Podcasts about starlight children

From Hollywood Hits to Finding Happy: Peter Samuelson's Mission to Lift Others Peter Samuelson could have stayed in Hollywood, producing box-office hits like Revenge of the Nerds and The Return of the Pink Panther. Instead, he utilized his storytelling and leadership skills to rewrite the script of his life, founding seven nonprofits that empower society's most overlooked individuals, including those in foster care. In this inspiring episode, Peter reveals the decisive moments that shaped him, like a life-changing nudge from a 10th-grade teacher and his father's unwavering belief in education. We explore his journey from film sets to social impact, from co-founding the Starlight Children's Foundation with Emma Samms and STARBRIGHT World with Steven Spielberg, to building First Star, a program that sends 90% of foster teens to college. Peter also shares the wisdom behind his new book, Finding Happy, a field guide for Gen Z and Millennials navigating life's complexities. Packed with insight, humour, and “madcap adventures,” it's a reminder that long-term happiness isn't about fame or fortune—it's about helping others. If you're looking for hope, purpose, and 'finding happy', don't miss this conversation. Andrea Barrack returns to the show to talk about the role organizations can play to support individuals and communities.    

Here's what to expect on the podcast:Peter's unexpected journey from Hollywood film producer to full-time philanthropist.How Peter founded life-changing nonprofits, such as Starlight Children's Foundation and First Star.Stories that highlight the power of compassion in action.Insights from Peter's book Finding Happy and how it guides young adults through chaos toward purpose.And much more! About Peter:Peter Samuelson is a veteran film producer behind MORE THAN two dozen feature films, including cult classics like Revenge of the Nerds, Tom & Viv, and Arlington Road. He is a trailblazing philanthropist and a social entrepreneur who has spent decades using storytelling and innovation to change lives.He has founded 7 groundbreaking nonprofits, including cofounding the Starlight Children's Foundation and Starbright World Online Network. He is the founder of  First Star Academies, that partners with universities and local CPS to house, educate, inspire, and enable foster youth while in high school and to prepare them for college and to self-advocate. He also launched EDAR, the “Everyone Deserves A Roof” initiative, to provide shelter for the unhoused, and ASPIRE — a media training academy for undergraduates outside of traditional film schools, built on the values of social responsibility.And now, he's added “author” to the list. His new book, Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life, With Lessons From Mine, is part memoir, part life manual — offering hard-won wisdom for millennials, Gen X, and anyone looking to live more meaningfully in a chaotic world.Peter has been married to his wife Saryl for 35 years and continues to fight every day for those less fortunate, chief among them abused and neglected children. Connect with Peter Samuelson!Website: https://www.samuelson.la/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersamuelson/First Star: https://www.firststar.org/Check out Peter's book, Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life, with Lessons from Mine, on Amazon! https://tinyurl.com/5fx4k4dw----- If you're struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor, BetterHelp.Visit https://betterhelp.com/candicesnyder for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.*This is a paid promotionIf you are in the United States and in crisis, or any other person may be in danger -Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Dial 988----- Connect with Candice Snyder!Website: https://www.podpage.com/passion-purpose-and-possibilities-1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candicebsnyder?_rdrPassion, Purpose, and Possibilities Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/passionpurposeandpossibilitiescommunity/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passionpurposepossibilities/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicesnyder/Shop For A Cause With Gifts That Give Back to Nonprofits: https://thekindnesscause.com/Fall In Love With Artists And Experience Joy And Calm: https://www.youtube.com/@movenartrelaxation

Hollywood promised him meaning. Instead, it handed him neurosis, vanity, and burnout disguised as success. But what Peter Samuelson built after walking away from that illusion? That's the story no one tells—and the one that might just change your life. In Part 2 of this unfiltered conversation, Peter takes us beyond the glamour into the gritty truth of the film industry's collapse, the mirage of fame, and why true happiness lives in the unexpected places most of us avoid. This isn't just a masterclass in storytelling— It's a wake-up call to every creator, leader, and soul searcher who's tired of chasing the spotlight and ready to build something real.

What if the very thing you think will make you happy is the thing that's quietly killing you? Peter Samuelson produced 27 Hollywood films, worked alongside Peter Sellers, Steve McQueen, and Steven Spielberg, and stood at the epicenter of power, fame, and money. But none of it—not the red carpets, not the billion-dollar budgets—brought him what he was really after. . That only came when he met a dying child with one last wish. That moment shattered his world—and rebuilt his purpose. . In this raw, no-BS episode, Peter Samuelson takes us behind the scenes of his evolution from “successful film producer” to serial pro-social entrepreneur. From co-founding the Starlight Children's Foundation with Spielberg to launching the world's first avatar-based social network for terminally ill teens, his journey is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership. . And along the way? Practical jokes with Peter Sellers. Motocross requests from Steve McQueen. A $2.5M surprise donation from Spielberg. And the realization that happiness has nothing to do with success, and everything to do with what you're willing to sacrifice for others. .

Peter Samuelson is an extraordinary figure—a true Renaissance man whose impact spans film, philanthropy, and literature. His work as a producer on films like 'Revenge of the Nerds' and 'Return of the Pink Panther' shows his knack for storytelling, while founding seven charities, including the Starlight Children's Foundation with Steven Spielberg, highlights his commitment to social good. His upcoming book, 'Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life, With Lessons From Mine', seems poised to inspire young adults and parents alike, drawing from his remarkable life. A UK-born "giant" in every sense, Samuelson's ability to scale walls—literal and figurative—defines his legacy as a serial pro-social entrepreneur, husband, father, and grandfather.

Peter Samuelson is an extraordinary figure—a true Renaissance man whose impact spans film, philanthropy, and literature. His work as a producer on films like 'Revenge of the Nerds' and 'Return of the Pink Panther' shows his knack for storytelling, while founding seven charities, including the Starlight Children's Foundation with Steven Spielberg, highlights his commitment to social good. His upcoming book, 'Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life, With Lessons From Mine', seems poised to inspire young adults and parents alike, drawing from his remarkable life. A UK-born "giant" in every sense, Samuelson's ability to scale walls—literal and figurative—defines his legacy as a serial pro-social entrepreneur, husband, father, and grandfather.

The Stuph File Program Featuring film producer, Peter Samuelson, author of Finding Happy: A User's Guide To Your Life, With Lessons From Mine; Natasha Marsh, co-owner of The Dorchester Jail Bed & Breakfast; & Stuart Nulman with Book Banter Download Legendary film producer, Peter Samuelson, the author of Finding Happy: A User's Guide To Your Life, With Lessons From Mine. He's also the founder of The Starlight Children's Foundation and FirstStar.org. Natasha Marsh is the co-owner, along with her husband, Bill Steele, of the Dorchester Jail Bed & Breakfast in New Brunswick. They live in the 150 year old prison and have turned it into a bed and breakfast where people can spend the night behind bars. Stuart Nulman with another edition of Book Banter. This week's reviewed title is Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live by Susan Morrison (Random House, $48).You can also read Stuart's articles in The Main and at BestStory.ca. This week's guest slate is presented by Matt Cundill, owner of Sound Off Podcast Network.

I have been looking forward to talking with our guest, Louise Baxter, for several months. I met Louise through one of our regular podcast guest finders, accessiBe's own Sheldon Lewis. Louise has always lived in Sydney Australia although she has done her share of traveling around the world. She attended some college at night although she never did complete a college degree. Don't let that prejudice you, however. Her life experiences and knowledge rival anyone whether they have a college degree or not.   While attending college Louise worked in clerical positions with some marketing firms. Over time she attained higher positions and began working as a brand or product manager for a number of large well-known companies.   At some point she decided that she wanted to bring a more human-service orientation to her work and left the commercial world to work in not for profit organizations. Part of her work was with the Starlight Foundation in Australia, but she didn't feel she was challenged as much as she wanted to be. So, in 2007 she left Starlight, but in 2009 the Starlight board convinced her to come back as the CEO of the organization.   Louise has brought an extremely positive thinking kind of management style to her work. Starlight in general has to be quite positive as it works to ease the burden of sick children in hospitals and at home. You will get to hear all about Captain Starlight and all the many ways the foundation Louise directs has such a positive impact on sick children around Australia. The life lessons Louise discusses are relevant in any kind of work. I am certain you will come away from this episode more inspired and hopefully more positive about your own life and job.       About the Guest:   LOUISE BAXTER is Chief Executive Officer, Starlight Children's Foundation. Louise has significant experience in senior roles in the commercial and NFP sectors and is described as an “inspiring and authentic leader”. In 2009 Louise returned to the NFP sector as Starlight's Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. Louise's focus on exceptional experiences and relationships has seen improved metrics across all areas of Starlight. Louise is regularly asked to speak on topics such a positivity, organisational resilience, diversity, and innovation. She is passionate about the creation of organisational purpose and believes this is key to delivering maximum impact through people. She practices positive leadership and has been successful in developing high performing teams within a culture where change is embraced, and innovation is embedded.   Always thinking like a marketer…. Louise's personal journey and reasons behind the shift from corporate to the For Purpose sector. After more than 20 years in marketing and advertising in roles at ARNOTTS, Accor & Johnson & Johnson & in agencies such as Leo Burnett working on brands from Mortein to Coco pops, Louise's journey and the insights she brings as CEO are unique. The very first time Louise became aware of Starlight was actually doing a promotion for one of her clients (when she was in sales/marketing) who was partnering with Starlight. Just seeing the work of Starlight, made her feel so pleased that there was now something that changed and reframed the hospitalization and treatment experience for families like a family she knew as a child with a child suffering from leukemia.    The business acumen needed to thrive and succeed in the For Purpose sector. Often the perception is NFP is a step into the slow lane. Far from it. Louise refers to leading Starlight as if it is in ‘eternal start up mode' and bringing business acumen, finding ways to be efficient and driving growth.     Our business… is the business of brightening lives…. The business growth and success of Starlight since she began from 65 people & 120,000 positive experiences delivered to children, to a team of more than 300 delivering over 1million++ positive Starlight experiences to seriously ill children including more than 13,000 children's Starlight wishes granted.   Louise has lead Starlight through some of the most challenging times. Her positive impact has seen Starlight grow from strength to strength. Starlight enjoys a tremendously creative and innovative culture. Including ‘Most Innovative Company' accolade - an achievement which was achieved under Louise's Leadership.   Starlight Programs growth will be stronger over the next 3 years than it would have been without Covid as programs which Transform and Connect rebuild and programs which Entertain grow. As does fundraising as we layer our face-to-face events back over our digital innovations which have taken off.  We have our creative/innovative culture to thank for this. Stories of personal connections made with Starlight children & families who began their journey more than 20 years ago and flourished thanks to the work of Starlight, including now adults Nathan Cavaleri and Dylan Allcott OAM.   Over the years Louise has been personally involved in many of Starlight's fundraising campaigns, once literally putting her body on the line as she flew over the handlebars and was carried away from the cycling course injured on Great Adventure Challenge.     Storytelling is at the heart of Starlight's success, growth & behind the organisations' ability to connect its stakeholders to its purpose. Louise's has largely led this approach to drive advocacy, differentiation & brand recognition – now one of Australia's most recognised children's charities Passionate about DEI: One of the first things Louise did as CEO was to deliberately approach diversity at Starlight and this continues today. To effectively support the people & families we support, our team members need to reflect this. DEI is addressed at every level.. Inc Board & Exec split to Captains in SER.    Louise considers herself very lucky – her birthday is actually on International Women's Day: IWD, 8 March. She is an active member of Chief Executive Women, an advocate for female empowerment & equity and in incredible role model.   Ways to connect with Louise:   Starlight Children's Foundation Australia Website: www.starlight.org.au Louise Baxter's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/louisebaxter   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone. Welcome once again to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. It's a fun thing to say I am your host. Mike Hingson, our guest today is the CEO of the starlight foundation in Australia, Louise Baxter, we met Louise through Sheldon Lewis and accessibe, which is always fun. Sheldon is a good supplier of folks, and we can't complain a bit about that. It's a good thing. And so today we're going to learn about Starlight Foundation, and we're going to learn about Louise, and we'll see what else we learned. That's why it's often called the unexpected. Meet anyway, Louise, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Louise Baxter ** 02:04 Thank you, Michael, it's lovely to be here.   Michael Hingson ** 02:08 Well, why don't we start the way I love to start. Why don't you tell us kind of about the early Louise growing up and some of those sorts of things and adventures you got into, or anything that you want to divulge? Okay,   Louise Baxter ** 02:20 alright. Well, I live in Sydney, Australia, and have done my whole life I've traveled a lot, but I've remained here in Sydney. And so life in Sydney was just blissful. And I think what I remember most is just having fun with my friends. It was back in the day where, as a child, you'd leave home on your bike early in the morning, and nobody expected you back till later, often in the afternoon, before dinner, and we had Bush nearby. I can remember catching tadpoles I sailed from the age of eight. My father was a skiff sailor here in Australia and and I had my first time in a Sabo at age eight, we went to the beach a lot, so there was surfing and fun in the sun. I played a lot of sports. So I'm a netball player, which is kind of similar to basketball, but a bit different. I played squash, so a lot of things happening, a very busy life, and I grew up. And I think this is the important thing with parents who were not well off themselves, but were, I mean, we were. We had a lovely life, but they were always raising funds, and our house was a center for raising funds for people who were less fortunate, or that helping out with the local netball club and things like that. So, so I grew up with parents who were very committed to working hard but always giving back, even though they weren't, you know, high net worth people themselves. So I think that's, you know, a great basis for for who I am today.   Michael Hingson ** 04:18 So you went to school and and all those sorts of things like everybody else did. How did your attitude about dealing with people who were probably less fortunate than many and so on really affect what you did in school? Or did you really sort of hone that found that that that spirit later? No,   Louise Baxter ** 04:42 no, I was always involved at school and raising funds. And even, you know, it took us a couple of busses to get to the beach back in the day. So I was in a local youth group, and we made a decision to raise the funds so that we could have one of the fathers, so that we could. Buy a bus, have one of the fathers drive the bus and get us to the beach on Saturday in quick time. So always looking for ways to never taking no or that's hard for an answer, I suppose, always being able to be part of the solution and get things done. So that was happening while I was at school as well.   Michael Hingson ** 05:21 That's kind of cool. So you bought a bus so that everybody could get to the beach. How many people were there that had to get there and use the bus? We   Louise Baxter ** 05:28 had about 40 or 50 people. And during the school holidays, we convinced one of the, a couple of the parents to take us on a trip through far west into, I'm supposing, what into our outback. So we went into kind of desert type lands, and we camped and a shearing a sheep station let us sleep in the shearing sheds overnight. So that was quite an adventure as well. And we did that for one school holidays on that bus.   Michael Hingson ** 06:02 So was the the bus? Well, who owned the bus was it? Was it a school bus, or who owned it   Louise Baxter ** 06:09 the youth group that we, the group did fundraising? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 06:13 cool, yeah. That's pretty unique.   Louise Baxter ** 06:17 I have great memories of that with, you know, green tree frogs in the toilets. Whenever you went to use a bathroom, they were always there looking at you and all of those kind of funny things that you remember, you know, watching and learning farm life and seeing some of the animals sitting on the fence while they were being branded and castrated and all kinds of things, but from as a city kid that was that was really valuable,   Michael Hingson ** 06:47 pretty and unique, but certainly the experience was well worth it, as long as you embraced   Speaker 1 ** 06:53 it. Yes, exactly, yeah. So   Michael Hingson ** 06:57 does that bus still exist today? Or does the youth group still exists now with new youth, that's a very long time ago. Michael, well, I didn't know whether it might have continued with new youth,   Louise Baxter ** 07:07 no. And I, you know, moved locations in Sydney, so I'm not quite sure what's happening there. Now, it'd   Michael Hingson ** 07:14 be exciting if new youth came along and took it over, but yeah, things happen and things evolve.   Louise Baxter ** 07:22 I'm just gonna say their parents probably drive them everywhere now. Yeah, it's   Michael Hingson ** 07:26 gonna say probably the adventure isn't quite the same as it used to be. No   Louise Baxter ** 07:30 exactly,   Michael Hingson ** 07:31 and, and that has its pluses, I suppose, and its minuses, but there, there are also more scary things in one sense in the world now than there used to be. Don't you think,   Louise Baxter ** 07:43 yeah, there are, well, there could be, or maybe, maybe we know more about it now because of our media and communications. So you know, all the kind of predators that impact you as children were around then, I suppose the accidents in cars are up because use of cars has increased. So, yeah, there are. There are different things that impact people nowadays. But us human beings, we're pretty resilient and and we always work out a way through, yeah, well, there's also, there's also a story from my childhood that I think is very relevant for what I do at Starlight, and that story is that you know how you have those family friends, who you grow up with, and you go on holidays with, etc. Well, that family for us, their eldest son was diagnosed with cancer, and back then, survival rates for cancer were very different to what they are today, and much lower. And he died when I was about 12, but as a child, I observed him suffering the pain of the treatment, and there was nothing like Starlight back then. And I saw also the impact that his illness had on his family. And I often think back to him, to those moments now that I'm at Starlight, because Starlight would have changed that situation and made it very different and far more positive for that boy and his family, and I think about about him and what they went through kind of regularly. So it's one of those things that's a childhood. It's a lived experience from my childhood, which, you know still kind of resonates with me today.   Michael Hingson ** 09:44 Well, yeah, and you know, we're, we're constantly evolving. So you can, you can think about that, and you can think about what might have been, but at the same time, the the real issue is, what have you learned? And. How can you now take it forward? And I think, as I said, that's all about embracing the adventure,   Louise Baxter ** 10:04 absolutely, absolutely and so absolutely take that forward,   Michael Hingson ** 10:09 yeah, which is really what you have to do. So you went to college, I assume, yeah.   Louise Baxter ** 10:15 And I actually went part time at night, so I actually went straight into a work environment. And for an organization, and was in the marketing team, just doing basic clerical work, and then I studied part time at night, so did a bit differently.   Michael Hingson ** 10:33 Yeah, well, did you end up eventually getting a degree? No,   Louise Baxter ** 10:37 I have no degree. Which is, which is something that's not, is very unusual in the United States. I know, oh, I don't know   Michael Hingson ** 10:49 that it's that unusual. But the the other side of it is that what you learn and how you put it to use and how you evolve is pretty significant. And that's, of course, part of the issue. Not everyone has a college degree, and sometimes the people with college degrees aren't necessarily the the brightest spots in the constellation either. Absolutely, it's,   Louise Baxter ** 11:13 yeah, there's a lot through lived experience, but I have, yeah, I've studied at various times, and most recently, I was awarded a scholarship. And I've had the experience of doing two short courses at Stanford University in the States, and I'm now on the board of the Stanford Australia Foundation, and so that's been a wonderful experience as a mature age student.   Michael Hingson ** 11:42 That's fair. Yeah, I just recently was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, which formed the chapter at my university the year I was leaving, so I was able to go to the organizing meeting, but that was it, because then I got my master's degree and left and through circumstances, it was learned that all that happened. So last year, I was called and asked if I wanted to become an alumni member. So I got to be so I finally got to be a member of fraternity. Well, there you go. Congratulations. Well, it's a lot of fun, yeah, and I, and I treasure it and honor it a great deal, and spent a day down at my old university. I haven't really spent a lot of time there since graduating, well, back in 1976 with my master's degree in some business courses. So it's been 48 years. So there you go. Time flies. Well, so what did you do? So you you were working in the marketing world, in a clerical sort of thing, and what did you do from there? I   Louise Baxter ** 12:55 then became an assistant brand manager, a brand manager or product manager, whatever you want to call it, and I worked at Reckitt and Coleman. I worked at Johnson and Johnson and at Arnot snack foods. And Arnot snack foods was interesting because it was a joint venture with Pepsi foods from the US, because they were interested in the biscuit technology from Arnott's, and Arnot was interest interested in their snack food technology. And so what we had was a situation where we were sharing our expertise, and as a result, I was on the team, and we launched Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos into Australia, so they didn't exist here prior to that. Obviously Johnson and Johnson also, you know, big multinational, as is reckoned and Coleman. And then, after a number of years working on client side, I decided I wanted to move to the agency world. And I moved to Leo Burnett advertising agency, where I stayed for a decade. I was on the board there. I managed accounts like the Proctor and Gamble and kill on businesses as well as local businesses like tourism businesses and and wine so hospitality businesses here in Australia, very big wine company and and also the United distillers business back then. So had a lot of experience from both the client and agency side of working on big brands and growing big brands, which I absolutely loved, and we had a lot of fun, you know, along the way, in those days at all of the organizations where I worked, I made a lot of friends, and it's always important to have great friends from those experiences. And then I considered I actually left after i. Left Leah Burnett, I started an agency with two other people that's called Brave New World, which still exists to this day. I haven't been part of that for a long time, and then I had this moment of considering that I could potentially do something more worthwhile with my skills than than selling the products I'd been selling for all those years, and that's when I first made the decision to move to the what I referred to as the profit for purpose sector, and moved to Starlight in a role, and at that time, that was just a six month maternity position role. And I did that because I had great experience of brands from the client and agency side and promotions, so above and below the line. Promotions. I had worked on promotion supporting charity so cause related marketing campaigns. And I felt that the one thing I was missing if I wanted to go back into a corporate, into a corporate social responsibility role. Was that experience of working in a charity, and so I thought at that stage that my, my of journey was going to be back to a corporate because at that time, if you think this is over 20 years ago, triple bottom line was, and the third sector was really becoming important to organizations and to corporates. And so I thought I'd take my skills and go back to a corporate what I did instead was I went to starlight, as I said. It was a six month contract, but after three months, then CEO came out and said, What would it take to keep you here? I loved what I was doing, and I stayed at Starlight. I did stay for six, seven years. I then left and went back to corporate world, and I came back to starlight. So I left at the end of, what am I of? I left at the end of 2007 I came back in 2009 so I had that experience of back in the corporate world, and I came back as a CEO. It's   Michael Hingson ** 17:20 interesting. You started out in, as you said, in clerical work, but you started out in marketing, which, which you liked, what, what caused you to do that? Why marketing? Why marketing and sales, if you will?   Louise Baxter ** 17:33 Well, I love, I love marketing. I love brands, and I love the fact that, you know, brand is a living and breathing thing, and you can grow and change a brand. And I love, I love all the learnings around consumer insights. That was my specialty within marketing. So actually understanding that consumer behavior, and what I say about marketing is it's, it's hardly rocket science, because if you look at a young child, they recognize that they speak differently and use different language and words, etc, when they're speaking to their friends, when they're speaking to their grandparents, when they're speaking to their teachers, when they're speaking to their siblings, and so already, the concept of I have a different consumer in front of me, and I need to change my language and what I'm saying and my communication skills. Need to tweak. A child understands that from a very early age. So when I think about marketing, that's what you're doing the whole time. You're changing what you're the what you're saying and the way you say it, so that you engage more strongly with your consumer, and that's what I love about it, because communication is just so powerful, and you can take people on a journey. I'm also you know you can change behavior before you change the attitude, but ultimately you can move people and kind of change their thinking and their their their habits.   Michael Hingson ** 19:11 What's a really good example that you participated in of that I love a marketing story, loving sales and marketing as I do, I'd love to hear a good marketing story. Um,   Louise Baxter ** 19:22 well, there's, there's, there's quite a few. And I'll, I'll give you one. There was, I used to work on all the roads and traffic authority business, and at that stage, we were responsible for handling all the campaigns, from speeding to seat belts to drink driving, etc. And what was really powerful about those was your results were that every day you came into work and the road toll was there, and the road toll was, you know, up or down. And to work on campaigns which, over years, reduced the road toll because of the messages that you would keep. Communicate to people about speeding, etc. So whether people believed that they should be going, if you know, 10 kilometers slower in that particular zone or not, the messages of you know of penalties being caught, whatever the messaging you used to slow them down in that moment worked, and that saved lives. So, you know, that's, that's an example. I also worked on brands such as Special K, you know, and and for me, seeing, we created a fantastic campaign here that ran for about 20 years, and it was based on the the traditional Special K ads where women would wear clothes that they had years ago. And this one was about a mini skirt, but it was done in such a way that the woman was Stuart was the strength in the TV commercial. She was the lead. And that grew the business, and grew Special K at that time, at like, three times the market average for any, you know, product growth. So to see those things, and what I love is the results. And you you get it very strongly in those moments and and it's exciting.   Michael Hingson ** 21:17 You mentioned having been involved with working with Fritos and so on, which strikes a nerve when I lived in New Jersey, somewhere along the way, ranch flavored Fritos came into existence, but they didn't last very long, and I miss ranch flavored Fritos   Louise Baxter ** 21:34 we used to do when I worked on those snack food brands. We did so much testing and to to create tastes that are suitable, because tastes do change significantly, you know, region to region, and so ensuring that we had exactly the right flavors that would resonate and and sell here was really important to us. But along the way, we had some shockers, and we did have a lot of the specialist from FRITO lay in the states out working with us to craft those flavors. So we eventually got ones that worked here and for this region.   Michael Hingson ** 22:13 Yeah, and I'm sure that that must be what what happened that ranch flavored Fritos just didn't sell enough. In   Louise Baxter ** 22:20 cell Michael, you didn't have enough friends,   Michael Hingson ** 22:23 I guess not. Well, we didn't know enough people in New Jersey. What can I say? But, but we contributed as much as we could. My wife and I both loved them, and we we bought ranch flavored Fritos every chance we got. But unfortunately, that really probably wasn't enough to keep it going. So we, we mourn the loss of ranch flavored Fritos. But you, you did that, and it's interesting, because if I were to bake this observation, in a sense, although part of your job has changed, part of your job hasn't changed, because it's still all about marketing and educating people. Of course, now you're on the not for profit side, but that's okay, but what you're doing is teaching and educating, and now you're doing it for more of a social cause than a profit cause.   Louise Baxter ** 23:21 You're exactly right what we're doing every day because is, we're marketing our organization, and it's all about communication, and that communication might be very different with, you know, high net donors to community groups who support us in terms of how they connect with us. The impact stories are the same, although you also learn that certain individuals might prefer programs that support children, or might support prefer programs supporting older people, older children, or might support programs that support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. And so you learn that through all your discussions. So it's all about hearing, because marketing is about really listening and and so I am still, you know, everything we do is about really listening and really hearing from the kids and the young people we support. You know, we need to listen to their situation and what, from our program's perspective, is working for them. So I feel it's very, very similar to what I did, because I was a product manager, so I was always listening to our customers to create more relevant products, and then communicating to people so that they we could sell those products. And the difference here is, back then they were the same people, so you would listen to your customers, then you'd be selling to them. And now what happens is our customers are the children and young people who are seriously ill and hospitalized, and our customers, the people where we're getting the funding from, are the donors who. Support those programs. So you break it into different groups, and we have far more stakeholder groups that you're managing in the profit for purpose sector than you do in the for profit sector. But that keeps it   Michael Hingson ** 25:14 interesting Well, so what is in in what you're doing today? And I'd be interested to to hear a contrast. But what does what does success mean to you today, and what did success mean to you when you were in the marketing world?   Louise Baxter ** 25:30 I think that that's always, you know, being the best you can be, and achieving the the metrics you need to achieve. So that's not changed, and always having really positive relationships with, you know, and partnerships. So for me, none of that's really changed. And I think that, you know, authenticity is very, very important. And so I constantly say, you know, with me, what you see, what you get, I'm the same person, no matter if you're a friend, a colleague at work, whatever, and I think that makes life much easier than if you were different people in different spaces. So I think there's a there's something that's very consistent about that. And I, I am that kind of person who doesn't take no for an answer. It's just okay. That's that's a bit trickier, but how can we get that done? So I'm always, always been solution focused, and I think that's been that's really important. And I think, you know, Obama has made comments about the type of people he wants to employ, people who get stuff done, and that's that's exactly me, and who I look to work with. So none of that has changed, but for me, it's now incredibly important. We're changing lives every day, and I think that what Starlight does in this country is we believe that that happiness in childhood matters, because happiness in your childhood is the strongest determinant of how you perform in your education, your employment, and with long term healthy life behaviors, children who are seriously ill have their ability to be happy significantly impacted. And so what we do is we sort support them with a whole range of programs. And I can talk about our theory of impact, but it builds their well being and resilience. And I know that that that you talk a lot about, you know about fear, and I think resilience is that thing that that gives you the strength to move through those things that may be frightening to you at some stage, and kids who are seriously ill are going through so much that is unfamiliar and frightening to them and painful. And so Starlight has been creating programs which are all about positive psychology and built on the tenants, if we can build, if we can distract a child by something that's positive help them to look forward to something positive. On the other side of treatment, it changes their engagement with their health care, and it changes their health outcomes for a positive and so that's incredibly important, and we were using this a decade before Martin Seligman even coined the phrase positive psychology and and now as as clinicians recognize, and they've recognized this for a long time, but are increasingly recognized the ways this this can be used to create improved health outcomes. And let's face it, you know, healthcare is one of the most innovative, fast moving sectors you can possibly work in, and clinicians have changed and improved health outcomes for every illness and disease you can possibly think of, and that's amazing. And so Starlight has been part of that improvement in healthcare, but the recognition that your mental health and well being is completely connected to your physical health and well being. And so while the doctors and nurses the clinicians look after the physical Starlight is engaging with the child within the illness and helping to lift their spirits, support their well being, resilience, giving back that joy of childhood. Because, you know, a clinician once said to me, Louise, in treating their illness, we steal their childhood. And so what we're about at Starlight is giving those kids back their chance to simply be a child and have that fun of childhood, which is where we started this conversation. You know, childhood should be about fun and having no inhibitions and not worrying, not a care in the world. And children who are seriously ill live in a very kind of adult world where they're dealing with concepts such as life and death. And that's not where any child should really be.   Michael Hingson ** 30:05 So when you're when you're dealing with a child, what, what? What do you do to bring the child back to the child, if you will, as opposed to all the the challenges that they're going through? Because certainly, when you're dealing with a disease like a cancer or whatever, it is, a very tough thing. So how do you bring that child back to being able to be a child at least for part of the time?   Louise Baxter ** 30:32 And that's, that's, you're absolutely right. It's about moments, because, and we talk about moments which matter. You can't do it for 100% of the time, but if you can lift that child and distract them and take them away from that, even if just for a moment, it changes everything. And I, I we have a whole range of programs that cater for this, in hospital and also in community. And last year, we created nearly 2 million so it was 1.9 million positive Starlight experiences for children. And that's the way we talk about it, because they're all so different. But we work in three general areas, and that is, we transform, we work in partnership with the clinicians to transform the healthcare experience, and we even build physical spaces in the hospitals, all the children's hospitals in Australia, which are manned by a character called Captain starlight. So we employ nearly 200 Captain starlights, who are all professional performers, and they work with the children, and they engage. They don't perform, but they use performance skills to engage with the child and the child's imagination, because a couple of things about children is that they are in they have incredible imaginations, and they are also easily distracted. And one of the things about most parents is they they try to work out how they keep their child focused? Well, we use the fact that children can be intensely distracted for good. So, you know, for example. So talking about that transforming the healthcare experience, some of our captain starlets will actually work in a treatment space with the clinicians, and they know how the treatment is going to unfold. Not so they could ever perform the treatment, but be so they know when to distract the child, when to keep the child very calm, etc, throughout that procedure. But let's say it's a burns dressing change that to a child. The pain of having a burns dressing change is like having your skin removed every time the dressing has changed, and what we do is we have our captain starlights there, and children don't have the psychology of pain in their mind. They will be intensely distracted, and their pain threshold then increases by up to 75% by simply distracting them, which means then they don't need to have an anesthetic for their treatment, which means that that child may not have to stay in hospital overnight because of that anesthetic and etc. So by using the power of a child's mind engaging with them, we can change that scenario. They won't feel the pain. Now, for an adult, that sounds weird, because if we were having that burn stressing changed on an arm, even if someone was distracting him, we'd be waiting for the pain, whereas a child just gets absorbed in the distraction and is not waiting for the pain. And so that's the difference. So we transform the healthcare experience, we provide opportunities for children to connect, because social isolation is one of the key issues associated with serious illness and treatment. They're pulled away immediately from their local friends and family, often into, you know, a hospital that's in the city, and that's the way our healthcare system works. The big children's hospitals are in the cities. The kids come out of regional areas and into that so they're away from everything, all their friends that their bedroom, everything that's familiar, and so that social connection is really important. That's part of what we do in our Starlight Express rooms, which are in every Children's Hospital. They also are TV stations within those hospitals and broadcast to the bedside of the child. So if the child's too sick to come into the Starlight Express room, they can be part of that and have that social connection from their bedside. So quizzes, for example, are really important for us, and we run a quiz every day, and sick children have lost that ability to compete in so many ways and have fun and have that little banter that you have with people when you are competing. Yet a quiz brings that all together. And we often have, we always have prizes, but it means a child in their bed who can't physically come into another space with another child for issues in terms of their illness and and. Um and infections and cross infections, etc, they can still be involved, and they can win the quiz, and, you know, be on television and chat with the other kids. So those things are very important. And we also promote entertainment, because entertainment is a great way of of distracting children. And so we talk about what we do. We transform the healthcare experience. We provide social connection that's so missing, and moments of entertainment. And our program sometimes deliver all three, but they're created for one specific reason, and so we're all about having fun. And for me, when I see a child come into a Starlight Express room, especially a child who's recently been diagnosed, you can see they're often in a wheelchair. They're holding an IV drip. They have their head down, their shoulders down, they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They're looking like no child should ever look and you see this child come into our space and start to lift because a Starline Express room is a haven away from the clinical nature of the ward. They start to lift. They see the space. They see the captain starlights, and for me to observe that same child, 510, 15 minutes later, roaring with laughter, completely forgetting where they are and why. That's the power of starlight, and that's what we do through all our programs every day. And that moment lifts that child and gives them, builds their resilience and gives them the ability to go back into that next round of treatment, surgery, etc. So it is in that moment, and it changes everything.   Michael Hingson ** 36:40 How does the starlight experience differ in America and our healthcare model here as opposed to in Australia? Do you have any idea?   Louise Baxter ** 36:52 Yeah, well, we have, we man all of the spaces in our hospitals. So the hospital, when a new hospital is being built, they they they allocate a section that is the Starlight Express room space. We then build the Starlight Express room, and these are quite large spaces, and then we man it with our own paid team members and volunteers that would never happen in your healthcare system, just with legal issues and liability, etc, you'd never see that happening in in America. So that's, I think, the key, the key difference from things that we do in Australia, we also are a wish granting organization, and we are the largest wish branding organization in Australia, and we have programs called we have a program called Live Wire, which supports young people, so teenagers and up to the age of 20, and that is in hospital. So we then don't have Captain starlights. We have live wire facilitators, and then we have live wire online. We also have a virtual Star LED Express room, which we created and trial during COVID. Because obviously everything around the world and definitely in Australia, was in lockdown, and our programs were an essential service in the children's hospital, but we were restricted, and so we'd been toying with the concept of a virtual Starlight Express room for a long time, and so we used COVID as that opportunity to trial that, and we trialed it. It was very successful, and we're now rolling planet Starlight into every hospital across Australia. All people need there is a QR code. And so we put up beautiful posters, which are also games that kids can play that has a QR code, and they can go directly to Planet starlight. And planet Starlight is set up has live shows of Captain starlights during the day, but also games kids can play directions, how to do art. So if a child's seriously ill, but at home or in another hospital, they can do all of this stuff. And it's it's not that you need a full tank kit. We do it and understanding that children will be able to work with what they have that's near to them. We even have things like I spy for an emergency room space so that kids can stay distracted, no matter what part of a hospital they're in. We also now support families who are in at home palliative care, because 70% of children in this country who are in palliative care are at home. That's not necessarily end of life palliative care, but palliative care can go on for a number of years, and those families are incredibly alone and isolated, and so our Starlight moments program delivers things to uplift that family and have them know that someone's thinking of them during this time. And. Again, it is those moments which really, truly matter.   Michael Hingson ** 40:05 So, um, how did what? What do you know about how it works here, or what actually happens in America? Do you have any real notion about that? I mean, I understand all the legalities and all that, but how does it differ what? What do they do here to be able to foster that same kind of climate. Yeah,   Louise Baxter ** 40:22 they're still about happiness matters, right? Which is fantastic, and they do that with, I'm trying to think of the name now Fun, fun boxes that they have delivered into hospitals with toys, etc, for kids. In some hospitals, they are able to do a refresh of a playroom to make it a starlight space. But it's then not like ours are manned every day with team members. They have little carts that help kids transport round the hospital. So yeah. So they have a whole range of things that they can do within the limitations of the different health system. It   Michael Hingson ** 41:06 must be a real challenge to keep up the spirits of all the people who work for starlight. How do you keep a positive work environment and keep everyone moving forward and hopefully reasonably happy in what they're doing, because they they have to see a lot of challenges. Obviously, yeah,   Louise Baxter ** 41:26 we we're authentic with our commitment to positive psychology. And so getting close to 15 years ago, we started working with a group here in Australia called the positivity Institute, and we started training all of our team members. So every team member who joined Starline is trained in the tools of positive psychology, because you're absolutely right. And I use the airplane analogy, you know, if the plane's going down, you're always told that you put your you have to put your oxygen mask on yourself, because if you don't put it on yourself, you're of no use to anyone else, and POS, psychs like that, you have to care for yourself. And self care is so important, because if you are not caring for yourself, and if you are not topping topping up your own cup, then you're of no use to support and coach and help other people, and so we have positive psychology is the one authentic thing that, just you know, moves right through our organization. It's at the heart of everything we do for the children and young people. And importantly, every question we ask ourselves about every business decision is, will this improve the way we support the seriously ill children and young people, yes or no, and then what we do is we carry that through, because for us to be able to provide the support we do, and you're absolutely right, working often in very challenging situations, we need to know how we can look After ourselves. So POS site flows through the whole organization, and we are an organization that is a great place to work in Australia, there's actually, you know, a survey that's done annually, and corporates and other organizations are ranked, and we're always in the top group of performers there. So it's, it's also very critical to maintain a high performing team, because we need to be sure of able to have our team bring their best self to Starlight every day. And that's what post psych does for us. How does   Michael Hingson ** 43:37 that work? What? What do you do? I mean, you, you obviously have people who go into situations and they get hit with so many sad sorts of things, but obviously you're able to bring them out of that. How do you do that? Well,   Louise Baxter ** 43:52 as I said, Everybody's trained up front and recognizes the tools or has the toolkit for prossite, but we don't just leave it there. So the people who are working in hospitals have daily debriefs. They have a support crew from an employee assistance organizations who work with them. That's the same person who works with those teams. So they then have weekly debriefs, monthly, quarterly. So we're onto it. It's, it's, it's a, May, it's a, it's a, it's very strategic in the way we support them, and it's very considered. And so that support is there for people on a daily basis. So   Michael Hingson ** 44:35 you, you, I'm just thinking of a question I'm going to ask, you're doing a lot with children and all that, which I think is really great. Is there any chance that this kind of approach could also work for older people, adults and so on?   Louise Baxter ** 44:57 Absolutely, and it. It would also work. I mean, we're working with seriously ill, right, and hospitalized children, but it would also work with group, other groups of vulnerable children. So, you know, happiness and positive psychology is something that works for everyone, quite frankly. And so one of the things that's a side benefit of starlight being in a hospital is it lifts the morale of the whole hospital team. So the hospital, the hospital team, is happier. Because if you think of working in a children's hospital, if Starlight was not there, it can be a pretty dour place, and the challenges are every day, but with starlight, they're lifting the spirits, having fun, being silly. It changes everything for the clinicians I know, I've been at the door of a lift, an elevator, as you would say, and and before the lift, the doors open. A doctor who's been waiting there, notices that two captains walk up to hop in the elevator and and the doctor will say, I'm taking the stairs. I never know what those guys make me do between floors, but laughing. So you know, our captain starlights are about that fun. And the thing about Captain Starlight is they come from Planet starlight. So there's a mythology around them, and they fly to planet earth every day in an invisible rocket ship that lands on the roof of the Children's Hospital. And the great thing about this is that the children are then in the gun seat in because they understand everything about Planet Earth, and the captains don't. So the planet the captains will do silly things like pick up a pen and use it like a telephone and go, Hello, you know. And the children will go, No, not that. So it's that merge of slapstick and kind of vaudeville and the child engaging with the child. But they will, can they? Our captain? Starlets will do that silliness with doctors and nurses too, which is also hilarious. And that's the comment from the captain from the doctor. So Right? It keeps the morale of the entire hospital, because, you know, it changes from having children who are crying and distressed and frightened to children who are roaring with laughter, um, despite the fact that they're seriously ill, that's great.   Michael Hingson ** 47:25 How can we bring that to adult patients?   Louise Baxter ** 47:29 Well, do you know what I've been working or I've been walking with our captain starlights as they've had to move through an adult part. You know, some of our hospitals are adults and children's and then the youth are on the other side. As we've walked through, an elderly person stopped and said, Hey, captain, could you sing me a song? And so they had their ukulele there, and they launched into, you are my son. I think he might have requested, You are my sunshine. And you can see immediately the change in the person. So it, it is something that definitely works, but at the moment, we don't have the funding to meet all of the need that we have for children and young people. So while it's, you know, potentially a great concept, it's, it's not something that we can move into in the the immediate future. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 48:24 and you can only do what you can do, but it would certainly, it would seem to me be exciting if people would bring more of those programs to adults too, because adults could could use it. And I'm sure you know that I'm not saying anything magical at all, but I would think there are ways to bring a lot of this to adults that would help lift their spirits. I know when my wife was in the hospital, it was very boring for her. Now she was in a wheelchair, so she was in a chair her whole life. So she had other challenges being in the hospital when she needed to use a restroom or have help with a bedpan, sometimes it took a while and so on. So just a lot of things that could have been better for her, that I think would have made her experience better. And I realized that she was probably, in a sense, a harder case than some, but still, it would just be so nice if we could do more to help all of the different kinds of patients in hospitals and make it a better experience for them.   Louise Baxter ** 49:23 Yeah, that's that's what we're doing about, about changing that healthcare experience,   Michael Hingson ** 49:29 yeah. What about the whole concept of diversity, equity and inclusion and so on? How do you deal with a diverse population? So for example, in all the things that you're talking about, what if you discover that one of the children that you're dealing with is blind in the hospital? How do you adapt so that they get as included as other people in the things that you're doing? Yep,   Louise Baxter ** 49:53 we have. All of our team are trained in dealing with. Children who are blind, who are deaf. We actually recently had training, and we had our captain starlights. They were all blindfolded, and they were going through sensory experiments to teach them how they can better use sound and other things to work with children. So So our team is trained across all of those different areas, because you're right every day, we do deal with children who are deaf, who are blind, who are in wheelchairs, who are non verbal, who are on the autism spectrum, but all of those things. So we have to have teams trained. Our team is trained to understand how they can deliver an exceptional experience to those children, as well as children who don't have those differences. So   Michael Hingson ** 50:56 clearly you have a we got to get it done. Got a really positive attitude to get things done. Where did you learn that attitude? Because that's a very positive thing that I think more companies and more people in general ought to learn. The whole concept of, we're going to get it done no matter what it you know, I don't want to say no matter what it takes, but we're going to get it done, and we're very positive about that. Yeah,   Louise Baxter ** 51:25 I'm not sure that I learned it, but I think that there are people in life who you see that way. I always, I always jokingly call it waiters with their heads up, because, you know, you see when you're in a restaurant often, there's those people who walk past your table and don't pick up the dirty plates, who aren't looking for things to do. And then there are those other ones who you can see are going from table to table, doing stuff everywhere. And I always say they're the people I want to employ, the waiters with their heads up. So I think it's an attitude you have in life. And you can either kind of say, well, that's a challenge, and that's difficult, but how can I get that done? Or you can say, well, that's difficult. I just won't do that anymore. And and, you know, we need people who want to get stuff done and who always have a pot and having a positive attitude just makes you feel so much better than dwelling in the negative. And you know, I hate people who are always who those negative Nellies or nets or whoever they are, and they bring you down. So positivity is something that I think helps all of us every day. And why wouldn't you choose to be positive? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 52:37 and it is a choice. And the reality is that no matter what goes on, I think we can choose to be positive. One of the things that I've been saying for many years, that I learned because of the World Trade Center, basically, is don't worry about what you can control. Focus on what you can let the rest take care of itself. We're so worried about every little old thing in the world that we don't tend to be positive about anything, and that doesn't help any of us. No,   Louise Baxter ** 53:07 I think that being positive is so incredibly important. It makes you feel better and happier, makes everybody around you feel better and happier. So why wouldn't you do it? And I actually use this at Starlight too, because sometimes team members like you reach a point in your in your work life, and I did. I left Starlight because I needed a new challenge, and Starlight didn't have that challenge for me. So why hang around and become that disgruntled person in the corner who's just trying to pull everybody else into their negative little corner and finds fault with everything the organization does. Why would you stay? You know, and if you leave in that instance, you go to somewhere where you can contribute, and you feel great. You're doing a great job. The organization gets someone into your role who really wants to be there, and all that negativity stops. So in positive psychology, the end game is flourishing. And so I jokingly say at my team all the time, if you don't want to be here anymore, if you're not feeling challenged, please go flourish somewhere else. Don't stay here and become that negative person who tries to bring everyone into their negative corner. It's just not good for you or anybody else. So, yeah. So, so the Go flourish somewhere else is a bit of a joke that people say they're going to have printed on my coffee mug at some stage.   Michael Hingson ** 54:30 Well, you went away, but you also came back. That's   Louise Baxter ** 54:34 right, that's right. And so I went away because I needed a new challenge at that stage. And that challenge, potentially, was the CEO role that it wasn't available then. So I went and I did something else that I loved. And then, you know, the board came back to me some time later and said, Would you come back as CEO now? And I said, Yes. So there you go. And then I'd had a different experience, which actually helped. Me to be a better CEO. So as you say, if you're always moving forward, if you don't get hung up about things, and if you choose positivity, that really can set you up for a much better life. What   Michael Hingson ** 55:13 are some of the challenges that Starlight is facing in Australia today?   Louise Baxter ** 55:19 I think that for us it's a nice challenge, because as clinicians recognize the power of positive psychology and the power of the mind in improving health outcomes, they're very creative, and they're coming up with more and more ideas as to how star lack could be used, but we can only deliver if we increase our funding. And obviously, I think globally, communities are under pressure financially, and so those things kind of don't work together. And that's that's a challenge for us. I think we live in a world of increasing complexity and compliance and and we need to within that, ensure we meet the requirements and the criteria, but we do it in the simplest possible way, because simplicity is better for your mental health. It's more effective and efficient. And so sometimes within the the complexity of compliance, people are on making things even more bureaucratic than they need to. So really keeping things simple, I think, is is important against the backdrop of what's happening. And the exciting thing is we work in the sector of health care. And health care is always changing, always improving and and that's a great thing to be part of. What   Michael Hingson ** 56:48 do you think are well, what would you tell somebody from, let's say, one of your former jobs in marketing and so on, what kind of advice would you give them based on what you now know as being the CEO of starlight, for, my gosh, what? For 15 years, 14 almost? Well, 15 years, yes, almost 16 years. Yeah,   Louise Baxter ** 57:10 I think that. I think people have to be true to themselves. You know, you have to be authentic. Choose positivity is something that I would always give advice around, because, as you said, it is a choice, and I fail to understand why everyone, anyone would choose the negative, yeah, side of that equation and really focus on getting stuff done. So never sit back and be lazy. Always be working to be that, that person who thinks about themselves others and cares and gets it done,   Michael Hingson ** 57:55 yeah, we we spend way too much time, because I think we're taught so much to be negative when we don't get taught nearly as much about being as positive as we can be. I know that my parents were always encouraging to me and my brother. I'm not sure my brother always got it quite as much as I did in terms of understanding it, but we were, we were taught that positivity was a choice. We were taught that being innovative and moving forward was a choice. And we also were encouraged to make that the choice that we made too, which is part of the issue, yeah,   Louise Baxter ** 58:37 excellent. And the other thing is, I would say, Do not be a perfectionist. I'm an anti perfectionist. Yeah, I agree. It gets you nowhere. Doesn't exist. And you know, especially in this day, where we can move, and we're very agile, kind of, I say 70% out, because if you say 70% and out, it means people will probably go to 80 or 90% but those people who, if anyone in a in an interview, proudly tells me they're perfectionist, they're gone because all they do is drive themselves and everyone around them crazy. So I don't want to have them in the organization. It   Michael Hingson ** 59:17 seems to me that the thing to say is that I will always do the best that I can do, and I will always give at least 100%   Louise Baxter ** 59:25 Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 59:28 Yeah, perfection is something I don't think most of us understand anyway, but if we give it our best, probably we'll achieve perfection, in a sense,   Louise Baxter ** 59:37 yeah, and get it done and get it out, get it happening, right? Because the thing is, if it's not, if it's, you know, if it's not, if it's not perfect, you get it out and you get to use it, and you learn so much more. So you got actually a better shot at getting it towards it. You can tweak it after,   Michael Hingson ** 59:55 yeah, well, well, market, well. And what you do. Do is you do the best that you can do, but you're if you're wise and good leaders. Know this. You also work with a team, and sometimes somebody else on the team can take the lead and enhance what you're doing, which is always a good thing.   Louise Baxter ** 1:00:15 Absolutely, you've got to have way smarter people all around you? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:22 I don't think there's anything wrong with having smarter people around you. Your your smarts is in bringing the team together.   Louise Baxter ** 1:00:29 Yes, that's right. So   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 what can you think other regions and countries learn from the challenges that you're facing?   Louise Baxter ** 1:00:40 I think we have, I think the world is so consistent in this day and age more than it's kind of ever been. You know, when you travel, you know, you seek out those places where we're different. Of course, we're different, but there's a lot more that's the same in this day and age than there ever has been and, and, you know, in some instances, I think that's quite sad, yeah, but there's much more consistency. So I think that there's, and there's always something that we can learn from each other, always. And that's what I look for. I'm excited by up learning things and you know, and and something that doesn't go according to plan is fabulous, because you learn so much more from that than something that just smoothly goes along and does everything you thought it would do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:35 Nothing wrong with learning from things that don't go well. I don't like the term failure and even mistakes, I'm not a great fan of but I think that what happens is that things don't always go as we plan. And the real question is, what do we learn from it? Absolutely which is, which is so cool? Well, Louise, this has been absolutely fun to be able to spend all this time with you. Now it's 10 in the morning where you are, so we should let you go do other things and get something done today. But I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you who are listening for being a part of our podcast today. I'd love to hear your thoughts about what Louise had to say, and I hope that you will communicate with her. And that's a good point. Louise, how can people reach out to you if they'd like to talk with you and maybe learn more from you, and what you have to say, I'm   Louise Baxter ** 1:02:27 on LinkedIn. So if, if those listening are on LinkedIn, you can find me. Louise Baxter, Starlight, Children's Foundation, Australia and or you can go to starlight.org.au, we if you're looking for us, our website, and you'll find me through that as well. Cool.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:47 Well, I hope people will reach out. And if you'd like to reach out to me, and I hope you will, you may email me at Michael, H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, and you can also, of course, go to our podcast page, w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is spelled M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o, n.com/podcast, you can listen to all of our podcasts there. You can reach out to me. There lots of things you can do on the web. It's an amazing thing to be able to do things on the web. I also would really appreciate it if when you are thinking about us, if you'll give us a five star rating wherever you're listening to us or watching us, we really appreciate your ratings and your comments. So please do that. If you know of anyone who you think might be a good guest, and Louise, you as well. If you can think of anybody else who we ought to have on unstoppable mindset, would definitely appreciate you introducing us. We're always looking to have more people to come on and tell their stories and talk about what they do. That's the best way to learn, is learning by listening to other people and them telling their stories. So hopefully you'll all do that and again, Louise, I want to thank you for being here.

Today's episode is part of Podcasthon, a global effort bringing thousands of podcasts together to raise awareness for charitable causes.My guest today is Christopher Helfrich, President and CEO of Eat. Learn. Play., the foundation he co-founded with Stephen and Ayesha Curry to tackle childhood hunger, early literacy, and active lifestyles for kids in Oakland.Since launching in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. has raised and invested over $32 million—directly impacting underserved children and families. Under Christopher's leadership, the foundation has grown into a force for change, helping Oakland kids get the nutrition, education, and movement they need to thrive.Before this, Christopher led the Starlight Children's Foundation and served as Head of the Nothing But Nets campaign for the UN Foundation, working to combat malaria globally.And in 2024, he and Stephen Curry landed on the cover of Inc. Magazine for their work in fostering equity, access, and opportunity for all.Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.Let's connect!Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and BeyondWebsite: https://www.annemcginty.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcgintyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost

In this episode Tammy interviews actress Mena Suvari to talk about her experiences with childhood trauma and her inspiring and transformative pathway to healing. Mena is author of the book “The Great Peace” which speaks to her experiences in this interview. Mena is most well known as her role in American Beauty & American Pie, She is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model. The accolades she has received include a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.Suvari has been a model for Lancôme cosmetics and print ads for Lancôme Paris Adaptîve, as well as a long-time supporter and activist for the Starlight Children's Foundation and the African Medical and Research Foundation. She is married and has one child.Interested in more from the Institute?The Parenting Handbook: Your Guide to Raising Resilient Children is the ultimate guide to nurturing emotional regulation, resiliency, connection, and well-being in children. Find out more here .Our parenting membership comes with over 100 Parenting & Mental Health Courses and more!. Click here . Listeners can take 40% OFF their annual membership (or $19.99/m). Get your 7-Day Free Trial today!Our professional membership offers affordable, accessible training all in one spot for mental health professionals! Find out more here.We have amazing free parenting content on:YoutubeInstagramFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text"The Balloon Guy" Creating Unforgettable Experiences For All#party #corporateevents #balloonanimals #balloonart #fun Sean Edwards, Founder of The Balloon GuySince the age of 12, Sean Edwards, known as The Balloon Guy, mastered the art of balloon twisting and later gained recognition as one of the best balloon artists in Los Angeles. As a master balloon decorator and industry leader, what began as a solo venture has grown into a successful company with a talented team, creating unforgettable experiences for clients.The mission of The Balloon Guy is to exceed expectations by infusing every celebration with a passion for excellence and a commitment to delivering memorable experiences. The team believes that every event is special and consistently strives to go above and beyond to make each occasion exceptional for clients, their families, and guests. Their dedication to outstanding customer service and attention to detail keeps clients coming back.The Balloon Guy offers services, including balloon twisting, balloon décor, face painting, magicians, and caricature artists, serving Los Angeles and surrounding areas.The Balloon Guy has provided entertainment all over the USA for clients including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Magic Johnson, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Chris Paul, Kelsey Grammer, Cacee Cobb, Abigail Spencer, Eric Andre, The Sultan of Brunei, Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount, Facebook, Nike, Instagram, Snapchat, Hulu, Freeform, ABC Family, Allied Integrated Marketing, Dreamworks, Pixar, Make A Wish Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation, LA Children's Hospital, Magic Johnson Foundation, Caruso, The Grove, The Americana at Brand, Universal Studios, Dick's Sporting Goods, Buffets, Inc, and many more.Website: https://www.theballoonguyla.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BALLOONGUYLA/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-balloon-guy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balloonguylaYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qStloVaeW2hopLGLa-NDAThanks for tuning in, please be sure to click that subscribe button and give this a thumbs up!!Email: thevibesbroadcast@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/listen_to_the_vibes_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevibesbroadcastnetworkLinktree: https://linktr.ee/the_vibes_broadcastTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeuTVRv2/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVibesBrdcstTruth: https://truthsocial.com/@KoyoteFor all our social media and other links, go to: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/the_vibes_broadcastPlease subscribe, like, and share!

'Wish Granting Manager' Courtney Smith from the Starlight Children's Foundation joins Clairsy & Lisa to talk about giving some joy through granting wishes to the kids that have to spend Christmas in hospital this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Edward is the founder of The Balloon Guy. The Balloon Guy has provided entertainment all over the USA for clients including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Magic Johnson, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Chris Paul, Kelsey Grammer, Cacee Cobb, Abigail Spencer, Eric Andre, The Sultan of Brunei, Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount, Facebook, Nike, Instagram, Snapchat, Hulu, Freeform, ABC Family, Allied Integrated Marketing, Dreamworks, Pixar, Make A Wish Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation, LA Children's Hospital, Magic Johnson Foundation, Caruso, The Grove, The Americana at Brand, Universal Studios, Dick's Sporting Goods, Buffets, Inc, and many more. We have been featured on numerous TV Shows and Films including American Idol, YOU on Netflix, Ryan's Mystery Playdate, Saved By The Bell, Baskets, The Thundermans, S.W.A.T., and Online at People Magazine. In addition, we love working with families, parents, small businesses, non-profits, and charitable organizations to make a truly special experience for our clients. More: Website: https://www.theballoonguyla.com/ Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/balloonguy YouTube Channel:  @Balloonguyla  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balloonguyla?ltclid=86951281-39cb-4858-8155-6170f7f3e9cd Follow Us on Instagram: - @mr.dreaminspireobtain https://www.instagram.com/mr.dreaminspireobtain/ - @dreaminspireobtain: https://www.instagram.com/dreaminspireobtain?igsh=c2RxbDI3N2U1eGdi - @diotalkpodcast: https://www.instagram.com/diotalkpodcast?igsh=cXk2dnBydmFpdHhl Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiomarkKingDiaz?mibextid=ZbWKwL More info: - Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/dreaminspireobtain - Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-i-o-talk-podcast/id1562933810?uo=4 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/54SDtx0CFJ58FfpDoSg4Bz Store: https://spreadshop-admin.spreadshirt.com/DIOTALKSHOP/

This week, Halloween has ended, and the holidays are moving in, Tiana's Bayou Adventure tips, new dining package details, a veteran gets a surprise from Disney Cruise Line, the Holiday Foodie Guides are out, we talk to Bethany about Tiana's Bayou Adventure previews, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: Halloween just passed us by and this week, preparations are well underway to get the resort ready for the Holiday season that starts on November 15th. New Orleans Square and Toon Town have been decked in holiday decorations for a bit now, with Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Main Street starting to get decorations now. The tree in Town Square should arrive in the next week to be ready for the kickoff. - https://www.micechat.com/401999-disneyland-update-holiday-hustle-price-pains-construction-gains/ With the Holiday season starting soon at the Disneyland Resort, the gingerbread display is back in the Grand Californian. This year, the display will be the Grand Californian Hotel itself with Chip and Dale in their holiday pajamas. - https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-8-cant-miss-gingerbread-displays-2024/ We have the times for the holiday activities at Disneyland. The Christmas Fantasy Parade will run daily at 2:30pm and 5:30pm, the “it's a small world” lighting ceremony will be at 4:30pm daily, Believe..In Holiday Magic will be at 9:30pm daily, the Buena Vista Street tree lighting will be at 4:50pm daily, and World of Color - Season of Light will be nightly at 9pm and 10:15pm. - https://www.micechat.com/401999-disneyland-update-holiday-hustle-price-pains-construction-gains/ Of course with the start of the Holiday season, there is a load of new merchandise! - https://www.micechat.com/390049-disney-holiday-merchandise-preview-2024/ The Disney Parks Blog has some tips on how guests can prepare for experiencing Tiana's Bayou Adventure when it opens to the general public on November 15th. There will not be a standby queue, only virtual queues at 7am and noon, Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Premiere Pass. Guests can join the virtual queue and use a Lightning Lane to get access to the attraction more than once in a single day. Tiana merchandise will be on hand at Louis' Critter Club and Ray's Berets. - https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/planning-tips-for-tianas-bayou-adventure-at-disneyland/ Details have been released about the Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo Nighttime Gathering. The dining package for the Fire of the Rising Moons fireworks in Galaxy's Edge will include a spot in the standing room only viewing area, a meal including fried cheeseburger croquette bites, apricot goat cheese, dragon fruit yogurt, cream puffs, unlimited fountain beverages, and specialty non-alcoholic beverages in a souvenir novelty cup. The package is $89 per guest, and are non-refundable. - https://www.micechat.com/401999-disneyland-update-holiday-hustle-price-pains-construction-gains/ Mickey and Minnie went trick or treating last week to deliver Halloween treats to kids in the hospital. Disney worked with the Starlight Children's Foundation, which gives themed hospital gear, care packages, and more to hospitals around the country. Disney VoluntEARS and Ambassadors created care packages including Disney toys, plush, books, and costumes. - https://www.micechat.com/401999-disneyland-update-holiday-hustle-price-pains-construction-gains/ A new category of merchandise has come to the parks on both coasts! To celebrate National Veterans and Military Families Month, a new collection including a t-short, spirit jersey, water bottle and baseball cap have arrived. The designs feature “Mickeyflage” which is Mickey camouflage. - https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/disney-recognizes-veterans-and-military-families-month-with-a-new-collection-of-military-inspired-merchandise/ A Veteran received quite the surprise at Disneyland recently. As part of the veterans celebration, Goodwill of Orange County's Tierney Center for Veterans Services, gifted a Disneyland trip to David Negreros to recognize the dedication and selflessness while serving in the Marine Corps. While at Disneyland, his family was chosen by Disney Cruise Line to sail on the Disney Treasure, the newest Disney Cruise Line ship. - https://disneyparksblog.com/dcl/disney-cruise-line-surprises-a-deserving-veteran-at-disneyland-park/ MousePlanet has done some sleuthing and have seen some clues on Disneyland's website what Disneyland After Dark events might be coming in 2025. Pride Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Sweethearts Nite are all listed as events guests can “look forward to.” Disney Channel Nite is listed as “concluded,” alluding to the event not coming back. - https://mouseplanet.com/disneyland-resort-update-for-november-4-2024/48943/ The dates for Grad Nites in 2025 has been released. The dates are in May and early June. For a complete list of the dates, check out the link in our show notes. - https://mouseplanet.com/disneyland-resort-update-for-november-4-2024/48943/ SnackChat: Holiday Foodie Guide - https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-holidays-at-disneyland-resort-2024/ Festival of the Holidays Foodie Guide - https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/disney-eats-foodie-guide-to-disney-festival-of-holidays-2024-at-disneyland-resort/ Discussion Topic: Tiana's Bayou Adventure with Bethany

Miguel Medina and Matt Zunich join the show after a week's hiatus to recap their experience at the Los Angeles City Council's declaration of June 8th as Ghostbusters Day in the City of Los Angeles. Hear about how the event came together, unfolded, and its important connection to a new wave of Ghostbusters fan fundraising efforts to support Starlight Children's Foundation. Plus, get caught up on almost two weeks of Ghostbusters headlines!   Special Thanks & Credits Logo / Cover Art - Brendan Pearce, Badoochi Studios, @badoochistudios Theme Song - "Ghostbusters" by MAGNAVOX

The bigger the man the bigger the heart, Freo legend Aaron Sandilands joins the show today to highlight Starlight Day, the start of the Starlight Children's Foundation Appeal raising money to bring joy to sick kids in WA!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone has their own parenting journey and I had an inspiring conversation with Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson. She shares her journey from an elite athlete representing her country to a working mum. Brooke has 4 children, 3 earthside and one angel baby, Jack, after he passed away when he was 9 months old.  She has faced my challenges in both her professional swimming career and throughout her motherhood journey, and Brooke shares how she often comes back to her "why" to help her determine what is best for her family at that time, and why we don't need to compare ourselves to others.  [Trigger Warning] Brooke opens up about her experience with infant loss and how it has shaped her perspective on life and motherhood. She shares candidly about the challenges and emotions involved, providing insight and understanding for those who may have experienced similar losses. Brooke also shares how valuable the Starlight Children's Foundation is and the positive impact it has had on her life and family. Listen to discover how Brooke's story can inspire you to navigate life's challenges with a positive mindset and find joy in the journey. Brooke Hanson is a proud ambassador for Starlight Children's Foundation. She is sharing her story in support of Starlight Day on May 21, which aims to raise $1 Million dollars by June 30 to help brighten the lives of 26,000 seriously ill children. To donate visit starlight.org.au   Connect with Brooke: Instagram: @brookehanson_oly_oam Website: brookehanson.com Support Starlight Children's Foundation: Visit starlight.org.au to learn more about their work and how you can get involved. *************************************** NEXT STEPS: Join the Working Mumma Village: workingmumma.com.au/working-mumma-village.  Let's connect on LinkedIn  Let's connect on Instagram @workingmummacommunity Get the free 'How to share the mental load' workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/

A positive workplace is a powerful thing.I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Suzy Green, the CEO & Founder of The Positivity Institute, a positively deviant organisation dedicated to the research and application of Positive Psychology in workplaces and schools.  She is a leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology, having conducted a world first study on the impact of evidence based coaching on performance and wellbeing. Suzy is an Honorary Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of East London. Suzy also holds honorary academic positions at the Centre for Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne and the Black Dog Institute. Suzy is also an affiliate of the Institute for Wellbeing at Cambridge University. As a Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of mental illness, Suzy is passionate about reducing the significant impact of mental health in our workplaces, schools and communities. As a Coaching Psychologist, who has scientifically investigated the impact of evidence-based coaching, Suzy is also passionate about encouraging the use of coaching for performance and wellbeing enhancement for all. Suzy's extensive experience in the media includes having been a brand ambassador for ANZ, Fitbit, Nivea, Nespresso and Officeworks. Suzy is also an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation.Suzy and I discussed:Key characteristics of positive leaders in education and how they influence the success of a school. How positive leadership can address issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. Examples of specific strategies or initiatives that positive leaders can implement to foster a culture of collaboration. In challenging situations or times of change, how positive leaders can effectively guide their teams and maintain a sense of optimism. And much more!Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to create a better future for our life long learners!Listen here:Apple - https://apple.co/3OAl10CSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3PyuxmgAmazon Music - https://amzn.to/3z9fmcbConnect with Suzy:Instagram: @drsuzygLinkedIn: Dr Suzy GreenTwitter: @DrSuzyGreen Facebook: The Positivity Institute

In this episode, host Josh Hirsch interviews Meredith Rae Feder, Deputy Director for the Museum of Discovery and Science, about vision and action in nonprofit leadership. They discuss starting and completing capital campaigns, building a high-performing team, balancing long-term goals and short-term needs, building a professional network, and hiring team members with complementary skills.TakeawaysBelieving in the mission and having a passion for the work are critical for success in nonprofit management.Building a high-performing team is essential for completing successful campaigns and achieving organizational goals.Striking a balance between long-term goals and short-term needs requires setting aside time for strategic thinking and seeking input from trusted colleagues.Building a professional network and seeking out resources and mentorship opportunities are important for personal and professional growth in nonprofit leadership.Chapters05:06 Starting and Completing Capital Campaigns07:16 Building a High-Performing Team08:57 Hiring Team Members with Complementary Skills20:00 Building a Professional Network24:30 Coaches Corner: How can we engage corporate partners in a mutually beneficial wayGuest BioMeredith Ray Feder serves as the Deputy Director for the Museum of Discovery and Science. As a member of the executive team, Feder is responsible for setting departmental goals, generating $12M in earned revenue and philanthropic support annually. During her tenure at MODS, she has also overseen two capital campaigns. By connecting advancement and engagement elements to the mission of the institution, Feder and her team have been successful in enhancing the reputation, relationships and resources of the organization, emphasizing partnerships, outcomes and impact.Feder is a leader in nonprofit management and brings over 20 years of strategic advancement, operational, marketing and communications experience to the Museum of Discovery and Science. Prior to joining the museum, she was senior director of advancement for Gulliver Schools, one of largest private schools in South Florida. In this role, Feder oversaw development, marketing, branding, publications, web content management, public and community relations, divisional operations, government and community relations, alumni relations, social media and strategic partnerships. She has also held positions with Pensacola Museum of Art, Northwest Florida Ballet, and Starlight Children's Foundation. Feder graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in art history and studio arts from the University of West Florida, a certificate in fine and decorative art appraisal from New York University and a master's in arts administration from Florida State University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) professional and a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute program for museum professionals.Her industry contributions have earned the Broward Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals the Ten Star designation for accomplishments toward the association's strategic plan and have earned institutions various Hermes Creative Awards, Muse Awards, Audio Visual Arts Awards, Communicator Awards and National Medallion by the Institute for Museum and Library Services for excellence in the industry. In addition, Feder was recognized as the Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year by the Broward Chapter of AFP, as the Mother of the Year by Health Mothers Healthy Babies and a Distinguished Fellow by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Global.She is a past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Broward Chapter as well as the Greater Florida Caucus, a professional mentor in the...

Today I have an awesome, wide-ranging conversation with Clinical psychologist and Positive Psychology expert, Dr Suzy Green.  As a Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of mental illness, Suzy is on a mission to reduce the impact of mental illness in our workplaces, schools and communities.  As a Coaching Psychologist, who has scientifically investigated the impact of evidence-based coaching, Suzy is committed to encouraging the use of coaching for performance and wellbeing enhancement for all. Suzy's vast experience in the media includes having been a brand ambassador for ANZ, Fitbit, Nivea, Nespresso and Officeworks. Suzy is also an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and regularly speaks as both a keynote and on panel presentations about Positive Psychology and Positive Psychology Coaching. Suzy has a heap of books, courses and other offerings, which you can find here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 228 of Small Business Talk for Coaches, featuring our special guest, Lisa Brandis. Lisa shares her journey from being a clinical hypnotherapist and business owner to mastering the art of integrating intuition into personal and business growth. She discusses the shift to online training due to COVID-19 and her passion for teaching others to deepen relationships and business success through intuitive connection. In this episode, Lisa emphasises the importance of personal experiences in learning and growth. She recounts her early career as Captain Starlight at the Starlight Children's Foundation, where she discovered her empathic abilities. This role highlighted the challenges of balancing emotional openness with personal boundaries, especially when dealing with seriously ill children. Lisa's journey through burnout and personal crisis led her to discover the healing power of Reiki, marking the beginning of her path as a Reiki teacher. She discusses the transformative impact of Reiki on her life and how it facilitates a deep connection with unconditional love, moving beyond intellectual understanding to profound experiential knowledge. For coaches seeking to enhance their client connections, Lisa offers insights into the principles of Reiki and presence. She suggests practical tips for fostering genuine connections, such as setting positive intentions and leveraging intuition to listen and be present with clients truly. The conversation also delves into the role of intuition in business and personal life, highlighting stories that underscore the importance of listening to one's inner guidance. Lisa shares personal anecdotes that illustrate the power of intuition in navigating life's challenges and making meaningful decisions. Lisa's recent book, "Intuitive Reiki: A Transformational Journey of Deep Spiritual Awakening," is discussed as a resource for those interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality and personal development. This episode of Small Business Talk for Coaches is a rich exploration of the intersections between intuition, healing, and business success, offering coaches and listeners alike valuable insights into cultivating deeper connections and embracing their intuitive abilities for personal and professional growth.   Go to Small Business Talk For Coaches, episode 228, for all the show notes and links. --- Coaches, are you looking to build a thriving business? Go to https://coachesmarketingroadmap.com.au for resources, the book and the program. Small Business Talk For Coaches. This podcast is the ultimate resource for coaches looking to transform their coaching passion into a thriving business. Small Business Talk for Coaches with Cathy Smith brought to you by CATCO Enterprises.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justin West of the Strange Glow Video podcast joins the show for a discussion about the latest Ghostbusters toy offerings from Hasbro that have turned up at Target.com and a local toy retailer in Austin, TX.  Jim and Justin discuss the products that have been revealed thus far, what toys they'd like to see on the way, and (more broadly) how the toy and action figure industry is changing. Plus find out about the latest Ghostbusters Headlines since the start of 2024, and details on a way to support Extraplasm's charitable fundraising efforts for Starlight Children's Foundation. Special Thanks & Credits Logo / Cover Art - Brendan Pearce, Badoochi Studios, @badoochistudios Theme Song - "Ghostbusters" by MAGNAVOX

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... How can nonprofits compete with EOY distractions?Using CRM data to increase year-end givingGood Marketing Unplugged with Cindee Starkie of Starlight Children's FoundationWhat do RMNs have to do with nonprofits?Uncharitable: Reframing the nonprofit overhead narrativeRead and subscribe to the Good Marketing Brief newsletter

“Our best job as nonprofit marketers is understanding there's a world full of people who are looking to make a difference. They just need to know how and where. And so our job is to connect them with the how and the where.”This episode of Good Marketing Unplugged features Cindee Starkie, VP of Marketing and Communications at Starlight Children's Foundation. Cindee discusses Starlight's focus on outcome-based storytelling and how simplifying their messaging led to a 50% increase in website conversions. (mic drop!) We explore their shared, earned, paid, and owned channels and how to leverage them collectively for maximum impact. If you're looking for the emerging trends around digital marketing, this episode is for you. Episode HighlightsMarketing and communications strategies at Starlight Children's Foundation (2:30)Storytelling and donor engagement in non-profit marketing (13:00)Nonprofit marketing trends, AI, and donor alignment (16:00)Shared, earned, paid and owned channels + how to leverage them collectively for maximum impact (23:00)About Cindee:For more than 20 years, Cindee Starkie has been a strategic professional in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Currently serving as the Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Starlight Children's Foundation, Cindee leads a marketing team to create strategic positioning through storytelling. With experience in corporate development, marketing and communications, Cindee has a proven track record of engaging donors and advocates to fuel brand growth and awareness.Guest links:Cindee's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindeestarkieAdditional links:Starlight Children's Foundation***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Dr. Tan participated in a Dual Residency Program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Pediatrics at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. She has received Fellowship Grants and Support from the Christopher Reeve Foundation, the  Medtronics/Allergan: Spasticity Management Workshop, and the Starlight Children's Foundation. She served as Founder of the Philippine Chinese-American Medical Association and became President of that organization in 2014. Dr. Tan obtained her medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. The following items were discussed in Part 2: role played by family in providing care; outcomes produced when treating with botox; implementation of alcohol blocks in treatment; what serial casting in treatment entails; use of oral medications; role played by complementary and alternative modalities; whether symptoms change with age; the transition from pediatric to adult care; potential of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in treating patients with cerebral palsy; and her research interests in cerebral palsy and plans to be involved in any upcoming investigations.    

Dr. Tan participated in a Dual Residency Program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Pediatrics at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. She has received Fellowship Grants and Support from the Christopher Reeve Foundation, the  Medtronics/Allergan: Spasticity Management Workshop, and the Starlight Children's Foundation. She served as Founder of the Philippine Chinese-American Medical Association and became President of that organization in 2014. Dr. Tan obtained her medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. The following items were discussed in Part 1: how she decided to become a pediatrician specializing in cerebral palsy; what causes cerebral palsy; if heredity plays a role; likelihood of any demographic factors involved in the onset of this condition; tools and practices used in early diagnosis; types of cerebral palsy; whether it can be acquired after birth; preventability; incidence of cerebral palsy in the U.S.; conditions other than neurological and gross motor disorders that affect these patients; and the kinds of team members engaged in furnishing treatment.      

Unleashing the Power of Eating, Learning, and Playing: Join CEO Chris Helfrich as he champions the impactful mission of Eat.Learn.Play Foundation to transform underserved communities through its three pillars, challenging the stigmas of charity and inspiring lasting change.My special guest is Chris HelfrichMeet Chris Helfrich, the force behind the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Not a stranger to charitable work, Chris has broadened his experience, starting from his endeavors with the UN Foundation Against Malaria to leading the Starlight Children's Foundation. Now, partnering with Ayesha and Steph Curry, Chris is transforming thousands of lives in Oakland through the power of Eat Learn Play. Using this powerful trifecta, Chris and his team advocate for children's access to nutritious food, quality education, and sports activities. His work goes beyond charity; it's about offering dignity, a proud sense of community, and a bright future for those in need.This bus totally flips receiving charity on its head, where normally there can be real stigma attached to receiving food from a food bank, right? And instead, what we have with the Eat and Play bus is like, kids just flocking to the bus to receive these resources. - Chris HelfrichChris Helfrich, CEO of the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, was interviewed on the A World of Difference podcast by host Lori Adams-Brown. The conversation centered around the foundation's mission and impact in Oakland, California. Helfrich discussed the three pillars of the foundation: eating, learning, and playing, and emphasized their importance in creating a happy and successful childhood. He shared how the foundation focuses on childhood literacy, with a specific emphasis on third-grade reading levels. Helfrich also highlighted the foundation's commitment to impact over legacy, as well as their partnership with the Curry family. Overall, the episode serves as an inspiring discussion on the work being done by the Eat Learn Play Foundation and the importance of community involvement in making a difference.In this episode, you will be able to:Dive into the transformative ethos of the Eat Learn Play Foundation and its initiatives in Oakland.Learn about the concentrated focus the foundation has on the intellectual growth of children.Appreciate the role of unstructured play and physical health in the holistic development of children.Unravel opportunities to participate and make a difference with the foundation's community initiatives.Grasp how local participation is a major asset in addressing and resolving social challenges.Pivotal Role of Eat Learn Play FoundationEat Learn Play Foundation, co-founded by Chris Helfrich, Stephen Curry and his wife author and celebrity chef Ayesha, plays a significant role in uplifting the community in Oakland, California. With a stellar record of delivering 25 million meals, investing in literacy programs, and serving numerous young individuals, they create an impactful difference. Their strategy involves forming robust relationships with influential partners, and operating innovative programs like the mobile bookstore and market bus, fulfilling their mission to nourish, educate, and entertain.The resources mentioned in this episode are:Visit the Eat Learn Play Foundation website to learn more about their mission and the work they do in Oakland.Support the Eat Learn Play Foundation by making a donation to help provide meals, books, and resources to youth in need.Follow Eat Learn Play on social media to stay updated on...

Brock Williams is a 22 year old, 3rd year chiropractic student, who has shifted his life significantly from his days of school yard trouble maker.Brock was never a great student, and spent most of his later years in school giving the teachers grief. Brock grew up thinking he would play some form of elite level sport, but it wasn't meant to be, so from the age of 17 he fell into the cycle of coasting through life, not applying much effort to anything, and drank every weekend away.In an effort to change his life, Brock decided to study chiropractic and make the big move to the city and start fresh.But the real catalyst happened last year when Nedd Brockmann ran across Australia. Brock excitedly checked instagram each night when Nedd was doing his recaps, and something shifted inside him. Brock thought this was amazing. From there, Brock signed up for his first half marathon. He then developed a love for marathons and started noticing a heap of unintentional associated benefits. He was more productive, and more motivated to eat healthy and do more exercise. Brock then ran a marathon in his own time around his home town of Rosedale, and the pride began to swell.He then signed up for the great ocean road 60k ultra marathon, got up each morning at 5am to train, and finished the run while at the same time raising $3,500 for the Starlight Children's Foundation. Brock's focus is now on his mate Xavier who is fighting cancer, by running from Adelaide to Sale in 16 days this December, averaging 62.5km per day. All money raised will go to the Sony Foundation.Brock says the purpose of all this isn't self attention, but the belief that he can play a role in people realising their potential. He also says he doesn't have any god given talents, but wants people to realise that everyone is capable of so much more, and it all comes down to a tiny bit more effort.Sony Foundation - https://www.sonyfoundation.org/Starlight - https://www.starlight.org.au/Socials:FB: Brock Williams Insta: Brock Williams @brockwilliams_training Adelaide to Sale Donate - https://www.sonyfoundation.org/event/brocks-border-run/donateEnjoy the visual here on Youtube

Most of the guests I have on this podcast do silly and frivolous jobs like telling jokes or pretending to be other people for a living. Jono Brand and Amanda McGregor are a little bit different. They still tell jokes and pretend to be other people - but they use their silliness and frivolity as a force for good by helping sick kids cope with the uncertainty and worry of hospital and treatment in the guise of Captain Starlight.For over 30 years the Starlight Children's Foundation has used play, social connection and creativity to support children and young people in some of their toughest times and to positively change their healthcare experience.See the good work the Starlight Children's Foundation does:https://www.starlight.org.auSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-saturday-quiz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever heard of spirit babies? A spirit baby is a soul that is at the stage of waiting to incarnate to Earth. If you have, you are probably familiar with the Indigo, Crystal, and Rainbow children as well. These powerful lightworkers have come in over the past two centuries to facilitate immense healing and planetary transformation. On this episode of the podcast, host Happy Ali sits down with Lynsi Eastburn, an acclaimed author and expert in fertility and spiritual alignment. They explore the fascinating topic of Pink StarLight children and their significance in our world today. Lynsi Eastburn brings over 20 years of experience in supporting individuals on their pre-pregnancy and pregnancy journeys. She is the founder of HypnoFertility, a renowned program that helps those facing infertility challenges. Lynsi's innovative techniques have gained support from doctors and fertility clinics worldwide. In their conversation, Happy Ali and Lynsi delve into the purpose and messages of Pink StarLight children. They discuss how these extraordinary lightworkers have played a pivotal role in healing and transforming our planet over the past two centuries. Lynsi introduces her latest technique, the Pink StarLight Attunement System, which allows individuals to connect with these powerful beings. The Pink StarLight Attunement System, developed by Lynsi, facilitates a harmonious alignment between individuals and the Pink StarLight children. It involves a unique blend of transformative modalities and utilizes crystals, symbols, and sacred geometry. The attunement experience brings about deep and subtle shifts, leading to enhanced intuition, tranquility, joy, and love. Lynsi's profound insights and expertise have gained recognition nationally and internationally. She has been featured on various platforms, including Lifetime Television Network, ABC and CBS News, and prominent radio programs. Lynsi's passion extends to her private practice and training facility, where she empowers others to use her techniques through the 3Keys® HypnoFertility training. Tune in to this enlightening episode as Happy Ali and Lynsi Eastburn explore the fascinating world of Pink StarLight children and their remarkable role in our current time. Discover how these extraordinary beings are bringing healing and transformation to our planet and how you can align with their purpose. For more information about Lynsi Eastburn and the Pink StarLights, visit her website. https://hypnofertility.com/pink-starlight-attunement/ Make sure to explore all things Happy Insights at https://linktr.ee/happyinsights

Welcome to COFFEE with Kim with Host Kim Crabill and Special Guest Dr. Brandon Lane Phillips. Topic:  Wishing On a Star with Dr. Brandon Lane Phillips and “Growing Pains” Jeremy Miller   At age 11, already the veteran of multiple medical procedures for heart defects, Brandon Phillips had a big wish: to meet one of the stars of his favorite TV show, Growing Pains. He longed for the home life depicted on the show and dreamed of meeting Jeremy Miller, the actor who portrayed Ben Seaver. Starlight Children's Foundation granted Brandon's wish, which set both Brandon and Jeremy on a decades-long, life-changing trajectory. On this week's “COFFEE with Kim,” Brandon and Jeremy will open up to host Kim Crabill about what happened next for both the wisher and the wish-granter when God answered a childhood prayer. Join us live Monday, June 12 at 10:00am ET for the rest of this wonderful story. Enjoying the Conversation?  Visit the COFFEE with Kim Show Page at www.up2meradio.com to learn more about the show, Host Kim Crabill, guests, to leave us a comment and subscribe to the show! This show is a production of Up2Me Radio in coordination with the Media Team of the Roses and Rainbows Ministry.  Visit the ministry at www.rosesandrainbows.org You can find, like and share us on Facebook at Up2Me Radio, follow us on Twitter @Up2Meradio and on Instagram at Up2Me.Radio Thank you for tuning in!

EPISODE SUMMARY Join scientist and mindset & high-performance coach Claudia Garbutt and clinical psychologist & coaching psychologist Dr. Suzy Green as they talk about mindsets, tools, and strategies that help you thrive.   In this episode we talk about: - Cultivating a positive mindset - Positive psychology & the power of coaching for performance & wellbeing - Mental health, social media & technology   EPISODE NOTES Dr Suzy Green is a Clinical and Coaching Psychologist (MAPS) and Founder & CEO of The Positivity Institute, a Sydney-based positively deviant organisation dedicated to the research and application of the science of optimal human functioning in organisations and schools.   She is a leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology having conducted a world-first study on evidence-based coaching as an Applied Positive Psychology.   Suzy has published over twenty academic chapters and peer reviewed journal articles including the Journal of Positive Psychology. She is the co-editor of “Positive Psychology Coaching in Practice” (Green & Palmer, 2018), “Positive Psychology Coaching in the Workplace” (Smith, Boniwell & Green, 2021) and “The Positivity Prescription” (Green, 2019).   Suzy lectured on Applied Positive Psychology as a Senior Adjunct Lecturer in the Coaching Psychology Unit, University of Sydney for ten years and is an Honorary Vice President of the International Society for Coaching Psychology.   Suzy is an Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of East London and holds Honorary Academic positions at the Centre for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne, the Black Dog Institute and she is an Affiliate of the Institute for Well-Being, Cambridge University.   Suzy is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Coach Hub, a leading global coaching technology platform. Suzy is an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and she maintains a strong media profile appearing on television, radio, and in print.   Website: https://thepositivityinstitute.com.au/   LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/dr-suzy-green-5197072   Instagram – @drsuzyg   Facebook – The Positivity Institute   Twitter - @DrSuzyGreen     ------------------   Music credit: Vittoro by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)   -----------------   If you enjoyed this episode, learned something new, had an epiphany moment - or were reminded about a simple truth that you had forgotten, please let me know by rating & reviewing this show on https://linktr.ee/wiredforsuccess.   Oh, and make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss out on any of the amazing future episodes! If you don't listen on iTunes, you can find all the episodes here.       Disclaimer: Podcast Episodes might contain sponsored content.

Melissa is a Positive Psychology Coach, who works with individuals and couples to enhance the quality of their life. Through applied positive psychology and coaching psychology, Melissa works with her clients to develop their wellbeing in ways that are personally meaningful, sustainable and energising.   With a Masters Degree in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology and a Bachelor of Human Resources Management, Melissa also specialises in positive psychology within workplaces. She has over 12 years' experience in human resources, and is currently the Positive Psychology Advisor at the Starlight Children's Foundation where she implements evidenced-based strategies to support the mental health, wellbeing and positive impact of individuals, teams and the organisation. 

Last year 12-year-old Emma found out she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She reveals how she felt when she was diagnosed, and what her cancer battle has been like since. Emma is sharing her story in support of the Starlight Children's Foundation 'Super Swim Challenge', which encourages people to swim throughout the month of February to raise $4M to help sick kids in hospital. Host: Andrew BucklowProducer:  Emily PidgeonAssistant Producer: Nina YoungAudio Editor: Joshua BurtonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starlight CEO  Louise Baxter joins Mark Levy to highlight the important work of the Starlight Children's Foundation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, Jonathan is joined by Peter Samuelson, Co-founder of the Starlight Children's Foundation, Los Angeles, California, USA, and Co-founder and President of First Star, Oxford, UK. The pair discuss the origins of these fantastic charities and touch on Samuelson's work in setting up Everyone Deserves a Roof (EDAR) in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 2005, which aims to tackle homelessness.

Adam Mada has been entertaining audiences and creating custom magic and Illusion shows internationally for more than 20 years. As a leading magician, entertainer and Magic / Illusions consultant Adam Mada has his audiences spellbound with spectacular stage shows and cutting edge magic performances with an affectionate nod to the golden era of magic. He was the Magic and Illusions coach to the Australian production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – parts 1 and 2, and the magic & illusion consultant and coach for the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art. Adam is also the magic/illusion designer for the highly anticipated stage adaptation of Mem Fox's Australian classic ‘Possum Magic'. Adam's highly sought after live and digital performances are in demand throughout the world, playing everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to The Royal Bombay Yacht Club. He is the founder and director of Magic Inc. a company that creates bespoke custom magic illusions and performances for advertising and special events. Magic Inc. also fosters emerging magic talent including Australian and New Zealand Junior champions “The Cardistry Boys” as well as Tik-Tok Magic sensation Ash Magic. Among his many other achievements, Adam Mada has supported the Starlight Children's Foundation as National Magic Coach for the Captain Starlight Program and is a member of Band Of Magicians – the world's first supergroup of magicians. He was also magician in residence at experimental cabaret show El Circo. Whether wowing high-end, private parties or massive-scale corporate events, Adam mixes his signature blend of wit, spectacle and invention and delivers the slickest of interactive experiences, stealing away the breath of each and every audience member and keeping it safely up his sleeve until the final curtain. The art and craft of magic and illusion has fascinated me for a lifetime. The craft has been practiced on stages around the globe for centuries. As an entertainment it always inspires awe and delightful confusion. As an art, it requires incredible discipline and skill. I can't wait to investigate the artistry further with Adam Mada. STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL talks to Christie Downs. A self-made entrepreneur and problem solver who started handdii with her co-founder Kathryn Wood.After working as an executive in the construction industry, building deep experience and broad industry relationships, Christie saw an opportunity to use technology to improve the way customers connect with contractors when they are making property insurance claims.This is how handdii was born as a three-way digital platform, combining insurance, construction and contractors, where contractors can easily connect, engage and promote their businesses. KEY TAKEAWAYS I am a high-energy business leader who loves solving problems and creating exciting solutions that transform people's lives. After working as an executive in the construction industry, building deep experience and broad industry relationships, I saw an opportunity to use technology to improve the way customers connect with contractors when they are making property insurance claims, making it quicker, faster, and cheaper for insurers, clients, and tradespeople. We're just at the starting line, there's so much opportunity ahead. I think the early innovation in our sector has been pretty straightforward. How do we buy faster, make things convenient, streamline processes and save cost? Quite a lot of separate practical solutions. For example, right now, there are many inspection tools and solutions an insurance company would use – virtual inspections, drones, AI, and they might actually use various tools all at once. Our vision is to make small property claims amazing. The industry has a cumbersome process for property claims with multiple people and approvals involved designed for large losses. This process is not designed to fast-track small claims, and moreover, the major suppliers to the insurance industry would prefer not to handle small claims. So, my Co-Founder and I set out to change that! Handdii is a really practical solution to a common problem. Any Claims leader can see the opportunity in their portfolio to improve how small claims are managed. We're really focused on our niche, and when we partner with an insurer, we make it easy to work with us. Our team has a solid property claims background, reflected in the product and program we have built. This makes it easy for the insurer to work with us because we speak their language and understand their challenges while having the speed and the money to be an innovative partner creating solutions for them. BEST MOMENTS‘My experience also includes being Executive of Carlton Football Club as the General Manager of Business Development introducing unique revenue streams, the creation of Carlton Respects program against family violence and Blue Skies program supporting diversity and inclusion in the inaugural year of AFLW.'‘I think the future of innovation will become more and more integrated into our lives, activities, and systems. Bringing all of these different solutions together, then once that efficiency is achieved, we'll look to bring innovation to achieve more purposeful outcomes around sustainability, inclusion, and prosperity.'‘COVID has made some things much easier and others more challenging. For example, onboarding contractors, meeting via video rather than in person, has streamlined how quickly we have expanded our contractor network across multiple states this year. Whereas meeting new insurance companies is more challenging, we are certainly happy the in-person conferences are kicking off again now.'‘When working with large enterprises, be patient, be persistent, be astute commercially – if you're bringing great value, hold your line on your cost.' ABOUT THE GUESTChristie Downs: I am a high-energy business leader who loves solving problems and creating exciting solutions that transform people's lives and work. After working as an executive in the construction industry, building deep experience and broad industry relationships, I saw an opportunity to use technology to improve the way customers connect with contractors when they are making property insurance claims, making it quicker, faster, and cheaper for insurers, clients, and tradespeople. I made the leap to entrepreneurship in 2018, starting handdii with Kathryn Wood.handdii is a three-way platform where contractors can easily connect, engage and promote their businesses, insurers experience reduced cost, and both and customers find their property insurance repairs are easier and cheaper to organize with better results.My core career experience of ten years was as group sales director and board member of the national construction company, Johns Lyng Group, ASX listed as JLG. I played a lead role in the national expansion and exponential revenue growth of the group, from $12 million in 2004 to $350 million in 2015. During this experience, I saw first-hand the problems people had with getting repairs done, often after stressful situations, and experienced fantastic contractors who ran great businesses.My experience also includes being the Executive of Carlton Football Club as the General Manager of Business Development, introducing unique revenue streams, the creation of the Carlton Respects program against family violence, and the Blue Skies program supporting diversity and inclusion in the inaugural year of AFLW.I am passionate about contributing to society and was Chair of Starball Committee Sydney for 3 years, raising more than USD $1 million for Starlight Children's Foundation.I love to share my experiences and learnings with #public speaking on the value of diversity and inclusion, starting your own venture, and how the insurtech industry is evolving. About handdii: Having worked as a Director of a Construction company in the Insurance industry for 10 years, I know customer satisfaction in property claims is very low. This is because the traditional fulfillment process is complicated and takes 60 days on average to get a property repaired. Yet, 80% of property claims are small and only require 1 or 2 trades.For this 80% of small claims, handdii dramatically improves the customer experience by pairing the customer with the trade they need to assist in claim determination and complete works immediately. Cutting claim life from 2 months to 1 week.handdii makes workflow easy for trades through pre-agreed rates, opt-in scheduling, automated processing, and payment. Minimizing these friction points empowers the trades to focus on providing quality work and an awesome customer experience.For insurance companies, handdii can provide claim lodgement and allocation, save 25% in claims cost and enable digital transformation for property claims. A significant positive impact on customer satisfaction (NPS) will lead to new customer acquisition and further product opportunities. https://www.handdii.com/  ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew, a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, and commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world, working with over 30 corporate insurers and accelerating over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter: SabineVdLLinkedIn: Sabine VanderLindenInstagram: sabinevdLofficialFacebook: SabineVdLOfficialTikTok: sabinevdlofficialEmail: podcast@sabinevdl.comWebsite: www.sabinevdl.comThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media

In this episode of Executive with a Cause, host Tammy Ven Dange chats with Louise Baxter, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation Australia. https://www.starlight.org.au/  Starlight helps sick children find happiness while they are in hospitals. And underneath this mission lies a sophisticated operation. From earning the "Employer of Choice" badge to using technology to streamline their processes and support employee recognition, there are many leadership lessons that Louise shares throughout this episode. Thank you for listening to the Executive with a Cause podcast. Don't forget to follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.   To read the full episode notes and related links, visit: https://roundboxconsulting.com.au/podcast.   IT in PLAIN ENGLISH Internal investments are always a tricky balance, especially for IT. In this week's segment, Tammy answers the question, 'When is it time to upgrade your system?' To read the full summary, visit: https://roundboxconsulting.com.au/answers/ Sign-up here to subscribe to the "Executive with a Cause" newsletter and gain more IT insights in plain English. https://roundboxconsulting.com.au/subscribe/   CREDITS Thanks to our Producer, Nick Whatman, and the entire team at Lonsdale St. Studio. Thanks also to our Digital Content Creator, Laura Kleinrahm.     Tammy Ven Dange is a former charity CEO, Not for Profit Board Member and IT Executive. Today she helps NFPs with IT and data decisions with her business, Roundbox Consulting.    https:/roundboxconsulting.com.au  

Mark Chittick joins us with the incredible story surrounding the Starlight Children's Hospital knocking back a whopping donation fresh from I Wish I Win's Golden Eagle triumph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The official trailer is out for the Disney+ Series Save our Squad with David Beckham, MagicBand+ is debuting soon at Disneyland Resort, a baby Okapi was born at Disney's Animal Kingdom, National Geographic Live prepares for a 2022-2023 North American tour, Disney and Starlight Children's Foundation unveiled new experiences bringing comfort and joy to patients at Children's National Hospital, Marvel celebrates Disney100 with special "What If...?" comic covers featuring Mickey and Friends, BUNK'D has been renewed for season seven on Disney Channel, National Geographic announced the third year of its Field Ready Program, and the first poster for Disney's The Little Mermaid was just revealed. Plus, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director and executive producer Kat Coiro breaks down the twisty finale, Daredevil's costume, Easter eggs, and what's (maybe) ahead for Jen.

If you could give your children a head start in life with mental skills would you take it?Dr Suzy Green explains the different views between generations when it comes to mental skills, particularly in the workplace. Dr Suzy also gives us some valuable tips to help train mental skills in ourselves but also our children to set them up with resilience for the future.Dr Suzy Green is recognised as Australia's leading positive psychologist. She is the founder and CEO of the Positivity Institute, a positively deviant organisation dedicated to applying positive psych to life, work and school. Dr Suzy is an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and maintains a strong media profile appearing on TV, radio and print.You can listen to the full length StriveStronger podcast on all of your favourite podcasting platforms and you can find Andrew May and StriveStronger on Instagram, Linkedin and Youtube.If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How would you put together a crack corporate team?Andrew gets an insight on how optimism and positivity expert Dr Suzy Green would build the best team to accomplish any task through the recognition and use of diversity in thinking and mindset.Dr Suzy Green is recognised as Australia's leading positive psychologist. She is the founder and CEO of the Positivity Institute, a positively deviant organisation dedicated to applying positive psych to life, work and school. Dr Suzy is an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and maintains a strong media profile appearing on TV, radio and print.You can listen to the full length StriveStronger podcast on all of your favourite podcasting platforms and you can find Andrew May and StriveStronger on Instagram, Linkedin and Youtube.If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full D23 Expo schedule for panels and presentations available now, new shows and details announced at the 2022 Television Critics Association, the adorable 15th Annual Tour de Turtles is underway at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, Disney and Starlight Children's Hospital teamed up to bring a Spidey-themed event for kids at Texas Children's Hospital, and big news on Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts. Plus, D23 Expo details with Michael Vargo including breaking news about a major livestream, the can't-miss pavilions, and everything fans—in person and at home—need to prepare for the big event.

Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer are back together in the bear cave for this week's episode! Bert recaps his Fully Loaded tour with Dave Attell, Shane Gillis, Big Jay Oakerson, Taylor Tomlinson, and many more comics. They also discuss Tom's appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, working out with Mark Bell, the Ron White episode of 2 Bears, and Bert's upcoming trip to Italy. Tom then tells Bert about his experience donating to a Starlight Children's Foundation, which prompts a conversation about donating to charity. Bert calls his business manager to find out if he can afford to do the same. https://tomsegura.com/tourhttps://www.bertbertbert.com/bertyboytourhttps://store.ymhstudios.com/

If you could give your children a head start in life with mental skills would you take it?Dr Suzy Green explains the different views between generations when it comes to mental skills, particularly in the workplace. Dr Suzy also gives us some valuable tips to help train mental skills in ourselves but also our children to set them up with resilience for the future.Dr Suzy Green is recognised as Australia's leading positive psychologist. She is the founder and CEO of the Positivity Institute, a positively deviant organisation dedicated to applying positive psych to life, work and school. Dr Suzy is an official ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and maintains a strong media profile appearing on TV, radio and print. Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://www.andrewmay.com/keynotes/Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/Follow StriveStronger: https://www.instagram.com/strive.stronger/If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

This Week:  Future Of Fundraising Our #22NTC coverage resumes as Adam Garone shares his experience growing the individual donor base and driving transformational change at Starlight Children's Foundation. There’s more at tonymartignetti.com 

It's our last podcast in Hawaii for the summer! We spent our last weeks in Hawaii Partnering with Starlight Children's Foundation, visiting local hospitals, and going to sunflower fields with the family! We are going to miss Hawaii but we are excited to spend time with our family in Texas as well as eat all the yummy Texan food we can't get in Hawaii! Also he needs to get surgery soon this summer! Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/LoannKajiMore info on The Starlighthttps://www.starlight.org

In this week's episode, Lukas and Ryan sit back down with Vegas Inferno's Jairo "Glyphics" and Krystyne "Gandakris" to talk about partnering up with the Starlight Children's Foundation to bring a gaming station to Summerlin Hospital! Plus The Last of Us Remake is going to cost you $70 and Playstation Plus Tier system is in full affect, is it worth it? Donations to the Starlight Foundation can be made here: https://tiltify.com/+las-vegas-inferno/starlight-summer-stream-2022 Las Vegas Inferno: https://lvinferno.com/ LAN Parties: https://twitter.com/lanpartiespod Lukas Eggen: https://twitter.com/lukaseggen Ryan Smith: https://twitter.com/smitty2447 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, go support Alex and the Starlight Children's Foundation: https://laststanding.org/2021/alex-kaderi It's for the kids: https://youtu.be/LPTO2VSV2xE | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxODvIILFq8 We've got a full house this week and you know what that means. Nonsense abounds. From the selected drinks to the topics, the randomness is indubitable. This week your hosts decide to do a recap of Halloween, discuss ride-sharing and upset stomachs, and discuss the ever-important Vibe Check. Grab a drink and enjoy what you're sipping on! LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED Check out our website: https://www.nonsensebrewery.com Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.nonsensebrewery.com/subscribe Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: https://www.twitter.com/nonsensebrewery https://www.instagram.com/nonsensebrewery these times are rough estimates, they match up more accurately with our Youtube recording 0:00 Intro 0:10 Host & Drinks 6:34 Starguy & Hot Air 10:15 MBA Costumers & Goodwill 16:03 Yak Car 22:52 Break 22:57 Astro Nonsense 40:17 Last Gamer (Numba 1) 44:46 Last Call 52:28 End --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nonsensebrewery/message