Also Humans

Episode 21: Chris Schlichting

November 21, 2019 17:10 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MB

Chris Schlichting makes people laugh for a living. Both on stage and in a high school classroom. However, sitting in a hospital for three months with one of this newborn twins clinging to life was anything but funny. In this episode I talk with Chris about bombing on stage, awkward talks with his father-in-law, and the one joke his wife won’t let him tell anymore. Described as “hilarious” by his mom and “not good at sports” by his dad, Chris Shlichting takes pride in his immature and lov...

Episode 20: Darrin Fletcher

November 14, 2019 06:00 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MB

Newly married and making $800 a month in the minor leagues, Darrin Fletcher began to question the only thing he had ever known: baseball. After a miserable season, it was a seemingly chance encounter with the legendary Tommy Lasorda and Sandy Koufax that led Darrin to the big leagues and, eventually, to the All-Star Game. After three years as a standout catcher for the University of Illinois, Darrin Fletcher was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, launching a 16 year professional baseball c...

Episode 019: Talia (Hayward) Melton

June 27, 2019 05:00 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MB

Growing up as an orphan in Zambia, Talia (Hayward) Melton had no money, no opportunity and—of course—no parents. Bi-racial and bullied, her early years were difficult at best. But times have changed. Talia has a beautiful family of her own, limitless opportunities and enough money to make breathtaking art out of it. Talia Hayward is a Zambian born artist with an instantly recognizable style. Growing up as an orphan in a third world country had its challenges, including often being deprived...

Episode 18: Chris Widlic

June 20, 2019 05:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MB

Super Bowls, Final Fours, the Olympics. Each is just another day at the office for Chris Widlic. And while he gets into them all for free, earning the right to work the world’s greatest sporting venues didn’t come cheap. This TV sportscaster has seen a lot. He has done a lot. And early on, it cost him a lot. Now, with more than 30 years in the business, Chris not only has a job he loves...but has it in a city he loves and with a family who loves it all too. Chris Widlic is an award-winni...

Episode 017: DJ Step

June 13, 2019 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MB

As the guy in charge of mixing the soundtrack at professional sporting events, downtown clubs and corporate events, DJ Step has his fingers firmly on the pulse of today’s culture. He gets paid to be the life of the party but, for awhile, Step’s life was much more pity than it was party. Thankfully, family and friends stepped up to pull the aspiring DJ through the lowest of lows, ultimately catapulting him to his dream gig…and to being named one of NPR’s “Five Chicago DJs to Watch in 2019. ...

Episode 016: Leigh Holt

June 06, 2019 05:00 - 21 minutes - 29.3 MB

Her job is to connect artists with audiences and audiences with artists…and Leigh Holt has done it incredibly well. Just ask Oprah and Lauren Daigle and more than a handful of others so powerful she can’t publicly talk about them. But beneath Leigh’s breathtaking success lies an ever-present fear of failure. And when it comes to raising her two boys, Leigh finds herself a little fearful too. But the beauty comes in persevering, in rising above the fear, and in moving forward—both in busine...

Episode 015: Dr. Glenn Livingston

May 30, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 36 MB

Coming from a family of 17 psychotherapists—and with the last name Livingston—there was no question that Glenn Livingston would be a doctor. And while the weight of his highly-stressful career, painful divorce and near bankruptcy could have easily done him in, it was Glenn’s battle with his actual weight that nearly did it instead. Thankfully, a career helping people, consulting big food and big pharma companies, and pouring himself into addiction recovery organizations led Glenn to discov...

Episode 014: Brett Melton

May 23, 2019 05:45 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MB

A scholarship with his dream school turned into a nightmare with another. As one of the best high school players in America, Brett Melton was determined to turn four years at his dream university into a lucrative NBA career. But after an injury, a transfer, and a coach’s unethical behavior Brett realized: when it comes to basketball, the difference between professional and amateur is often just a few unfair (and unexpected) bounces of the ball. Now that his basketball playing days are ov...

Episode 013: Hunter Smith

May 16, 2019 05:00 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MB

He was one of the best punters in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. But Hunter Smith learned that fame and fortune and football don’t fulfill him. In fact, just two years into his professional career he realized on the outside he had everything, but on the inside he felt nothing. Hunter left football in 2010—after being let go from the Washington Redskins—and started a career in music. Growing up in Texas, singing and playing the guitar was nearly as ingrain...

Episode 012: Angela Schaffner

May 09, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MB

She was known for being smart and musical and athletic…but it was what people didn’t know about Angela Schaffner that truly defined her. At least for awhile. As an author and psychologist, Angela now spends her days helping people work through their issues, but she first had to learn how to deal with her own. Dr. Angela Schaffner is an author and licensed psychologist and eating disorders specialist with over 18 years of experience providing therapy. Her latest book is called “Revealed: Wh...

Episode 011: Scott Weiss

May 02, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 38 MB

Spending years in a corner office helping turn large companies around, Scott Weiss knows how to make tough decisions and, ultimately, make money. But what he didn’t know—at least not at first—was that when you’re leading some of the world’s largest companies, it’s difficult to effectively lead your own family. Since returning to the United States and stepping away from corporate life, Scott now uses his skillset (and the important lessons he learned as CEO) to invest in up-and-coming found...

Episode 010: John Lee Dumas

April 25, 2019 05:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MB

At 32 years old, John Lee Dumas took a risk. A big one. He quit a career in commercial real estate to start a podcast. He had no idea how he would find an audience and—once he did—he had no idea how he would make money from them. Seven years and $15 million dollars in revenue later, it’s safe to say he figured it out. With more than 2,000 interviews with entrepreneurs, several books, and dozens of online courses to help others follow in his footsteps, John Lee Dumas is charting territory in ...

Episode 009: Riana Lynn

April 18, 2019 05:00 - 25 minutes - 34.5 MB

Technology companies and venture capital offices are typically filled with white men, making the likelihood of a young, African-American girl founding, funding, and sustaining a food technology startup slim at best. But while her biology degree and entrepreneurial spirit ultimately paved the way for success, Riana found more than a little inspiration working as a black woman inside the White House…alongside a First Lady who made food and fitness her top priorities. From a childhood on food...

Episode 008: Jim McFarlin

April 11, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MB

As one of the very first people of color to review popular music for a major daily newspaper, Jim McFarlin spent an enormous amount of time with the world’s best-known musicians. However, getting cover stories from Bob Seeger and Ted Nugent and Kid Rock seemed easy compared to fighting for his identity as a small boy…and fighting for his life as an adult. Jim has not only battled racism over the years but, about a decade ago, he began battling kidney failure. The stories (and lessons) asso...

Episode 007: Brant Hansen

April 04, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MB

You'd think with a radio audience of millions and two best-selling books, feeling like a failure wouldn't be an issue. But you'd be wrong. As a child he was diagnosed with Asperger’s and an eye issue that makes it difficult to look people in the eye, yet remarkably Brant Hansen is brilliant communicator. Even more remarkable is that—given how he was treated by his dad (a pastor)—Brant spends most of his time talking about his faith. He’s convinced that most people want to laugh and be si...

Episode 006: Ana Marie Cox

March 28, 2019 05:34 - 40 minutes - 55.8 MB

Ana Marie Cox's career in journalism led her from high-powered cocktail meetings in Washington D.C. to writing for the pages of The New York Times to heading up the political division of MTV News…telling the stories of politicians, musicians and activists along the way. But the story Ana was living--filled with addiction and divorce and attempted suicide--was one she wasn’t at all ready to tell.

Episode 005: Kirk Perry

March 21, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes - 48.2 MB

Months after making the toughest decision of his life, Kirk Perry found himself fighting for his life. Kirk left an executive role with Proctor & Gamble and moved his family thousands of miles from everything they knew, hoping that a lucrative opportunity at Google was part of God’s plan for them. What Kirk didn’t realize was that stage 4 thyroid cancer was also part of the plan. As the new President of Brand Solutions at Google, Kirk suddenly needed more solutions than the greatest tech tea...

Episode 004: Dave Frey

March 14, 2019 05:00 - 34 minutes - 46.7 MB

While singing songs filled with joy and hope in front of thousands of fans each night, it might appear that Dave Frey’s life has always been perfect and problem-free. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. From his parents divorce while he was in high school to a fiancee cheating on him while he was out on tour, Dave understands despair more than most. Dave Frey is the lead singer and co-founder of the band Sidewalk Prophets. Since winning the Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in...

Episode 003: Bridget Lyons

March 07, 2019 15:34 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MB

As a successful entrepreneur, an accomplished singer-songwriter, and impressive selfie-taker, Bridget Lyons is equal parts smart, talented, and beautiful. She truly has it all. But what her thriving businesses, sold-out shows, and portfolio-like Instagram feed don’t show you is that, as a teenager, Bridget lost it all too. “We definitely didn’t grow up in a normal situation. No nuclear family or white picket fences. My mom is a drug-addict and convicted felon. I was 15 when my mom started ...

Episode 002: Suze Orman

March 02, 2019 05:08 - 34 minutes - 48 MB

She has twice been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world, yet Suze never would have guessed that kind of recognition was on the way when she was living in a van. Or making $400 a month as a waitress at the Buttercup Cafe. “I had $300 to my name, and my brother gave me $1,500 to buy a Ford Econoline van that I transformed. I could sleep in the back. I got a little portable toilet. And I ended up living on the streets in that van until I landed that dream job of mine as a...

Episode 001: Tim Sinclair

March 02, 2019 04:33 - 6 minutes - 9.39 MB

“I grew up a pastor’s kid for most of my life, and so I always felt like I was kind of in the spotlight a little. I learned–because I didn’t want to disappoint my family or embarrass myself–that I had to show people what I wanted them to see. And then that filtered into relationships. I would let the people that I dated, and several that I married (yes, several) see who I wanted them to see, not the totality of who I was. There were some things I was embarrassed about, or things that maybe...

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