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The lessons I carried away from September 11 did not begin that day, and they certainly did not end there. In this solo episode, I reflect on how my parents taught me not to accept the limits others placed on blindness, how my guide dogs taught me about trust and teamwork, and how September 11 confirmed so much of what I already believed about fear, leadership, change, and possibility. I share why I work hard not to worry about things I cannot control, why I believe we can never truly go back to “normal,” and why strong teams are built through trust rather than control. I also challenge some of the ways we think about blindness and disability, because different does not mean less capable. I hope these lessons help you think differently about fear, change, leadership, and what it really means to live with an unstoppable mindset. Highlights: 00:46 – Why the lessons of September 11 began long before that day. 08:56 – How Michael learned that blindness is not the real barrier. 17:13 – Why focusing on what you can control can reduce fear. 24:28 – Why getting back to “normal” is not always the answer. 32:30 – What guide dogs taught Michael about trust and teamwork. 1:01:37 – Why disability does not mean a lack of ability. About the Host: Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write – Braille that is! Michael's family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine. Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles. Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork. Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He has served as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael has held a seat on the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Earle Baum Center for the Blind  and is the vice chair of the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind. Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people. In January 2021 Mike joined accessiBe as its Chief Vision Officer to help advance the company goal of making the entire internet fully inclusive. He held this position through June of 2026. He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: “Thunder dog –The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust” – selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2013 Mr. Hingson published his 2 book “Running with Roselle”- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days. Mr. Hingson's third book, “Live Like A Guide Dog”, was released on August 20, 2024. This book shows readers how they can learn to control fear and not, as Mike would say, “become blinded by fear in the face of crisis”. Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world's most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today's major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training – spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world. In June, 2024 Mike was inducted as an alumni member into the honors Fraternity Phi Beta Kappa. Currently Michael lives in Victorville, California with Alamo, Michael's eighth guide dog and his rescue feline, Stitch. More information on Mr. Hingson is available on his website. Here also is a link to Mr. Hingson's press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/q8uxu9u7pap4puj5de7rg/h?rlkey=22bziy0wmghf8111kad73685y&dl=0 http://www.michaelhingson.com/live-like-a-guide-dog www.michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com/podcast Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/mhingson https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://www.facebook.com/Roselle911GuideDog/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568642850718948 https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr Twitter, https://twitter.com/mhingson LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCx2L9OVN38Dv4mX6udP8g Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! 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Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello, everyone. I am Michael Hingson. I am your host on Unstoppable Mindset, and this happens to be episode 475. Yeah, we've done a lot of these, and most all of them have been conversations with people who said that they wanted to come on the podcast and talk about one thing or another. And I was really pleased to have them. This episode is going to be a little bit different, as the last few have been. Episode 472, which we published on September 4, was a talk I gave in April of 2024, which told my story of being in the World Trade Center on september 11, on episode 473 on the eighth of September, Michelle Abraham interviewed me, and we talked about a number of things around september 11 and so on. Episode 474, which was published on the 11th of September, 2026. was a conversation with Bob Ellis, who was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, an escape, and we hear his story, and we got to chat and kind of talked about notes from both of us. Now it's episode 475, and it was suggested that I ought to talk about things that I learned from September 11th and how my life has changed, and I'm going to do the best I can to talk about all that. So you're just going to be hearing me today. I hope you won't go away. I hope that you'll enjoy it. I just returned from speaking all week from September 9th through September 11th in Kilgore, Texas, at Kilgore College, they did an incredible job of doing some things to help people become aware of September 11th. They actually had in the library and around the library at Kilgore College a monument to September 11th. They had some columns or portions of columns from the World Trade Center. They had a list of all of the names. They had flags in a in a in several rows with the names of all of the people who were lost on September 11th. They had a timeline from my book Thunderdog: The Story of a Blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero-a timeline of what I experienced, and they also had, I think, a timeline of just the World Trade Center events in in general. Well, okay, so all of that happened. I got back last night, and now here it is, Sunday. It is the 13th of September, and I'm recording this so that we can publish it on Tuesday, september 15. So that's a little bit of a long way to get to where we are. But as I said, people asked me to talk about what I learned that day, and how I proceeded and progressed from that day, but I have to go back to long before September 11th to really do everything justice and to put it all in context. So let me start this way. I believe that I have said a few times on this podcast, and certainly in some of the speeches that I've given, that I was born two months premature, and I was given a pure oxygen environment when I was born, because I was born early. Medical science had started to hear that even too much oxygen might not necessarily be a good thing, but the doctors in Chicago where I was born didn't buy into that concept yet, and so the result was I was given a pre-oxygen environment, and my retinas didn't develop as they should, and I became blind. So was I born blind? If you're very technical, no. But for all intents and purposes, yes. The doctors told my parents to send me to a home, to send me away, because no blind child could ever. Michael Hingson  04:59 Grow up to amount to anything, and all I would be would would end up being a drain on my family, sucking up all the love that my parents might have had for their older son, two years older than I, my brother Ellery. But the reality is, my parents said you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he chooses, and we're going to give him that opportunity. And I grew up with that idea. I grew up with that concept. My parents told me at some point when I was still fairly young about what the doctors had said, and they said, "You know, we think that you can do whatever you want. We want you to have that opportunity. Well, they did a number of things to help the process along. For example, we lived in Chicago until I was five, but at the age of four, typically children in in Illinois start or in Chicago start kindergarten, and I did as well. My parents worked with other parents and the school district to start a kindergarten class for children who were blind, and there were a number of preemies in the Chicago area. In that class, Miss Lapree, my teacher, taught me Braille. See, I remember her name. Taught me Braille. Taught me other skills. Taught the other blind kids because it was a kindergarten class for blind children. Taught us all a variety of different things that we could use, and then unfortunately, in a sense, I guess after kindergarten at the age of four, and it was over, my father had gotten an offer and took a job out in California, and we moved to California. Well, in California, kindergarten starts at five, and even though I had had a course in kindergarten already, I had to go through a second year of it, but we didn't have any kind of facilities to teach us or teach me about Braille going forward, getting me Braille books and so on. So kindergarten, first, second, and third grade, I didn't have access directly to textbook material. My parents helped me though. My father taught me math. He was an electronics and electrical engineer. I was doing algebra in my head by the time I was six. My mother read other assignments to me, taught me the spelling words because in first, second, and third grade you learned to spell, and in theory beyond third grade as well, of course. But what happened for me was that I learned about spelling by my mother teaching me how to spell the words, and then she would say the words, and then I would spell them. Well, that ended up going even further because typically in classrooms, what happened was that when it came time to take the actual spelling test, which happened on Fridays, the teacher would say the words. All of us or all the children in the class would write down the answers. Then we would exchange papers, and the teacher would then write the correct spellings on the board. Not in my class. I had to. Well, I got to get up. I. I don't want to say I had to. That's a lesson that I want to get to. wasn't that I had to get up. I got to get up, and actually spell the words out loud. I remember once missing a word, at least starting to miss a word, and somebody made a noise, and I realized, oh, that must be wrong, and I corrected it. But I learned how to spell words, and I learned to spell them out loud for the whole class, and not be afraid of them, and that way students could grade each other's papers. And so, in a sense, I could say that's where I started to learn how to be involved in doing public speaking, and I learned not to be afraid of standing up and and saying things as long as they were the right kinds of things. Well, between third and fourth grade, I got access to Braille books. Cora Hershberger was hired by the school district to come in. She was a resource teacher with training in dealing with blindness and blind kids and so on. Michael Hingson  08:56 And there were a number of us, and she she was able to get us books, she was able to work with each of us and prove our Braille skills and my Braille skills especially, and so on. So I tell you all of that because I want to put things in perspective, and I think that the most important thing is the doctors told my parents that I couldn't do anything. My parents said, "Of course he can, and they brought me up believing that I could. So I rode a bicycle to school. Everybody still thinks that's amazing. One of the important things that I have learned over the years, and I've learned to articulate it even more effectively. I hope, certainly, I believe better since the World Trade Center, and I became a full-time keynote public speaker, which I've been doing for 25 years, I have learned to discuss this whole concept of blindness and accept the fact that there are going to be a lot of people who have eyesight who get it wrong. They think that, like the doctor said, blind people really can't do anything. You can't absorb the same material, or at least you don't get the same. As sighted people do, so you really aren't going to be able to do the things that we can do. And I have learned that I can't be angry at that. I've learned that in reality, I need to articulate the fact that blindness isn't the problem. The problem happens to be the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness. It would be so easy just to be upset every time I hear some comment that talks about what I can do and what I can't do. You can't really ride a bicycle. That's amazing that you could do that. I can't imagine anybody else doing it. I know lots of blind kids who rode bikes, and I'm sure that they still do. Blindness isn't the problem. The reality is the problem consists of the misconceptions and poor attitudes that sighted people have about blindness. Whether you like it or not, that's the way it is. Blindness isn't the problem. We can learn to do the same things pretty much that you can do, and we can learn to do things that you can't do, and we learn all of that and use that knowledge to help us move forward and be more effective. What can I do that you can't do? Try walking around in the dark. You can't do it. You don't know how to do it. You don't have the techniques to do it. One of the things that has cropped up over the past significant number of years is restaurants do something called dining in the dark. Dining in the dark, and there are organizations that promote that, and they say, "Oh, you get to learn how blind people eat and how much of a challenge it is. That is so disgusting that people do that because dying in the dark isn't going to teach you anything about blindness. You don't get the training that you need in order to function as a blind person. Just like I don't get the training to learn how to function as a sighted person. Although I've spent a lot of time observing sighted people, and I understand a lot about eyesight, and I understand what you can do, and I accept that. But I expect, and I think it is reasonable for you to understand and accept that I can do lots of things. That it's not about eyesight. I wrote a book in 20, and it was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing in 2011. I and Susie Florey wrote the book. It's called Thunderdog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dogs, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero. And there is a section near the end of the book called Guide Dog Wisdom. And number two in Guide Dog Wisdom includes a sentence that says, "Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. You all strictly deal with eyesight, and if it's not something that you can see with your eyes, or you don't really separate eyesight from vision, you tend to really misunderstand so many things. But the reality is, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. Recognize there's a whole lot more to life than eyesight. Michael Hingson  13:01 SEAL Team Six, other military teams, so many other people learn how to use those other senses, and that's the same thing that we as blind people do. We learn to use our other senses. They're not magically enhanced simply because we go blind, but rather we learn how to use those senses? I hope, or we try to, and by doing so, we improve them and we develop them. And those of us who truly do that are a lot more better off, and we're able to do so many things that people think are amazing, but they're not. They're not really amazing. They're certainly not amazing to me. Anyway, I grew up believing all of that, and of course, I was also very fortunate to have a number of jobs throughout my career. And the final result of all of that was I ended up getting the opportunity to open an office in the World Trade Center for Quantum ATL, the company that hired me to open an office in New York, and there we were on September 11th when everything happened. The night, as September 11th ended, was spent by me and my wife Karen. By the way, Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. We got married in November of 1982, and we were married through into November of 2022. We were married 40 years. Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. It was a great marriage, as I love to tell people. She read, I pushed, worked out well. How do I push a person in a wheelchair? Well, she used a manual chair, and when we got to curbs and so on, she would stop, and she would hold the wheels, and and I knew that she had stopped. And I would tip the chair back. She might say, "There's a curb. I would tip the chair back onto its back wheels. We'd roll down off the curb, put the chair down. We'd cross the street, tip the chair up. Front wheels go up on the curb on the other side, unless there was a ramp to go up. And we continued on our way. It's not that magical. It is just what I learned to do, and I enjoyed it. and And I enjoyed Karen's company and so on for 40 years. We were locked down during the pandemic and so on. We'll get to some of that in a bit. But I learned overall that in reality, what my parents taught me was true. Blindness wasn't going to be the problem; eyesight was going to be the problem. And that night after September 11th, we kind of tried to make sense of it. It was me and Karen and a friend of Karen's who I also got to know, and who became a friend of mine. Tom Painter had come down. Tom and Karen went to the same high school, but we all ended up in New Jersey. And Tom came to visit us, actually visit Karen after September 11th started. When he heard about the terrorist attacks, he just came down, not knowing whether I was in the office or not. But I was, and Karen and Tom, well, Tom stayed with Karen and and drove her to pick me up at the Westfield, New Jersey train station at about 7p.m. on september 11. We went home with my guide dog Roselle. When we got home, I took Roselle's harness off because I was going to take her outside. She would have none of it. She ran off. She grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog Linnie. Well, that was kind of fun, and I didn't think a lot about it. But I went. That was interesting. The next day, I contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind because several people from there had visited us in the World Trade Center, and among others, I spoke to the head of the veterinary department, and I said, "So, tell me, how is all this going to affect Roselle? Because everybody's talking about how it's going to affect everyone and all that, and and he asked me, "Did anything threaten directly Roselle? Did anything really threaten her? And I said, No, not really. Nothing directly affected her. And he said, Well, there you go. Dogs don't do what if. They live in the moment. Michael Hingson  17:13 And when you took the harness off, it was over for her, and she was ready to go play. She wanted to relax. She wanted to play, and she did. Oh, and yes, we did eventually get her outside. But the bottom line is, I think that's one of the most important things that I learned coming out of September 11th, and I, I kind of knew it beforehand, but I really got to understand it afterward. We what if everything to death? We what if anything that comes into our lives, well, we're we're in a war with Iran. Well, what if Iran bombs us? What if Iran does this? What if the Hooties do that? What are we going to do? What if our government takes us to war in the first place? Well, they have. The bottom line is, though, we don't have control over all of that. We do have control over some things in our lives, and those are the things that we should worry about. We should stop worrying about everything else. And people say, "Well, it's natural to worry. No, it's not. Not any more natural to worry than it is not to worry. We learn to worry because we're taught that. But the bottom line is, if we learn only to focus on the things over which we truly have control, and be aware of the other things, but don't let them worry us. Don't let them cause fear in our lives. We will live much less fearful and much more stress-free lives than in any other way. If you want another example of why I believe this, on September 11th, David Frank, my colleague who had come in to be involved with the seminars, David had come in the night before, and he came to our office about 8o'clock in the morning on the 11th of September. When we were escaping from the towers, we ended up downstairs and outside. David saw fire in Tower Two, and the way we happened to walk took us very close to Tower Two. We were at Broadway and Vessi Street, maybe 100 yards away from Tower Two. And when David stopped, he said, "You know, there's fire in Tower Two. I want to take pictures of it. And and I also wanted to try to call my wife Karen to let her know that we had gotten out of the towers, I couldn't get through. The circuits were busy because, as we later learned, people were calling and talking to loved ones. But anyway, David had just started putting his camera away. I had put my phone away, and a police officer yelled, "Get out of here! It's coming down right now! And we heard this sound I describe as kind of a combination of a freight train and a waterfall. I could hear glass breaking, metal clattering, and then just the building collapsing straight down. We didn't necessarily know that it was going to do that, but it did. It did exactly what it was designed to do. Anyway, everyone turned and ran. David ran. I turned 180 degrees. With Roselle, and started running back the other way. And as soon as I started to run, I thought to myself, "God, I can't believe that you got us out of a building just to have it fall on us. And I heard in my head a voice as clearly as you hear me right now-a voice that said, "Don't worry about what you can't control, focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. And I had this absolute sense of conviction that if we worked together, we would be fine. Well, we were. Where'd that voice come from? It was God talking to me. I grew up with my father very seriously believing in the concept of God. If you don't, that's fine. That is your choice. I've had people on my podcast who don't necessarily have strong beliefs and convictions about God. I do, but it's not my job to force people or compel people to believe in God. I will tell my story, and people can accept it or reject it as they choose. But that's what happened to me, and I've realized from that time on: don't worry about what you can't control. And I really, truly work very hard to focus on not worrying about the things that I don't have any influence over. Michael Hingson  21:16 I like to be aware of them. I hear from people all the time today about don't watch the news. I don't like to watch the news because it just makes me so angry and so fearful. And my response is, I'm going to watch the news because I want to know what's going on. And sometimes I'll yell at politicians through the TV, but I won't really overall get angry at them. I will hear it. I will either accept it or decide I don't have any influence over it, so I'm not going to worry about it, and I don't because it isn't going to help me to worry about it. It isn't going to help anyone else to worry about any of those kinds of things. Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can and leave the rest alone, and that's one of the basic premises of the third book that I wrote, which was published in 2024, entitled "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 that book was written by me and Carrie Wyatt Kent. The book was published by Tyndale House, and is out there for people to to read. The first book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing, which is now part of Harper Collins, and a lady, Jeanette Hanscom, and I wrote the second book, which is called Running with Roselle, which is really a book more for children, teaching them about me growing up, Roselle growing up, and how we met. A little bit about the World Trade Center. That one was self-published, but all three books are available wherever you can find books, so you can get them always from Amazon, of course. And so I hope that that you'll get them and read them. They will help. Live Like a Guide Dog probably is the best book for me to talk about in terms of things that I learned over the years, but if I really summarize mostly what happened for me after September 11th, it is that what happened on that day validated everything that I've believed about me. Certainly, what I believe about God, but it validates everything that I've ever thought about blindness, blind people, what we can do, the challenges we face, some of the issues that other people have, and the validation is certainly something that helped what I learned. But I learned other things along the way, and you know I want to talk about some of those things. The first, as I said, is don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can, and let the rest take care of itself. Speaker 1  23:56 If you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes, thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. One Michael Hingson  24:28 of the things that happened to me almost immediately after September 11th is I started hearing people say, "We got to get back to normal. If we don't get back to normal, that's a problem. We got to get back to normal. And I always reacted internally, at least pretty negatively to that. And I finally realized why I reacted to that statement about we got to get back to normal. The reason I reacted to that statement, and I still react to to myself to that statement, is normal will never be the same again. We can't get back to normal. If we get back to normal the way it was prior to September 11th, the same thing will happen again. We can't do that. We have to get back to a different normal, and and in fact, normal is probably going to be an ongoing, constant process of change. We ought to learn not to fear that either. Change is all around us. We always say that, but then we don't like change. It's kind of a paradox. But the reality is, change is all around us. And what we really need to do is to learn how to focus in change. And we need to learn that in reality, we can deal with change. And if we have any influence over it, then we should do something about that too. But the bottom line is, getting back to normal prior to September 11th isn't going to help any of us, and and it isn't going to happen. So that is an one thing that I will say definitely. I learned from September 11th: normal will never be the same again. As I said a lot earlier, I think I probably learned about public speaking at least the beginning of it by doing the spelling tests and so on. But after September 11th, the media got my story, and that happened because Joanne Ritter, the public and information services person at the time at Guide Dogs wanted to write a story, and I kind of agreed. And I said, "That's fine. And then she said, "I'll bet you'll be on TV. What television show do you want to be on first? So I kind of just sort of flippantly said, "Larry King Live. That was on the 12th of September when I talked with her. On the 13th, she called back and she said, "Larry King wants you on his show on september 14, which was a Friday, and they sent a car to pick me up, and and I recall Karen and and Tom one as well, and anyway, we went into the World Trade Center, not to the World Trade Center, but we went into New York, and I appeared on CNN, which was the first of five interviews with Larry. Larry also, by the way, at my request, wrote the foreword for Thunderdog. So when you read Thunderdog, you'll get to read Larry's words as well. But after being on Larry King, the media really got my story, and a lot of things happened after that. I started getting literally calls every day for interviews. People wanted to talk to me about September 11th and ask questions and so on. And one of the things that I learned was that talking to reporters could be a great therapy because they would ask virtually any kind of question you can imagine. And of course, a lot of people said things like, "Well, did you know what happened on September 11th when it was happening? And I said no. And they said, well, of course you didn't. You're blind, you know. And my response is, anybody who says that really needs to not let their sight get in their way or their vision to be polite about it. The fact of the matter is, as we were going down the stairs, no one knew anything about what was going on. When I got into the stairwell, I began smelling an odor, and it took me four floors to realize I was smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. I did a lot of travel for my company, and so I was in airports a lot. So I recognized that smell. People were speculating about what they were smelling. People were speculating about what was going on. Nobody had a clue. Michael Hingson  28:20 When I realized I was smelling jet fuel, I observed it to everyone around me, and they said, "You're right. That's what we're smelling. It's burning jet fuel. We must have been hit by an airplane. You see, no one knew. We had no clue. Superman and X-ray vision just aren't real. And the bottom line is, nobody knew what was actually happening on September 11th. Blindness have nothing to do with it. People want to feel more comfortable by saying, "Well, most people probably did know, but you're blind. You didn't know. We've got to get away from these habits of thinking that just because somebody is different than we are, that they're less than we are. That's just not true. In any case, the bottom line is that we we really deal with those kinds of things, and that helped me as as time went by recognize and realize that normal would never be the same again, and it validated more my belief that blindness isn't the problem; it's the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness that tends to truly be the problem that we face. So, as I began to talk with reporters, I didn't think about what was actually happening. But later, I realized when people started saying, "Well, did you ever get counseling or therapy, and I said no. And then it just popped into my head to say I probably had the best therapy around. I got interviewed by hundreds of reporters that asked basically any question that you can imagine, and I learned to answer those questions without being upset, especially when they were asking pretty derogatory questions or making derogatory comments. Your dog led you down the stairs. No, my dog did not lead me down the stairs. Guide dogs do not lead; they guide. And I understand the definition of lead, but it's a little bit different than what people were truly saying. What they were saying is you didn't know anything, and the dog took you all the way down the stairs because the dog could see. No, in fact, Roselle didn't lead me. Roselle's job wasn't, and no guide dog's job is to lead a person or to take charge. The dog's job is to make sure that we walk safely. I also have a job on the team. My job is to make sure that I know where we're going and how to get there. A lot easier now than it was 25 years ago, but the bottom line is that I'm the one that has to direct the dog and give the dog commands, and the dog needs to make sure that we carry out those commands safely. We are a team; we work together. I've always kind of known that guide dog schools didn't necessarily early in my guide dog career, express it that way, but it's it's a much stronger statement now. They recognize that truly we're a team. We each have a job to do on the team, and we have to work together to make the team work, which is true of any team. I've mentioned Seal Team Six earlier. They're a team. They work together. The firefighters in the World Trade Center and the other people who who were around there worked as a team, and they had to work as a team in order to develop a level of trust and a relationship where essentially each person knew what the others on their team were going to do, and it gave them more of a confidence to be able to function. Teamwork is so crucial in our world, and I learned, and and again on September 11th, it was totally validated how teamwork is so important. Roselle and I worked together well. The firefighters worked together well. Yes, we lost people, but the team really is so important, and we need to recognize that anyone listening to this ought to work in any of the things that they do to develop teams. Being alone makes no sense; it isn't going to work. You're going to have to and should learn to work with other people to make teams work better. I've seen companies where when they have award ceremonies, the leader of a team or the boss of a team gets an award, but the rest of the team doesn't really get the same recognition. Michael Hingson  32:30 If a leader is truly doing a good job at creating a team and being a part of a team, then that leader is really enhancing everyone else on the team, and that leader is the person who should help to make sure that when awards are given, that everyone on a team is recognized. We need to to learn and realize that a team is a bunch of people. It's not just one people, but they learn to work together, and that is also so important. And as I learned more and more about the events of the World Trade Center, I learned and realized more about the whole understanding of teamwork and trust and the value of it. I knew about it with me and Roselle, and I recognized the concept of teamwork. But certainly, September 11th again validated that a whole lot more effectively than anything else that I could think of, but I worked with eight dogs over the years, and working with eight dogs from my first guide dog Squire, who was a golden retriever, up through my current guide dog Alamo, I've learned probably I think more than I ever learned from experts and teamwork and sales and so on and motivation. I learned more from those dogs than I ever learned from the human experts because of the fact that one, I had to build a team with a creature who didn't think the same way I did, who didn't talk the same language that I did, and that expected things from me, and and as one of the things that I've learned is that dogs who are guide dogs really want the human to be the pack leader because it is the pack leader, it is the human who's supposed to tell the dog what they want the dog to do, and dogs take that so incredibly seriously. I mentioned Linny. Well, I didn't mention her, I think, by name. But Lenny was my fourth guide dog, and we were out in in San Diego at a company meeting one Friday in May of 1999, and we came home. It was a Saturday morning that we got home. I flew a red eye home, fed Lenny, and then rested and and all that. But Saturday night, when it came time to feed Linny, I called her. She wouldn't come. Karen even called her. She wouldn't come. We went. Upstairs and found her lying on her bed, kind of really not very responsive. We got her to a veterinarian, and it took a few days for the veterinarian to diagnose what she had as something called glomerular nephritis, which is a disease where the kidneys, the glomeria of the kidneys, which would normally pass out bad stuff from the kidneys but not the good stuff. They were passing out the good stuff as well, and Lenny was was not doing well. We were able to reverse that, but she had to retire from being a guide dog. In fact, we thought in late June of 1999 that we were going to lose her. We went off to a a meeting, not a meeting, but we went off to a hotel to say goodbye to Linny, if you will, on like the second of July. But Linny didn't pass away then, and she did get better. And then Roselle came into our lives, and Roselle and Linny became really good friends, but I mention all of it because I had no clue what was happening to Linny. Guide dogs love their jobs; they take them very seriously. And the fact of the matter is, as I learned, and especially after September 11th, I learned that these dogs will work till they drop. They will. They will do everything they can to please us, because they love what we do. They love us, and we need to bestow the same kind of love on them, which is all part of what teamwork is all about. Well, the bottom line was with Linny. She was with us for three more years, and she got to play with Roselle a lot, and so on. Michael Hingson  36:41 Of course, as I also mentioned after September 11th, but I again, especially because of what happened to Linny, but then afterward on September 11th, I realized how much it was important for me to do all I could to keep the team relationship a positive, strong one, to recognize that in reality these dogs work so hard on their own part to make the team's relationships work. They they deal with what they have to deal with. They get very stressed if we're upset. They take it very personally if we get upset, even if we're not necessarily upset at them; they still take it very personally. The more stress that a guide dog faces in their lives, the harder it's going to be for them, and frankly, the shorter their lives are going to be. So I learned, even before September 11th, but especially after September 11th, to do all I could to keep the stress away from the dog. As we were going down the stairs on September 11th, I constantly encouraged and praised Roselle. What a good dog! Keep going. What a good job! Good girl, Roselle. Even if I wasn't able to hold the harness because the stairs were so crowded that Roselle couldn't walk next to me and had to walk behind me at heel, and I would just hold the leash. I kept praising her because I wanted her to know for her I was okay, and I had to focus on not being afraid and letting that fear come out. Well, I was fearful like anyone was, and in fact, I love to tell people. Being a great fan of science fiction, I have a great imagination, and I was listening for the building to make creaks and groans, and you never knew what was going to happen. Fortunately, it didn't all the way down. But the bottom line for me was that doing so kept me focused. And I and I learned later that while I might have been afraid on September 11th, partly because I was encouraging Roselle and working to sound very calm and confident, I was able to also help other people, but help Roselle and keep Roselle from being afraid and and being stressed. And I work very hard to do that with my guide dogs that I've had since even more than prior to September 11th. My current guide dog Alamo and I travel the world speaking all over the place, if you will. We've been to Israel. We've been well, actually, Alamo didn't get to go to London, but we've been to Israel with my seventh guide dog, Africa. We went to the Netherlands, Alamo and I have been to Wisconsin. I've been to a variety of places, and of course, all around the the world, all around the United States, to Canada, everywhere. And again, I don't necessarily know a lot about where we're going in advance, but I ask a lot of questions so that I can learn where we're going to go, so that I can give the dogs the appropriate commands. I mentioned Wisconsin's. I've been all over the United States. It's been an honor, and I'm going to continue to do that. If anybody wants a public speaker to come and talk to their organization, please reach out to me. I'd love to hear from you. My email address is really simple. It's speaker@michaelhinkson.com. We'll put that in the show notes, and love to hear from you. So anyway, I learned a lot about teamwork from working with eight guide dogs, and I continue to learn every day. I think it's very important for me to learn and to focus all that I can to make sure that I do what it is that's necessary to make a team work, and I believe it is all about the team. I've mentioned that I've written three books, and each one was a collaboration with someone else: Susie Florey with Thunderdog, Jeanette Hanscom with Running with Roselle and Carrie Wyatt Kent with Live Like a Guide Dog, and and the fact of the matter is those collaborations I think were very important. Michael Hingson  40:49 They made the books come out a lot different than I might have imagined them coming out by themselves and the way I would have written them without having collaboration, and probably Live Like a guide dog more than more than the other two, just because of the way it all went. But with live like a guide dog, we focused on each of my my guide dogs and the lessons that we learned. So I mentioned Squire, who I worked with in high school and then went to college with Squire, and Squire was was all around where wherever I was. One night in a dorm, I was with a roommate. Well, actually, a person who lived in a room next door to mine, and I was in his room. We were dealing with a physics problem. By the way, my master's degree is in physics. I have a secondary teaching credential, but I was in with Richard dealing with a physics problem. When I went back into my room, there was no Squire. I didn't realize that a couple of the students decided to play a trick and kidnap him. I went looking around the dorm. I even went into the bathroom and opened the shower door and called Squire, and nothing was totally quiet, and finally, I was getting a little bit concerned. And one of the people said, "Oh well, look, we took the dog. We'll show you. They went into the bathroom, opened the shower door, and out comes Squire. He was in on it. He didn't do a thing when I opened the door, but when the other people did, then then he came out. I wasn't mad at him. Sneaky dog that he is, he had a great sense of humor. But I got vengeance because that that person didn't tell the other people that they showed him where showed me where Squire was. I went and hit Squire somewhere, and then I went back out into the main part of the dorm and I started going, "Who took my dog? What's going on? Where is he? And all the other people said, "Oh, come on, he's in the bathroom. And they went in and opened the door to the shower. No Squire, and they were starting to worry about what happened to him. And Squire, of course, was again not making noise. But eventually, I brought him out and I said, "Okay, I found him. I knew where he was. We're playing a trick on you just like you played a trick on me. That'll teach you. I learned that dogs have a sense of humor that day, but I also learned how much I valued having Squire around, and so Squire worked with me up until and through my first graduate year in physics at UC Irvine, and then Squire retired and went to live with my parents. And in 1973, I got my second guide dog, Holland. Holland was with me through 1986. He worked for almost 13 years, and in fact, was two weeks from retiring when he collapsed in our backyard one day, and we took him to the vet. And the vet said, "I could probably bring him out of whatever he's got, maybe a stroke or a heart attack or both, but he won't have a good quality of life. And so we said goodbye to to Holland. Holland and Squire were both golden retrievers, but again, Holland so strongly reinforced all the things that that I had felt about teamwork, and I learned so much more from him about what I needed to do in order to to function well, not just with a dog, but in my whole life. Then I got Klondike, who was my third guide dog, who was also a golden retriever. Soon after I got Klondike, well, about a year after I got Klondike, suddenly one day he had a very strong grand mal epileptic seizure, and we took him to the vet, and they put him on some medication that wasn't really helping that. And we then kept trying to to deal with it, and finally, and during that same time, I was looking for a job. I had owned my own company for four years, but decided I wanted to go back into the workforce, and and I finally got a job with a company. Michael Hingson  44:52 And on one of the first days that I worked there, Klondike had four grand mal seizures in the. Period of time, and we thought we were going to have to say goodbye to Klondike. But I talked to our veterinarian, and he said, "You know, before we do that, I want to send him to a neurologist who did an electroencephalograph. And he said, "I didn't see much, but he said one thing he did was to take some blood tests, and he said I noticed that his Klondike's thyroid level is low, and low thyroid levels in dogs like Klondike can make them more susceptible to have seizures, just like it can for children. Well, we put Klondike on synthroid, synthetic thyroid, as well as on phenobarbital to control the seizures. The synthroid had much more of an effect than the phenobarb did, Klondike actually became a much more active and playful and interactive dog, and did not have from that time on for the next seven years that he worked for me as a guide dog never had a single seizure. So the thyroid theory was a good one. Again, with with Klondike, it was about developing a team and recognizing that we had to work together. Well, then I got Linny, and again I mentioned Linny only worked for three years. Linny had glomerular nephritis that was really probably from a tick bite where the tick had Lyme's disease, and we didn't know any of that was happening until that night that Linny didn't wake up at all or didn't get up from her bed, and we finally got it diagnosed. And then I got Roselle. Now Roselle was a a wonderful dog. One of the things that I've always said is that when I get a new guide dog and I tell the trainers I want a dog with an on-off switch. That is, I want a dog that knows when the harness is on, it's time to work, and when the harness is off, then they can play. Clearly, Roselle had that when she was in harness. She was very focused. She did develop a phobia of thunderstorms, but there were a few times that we had thunderstorms, and she was able to continue to guide, even though she would shake and she would shiver a little bit. But she continued to guide. She focused. In fact, there was a thunderstorm the morning of September 11th, about 12:30 in the morning. But there was no thunder when we were going through what we did in the World Trade Center, so none of that caused her to be fearful. But again, Roselle was a dog that that taught me a lot about observation, learning what the dogs do, what what they fear, and how to help keep them focused and calm. And so I did that. My sixth guide dog was Meryl. Meryl only worked for about a year. Roselle retired in 2007. Merrill worked from 2007 to 2008, but Merrill became very fearful of guiding, and so ended up not being a guide dog very long. And I I'd never experienced that, although I had heard other people who had issues where dogs didn't work very long. Lenny only worked for three years, but a dog that didn't work for more than a year-that was unusual for me. However, poor Meryl wasn't able to do well as a guide, and so she retired. And then we got Africa. Now Africa was my seventh guide dog. Africa's mother was Fantasia. In January of 2006, we were working. I was working at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and we applied to be what were called breeder keepers. That is, they were the the people who would keep a breeder dog in their home because the guide dogs for the blind bred their own guide dogs and so on. And breeder keepers would keep dogs in their homes so that the dogs weren't just cooped up in kennels all day, and we volunteered to do that. And the director of breeding, Marina Hall, called us and said, "I've got four dogs for you to look at. I think one's better than the others for you, but I want you to come and meet these dogs. So we went down, and and she made the comment again. I think one dog is going to be better than the others. Michael Hingson  49:02 And and I said, well, if you think so strongly, but which one is it? Well, she finally sort of told us. She said, I didn't want to tell you, but I'll tell you. So she did. But anyway, the first dog who came in was a dog named Fantasia, and it works sort of the same way that when people get guide dogs, you're in a room. The dog is allowed to come in, and you see how the dog reacts to you. When I met Squire for the first time, I was sitting in a chair. They let Squire in. He came over and started sniffing me all over. Didn't leave me. He just started sniffing. And Bruce Benzler, who was the apprentice instructor at the time, later became director of Guide Dogs for the Blind, CEO anyway, anyway. Bruce then said, "Looks like you found a friend already, and we became friends. But anyway, when when Fantasia came into the room, she took one look at Karen and leaped into Karen's lap. She had no fear of the power wheelchair that Karen was using by that time. The other three dogs, we still looked at them, and they all expressed one level of fear or concern about being around this wheelchair. But Marina said Fantasia was the one that we thought you'd like best and would like you best, and she was. So anyway, in 2006, we got Fantasia in January, and later that year, she had a litter of puppies, and then in early or mid 2007, she Fantasia had her second litter. I guess it was late in 2006 she had the second litter, but anyway, by the middle of 2008, when we had to retire Meryl because she wasn't working out very well, we were notified that they found a dog that they thought would be a really good replacement for Meryl, and that's a dog named Africa. And Karen and I realized Africa was a name that we suggested as as breeder keepers that they could name one of their puppies if they had puppies who came from an A litter. And the way it works, by the way, is when a litter is born, they're assigned a letter of the alphabet, and they got a big book, and they go into that book and they get the next names that are available. They don't use names of current guide dogs, so when a dog retires, then they can start using that name again. But anyway, Africa was a name that we suggested, and as soon as we saw the email that said Africa, we knew Fantasia was Africa's mother. Well, Africa came and joined us, and mom and daughter did really well, and Roselle was still with us. So the three of them have a lot of fun together, but again with Africa, I learned about teamwork and doing the things that I needed to do. Every dog is different, and one of the things that I developed over the years was an understanding that to truly develop a relationship with a dog takes probably close to a year by the time we really are totally comfortable with each other, but I worked with Africa. We became good friends. Africa became good friends with Roselle. Of course, Africa liked her mom, and all worked out really well. Developing those teeming relationships is so important, and you can learn a lot more about them if you get live like a guide dog. I think you'll find them all very interesting to to read about. So in 2017, I noticed that Africa was starting to slow down and not do as well. She wasn't able to see as well at night. Sort of typical signs of a dog getting older, even though I work to to keep stress out as much as possible, but I applied and in 2018 on the 9th of February, Africa's puppy raisers, Bill and Peggy Sproul from San Francisco or San Diego rather, came to visit us in Victorville, and we had offered them the opportunity to take Africa because we had Fantasia, and we had Africa. And if we kept Africa and Fantasia, and I got a new guide dog, Karen would have a hard time taking care of two dogs when I traveled, because I was doing a great deal of travel by then as a keynote speaker, and so the Sprouls came and got Africa. Michael Hingson  53:26 Left our house, Africa didn't even look back. She was gone. We had visited her several times since then, and and in in the Sprouls home, Africa died in 2020. But we we got to visit Africa several times and it was a lot of fun and and she she loved us and all that and remembered us anyway on the 11th of February two days later I went to Guide Dogs for the Blind and I met Alamo who was my first black Labrador and I met him we we met in the room and he kind of sniffed me a little bit and walked around the room. But then came back and sniffed me, and then I took him on leash back to our our dorm room at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I decided I'd sit on the floor to to visit with him. And the next thing I know, this big, huge, 60 pound Labrador is in my lap. Alamo was and is a lapdog, but he doesn't know a stranger, which is great. I mentioned earlier that I always said that when I get a guide dog, I want a guide dog that has an on and off switch. Another thing that I require is that guide dogs that I get be raised by cats. I have known of animals who of guide dogs who don't like cats, and I would not want that because we always have had cats. And by that time, when we got Alamo, we had Stitch, who we rescued in January of 2015. So now here it is, February of 2018. So I knew that we needed to have a dog that wasn't going to be. Be afraid of cats. Well, so Stitch and Alamo kind of walked around each other a little bit when we first went home, but they got to like each other pretty well pretty quickly, and they have been together ever since. Alamo has been on a number of aircraft, as I've mentioned over the years, he went to Israel with me. He didn't go to England when I spoke in 2024, but he's been to other places and will continue to travel with me. I work really hard to keep the stress out of his life. I don't want him to become any more stressed than he ever has to be, and he feeds off of how I behave, as as I've learned guide dogs do. So that's one of the most important things that I've learned is to keep that stress out of his life. I would point out that is just as much true for human teams. Don't stress out your team. If you are a leader, your job is to enhance what those leaders, what the team does. Your job isn't to boss them around. If you're doing that, you're only causing more stress, and you're going to find you're going to have a big job turnover, much more than you really should. I've always felt that my job isn't to boss people around when I hire them, my job is to enhance their abilities by using the skills that I have and learning to work with them to give them the benefit of what I know and to use the benefits of what they know to learn myself as well, so that we become more effective. And the people who really get that do very well. The people who didn't get that tend not to last very long at the company because they don't perform very well. Because I know that in reality, I add value to the team by working to add value, not bossing the team around. I think there's a big difference between leaders and bosses, and I've learned that over the years. That leaders are people who can enhance what other people do, who work to make the whole team effective and not just try to boss people around. In late 2020, I discovered a company called Accessibe, A C C E S S I capital B E. Website is accessibee.com. Was a company that made products to help make internet websites more inclusive, and at first, they had some challenges because they were using a lot of AI stuff to make their products work, and they sort of did. But there were there were challenges. But one day in January of 2021, the founder of the company, Sheer Eckerling. Michael Hingson  57:41 contacted me and said we're interested in you joining the company. I had been looking at possibly selling their products because the pandemic had hit, and I thought I could sell them from home because we were locked down. And and he said, well, you know, we we'd like you to not sell as a partner, just on your own, we'd like you to join the company. Well, he asked what I was doing, and by that time I had started to learn about podcasting because I couldn't travel and speak all over the world. So what I decided to do was to look at using podcast as a revenue source. And Shear said, "Well, you know, we we're really interested in having somebody do a podcast for us. And I said, "What do you want? And he said, "I want to just get somebody who will do a podcast to show that we're part of the world. And you join the company; you could do that in part. I joined the company, and he didn't have any specific agenda for the podcast. So, in August of 2021, I began Unstoppable Mindset, and soon it became unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. And I'll explain all of that in a moment. But the point is that we started the podcast. I created the title. I recreated the description, and I wanted the podcast to be conversations. And as anyone who has been on the podcast knows, we don't do interviews as such. We do conversations, and I ask people to send me materials to help me prepare to be able to do the conversation. And so a number of times we've had diversity experts on people from the DEI world, and when I ask them what they do, they say, you know, we focus a lot on diversity, and I say, what does that mean? And they say, well, we deal with race, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. And we chat for a little while, and then I say, but you haven't talked about disabilities. And they say, oh, disability is not a minority. And I say, what do you mean? He said, well, disability is a social justice thing. It's not like race, gender, or sexual orientation. And my response to that is balderdash. I like to use balderdash. I could go back and use what Colonel Sherman Potter did on Mash and say monkey muffins. But anyway, balderdash because diversity should include disability because it is a minority. Even the Center for Disease Control says that. Adversity, or that that people with disabilities are a minority of about 25% of people in the United States. Well, so the bottom line for me is that I would say to them, "What do you mean you're you're not including it? And they say, "Well, it's a it's a disability, but it's social justice. It's always about being a lack of ability, and as I have learned, especially since September 11th and and beyond, disability does not mean a lack of ability. You might want to think it does. You might want to try to make that fit, but it doesn't. And I learned that most effectively in March of 2023 when I went to something, by that time Karen had passed, and I was working with a person who had been Karen's caregiver, who decided to work for me. Very grateful for Josie doing that. Josie entered my name in the contest to be a guest at the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, which was going to be held the Monday after the Oscars at the Dolby Theater, well, I didn't even know she entered me, but I got a call the Tuesday before the Oscar after party and the Oscars, and I was and I picked up the phone and they said congratulations, and I said for what? Oh, you won an invitation to come to the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, and I went really well. Anyway, I went down with my niece and nephew, Tracy and Charlie Green. The there wasn't room for taking Josie, her husband, and her mother and her five kids. So it was just me, Tracy, and Charlie. Michael Hingson  1:01:37 We got up to our room about 3o'clock in the afternoon on the Saturday before the Oscars, the day before the Oscars, we put our luggage in our room and we were coming back down the main stairwell staircase actually from the third to the first floor in the Hollywood Roosevelt. It's a very open staircase, and all of a sudden I heard people screaming, and it took me a while to to try to understand what's going on, and finally I couldn't figure it out. I said, Tracy, what's going on? And she said, Oh, we just lost power and lighting on the stairs, and and power and lighting in and around the entire hotel. Now it didn't bother Tracy. Tracy had known me for a long time, but people were panicky because they weren't getting all the light they expected, even though the windows were open, the the shades were up on the first floor in the lobby, and so on. Lots of light, but it wasn't all that people expected. And I thought about that, and what I learned from that was, it proves that disability isn't a lack of ability; it proves that disability is a characteristic that we all have. Thomas Edison and others worked on the light bulb, and Thomas Edison is credited with developing the electric light bulb back in 1878. But in the 148 years since the light bulb was developed, all society has done in that regard is worked very hard on coming up with better ways of providing light on demand, so that you sighted people could have all the light you want when you want it. Nowadays, we have smartphones, we have flashlights, we have other ways of getting light on demand. But as the Americans with Disabilities Act would describe it. The light bulb is simply, or any piece of technology that produces light on demand, is simply a piece of technology that provides light on demand to light-dependent people who otherwise don't function well without it. The bottom line is, disability is not a lack of ability. We got words like discrete, discern, disciple. What is discern? Is it a lack of discern? What is it? What is disciple? A lack of viple? No. Disability is not a lack of ability. Disability is a character

Author Susan Hall, Real Estate Star Ryan Serhant, Author Daniel Fazzina, and a Testimony from Owen WilsonThis edition of The Neil Haley Show opens with a lively cross-continental simulcast, joining Fernando and Sergio Bravo of InfoRadio in Madrid, live from Callao Square during their marathon World Radio Challenge, before turning to author Susan Hall, sister of the late Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss. Calling in from Phoenix, Hall discussed her book, I Laugh in the Face of Cancer, a title Neil and the Spanish hosts loved. She explained that she wrote it because there is so much fear around cancer, much of it understandable, and she wanted to hand people a more hopeful, resilient way to face a diagnosis, drawing on her own family's experience. Warm and upbeat across the language barrier, she made the case that courage, faith, and even humor can be powerful medicine, and thanked the Spanish hosts for staying up through their overnight marathon to include her. She framed the book as encouragement for anyone walking that frightening road, or loving someone who is.Neil then joined a Caregiver Dave celebrity segment, co-hosted by caregiver advocate Dave Nassaney, welcoming Ryan Serhant of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York. Serhant discussed the honor of being named the American Cancer Society's 2021 National Ambassador for the Real Men Wear Pink program, part of his family's and his company's commitment to giving back. He said he was moved to act after reading that a large share of Americans, some forty-one percent, delayed medical care in 2020 amid the pandemic out of fear of doctors and hospitals, and used his platform to urge people, especially men, not to put off screenings and checkups. His message, offered as encouragement rather than medical advice, was simple: showing up matters, and early detection saves lives, so book the appointment you have been avoiding. Neil praised the philanthropic streak behind a career better known for luxury listings.The hour continued with a Mike Vilardi Show simulcast featuring award-winning author, broadcaster, and media professional Daniel Fazzina, host of Divine Intervention Radio. A native New Yorker now living in Virginia, Fazzina traced a Long Island Lutheran upbringing and a media career spanning radio, music videos, and film before sharing the testimony that changed his path: healings he attributes to God, from a chronic back condition in 2001 and a massive cancerous tumor in 2002. Those experiences, he said, inspired him to launch Divine Intervention Radio in 2007 and a book series collecting firsthand accounts of people who believe they have witnessed the hand of God, from healings to transformed lives, all offered, in his telling, as encouragement for believers and skeptics alike. He is gathering many of those voices for the Power of Testimony event at Shelter Rock Church in Syosset, New York, on September 12th.The program closes with a return testimony from Owen Wilson, a New Zealand aircraft mechanic and pilot, not the actor, also featured in Fazzina's work. Wilson recounted a birthday flight over the rugged Marlborough coast in a small plane he had flown for years when the engine fell silent with nowhere to land; as he and his passenger prayed, it sputtered back to life just long enough to clear a ridge and reveal a hidden airfield he had never known existed, where he landed safely, a rescue he credits to divine intervention. Tickets for the September 12th event are at events.artofheaven.com. Find Susan Hall's I Laugh in the Face of Cancer and Daniel Fazzina's Divine Intervention wherever books are sold.

National Ambassador for Braver Angels and talk radio show host John Wood Jr. joins Tavis in studio to discuss trending political topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Daniella Bloom on See One Beautiful Soul Ep 80 Bloom & Release Where You're Planted! Daniella Bloom is an awakened Mama Bear, bridge-builder, therapist, activist author and news correspondent who goes beneath the headlines to connect what's happening in our personal relationships with what's unfolding in our nation and the world at large. Formally trained in Marriage and Family Therapy and previously licensed in Virginia, Daniella is now a keynote speaker, #1 bestselling author of The Under the Tree series, and a devoted mother of three. She is a pro-America, pro-Israel free thinker and currently serves as the National Ambassador of JEXIT. Relatable, candid, and often humorous, Daniella stands firmly for free thinking, freedom, family, and faith. She examines how the micro-level breakdown of relationships—blame, vilification, empowered victimhood, divorce, and family estrangement—contributes directly to the macro-level crises of polarization and cancel culture we see today. Her message is grounded in forward thinking, grace, common sense, personal accountability, and core Judeo-Christian values that she believes can reunite a divided society. Daniella's no-nonsense yet compassionate approach to dating, relationships, and now politics offers audiences a fresh and courageous perspective. She is a frequent guest on national television and radio, appearing across a wide spectrum of media outlets including Fox News and CNN. She has been interviewed by voices ranging from Ryan Seacrest to Charlie Kirk and has shared the stage with influential leaders such as Dennis Prager and Larry Elder. With over two decades of professional and personal experience, Daniella brings a rare combination of insight, resilience, and lived wisdom. Having worked extensively with single, married, and divorced men and women earlier in her career, she now applies that relational lens to today's cultural and political conversations. Her work emphasizes that meaningful growth and connection begin with open, honest dialogue—and that it is never too late to bloom right where you are planted. ​ Bloom has seen it all and been through it herself, and still believes it is NEVER too late to BLOOM where you are planted. After ending her own 16 year marriage, a whole new purpose and career exploded! Daniella has her pulse on what makes and breaks a relationship today. A comedic and engaging speaker, Daniella's passion is helping her clients and audiences—whether single, married, or divorced—put their best foot forward and enjoy dating and relationship success! Daniella is not afraid to take on uncomfortable topics and guests with different points of view, ranging in theme from the challenges facing our current relationships today, to the challenges facing our current politics.  https://www.daniellabloom.com/about.html Her books can be found here: https://www.daniellabloom.com/books.html  

Renowned picture book creators, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, want people of all ages to understand and appreciate children's stories and how this art form enriches our individual lives and our culture. Speaking on the process of creating their latest collaboration, a board book series called Now I See, Barnett and Klassen have insights into what makes a great children's book using elements you can find both on and off the page. This multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo operates differently than a lot of children's book creators. Typically, an author and illustrator don't directly collaborate, and yet these two find success in close conversations with each other. Using their unique perspectives, Barnett and Klassen also write a newsletter for adults, Looking at Picture Books, which examines the picture book as a respected art form. Their Now I See board book collection applies that lens by celebrating the spare beauty and wonder of the changing seasons from the point of view of a child. A tree that has full green leaves in Now I See Summer sheds them in Now I See Fall. The snowy sky of Now I See Winter gives way to the rainy sky in Now I See Spring. And of course, the perfect hat changes with each season, too. Barnett and Klassen want to uplift the picture book as an art form, showing everyone of every age what goes into the making of great children's literature. They'll discuss the importance and value of picture books — and how they work. Kids are, of course, welcome, but the primary audience for these events is adults keen to learn more about picture books. Mac Barnett, the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, is a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Some of his books include The First Cat in Space graphic novel series, illustrated by Shawn Harris, Twenty Questions, illustrated by Christian Robinson, and Santa's First Christmas, illustrated by Sydney Smith. Jon Klassen is the New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of numerous books, who was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2018 for his contributions to children's literature. His recent books include the Your Places board book series and The Skull, a #1 New York Times bestseller that earned six starred reviews and a piece in the New York Times Book Review in which Ransom Riggs refers to Jon as both "the dean of deadpan" and a "national treasure." Jon Mooallem is the author of three books, Wild Ones, This is Chance! and the essay collection Serious Face. He lives on Bainbridge Island. Buy the Book Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children (Hardcover) Elliott Bay Book Company

The science strategy manager at Ballance Agri-Nutrients is also a long-standing on-farm judge of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. He previews this week's National Sustainability Showcase, where the 2026 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing will be named.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on ‘The Write Question,' host Lauren Korn speaks with Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Children's Literature and the author of ‘Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children' (Little, Brown & Company), his first book written for adults.

This week on ‘The Write Question,' host Lauren Korn speaks with Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Children's Literature and the author of ‘Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children' (Little, Brown & Company), his first book written for adults.

This week, a conversation about children's literature with author Mac Barnett and illustrator Jon Klassen. Barnett is National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and the author of numerous children's books including “Sam and Dave Dig a Hole” and “Extra Yarn”.Jon Klassen worked on films like Kung Fu Panda and Coraline, before he decided to create books, like the best-selling Hat Trilogy. Klassen and Barnet are collaborators on the animated series Shape Island and the popular substack newsletter “Looking at Picture Books.” On May 14, 2026, the two creatives came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater to talk about the world of children's literature. It's the subject of Barnett's newest book – this time, for adults. It's called Make Believe: Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children.

Marina speaks with Jason McCoy, the National Ambassador for Ride for Dad as well as Charlene Thompson, one of the co-chairs for the Fort McMurray Chapter, about Ride for Dad!

Dom talks with Brendan Attrill, 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and Gordon Stephenson Trophy recipient, and Ashley Primrose, a New Zealander working for TeamAg Advisory in Ireland. They discuss Brendan's current visit to Ireland, the similarities and differences between Irish and NZ farming systems, plus Gaelic football and good creamy pints. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Brendan Attrill, 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and Gordon Stephenson Trophy recipient, and Ashley Primrose, a New Zealander working for TeamAg Advisory in Ireland. They discuss Brendan's current visit to Ireland, the similarities and differences between Irish and NZ farming systems, plus Gaelic football and good creamy pints... And he talks with Murray Burgess, marketer and key account manager at Stallion, about origin of the agricultural products business, its calf feeding equipment and his background in the UK with the Royal Marines. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Mac Barnett is a bestselling children's book author and, since last year, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.  He has a new small book out for adults, Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children, that is a rousing defense not just of children's books but of children themselves, as people and as readers.  “If you've read good books to kids, you've probably been surprised when they noticed a detail in the pictures that you didn't see, or been humbled when they understood something about the story you couldn't. That's because children tend to be better readers — more open-minded, more diligent, and more passionate — than adults. (No offense.)” We'll talk to Barnett about how kids make us better readers and the enduring power of children's books. Guests: Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; author, "Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children;" his children's books include "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle," "Extra Yarn", "Sam and Dave Dig a Hole" and the "Terrible Two" book series among others Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode we are joined by Jason Reynolds.Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely), Long Way Down, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi), Stuntboy, in the Meantime (illustrated by Raúl the Third), and Ain't Burned All the Bright (with artwork by Jason Griffin). The recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, Reynolds is also the 2020-2022 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, and various media outlets. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington, DC.Buy Jason's latest book here: bookshop.org/a/19191/9798347102372Check out Jason's website here: www.jasonwritesbooks.comCheck out Heirloom Literary here: www.heirloomliterary.comwww.instagram.com/jasonreynolds83/www.instagram.com/heirloom_literary/Support the show

From Krista: I was longing for a deep dive on the radiant and common-sense hope that Jason Reynolds embodies after I interviewed him at a Georgetown event last year. I got my chance at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. Jason's perspective is so urgent for the world we've now walked into: on giving ourselves grace to be hopeless, the virtue of stamina, and the hope that stays strong in him from his life in relationship with the very young in our midst — "the arbiters and purveyors of the future" — as well as an occasional stranger in a bar. Jason himself is preternaturally wise as well as talented and kind and humble. He's become a friend across the years and is one of my favorite people in the world.  — Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page. Sign yourself and others up for The Pause to be on our mailing list for all things On Being and to receive Krista's monthly Saturday newsletter, including a heads up on new episodes, special offerings, recommendations, and event invitations. Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022, he served as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Awards, and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2024. He is on the faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People M.F.A. Program. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." —Alexis de Tocqueville When Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to a freshly-minted America, he found a people gathering and talking and deciding on things—they were building, and they were repairing. That's a 250-year-old spirit we're going to need to rediscover, so we're bringing together two young leaders of this very old idea—John Wood and Manu Meel. Of the people, by the people and for the people is how these two have been getting it done. John Wood is the National Ambassador and Director of Public Engagement at Braver Angels, an effort we at The Village Square have been fans and supporters of since it was still a glimmer in its founder's eye. John is also a columnist at USA Today. Manu Meel is the founding CEO of BridgeUSA, an organization on campuses across America. He's also been named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in education. And (here's the bonus): they are dear friends.  Learn more about our guests and find the program online here. This program is part of the series in partnership with Florida Humanities — "UNUM: Democracy Reignited," a multi-year digital offering exploring the past, present and future of the American idea — as it exists on paper, in the hearts of our people, and as it manifests (or sometimes fails to manifest) in our lives. ———————————————————— The Village Square is a proud member of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. UNUM: Democracy Reignited is made possible in partnership with Florida Humanities  (Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities.)

In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Becky Barsi and Joe Acone sit down with award-winning graphic novelist, educator, and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Gene Luen Yan.Gene is best known for groundbreaking works like American Born Chinese, Boxers & Saints, and Dragon Hoops, which have helped redefine what comics and graphic novels can do in classrooms. His stories blend humor, heart, and mythology with his own personal experiences and explorations of identity, belonging, and the power of storytelling. In this conversation, Gene reflects on his creative journey, the responsibility and possibility of making art for young readers, and how comics can act as a bridge between cultures, generations, and lived experiences.You can find Gene's work at www.geneluenyang.com, and follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/geneluenyang.Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Discord. Creative Guts recently moved our newsletter to Substack, and you can find us at creativegutspod.substack.com. If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Thank you to our friends at Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter, NH and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts in Rochester, NH for their support of the show!Any views or opinions expressed by our hosts or guests do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Creative Guts.

This week on Blamo! I'm joined by one returning guest and one first-timer — Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.Mac is the current — and ninth ever — National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 children's books, and a two-time Caldecott Honor recipient. He's also a past Blamo! guest, which made this feel less like an interview and more like picking up a conversation we never really finished.Shawn is an award-winning illustrator and author whose book Have You Ever Seen a Flower? received a Caldecott Honor and is a personal favorite of mine — one of those books that quietly rewires the way you see the world.Mac and Shawn are close friends, serious book people, and — somewhat under-the-radar — real fit gods. We talked about good books, good stories, and good clothes!The First Cat in Space Series*Sponsored by Bezel - the trusted marketplace for buying and selling your next luxury watch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Damien Swaby is joined by the remarkable Barbara Niven, an actress whose dedication, versatility, and heart have made her one of Hollywood's most enduring and admired talents.With a career spanning more than three decades, Barbara has starred in over 100 film and TV roles, been featured in thousands of commercials, and contributed her experience and leadership to the Screen Actors Guild.Barbara discusses her work on Hallmark's highest-rated series and films — including Chesapeake Shores, Cedar Cove, Murder She Baked, and Crossword Puzzle Mysteries. She talks openly about the discipline it takes to maintain longevity in Hollywood, as well as the joy she finds in each new character she inhabits.She also reflects on her critically acclaimed portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in HBO's The Rat Pack, still considered one of the top depictions of the icon to date. Her award-winning performances in independent cinema, including A Perfect Ending and Hamlet's Ghost, showcase her range, intuition, and emotional intelligence as a performer.Outside the screen, Barbara has built a global reputation as Hollywood's top Media Trainer and Video Marketing Coach, teaching professionals across industries through her signature program Unleash Your Star Power!™. She helps people break through fear, speak confidently, and shine with authenticity.Barbara is also a best-selling author, renowned speaker, mental health advocate, and a National Ambassador for American Humane. This episode is packed with inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom for actors, filmmakers, creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone pursuing their passion.Key Topics CoveredHow Barbara became one of the busiest actresses in HollywoodWorking on Hallmark's biggest and most beloved seriesBringing Marilyn Monroe to life in The Rat PackWhat it takes to stay relevant and fulfilled in entertainmentThe creation of Unleash Your Star Power!™Overcoming fear, self-doubt, and perfectionismLiving a life of purpose, passion, and serviceW https://www.barbaraniven.com Call to Action. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share the podcast. Follow Damien Swaby for more filmmaker interviews and insights into the craft and business of storytelling.Use Promo Code "FILMMAKINGSWABY" for all my deals or just click the link:25% Off More Labshttps://www.morelabs.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Strong Coffee Companyhttps://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY15% Off Tusslehttps://www.tusslegear.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Eric Javitshttps://ericjavits.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY25% Off Quantum Energy Squarehttps://quantumsquares.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Long Tablehttps://longtablepancakes.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off HyperNaturalhttps://hypernaturalstyle.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off wearplaygroundhttps://wearplayground.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY15% Off STAND+https://www.standshoes.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY10% Off Molly Bzhttps://mollybz.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY41% Off Cozy Earthhttps://cozyearth.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABYX (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405Instagram: @filmmaker__damien_swaby. https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker__damien_swaby/?hl=en 

Subscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsWhat happens when the “healthy one” gets cancer? Samantha Harris shares the diagnosis that changed everything.In this deeply moving episode of Hol+, Dr. Taz MD sits down with Emmy-nominated TV host, author, and breast cancer survivor Samantha Harris to unpack her harrowing and empowering health journey—from being blindsided by a breast cancer diagnosis at 40, to navigating a recurrence a decade later, despite living what she thought was the healthiest lifestyle.Best known as the radiant host of Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight, Samantha takes us behind the scenes of her transformation from fitness icon to fierce advocate, author, and functional health warrior. She opens up about her fight to be taken seriously by doctors, why mammograms failed to detect her cancer, and the powerful philosophy she developed in the aftermath: “10% Toxic.”This conversation is packed with raw honesty, actionable insights, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from walking through fire—twice.Samantha opens up about:How a “normal” mammogram nearly cost her everythingThe misdiagnosis that delayed her treatment for monthsHer decision to skip chemo and radiation—and why she still doesn't regret itThe power of intuition in healing and early detectionHow to build your “doctor squad” and advocate for yourselfHer 10% toxic philosophy to reduce overwhelm and reclaim wellnessHow she now supports women around the world through her book, podcast, and retreatsWhether you've faced cancer, know someone who has, or simply want to prevent disease in a world full of overwhelm, this episode offers real talk, real tools, and real hope.Connect further to hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.About Samantha HarrisA 4-time Emmy Award nominee, she's best known for lighting up our screens for 8 unforgettable seasons as the host of Dancing with the Stars—and she also won the Emmy for her years on Entertainment Tonight! She's the only host to have ever anchored every major national entertainment news program from Access Hollywood and EXTRA to E! News and more.But behind the bright lights, life took an unexpected turn. At just 40 years old, this devoted wife and mom of two young daughters faced a shocking breast cancer diagnosis. A decade later, at 50, she was blindsided yet again by a recurrence. But Samantha Harris didn't just survive—she redefined what it means to thrive. She turned her journey into a mission—becoming a Certified Health Coach, and the bestselling author and dynamic host of the top-rated podcast, Your Healthiest Healthy. You've seen her as a trusted health expert on Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, The Doctors, HLN's Morning Express, and more—sharing practical, life-changing wellness strategies. As a National Ambassador for the world's largest breast cancer foundation, Susan G. Komen, she's on a mission to uplift, empower, and equip others to take control of their health like never before—one manageable step at a time.Stay ConnectedSubscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsFollow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Join the conversation on X: https://x.com/@drtazmdTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drtazmdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtazmd/Connect with Samantha Harris​https://samantha-harris.com/https://www.instagram.com/samanthaharristv/Host & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Lead Producer: Lauren Feighan; Editors: Jeremiah Schultz and Patrick Edwards)Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+Chapters00:00 Introduction02:43 Samantha's Health Journey Begins05:28 Navigating the Medical System07:21 Making Treatment Decisions15:38 Treatment Options and Outcomes31:32 Recovery and Genetic Testing32:54 The Journalist's Deep Dive into Breast Cancer34:15 Exercise and Lifestyle Changes36:03 Diet and Nutrition Misconceptions37:54 Balancing Career and Health40:27 The Recurrence and New Insights47:03 The 10% Toxic Philosophy50:06 Practical Tips for a Healthier Life01:02:48 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

"I don't want to be whatever version of masculinity y'all keep telling me I have to be. Why are all the benchmarks violent and aggressive? I don't wanna do it. I'm not interested” — Jason ReynoldsWe all inherit scripts about who we're supposed to be. For boys, they often center on toughness, aggression, and hiding their emotions. Jason Reynolds has spent his life questioning those scripts, carving out space for tenderness and love, honoring friendships that offered freedom, and exploring what masculinity might mean beyond the narrow definitions passed down to us. Jason Reynolds is a national treasure. A Newbery Medal winner, a National Book Award finalist, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and a two-time National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, he is the beloved author of “Ghost,” “Long Way Down,” “Look Both Ways,” “Twenty-four Seconds From Now,” and so many more. Jason brings expansiveness to his books, illuminating the gentleness, humor, and vulnerability too often left out of stories of boyhood. In this episode, Jason shares his thoughts on masculinity: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. He explains why everyone needs to have a 'tuning fork' friend, reveals how Saturn flipped his life around at age 30, and pays an incredible tribute to the tattooed biker badass who was his loving father.Settle in for a vulnerable, revelatory conversation with an icon of American literature. ***For his reading challenge, Challenging Conventions, Jason has curated a collection of books that push back against the narrow definitions of boyhood and girlhood many of us have come to live by. Peruse selected titles and Jason's full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/jason-reynolds.***This week's Beanstack Featured Librarians are not actually librarians, but they are integral members of the literary community who are pioneers when it comes to student voice and writing. They happen to be friends of Jason Reynolds. Kathy Crutcher and Sasa Aakil – from Shout Mouse Press – share about their upcoming book, “Bright Before Us Like a Flame,” which Jason Reynolds called “a gift,” and for which a previous guest of the podcast, Elizabeth Acevedo, wrote the foreword.Show ChaptersChapter 1: AaronChapter 2: It's OK to Say I Love YouChapter 3: It's ComplicatedChapter 4: Growing PainsChapter 5: GirlChapter 6: Cultivating What MattersChapter 7: Reading ChallengeChapter 8: Beanstack Featured LibrarianShow LinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Jason ReynoldsJason Reynolds on InstagramGirl by Jamaica KincaidThe Cosby ShowGood TimesBright Before Us, Like a FlameShout Mouse PressBeanstack resources to build your community's reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze brings together two luminaries of children's literature: Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall. The duo discusses their collaboration on Lost Evangeline, the third tale set in the magical world of Norendy. They explore the 15-year journey of bringing Evangeline's story to life, the intimate connection between words and illustrations, the therapeutic power of storytelling, and how creating children's books allows them to access their best selves while healing complicated relationships with their own parents.Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.Highlights:The Long Creative Journey: How Kate carried the idea for Lost Evangeline for 15 years before finding the key—a shoemaker father and a boot—that unlocked the storyThe Pull vs. Push Philosophy: Kate's approach to coaxing stories out rather than forcing them, and the importance of not giving up on ideas that won't let you goPerfect Partnership: Why Sophie's secret love of seafaring made her the ideal illustrator for this story, even though Kate didn't know it when writingFrom Wheat to Bread: Sophie's powerful metaphor for the writing process as growing, threshing, and grinding wheat into flour before finally baking breadWhittling Down to Truth: How writing involves removing ingredients to create "clear soup" where the essence remains but readers can insert themselves into the spaceBlack and White Magic: Sophie's meditative drawing process using hatching and line workHealing Through Story: Kate's revelation about how creating healthy father-daughter relationships in her work completes and heals parts of herself affected by complicated parental relationshipsNotable Quotes:"Don't ever let somebody tell you who you are and what you can do and who you can become in this world." —Kate DiCamillo on Evangeline's refusal to accept fate"With each story, I make myself more complete to the point where I can put a healthy father-daughter relationship in there that satisfies me." —Kate DiCamillo"It really feels like I'm living in the story when I'm spending time...and I do go into a little bit of a dreamy trance and then I look up several hours later and there's Evangeline on the page." —Sophie BlackallBooks Mentioned:Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall: Amazon or Bookshop.orgThe Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Julie Morstad: Amazon or Bookshop.orgThe Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall: Amazon or Bookshop.orgThe Borrowers by Mary Norton: Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen: ⁠Amazon⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Bookshop.orgAbout Kate DiCamillo:Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.About Sophie Blackall: Sophie Blackall is the acclaimed illustrator of more than forty-five books for young readers and a two-time Caldecott Medalist. Born and raised in Australia, she now lives in Brooklyn.Connect and Follow: Learn more about Kate DiCamillo: https://www.katedicamillo.comLearn more about Sophie Blackall: https://www.sophieblackall.comCredits:Host: Bianca SchulzeGuests: Kate DiCamillo and Sophie BlackallProducer: Bianca Schulze

Meg Medina's new young adult novel begins with a fall: Graciela, a 13-year-old-girl, is blown off a cliff and sucked into the bottom of the sea. A century later, she awakens and her afterlife begins. Most of the characters in Graciela in the Abyss are ghosts and spirits, but Medina says the story is really about life. In today's episode, she joins NPR's Scott Simon for a conversation that touches on the author's “graveyard” of ideas, death as a constant, and her role as the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Veterans For America First (VFAF) representative Kimberly Moyers connected me to Harry to do this interview. His story is sad but he survived. Tragically, several of his neighbors did not. Forgive the audio as we were dealing with less than ideal conditions. As the National Ambassador for Maryland with Veterans for America First, it is my honor and privilege to help tell the stories of the hero helpers in Texas. As a result of our network of volunteers and God's angels, I was able to connect Mr. Sherwood to a philanthropist near Kerrville, TX who requested and got an RV camper donated to give to Harry for him to live in. Please keep praying for Texas and the victims and their families.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this interview special, Dan chats with Yvette Nicole Brown, Scott Adsit, Mac Barnett, and Jon Klassen about their show Shape Island on Apple TV+! They discuss how they carry the life lessons of childhood TV into their own lives, the important elements of storytelling, and much more. Yvette and Scott discuss their approach to voice acting while the show's creators talk about what it was like to let others become involved with something they created. Each interview brings a unique light to the show and what everyone brings to the project. Dan was excited to have such insightful conversations revolving around the show. The show is now available to stream anywhere you watch Apple TV+, so make sure you are checking it out with your family! ABOUT “SHAPE ISLAND” SEASON TWO: The Children's and Family Emmy Award-winning series from Apple TV+ takes place on a charming island and invites viewers to join serious Square, intrepid Circle and tricky Triangle as they dig up some fun, search for answers and build on their friendship — all while learning how to navigate each other's differences. “Shape Island” shows kids that friendship can take many shapes. Season two features the familiar voices of Yvette Nicole Brown (“Frog and Toad”) as the narrator, Harvey Guillén (“Puss In Boots: The Last Wish”) as Square, Scott Adsit (“Big Hero 6”) as Triangle and Gideon Adlon (“Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth”) as Circle. “Shape Island” was co-created by book authors Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, who serve as executive producers. Barnett was recently appointed the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Kelli Bixler and Drew Hodges (“Tumble Leaf”) from the Emmy Award-winning studio Bix Pix Entertainment also serve as executive producers. Ryan Pequin serves as co-executive producer and head writer.  

The incredible Edwina Bartholomew joins Jonesy & Amanda to chat about her chronic myeloid leukaemia diagnosis, as well as her new role as the National Ambassador of the Leukaemia Foundation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze interviews award-winning author Meg Medina about her latest fantasy novel, Graciela in the Abyss. They discuss Medina's fifteen-year journey developing this underwater adventure, her transition from contemporary fiction to fantasy, her experience as the eighth National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and how she transformed personal grief and world events into a story about friendship, bioluminescence, and making your own light in the darkest places.Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's Book ReviewHighlights:Creative Persistence: How Medina kept "Graciela in the Abyss" in her "graveyard file" for 15 years, returning to it annually with new versions until the world tilted and she found her wayFantasy World-Building: Her extensive research into oceanography, deep-sea caves, and bioluminescence to create a believable underwater realm of sea spirits with jobs like being glaciers who turn trash into sea glassThe Graveyard Philosophy: Medina's approach to unfinished projects - honoring failed attempts while remaining open to returning when you have what you need emotionally and creativelyAmbassador Insights: Her two-year role as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and how office hours at the Library of Congress showed her reading as a family activity that knits people togetherFrom Grief to Light: How personal losses (her mother in 2013, aunt in 2020) and the pandemic helped her understand the story's central metaphor of bioluminescence as making your own light to surviveUnlikely Friendship: Creating the bond between Graciela (a dead sea spirit) and Jorge (a mortal boy who fears water) as allies who help each other find their way back to kindnessVisual Storytelling: Working with the Balbusso twins on stunning artwork that captures the eeriness and beauty of the abyssNotable Quotes:"It was a surprise to me... I didn't have to be some sort of super exceptional person leading this incredible life to have something to say." —Meg Medina on finding her voice as a writer"Suffering was strange that way. It didn't have to be your own for it to hurt." —Quote from Graciela in the Abyss"Sometimes you can't finish it. You don't have what you need yet. Sometimes that's maturity. Sometimes it's world events." —Meg Medina on the writing processBooks Mentioned:Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgBurn Baby Burn by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgEvelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgTia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgNo More Señora Mimí by Meg Medina: Amazon or Bookshop.orgMilagros: Girl From Away by Meg Medina: AmazonCharlotte's Web by E.B. White: Amazon or Bookshop.orgInto the Planet by Jill Heinerth: Amazon or Bookshop.orgAbout Meg Medina: Meg Medina is the 2024 Newbery Medal winner for Merci Suárez Changes Gears and author of many acclaimed novels and picture books, including Burn Baby Burn, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, and the Merci Suárez series. She served as the eighth National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (2022-2024) with the platform "CuÉntame: Let's Talk Books." As a first-generation Cuban American, she draws on her heritage and experiences to create authentic stories that celebrate the strength and resilience of Latino families and communities.Connect and Follow: Learn more about Meg Medina: https://www.megmedina.com/Meg Medina's Bookshop shelf with books she book talks and kids recommended: https://bookshop.org/shop/MegMedinaVisit The Children's Book Review at https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/Credits: Host: Bianca SchulzeGuest: Meg MedinaProducer: Bianca SchulzeSponsor: Bajette's Balloon: The Magic of Smiles™: https://www.bajette.com/

Meg Medina is an award-winning author of books for kids and young adults, and she was the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. We talked to her about what it meant to be the first Latinx author in that role, about the need for more diverse kids books, and the importance of reading in families.You can read a transcript of this episode on our website.Check out our booklist with books by Meg Medina and more!Learn more about the We Need Diverse Books movement. Read about the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature at the Library of Congress.

As the Library of Congress's new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Bay Area children's author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about picture books. With his platform, “Behold the Picture Book,” he's championing the vital role picture books play in engaging readers of all ages and why we love them. What's the picture book you love reading over and over and over? Guests: Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle" which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+; his books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards Aida Salazar, children's book author, her picture books include "Jovita Wore Pants" and "In the Spirit of a Dream" Laura G. Lee, children's book author and illustrator, her picture books are "Soy Sauce!" and "Cat Eyes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Middle Grade Matters podcast, author Meg Medina discusses her latest book, Graciela in the Abyss, and shares insights into her writing process, the themes of her work, and the importance of community and culture in literature. She reflects on the challenges of writing, the role of illustrations, and her experiences as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Meg emphasizes the significance of storytelling and encourages aspiring writers to focus on their craft while persevering through challenges.A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela's spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family's forge. He's heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean's waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn't lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

Brendan Attrill, of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki, has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing. Attrill received the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at Tākina in Wellington. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here are some highlights from our episode with the #1 NYTimes bestselling, National Book Award-winning, former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson:   Starting stories with questions Writing "quiet" books that speak loudly The wisdom of young people, especially before that wisdom is silenced Deconstructing “show don't tell” How to write about complicated topics with honesty and hope Separating yourself as a writer from the character and the story The questions Jackie is wrestling with right now Some things that have (and haven't) changed about publishing   Jacqueline Woodson is an American writer of books for adults, children, and adolescents. She is best known for her National Book Award-Winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and her Newbery Honor-winning titles After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Her picture books The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly were NY Times Bestsellers. After serving as the Young People's Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, she was named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress for 2018–19. She was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2020. Later that same year, she was named a MacArthur Fellow.   Links from the episode: Mychal Threet's “The Library Is for Everyone” shirt via Out of Print The Baldwin Fellowship Program Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Replay: Polarization – The Issue of Our Time (feat. John Wood Jr.)This week, I'm re-sharing a powerful episode from the DTH archives during a little family downtime. In this classic, I sat down with my good friend and Braver Angels National Ambassador, John Wood Jr., to tackle what may be the greatest challenge facing our country: polarization.We discuss:Why polarization prevents progress on all other issuesHow to better engage with people who think differentlyThe dangers of whataboutism and political panderingWhy long-term thinking beats short-term outrageJohn brings the kind of insight and calm conviction that's rare in today's divided landscape. This episode is packed with value—don't miss it!

Alan Skorski recently interviewed the National Ambassador of Jexit - Jews who left the Democratic Party -  and best-selling author, Daniella Bloom, who herself, was a VIP guest at Turning Point USA, and was able to meet one on one with it's founder, Charlie Kirk, one of the leading Evangelical pro-Israel voices in America today, to talk about Israel's weak PR, and the onslaught of lies being perpetrated against Israel with no visible and forceful pushback.  His campus tours around America promoting and advocating for conservative and Judeo/Christian values have made him one of the largest YouTube sensations today. His open debates have been well-documented, where college students can ask him questions on any topic, the most frequent are about his support for Israel.  On his podcast, Alan Skorski and Daniella Bloom discussed a number of statements made by Kirk on his radio show, including his calling Israel's PR very “cringe” as they have allowed the Hamas narrative to be adopted with little to no affective responses. He expressed his deep frustration as he finds himself, a Christian who deeply loves Israel, being told by campus Jewish leftists that he should stop supporting Israel. Kirk also warned of the dangers that lie ahead for Israel if there is not an effective Jewish student body to properly support Israel and the truth.  During the interview, Bloom recalled her private conversation with Mr. Kirk, who told her that if Jewish advocacy doesn't become more effective, there is a strong chance that conservative support. that Jews have relied on so heavily until now, may not be there in the future with the new generation of conservatives who are less informed about Israel than our current leaders, and whose focus is more on domestic issues.

A heavy complexity is on the shoulders of the young of our species in these years —  humans growing up in this time. At the same time, from the digital revolution and AI to the ecology and society, they have wisdom and instincts in their bones that will be essential if we are all to flourish and not merely survive this century. In November 2024, the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues brought Krista together with esteemed children's and young adult writer Jason Reynolds and Georgetown student Kessley Janvier. The encounter between the three of them spans generations from the 20s to the 40s to the 60s and extended out to a room of people of all ages and walks of life. The wisdom that unfolded is as much about who we will be and how we will be as what we have before us to do, each in our own lives.Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022 he served as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbury, Printz, and Coretta Scott King awards and in 2024 was named a MacArthur Fellow. He is on faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People MFA Program.Kessley Janvier is a senior at Georgetown University, majoring in history. She's former president of the Georgetown University NAACP.  She has organized around reparations, as part of Hoyas Advocating for Slavery Accountability, and she has also led efforts to promote climate justice, police accountability, and racial justice.Special thanks this week to Gillian Huebner, Ian Manzi, Rabbi Rachel Gartner and Derek Goldman. On Being Young in America was sponsored by the Culture of Encounter Project and was convened by the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University in collaboration with The On Being Project.Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page. Sign yourself and others up for The Pause to be on our mailing list for all things On Being and to receive Krista's monthly Saturday morning newsletter, including a heads-up on new episodes, special offerings, recommendations, and event invitations.

Ninotchka "Nino" Gandulla, National Ambassador of Innovation Mixables for Casa Lumbre Spirits, shares her passion for agave and the intersection of tradition and modern influence in the spirit industry. Her efforts are creative, educational, and immersed in the modern evolution of Mexican spirits of all kinds

As the Library of Congress's new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Bay Area children's author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about picture books. With his platform, “Behold the Picture Book,” he's championing the vital role picture books play in engaging readers of all ages and why we love them. What's the picture book you love reading over and over and over? Guests: Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle" which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+. Barnett is also the author of the "Mac B. Kid Spy" and the "Jack" series. His books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards. Aida Salazar, children's book author. Her picture books include "Jovita Wore Pants" and "In the Spirit of a Dream." Laura G. Lee, children's book author and illustrator. Her picture books are "Soy Sauce!" and "Cat Eyes." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show Notes: After graduation, Angelo Milazzo returned to his home state and attended medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He developed an interest in cardiology and decided to pursue post-graduate training in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology at Duke University. Angelo completed his post-graduate training in 2002 and joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. A Growing Practice and Becoming Chief Medical OfficerIn 2002, he was offered the opportunity to start a pediatric cardiology practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. The practice grew from a one-man operation to a practice with about 30 physicians across various specialty areas. In 2017, Milazzo became the vice chair for practice for the Department of Pediatrics at Duke Health, which has grown to 250 clinical faculty and 50 research faculty. Angelo then became the Chief Medical Officer for the Duke Health Integrated Practice, overseeing all physicians who practice at Duke Health. This role allows him to take the best of his administrative leadership within one clinical department for children's care and spread it across the entire enterprise. The Economics of Health Care and the Business of MedicineAngelo's hands-on administrative experience and managerial experience have led him to become interested in the didactic aspect of his career. He believes that his administrative experience and managerial skills have allowed him to excel in various aspects of his career, including pediatric cardiology. Before the pandemic, Angelo enrolled in business school and completed his MBA in just under two years. He was interested in the economics of healthcare and the business of medicine, but also enjoyed the perspective of classmates from various industries and walks of life. Today, he is a practicing pediatric cardiologist, spending about 40% of his time in clinical practice and 60% of his time in administrative work. He is also interested in health equity research and is part of a project funded by the CDC. What it Takes to Be a Physician Leader Angelo explains that, to be a great physician leader, one must first be a great clinician, and this takes so much more than just medical knowledge. He believes that engaging with patients and families is a privilege and that this energy and insight can inform his managerial work. He has had the privilege of mentors in medicine and being taught by amazing clinicians, which has allowed him to feel comfortable with fraught conversations. He explains how his managerial experiences and administrative experiences make him a better clinician. He has had to negotiate with professionals from different backgrounds and training perspectives, enriching his perspective and broadening it. This constant bilateral communication within him allows him to enhance both sides of his career. The Executive MBA Program ExperienceAngelo talks about the value of his Executive MBA program, and how he appreciates the practical aspects of the program, such as lectures, video calls, and team meetings. However, he also highlights the value of teamwork and learning from professionals from different industries. He shares his capstone project, which involved working with a delivery firm in Eastern Europe, a firm far from his daily work. The team consisted of professionals from various industries, including military, micro brewing, airline, and healthcare professionals. The challenges faced in his work were unique but universally applicable, and he learned valuable lessons from the experience. He also talks about systems used during a public health emergency, the A3 structure and how it is used for improvement projects, and the journey of improvement.  The Performance Improvement Journey Angelo talks about management principles adopted in health care and the performance improvement journey that began with the introduction of a standardized electronic health record in 2013 and the adoption of Epic, which is now used by two-thirds to three-quarters of major health systems in the country. This allowed for a common set of data mining tools to collect clinical information and understand success or failure around quality initiatives. The organization's new leaders, including those from other health systems and academic centers, were committed to this continuous improvement environment. By the time the CMO became vice chair in 2016, they were ready to bring these principles into their department. Now, almost a decade later, the organization has built a culture where everyone wants to be a quality improvement scientist. They have developed an academy to train healthcare professionals to become quality improvement scientists, which involves a rapid boot camp that teaches principles over a concentrated period of time. Many of these projects have been presented at regional, national, and international levels, covering various medical specialties, from complicated heart surgery to solid organ transplant to medical genetics to obstetrics and gynecology.  Influential Harvard Courses and ProfessorsAngelo mentions three courses and professors that have resonated with him at Harvard: Arthur Kleiman's course on Illness Narratives, Professor Dante Della Terza's Divine Comedy class, and Gregory Nagy's Heroes for Zeros class. Angelo's course with Professor Kleiman was about the idea that hearing patients talk about their illness is a form of storytelling, which he uses in his work. He also mentions Professor Nagy's use of a clip from Blade Runner, a sci-fi noir film, in his class. He believes that this class spoke his language and that he was in the right place for him. Angelo also mentions missing the Michael Sandel Justice course, which he later took through the Harvard EdX program.  Timestamps: 01:29: Angelo Milazzo's Journey After Graduation  05:29: Transition to Administrative Roles and Business School  09:48: Balancing Clinical Practice and Administrative Roles  14:30: Learning from Business School and Applying Lessons  26:11: Implementing Continuous Improvement in Healthcare  36:40: Influential Courses and Professors at Harvard  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amilazzomd/ Featured Non-profit: The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Julie Cotler Pottinger who reports: “Hi. I'm Julie Cotler Pottinger, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is every library. Every library helps America build support for libraries and also helps us fight book banning in our communities. I'm proud to be the National Ambassador this year for every library under my pen name, Julia Quinn, and I've been working real hard all year to help them raise money and awareness. You can learn more about their work at www.everylibrary.org and now here's Will Bachmann with this week's episode.” To learn more about their work, visit: https://www.everylibrary.org/

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Sally Orange MBE, a pioneering mental health advocate, endurance athlete, and professional speaker who is redefining resilience. As a former Army physiotherapy officer with 22 years of service, Sally has transformed her personal battles with severe depression and anxiety into a powerful mission to challenge mental health stigma and ignite meaningful change.Famous for running dressed as different pieces of fruit, Sally has completed over 85 marathons on every continent, earning multiple Guinness World Records, including the fastest marathon run as a piece of fruit! From the Everest Marathon to the World Marathon Challenge—where she ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 consecutive days—Sally tackles grueling challenges with a contagious smile, proving that even the toughest journeys can spark vital conversations.Sally's dedication to mental health awareness has not gone unnoticed. She has received numerous accolades, including an MBE for services to charity and mental health, the British Citizen Award, and the Soldiering On Inspiration Award. As the first female National Ambassador for UK Army Cadets, she has inspired thousands to embrace resilience and openly share their own stories. Her philanthropic efforts have raised nearly £1 million for various charities, reinforcing her commitment to making a lasting impact—one step at a time. 4o Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Braver Angels segment for the month of March was about the Braver Angels National Community Debate – National Debate Series: Trump’s First 100 days. This free national debate offers participants from across the ideological spectrum will have an opportunity to speak and ask their questions. There will also be opportunities for participants to share their experiences in the past 100 days as well. John Wood Jr, National Ambassador for Braver Angels provided insight into the new initiative. Listen to the podcast to hear the conversation. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children’s book author Mac Barnett has been named the Library of Congress' newest National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and during this appointment, he will be focusing on some really important literature: picture books. Picture books can inspire young readers to make reading a habit, but don’t dismiss them as solely books for kids. Mac Barnett believes that picture books are real literature and can be enjoyed at any age. Today, he joins us to talk about picture books and we also hear from picture book lovers locally. Kym Powe from the Connecticut State Library joins us. And we want to hear from you: do you have a favorite picture book? GUESTS: Mac Barnett: U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature at the Library of Congress, and children's book author Kym Powe: Children and Young Adult Consultant for the Connecticut State Library Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write – Braille that is! Michael's family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine. Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles. Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork. Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He has served as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael has held a seat on the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Earle Baum Center for the Blind and is the vice chair of the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind. Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people. In January 2021 Mike joined accessiBe as its Chief Vision Officer to help advance the company goal of making the entire internet fully inclusive. AccessiBe provides an artificial intelligence-based product that makes web sites accessible to many persons with disabilities. He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: “Thunder dog –The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust” – selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2014 Mr. Hingson published his 2 nd book “Running with Roselle”- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days. Mr. Hingson's third book, “Live Like A Guide Dog”, was released on August 20, 2024. This book shows readers how they can learn to control fear and not, as Mike would say, “become blinded by fear in the face of crisis”. Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world's most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today's major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training – spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world. Body Transformation System!https://modere.io/NbOyU2https://calendly.com/rebeccaelizabethwhitman/breakthroughTo learn more about Rebecca…https://www.rebeccaelizabethwhitman.com/#homehttps://everydaywomantv.com/tv_shows/the-balanced-beautiful-and-abundant-show/

Alvina is back from Kindling Words and so she and Grace talk about the importance of community (Alvina's word of the year!) and how to build community. They talk about which communities they are currently a part of, and which communities they want to build--including the Book Friends Forever community! For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about two bits of publishing news: the naming of Mac Barnett as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and AI-generated books in the library. And then, in honor of Black History Month, Alvina tells Grace about the book DAVE THE POTTER by Laban Carrick Hill and Bryan Collier.  See complete show notes at www.bookfriendsforever.com. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. See info about Grace Lin's books here: gracelin.com. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/   

Matt sits down with Jesse to discuss the rish history and lore of Slane Irish Whiskey, a part of the Brown-Forman Family. On this Episode... The founding and history of the Slane Castle estates that Slane Irish Whiskey distillery was built on. How the family has maintained ownership of the castle over the years. Story telling and it's importance in preserving history and capturing the connections between people and spirits. The growth of whisky distilling across the globe and the unique influence of countries like Japan and India. The history of barrel use and influence of flavor from finishing barrels used in Irish whisky. The science and chemistry behind distilling and blending and the brilliant people leading the industry. A dive into tasting Slane Irish Whisky and the influence of the local grounds and water where the barley is grown on the flavor of the whisky. The engineering that goes into extracting local water from the river near castle grounds. Big THANK YOU to Paddock & Whisky for letting us use their vault to record this episode. Make sure to stop by one of their two Charleston area locations for what is, hands down, the best whiskey selection in the Lowcountry. Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/whiskeyandwhitetails Instagram - @whiskeyandwhitetails Facebook - @whiskeyandwhitetails X - @whskywhitetail Website & Store - www.whiskeyandwhitetails.com YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUX9-ft9bLcrNMUMREwj4Dw/featured MORE: We'd like to extend a special thank you to everyone who has supported us along this journey so far. We've done a lot in a short time and have so much more we're excited to do still. We must give a particularly BIG shoutout to our growing Patreon Community! If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a fellow whiskey or whitetail/hunting enthusiast about our show. We'd be beyond grateful for the support.  Make sure to stay up to date on everything we're doing through our Instagram and visit our website to check out our latest journal posts about hunting, whiskey and cigars and our shop for our latest barrel made products. Last but not lease, please consider joining our Patreon community where you'll get exclusive access to Patreon only content, early access to other content, prizes, giveaways, a voice in what content we create, live streams, expand our ability to bring you EVEN MORE awesome content as well as a community of awesome whiskey and outdoor enthusiasts. This podcast is a part of the Waypoint TV Podcast Network. Waypoint is the ultimate outdoor network featuring streaming of full-length fishing and hunting television shows, short films and instructional content, a social media network, and Podcast Network. Follow Waypoint on Instagram at the following accounts @waypointtv @waypointpodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's poem punctuates the precious value of time spent with family around food. Happy reading.Jacqueline Woodson received a 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children's Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.-bio via Penguin Random House Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Amy King hosts your Tuesday Wake Up Call. ABC News national reporter Jim Ryan opens the show talking about Thanksgiving week travel. ABC News correspondent Jordana Miller joins the show from Jerusalem to discuss potential Israel/Hezbollah ceasefire. The National Ambassador for MADD Tara Repka Flores joins the show to help raise awareness of drunk driving on a busy holiday travel week. Amy King talks with host of ‘How to Money' on KFI Joel Larsgaard about store branded cards for holiday shopping, returns being more of a headache than an item is worth, and what you should set your thermostat at.

Amy talks with the National Ambassador for MADD Tara Repka Flores joins the show to help raise awareness of drunk driving on a busy holiday travel week.  

Together with her husband, Bill, Diane Ury serves as the National Ambassador for Holiness in The Salvation Army. That's the best job title I've ever heard, and I admit to being just a little jealous of her job! I also admit to being a bit of a fan-girl. Diane  excels at everything her job description calls for --  a strong preacher, inspired teacher, articulate writer, and courageous communicator of the Salvation Army's mission and its holiness doctrine and history. You are going to love this person and this conversation. 

On episode 484 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith interviews Sonya Kulkarni and Stephanie Wang of The Health Disparities Think Tank (HDTT), an organization born of their mutual dedication to advocacy for policies that contribute to addressing and eradicating the health disparities that plague American society, the healthcare system, and the citizens we are all committed to serving. Stephanie Wang is a student at Harvard College studying Molecular & Cellular Biology and Global Health & Health Policy. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Health Disparities Think Tank, a multidisciplinary research and policy advocacy group combating health disparities, engaging 40+ students and 20+ mentors in projects addressing maternal mortality, climate change, cancer disparities, etc. Stephanie's research spans applications of stem cell biology in oncology at Boston Children's Hospital and disparities in drug pricing and pharmaceutical innovation at Harvard Medical School, with 10 papers published or under review in scholarly journals. She previously served on the board of Harvard Consulting for Business and the Environment — the largest student-led nonprofit by revenue in the country — where she spearheaded life science initiatives for 200+ members and consulted for three pharmaceutical companies with $200B+ total market cap. On the weekends, she works as a nursing assistant at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and directs Harvard's Alzheimer's Buddies program. Sonya Kulkarni is a student at Harvard College studying Molecular & Cellular Biology and Economics. She is an associate for Harvard Undergraduate Consulting on Business and the Environment and a writer for the Harvard Undergraduate Health Policy Review, and has conducted research in neurodevelopment in pediatric HIV and translational molecular diagnostics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Sonya is also a National Ambassador for the American Cancer Society and leads policy initiatives for pediatric cancer patients in Congress. Her academic and extracurricular pursuits are fueled by a fervent interest in the intersection between health, policy, and business, particularly in effecting meaningful change in drug pricing and cancer care. Connect with Stephanie Wang, Sonya Kulkarni, and the Health Disparities Think Tank: Health Disparities Think Tank website Health Disparities Think Tank on LinkedIn Stephanie Wang on LinkedIn Sonya Kulkarni on LinkedIn

Sebastian talks to John Wood Jr., National Ambassador for Braver Angels, about how our society lost faith in Faith, and what we can do to restore traditional masculinity.Support the show: https://www.sebgorka.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.