Better Place Project with Steve Norris
212 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 125 ratingsIt started out with a simple question: How can we help make our world a better place? We’re holding this space for conversations about all the things, big and small, that we can do to create impactful changes in our lives and in our communities. Join host Steve Norris as he interviews inspirational thought-leaders, scientists, spiritual leaders, best selling authors, life-coaches, psychologists and more, from every corner of the planet who are doing extraordinary things to brighten our world. Along with a weekly dose of inspiration, each episode will leave you with valuable nuggets to help you live a healthier, happier, more purposeful life. Come be a part of the journey!
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Episodes
Dr. Shad Helmstetter: The Power of Neuroplasticity and Positive Self-Talk: Encore Presentation
July 12, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MBThis is an encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes of 2021. I wanted to bring this episode back because the teachings of Dr. Helmstetter, one of, if not THE leading experts around the world in Nueroplasticity and self-talk, can literally change people's lives. I know this, because it changed mine! Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D., is the author of more than twenty books in the field of self-talk and personal growth. His books include the classic self-talk best-seller, “What to S...
Feel Good Friday! The Inspiring Real-Life Story of Colonel Sanders
July 08, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.71 MBThis week’s story is about Harland David Sanders, or as most of us know him as, Colonel Sanders, the face of Kentucky Fried Chicken, or now known as KFC. What most people don't know though is what an interesting life, and what a difficult, traffic life filled with obstacles, that Harland Sanders lived. Losing his father at the age of 6, was simply the first tragedy and setback that Sanders had to overcome. In this short, 10-minute episode, you'll hear just how many setbacks and failures S...
Fritzi Horstman: Founder of Compassion Prison Project and Creator of "Step Inside the Circle"
July 05, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBIn this episode, I sit down with Grammy award winning producer, filmmaker and activist, Fritzi Horstman in a compelling conversation discussing her very powerful documentary "Step Inside the Circle." We discuss trauma, particularly childhood trauma, what it does to the brain, body and spirit, its horrific effect on incarcerated men and women as well as society as a whole. We chatted about the Adverse Childhood Experience Survey (ACE Survey) that helps one discover how much trauma they expe...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Hero Anthony Perry
July 01, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 4.99 MBDon’t let anyone ever tell you the younger generation in America is anything but impressive. In a week where we had a heroic barely 26 year old young woman, in Cassidy Hutchinson bravely testify in front of congress to protect our democracy here in the US, in today’s story, I introduce to you yet another young hero, Anthony Perry, a 20 year-old man from Chicago who saved a young man who was electrocuted and lying on the train tracks unconscious. While others stood and video taped the poor m...
Feel Good Friday! The Inspiring Story of Hero Anthony Perry
July 01, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 4.99 MBDon’t let anyone ever tell you the younger generation in America is anything but impressive. In a week where we had a heroic barely 26 year old young woman, in Cassidy Hutchinson bravely testify in front of congress to protect our democracy here in the US, in today’s story, I introduce to you yet another young hero, Anthony Perry, a 20 year-old man from Chicago who saved a young man who was electrocuted and lying on the train tracks unconscious. While others stood and video taped the poor m...
Living as If Your LIfe Depended on It, with Internationally Best-Selling Author, Philosopher, and Teacher, Sharon Lebell
June 28, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBFor over 25 years Sharon Lebell’s internationally bestselling book, The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, has inspired philosophy lovers and the modern Stoicism movement. A contemporary interpretation of the ancient sage Epictetus’ teachings, it is a perennial classic that is a cherished spiritual companion and daily guide for readers from every walk of life. Sharon is a strong proponent of expressing philosophy in accessible language so anyone can ...
Living as If Your LIfe Depended on It, with Internationally Best-Selling Author, Philosopher, and Speaker, Sharon Lebell
June 28, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBFor over 25 years Sharon Lebell’s internationally bestselling book, The Art of Living: The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, has inspired philosophy lovers and the modern Stoicism movement. A contemporary interpretation of the ancient sage Epictetus’ teachings, it is a perennial classic that is a cherished spiritual companion and daily guide for readers from every walk of life. Sharon is a strong proponent of expressing philosophy in accessible language so anyone can ...
Feel Good Friday! Greater Love Hath No Man - The Story of Patrick Cadagin
June 24, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 5.62 MBIn this week's Feel Good Friday episode, Steve shares the inspirational story from 1909 of an Irish-American hero named Patrick Cadagin, who gave his life to save a young woman. Cadagin, who was living in Springfield Illinois, was a watchman at a railroad crossing when a woman named Pearl Bunes was approaching in her horse and buggy. The horse panicked at the roar of an approaching locomotive and bolted towards the tracks. Cadagin took action and grabbed the horse by the reigns, only to b...
The Healing Power of Sound with Lisa Grezlak
June 21, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBLisa Grezlak is a healer, advocate, teacher and creator. She created SVOUND to promote the incredible healing Sound Vibration offers to provide RESTORATION and CALM for those struggling with any form of dis-ease in their lives. Our minds and bodies are meant to be in a state of total wellness. But in today's world, there is so much going against the balancing of our energy systems and people are suffering tremendously. From an early age, Lisa suffered with severe levels of anxiety and depr...
Garrain Jones - Author of Change your Mindset, Change your Life: Lessons of Love, Leadership and Transformation
June 14, 2022 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MBGarrain Jones is a coach, international inspirational speaker, podcaster, and bestselling author of Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life. Garrain has gone from $200K in debt and living in his car, to millionaire through deeply meaningful work touching millions of lives. His greatest belief is that when we tap into our truest, creative essence we open up magical doors of possibility for abundance and transformation to flow into our lives. https://garrainjones.com/ To stay connected with B...
Bonus Solo Episode: Guns, Nude Beaches and other Musings from Santorini
June 05, 2022 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBIn this solo bonus episode, Steve checks in from Santorini, Greece and shares his thoughts from overseas on sights he's visited, our belief systems and why we should question them, the Uvalde Mass Shooting and his first time going au naturel at a nude beach. To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media: Website: https://www.betterplaceproject.org/ Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj To follow Steve on Instagram @Steve...
Feel Good Friday! Disorder in the Court: Hilarious Real Life Stories of Courtroom Exchanges
May 20, 2022 10:00 - 6 minutes - 4.34 MBThis week, Steve decided to try and inject a little humor into your Friday (or whatever day it is that you happen to be listening to this), and borrow again from his friend Brad Aronson’s blog. Brad is best known for writing the inspiring bestselling book Humankind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time (all proceeds go to nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters). In this episode Steve reads excerpts from Brad's blog detailing actual exchanges taken by court reporters between lawyers and ...
Wanderlust Founders Jeff Krasno & Schuyler Grant
May 17, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBIn this episode, Steve chats with Wanderlust Co-Founders and husband/wife duo Jeff Krasno & Schuyler Grant. On top of having a few laughs about Schuyler's Mom embarrassing her as a child in a Mexican restaurant in the case of the missing fajitas, and some Curb Your Enthusiasm stories, Steve, Jeff and Schuyler do a deep dive on topics such as community, relationships, having babies at home, the early days of their relationship, current political divisions, whether we are or not in a the mids...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Two Frogs
May 13, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.08 MBIn this week's Feel Good Friday episode, Steve tells the fable of two frogs who fall into a deep pit and how the power of encouragement (or lack thereof) affects the outcome. To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please visit our website at www.Betterplaceproject.org Follow us on social media: Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram: @SteveNorrisOfficial @Erinorris Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast...
Encore Presentation - Christy Turlington Burns: Founder of Every Mother Counts
May 10, 2022 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBIn honor of Mothers around the world, this week we are releasing an Encore Presentation of our interview from 6 months ago with Every Mother Counts (EMC) founder Christy Turlington Burns. Christy's work in maternal health began after experiencing a childbirth related complication in 2003—an experience that would later inspire her to direct and produce the documentary feature film, No Woman, No Cry, about the challenges women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Under C...
Feel Good Friday! 23 Stories to Inspire You to Succeed!
May 06, 2022 07:00 - 14 minutes - 9.91 MBFor this Feel Good Friday episode, we're bringing you 23 stories to inspire you to overcome and even embrace your failures, and use them as fuel to pursue your dreams. Whether it's Steven Spielberg, Colonel Sanders, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, or 15 year-old Jack Andraka who created a diagnostic test for Pancreatic Cancer that was better than the tests developed by scientists, research labs and billion dollar pharmaceutical companies, all of these success stories had one thi...
Daniel Blevins: Stand In Pride, a Safe Haven for the LGBTQ+ Community
May 03, 2022 06:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBDaniel Blevins is a salon owner, social media influencer, LGBTQ+ advocate, activist and founder of Stand In Pride. Daniel and his husband of 22 years reside in rural East Tennessee. He’s a proud father of two children and three grandchildren. Daniel founded the Facebook group Stand In Pride in early 2021, the group has since grown to over 36k members, with members in over 70 countries. The success of the group has gained national and international recognition in news publications includin...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Bernadette Russell and 365 Days of Random Acts of Kindness
April 29, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.14 MBThis week's Feel Good Friday episode shines a light on Bernadette Russell from the UK, who after having a random positive experience in a post office, decided to commit to doing an act of kindness for 365 consecutive days. The experience would change her life forever! Steve chats about Bernadette's story, while playing clips from her BBC 4 appearance, while also sharing some fascinating findings that have just come in after the completion of the world's largest study on kindness, conduct...
Brad Aronson - Bestselling Author of HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time
April 26, 2022 10:00 - 53 minutes - 36.5 MBIn this episode, Steve and Brad chat about the Power of Kindness, the ripple effect of kindness, what Kindness means to Brad, how it effects us physiologically when we do acts of kindness, and you’re definitely going to love the stories he shares from his book about amazing humans doing breathtaking acts of kindness. Brad Aronson is the author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. All proceeds from his book go to Big Bro...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Father Mike's Top-Rated Bible-Reading Podcast
April 22, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.02 MBFor today’s story, we are featuring a fellow podcaster…but not just any ordinary podcaster. We go to Duluth Minnesota, where Fr. Mike Schmitz, a catholic priest, along with renowned bible scholar Jeff Cavins, have been stealing headlines all over the world for their podcast that they launched last year. In the podcast, called “The Bible in a Year,” Fr. Mike walks the listeners through the entire Bible in 365 episodes, providing commentary, reflection, and prayer along the way. But on ...
Kelli Foulkrod: A Mental Health Revolution
April 19, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBKelli Foulkrod is a holistic psychotherapist, trauma-informed yoga teacher, and healing arts practitioner based in Austin, Texas and licensed in Colorado. She has been working in the mental health field for 21 years and for the past 12 years, she has managed her private practice, Organic Mental Health Center. Kelli supports pregnant and postpartum women, reproductive trauma, grief and loss, psychosis, bipolar, OCD, psychiatric drug withdrawal and healing trauma and PTSD. By integrating s...
Feel Good Friday! Yia Lor's "How Can I Be that Seed that Continues" Essay.
April 15, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 4.87 MBFor this week’s story, we head to Wisconsin. Steve stumbled across a project called “Love Wisconsin,” whose mission is to use storytelling and social media to bring about a more connected, compassionate, and engaged Wisconsin. In this episode, Steve reads and essay written by Yia Lor that was published in the Wisconsin Historical Society Press' book ‘Hope Is the Thing: Wisconsinites on Perseverance in a Pandemic’. Yia, whose parents came to Wisconsin as refugees of the Vietnam War, write...
Matthew Fray: Author of "This is How Your Marriage Ends. A Hopeful Approach to Saving Relationships"
April 12, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MBMatthew Fray is a relationship coach and writer who leans on the lessons of his failed marriage and divorce to help others avoid making the same mistakes. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Times and The Sunday Times of London, The Daily Mail, Salon, Huffington Post, as well as with television programs The Tamron Hall Show in the United States and ITV's This Morning in the United Kingdom. He is the author of "This is How Your Marriage Ends: A Hopeful Approach to Saving Rel...
Feel Good Friday! Susanna Salter: The Back-Fired Joke that Made Her the First Woman Mayor in America
April 08, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 6.98 MBFor today’s story, we go all the way back to 1887 when a group of men put Susanna Salter’s name on a ballot for mayor as a joke intended to humiliate her and put women in their place. Well, the joke backfired and she won over 60% of the vote and became American’s first female mayor. Susanna Madora Salter (née Kinsey; March 2, 1860 – March 17, 1961) was an American politician and activist. She served as mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman elected to serve as mayor in the Unite...
Kara Bitar: Live a Life You Love!
April 05, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBKara Nicole Bitar is an Optimization Coach and Kundalini Yoga Teacher. She helps her clients live the happiest, healthiest and most successful versions of themselves. She holds a J.D. from Duke University School of Law and worked in high-stakes corporate litigation at one of the largest law firms in the Southeast. She combines the dedication and commitment that it took to become a successful attorney, real-life training in what it takes to succeed at high-levels, and extensive research, ex...
Feel Good Friday! Ukrainian Celebrity Chef Serves Up Free Gourmet Meals for Refugees
April 01, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.73 MBFor this week’s story, we head to Ukraine, which we all know is in the middle of a war with Russia right now, and we shine a light on Levgen Klopotenko, who was the winner of Master Chef Ukraine in 2015 and is one of the best known chefs in the country. Klopotenko owned a restaurant in Kiev, but fled the day that Russia invaded. Klopotenko can’t leave the country because he is a man of fighting age and will have to fight if called. He says he’ll fight if he gets the call, but that he proba...
Australian Poet / Philosopher Simon Drew: Ancient Wisdom for Modern flourishing
March 30, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 43.9 MBSimon Drew is an Australian poet, author, musician, photographer, and philosophical mentor. He has a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and is currently studying for a Master of Divinity. He is most well known for his work with the Practical Stoic Podcast, which has since evolved into The Walled Garden — a podcast and online community where he, Kai Whiting (philosopher), and Sharon Lebell (writer) explore a wide range of topics regarding philosophy, beliefs, ideas...
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Flourishing from the Poet and the Sage, Simon Drew
March 29, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBSimon Drew is an Australian poet, author, musician, photographer, and philosophical mentor. He has a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and is currently studying for a Master of Divinity. He is most well known for his work with the Practical Stoic Podcast, which has since evolved into The Walled Garden — a podcast and online community where he, Kai Whiting (philosopher), and Sharon Lebell (writer) explore a wide range of topics regarding philosophy, beliefs, ideas...
Tigrilla Gardenia: The Fascinating Things that Plants Can Teach us!
March 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBFascinated by nature since her earliest memories, Tigrilla Gardenia turned that passion into her vocation. Her journey began in a polyethnic childhood. She earned a degree in music and electrical engineering, entering the high-tech corporate world via RealNetworks and Microsoft in the early days of the internet. The desire to escape the confines of the corporate world proved too strong, and Tigrilla soon began following her own spiritual path. She co-owned a circus, produced intentional...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Pro Baseballer Drew Robinson: From Suicide Attempt to a Life with Purpose
March 18, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.72 MBThis week's story is about the San Francisco Giants baseball player Drew Robinson's battle with mental illness, which drove him to the point of shooting himself in the head in an attempted suicide. Against all odds, Robinson survived and is now on a mission to help others who may feel like they have nothing to live for. To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject To stay connected with ...
Zach Skow: From "90 Days to Live" to Marley's Mutts!
March 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBZach Skow, Marley’s Mutts Founder rescued Marley, a Rottweiler-Pit Bull from the Mojave Shelter in 2002 at eight weeks old. He used to carry him around in a backpack with just his head poking out. When Zach was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, it was Marley who helped pull him from despair and into the fight. It was his relentless love, omnipresent affection, and “today can be the best day of our life” mentality which helped Zach live again. When Zach contemplated suicide, Marley...
Zach Skow: Founder of Marley's Mutts
March 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBZach Skow, Marley’s Mutts Founder rescued Marley, a Rottweiler-Pit Bull from the Mojave Shelter in 2002 at eight weeks old. He used to carry him around in a backpack with just his head poking out. When Zach was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, it was Marley who helped pull him from despair and into the fight. It was his relentless love, omnipresent affection, and “today can be the best day of our life” mentality which helped Zach live again. When Zach contemplated suicide, Marley...
Zach Skow: From 90 Days to Live to Marley's Mutts!
March 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBZach Skow, Marley’s Mutts Founder rescued Marley, a Rottweiler-Pit Bull from the Mojave Shelter in 2002 at eight weeks old. He used to carry him around in a backpack with just his head poking out. When Zach was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, it was Marley who helped pull him from despair and into the fight. It was his relentless love, omnipresent affection, and “today can be the best day of our life” mentality which helped Zach live again. When Zach contemplated suicide, Marley...
Feel Good Friday! The Story of Dr. Jay Nash and StandProud in the Democratic Republic of Congo
March 11, 2022 11:00 - 9 minutes - 6.55 MBFor this week's feel-good story, we go half way around the world to the democratic republic of Congo to shine a light on a man named Jay Nash and the organization he founded called StandProud. Mr. Nash first began assisting disabled people in the developing world when serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He resumed spare-time work with disabled Congolese youth upon returning to the Congo in 1998 to work for the United States Agency for International Devel...
Dan Fischer, Founder of One Last Wave Project
March 08, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBAfter experiencing the devastating loss of his father and best friend, Dan Fischer turned to surfing to heal through the transformative power of the ocean. After one faithful salt water session on January 4, 2022, he decided to throw out an open invitation on Tiktok to others who may be struggling with loss. He invited them to share the stories and names of loved ones who they'd lost and promised to etch them onto his board, as a way to forever memorialize them in the place they so deeply ...
Feel Good Friday! TikTok Dad Stands in at LGBTQ Weddings
March 04, 2022 11:00 - 6 minutes - 4.18 MBToday’s story shines a light on Dan Blevins, who after walking his daughter down the aisle in 2018 said that just the thought of someone not having a parent at their wedding or in their life, was just heartbreaking to him. So, what did Dan do? He uploaded a video to Tiktok where he invited anyone from the LGBTQ community to ask him to stand in as a parent at their wedding if their own parents were not supportive of their relationship. No one should have to say “I do” alone. Dan's TikTok v...
The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives: Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
March 01, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBMelissa and Chris Bruntlett are Canadian authors and urban mobility advocates who strive to communicate the benefits of sustainable transport and inspire happier, healthier, more human-scale cities. Their first book, Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality, explored the urban and transport planning decisions that established the Netherlands as a bicycle paradise, and how North American communities are translating these ideas to build their own cycling cities. In 2...
Feel Good Friday! Hope for Humanity: Some Good News About How We're Doing as a Species!
February 24, 2022 11:00 - 7 minutes - 5.27 MBIn this episode, Steve shares some good news about things we humans are doing right as a species. Credit and Special thanks to Johan Norberg and Tony Morley for their article "Reasons to be optimistic in 2022" which was the resource for this episode. To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media: Website: https://www.betterplaceproject.org/ Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj To follow Steve on Instagram @SteveNorrisO...
Feel Good Friday! Hope for Humanity: Some Good News About How We're Doing As a Species!
February 24, 2022 11:00 - 7 minutes - 5.27 MBIn this episode, Steve shares some good news about things we humans are doing right as a species. Credit and Special thanks to Johan Norberg and Tony Morley for their article "Reasons to be optimistic in 2022" which was the resource for this episode.
Dr. Kyra O'Keeffe on Love: the Direct Experience of Our Shared Being
February 22, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 50 MBDr. Kyra O’Keeffe, PhD, is an educator and speaker who celebrates love, or the direct experience of our shared being. She earned her masters degree in Educational Neuroscience at Harvard University and her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences at Stanford University, where she studied ego—or “the performance of the separate self”—in the American educational system. She then taught at Stanford, before leaving to pursue her own spiritual aims more fully. In 2019, she met Francis Lucille and Rupert ...
Dr. Kyra O'Keeffe on Love: the Direct Experience of Our shared Being
February 22, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 50 MBDr. Kyra O’Keeffe, PhD, is an educator and speaker who celebrates love, or the direct experience of our shared being. She earned her masters degree in Educational Neuroscience at Harvard University and her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences at Stanford University, where she studied ego—or “the performance of the separate self”—in the American educational system. She then taught at Stanford, before leaving to pursue her own spiritual aims more fully. In 2019, she met Francis Lucille and Rupert ...
Feel Good Friday! NFL Star Anthony Harris Takes an 11-Year-Old to a Father/Daughter Dance
February 18, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 3.8 MBToday’s story brings together NFL star Anthony Harris and a grieving 11-year-old girl named Audrey Soape. Unfortunately, Audrey lost both her father and her grandfather in the months leading up to her church’s father-daughter dance. In an inspiring act of kindness and compassion, Harris flew to Texas to give young Audrey a night she will never forget! To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/Betterplac...
Feel Good Friday! When a Can of Coke Cost a Quarter
February 11, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 3.83 MBToday’s story was submitted by Joseph J. Mazzella to Sunnyskyz.com and reminds us to cherish every moment we have while we’re still here. Mazzella reflects on his childhood growing up across the road from a 4-H Camp where he would swim, play basketball, ride his bike, play in the woods, and above all, get a quarter from his Nana and buy himself, as he describes it, "a sweet can of Coca Cola to quench my thirst and lighten my heart." In Mazzella's letter, he talks about what he would tell...
Feel Good Friday! Love, Kindness, and Broccoli Tempura!
February 04, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.16 MBWe go back to Baltimore for this week's Feel Good Friday Episode, where we tell the story of Brandon Jones' quest to cook his dying mother-in-law's favorite broccoli tempura, that she used to order from Ekiben restaurant every time she came to town. Brandon sent an email to the Chef and Co-Owner of the restaurant, Steve Chu explaining the situation and asking for the recipe. Steve immediately responded and said that he'd drive the 6 hours to meet Brandon and his wife Rina, and personally c...
Feel Good Friday! Soccer Star Ian Wright's Surprise Visit by His Childhood Teacher, Sydney Pigden
January 28, 2022 11:00 - 8 minutes - 6.22 MBIn this tear-jerker of an episode, Steve tells the story of soccer star Ian Wright's surprise meeting with a long-lost teacher who had meant the world to him, and who he thought had died. Ian describes him as the first positive male role model he had had in his life. His teacher, Sydney Pigden, was an ex World War II fighter pilot who had flown over Buckingham Palace at the end of the war. He told Ian, that he was more proud that Ian played for England, than him flying over Buckingham Pa...
Feel Good Friday! A Thousand Smiling Souls on a Surfboard with Dan Fischer
January 21, 2022 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBBelieving in the "Transformative power of the ocean," Dan Fischer sought solace surfing the waves of Newport, Rhode Island after the death of his father and a close friend. After one of those surf sessions where he had written his father's name on his surfboard, he decided to do a Tiktok video inviting others who had lost someone, to send in their names, he'd write it on his board, and take them out for "one last ride." His video went viral, and before he knew it, the healing power of the ...
Dr. Rich Blundell Returns: Science, Art, Nature, Blockchain and Crypto!
January 18, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBDr. Rich Blundell is an ecologist working at the interface of art, science, nature and culture. His research examines how transformation happens across the scales of person, place and planet. As a cultural communicator, Rich tells a scientific story of the universe that includes art and human creativity as natural phenomena. Dr. Blundell’s research and work has received numerous grants and awards including, The National Science Foundation grant for Science Out There, the Michael Brinkman Awa...
Dr. Rich Blundell Returns: Coming Together of Science, Art, Nature, Blockchain and Crypto!
January 18, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBDr. Rich Blundell is an ecologist working at the interface of art, science, nature and culture. His research examines how transformation happens across the scales of person, place and planet. As a cultural communicator, Rich tells a scientific story of the universe that includes art and human creativity as natural phenomena. Dr. Blundell’s research and work has received numerous grants and awards including, The National Science Foundation grant for Science Out There, the Michael Brinkman Awa...
Feel Good Friday! The Inspiring Story of Nathan Ogden!
January 14, 2022 11:00 - 8 minutes - 5.88 MBThis week’s story shine's a light on one of the most courageous humans you will ever come across, Nathan Ogden. Back in December 0f 2001, Nathan, an accomplished snow skier, accustomed to catching big air, was hauling down the mountain and launched himself off a huge jump soaring more than 30 feet in the air. But this particular jump went horribly wrong and Nathan crashed, crushing his spine, leaving him in a wheel chair and endless hours, days and months ahead of him to regain the use of ...
Encore Presentation: The "Graffitti Grandma," Irmela Mensah-Schramm
January 11, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBEncore Presentation of this Better Place Project Global Storytelling Series! Irmela Mensah-Schramm is a 75-year-old activist who set out to erase symbols of hate in the world. Often referred to as “Graffiti Grandma”, she’s spent the last 3 decades removing and covering up Nazi imagery and racist graffiti in Berlin, Germany. She’s removed 88,300 Neo-Nazi stickers since 2007 and continues to fight against racism and discrimination. In this episode, Irmela describes her experiences growing u...