Podcasts about presidential appointee

The U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Danté Quintin Allen to lead the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA). Until his confirmation, Allen had been serving as executive director for CalABLE, California's ABLE Act savings and investment program for people with disabilities. Under his five-year leadership, CalABLE was the fastest growing ABLE Act program in the country. Prior to leading CalABLE, Allen was a communications leader for organizations including Kaiser Permanente and the California Department of Public Health's Office of Health Equity. A fulltime wheelchair user, Allen is a well-known advocate for disability rights and equity. Upon his confirmation, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona remarked, “I look forward to working together with Mr. Allen to provide individuals with disabilities and all students with equitable access to the education and training they need to find good-paying jobs; achieve economic security; and lead healthy, independent lives.”©2025 Building Abundant Success!!©2025 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASJoin me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

Success can be exhilarating, exhausting, even emotional.But even if you have it, you get a niggling feeling you could achieve more.In this episode I am joined by Laura Gassner Otting, author of Wonderhell. We talk about the complexities of success, fulfilment, and personal growth.Laura shares the importance of recognising the emotional challenges that accompany success, and how to navigate them effectively. She discusses the significance of aligning personal goals with values, and the importance of recognising this as a practice for all areas of life not just your work.Whether you're riding high, full of self-doubt or wanting to get back to your A-game, there is a lot to learn from Laura.“Fix the goal, don't fix you” - LauraYou'll hear about:How to use your emotions as catalysts for growthWhy you need to align goals with personal valuesFulfilment and the roles balance and success play to achieve itReinvention as a lifelong process not just in your workAbout Laura Gassner:Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. A regular contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura is the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of three books, Wonderhell, Limitless, and Mission-Driven. Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives.Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.Resources:• Profile: https://lauragassnerotting.com/meet-laura/• 'Limitless Leader' report: https://lauragassnerotting.com/resources/#report• ‘Hello Tuesday' Newsletter: https://lauragassnerotting.com/resources/#newsletter• ‘Wonderhell' and ‘Limitless' Books: https://lauragassnerotting.com/resources/#booksMy resources:Take my new Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.For more details about me:●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What if the discomfort of success isn't a breakdown, but a breakthrough? Laura Gassner Otting challenges us to embrace this idea in what she calls “Wonderhell”—the space where new success unlocks untapped potential while also bringing doubt, anxiety, and bigger goals. Laura's journey is a testament to bold reinvention. From dropping out of law school to working in the White House, founding a global executive search firm, and becoming a bestselling author, she's built a career anchored in core values and fearless decision-making.Her story is more than a career blueprint; it's an invitation to rethink how we view success. Laura believes that passion lies in what you're willing to fail at until you master it and that aligning with your values can transform uncertainty into growth. She reframes midlife as a liberating time to hone skills, grow quietly, and then make your biggest impact. Laura's insights are a rallying cry to anyone ready to push through discomfort and claim their full potential.Key Highlights:Rethinking Passion: Passion is what you're willing to fail at repeatedly until you succeed.Wonderhell Explained: Success reveals untapped potential but also brings doubt and ambition, creating space for growth.Core Values Matter: Staying rooted in your values helps guide decisions and build authentic success.Midlife Opportunity: Laura sees midlife invisibility as a time to refine and prepare for major impact.Leveraging Skills: Past experiences and transferable skills are key to creating new opportunities.About Our Guest:Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief.She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others.Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps.She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation's first female president. (Whomp whomp.)Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America'sRobin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her latest book,...

Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. A regular contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura is the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of three books, Wonderhell, Limitless, and Mission-Driven. Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA. To learn more about Laura, go to her website: www.lauragassnerotting.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lyndsay-dowd/support

Purple Heart Honoree, Vietnam Veteran ~Ron Drach was a Presidential Appointee along with my Mentor in College when I was at Howard University,He is a subject matter expert in military and veterans issues with more than 50 years of experience. After losing a leg as a result of combat in Vietnam, Ron medically retired from the U.S. Army in 1967 with a Purple Heart.Soon after, he focused his life on working to help his fellow disabled veterans. Following nearly three years with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), he joined the staff of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in 1970. Beginning in DAV's Pittsburgh office, Ron rapidly rose to become the organization's national employment director in 1975. He was the first Vietnam veteran to be appointed a director at DAV. In this post, he established the reputation he maintains today as one of the nation's foremost authorities on employment issues impacting veterans and others whose lives have been affected by disabilities. Ron's responsibilities led him to provide significant input into America's response to the needs of veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, racial and gender discrimination and other socio-economic issues. He became a leading voice on questions involving Social Security disability benefits, as well as efforts to remove barriers that impede the lives and employment of people with disabilities.Many times throughout his career, Ron has appeared before congressional committees, offering expertise and recommendations for legislative change. After leaving the DAV, Ron was employed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL/VETS). As the director of government and legislative affairs, he was responsible for working with congressional staff, the Department's Office of the Solicitor and others within the agency on all legislative employment issues that affect the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. He is currently the president of Drach Consulting. Throughout the years, Ron has served on many commissions that strive to enhance the lives of disabled veterans and other people with disabilities. Ron recently served as a member of DOD's Recovering Warrior Task Force after being appointed by former DOD Secretary Gates.He has also served on the governing boards of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, the National Resource Directory and others. Ron's high-profile volunteer activity has included service as a team leader for the U.S. Paralympics Sitting Volleyball Team that competed in the 2000 International Paralympics Competition in Sydney, Australia. He was one of the founders and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Wounded Warrior Project including four years as its president. He currently serves on the Boards of United Spinal Association and TransCen. He also serves in an advisory capacity to ThanksUSA and the DC Metro Business Leadership Network and chairs their Wounded Warrior Committee. Ron is also a co-author and co-editor of the Warrior Transition Leader Medical Rehabilitation Handbook. He is a frequent contributor to the DC Metro Business Leadership Network's electronic newsletter.Ron lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his wife, Carolyn, a retired financial analyst for the Federal Reserve. They have two adult daughters, Tiffany and Amber, and two grandchildren.© 2024 Building Abundant Success!!2024 All Rights ReservedJoin Me ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

What is a super-story? And how can you flex yours to fit different audiences, mediums, or conclusions? That's what we dive into today with powerhouse storyteller, Laura Gassner Otting.Laura takes us into a small story about her first time decorating a Christmas tree with her husband's family. Initially horrified by the chipped ornaments and tattered boxes, she grew to love these mismatched decorations. It's a story about finding meaning in often unexpected, imperfect places—and it's full of callbacks and insights helping LGO serve thousands of attendees at events across the globe where she speaks.Laura is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and executive coach. She's a regular contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. She also served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, founded an international search firm, and has a superpower in seeing others' greatness and reflecting it back to them. Together, Jay and Laura discuss her effective use of "the specific," finding wisdom in frameworks, and how LGO draws from her time in politics to imbue her speaking with musicality. Plus, they talk about the importance of having rounded edges to end in stories, how to immediately become relatable to your audience, and the art of using callbacks.Whether you're an aspiring author or keynote speaker, executive coach or entrepreneur who teaches through content, this episode will motivate you to resonate more deeply with your stories as you show up to any audience, in any medium. RESOURCES:⚫ Learn more about Laura at her website and watch her viral TED Talk⚫ Follow Laura on TikTok or Linkedin⚫ Buy Laura's books, Wonderhell, Limitless, and Mission Driven 

Segment 1 with Anton Gunn starts at 0.00.A lot of people quit their job as a result of workplace injustice.My first guest has just released a study on this. Anton Gunn, MSW, CDM, CSP, commissioned this scientific study on workplace injustice. Anton began his career in the non-profit sector to improve the outcomes and experiences of low-income people who consumed financial, government, educational, and healthcare services. His goal and mission were to identify problems, work for solutions, and ultimately improve the experience for the everyday consumer.In 2011, during Barack Obama's presidency, Anton became a Presidential Appointee at the US Department of Health and Human Services. In that position, he became familiar with the pervasiveness of mistreatment and disrespect of civil service employees at all levels of government.Segment 2 with Samantha Irwin starts at 19:35.How do we teach front line employes to give the best possible customer experience every day. Front line customer facing staff have the power to move the needle financially for business owners as well as impact their community in a very powerful and positive way.With over 25 years educating and inspiring people, teaching as well as owning a boutique hotel, Samantha Irwin is hired by leaders for training and also utilize the virtual on-demand training program specifically in the “people” department, resulting in increased staff retention, guest retention, and stellar reviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Boggs served eight years in the U.S. Army as a regular officer and was honorably discharged. She was also one of the first women to receive a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. After law school, Boggs returned to Washington D.C. where she worked as an U.S. Army officer and attorney at the Pentagon and White House Office of Legal Counsel. From 1987 to 1988 Boggs served on the Iran-Contra Legal Task Force for which she earned the Defense Meritorious Service Award and Presidential Service Badge. In 1988, Boggs became an assistant U.S. attorney in the Western District of the State of Washington, where she prosecuted fraud and regulatory crimes and twice earned the U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Award. Working as a trial lawyer specializing in corporate civil litigation, Boggs was in 1995 named the first African American female partner of Seattle, Washington's Preston Gates & Ellis LLP. In 1997, she became Dell Corporation's first African American female vice president. She returned to Seattle in 2002, serving as Starbucks Corporation's first African American Executive Vice President, when she became general counsel and board secretary, a role she held until 2012. Boggs formed the Paula Boggs Band in 2007 releasing albums in 2010, 2015 and 2017. She founded Boggs Media, LLC in 2013. Boggs was honored with the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in 1994, the 2006 American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award, the 2008 Wiley A. Branton Award from the National Bar Association and the American Bar Association Notable Member Award in 2013. In 2014, Boggs earned the Song of the Year© Award for “Look Straight Ahead” and is a voting member of the Recording Academy (The Grammys©). In addition to her legal and music careers, Boggs was a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions from 2010 to 2012, and the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities from 2013 to 2017. She served on the boards of School of Rock LLC, Seattle Art Museum, public radio station KEXP, Johns Hopkins University and served as Legal Aid for Washington (LAWFUND) board president from 2006 to 2008. She serves on the boards of Avid Technology Inc., Seattle Symphony and American Bar Association Board of Governors. Boggs was inducted into the Johns Hopkins University ROTC Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the Seattle Mayor's 2018 Arts Award.

MUSICNearly 50,000 people packed San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Saturday to see System of A Down and Deftones in concert. 90% of the concertgoers were from the San Francisco area. 55-year-old Brent Clifford, the son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford, is in a California prison, facing murder charges. Gene Simmons and Bob Dylan have recorded vintage covers for the biopic Reagan, which will star Dennis Quaid as the actor who became the 40th president. Simmons will do the Lena Horne hit “Stormy Weather.” Dylan chose Cole Porter's “Don't Fence Me In,” a song popularized by Gene Autry, who happens to have been Quaid's third cousin. Creed's Scott Stapp does a cameo as Frank Sinatra in the movie, which comes out a week from Friday (August 30th). Joe Walsh was in Washington, D.C. last week for the 77th Committee Meeting of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “Look Ma, I'm a Presidential Appointee! Looking forward to serving on behalf of American artists across this great land.” Walsh was appointed to the committee in April of last year.Bonham's sold a beautiful 1965 Ford Mustang convertible that was owned by the late singer-songwriter Tom Petty for $225,000 on Friday.           TVEugene and Dan Levy have been chosen to emcee the upcoming Emmy Awards on ABC.  Jeff Goldblum guest-hosted "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last week, and on Thursday he was interviewing Awkwafina, when a fly landed on his desk and basically just HUNG OUT there. After being assured by Jimmy's sidekick Guillermo that it was the first time this had happened, he said, quote, "Hey, I tell my kids, you know, when you see a spider, I go, 'Don't hurt anything. Don't hurt anything! Take it and put it out.'"MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:Alien: Romulus debuted big at the box office as it sets out to revive the classic franchise. The film is estimated to earn between $41.5 million and take the No.1 spot! It will also get bragging rights for toppling Marvel Studios' Deadpool and Wolverine from the top spot. The iconic fedora worn by Harrison Ford in 1984's 'Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom' sold at auction for $630,000!  "Despicable Me" director Chris Renaud co-created the Minions. And he has a very specific wish for them: That they never make the jump to live-action. He says, quote: "For me, what defines the world is that it is animated and it allows us to get away with what we get away with . . . These are really cartoon ideas, like what would have been in a Bugs Bunny cartoon."Robert De Niro celebrated his 81st birthday by jumping off of a yacht into a body of water.RIP: John Aprea, who played young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II died on August 7 of natural causes in Los Angeles at age 83.AND FINALLYColdplay's current Music of the Spheres World Tour just became the highest-grossing rock tour of all time. It's made $945.7 million and sold 8.8 million tickets since it kicked off in March of 2022. Here's a list of the Top 10 highest-grossing rock tours: 1.  Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour: $945.7 million 2.  Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour: $939.1 million 3.  U2, U2 360 Tour: $736.4 million 4.  Guns N' Roses, Not in This Lifetime... Tour: $584.2 million 5.  The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang Tour: $558.0 million 6.  The Rolling Stones, No Filter Tour: $546.5 million 7.  Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams Tour: $523.3 million 8.  Roger Waters, The Wall Live: $459.2 million 9.  AC/DC, Black Ice World Tour: $441.6 million 10.  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Global Stadium Tour: $390.8 million  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MUSIC Nearly 50,000 people packed San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Saturday to see System of A Down and Deftones in concert. 90% of the concertgoers were from the San Francisco area.  55-year-old Brent Clifford, the son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford, is in a California prison, facing murder charges.  Gene Simmons and Bob Dylan have recorded vintage covers for the biopic Reagan, which will star Dennis Quaid as the actor who became the 40th president. Simmons will do the Lena Horne hit “Stormy Weather.” Dylan chose Cole Porter's “Don't Fence Me In,” a song popularized by Gene Autry, who happens to have been Quaid's third cousin. Creed's Scott Stapp does a cameo as Frank Sinatra in the movie, which comes out a week from Friday (August 30th).  Joe Walsh was in Washington, D.C. last week for the 77th Committee Meeting of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “Look Ma, I'm a Presidential Appointee! Looking forward to serving on behalf of American artists across this great land.” Walsh was appointed to the committee in April of last year. Bonham's sold a beautiful 1965 Ford Mustang convertible that was owned by the late singer-songwriter Tom Petty for $225,000 on Friday.            TV Eugene and Dan Levy have been chosen to emcee the upcoming Emmy Awards on ABC.   Jeff Goldblum guest-hosted "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last week, and on Thursday he was interviewing Awkwafina, when a fly landed on his desk and basically just HUNG OUT there. After being assured by Jimmy's sidekick Guillermo that it was the first time this had happened, he said, quote, "Hey, I tell my kids, you know, when you see a spider, I go, 'Don't hurt anything. Don't hurt anything! Take it and put it out.'" MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS: Alien: Romulus debuted big at the box office as it sets out to revive the classic franchise. The film is estimated to earn between $41.5 million and take the No.1 spot! It will also get bragging rights for toppling Marvel Studios' Deadpool and Wolverine from the top spot.  The iconic fedora worn by Harrison Ford in 1984's 'Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom' sold at auction for $630,000!   "Despicable Me" director Chris Renaud co-created the Minions. And he has a very specific wish for them: That they never make the jump to live-action. He says, quote: "For me, what defines the world is that it is animated and it allows us to get away with what we get away with . . . These are really cartoon ideas, like what would have been in a Bugs Bunny cartoon." Robert De Niro celebrated his 81st birthday by jumping off of a yacht into a body of water. RIP: John Aprea, who played young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II died on August 7 of natural causes in Los Angeles at age 83. AND FINALLY Coldplay's current Music of the Spheres World Tour just became the highest-grossing rock tour of all time. It's made $945.7 million and sold 8.8 million tickets since it kicked off in March of 2022.  Here's a list of the Top 10 highest-grossing rock tours:  1.  Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour: $945.7 million  2.  Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour: $939.1 million  3.  U2, U2 360 Tour: $736.4 million  4.  Guns N' Roses, Not in This Lifetime... Tour: $584.2 million  5.  The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang Tour: $558.0 million  6.  The Rolling Stones, No Filter Tour: $546.5 million  7.  Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams Tour: $523.3 million  8.  Roger Waters, The Wall Live: $459.2 million  9.  AC/DC, Black Ice World Tour: $441.6 million  10.  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Global Stadium Tour: $390.8 million   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forbes, U.S. Presidential Appointee, World Institute on DisabilityThe is a LIVE Interview, I am at a National Seminar at an OUTSIDE Windy Booth & Marcie Roth is a a National Conference! We Celebrate the 34th Anniversary of the American's with Disability Act & some Memories & Lots of Info on WID!Recently named by Forbes Magazine to their inaugural Fifty Over 50 Impact List, and by Womens' eNews as one of  their 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, Marcie has served in executive leadership roles for disability advocacy and public policy organizations since 1995, leading coalitions committed to operationalizing accessibility and inclusion as intersectional imperatives for equity, diversity and global social justice.In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Marcie turned her advocacy towards improving emergency preparedness and disaster outcomes for people with disabilities, building accessible disaster-resilient communities and disability inclusive climate justice initiatives.Experienced in establishing, supporting and leading coalitions committed to disability inclusion as an intersectional imperative for global social justiceAppointed by President Obama to the U.S Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 2009 to 2017, she served as Senior Advisor to the FEMA Administrator, establishing and directing the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination. Marcie represented the U.S. government internationally as an expert on whole community inclusive global disaster risk reduction from 2012- 2017 and has served as a leader throughout the development and implementation of the United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.  Marcie provides expert consultation to governments, corporations, health systems, and the United Nations.  She launched the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration in 2020, bringing corporate and foundation funders together with local disability-led organizations to accelerate humanitarian relief directly to disaster-impacted communities where and when it's needed most. Under her leadership, GADRA is currently assisting Ukrainian disability-led organizations in an urgent effort to be sure Ukrainian children and adults with disabilities are not left behind.Recently appointed to the American Red Cross Diversity Advisory Council, the Board of Directors of InterAction, and as Chairperson of the  US Department of Health and Human Services National Advisory Committee on Disability and Disaster, Marcie is a Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellow with a BS in Public Safety Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.© 2024 All Rights Reserved© 2024 Building Abundant Success!!Join Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

First Aired 8/20/21 Laura Gassner Otting is a professional motivational keynote speaker and Washington Post best selling author. Laura's 25-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected nonprofit search firm, Isaacson, Miller, to expand the startup ExecSearches.com. She founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with the full gamut of mission-driven nonprofit executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. She is the author of Mission-Driven, a book for those moving from profit to purpose. This Episode's Heavy-Hitters: - Laura became a member of Bill Clinton's campaign after she realized law school wasn't for her. - She dropped out, and then “did what everyone does when they're in a bad position in life” and “dated a guy that was awful.” Thankfully, this awful guy introduced her to an early Bill Clinton campaign, which would eventually take her to the White House. - The worst part about leaving the White House is that all of a sudden, people are less interested in taking your calls.Laura is a motivational speaker, but accountability might be even more important to her than motivation. - She's a supporter of “compulsory service” like what's used in the military draft, but instead for services like teaching, volunteering and so on. - “In this country, we like women who are in power; we don't like women who want power” -- Laura on Hillary Clinton's loss in the 2016 presidential campaign. - The hardest part of the book writing process for Laura isn't the writing, it's the thinking. The writing is “pretty quick,” it's the thinking through experiences that takes some time. - “Failure is not finale, it's fulcrum;” it's where you can learn and rise from. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review/rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/thepozcast #thePOZcast is brought to you by our friends at Interseller – the prospecting + outreach platform of recruiters and sellers. Whether you're doubling down on business development or recruiting talent, Interseller does all the heavy lifting of finding contact data, automating the email and follow-up process, and syncs all that rich data into 20+ CRMs and ATSs. Reach out and get going in a 2-week *free* trial today and let them know you heard about them from Adam on #thePOZcast. Check out a free demo today! https://bit.ly/2Fbm/BZ For more, please visit www.thePOZcast.com Thanks for listening!

Are you feeling trapped in the relentless pursuit of success that society has sold you?  Have traditional markers of success left you doubting your path and questioning your purpose? If you're nodding along, it's time to unravel the threads of success that have bound us for far too long and rediscover what truly makes us tick.Today's Unstoppable Grit Podcast with Danielle Cobo peels back the layers of what it means to be truly successful. We're joined by the brilliant Laura Gassner Otting, who shares her transformative journey from law school to working with President Bill Clinton, to penning the Wall Street Journal bestseller "Wonderhell." Together, we delve into the heart of our discontents.After this Episode, You Will Be Able to ..Redefine your personal metrics for successBalance your aspirational goals with a fulfilling personal life Leverage the principles of manifestation to transform goals into realityOrder your copy of Unstoppable Grit: Breakthrough the 7 Roadblocks Standing Between You and Achieving Your Goals Join the Unstoppable Insiders Community and receive,Be the first to dive into transformational chapters available only for the Unstoppable Insiders Community. Access to a community of insiders willing to help and encourage you through life's challenges. Get the scoop on release dates, special events, and author Q&As to keep you in the loop at all times. Exclusive content, including workbooks, so you can take action and achieve your goalsBonuses to claim as we gear up for the big launchFree Resources: Thank you for taking the time to write a review and for sharing the podcast with your friends. To claim your free resources send a screenshot of your review to UnstoppableGritPodcast@DanielleCobo.com. We appreciate your support!Want to work with Danielle? Schedule your call today.Let's Connect!Join the Unstoppable Grit Podcast Facebook CommunityUnstoppable Grit Podcast Guest BooksWatch Episode Now!About Our Guest:Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results.A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge.She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives.Connect with Laura Gassner Otting:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramFacebookRate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast

SummaryLaura Gassner Otting, TEDx speaker and author of Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel like it Should . . . and What to do About it, had an insightful conversation with Alice. Her career has spanned from a pivotal role in Bill Clinton's White House to achieving entrepreneurial heights. Laura and Alice discussed the concept of "Wonderhell," which most CEOs know well, it's where the exhilaration of success is entwined with the challenges it brings and the feeling of wanting more. This episode offers a unique opportunity to gain insights from Laura's diverse experiences, shedding light on the complex dynamics of ambition, success, and the resilience required to thrive in leadership roles.Exploring "Wonderhell"Laura's journey through the highs of achievement and the lows of pressure showcases the duality at the heart of success. "Wonderhell" is not just about reaching the peak; it's about thriving amidst the challenges and relishing the journey. Laura shares, "I wrote Wonderhell because I found myself in it.” She reveals, “I was filled with imposter syndrome and anxiety and uncertainty and doubt and envy and exhaustion and burnout. And I was like, it's kind of horrible. Now, I'm stuck with the burden of my potential." She knew she had to figure it out and the book is the result of that.Key Insights from this episode:Embracing Ambition: Laura encourages CEOs to see ambition as a catalyst, not a flaw. It's the fuel that drives us towards greater heights. She states, "Embrace your ambition... It's okay for me to want more, that's totally cool."Success Beyond Finances: Success isn't just measured in dollars. Laura places immense value on personal relationships and internal fulfillment. She remarks, "I am proudest of the relationships that I built and deepened with my kids, my husband, and my friends."Emotional Balance: Achieving success brings a spectrum of emotions. Laura's approach is about finding an equilibrium between excitement and the anxieties that come with leadership. She advises, "Get comfortable being uncomfortable... understand that this is not the now; it's actually the new normal."Strategic Focus and Delegation: As a CEO, Laura highlights the importance of focusing on tasks unique to your skillset and delegating to others to enhance efficiency and satisfaction. Laura elaborates, "The highest and best use of your time is to do what only you can do."Embracing the JourneyLaura Gassner Otting teaches us that success is more than a destination; it's a continuous process of growth, challenge, and self-discovery. Her journey from the White House to entrepreneurship exemplifies the nuanced nature of leadership and the importance of embracing every part of the journey.Have you experienced your own version of "Wonderhell"? I'd love to hear from you. Join the discussion in the comments below. Chapters08:18 - Valuing Achievements Before Chasing Next Goals11:47 - Shifting Leadership Mindset to Positivity14:47 - Leveraging Intentional Focus for Opportunities18:12 - Prioritizing Culture for Business Success22:31 - Empowering Teams with Strategic Questions23:57 - Scaling Insights from '10x is Easier Than 2x'26:13 - Balancing CEO Ego with Effective Leadership30:28 - Importance of CEO-Audience Engagement34:07 - Embracing Ambition and Overcoming Doubts38:06 - Focusing on Long-term Business Trajectory42:57 - Balancing Business and Personal Life PrioritiesAbout GuestLaura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura is the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of three books, Wonderhell, Limitless, and Mission-Driven. Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.Social Links You can learn more about and connect with Laura Gassner Otting in the links below.Connect with Laura on LinkedIn:(99+) Laura Gassner Otting | LinkedInCheck out Laura's website:Laura Gassner OttingYou can learn more about and connect with Alice Heiman in the links below.Laura's TED talk:Laura Gassner Otting: Why doesn't success bring happiness? | TED TalkWonderhell and Limitless:Books — Laura Gassner OttingConnect with Alice on LinkedIn:(99+) Alice Heiman | LinkedInCheck out Alice's website:Alice Heiman - Alice Heiman

Purple Heart Honoree, Vietnam Veteran ~Ron Drach was a Presidential Appointee along with my Mentor in College when I was at Howard University,He is a subject matter expert in military and veterans issues with more than 50 years of experience. After losing a leg as a result of combat in Vietnam, Ron medically retired from the U.S. Army in 1967 with a Purple Heart. Soon after, he focused his life on working to help his fellow disabled veterans. Following nearly three years with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), he joined the staff of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in 1970. Beginning in DAV's Pittsburgh office, Ron rapidly rose to become the organization's national employment director in 1975. He was the first Vietnam veteran to be appointed a director at DAV. In this post, he established the reputation he maintains today as one of the nation's foremost authorities on employment issues impacting veterans and others whose lives have been affected by disabilities. Ron's responsibilities led him to provide significant input into America's response to the needs of veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, racial and gender discrimination and other socio-economic issues. He became a leading voice on questions involving Social Security disability benefits, as well as efforts to remove barriers that impede the lives and employment of people with disabilities. Many times throughout his career, Ron has appeared before congressional committees, offering expertise and recommendations for legislative change. After leaving the DAV, Ron was employed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL/VETS). As the director of government and legislative affairs, he was responsible for working with congressional staff, the Department's Office of the Solicitor and others within the agency on all legislative employment issues that affect the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. He is currently the president of Drach Consulting. Throughout the years, Ron has served on many commissions that strive to enhance the lives of disabled veterans and other people with disabilities. Ron recently served as a member of DOD's Recovering Warrior Task Force after being appointed by former DOD Secretary Gates. He has also served on the governing boards of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, the National Resource Directory and others. Ron's high-profile volunteer activity has included service as a team leader for the U.S. Paralympics Sitting Volleyball Team that competed in the 2000 International Paralympics Competition in Sydney, Australia. He was one of the founders and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Wounded Warrior Project including four years as its president. He currently serves on the Boards of United Spinal Association and TransCen. He also serves in an advisory capacity to ThanksUSA and the DC Metro Business Leadership Network and chairs their Wounded Warrior Committee. Ron is also a co-author and co-editor of the Warrior Transition Leader Medical Rehabilitation Handbook. He is a frequent contributor to the DC Metro Business Leadership Network's electronic newsletter. Ron lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his wife, Carolyn, a retired financial analyst for the Federal Reserve. They have two adult daughters, Tiffany and Amber, and two grandchildren.© 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

On today's episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Laura Gassner Otting. Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others. Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation's first female president. (Whomp whomp.) Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America's Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her forthcoming book, Wonderhell, is expected in April 2023. Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women's philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women's PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed five charity-inspired marathons, projects emblematic of her passions and values. She's turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like, just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and troublesome puppy with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.  To learn more about Laura and get her books, visit https://www.lauragassnerotting.com/ We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don't forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday. Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more.  Ready to invest in yourself? Book your free session with Annette HERE.  Keep evolving, entrepreneur. We are SO proud of you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/annette-walter/support

Guests: Robert Bowes, Former White House Advisor to President Trump, Presidential Appointee at HUD, Banking Expert PA Senator Doug Mastriano (PA 33rd District) - Veteran, Former Candidate for PA Governor U.S. Representative Scott Perry (PA 10th Congressional District) - Chair of the House Freedom Caucus Discussion covers U.S. Government overspending including the excessive and  irresponsible funding of Ukraine and the funding of illegal activities including illegal immigration by government officials.  The House Freedom Caucus conducted a press conference about the impending September 30th deadline for a possible shutdown.  Also discussed the possible impeachment of Joe Biden. References: House Freedom Caucus Press conference: https://www.c-span.org/video/?530377-1/house-freedom-caucus-news-conference-government-funding  Sponsors: US Flag Service - Go to TheJenCharltonShow/flags to buy your flag for freedom TODAY! Sweeties on the Creek  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Shuchi Talati is an emerging climate technology governance expert and the founder of The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering. She is also currently a co-chair of the Independent Advisory Committee to oversee SCoPEx, an effort to provide oversight for the potential outdoor solar geoengineering experiment proposed by Harvard University. Dr. Talati is a Visiting Scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and a Scholar in Residence at Forum for Climate Engineering at American University. She most recently served as a Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff of the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy where she was focused on creating just and sustainable frameworks for carbon dioxide removal. She was also previously the Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180 and the Fellow on geoengineering research governance and public engagement at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Talati was a AAAS/AIP Congressional Science Fellow in the U.S. Senate and served at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama. Dr. Talati earned a BS in environmental engineering from Northwestern University, an MA in climate and society from Columbia University, and PhD from Carnegie Mellon in engineering and public policy. https://sgdeliberation.org/ https://nexuspmg.com/

In this episode I speak with Laura Gassner Otting, Author of three books, "Wonderhell," "Limitless," and "Mission-Driven." Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps. A recent and near devastating wakeup call was coming down with a severe autoimmune illness during Covid and her coming back from it. https://www.lauragassnerotting.com/    

On this episode of Prairie Prophets Podcast, Brandon sits down with Jane Haslag. Jane is a Presidential Appointee serving on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Prairie Foundation.  Jane completed the Master Pollinator Steward program through the University of Missouri Extension Center in 2021. Jane and her husband have restored 3.5 acres of land removing invasive species and restoring pollinator habitat. Drawing from experience and her knowledge of pollinator habitat, Jane enjoys teaching others that share the same passion for prairie and native plants. A true DIY story, Jane loves sharing the lessons she's learned on her journey.More information about Jane Haslag can be found at:  https://moprairie.org/about/board-of-directors/

While a college education represents far more than just job training, a substantial return on that tuition investment certainly doesn't hurt. Amy and Mike invited policy expert Michael Itzkowitz to compare the most popular and most lucrative college majors. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Do college graduates tend to earn more than non-graduates? 2. How should we evaluate the return on investment of college? 3. Which college majors currently pay the most right out of school? 4. How does this list compare to the most popular college majors? 5. How do timeline and future education impact calculations of ROI? MEET OUR GUEST With 10 years of experience in federal education policy, Michael Itzkowitz has held senior roles inside and outside of government. His work and expertise are often cited by national news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and NBC.   Prior to beginning the HEA Group, Michael worked as a Presidential Appointee in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Department of Education, assuming a number of roles in K-12 and higher education. Most notably, he was the Director of the Administration's College Scorecard, an initiative focused on higher education transparency and accountability. The Scorecard, announced by the President in February 2013, is the largest release of higher education data ever by the Federal government.   Michael also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education, where he helped oversee the policy and administrative functions of the office, which includes over 180 employees across three divisions that disburse approximately $2.5 billion in grants and establish policy for nearly $120 billion in Federal student aid every year. There, he led the office's Organizational Performance team and directed policy initiatives on accreditation, minority-serving institutions, financial aid award letters, and data transparency.   Find Michael at https://www.theheagroup.com. LINKS Which College Majors Pay the Most? Evaluating College ROI College Scorecard RELATED EPISODES DO COLLEGE MAJORS MATTER? STRATEGIES FOR SELECTING A COLLEGE MAJOR ON TIME RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN COLLEGE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.  

Success can be a double edged sword; when you meet or exceed your goals, the first thing you feel is a rush of elation and pride. But often, right around the corner is a lurking sense of anxiety, stress, and fear. Authors feel this sensation at many points in the writing process. You manage to get the manuscript drafted, but you worry it might not connect with readers after it's published. You publish it and it's a massive success, but what's next? How do you follow up a bestseller? What if you can't do it again?If you've felt sensations like this, but didn't know how to describe it, Laura Gassner Otting has the perfect word for you: Wonderhell. In this episode of The Author's Corner, Robin sits down with best-selling author, keynote speaker, and executive coach Laura Gassner Otting, to discuss this common feeling of self-doubt, stress, and even fear that come up when we encounter an amazing opportunity or achieve success. It seems counter intuitive, but successful people wrestle with this feeling all the time. Laura's newest book, Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It aims to help readers navigate this strange experience. Laura also gives some insight into her writing process, such as the importance of sharing your own story, walking the fine line between inspirational and relatable, and how the content for Limitless took twenty years to experience, and six weeks to write.Key Takeaways from This Episode:Why Laura believes there's no endpoint to success, there's just a waypoint to what else we can do.Why imposter syndrome is often more intense for writers.The fine line between being inspirational and being relatable.Why Laura wants wonderhell to be in the dictionary.And much more...Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Laura's websiteLimitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life bookLaura's InstagramAbout Laura Gassner Otting:Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get "unstuck" and achieve extraordinary results. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. She is the author of two books, Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life and Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It.

Success can be a double edged sword; when you meet or exceed your goals, the first thing you feel is a rush of elation and pride. But often, right around the corner is a lurking sense of anxiety, stress, and fear. Authors feel this sensation at many points in the writing process. You manage to get the manuscript drafted, but you worry it might not connect with readers after it's published. You publish it and it's a massive success, but what's next? How do you follow up a bestseller? What if you can't do it again?If you've felt sensations like this, but didn't know how to describe it, Laura Gassner Otting has the perfect word for you: Wonderhell. In this episode of The Author's Corner, Robin sits down with best-selling author, keynote speaker, and executive coach Laura Gassner Otting, to discuss this common feeling of self-doubt, stress, and even fear that come up when we encounter an amazing opportunity or achieve success. It seems counter intuitive, but successful people wrestle with this feeling all the time. Laura's newest book, Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It aims to help readers navigate this strange experience. Laura also gives some insight into her writing process, such as the importance of sharing your own story, walking the fine line between inspirational and relatable, and how the content for Limitless took twenty years to experience, and six weeks to write.Key Takeaways from This Episode:Why Laura believes there's no endpoint to success, there's just a waypoint to what else we can do.Why imposter syndrome is often more intense for writers.The fine line between being inspirational and being relatable.Why Laura wants wonderhell to be in the dictionary.And much more...Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Laura's websiteLimitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life bookLaura's InstagramAbout Laura Gassner Otting:Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get "unstuck" and achieve extraordinary results. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. She is the author of two books, Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life and Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It.

The World's #1 Personal Development Book Podcast! In today's episode we have the pleasure to interview author of “Wonderhell” Laura Gassner Otting    Laura is a wall street journal best selling author of 3 books, an executive coach, keynote speaker, change maker, she's been featured in Forbes, a regular on the Today Show and Good Morning America, she's also a philanthropist who is always looking for a way to give back, she is a law school dropout who found herself as Presidential Appointee, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.  In this episode you'll learn all about why success doesn't equal happiness and how with the more success you achieve tends to come with harder work, about the loneliness at the top, the difficulty of self-growth, why self-help books don't make you better, how you can waste a lot of money being cheap, you'll also learn about Laura's discovery of the only 3 things you can actually maximize in business, and most importantly if you're worthy of wonderhell. If you want to learn how to step up to achieve your dreams and the success you deserve this episode is for you! We hope you enjoy this incredible conversation with Laura Gassner Otting Today's episode is sponsored by Audible. Try Audible for free: www.bookthinkers.com/audibletrial. The purpose of this podcast is to connect you, the listener, with new books, new mentors, and new resources that will help you achieve more and live better. Each and every episode will feature one of the world's top authors so that you know each and every time you tune-in, there is something valuable to learn. If you have any recommendations for guests, please DM them to us on Instagram. (www.instagram.com/bookthinkers) If you enjoyed this show, please consider leaving a review. It takes less than 60-seconds of your time, and really makes a difference when I am trying to land new guests. For more BookThinkers content, check out our Instagram or our website. Thank you for your time!

Laura Gassner Otting - Speaker. Author. Entrepreneur. Motivator. Instigator. Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA.   Laura had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “It is amazing and exciting and humbling and wonderful when we achieve something we didn't know we could achieve” (6:30). “There are seasons of our lives” (10:40). “We define success as bigger, better, faster, more, but if we're doing that we're always getting trapped in the ‘it's not enough'” (11:30). “There is an endpoint to each of our periods of hustle” (12:10). “We need to give ourselves a little bit of expansiveness on the definition of our potential (17:35). “I won't take a meeting with my assistant unless she has an agenda for the meeting” (27:05). “If the meeting doesn't end with a “what do we do now” then everybody forgets about it and it's a waste of time” (27:35). “I have decided that in parenting you basically get to make one decision… you either get on their bus, or you get run over by their bus” (30:25). “I'm a punch in the face wrapped in a warm hug” (39:50). “I am that person, I'm just not always that person” (41:30). “It's really important to figure out who we are when we're at our best” (41:35). “I think we have to figure out who our alter egos are and all the different forms of our lives” (43:20). “I might be center stage, but the audience is the star” (45:00). “If all of these people are intimidated by me, I can shock them when I show some vulnerability” (49:15). “As a leader, I think there is a real intentionality with how we set the culture, how we show up, what we look like, how we put ourselves together, the respect we show our colleagues” (52:10). “We should just be us” (55:55). “I'm 100% public with 40% of my life” (56:30). “I am at my core a mother, a daughter, and a sister. But I'm also an athlete and a writer” (1:02:10).   Additionally, you can check out Laura's website here and find out more about her book, Wonderhell, here. You can also follow Laura on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. Lastly, you can find a link to the Limitless Life Assessment here. Thank you so much to Laura for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.

Today… our guest is Laura Gassner Otting. She's one of my favorite humans. Her life has been a wild ride… BUT that ride has helped her to clarify that her SUPERPOWERS are: Identifying greatness in others…  Helping them to get unstuck…  Achieving extraordinary results… He's served in the White House as a Presidential Appointee… she's been an executive… she's founded, ran and sold her own global search firm… and now she's a bestselling author and a speaker on stages around the country! She's a frequent contributor to Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, as well as the Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily!  And Laura's 3 books have all been Wall Street Journal Bestsellers! Her BRAND NEW BOOK is called Wonderhell - Why success doesn't feel like it should and what to do about it!”  It's incredible and I can't wait to dive into it… so let's do this! WHERE TO FIND LAURA: Website www.LauraGassnerOtting.com [or www.heyLGO.com]   Facebook @heyLGO  Instagram @heyLGO Twitter @heyLGO LinkedIn: /in/heyLGO Her book WONDERHELL:  Click Here Please insert the image for her book: Her book LIMITLESS: Click Here MITCH'S NEW PODCAST:  ENCOURAGING THE ENCOURAGERS You can now check out Mitch's new DAILY podcast called “ENCOURAGING THE ENCOURAGERS” anywhere you listen to podcasts.   It's specifically designed for coaches, speakers and content creators and provides quick doses of inspiration, strategy AND… of course… encouragement! Check out: www.encouragingtheencouragers.com!  Find it on Apple Podcasts:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-the-encouragers/id1652168710 Find it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OqXYYif08gdLQCJKkHSkN Find it on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/encouragingtheencouragers Find it on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iZDI2NzNhOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw   RELATED PODCAST DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: If you like this episode… we think you'll dig these too!   Laura's first time on DREAM THINK DO: https://mitchmatthews.com/laura-gassner-otting/  We also talk about Rahaf Harfoush and how she helped Laura flush out the WONDERHELL concept.  It doesn't surprise me… because Rahaf is brilliant and pure awesome.  Want proof?  Check out her DREAM THINK DO episode too: https://mitchmatthews.com/263 Or check out Episode 215.  My guest is venture capitalist Greg Sands. As you'll hear… Greg's got passion… passion for life and passion for entrepreneurship. LET'S HEAR FROM YOU! Holy crap! I loved this conversation!  Laura's insights on navigating the WONDERHELL that comes when you pursue your dreams and goals was freeeegin' priceless!  But… I'm curious.   So… what's something that clicked with you?  What's something that resonated?  More importantly… what's something you're going to DO as a result? I want to hear from YOU!   Leave a comment and let's hear from YOU! And hey… keep bringing YOUR awesome!!! Mitch   Episode Minute By Minute:  0:02 What's inside of today's episode! 2:22 Why Laura was nervous to be on Dream Think Do! 3:51 What is “wonder-hell” and when Laura found herself there 9:21 How hard times could be an invitation to greatness 14:20 How living abundantly can unlock opportunities 19:53 What you can learn from over 100 “ceiling shatters” 25:11 A little bit of bravery goes a long way 35:50 Why being the optimist will always pay off in the end 38:16 What the journey will teach you about yourself 40:00 Mitch's minute and biggest takeaways!  

IN EPISODE 130: We imagine that success will feel exhilarating, liberating and fulfilling. So why do so many people experience the exact opposite when they finally achieve it? In Episode 130, Laura Gassner Otting explores the rollercoaster ride of success - an increased desire to do more, achieve more, and the swirling mix of uncertainty, self-doubt, anxiety and stress that follows. Laura shares practical tips for staying grounded and clear-eyed in the pursuit of our goals, offers suggestions for maintaining focus and clarity, and reveals the people in her inner circle who keep her hungry and humble. Success is a waypoint, not an endpoint - and after listening to Laura, you'll find your way to more success and satisfaction. ABOUT LAURA GASSNER OTTING: Laura Gassner Otting is an executive coach and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of three books. She's a frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily.  She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House where she helped shape AmeriCorps; founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, and is a self-described "punch in the face wrapped in a warm hug." Her latest book is Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel as It Should, and What To Do About It. LINKS: Website: www.lauragassnerotting.com Facebook: @heyLGO Instagram: @heyLGO Twitter: @heyLGO LinkedIn: /in/heyLGO

Ever notice how, the moment you step into a new level of accomplishment and visioning, it's amazing, but it almost always comes along with a success-sized helping of struggle, fear and uncertainty that leads to suffering? Our guest today, Laura Gassner Otting calls this, "wonderhell,” that moment where you're both celebrating and simultaneously grappling with the burden of your potential to do more, be more, achieve more. It's both wonderful, and it's hell. According to Laura, "Wonderhell" is an essential part of any journey that finds you striving for something more. The burden of your potential is real, maybe even unavoidable, but the suffering doesn't have to be. The success industrial complex, which teaches us to grind harder, lean in, and achieve more to be happy, leaves us unprepared for the messy middle, filled with doubt and uncertainty.  In her new book ‘Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should...and What To Do About It', she offers a toolkit to help people achieve their potential, with a "choose your own adventure" journey through three towns of Impostor Town, Doubtsville and Burnout City, each with five rides, to help people overcome their fears and doubts. Whether you're an entrepreneur or simply trying to achieve a personal goal, this episode offers practical tips and strategies for redefining your relationship with doubt and uncertainty and embracing wonder hell as a necessary part of the journey to success. Laura also speaks from a place of personal experience. She's has literally spent decades riding the Wonderhell roller-coaster, and developed a powerful set of tools to help find your way through with more ease and less chaos and suffering. SPARKED HOT TAKE WITH: Laura Gassner Otting | Website  Laura Gassner Otting is an Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach and inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. She served as a Presidential Appointee in the White House and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm. Her bestselling book, Limitless, was chosen by Robin Roberts as one of Good Morning America's Favorite Books of the Year. AND HOSTED BY: Jonathan Fields Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He's also the creator of an unusual tool that's helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED. How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Website Read more on the Sparked Newsletter on LinkedIn. Connect with Jonathan Fields on LinkedIn. Presented by LinkedIn.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda interviews Alex Kotran, founder of the AI Education Project. During the talk, Mr. Kotran discusses his journey, aiEDU, artificial intelligence and content area, chatGPT, ethics and artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence and teaching, and what is ahead for aiEDU and the future of education.Mr. Kotran oversees strategy, partnerships, fundraising, and external relations for the AI Education Project. Prior to founding the AI Education Project, he built the AI Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility function for H5, Inc., a pioneering AI company in the legal services sector. At H5, Mr. Kotran led strategic partnerships with organizations including the United Nations, NYU School of Law, the OECD, and IEEE to develop judicial education programs and high profile convenings. Prior to his time in the social impact and non-profit space, he managed brand and policy communications for companies including Oracle, Airbnb, Nissan, HP, Adobe, and SAP. He was a lead Field Organizer in Columbus, OH for the 2012 Obama Campaign and served as a Presidential Appointee under HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, where he managed communications and community outreach for ACA Open Enrollment, two SCOTUS rulings, and the 2015 Ebola outbreak.

Women entrepreneurs are the future, and we need to wake the hell up. ~ Laura Gassner Otting My conversation with WaPo bestselling author, frequent GMA & Today Show contributor, keynote speaker, Executive Coach, and all around badass Laura Gassner Otting is SPICY and full of truth bombs on undervaluing yourself and letting folks negotiate your price, how to honor your integrity over your sales, how to speak to the reasons people buy, and handling the challenges of entrepreneurship at every level of success. She's also sharing some key insights from her new book out this week, Wonderhell. This episode is absolute GOLD. Do not miss it. Tune in for… How to negotiate on value vs. price The importance of valuing yourself over your sales Why people buy and how to speak to their reasons How to handle the new challenges that come with every level of success Making the transition from doing to leading in your business The difference between being kind and being nice & which to do more of & so much more! Loving this episode? Please leave a rating and review so more feminist entrepreneurs can find the show and change the world! All you gotta do is head here. How to connect with Melanie: Join Sell Like a Feminist for 10 weeks of mastering sales copy, CTA's, and conversations so you always know how to sell everything you offer. We kick off 4/18. Wanna sign your next 3 “F YEAH” clients? Sign up for the Masterclass and sales will never feel gross again. Ready to grow your business? Join the mastermind for feminist entrepreneurs building 6+ figure businesses. Get all the details and join the waitlist here. How to connect with Laura: Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you, so that you can get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and nonprofit executives. Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA. Twitter: https://twitter.com/heylgo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heylgo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heylgo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heylgo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/heyLGO TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heylgo LGO Website: http://lauragassnerotting.com/ © 2021 - 2023 Melanie Childers

The Business of Meetings – Episode 160 – Wonderhell with Laura Gassner Otting We are delighted to be speaking with Laura Gassner Otting today! Laura is an amazing entrepreneur, executive coach, and writer who has helped people in politics and often appeared on TV!  Laura's life is rich and diverse! She joins us to share her story and discuss her new book, Wonderhell. Bio: Laura's secret superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back to you so that you can get “unstuck” and achieve extraordinary results.  A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura's 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at a respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven corporate and nonprofit executives.  Laura is turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, motivator, and provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like. Just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and two troublesome pups with whom she lives just outside of Boston, MA. Laura's journey Laura has had a long journey of accidental successes. She did many interesting things with interesting people and many interesting opportunities arose along her path. She dropped out of law school to join the Presidential campaign of an unknown Southern governor who offered a policy solution of community service in exchange for a college education. She ended up in the White House and helped build AmeriCorps. Four years later, she wanted to get onto the campaign trail again but was too old. She took a job with her mentor as a head hunter. After five years, she left, started her own firm, grew it, and sold it fifteen years later to the women who helped her build it. She started blogging and was asked to do TEDx talk. The talk got people's attention, and she began receiving offers to speak for money. That prompted her to write a book. She is now five years into her speaking career and is about to launch her second book, Wonderhell. Wonderhell Wonderhell is based on the concept of an amusement park that is divided into three sections, Impostor Town, Doubtsville, and Burnout City. Each section contains five “rides” that mimic the emotions people go through along the journey to becoming successful.  Figuring out who you are The first “ride” is figuring out who you are and what you are capable of. Doubt (the trapeze) tends to creep in when you want to try something new, which can be scary. That's why you have to appreciate whatever you did to get you to where you are today because it created a foundation for you to grow and build from, even though it may not get you through the next thing. In other words, you can borrow the confidence you gained in one place and use it in another until you have firmer ground to stand on. The loop de loop  The loop de loop is the ride where you keep going back to the beginning, over and over again. That is where people start self-sabotaging and have to adopt a beginner's mindset. It is essential to notice when you get bored or complacent, stop caring about outcomes, and are no longer bringing your best to your work. The discomfort of not knowing Laura has never known exactly what she wants to do next, and she thinks that happens to many others, too. She advises anyone leaving a job to spend time sitting with the discomfort of not knowing before starting something new. Success does not make things any easier An idea that emerged in Wonderhell is that we tend to think things will get easier when we attain success. They will not! Things generally get even harder when we become successful. Becoming Everything we do in life helps us continue with the process of evolving and becoming. The idea behind Wonderhell is that when we have one foot in yesterday and the other in tomorrow, it keeps us in the process of becoming. The tunnel of love Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. If you have someone at your level you respect and admire going through the tunnel of love (the process) with you, it will keep you in check and help you avoid settling for mediocracy.  Overcoming impostor syndrome So many capable and successful people still have impostor syndrome when they embark on something they have never done before. Having a mentee or teaching something that comes to you naturally is the best way to get yourself to feel that you know something. It will also build your confidence moving forward. Overcoming impostor syndrome involves renegotiating our emotions around the doors we are walking through. Advice for women applying for positions Twenty years of executive search experience taught Laura that there are no perfect candidates and that anything people bring to the table counts, even if it is not on the list. She advises women to keep their resumes and cover letters current and apply with abandon. Even if they don't get the jobs, they will gain experience in the interview and job application process.  Make your own luck Being in the space where you put yourself in the deal flow makes you luckier! (There is a chapter in Wonderhell called The Fortune Teller, which is about how you make your own luck.) Mentorship Rather than trying to find mentors, Laura prefers to look for mentoring moments. She is also happy to offer mentoring moments to advise anyone who asks to pick her brain or needs her help to work through something specific.  How Wonderhell came about Laura did not intend to write Wonderhell. It happened after a series of events that began when she wrote a blog post while on a redeye flight home after appearing on the Today Show, where she described the space she was in as Wonderhell.    Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Laura Gassner Otting On her website  On LinkedIn On all social media platforms @heylgo Books mentioned: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Wonderhell is available at www.wonderhell.com, on Amazon, or anywhere fine books are sold.  

Laura Gassner Otting's superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you so that you can get "unstuck" and achieve extraordinary results. In her book, Wonderhell, Laura explores "why success doesn't feel like it should and what to do about it." Wonderhell offers a roadmap to creating the mindset that lets you move forward in life, even when your success tells you to stop right there. Did you know fear and excitement manifest in our bodies in exactly the same way? The reason that success feels stressful is because we feel the burden of what else we can achieve. Wonderhell is the sign that you are made for more. The book draws from Laura's experiences and interviews with successful entrepreneurs, activists, and artists who have faced similar challenges and come out on the other side. One of Laura's suggestions is that instead of pursuing endless growth, people should determine what they are maximizing for, whether it is profits, impact on the world, or personal freedom and flexibility.  Laura frequently contributes to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. Her entrepreneurial edge defines Laura's 30-year resume. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at a respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm. Her first book, Limitless, was a national bestseller. In this episode, we discuss the definition of success and why it isn't an endpoint but a waypoint. Why working hard doesn't end when you succeed; every time you succeed, it just gets harder. We dive into the dangers of comparison culture but the importance of surrounding yourself with people who won't let you settle for mediocrity. And the reason you feel like an impostor is because you are somewhere you never thought you'd be.

Laura Gassner Otting is an author, catalyst, and executive coach who inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. LGO, as she is often known, drops by Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract to discuss her latest book, "Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should . . . and What to Do About It." Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it. Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and HR Magazine as she now delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes to organizations across the world. Visit http://www.danpontefract.com for more information about Dan and the Leadership NOW program. Visit https://www.lauragassnerotting.com/about/ to get to know LGO.

Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others. Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps.   She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation's first female president. (Whomp whomp.) Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America's Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her newest book is Wonderhell. Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women's philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women's PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed five charity-inspired marathons, projects emblematic of her passions and values. She's turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like, just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and troublesome puppy with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA. www.wonderhellbook.com

Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief.She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others.Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps.She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation's first female president. (Whomp whomp.)Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America's Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her forthcoming book, Wonderhell, is expected in April 2023.Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women's philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women's PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed five charity-inspired marathons, projects emblematic of her passions and values. She's turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like, just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and troublesome puppy with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/unimpressedpodcast. https://plus.acast.com/s/unimpressedpodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cleve Mesidor is the Executive Director of Blockchain Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit leading an industry-wide crypto education campaign. Previously, she was a Public Policy Advisor to the Blockchain Association. Additionally, Cleve is a Mayoral appointee to the DC Innovation and Technology Inclusion Council. A web3 expert working in crypto for over six year, she has been profiled on CNBC, ABC, NPR, PBS, NY Times, Washington Post, Politico, TIME. Cleve is a reputable and respected industry leader and regularly headlines blockchain conferences, including Money20/20, SXSW, CES, and others. A Washington insider, she served in the Obama Administration and as a senior staffer in Congress. As a Presidential Appointee, she was Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, where she advanced White House economic programs and national public-private partnerships to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Her acumen in policy stems from her tenure on Capitol Hill as Communications Director for U.S. Representatives Betty McCollum and Barbara Lee, coordinating with Congressional leadership to launch major legislative initiatives. Cleve is author of “THE CLEVOLUTION: My Quest for Justice in Politics & Crypto.” She earned a Master of Arts degree from Howard University and started her career in broadcasting at CNN's Washington Bureau. EPISODE LINKS Cleve's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmesi/ Cleve's Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmesi Blockchain Foundation: https://theblockfound.com/ Blockchain Foundation Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBlockFound The Clevolution: My Quest for Justice in Politics and Crypto : https://theclevolution.com/ PODCAST INFO Podcast website: https://podcast.pgpforcrypto.org Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... RSS: https://feed.pod.co/pgp-for-crypto-po... HOST INFO Gary Weinstein's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gary_Weinstein_ Gary Weinstein's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyweins... Paul Brigner's Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulbrigner Paul Brigner's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbrigner/ Electric Coin Co. Website: https://electriccoin.co Electric Coin Co. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElectricCoinCo TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome 01:09 Introducing Cleve Mesidor: Blockchain Foundation Executive Director & Web3 Expert 02:39 The Blockchain Foundation: Its Mission, Vision, and Relationship with the Blockchain Association 05:07 Financial Literacy & Digital Assets in K-12 Education: Importance, Current State, and the Future Library Project 11:05 Working with Local Officials for Crypto Education: DC Mayoral Appointee Role and Local-Level Strategies 14:38 Cleve Mesidor's Book: The Clevolution 24:21 Emphasizing Privacy and Financial Autonomy in Crypto and Education Initiatives 29:25 Women in Blockchain Event: Focusing on Equal Access to Capital and Female-Led Crypto Initiatives 33:42 Upcoming Events: Financial Literacy Month, Consensus Conference, and Crypto Financial Literacy Month 37:49 Challenges and Opportunities for Crypto Adoption and Regulation 50:51 The Impact of Senator Warren and Senator Marshall's Bill on the Crypto Industry and Consumer Protection 58:17 Concluding Thoughts: Connecting with Cleve Mesidor and Her Work in the Crypto and Blockchain Ecosystem DISCLAIMER Please be advised that the information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not to be taken as legal or financial advice. The opinions and views expressed by our guests are their own and may not reflect the official stance of the organizations they represent or those of Electric Coin Co. Always consult a legal or financial professional before making any decisions.

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.  This week I'm excited to bring you an episode of What's Next! Podcast with a dear friend of mine, Laura Gassner Otting. For this episode, I'm sharing my February 22nd LinkedIn Live chat with Laura as we dive into the tricky territory that lies between success and happiness. Laura Gassner Otting's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest-growing search firms in the country. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it and since that time, has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show. Laura's writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine.  Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose, and is soon to release Wonderhell.  THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anybody trying to make sense of the emotion-filled limbo that lives between success and happiness.  TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… success can bring complicated emotions. On the one hand, it's exhilarating. On the other hand, we tend to quickly jump to the next goal and become overwhelmed or stressed about the rising challenge of the next steps. Laura explains how to navigate the “wonderhell” of this tension and find happiness in the process.  WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… the idea of being a student of the process. Approaching big moments with openness to learn gives us a great awareness of the wonder and possibilities around us.  Running time: 29:00 Subscribe on iTunes  Check out the LinkedIn Live Chat Find Tiffani on Social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Find Laura Online: Official Website Twitter LinkedIn Laura's Book: Wonderhell Laura's HBR Article:  Are You Pursuing Your Vision of Career Success — or Someone Else's?

This week's guest made such an impact on me the first time I had her on True Grit and Grace, I invited her back as a repeat guest! Not only did we get to catch up in person and in studio, it also gave us a chance to catch up on her new book. If you're struggling to find happiness and peace amidst a stressful circumstance or huge growth chapter, this conversation is for you. Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief. Laura's rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor's presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss's definition of success didn't align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation's first female president. (Whomp whomp.) Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America's Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her forthcoming book, Wonderhell, is expected in April 2023. In this episode, Laura teaches you how to manage success when you achieve it, how to stay healthy amidst a busy schedule, and how to understand your own potential in a way that nourishes happiness instead of anxiety. Here's what you will learn: How to find and release the burden of your potential (5:21) How to spot energy vampires and protect yourself from them (14:30) How to overcome your limits by casting out seeds of doubt (22:29) Why imperfection is part of our collective truth (33:27) How to understand seasons and when enough is enough (44:20) Discover the 4 building blocks of good health to help you to succeed (53:28) Tune in to this episode and learn something new! Share it on Instagram and tag me at @amberlylagomotivation and @heylgo then share it with a friend! Follow Laura: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Links mentioned: Limitless the book Wonderhell the book   If you are ready to leave your mark by discovering your message and sharing it with the world, you've come to the right place!! Let's work together to build your influence, your impact, and your income! Join the tribe you have been waiting for to activate your highest potential and live the life you deserve! Join the "Unstoppable Life Mastermind!" and let us know you are ready for greatness! Read the "True Grit and Grace" book here and learn how you can turn tragedy into triumph!  Thank you for joining us on the True, Grit, & Grace Podcast! If you find value in today's episode, don't forget to share the show with your friends and tap that subscribe button so you don't miss an episode! You can also head over to amberlylago.com to join my newsletter and access free downloadable resources that can help you elevate your life, business, and relationships! Want to see the behind-the-scenes and keep the conversation going?  Head over to Instagram @amberlylagomotivation! Audible @True-Grit-and-Grace-Audiobook  Website @amberlylago.com Instagram @amberlylagomotivation Facebook @AmberlyLagoSpeaker

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Washington Post Best Selling Author and Motivational Keynote Speaker, Laura Gassner Otting. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. Laura's 30-year experience is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps. Her forthcoming book, Wonderhell, reimagines the stories we tell ourselves about success bringing you happiness, and shows how mixed emotions like fear, uncertainty, and stress accompany success. More About Laura Gassner Otting: lauragassnerotting.com Social Networks: @heylgo Pre-order Wonderhell: https://www.wonderhellbook.com More About The Agency Certification Intensive Training: Learn more Take The Marketing Assessment: Marketingassessment.co    This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.

Cassius F. Butts, 2X Presidential Appointee, U.S. General Services Administration Co-chair, entrepreneur, and author. Info: globalleadergroup.com

On this episode of the Administrative Law Review's A Hard Look, tune in to listen to our Technology Editor, Eva Pederson speak with Martin Mitchell, former Presidential Appointee serving as an Appellate Military Judge on the U.S. Court of Military Commissions Review, former USAF JAG Officer, and current Veterans Law Judge, about the evolution of military justice; Ortiz v. United States; and the constitutional issues that remain as the DoD aims to balance the objectives of protecting individual liberties, promoting military discipline, and ensuring that justice is served. If you have any questions about this episode, the guest, or the podcast, or if you would like to propose a topic or a guest, please email Alexander Naum at ALR-Sr-Tech-Editor@wcl.american.edu.

How do you keep your team engaged in a recession? WAEPA CEO Shane Canfield and The EnerGeo Alliance's VP of Communications and External Affairs, Gail Adams unpack this topic. M. Shane Canfield brings more than 25 years of experience in insurance and non-profit leadership to WAEPA.Shane came to WAEPA in 2016 and served previously as Executive Director of the Council on Employee Benefits. He has spent most of his career in the pooled-risk group/affinity insurance industry. In his role as WAEPA CEO, Shane is responsible for strategic planning and leadership, managing stakeholder relationships, and serving our Board of Directors in organizational oversight. With extensive experience in coalition building, government relations, and reporting to Boards, Shane leads WAEPA by consistently prioritizing member satisfaction, membership growth, and retention.He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from George Mason University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington Adventist University, and is a board member for the Council of HR Management Associations, member of LIMRA, PIMA, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), and is a past board member of the ASAE Business Services Inc. Additionally, Shane holds various certifications, including CEBS, RHU, CAE, SPHR, and SHRM-SCP.Gail Adams is the Vice President of Communications and External Affairs at the EnerGeo Alliance, an international upstream energy trade association. She has more than 20 years of experience in the environment and natural resources public policy arena and working with states and local governments. She has more than 30 years' experience in public affairs, non-profit organizations, and governmental affairs.She is a former Presidential Appointee as Director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (OIEA) for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Immediate Office of the Secretary where she managed relationships between the DOI and Governors, state and local elected officials and the more than 6000 stakeholders and organizations that represent interests related to DOI. She also had a key role on the President's Task Force on Travel & Competitiveness and helped to craft the nation's National Travel and Tourism Strategy which brought the United States from 10th in the world back to first in market share for world tourism.Adams is a former television news anchor, public affairs show host, and radio personality. She is also a certified grants writer. Adams is a graduate of Louisiana State University.Main Takeaways:A unique behind-the-scenes view of how the energy and life insurance industries are fairing through the recession. There are a variety of ways to motivate people internally with training, progressive opportunities and in the community through collaborative work.Programs that bring diversity, equality and inclusion should never be put on the chopping board due to budget cuts as these initiatives create a stronger and more talented workforce to move your company forward.Professional development during the recession may include innovative thinking, changes in career direction, and obtaining additional training to pivot for employees.Always use the ART method when interacting with your employees. Be Authentic, have Representation and show Transparency. Learn the importance and spectrum of the energy industry and the imperative nature of life insurance.

NPR, Mayor Frm Legislator, Councilman, U.S. Presidential Appointee, AmbassadorIn Honor of Remembrance's Martin Luther King Holiday', I wanted to talk with a  Real Foot Soldier & Public Servant of Dr. King who is Still working for Justice for All.   I Have Benefited from Many People who Worked, Marched & Died for my Rights to Freedoms. As a Northerner that did not live thru Segregated Times or in the South, I have only read of the History & Obstacles that Black have endured. To All Those People, I am Grateful.But Johnny Ford was in person on the scene to witness Civil Right History & as one of the first elected officials in the United States, would soon become a part of History.  My Guest has a lot of insight  & work we have to see thru.Ford got his start in politics working for U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign, and he later worked for the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service.A native of the great State of Alabama, Johnny Lawrence Ford grew up in Tuskegee, the home of Tuskegee University, “the Pride of the Swift-Growing South,” also the home of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School and received his B.A. degree in history and sociology from Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tennessee, and a Masters of Public Administration from Auburn University at Montgomery. He also received 5 honorary degrees including The Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Alabama A & M University in 2004.Elected as the 1st African-American Mayor of the City of Tuskegee in 1972, Mayor Ford served six consecutive terms from 1972 – 1996 and was again elected to that office in September, 2004 and 2012. In 1998, he was elected Representative from District 82 to the State Legislature, where he served on the County and Municipal Government Committee, the Lee County Legislation Committee, the Health Committee, and the Tourism and Travel Committee. The Honorable Ford retained his legislative position until his return to office as mayor of Tuskegee.As Founder of the World Conference of Mayors, Inc., The Honorable Ford also serves as Secretary General. He is a Founder and President-Emeritus of the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc., and a former member of the Alabama Foreign Trade Commission and the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority. While Mayor, Banjul, The Gambia was designated as the Tuskegee Sister City; therefore, he has worked closely with the country, The Gambia, for many years. Furthermore, he has served as Co-Chairman of the National Policy Alliance, which is an arm of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The National Policy Alliance Center for Political and Economic Studies is comprised of The National Bar Association, The Congressional Black Caucus, The World Conference of Mayors, The National Conference of Black Mayors, The National Association of Black County Officials, The National Black Caucus of School Board Members, Blacks in Government, The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, as well as the Joint Center For Political and Economic Development.The Honorable Ford has served as a former U.S. Presidential Appointee to the National Advisory Committee on Federalism, and the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. He is a past President of the Alabama League of Municipalities, and the first African-American in Alabama History to be elected to this statewide position.The Honorable Ford is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Founding President of the Tuskegee Optimist Club, a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and a member of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, the home church of Dr. Booker T. Washington.He is married to the Honorable Judge Joyce London Alexander, Retired, Former Chief U. S. Magistrate Judge, of the District of Massachusetts. She was the First Female Chief United States Magistrate Judge in the USA. She is Past Chair of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association, and of the Board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.He is also the proud father of three adult children…John, Christopher, and Tiffany…The Honorable Ford has four grandchildren. The Fords have a second home on Garden Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.© 2023 Building Abundant Success!!2023 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

On this episode of the Bespoke Parenting Podcast, host Julie Gunlock talks to Mary Vought, an IWF visiting fellow, public relations executive, and the only female serving as a Presidential Appointee on the National Council of Disability, where she advocates for those in the disability community, including her youngest daughter, who has cystic fibrosis. — […]

Mayor Frm. Legislator, Councilman, U.S. Presidential Appointee, AmbassadorTHIS WEEK are the Mid-Terms!! I  was this year out registering people to vote! But I am also hearing from some that they may sit this Mid-Term Out. But WHY??Voting affect all aspects of your QUALITY of Life.Your Mayors, City Council Person, School Board Representative, Local & State Courts, Legislature Local & State Congressional, YOU have a say as to who you believe can serve your Community & State. The Voting Amendments to the Constitution, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Student Loan Forgiveness, Roe vs Wade, I wanted to talk with a Foot Soldier & Public Servant of Dr. King who is Still working for Justice for All.A native of the great State of Alabama, Johnny Lawrence Ford grew up in Tuskegee, the home of Tuskegee University, “the Pride of the Swift-Growing South,” also the home of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School and received his B.A. degree in history and sociology from Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tennessee, and a Masters of Public Administration from Auburn University at Montgomery. He also received 5 honorary degrees including The Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Alabama A & M University in 2004.Elected as the 1st African-American Mayor of the City of Tuskegee in 1972, Mayor Ford served six consecutive terms from 1972 – 1996 and was again elected to that office in September, 2004 and 2012. In 1998, he was elected Representative from District 82 to the State Legislature, where he served on the County and Municipal Government Committee, the Lee County Legislation Committee, the Health Committee, and the Tourism and Travel Committee. The Honorable Ford retained his legislative position until his return to office as mayor of Tuskegee.As Founder of the World Conference of Mayors, Inc., The Honorable Ford also serves as Secretary General. He is a Founder and President-Emeritus of the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc., and a former member of the Alabama Foreign Trade Commission and the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority. While Mayor, Banjul, The Gambia was designated as the Tuskegee Sister City; therefore, he has worked closely with the country, The Gambia, for many years. Furthermore, he has served as Co-Chairman of the National Policy Alliance, which is an arm of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The National Policy Alliance Center for Political and Economic Studies is comprised of The National Bar Association, The Congressional Black Caucus, The World Conference of Mayors, The National Conference of Black Mayors, The National Association of Black County Officials, The National Black Caucus of School Board Members, Blacks in Government, The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, as well as the Joint Center For Political and Economic Development.The Honorable Ford has served as a former U.S. Presidential Appointee to the National Advisory Committee on Federalism, and the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. He is a past President of the Alabama League of Municipalities, and the first African-American in Alabama History to be elected to this statewide position.The Honorable Ford is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Founding President of the Tuskegee Optimist Club, a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and a member of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, the home church of Dr. Booker T. Washington.He is married to the Honorable Judge Joyce London Alexander, Retired, Former Chief U. S. Magistrate Judge, of the District of Massachusetts. She was the First Female Chief United States Magistrate Judge in the USA. She is Past Chair of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association, and of the Board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.He is also the proud father of three adult children…John, Christopher, and Tiffany…The Honorable Ford has four grandchildren. The Fords have a second home on Garden Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.© 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASJoin me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

Nish Acharya is a Senior Fellow, Inclusive Economic Growth at the Clinton Foundation. He is also one of the OG Indian-Americans who has worked with two different presidents during his career.Nish leads Equal Innovation, which advises some of the world's leading universities, governments, foundations and companies to assist them with innovation, entrepreneurship and globalization strategies. The Clinton Foundation is becoming a platform for new voices, emerging communities and finding economic development models to include in international policy discussions.We talk about all the work that CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) is doing and what it was like to bring the band back together this year, his takeaways from working with President Clinton and Obama, how Diwali has become mainstream, and he shares some pivotal middle school moments that defined his identity as Indian-American. 

Mayor Frm Legislator, Councilman, U.S. Presidential Appointee, Ambassador3 weeks from Mid-Terms & I  have been out out registering people to vote! But I am also hearing from some that they may sit this Mid-Term Out.Voting affect all aspects of your QUALITY of Life.Your Mayors, City Council Person, School Board Representative, Local & State Courts, Legislature Local & State Congressional, YOU have a say as to who you believe can serve your Community & State. The Voting Amendments to the Constitution, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Student Loan Forgiveness, Roe vs Wade, I wanted to talk with a Foot Soldier & Public Servant of Dr. King who is Still working for Justice for All.A native of the great State of Alabama, Johnny Lawrence Ford grew up in Tuskegee, the home of Tuskegee University, “the Pride of the Swift-Growing South,” also the home of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School and received his B.A. degree in history and sociology from Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tennessee, and a Masters of Public Administration from Auburn University at Montgomery. He also received 5 honorary degrees including The Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Alabama A & M University in 2004.Elected as the 1st African-American Mayor of the City of Tuskegee in 1972, Mayor Ford served six consecutive terms from 1972 – 1996 and was again elected to that office in September, 2004 and 2012. In 1998, he was elected Representative from District 82 to the State Legislature, where he served on the County and Municipal Government Committee, the Lee County Legislation Committee, the Health Committee, and the Tourism and Travel Committee. The Honorable Ford retained his legislative position until his return to office as mayor of Tuskegee.As Founder of the World Conference of Mayors, Inc., The Honorable Ford also serves as Secretary General. He is a Founder and President-Emeritus of the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc., and a former member of the Alabama Foreign Trade Commission and the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority. While Mayor, Banjul, The Gambia was designated as the Tuskegee Sister City; therefore, he has worked closely with the country, The Gambia, for many years. Furthermore, he has served as Co-Chairman of the National Policy Alliance, which is an arm of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The National Policy Alliance Center for Political and Economic Studies is comprised of The National Bar Association, The Congressional Black Caucus, The World Conference of Mayors, The National Conference of Black Mayors, The National Association of Black County Officials, The National Black Caucus of School Board Members, Blacks in Government, The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, as well as the Joint Center For Political and Economic Development.The Honorable Ford has served as a former U.S. Presidential Appointee to the National Advisory Committee on Federalism, and the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. He is a past President of the Alabama League of Municipalities, and the first African-American in Alabama History to be elected to this statewide position.The Honorable Ford is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Founding President of the Tuskegee Optimist Club, a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and a member of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, the home church of Dr. Booker T. Washington.He is married to the Honorable Judge Joyce London Alexander, Retired, Former Chief U. S. Magistrate Judge, of the District of Massachusetts. She was the First Female Chief United States Magistrate Judge in the USA. She is Past Chair of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association, and of the Board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.He is also the proud father of three adult children…John, Christopher, and Tiffany…The Honorable Ford has four grandchildren. The Fords have a second home on Garden Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.© 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBAS

Rebecca Cokley is a Program Officer, developing the U.S. disability rights program strategy at the Ford Foundation. Prior to joining Ford, Rebecca was the co-founder and director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress (CAP). She was responsible for organizing a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 Presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms. Prior to her work at CAP, she served as the executive director for the National Council on Disability where she worked on sexual violence on college campuses, policing reform, and the civil rights of disabled parents. A three time Presidential Appointee, Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a successful stint at the White House where she oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama Administration.  Learn more about Rebecca and the Ford Foundation. Learn more about Cara Reedy. Learn more about The Passionistas Project. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, we're sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington. We founded the Passionistas Project to tell the stories of women who are following their passions and fighting for equality for all. The more we spoke with women for our podcast, subscription box and the annual Power of Passionistas Summit, the more we saw a common trait in all of them. They are unstoppable. Whether they chose to use their voices to start a women owned brand or fight for the rights of the marginalized, we found that all Passionistas are resilient, compassionate and persistent. Each year, we honor women who embody these qualities by presenting the Passionistas Persist Awards. This episode of the podcast is an interview with one of the 2022 recipients. Our final award this evening is the Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award, which honors a woman who spends her days in pursuit of equal rights and promoting human welfare for all people. The award is being presented by Cara Reedy, a journalist, actor, director and photographer. As the director of the Disabled Journalist Association, Cara knows that the world is missing out on some of the best stories on the planet, and the journalist in her knows that can't stand. Cara: I met Rebecca three years ago when I was interviewing her for a documentary I was working on at The Guardian. Literally, the moment we clapped eyes on each other, she screamed, "You don't get down with that LPA bullshit either." I knew we would be friends immediately. Rebecca is a second generation activist. She's been around since she could ride on her godmother's wheelchair to, uh, protest. She was the co-founder and director of the Disability Justice Initiative at Center for American Progress, where she built out a progressive policy platform that protected the rights and services disabled people depend on for survival and also developed an innovative solutions like a proposed disability disabled worker tax credit, and increased access to capital for disability owned small businesses. She stewarded a campaign that resulted in an unprecedented 12 presidential candidates developing disability policy platforms. She's a three-time presidential appointee. Rebecca served in key policy roles at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts for the Obama administration. I'm honored to present her with a Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award. Rebecca: Thank you so much, Cara. It is such a tremendous honor to accept the 2022 Passionistas Persist Humanitarian Award. 43 years ago, my parents, both people with dwarfism, recorded an interview for a local news station where they said that they hoped for a future for their child or people with dwarfism would not be jokes. Could achieve any job they desired and live a life free from discrimination. Their work as activists and advocates paved the road that led me to youth leadership programs, to the University of California, Santa Cruz, Go Banana Slugs, the White House, numerous campaigns and today at the Ford Foundation. As the mom of three, I find myself honestly wishing the same thing for my children. 43 years later. If there was anything I learned from my mom, a single mom who became a single mom when my dad left us after she got accepted into college, there was a lesson in persistence. Sometimes the only way out is through. And in troubling times like these, there is no one else I would rather be in the trenches with, working our way through all of this hot mess, than all of you fellow Passionistas. Thank you again for this tremendous honor. Cara: I always like to think about like how people grew up and like I grew up in a, in a house full of black people cuz we were black, that persisted through the Civil Rights Movement, but I didn't have a full understanding of like disability as an identity, how they intersect. Just I, I was a little behind kind of in my understanding of disability and oppression. How do you feel? You being a second generation, um, activist in this space has prepared you to attack the problem, the problems of oppression of disabled people. How did your understanding of your oppression as a child lead you to this and, um, having your parents kind of lead you to. Rebecca: My parents never hesitated to talk about either our oppression that we faced as people with the warism or the privilege that we faced. And you know, you see, I have a good trouble banner up in the background. Um, my dad was the son of a federal judge in Selma, Alabama. I have no problem using the term, a white supremacist federal judge in Selma, Alabama. Um, who. Routinely through Freedom Writers in Jail who oversaw the travesty. That was the Reverend James Reeb trial and who, uh, filed an injunction that made it, like, made it a violation of the law for three or more African Americans to congregate in Selma and talk about voting. And that history was never hidden from me. My parents were very open in talking about. How my dad was raised, how he was brought up, um, his parents and, and siblings perception of the world and their place in it. And you know, for my dad, yes, he was, you know, the younger son of this, this big time jackass of a judge. But my dad was also the only little person in his family. And so, you know, wherever they went, yes, he was the judge's kid, but he was also the d. Um, and his older brother had schizophrenia. So in a, in a very southern, very patriarchal family. Both sons were disabled. And I think that was something that was never lost on my dad. His, his brother became institutionalized when my dad was a teenager and his brother was in, was in his early twenties. Um, and so while yes, he grew up with a lot of privilege, he also grew up with a brother. You know, nobody talked about. Um, and then he was the heir, or, you know, you had the air and the spare if we're gonna, you know, use a, use a, um, a monarchy term. Um, and the spare was a little person. And so, uh, you know, my dad. Spent a lot of time thinking about what, what his life was like. And my dad grew up with gay friends in Alabama and saw how they were treated and ended up at a little people convention where he met my mom. Who was the, the number five of nine kids, all red haired flower children. And it was love at first sight. My dad went home to Alabama and packed up the 69 Camaro and drove her from Selma to San Francisco. Um, and they got married like six months after my mom turned 18. And, uh, my mom was also the only person with dwarfism in her family. And growing up at the bay at the height of the AIDS epidemic, my dad ran a Center for Independent Living. My mom ran a disabled student center at a community college. . And so they were losing friends and students and clients left and right. And I remember as a kid, like my parents skipping my ice skating lesson for us to go to funerals. And I remember like being like, Why are we going to another funeral? And my parents being like, Nobody deserves to die alone. Like, we have a responsibility to show up for people. Um, and that was always my parents' core value. And you know, we would talk about things like, I remember. When I had the realization that my dad's best friend was gay. And I remember asking my dad, Why does Uncle Don's roommate come with us whenever we go anywhere? Like, why, why does, why does Mark come with us? And my dad was like, Well, that's his, you know, that's his roommate. And my mom was like, Come on, Billy, Like, give me a break. And my dad was like, That's his partner. They love each other. And like, I was six. And so it was like, Oh, they love each other. Ok, that's cool. Like whatever. Um, you know, so my parents were really open in both talking about sort of the, the ways they moved about the world, but also the fact that like, that there was oppression and that we had to talk about it, and that it wasn't always like stiff upper lip or, you know, pick yourself up from the bootstraps. That there are days that it really sucks being a disabled person and like they didn't hide that. . Cara: You also kind of touched on like grief being a really big part of being disabled. I don't say that lightly. But what I, whenever I say this or, or bring up something that's negative around disability, people are like, We knew it. And it's like, no, not, you don't really get it. Like, that's not what we mean by that. But it's, but there is a level of grief that is involved in being disabled. Um, because the systems let you down so often. How do you navigate your grief, um, to keep moving? Rebecca: I was in your spot and I was interviewing Senator Tammy Duckworth, um, when we launched the project that I was running at the time at the Center for American Progress. And I asked her about it, um, as a disabled woman veteran, and she said, You know, Becca, sometimes you just have to embrace the. And I thought that phrase was so perfect, and I was like, I've never heard anyone just say it like that. And she was like, Yeah, there's days. It totally sucks. Um, and there's days that it's really rough. And that's, that's the reality. And we don't tell the, we don't do any of us a service by not being willing to talk about that. And I think as a, you know, as a kid, growing, My parents, um, handled people staring at us very differently. My dad being a southern kid and being a judge of son, was it, you know, eternal politician would go be like, Hi, my name is Billy. And me like, I was sitting in the corner like going like at like six and I remember the first time I did that and my mom, like the other parent, grabbed my mom and was like, Do you know that your child just flipped off my. and my mom pulled me aside and was like, Did you just flip them off? And I was like, No. I gave them the finger. And she was like, That's what that means, . Um, and I was like, Why is it okay for them to act that way towards me in public? Like, why am I supposed to be, um, okay with it? Um, you know, it's not okay. And like if I can't act that way in public, Like, why are they allowed to act that way? And my mom was always like, Well, you know, different people are raised differently and whatever. But like there are moments like I find even now as a parent watching my kids grow up. Um, and, you know, two, three years of a pandemic meant my kids weren't in school with their peers all of this time. They were remote learning. And I remember my son's response the first time. He saw his best friends from, that he had been going to school with from kindergarten on after this break. And he was like, Mom, they got really tall. And I was like, Yeah, they did. And he was like, Oh. and it was a reminder for my hus, like my son is a, is a jock. He loves sports, he's super outgoing. But I remember when I was on softball teams and I remember when it got to the point where my 100% was literally dwarfed by their 100%. And no matter how hard I tried, like I couldn't keep. And that's like, and, and going through that period of time. And I remember coming across a, a book on dwarfism, um, recently actually that had my mom's story in it. And my mom talked about how when she was 16, my grandpa, to me woods just north of San Francisco and with the family of nine kids, nobody got alone time with parents. It just doesn't happen. And my grandfather sat in the car with my mom in the, in the Volkswagen bug that they had and told her she was never gonna get any. And, and her talking about her morning process and like that wasn't something my parents took for me. And so, you know, there are days when it sucks. I mean, I remember there was a job I really wanted a vice president for health justice for, for a progressive women's organization. I was a finalist. And then they called me to tell me I wasn't getting the job. And what they said, and I quote was, Our organization is not ambitious enough to hire someone. Oh, and I was like, What the, like what the hell? Like, am I, is that a compliment? Is it an insult? Like, how do I even take that? And I remember being like, Oh, okay, like you're proud that your organization has such a ba like backwards view about the world. Um, you know, And so I think it's just, it doesn't, doesn't mean you're not proud in who you are. It actually means that you have just. Like, you know who you are. I've spent a lot of time like investigating ableism that like ableist ideas I have and um, I feel like you end up kind of almost mourning that like period where you're like, Oh, this isn't gonna get any better. Like, it's always gonna be like this, but that's okay cuz I know how to do. And you have people to do it with. I think, you know, growing up with community, with people with all different types of disabilities, with role models, with dwarfism, um, had such a positive impact on me because, you know, did I know when I was like a teenager that like the people that I looked up to had the same insecurities and fears and whatnot that I didn't know they were the cool teenager. Who managed to get their parents to pay for altering acid washed jeans and let them crimp their hair like they were cool. Um, and like being able to see that was really important. Being able to, um, . I remember the first time I ever saw a porn and I was at my godmother's bridal shower and I was, I was, 15 and in a room with a whole bunch of women with a whole bunch of different types of disabilities. There were deaf women, there were cerebral palsy, there were women who used communication boards to talk. It was like the most like pro feminist, rabel, rousing crew of like disabled, crippled women on the face of the planet. And this porn came on. And I remember just like being like, I dunno what to do with this Ok, this is interesting. And like they thought it was the funniest thing on the face of the planet. I remember just being. This room of like real, like what does it say that this room of really, like, we're sitting here laughing at the ables doing like sex acts on TV as a room of like disabled women and just being like, this is funny. Like, right, this is funny. Like, am I supposed to laugh at this? And I remember my mom just be like, I cannot believe I'm watching this with my 15 year old daughter. Um, you know, and, and I think it's moments like that where, You share space or, I mean, as, um, my, Patrick and I just watched almost Famous the other night and they talk about the, the currency of being collectively uncool. Mm. And I think there's something about that, like among other disabled people or among other people from other diverse communities too. Cause I've found similar, um, similar support and comfort among like my black women friends. You know, one of my biggest frustrations is, doing media and having the article come out later that's like little person, big, whatever. Or you know, Rebecca's personality is so big. I never noticed she was small and it's so enraging cuz it's like, so you don't understand my reality and you don't know me. From the time I wake up in a bed that's oversized and huge and made by Restoration Hardware and I have to high jump to get on it, even though I really love it. Um, I wake up in a world that's been structured for average type people, so I have to talk to you like a child because you're acting like a child. Um, you know, And so I think that there is this, I I watch media claim to try to. But that would actually require, as, you know, like the, the labor that comes with doing the work versus being able to say, Well, let's just like slap a reality show tag on it and call it a day. Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and you are listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast. Are you looking for the perfect holiday gift for the women in your life? Visit ThePassionistasProject.com to order our subscription box filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire women to follow their passions. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code WINTERMYSTERY. Now here's more of the Passionista Persist Award ceremony. Cara: I find there's a lot of. Language around sensitivity. Like, Oh, we are going to be sensitive to, to disabled people. And I'm like, well, I don't care about your sensitivity because this is fake sensitivity. What I need you to do is do your job and investigate things. I don't care about your feelings. Which kind of brings me to my next question about you building out your the Ford Disability Program. I, I feel like one of the things that you do the best, you do a lot of things great, but like one of the bigger, biggest things is that you're such a connector, but you not only connect dots, but you. You understand how to fund them and like it's, it's been amazing to watch just from the little bit. I know. Can you talk a little bit about how you've approached kind of building this groundbreaking sort of platform and base for so long? Rebecca: The number one thing holding back work in the disability rights and justice base. We don't have money. And so I remember, um, when I was at the National Council on Disability, I should know even before that, I remember when I was working for President Obama and I needed to find people with disabilities that were experts in housing policy. And I made like 30 calls and I couldn't find anybody. I was just like, Oh my God, this has, this is ridiculous. Why is there this problem? And you know, part of the problem is because people with disabilities live in a state of legalized, codified poverty. And so folks don't go to college or can't go to college, can't afford going to college, or if they go to college they can't work. Cause if they work, they lose their health insurance. Um, and I remember just being like, what would it be like if like money wasn't the problem? Like, what could we build? And so I started years ago building this list that was originally entitled things that We Need. And it was like a cross disability rights community housing portfolio, like policy agenda. Like what, what do we like? What are the issues? What are the problems, et cetera. Um, like what else do we need? Why do we keep, I remember saying like, why do we keep funding exoskeleton? When disabled people by the thousands die every year as a result of bed sores, like Jesus, do we need another GA exoskeleton? And why is money going to this? And people are like, Oh, the, the averages and the ables are like, Oh, it's exoskeleton. So, yeah, but I'd rather not die of a bed. So, um, and so I just started building a list and then, uh, when I was asked to apply for the job at Ford, the list became a bit more formal and turned into cool shit. I want the Ford Foundation to fund at the back of a notebook and in it, um, I'm very specifically laid out like, we need a place doing work on immigration reform. We need to fund work, uh, supporting. Native and indigenous folks with disabilities. Um, we need a disabled journalist organization. We need a disabled, or we need an organization of disabled doctors. Um, you know, especially during this pandemic. And so much of the, the health reporting is just so crappy. So if we have good journalists and we have good doctors, like as a package deal, we can, we can move something forward. Um, you know, and real like, I need a disabled economist. I wanna be able to break down the numbers. So we can actually tell the real story around disability and poverty and like, if we're talking about reparations, have we thought about how reparations would impact disabled African Americans? No, we haven't. Well, how do we make sure they don't screw African American disabled folks? Um, and can I get an economist to build out that work because I know we're really gonna need it, but no one's doing it. Um, and that's like the most fun part of the job is sometimes just like sitting back and being like, Okay. So if we get this, this, and this, like what's the next thing? What would be really cool to do? Like who? And also at the same time being at a place like Ford, like I joke all the time that when I was at the White House, everyone took my calls. No, like 90% of people took my calls. 100% of people take my calls when you give away money. . And I was lucky that I had friends that worked in the foundation space that were like, Enjoy it now. Cause when your time is up, nobody will answer your calls. They're like, so like, use it. Um, and so continually thinking of like, what are the spaces we need to be in and how can I use. The privilege that I have in my role at the Ford Foundation to get our people into those spaces and make sure that they're supported in those spaces and that they can thrive in those spaces. Cause it's not just getting in the door. Cause like you can get in the door and then be surrounded by a room full of assholes. Um, but how do we make sure it's the right door? How do we make sure whatever we're funding is set up to thrive? How do we make sure the people on the other end get it and are going to, to, to truly welcome and embrace, um, not just accept, but amplify and support disabled folks and disabled issues in that way. And, you know, I think through my career, like having the, the sort of sense of scale of the community that I do and sort of the sense of the progressive world as it is, you know, just always continually like keeping, keeping track of who's doing cool work, Like who's doing something that's really neat. Who's doing something that's different.. And is there a way that we can fund it? And if not us can I like connect them with another funder that can help support their work? Cara: Your kids are third generation now activist, and they're already Rebecca: Mouthy, obnoxious, persistent. Cara: They're persistent, which is, they're persistent. Where do you hope to get the disability right? Civil rights space to hand off to them? Rebecca: I want them to not have to choose whether they're black or they're disabled. Like I want them to be able to walk in a space, whether it be a disability, majority space, um, uh, African American majority space, and be welcomed and celebrated and support. For who they are, regardless of who their mother is. And what I had to do to, to lovingly encourage those organizations to stop being butt heads and let them in. I want them in those places and thriving, you know, if they, if they wanna be. I've made a point of never running for office in LPA because my mom did that my entire life. And I told myself I was not going to be an LPA officer because I wanted to be the parent at the pool with my kids. I wanted to know who their friends. I wanted their friends to know me. Um, and, you know, if they want to move in these spaces, I want them to feel comfortable with it. I want Kaya to be proud of the fact that Elizabeth Warren made her pinky promise to consider running for president one day that Elizabeth Warren called her to ask her about her presidential platform that you po that she had me post on Twitter, you know, and at the same time, I want ki if Kai wants to say, You know what? I wanna be a teacher instead, or I wanna be a mom. I want those choices to be her choices and not choices she feels are imposed on her or limited by society. And I want Kendrick to feel okay for just being an average. You know, I want good jobs for, for average kids like. Light bulb turner is just not good enough. Like person who hands down stuff to their mom from the top shelf at the grocery store. No. Like he can go to college too. He can do real things. Cara: What are you most passionate about? Rebecca: It's hard in this moment to think about things that we're fighting for. You know, like I won't, I frankly, am struggling like a lot of people and figuring out what is it I'm passionate about in this very moment because it's hard to feel excited about stuff as a disabled person and watching society be like, Oh, we're just going back to normal. And like I was talking to somebody recently and they're like, Well, as we go back and our grantees go back to to the office, and I was like, Who's grantees? I was like, my grantees aren't going back to work. My grantees are still afraid of going outside and dying. My grantees are mad that they have to take a, you take a bus to the pharmacy to get some damn in 90 fives, because our government didn't think enough about sticking them in the box with the task kits. I wanna get to a place where I can be like positively passionate about something I adamantly despise. And I pour JK Rowling in all of the horrible things she says and does. But as somebody that grew up, uh, reading Harry Potter as a, a late stage adolescent slash early adult, I remember like reading the first book on the plane when I realized that they wouldn't card me as a little person on the plane. And like drinking a Corona at like 19 on a plane was like the first Harry Potter. But I have a, I have a tattoo that says constant vigilance, um, which is Mad Eye Moody's, a constant warning throughout, um, book four. And I got that tattooed when Trump became president because I never wanted to take my eyes off of what was happening. I knew it would be really easy to turn away and just be like, I'm just not gonna listen to that guy. He's a reality show. Blow. And we need to be in the fight. And so I dream I, I am passionate about getting to a day where I don't have to be constantly vigilant. Tell us about a time you persisted back when I was at the Center for American Progress and we were starting to talk about the 2020 election, and I remember a colleague of mine. A dude who, um, was overseeing some parts of my work and may have contributed to giving me more aggressive migraines, which I still live with today. I'd never realized that somebody could actually give you a disability, but like this person gave me an extra disability and like I never even got to thank them for that said to me. What are the two or three things that you would like to see presidential campaigns buy into as it relates to your people? And so at the time we were thinking, well, elimination of sub wage marriage equality for disabled folks on SSI and means tested programs, um, greater funding of special education and home and community based services, HCPs were like, Those are the four things. And I remember sitting there and being like, Yeah, that. And I remember getting a phone call as I was walking through the airport, um, and I answered it and it was from a, a five 10 number, so it was Oakland and I answered it and it was a staffer for then Senator Kamala Harris. And they were like, Hey, so we wanna build a disability platform like it's own standalone platform. We don't just wanna like weave stuff into. The senator is is talking about, but like we want our own standalone. Like this is where she stands on these issues. And mind you, at this point in time, there were 25 Democrats running for president. So the field was beyond full. Um, and I remember talking to them as I like walked through the airport and being like, Well we could, like, these are like the four things. And they're like, Well, what else? And so I remember being like, Well, you know, we could look at, let's break down income inequality. Let's make sure that any income data is broken down by race and disability and race and disability together. Um, and they were like, Huh, okay, that's cool. You know, we talked about a couple other things and, and the phone, and then we hung up the phone. Then like three days later the phone rang and it was Senator Booker's staff, and they were like, Cory wants a disability platform. And so what I realized at the time, there were a couple things. One, everyone was looking for a way to stand out. And everyone was looking for a, a piece of vote that hadn't been claimed yet. Um, and the other part was on the cap website. Disability was right between climate and the economy. And so as they were going through pulling platform ideas from the organization, Like putting disability between climate and the economy. Alphabetically was genius because they were just like, Oh, let's call the disability people. Hey, I guess we need to have a disability platform. Cap says we should have it. Like, let's do that. I remember like after talking to, um, to, to Senator Booker staff being like, you could get bigger than this. What if it's not just four bullet points? What if we could get every can. To have a platform. And I remember people at my office being like, Oh, that's never gonna happen. And mind you, these were the same people that told us, Oh, this project's never gonna do anything. No one's ever gonna give you money. Like, ho hum, whatever. This is a trend. It'll go away eventually. Um, and then I remember actually like getting towards the end. And we had had, um, Pete Budha judges' platform come out and, and hiring Emily Vorge as a, as a campaign staffer. Um, Secretary Castro, Senator Warren. Um, and at that point we were waiting on, on on, on, uh, Senator Sanders's platform. And I was on a train and my phone rang and it was a a two one oh number. And so I answered the phone and it was Secretary Castro. And I was like, hello, this is Rebecca. And he is like, hey Rebecca, it's Julian. How are you? And I was like, Good. And he's like, look, I'm just calling to say thank. For what you did for writing that platform for us, I'm really proud of it. We're really excited and like this is massive for people with disabilities, for Texans with disabilities. He's like, this was a learning moment for me. And we talked for about 10 minutes on the train and I hung up the phone and never in my entire life had I ever received a call from any of the candidates I had worked with. And then the next week, Senator Warren called to say thank you. And to date, they are the two political candidates, um, that I've ever called to thank me for my work. Called me personally and just been like, Thank you. It was awesome. Like we learned. And it blew my mind because like, like I had expected we would get some things done. I expected, I was like, maybe we'll have an impact. But to see then Secretary Castro stand on the debate stage and get asked a question about education. And him talk about, and then also specifically turn it around to turn it into a disability question to see Senator Warren take a disability question, See, you know, second now Secretary Buttigieg. Um, to see Senator Sanders talk about home and community based services after he released a 40 page plan that included everything and the kitchen sink. God bless Bernie. And then to have to fight Biden and Biden's people who were my friends that I had worked with in the white. On putting out their disability platform and actually having to create a hashtag, hashtag access to Joe to shame them that he was the last man standing. We still didn't have a platform. And um, finally getting that out and then being able to take a app and just being like, I'm gonna take a nap now. Like, and then somebody was like, But what about Marion Williamson and Andrew Yang? And I was like, Nope. Had nothing to do with them. B bye bye . Um, you know, and today to still have the relationship. Secretary Castro and his team and Senator Warren and that they haven't given up. It wasn't a fluke, and if we hadn't have fought for it, we wouldn't have gotten it. Cara: Why is it important for women to lift each other up? Rebecca: We have a responsibility to do things better than previous generations, you know, and Richards used to say there's a special place in health for women that don't support each other, and I totally believe that that's true. Cara: What does the Power of Passionista mean to you? Rebecca: It's the power of the fight. It's the power of not giving up. Um, it's the power of the possible. The thinking about in this moment, feeling not excited about the world, but still not losing hope, like still having hope that we will get to a place where. Um, we can live our fullest lives, be bring our whole selves unabashedly and proudly and excitedly to whatever table we go to. Or if we don't like a table, you know what? We pull out a chainsaw. We saw the damn thing down. Set it on fire and we have a campfire and we set a campfire that we can all bring our whole selves to. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the awards presentation with Rebecca Cokley and thanks to Cara Reedy for the amazing interview. To learn more about Cara and the Disabled Journalist Association, follow her on social media at InfamouslyShort. To learn more about Rebecca's work as the program officer for US disability rights, visit FordFoundation.org. And if you're looking for the perfect holiday gift for the women in your life, visit ThePassionistasProject.com to order our subscription box filled with products by women, own businesses, and female artisans. To inspire women to follow their passions, get a free mystery box with a one year subscription using the code WINTERMYSTERY. And be sure to subscribe to the Passionistas Project Podcast so you don't miss any of our upcoming inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.

Episode 260 features Laura Gassner Otting, an Author, Catalyst, and Coach and through Limitless Possibility, Laura collaborates with change agents, entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and donors to push past the doubt and indecision that consign great ideas to limbo.Find Laura Online:Website: http://lauragassnerotting.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heylgoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heylgoTwitter: https://twitter.com/heylgoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKtrsI8y-nZ-iLizqUz_2CQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heylgoAbout Laura:Laura Gassner Otting helps people get “unstuck” — and achieve extraordinary results.Through Limitless Possibility, Laura collaborates with change agents, entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and donors to push past the doubt and indecision that consign great ideas to limbo. She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and a catalytic perspective informed by decades of navigating change across the start-up, nonprofit, political, and philanthropic landscapes.Laura's 25-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at a respected nonprofit search firm, Isaacson, Miller, to expand the startup ExecSearches.com; and founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with the full gamut of mission-driven nonprofit executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. She is the author of Mission-Driven, a book for those moving from profit to purpose, and most recently the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list, right behind Michelle Obama, and which Good Morning America's Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019.Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women's philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women's PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed three charity-inspired marathons—projects emblematic of her passions and values. She's turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can't seem to shake. She's an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she's never met a revolution she didn't like.........Thank you for listening! If you wanted to learn more about the host, Brian Ondrako, check out his “Now” Page - https://www.brianondrako.com/now or Sign up for his Weekly Newsletter and 3x a Week Blog - https://brianondrako.com/subscribe/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ginger Miller, a Board of Governors (Presidential Appointee) Member for the USO and President and CEO of Women Veterans Interactive, joins the Airmen Helping Airmen Podcast with Kaleth Wright to discuss veteran homelessness in the United States.