We Talked About Kim's Writing Journey – From her first anthology contribution to full-time writing and podcasting, and how storytelling became both a calling and a source of healing. Work-Life Balance – Why flexibility, happiness, and cultural shifts matter in how we work and live. Nature & Animals as Teachers – Lessons in patience, empathy, and presence, from walks in the woods to stories about guide dogs and even a moth's transformation. Faith & Resilience – How Kim found faith in her 30s, and how prayer, stillness, and gratitude help her manage PTSD and life's challenges. Nuggets of Hope Project – Kim's book and community initiative built around small acts of kindness, and how those acts ripple outward in powerful ways. This episode is full of heart, gentle wisdom, and encouragement. Whether you're navigating change, seeking more balance, or simply needing a reminder of the beauty in kindness, Kim's words are sure to resonate.     About the Guest:   As a multi-published author, Kim shares her love of nature and animals, her life with PTSD, and her mission to toss out Nuggets of Hope through her writing and podcast.   Kim is the lead author and coordinator of six anthologies: The When Grace Found Me Series (three books), When Hope Found Me, Paw Prints on the Couch, and Paw Prints on the Kitchen Floor. Her newest book, Nuggets of Hope, was released on November 15, 2024.   In addition to writing, she hosts the podcast Let Fear Bounce, which spotlights people who have faced and overcome personal fear(s) to make a difference in their slice of the world through writing, coaching, film production, philanthropy, teaching, founding non-profits, public speaking, or simply being an amazing human being.   You can regularly find Kim drinking coffee, reading, and talking with the critters in the woods while taking long walks with her dog, Dexter. Visit her website, www.kimlenglingauthor.com, to keep up with everything happening in her realm.   Ways to connect with Kay:     Website:                                www.kimlenglingauthor.com Amazon:                               https://www.amazon.com/author/kimlengling   Let Fear Bounce                 @Letfearbounce Apple:                                   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-fear-bounce/id1541906455   Facebook:                            https://www.facebook.com/letfearbouncepodcast   LinkedIn:                              https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlylengling/   Instagram:                            https://www.instagram.com/lenglingauthor/   Twitter:                                  https://www.tiktok.com/@klengling?lang=en   TikTok:                                 ** https://www.tiktok.com/@klengling?lang=en     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Hi everyone, and here we are once again with another episode of unstoppable mindset. And I'd like to welcome you all to another episode from wherever you may be. And we have a guest who was on once before, Kim lemring, and Kim is here to continue our discussions. One of the things that I ask people to do when they're going to come going to come on this podcast is to send me questions they want to talk about. And so when we decided that Kim was going to come on again, I asked her to send me more questions. So I don't know how much agony she had to go through to figure that out, but I'll bet she figured it out pretty well, since she's a published author with a lot of books to her credit, so we'll and we'll talk about some of those as well. So again, Kim, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here again.   Kim Lengling ** 02:09 Well, thanks for having me back. I've been looking forward to this.   Michael Hingson ** 02:13 I think it was episode 327, that you were in originally. So anyway, we're, we're glad you're here, and I think it will be a lot of fun to kind of talk about things. Again, you're in Pennsylvania, which is kind of cool. You share a love of nature and animals, and I guess you write about those things. Tell us a little bit about, kind of in general, what you write about, and how you got started in doing   Kim Lengling ** 02:39 that. Yeah, I got started writing. I wasn't I never thought to be a writer that wasn't a dream of mine or anything that was even on the back burner. I was approached years ago by a woman that I had met in a business networking group, and she was putting together an anthology, and asked me if I would like to contribute a chapter. And the name of the book was called Inspire. And it's, you know about inspiring stories about people that have overcome something, whether it's trauma or what have you. And I had never shared my story before, and I had, I declined. I politely declined. At first, she, you know, kind of kept at me. She was persistent, but in a gentle, loving way, and said, Kim, you shared your story with me. And I really think it's something that should be shared. And so I eventually did share that, and that was a an eye opener for me, on on actually writing and writing something that's so personal and had such an impact. And from that point forward, I kind of kind of got bit by the writing bug. I'm thinking, You know what? I had such positive feedback from the story as well. And I thought, okay, maybe, maybe this is something I should look into a little bit more. I was working full time and all of that. So I was just writing, you know, in my off timer in late in the evenings when I couldn't sleep or something like that. But that's kind of how it started.   Michael Hingson ** 04:09 What were you working on originally, before you started writing, what were you doing?   Kim Lengling ** 04:13 I was sales and sales and marketing manager. That's, that's my background in the corporate world. Ah, yeah. Did that for, oh, close to 25 years.   Michael Hingson ** 04:24 Wow, yeah, then you, then you decided to go off and spin and do other things.   Kim Lengling ** 04:30 Well, the world changed. It was 2020   Michael Hingson ** 04:34 Oh, the world did change. Yeah, yes, the world   Kim Lengling ** 04:37 changed. And I lost my job, along with millions and millions of others, because so many doors were closing, and many of them closed for good, when the world changed at that time. And I thought, you know, at the season I'm at in life, in other words, the age I decided I don't want to go back in the corporate world. I'm not happy there anymore. I don't feel fulfilled in any way. And all of the doors are shut right now. Everyone's stuck at home. We can't do anything. I'm gonna try and make something happen. And, you know, figure out, figure out what it is I can do. So I asked myself three questions, what are you good at? What do you like doing? And what are you having a passion for? And I thought, Well, okay, I actually like writing. I'm getting much better at it from when I started years ago, and I love meeting and talking to new people and learning new things. So I took that and created a podcast and started writing books.   Michael Hingson ** 05:36 There you go. You know, it's interesting, when September 11 occurred. The main mantra I heard from so many people is, or was, at the time, we got to get back to normal. And my reaction was always kind of negative. And it took me a while to realize why I was never happy hearing that, and the reason I wasn't, rightfully so, by the way, was normal would never be the same again. And so many people kept saying, We got to get back to normal, but normal would never be the same again. And the other thing that hopefully people are a little bit more now discovering is that normal is a moving target anyway. I mean, look at the pandemic, and getting back to normal is not going to be productive from that either. The pandemic happened. Some companies want you to just come back to work full time, which flies in the face of the whole concept that maybe there is relevance in letting people at least partially work at home, because they're happier and they will be just as productive, if not more, so if you really go back to the whole concept of having happy employees, but you know, we're still not there   Kim Lengling ** 06:56 yet. No, I agree. Yes, yes. And prior to I was really unhappy where I was at and it felt like, and I'm, I am sure that there are many, many people out there that feel the same, or have felt the same, that you're just on this, you're on this hamster wheel, and it just seems you're more and more is expected. Now, I'm a hard worker. Always have been, so I'm not, I would never stop the issue, right? Yeah, that's not the issue, but it's, you know, quality of life. Am I living to work or I'm working to live? Mm, hmm, you know? And it gets to the point where sometimes that's where I for me personally, that's why I said, you know, I don't want to go back in the corporate world. I was so unhappy, and it was actually becoming the the atmosphere I was in was making me unhealthy, and that's not good long term either. And I'm thinking, I want to be able to enjoy retirement if I ever get there, you know, Lord willing, I want to be able to enjoy retirement in a healthy manner, not be sick and you know. So it was a big decision, and it was kind of scary. That's why they named my podcast. Let fear bounce. There was, there was some fear in there, but I thought, you know, if not now when you know when, when gonna be feeling okay, Kim, you know. I think that's a question we all have to ask. Now, I know everybody's circumstance is so different. I know that. And please don't think you know anyone listening that I'm putting any, I'm making light of any situation that someone's in. But for me, I had reached that point where it's like, I'm just gonna do it, I'm just gonna do it period. And it was bumpy. It was very bumpy. And actually, I will be very honest, it was very hard the first two years. I'll bet there were times I'm like, am I gonna be able to make the mortgage?   Michael Hingson ** 08:46 You know, yeah, and that's a fair question, but at the same time, you made a decision that I'm sure helped your health a lot, and the more you came to grips with all of it, probably the better things became for you.   Kim Lengling ** 09:06 Yes, you're absolutely right. And once I, you know, I had to, I had to let those fears bounce, you know, like you said, I made that decision, and I was getting healthier, and I was feeling much better mentally as well as physically, and that's huge. Yeah, you know, you life is not meant to be a grind.   Michael Hingson ** 09:29 Well, it's not supposed to be. You're right. How do we get the corporate world to recognize that and deal with it? And I hope that the pandemic would would help, and it has in some quarters, but in some quarters it certainly has not. How do we get people to recognize that there's a lot to be said for giving people more freedom on the job, letting people spend some time working from home, and the reality is they'll. Probably be more productive. I spoke with someone a few months ago on the podcast about it was in he was in Europe the work week, and what he said that there was that there's a big difference between five, eight hour days and 410, hour days or four eight hour days, depending on what different companies did, but for 10 hour days, you had an extra day that you didn't have to work and that you worked at home. And surveys have shown productivity wise people do at least as well with the 410, hour days or four day work week than they do with a five day work week.   Kim Lengling ** 10:44 I've my ex husband, who is from Germany, and they in Germany anyway, and I think a lot of Europe, they have much more time off than Americans do. So you know, when he moved here, he was, like, two weeks off a year. What do you mean? Two weeks that is nothing. Because they get they get six, yeah, you know, and they have much more sick time and much more personal time they're able to take. And a lot of the the companies, at least over there, from what I know from him, the larger companies, they recognize that that, you know, a happy, healthy employee is going to be a loyal employee, yep. And you know, working your folks into the ground, they're going to burn out and leave you sooner. And I, you know, I don't know, Michael, you have to tell me what you think, or what you've run into when you talk to folks. Do some larger companies. And I don't know, because I'm not in the corporate world anymore, but anymore, but do some larger companies in larger cities, because I'm in a rural area, they have employees. But then, you know, there's that's just work. Work works so much over time they burn out, and then they hire younger and younger people for less and less money until they, in turn, burn out. It seems like it's an endless cycle, from what I've heard from a few folks that I've talked to, you heard that as well.   Michael Hingson ** 12:04 Well, I've heard that. And in fact, I spoke with someone yesterday, and we were talking about the whole concept of how investors and CEOs and so on work to a to a degree. And one of the bottom lines is the only thing that we have to do as a company is make our investors happy and make a profit for them. That's just not true, and I don't know what it's going to take for people to learn there really is more to our life, and there is so much more to be gained by having employees who are a lot more comfortable and a lot more happy. So I don't know it is a it is a very frustrating thing. And the reality is that if you have happy employees, then when there's a need, they will step up and do more than you will probably have ever thought they would do. Agreed.   Kim Lengling ** 13:05 Yes, I agree. Yeah, my daughter works for a company that she she works from home one day a week. But they're also very flexible. So if something's wrong or like her daughter's sick or something like that, they will let her work from home on days like that, as long as she has her time in, and she will often go above and beyond, like you just mentioned, because she's given that opportunity and despair, yeah, and I think it makes a huge difference in the work environment. And then also, you know, your mental view of your job, it doesn't feel like it's a grind. My daughter, she loves her job. Loves it. For me, it would be incredibly high stress, but the way they've set it up, where she works, it's, yes, she has stressful days, but it's not sustained stress every single day. You know? What does she do? She does the finance and the HR for the parent company that oversees like four to five different companies.   Michael Hingson ** 14:08 So there can be stress, there can be   Kim Lengling ** 14:13 Yeah, but you know, she's, I often tease her. I'm like, you know, finance, soon as you say numbers, just my brain turns off, yeah, but it's such a different thing, a different atmosphere from, like, work experiences that I've had. So her bosses are younger, so it's like, I'm hoping that maybe it's, maybe it's a different generation that's going to take to have that become the norm, you know. And you had said normal, you know. People said, we have to get back to normal. I don't, you know what is normal. I don't even such a thing as normal, just what you're used to, not normal, you know, right?   Michael Hingson ** 14:52 Well, that's the point. And yeah, and what is normal for me is not necessarily normal for you. But the bottom line is, you. That when something like September 11 happens or the pandemic happens, the fact of the matter is, conditions will never go right back to the way they were before, and shouldn't, because in theory, at least hopefully we learn from what happened. So with the pandemic, there was so much that all of us had the opportunity to learn about how to interact with each other, how to work with companies, and for those who did it, allow people to work at home part of the time, and I can understand and value going into an office to work, but you shouldn't have to do that five days a week and just have that be a grind. That's not what a job should really be about.   Kim Lengling ** 15:48 I agree. Now, unfortunately, just get many, many, many more people to agree with us.   Michael Hingson ** 15:53 They're probably a lot of workers who agree.   Kim Lengling ** 15:57 But yes, you know, I was, I don't know, have you ever listened to the group Alabama? I just love them. They're one of my favorite groups. And the other day, I was driving along, running errands, and the Alabama song, 40 hour week came on, and it's the whole song is about, you know, Pittsburgh steel mill worker. They list, you know, that truck driver, they list all of the different workers that keep America moving. And I just love that song. And I was listening that song, I thought, I thought of you actually thinking of this upcoming conversation. But I love that. So I think folks go listen to that Alabama song, 40 hour week. It's a really good it's a really good song. And if you're from the United States, it just kind of really slams home, like what it should be and what we should be thankful for.   Michael Hingson ** 16:52 I think that it's absolutely appropriate for companies to want you somehow to put in a certain amount of time, and that they have goals that that need to be achieved, but you want to have some flexibility in exactly how you deal with it, so long as you get the work done, and if you're really comfortable in doing it, probably more than they ever thought possible, Right?   Kim Lengling ** 17:20 Yeah, that's what you're hired for a 40 hour week job, and then they say they expect 65 to 70 from you, yeah, and I've been in those jobs that's that's tough.   Michael Hingson ** 17:33 The other side of it is the person who gets hired for a 40 hour a week job, but they're given more flexibility, they're given more freedom, and they put in 65 hours. And it shocks the heck out of some bosses. Well, you're putting all this time in, but the job is wonderful. I love   Kim Lengling ** 17:50 it, right? Yes,   Michael Hingson ** 17:53 yeah. So it's, it is a, it's an interesting discussion that to have here, but it is also something that we're all going to be dealing with. And I think you're right. It's going to take younger generations to come in and hopefully have learned from the pandemic, and we'll see, because now we have the students who experienced it in high school, and they're going into college, and I'm sure that they're in part, going to demand, and probably in a college environment, they get the ability to be a little bit more flexible in how they learn, because there's more lectures online, there are more things online, so they don't necessarily sit all the time in a classroom. But I think that there's also value in being in an office or being in a classroom at least part of the time.   Kim Lengling ** 18:42 Oh, I agree. I agree, yeah. And I wouldn't ever expect to not be in an office. I mean, if that's if that's where, if it was a local company to me, or something like that, there's a lot of online jobs that you know are full time remote. But because being I think, for me, anyway, I do enjoy, I did enjoy part of the office atmosphere, because you're meeting people. And my job, I was meeting new people almost every day in sales, marketing. So that part, you know, that I really enjoyed, you know, and being out on the road and going to different companies and speaking the other companies and things like that. So that part I enjoyed. So you know that part I would never want to not do. Should I ever be in corporate America again? But yeah, I know it's interesting, interesting.   Michael Hingson ** 19:31 I know that when I started in sales and so on, it was mostly all by phone, and I was selling high tech, very sophisticated, innovative products. But then it got to the point where we were selling a lot to Wall Street, and Wall Street insists that manufacturers actually have a presence in the city. I'm not sure if it's as much that way anymore, but probably it is, because Wall Street people. People tend to get what they want. But the bottom line is that then I moved to the East Coast, and so then I started doing a lot more traveling to visit customers, and I see the value of that as well. It was easy for me on the phone, because I don't have to sit there and look at people anyway.   Michael Hingson ** 20:19 So meeting with some of those people was was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed doing it when we actually had a chance to start meeting. So there's value in that too. Yeah, I agree. So one of the things that you describe yourself as is a lover of all things nature and animals and coffee, how does all that come together in your life? Because, personally, I do tea more than coffee, but that's okay.   Kim Lengling ** 20:51 I'll forgive you for being a tea drinker.   Michael Hingson ** 20:55 Get some spam. You know,   Kim Lengling ** 21:00 that's nature coffee, animals that those are my that's that's kind of like my happy place. That's where I breathe, that's where I am most at ease, outside walking my dog first thing in the morning, that first cup of coffee sitting on the back porch listening to the birds as they wake up. You know, they're heralding a new day, and they're welcoming you to it, and as I sip my coffee and my dog sniffing around the backyard after all the critters that probably came through the night before, you know that's just, that's my happy place right there. So a lot of my thoughts and ideas come on my walks. And you know, yesterday this, I mean, nature is just amazing for me, and it's just magical. And there was this really large cocoon hanging from two small branches for weeks, and to go out into the field with my dog. I would pass it every day. It was always, it's like, right at my eye level. So I would always, you know, tilt my head so I didn't hit it right. And I was often wondering, what is in that? What is going to come out? Yesterday, I was going to take my dog for a walk in the evening, because it's been so amazingly hot here, you have to wait until almost 730 at night to do anything. I'm walking by, and there's the most beautiful moth, like the size of my hand, hanging from that cocoon that had just come. And I thought I have been watching this for weeks, and now look at the magic of nature. It's the most beautiful thing. And I just stood there. I took pictures of it, and I just stood there in awe and wonder over it. And I thought, you know, as I was walking away, and I kept looking back, because it had just come out. It was just starting to flutter its wings a little bit, to air out. And I had never seen anything like that so soon after something, you know. And it was so big size of my hand. And my thought was, you know, okay, wow. Look at the magic of nature right there. And these things that I notice, and I often wonder how much people miss because they're so busy all the time, right, right, you know. And to me, that was just such a big reminder of, there is a lot of beauty in the world. There truly is. It might not seem like it, but there's a lot. There is a lot, and that that was a big reminder to me yesterday, and that's part of why I just that's why that's in my bio nature dogs, animals and   Michael Hingson ** 23:43 coffee. So what kind of dog is Dexter?   Kim Lengling ** 23:47 Dexter? I got him from a local humane society. So he's a rescue. He is a Belgian malnois Mastiff mix with just a smidge of Husky. Wow. Yeah. He's a very unique dog, very unique looking dog. He has a fawn body, a black head, white feet, and one blue eye and one brown eye.   Michael Hingson ** 24:12 We had a cat that and her name was Kelly. Actually it was Kelly Alico, but Kelly short and she had, we are of the opinion that she was two cats that were glued together because one side was white and the other side was and I don't remember whether it was orange or what, but literally, the line went right down her back and under her tummy. Oh, geez. There's a wonderful kitty.   Kim Lengling ** 24:45 I love the unique ones well.   Michael Hingson ** 24:47 And then we had her sister also, who is named smudge, because smudge was run to the litter and a little gray smudge, just a smudge, just a smudge. Cutie pie. Awesome. Now you're talking about nature. We moved to New Jersey in 1996 and my wife Karen, one day, I came home in what had to be, I guess, the end of March, the beginning of April. And she said, I finally really understand what spring is about. I never thought about it. Thought about it much in California, but she said, this morning I looked out and all the blossoms were on the trees, and when I looked out this afternoon, they had all opened to flowers. They sprung Yes, which I thought was very interesting. I've always remembered that Yeah. What a what a cool way to   Kim Lengling ** 25:36 Yeah, yeah, yes. She was right.   Michael Hingson ** 25:41 She was,   Kim Lengling ** 25:44 he was, yeah. And that's, you know, that's I'm I might complain more and more for the older I get about winters of where I'm at, because we experience all four seasons where Ivania, but there is so much beauty in each season, yeah? And for me, that's, it's just such a joy to experience all of them. You know, it might be super cold in the winter, but there's beauty in that, in that really still cold silence and the snow sparkling as the sun hits it, you know, it's just, I mean, there's just, just so many things. And to me, that's, you know, it's almost, it's almost spiritual, those those moments that that you can grasp on to, and for me, I grasp on to them, and then I pull them out later on days that I need them. They're my little nuggets of hope that are put before me that I'm to pull out every once in a while, if I'm having a tough day.   Michael Hingson ** 26:41 I tend to disagree with most people you know who say things like, well, out in California, you don't have four seasons. We do. It isn't necessarily as dramatic, perhaps, but in the winter, it is very cold, and there's, of course, a lot of snow, and the flowers do come out in the spring. They don't spring like they do in the east, perhaps, and it's a lot more gradual. But I really think there are four seasons, at least, from my experience, there are, maybe, from a visual standpoint, it isn't there so   Kim Lengling ** 27:11 much. But I think that's, I think that's what I mean when I say that before, no, I know, I know, yeah, because they're so definitive,   Michael Hingson ** 27:20 they're much more definitive. And I have and I buy that now, now in a place like Hawaii, perhaps, where there isn't snow and it doesn't get as cold in the winter, but even so, seasons are are definable, and so what winter is is still different than what spring and summer in autumn are, fall is and it's just a matter of how you perceive it. But guess the way it goes, everybody's got little bit different observations,   Kim Lengling ** 27:49 what you're used to and where you live. Yeah, because I've never lived in California, I've not experienced those seasons.   Michael Hingson ** 27:59 So yeah, I think, I think it's a it's a fun place to live. I enjoy it not being as cold, although in the winter out here we can get down to 10 degrees or colder, we don't get snow. I'm in a valley, so we don't tend to get the snow that the ski resorts around us get. So as I love to tell people, they hog the snow at the ski resorts, but they're perfectly willing to share their cold air with us. So, you know,   Kim Lengling ** 28:24 yeah, 10 degrees is cold. That's chilly.   Michael Hingson ** 28:28 Yeah, this get pretty cold, but that's okay. I have a house that is well insulated, so it stays pretty warm in the winter, and it's easy to keep it, keep it hot. And in the summer it is, it is pretty cool. It stays pretty cool. In the house. It'll get up if I don't turn the air conditioning on at all, it'll get up to 76 or 77 degrees by the evening time, but starting to feel a little warm, but it's okay. I'll still take the warmer air all year round than we typically find in the East. And I don't, and I don't mind the lack of snow, not because of the snow, but because when it starts to melt and then the nighttime comes, it turns to ice. It's the ice. It's a frustration   Kim Lengling ** 29:17 that's pretty scary sometimes, especially here black ice, yeah, in the wintertime, and the traveling, traveling in winter, that's, I'm kind of thankful that I no longer have to go back and forth to work each day, because, you know, you have those winter days where it's still dark in the morning. It's dark when you leave for work, it's dark when you come home and yes, no. And you know, three feet of snow and you have to come home and shovel. It's a lot. It's a lot.   Michael Hingson ** 29:45 So, you know, the the thing is that I think we all live in different environments and so on, but I also know that if I have to live somewhere else, I can do it. I prefer to stay where I am. I'm fighting where I am, and I. Um, so I will do that as much as possible, but I also understand that sometimes things change and you you deal with it.   Kim Lengling ** 30:07 That's right. I like how you just said, you know you could live a different you like knowing that if you had to live a different place, that you could do it, yeah, that's   Michael Hingson ** 30:17 the big issue, yeah. Well, yeah, for you, you've you've said that you've had experiences dealing with PTSD. How has that shaped your mission to offer? I know this goes back to a book titled nuggets of hope, but for people and the other things that you're able to share because of your PTSD experience,   Kim Lengling ** 30:40 yeah, I found over the years that and all the folks that I've met that have been through some sort of trauma that has left them with, you know, post traumatic stress, that, for myself and I've witnessed it in others, makes you much more empathetic and compassionate to people. Yeah, and for me, it seems, the older I get, the more empathy I have, and because I can relate to or I recognize in others, symptoms or things that they're going through, I can relate to, and maybe, maybe I can offer a little nugget of hope and say, hey, you know I've been there too. I've been in those same shoes, and oh my gosh, it is so hard. And, oh, you're right. You're right. Sometimes it's even hard to breathe. Yep, you're right. Sometimes it stops you in your tracks. Yes, you're right. Sometimes you have three days of no sleep, but you can get through it. That's right, you know? And I, someone actually was my counselor told me a few years ago, said Kim and I was having a bad day. I mean, it was, it was tough. It was one of those days where anxiety was just ruling the day, and it was, it was hard to breathe that day. And she said, Kim, when's the last time you looked in the mirror like truly looked at yourself in the mirror? And I said, I don't do that. She goes, why? And I said, because I don't want to see the mess that I am. And she said, Why? Why go negative? Why do you look at yourself as a mess when you should be looking in that mirror and saying, Wow, Kim, look at you. You have a 100% success rate for getting through the tough stuff. So don't look at yourself as a mess. You look at yourself as a success because you're still standing and you're able to look in the mirror and tell yourself that, and however that is for someone you know, maybe it's not looking in the mirror. Maybe I don't know what that would be for someone you know, whatever it is, remind yourself you're still standing. You're still here. It's another day. It's a brand new day. So that means you have a 100% success rate for getting through the tough stuff. And when she said that, that that flicks a switch in my mind, and I've not forgotten it, and I've shared it with so many other people that have been in tough spots, and then they have told me later, you know, I shared that with someone when they were having a tough day, so I was like, you know, look at all these little nuggets of hope that we can toss out to people. And you might be a nugget of hope and not even realize it like your show, your show, Michael, could be nuggets of hope for 1000s of people that listen to it way in the future. So, I mean, you know, how amazing to think of it that way, that we can in our own way, just as that one person you know, someone says, you know, well, you're just one person. You can't change the world. No, you're right. I can't, but I could change one person's world. I can. I can be a positive nugget of hope in my own small slice of the world. And if we can do that, why wouldn't we?   Michael Hingson ** 33:55 Geez, and you never know what change that might bring to the whole world, which is what you just said, Yeah. And the reality is, you shouldn't do it to change the world. You should do it to do what's right for you, but that is what people see. I think ultimately, most people will sense when you're doing something, especially when you're doing it for the right reason. You're not doing it just to try to get vision. To get visible or publicity or whatever. And so I think when people see that, they empathize with it. And so you're right now, you never know when you're a nugget of hope.   Kim Lengling ** 34:34 That's right. Let's, let's just keep on making ripples.   Michael Hingson ** 34:37 Huh? Well, you know, it's similar, and I've thought and I've thought about it and talked about it on the podcast a few times. I used to always say when I wanted to to deal with something, and I was thinking about me internally, I'm going to deal with this, because I'm my own worst critic, and only in the last couple of years. Have I realized wrong thing to say I'm my own best teacher, which is a much more positive and relevant thing. And if you use that every time you might have used I'm my own worst critic, but you'd rather say I'm my own best teacher, look at the difference and the positive impact that mentally immediately has on you, much less however else you deal with it?   Kim Lengling ** 35:22 Oh, that is awesome. Michael, you should make that into a coffee cup.   Michael Hingson ** 35:28 Oh, well, or a teacup, but I'll have to worry.   Kim Lengling ** 35:35 Oh, I love that though. See, it's just shifting a couple words and how that can change your mindset and how you look at it exactly. Amazing. I love that. Thanks for sharing.   Michael Hingson ** 35:46 Well, you're welcome, and you can, you can use it. It's fair. I think I will perfect. Go ahead,   Kim Lengling ** 35:53 yeah, we've got see. That was an awesome nugget. So you're tossing it to me and I'm going to toss it elsewhere. Yeah, there you go. See we can. And you're in California and I'm in Pennsylvania, we have literally, just like criss crossed across the entire country.   Michael Hingson ** 36:08 Not gonna hope. We've blanketed the country, that's right, with hope. So you wrote, you've written a number of anthologies, and I guess the latest one is paw prints on the kitchen floor, which is the creative title, but what, what do you learn? And what do animals help you learn and and grow from that?   Kim Lengling ** 36:31 Gosh, you know, it's so fun. It was so fun putting that book together. There's, you know, about 20 different co authors in there, each with a chapter sharing a story of their animal on how they enrich their life in some way. And for me, oh my gosh. You know, some of the stories just bring you the tears. They make you laugh out loud. And each person writes so differently, it was just but for me, the dogs in my life that I've had in my life, they have taught me patience, empathy. They've also taught me to slow down at times, you know, I'll be I've caught myself rushing my dog. I'm like, come on, extra, come on. You've been sniffing that one blade of grass for like, two and a half minutes. Let's go. And then I realized, and then he doesn't listen to me, keeps on sniffing. And I'm like, You know what? Why am I? Why am I rushing him? You know, maybe I should just sit down and, you know, take in a couple deep breaths. So they've taught me to slow down and to enjoy the little things more, to see the world. You know, it's something, it's like, sometimes feels like, yeah, just get down on the ground and see the world from their point of view. You know? And I don't know, I we can learn an awful lot from animals, as I'm sure you are aware.   Michael Hingson ** 38:00 Well, last August, we published live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and moving forward in faith. And the whole idea was to try to start to teach people how they can learn to control fear and not let it overwhelm or, as I put it, blind them. And the reality is, there's so much of that that we can learn from dogs and other animals, but specifically for me, guide dogs and in really studying fear,   Michael Hingson ** 38:33 so many lessons like, why do people fear so much? Well, because all we do is spend all day going well, what if this happens, or we are worried about every single thing that comes along, and we don't have control over, like over 90% of the things that come along, but yet we we try to, and we become afraid because of that. And rather than stepping back and going, Wait a minute, I don't have any influence over that. Okay, I'll be aware of it, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to worry about it, you know. And you know, for example, using probably the most visible one today is, is our elected leaders. We've got people who are on both sides of supporting or not supporting the president and so on. But the reality is, the President is going to do what the President's going to do, and we and I'm not going to say what's good and not good about that, but the president's going to do what the President's going to do. What good does it do us to worry about all that all day, every day. Now I want to be aware of it, so I do watch the news, but I want awareness not being around to just go ape over everything that happens. And I learned that from working with and being involved with dogs. Dogs don't worry about that they live in. The moment they worry about what they have to deal with, and that's all they have to worry about. So they tend not to fear. They tend not to do well. They don't do what if and their their lives are much better and more peaceful. And we could learn so much from that, if we would, but do it.   Kim Lengling ** 40:17 Yes, yes, that's right. And you mentioned you used the word control at one point, because we don't have control over so much, even we like to think we do, yeah and we don't. Yeah, we don't at all. And once you realize that and actually accept that, I think for me anyway, it was easier to let fears go, because it's like, you know, I don't have control over really anything.   Michael Hingson ** 40:48 You know, control   Kim Lengling ** 40:50 is going to happen. I mean, yeah, some things, but not the big things. Or, like you said, to go ape over certain things we have no control over, so much, and you know, there's no reason to argue, fight, rip each other apart over things that literally you you personally have no control over.   Michael Hingson ** 41:10 The other part about that, though, is not while not having control, if we would, but talk about things and listen to other people and listen to their viewpoints. You never know what you might learn. Necessarily mean you're going to change your position, but you never know what you're going   Kim Lengling ** 41:28 to learn. That is right, and we don't have to agree. No, it's okay to disagree and still like each other.   Michael Hingson ** 41:36 Yeah, and it's and there's nothing wrong with that, no, but we live in such a society today, everyone wants to control everything, and if you don't do it just the way I do it, you're wrong. And that's just not true.   Kim Lengling ** 41:50 Yeah, and that's not the way it's supposed to be. You know, that's not how we're supposed to be living, not supposed to be living in anger and fear and arguments and, you know, darkness, that's just, it's just not the way it's supposed to be folks I don't know. So I work very hard to not live in an atmosphere or let myself be sucked into an atmosphere like that.   Michael Hingson ** 42:12 Yeah, I will, I will avoid those kinds of situations simply because there's no, there's no opportunity to really discuss and learn. If people want to talk, I love to talk, and I love to learn. And if, if people disagree with me, that's perfectly okay. My job is not to get angry about it. But I might say, Why do you have that position? Tell me more. Now, I've had some people where I know that their political views are opposite of mine, and if I ask them, Why do you believe this? For example, they won't even talk about it, because they just say, you know I'm right. And if you're asking, then you clearly don't have the same opinion I do, and we're not going to talk about   Kim Lengling ** 43:04 it. Yeah, I I steer clear of those types of conversations as well. When you know, when you know, going in, it'll go nowhere, but negative. Yeah, yeah, that's why, you know, I take a lot of walks with my dog.   Michael Hingson ** 43:23 Sometimes you can have those conversations, and that is so wonderful, because you never know what you might learn exactly. Doesn't necessarily mean you're going to change your opinion, but you get insights that you wouldn't get any other way. Communication is so important.   Kim Lengling ** 43:39 Yes, it is respectful, communicating, yes, I agree.   Michael Hingson ** 43:45 Yeah. Well, your latest book, nuggets of hope, cultivating kindness, that's that's a creative title, and so on. And I think that's really kind of cool. Can you tell us a story that particularly moved you that came out of that book, yeah, since we're authors and telling stories, yeah,   Kim Lengling ** 44:08 that's right, and I'm trying to remember if I shared this one on the last time I was with you or not, but I'll share a different one years ago. I'm a veteran, and I support veterans that struggle, that are in through my veteran post, we have, it's called Project support our troops. We send monthly boxes to those that are deployed around the globe. And we also help veterans in need in our local area as we're able to, and many of those have been, you know, through traumatic experiences or they live with PTSD. There was one young man years ago who reached out and called me and said, Hey, I need help. And I said, Okay, what can we help you with? And he gave me a little bit of his situation, and I said, All right, this is going to take me a minute. Or two to get some things rounded up. But yes, I think we can help you, and I want to help you. And then he called me back and said, You know what? No, forget about it. Forget I called you. I don't need help. I'm fine. And I said, I don't agree with you. I think you're fibbing. And it took a while, but he finally agreed to meet and not knowing him, and I'm, you know, I'm a single person. So I took a friend, a male friend, with me when I went to meet him at this at his home. And his home was more of a hovel than anything, and it was, it was a hovel. It was really unlivable. And I said, Where are you Where are you sleeping? And he pointed at a spot on the floor. And I said, well, and he was a Marine. I said, Well, marine, you're not going to sleep on the floor on my watch. And he says, Ma'am, I've slept in much worse places. I said, I am sure you have, but you're not going to sleep on the floor on my watch. We will get you a bed. What else do you need? And he wouldn't tell me, and I said, Can you show me through your home? And he said, I prefer not to. And I said, I can't help you unless I know what you need. And he took me through his home, and each room was worse than the last, falling apart, no water. It was pretty rough. And he was just a young man just doing the best he could to hang on, and I reached out to people that I knew, that I had met over the years, of doing things that we do through our post and to make a longer story shorter. It turns out a contractor saw and heard what I was trying to do, what we were trying to do for this young man. And he contacted me, and he said, If this young Marine agrees to it, take me out there, let me, let me take a look at his home, and we'll see what we can do. And he went in, took a look, and the young Marine was like, you know, what? If you could just fix this living room floor, that would be great. That's all I need, just if my living room floor because it was about to fall in. So if you could just fix that. And the contractor literally came in, and this brings me to tears. Came in room to room, and redid his whole home. I mean, with a bathroom, bedroom, living room, kitchen, I was able to get him furniture, I was able to get him a new appliances. I was able to get him a bed. We were able to get him a car, because he only had a motorcycle and winter was coming, and we know where I live. Yes, he's like, No, I'll be I'll be fine. I'm like, you cannot drive a motorcycle in the winter to work. You'll lose your job. And he had lost his job before because of that, so he was really, really in a tough spot. But people came together. Total strangers came together when I tossed out that call, and everyone came and brought in nuggets of hope, I mean, and for this young Marine, who was struggling so terribly in many ways, he now had a livable home that was much nicer than he even could imagine. He had a used car that a car sales, car dealership. They had an older used car, but it was in great condition. And they said, Hey, this will last him for a couple years, if he maintains it well, at least it'll get him by, you know. And then I had another person reach out and said, Hey, my mom would like to donate six months of insurance for this young marines car in honor of my dad, who was Marine. So all these people were tossing out these nuggets of Hope completely changed this young marines life completely around I kept in touch with them for years after and then I ran into him at a convenience store one day I was getting gas, and he said, Miss Kim. And I said, Oh my goodness. How are you? And he goes, I'm doing really, really well. You have no idea how good I'm doing, and I need to thank you, because you were my angel coming, coming to me when I needed it most. He goes, I got a full time job. I got accustomed to my son. I just bought a new house. I have a brand new car, and I just looked at him. I started crying because I met him at his lowest point, yeah, but so many of us came together and tossed out a nugget of hope and just shared kindness and love and understanding.   Michael Hingson ** 49:32 Was, was this all because of something like PTSD in his case?   Kim Lengling ** 49:37 Yes, yeah. He was struggling mentally, physically, because mental, mental has a plays a big part on your physical as well. You know, he was going through a divorce. He lost custody of his son. He was probably going to lose his job, his house was falling apart. And then, you know, for. Five or six years later, because I honestly almost didn't recognize him physically when I saw him, and I was just, I was thinking, Oh my gosh. So that was years later. So just think of what those little nuggets of hope that you toss out today, the long, lasting effects that they have. That's why I wrote this book. And it's just little stories, you know, little stories. That's such a huge story, but stories like that that are shared in there, along with just, you know, practical things on just, you know how to be kind. You can do it. You know, it doesn't cost a dime to be kind.   Michael Hingson ** 50:35 How did writing that book affect you, and how does it affect you? And I'll tell you why. Well, let me, let you answer, and then I'll tell you why I asked.   Kim Lengling ** 50:45 Well, I too live with PTSD, and when I help others, and when I am able to be a small spark of light or a nugget of hope to others that, in turn, helps me. And because sometimes, for me, anyway, I can, I call it a weight PTSD, sometimes can be really heavy on some days. And on those days, I found that if I reach out and help others, or do something to help others, do something positive, it takes some of that weight off. So it's a healing thing for me. And putting this book together and writing it, and thinking back over some of the things you know that happened as I was right. There were tears involved. I laughed, and then I at the end, I was just so very thankful, so very thankful that I was able to be in that spot, and that God put me where I was supposed to be in all this different circumstances to be a nugget of hope for someone so it was healing and also empowering, and gave me, you know, the inspiration to just keep on, keep on keeping on, keep on doing what I'm doing.   Michael Hingson ** 51:52 I asked because I kind of figured that would be your your answer. But I asked because I know, in my case, after September 11, people said, you need counseling and all that sort of stuff. But I started getting phone calls from reporters and my wife and I decided that I would would take those interview calls and people would come to our home, and that was therapy, because I got asked virtually any question that you could imagine regarding September 11 and me and so on, some very dumb questions that still happen today, but some really incredibly excellent, intuitive and concerning questions and having to learn to answer all of those because I put myself in the position where I needed to answer the questions was probably the best thing that I could do. So in your case, writing about it had to be helpful and pretty cathartic for you as well.   Kim Lengling ** 53:01 Yeah, it is amazing that now, did you, I guess, have a question for you. Yes, I do. Did you? Did you ever, I know that you said you and your wife decided yes, you're going to take those phone calls, you're going to take those interviews. But prior to that, did you find yourself maybe trying to stuff some of that stuff down.   Michael Hingson ** 53:23 I never did. So the story is that the next day, I contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind, where I've gotten all of my dogs, and among other things, I spoke to Joe and Ritter, who was our director of public information at the time, and she wanted to write a story, and I wasn't really thinking very straight. I that's what I say. But it didn't really matter. I said, Sure, go ahead. And she said, Well, I'll bet you'll also get a chance to be on TV. What television show do you want to be on first so I sort of flippantly said, Larry King lives, and on the 14th of September, we had the first of five interviews on Larry King Live. So the the first interview was actually from a major magazine the day before Larry King, I won't mention the name, and I'll and you'll see why in a moment, but the media had already gotten the story because Joanne wrote it and went out, and somebody called and they said they wanted to talk with me, and then near the end, they said, I want to come and take a picture of you wearing the suit that you wore on September 11. And I said, why? Well, that's all dirty and all that. And I said, No, we sent it to the cleaners already. Now we hadn't sent it to the cleaners, although we did, but I just thought that was a pretty obnoxious thing to say it was insensitive to say, I want you in the suit that you wore. I want to show you it was this dirty, scruffy guy when that really wasn't the kind of image that I wanted to project, because I was wow point where it's it's hard. Hope it's positiveness, and just doesn't make sense to do. So that was   Kim Lengling ** 55:05 the first that's really wow. That just amazes me that someone asked you to do that.   Michael Hingson ** 55:11 Yeah, wow. But, you know, had a lot of a lot of interviews and a lot of conversations with people ever since, and now it's kind of fun every so often, and I can't remember the last one, but every so often I'll get a question I've not heard before, but it doesn't happen very often anymore. But by the same token, I look for those questions because it shows that somebody's really thinking. I always hear what you didn't know happened because you couldn't see it. And that is so fun to deal with, because my response is always the same. The last time I checked Superman and X ray vision are fictitious, and the building was struck 18 floor above us on the other side. Nobody saw it where I was. But people want to rationalize, that's okay.   Kim Lengling ** 55:58 Yeah, that's okay.   Michael Hingson ** 56:02 So it makes   Kim Lengling ** 56:04 the world go round. You know, you have everybody that looks at the world in a different viewpoint.   Michael Hingson ** 56:07 So there, yeah, and sometimes we get to help people reshape it, or we work anyway. That's right. So faith is a big part of your life, isn't it?   Kim Lengling ** 56:16 It is, it is, I think that's, um, that's something. It wasn't always a part of my life. I was probably my mid 30s that I came to have faith, and since then, it has been a big part of my life. And on those tough days when the weight feels heavy and I'm out there walking with my dog more than normal, that is what I turn to, and I know, you know, it doesn't That's my belief. You know, everybody has their own beliefs, but for me, if I I've got God to talk to, and that makes a huge difference in in my life, and helps to settle me on those days that are then my that my soul feels a little bit unsettled. Prayer, being outside, being with my dog, that's what settles me, settles my soul, and I can just take a deep breath and keep on, keeping on.   Michael Hingson ** 57:13 I was talking with someone yesterday on a podcast episode that will be coming out and and it'll be probably one or two before yours. But he had an interesting thing to say, which I absolutely buy and I've believed for a long time, and that was we were talking about prayer, and he said the biggest problem with people in prayer is they're always telling God what they need, and they never listen to get the real answer, rather than recognizing God really knows what you want. And yeah, you might, we might say it, but then the real question is, do you ever slow down and listen to your inner voice, which is God that will tell you the answer to whatever it is that you're perplexed about? I thought that was very interesting for him to observe that. And I, I've believed that for a long time.   Kim Lengling ** 58:04 I believe the same as well for a very long time. That's why I'm always saying you got to slow down. You just got to slow down and take a look, you know, and listen, there's a reason that be still. Those two words are so powerful to Christians. Be still so and sometimes it's hard. I know that we're human, we're, you know, none of us, none of us are perfect. We are going to stumble, you know, especially if you're, you know, in your faith or your Christian walk, we're going to stumble because we're human, we're normal. But try and get off that, that hamster wheel, and slow down, because you're missing out on a lot. You're missing out on so much, and you're going to get, you know, Lord willing, you'll get to the end of your life, your later years, and you want to be able to look back fondly and smile, and not with, gosh, I wish I would have,   Michael Hingson ** 59:02 yeah, yeah. And it's so true. And the reality is that you do miss so much by just running around on the hamster wheel rather than slowing down, taking time to think about what happened today and even the good stuff. Could I have made it better? Could I have done anything? But when you have the stuff that didn't go well, what am I afraid of? What? What kind of fear is this causing? And those are things that we talk about and live like a guide dog, because those are all part of we need to learn to address and deal with in order to discover how better to control fear. And we can do that,   Kim Lengling ** 59:39 yes and be thankful, even for those, Mm, hmm, even for the crappy days. Yeah, yeah, thank you for even third crappy days, because you still, you got another day,   Michael Hingson ** 59:50 but still take the time on the crappy days to learn exactly right? And most people won't do that, and that's that is a. Fortunate, because those are the best learning experiences if you listen to hear what you're being told about, how to make sure that crappy day never happens again.   Kim Lengling ** 1:00:11 I agree. Look at us. Michael, see still, we're still solving the world problems here.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:17 Yeah, we're blindly blanketing the country with nuggets, right? Well, I don't want to bury everybody, so I'm gonna thank you for being here. It's been a whole hour already. How can people reach out to you?   Kim Lengling ** 1:00:33 Best way is just go through my website, which is Kim Lang, author.com you can see what I'm doing, the books that are out there, what's coming up. You can meet Dexter, because he is my office manager, and he actually he receives all the emails and then lets me know what's happening and who I need to reach out to. So he keeps me on track and keeps me on my toes. But yeah. Kim Lengling, author.com, you can find   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:59 lending and spelled   Kim Lengling ** 1:01:00 L, E N, G, l, I N, G,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:04 there you go, just like it sounds. That's right. Well, and reach out to Dexter. And one of these days, well, we were talking before we started the podcast. I'm going to be in Pennsylvania at the beginning of October, and I hope maybe we'll get to meet Dexter. Wouldn't that be awesome? We'll let Dexter meet Alamo.   Kim Lengling ** 1:01:25 There we go. Yeah. Why not? By golly works for me.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:33 Well, thank you for being here and again, I want to thank all of you for listening. I hope you've enjoyed this. I hope you've gotten some things out of it.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:41 It's it's fun talking to Kim. We'll have to do it again. And I know that I was on let fear bounce, and I'm going to go back on that again. So go off and check out her podcast, let fear bounce and listen to it. Lots to learn there, and we'll hopefully contribute a few nuggets along the way as well, but I want to thank you all for for all that you do to support us. Please give us a five star rating wherever you're listening and please, if you would know anybody else who want to be a guest, or who you think ought to be a guest, let us know. Introduce us. We would appreciate it, and give us a five star rating wherever you're listening to us so again though. Kim, thanks very much. This has been fun again.   Kim Lengling ** 1:02:25 Yes, it has. Thank you very much. Been a true blessing. Michael, thank you.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:33 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

In this powerful episode of Soul Elevation, I sit down with the extraordinary Laura Bratton, a speaker, coach, and author who shares her inspiring journey of going blind as a teenager—and how she transformed devastation into spiritual strength, resilience, and purpose. Laura opens up about the moment she realized she was losing her sight, the emotional toll it took, and the grief and fear that followed. She shares the mindset shifts that helped her move from “I can't” to “I can”, and how the love of her family, her guide dogs, and her inner courage carried her forward. We talk about: Navigating the trauma of sudden vision loss The power of grit and gratitude Awakening intuitive and energetic awareness when physical senses are diminished Her book, Harnessing Courage, and the deeper meaning behind the title How she helps others overcome change through her coaching and speaking work What her guide dogs taught her about healing, presence, and unconditional love

Send us a text*Visiting the archives today in commemoration of 9/11. kWelcome, New York Times Bestseller Michael Hingson, survivor of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, and his guide dog Roselle, as they share profound wisdom about bravery, overcoming adversity, and moving forward with faith as we celebrate our 300th episode.The conversation takes us through the powerful lessons Michael has learned from each of his guide dogs, from Squire to Alamo. These 11 principles form a roadmap for anyone facing challenges: awareness builds confidence, preparation prevents panic, flexibility and faith move you forward. Support the showBegin Your Heartlifter's Journey: Visit and subscribe to Heartlift Central on Substack. This is our new online coaching center and meeting place for Heartlifters worldwide. Download the "Overcoming Hurtful Words" Study Guide PDF: BECOMING EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY Meet me on Instagram: @janellrardon Leave a review and rate the podcast: WRITE A REVIEW Learn more about my books and work: Janell Rardon Make a tax-deductible donation through Heartlift International