Harvesting Happiness Podcasts

Gail Lynne Goodwin is the founder of InspireMeToday.com, bringing the best inspiration to the world. With members in more than 120 countries, InspireMeToday.com provides free inspiration- each day from a new Inspirational Luminary. Gail has interviewed many well-known names including Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Tony Hseih and hundreds more. According to Mashable, Gail was one of 2009's Top 25 Most Inspirational People on Twitter. Prior to InspireMeToday.com, and after years in the commercial real estate business, Gail spent several years as manager for her recording artist daughter, Carly. Gail is a published author and a regular writer for the Huffington Post and for Care2.org, with her column reaching more than 17,000,000 people daily. She offers mentoring and mastermind services to clients worldwide from her home in Whitefish, Montana.

Jerry Yellin, a distinguished veteran of World War II, is the author of "The Resilient Warrior," and co-chair of the David Lynch Foundation's new program, Operation Warrior Wellness, which offers Transcendental Meditation to veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Jerry is also the author of “Of War and Weddings,” published in 1995, which has been published in English and Japanese. As both the CEO of MilitaryConnection.com and the founder of the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA), Debbie Gregory covers all the bases when it comes to serving the needs of Military and Veteran Communities. MilitaryConnection.com, one of the most popular websites on the Internet for active military, veterans and their families, is referred to as The Go to Site for jobs, benefits, news, and information regarding education benefits. For more, visit www.MilitaryConnection.com

For more than 35 years, Adkins has participated in the education of children of poverty, working in all levels of public education (elementary, middle, high school, central office administration), as well as an elementary school principal. She has also worked at the college level as an adjunct professor. Presently, she contracts as a consultant, presenting workshops to teachers working with children in poverty. She holds a master's degree and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. As the founder of OraMite, a nonprofit organization, Raye uses both her personal and professional experience to provide a golden touch to improve the lives of others. www.Oramite.com

Dr. Benjamin La Brot is a native Southern Californian who learned to swim before he could walk. He has worked on sport and commercial fishing boats, on the Floating Marine Science Laboratory vessel, in classrooms across southern California for the Los Angeles County Office of Marine Education, and for Pacific Biomarine Laboratories as a research diver. He also qualified as an EMT, a Handicapped SCUBA Association Dive Buddy, and completed a B.S. in Marine Biology, a B.A. in History, and a Geology Minor from the University of CA, Santa Barbara.

An Emmy Award winning composer and writer, Patricia Lee Stotter lends her tremendous talents in TV, film and social media to furthering awareness of PTSD and Veteran reintegration struggles. Stotter first became interested in Veteran issues while working on a theatre testimonial project that discussed suicide rates among Vietnam Veterans. She has since worked to bring awareness to Veteran issues through True Rep, a repertory company that explores trauma and resilience through testimonial theatre and film, and fosters collaboration among actors, writers and humane service organizations. Her recent documentary, Service: When Women Come Marching Home, highlights challenges facing female Veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life. For more, visit http://servicethefilm.com/index.php.

Known as The Sherpa of Happiness, Valerie Rene Sheppard is Founder and CEO of Source Power, a boutique leadership, business strategy and branding consultant agency in Southern California. Through her work as a speaker, author, consultant and host, Valerie shares her diverse business and marketing background with nonprofits, major businesses such as Proctor & Gamble, and the students she instructs as a guest lecturer at the Merage School of Business at the University of California Irvine.

The acclaimed author of 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire and Change Your Life, Linda Cohen writes, speaks and consults around the country on the topics of volunteerism, parenting, mitzvahs and happiness. She serves on the Board of Directors for Willowbrook, a nonprofit summer arts program for children. Originally from the east coast, Cohen resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband, two children and their dog. Visit her at www.1000mitzvahs.com.

An internationally renowned speaker on self-awareness and human potential, Amir Zoghi uses his modern age philosophies to teach others how to embody transformation, discover truth, and experience their inner freedom. Amir shares his wisdom through writing, teaching, and speaking platforms, and is critically acclaimed for his ability to deliver a strong, impactful message with simplicity and clarity that resonates with people from all walks of life. Learn more about Amir at www.myintuitivewarrior.com.

Noted Austrian filmmaker Alexander Vesely strives to produce films that have depth, meaning and substance. He brings this philosophical approach to the U.S. with his American directorial debut, Viktor & I. Chronicling the life of Alexander's grandfather, Viktor & I gives the viewer complete subjectivity as the film moves from family members to friends and others who were close to Viktor Frankl. Alexander Vesely resides in Vienna and recently opened Noetic Films, Inc., in Southern California. For more information about the film, visit http://www.viktorandimovie.com/

An Olympic Medal winner, five-time world champion, competitive diving legend Greg Louganis has long been celebrated for his spirit of sportsmanship and community service. Greg serves as an advocate for many organizations, including youth's clubs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation groups, and organizations for the dyslexic. Since shedding light on his struggle with HIV in his best-selling autobiography, Breaking the Surface, Greg's inspirational message has reached a whole new audience.

As both the CEO of MilitaryConnection.com and the founder of the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA), Debbie Gregory covers all the bases when it comes to serving the needs of Military and Veteran Communities. Named Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners - Ventura County, Debbie Gregory uses www.MilitaryConnection.com as a platform for doing the work that means most to her: assisting veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families, and a number of nonprofits.

Douglas W. Kmiec is an American legal scholar, author, and former U.S. ambassador. He is the Caruso Family Chair and Professor of Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Kmiec came to prominence during the United States presidential election, 2008 when, although a Republican, he endorsed Democrat Barack Obama. In July 2009, he was nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Malta.

Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the "Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology" because his research on happiness has taken him to such far-flung places as Greenland, India, Kenya and Israel. Dr. Biswas-Diener is a leading authority on strengths, culture, courage, and happiness. He has published dozens of scholarly articles and multiple books, most recently The Courage Quotient. He is managing director of Positive Acorn (www.positiveacorn.com) and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Jenn Lim is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness, a company she and Tony Hsieh ,CEO of Zappos, co-created to inspire happiness in work, community, and everyday life. She created the first Culture Book for Zappos - now on its 7th edition .The Culture Book has become a global symbol of how companies can successfully create cultures based on happiness and be profitable at the same time. Jenn also led the launch and management of Tony's first book, Delivering Happiness, which sold over 220,000 copies internationally and hit #1 on numerous bestsellers list (including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today). Today, she's dedicated to growing the social venture of Delivering Happiness to spread and inspire happiness, day by day.

As a Filmmaker Ash Adams has written, produced, directed, and co-starred in Once Fallen, After The Past, The Distance, and Peter's Hope, all of which won Adams awards. His newest short is In Mexico, about a returning combat vet suffering from PTSD.

Dr. Bill Cloke has over 30 years' experience as a licensed psychotherapist and marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles. He has continued to branch out into cognitive behavioral, transpersonal, and self-psychology with specializations in anger management, self-esteem, sexual addiction, and relationship counseling. He has also continued to develop his curiosity and interest in what eases emotional pain, creates change, what affects our sense of self and how psychotherapy cures.

The sexual abuse she experienced as a child launched her on a journey - a quest to move beyond what was done to her. The surprising destination was a life altering encounter with God... surprising because she wanted nothing to do with him. Her abuser used God in order to use her. In her confusion, she held God responsible for her abuse. Sallie despised church, people, and God. In many ways, her spirit was as damaged as the rest of her. Sallie became dark and overwhelmed - so much so that she thought suicide was the only way to find relief.

The concept of Pay it Forward dates back to ancient Greece in 317 BC. The model was used as a key plot element of the play Dyskolos, (a title which can be translated as "The Grouch") by Menander. His work was lost in the Middle Ages and the theory was rediscovered by Benjamin Franklin and described in a letter below to Benjamin Webb dated April 25, 1784. “I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.” Charley Johnson is an entrepreneur and former Owner/Executive V.P. of a Manufacturing company with over 250 employees has a deep passion for Pay it Forward. Believing in Pay it Forward so much so he left hi

Born in 1934 in Durban, South Africa, Arun is the fifth grandson of India’s legendary leader, Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi. Growing up under the discriminatory apartheid laws of South Africa, he was beaten by “white” South Africans for being too black and “black” South Africans for being too white; so, Arun sought eye-for-an-eye justice. However, he learned from his parents and grandparents that justice does not mean revenge, it means transforming the opponent through love and suffering.

Chelo Alvarez-Stehle is a journalist, documentary and new media producer who has worked for over 14 years exposing stories of human trafficking through her creative and outreach work. A Spaniard, she worked in Japan in documentaries for NHK and became Tokyo’s and then Los Angeles’ correspondent for Spain’s El Mundo daily. Her writings on trafficking have been published worldwide. In 1997, Chelo's first published interview on this issue received the publishers’ award, enabling Anu Tamang, a Nepali survivor just rescued from in India, to attend school for the first time in her life. In 2002, the article was turned by Canal+ into TIN GIRLS, a feature documentary film on sex trafficking in the Himalayas, for which she was assistant director, interviewer and consultant. After production of TIN GIRLS, Chelo co-founded the Masala Project, an income-generating spice factory for trafficking survivors in Nepal. Then, in 2011, Tamang received the Hero to End Modern-Day Slavery Award by Hillary Clinton during the offici