Giving Back Podcast

Welcome to the 86th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing about my vision. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Power of Purpose: headed by Sherry Watson, ADA co-architect and grant expert. Member of Forbes’ NonProfit Council. Their motto: Run your nonprofit like a business! Tracy, Derek, Erica, Nattie, Lindsay, Brendan - thank you for making the event so amazing! A few Purpose Pioneers: George, Art & Ursula, Tuan, Tim & Rose, Jeannie, Kim, Carol & Jean, Tamara, John, Martha. Skip Thomas: filmmaker. It was so cool to hear how our missions overlap in such a core way. Vision Quest, a spiritual journey. What I saw: CNN. A daily fix of news about people giving back and making a difference to others and their communities. Tell their stories

Wayne Sleight is the COO of 97th Floor, a digital marketing agency recognized as a leader in creating custom strategies and executing them to deliver results. 97th Floor is also an Adobe Solution Partner and a BrightEdge Partner. On today’s show, Wayne shares what the 1% Pledge is, the importance of being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself, and how to create a work environment everyone loves to go to.    Key Takeaways: [3:45] Wayne has been with 97th Floor for the last 9 years. [4:05] What does 97th Floor do?  [7:15] What is the 1% Pledge all about?  [12:05] In the last three years, the company has donated over $150,000. [17:30] At the end of every year, employees are able to select which charities they want the company to donate to, and they state the reason why this charity means so much to them.  [21:30] Engagement goes through the roof in a company that has a strong sense of giving back to the community.  [28:05] Rob admits that he has a difficult time asking for and accepting other people’s

Welcome to the 85th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing A series of reminders. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: The cover shows a group of really happy people from our 11 day Vision Quest in Colorado back in 2017. Barbara & Don, thank you for a wonderful opportunity you have given me! What is the vision I have in my mind? It was an opportunity to explore our mind, in the presence of nature and being able to experience what was going to happen to us. Vision Quest, a spiritual journey. What I saw: CNN. A daily fix of news about people giving back and making a difference to others and their communities. Tell their stories visually, to reach and inspire more people to action. A series of events reminded me of my vision. Joey Powell, Me

Yvonne Heath has been a registered nurse since 1988 and has worked in the emergency room, intensive care, chemotherapy, hospice and more. Yvonne has personally seen grieving families and loved ones go through a lot and wrote her own book, Love Your Life to Death, about why it’s so important to have the tough end-of-life conversations before you need them. Find out more about Yvonne, the work she does, and the Show Up Movement.  Key Takeaways: [4:30] Who is Yvonne and what does she do?  [7:40] This life is a temporary journey and we have to stop living in fear that it will end one day.  [9:25] You might be okay about the end, but is your family? Do they know what you want? [12:40] Yvonne talks about her Show Up Movement.  [14:00] Grief is hard, but in the face of it, you just have to show up.  [14:55] Rob admits that he had three deaths occur in three weeks. It was awkward and uncomfortable. [18:00] Why did Yvonne decide to write her book? [25:25] Yvonne takes end-of-life healthcare one step further. It’s not

Welcome to the 83rd episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Brilliant re-framing about business. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Just imagine who you'd want to hang out with all day - and build your business around solving their problems --- Ryan Lee, Freedym Brilliant re-framing about business. Start with the end in mind, work it backward. Focus firmly on service and adding value --- ONLY to those you most want to be with. Dig deep for their actual problems. Imagine what your business - and your life - would look like! Some powerful Freedym members: Jamie Moran Alannah Avelin Alyson Lex Ricky Goodall Christopher StaffordHenry Serrano Jose Av Kate Bennett Schell Marcos Sayon Venus Ramos M D Heather Swensen Kimber Annie Berryhill T

Laura Lane has experienced tragedy throughout her life. At the age of nine, both her mother and little sister were killed in a car accident. Later in life, Laura lost her daughter to a rare form of brain cancer. However, despite these tough challenges in her life, Laura still finds ways to inspire and be a champion of change in her community. Find out more about what Laura does, and how you can step up in your community to positively impact the lives of others.  Key Takeaways: [3:25] Who is Laura and what does she do right now?  [5:10] Laura’s daughter, Celeste, was diagnosed with a very rare form of brain cancer.  [8:45] Laura realized right away that she couldn’t do this alone. She contacted inspiring figures, speakers, and mentors to help, and they did! [15:25] During this intense time, how was Laura keeping it together? [25:10] Celeste didn’t have much time left, and one of her last wishes was to meet Robbie Williams, Celine Dion, Anne Hathaway, and David Tennant. Laura sent a call out to her network, and

Welcome to the 83rd episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Independence Day 2018. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Today’s show is all about Independence Day 2018. As a kid, I celebrated the bicentennial years of independence in 1996. I was a very optimist boy of 9 years old.   We can make a difference and honor our beautiful country by giving back on independence day. Of course, there are many ways to honor those brave and great men and women who are working for our country. Below are some beautiful stories and images that will inspire you to do something today. Making a Difference: A World of Giving - Honoring America on Independence Day by Giving Back https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-m-dietlin/making-a-difference-a-wor_b_3530339.html A

Betty Vitale started Tammi’s Closet in honor of her daughter. Tammi passed away from an unfortunate car accident while she was still a teenage girl. Betty had kept her prom dress for 10 years before giving it away to a girl who needed it more. This act sparked a whole new purpose in Betty’s life. Now, she is currently in her fifth year of Tammi’s Closet and has donated over 2000 dresses since the beginning! Find out more about Betty and her organization on this week’s show!    Key Takeaways: [3:10] How did Tammi’s Closet get started?  [5:15] During Tammi’s Closet’s third year, someone broke into Betty’s house and stole 19 prom dresses. She was heartbroken, but, through the media’s help, the community and people from all over ended up donating 900 prom dresses that year.  [6:00] Betty is now in her filth year and 300 dresses have already been donated to her. [7:45] Tammi died in an unfortunate car accident and it took Betty 10 years before she could give her dress away.  [14:00] Tammi’s Closet is a way for Bet

George founded the Network Marketing Magazine in 2005 to help members of the network marketing industry to get the training necessary to succeed in their business. He took that experience and passion and created Business4Vets, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, to help veterans, reservists, and active-duty military families achieve successful business owners in the Direct Sales and Network Marketing industry. Business4Vets is an incubator for military members who have an entrepreneurial desire and will help guide members in selecting, starting and running a business, while also providing expert training, coaching and mentoring along the way to help them achieve success. The Network Marketing Magazine has been helping people around the world achieve personal and professional success through Direct Sales and Network Marketing for over a decade and is now helping our deserving military families. Key Takeaways: George’s 30+ businesses range from wildly successful to outrageous learning experiences His father di

Shara Gonzales is the President and CEO of New Beginnings, an organization that helps those who have been displaced in Hutchinson, Kansas. The goal is simple, to achieve permanent and affordable housing for the disadvantaged, and to create successful outcomes for all members of the community. Shara has dedicated 27 years of her life to serving her community in a sustainable way. Find out more about her and her story on today’s show!    Key Takeaways: [3:30] Who is Shara and why did she create New Beginnings?  [6:40] To help people out of homelessness and bring them back into the community, a ‘one size fits all’ approach simply doesn’t work.  [9:35] Shara’s work focuses on creating stability so that people can go to work without being worried about where they’re going to sleep that night.  [12:10] What is an Oxford house and why does Shara like that housing model? [17:00] How does Shara screen for people? [21:25] How does New Beginnings get funded?  [25:00] You can’t have a house without a job, so why don’t we

Welcome to the 81st episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Resilience, aka GRIT. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Today’s cover, you are seeing is a great illustration. It’s all about the “Success”. What people think success is? And how you get there? So it’s a great way to look from a different perspective/ retrospect.   According to Angela Duckworth, a researcher, a MacArthur Fellowship winner and with a TEDtalk with over 8 million views, grit is “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” My son Tyler mentioned this Henry Ford quote, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.” Mindset is a key factor to success. Failure is not a state, it is a definition Craig Noonan: was 500+ lbs, really changed his whole l

Kevin Alder is the Founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, an award-winning non-profit organization that reunites the homeless with their loved ones through short video and audio messages, social media, and local volunteers. Nancy Erhard also joins us on the show to share her experience as a volunteer for Miracle Messages and the impact the organization has had on her.  Find out more about Miracle Messages, its mission, and what it means to truly build a community.   Key Takeaways: [3:30] Who is Kevin and why did he create Miracle Messages? [8:35] Who is Nancy and why did she join Miracle Messages? [13:25] How do Kevin, Nancy, and their team find families of the people who have become homeless? [15:25] Nancy found her birth father when he was 73 years old. [20:15] What does it look like to build a ‘social home’? What does it look like to build a neighborhood? [26:05] When you serve the poor, you learn about yourself. [28:05] Rob shares his personal experience of what it’s like to volunteer for Miracle Messages.

Welcome to the 80th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Family values. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: Dykes on Bikes kick us off Solemn: remember Pulse nightclub Flamboyant: calendars and high walkers Risque: Bears and furries (go Rochester!) Solidarity: churches, unions Corporate: Apple, Kaiser, Uber Political: Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, mayor-elect London Breed, my man Gavin! Progress: SFPD, Sheriff’s Dept and SFFD A few days ago I had a conversation with Vivien Hoexster from H2 Growth Strategies. We were talking about the book she wrote with her partner Linda C. Hartley, “Big Impact: Insights & Stories From America’s Non-­‐Profit Leaders” and we got into a deep conversation about how the Freedom to Marry movement evolved. For ye

Maria Rose Belding is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the MEANS Database, a food pantry communication system that connects food suppliers and users together. This year alone, MEANS Database has delivered over 1.7 million pounds of food to those who truly, truly needed it. By supplying centers, shelters, and other non-profit agencies with food, MEANS Database allows these places to use more of their budget to help, and focus on, those in need. Learn more about Maria and her story on today’s show!    Key Takeaways: [4:05] Nobody wants food to go to waste. So why does it? Maria set out to change that with MEANS Database.  [4:40] How did MEANS get started? [10:00] Maria and her interns made 10,000 phone calls from a list that was supposed to be food pantries. Well, more than 20% of those numbers were disconnected. They were only able to reach about less than 10% of those 10,000 numbers. [14:00] The crazy thing is that the United States has the food. We are not in a humanitarian disaster. But for some rea

Welcome to the 79th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing making progress. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Father’s Day is a great day to reflect on my progress. I started off the morning with a workout then coffee with my good friend George. If you’re familiar with Tony Robbins, he said that the one word that he thinks of if you ask, “What does it take to be happy?” is progress. EOFire.com #1272 To listen to Tony Robbins’ interview on EOFire with John Lee Dumas: http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/3/e/5/3e550092bfa6906a/Tony_Robbins_2.mp3?c_id=11421270&expiration=1466263626&hwt=36dac4ae4aa1b44a32fc0370ba7b0e7a (22.35 is the start of an incredible minute that I transcribed, it was so powerful) 22.35: “If you ask me ‘What does it take to be ha

Rene Martinez and Michelle Hall are the co-founders of Miss Shining Star. Rene’s daughter, Sofia, has special needs and she was having trouble attending pageants that could cater to her. Thus, Miss Shining Star and a community of loving parents and individuals was born. Miss Shining Star is the only pageant in Washington state to celebrate young girls and teens with special needs. On the show, Rene and Michelle share their story of how they got started, their fears of it being a very negative ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ event, and so much more.    Key Takeaways: [5:30] Rene and Michelle share how many volunteers their pageant has. [10:00] Miss Shining Star is the first pageant of its kind to start in Washington state. Rene and Michelle would take Sofia to Oregon and California to participate in a pageant for special needs children.  [10:40] The great thing about Miss Shining Star is that parents don’t have to commit to just a day. They can be as involved as they want to be.  [14:15] Both Rene and Michelle were af

Welcome to the 78th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing about my own superpower. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Elvis.  Megadeth.  Bill Clinton.  Dalai Lama. Roller Derby.  Ringling Brothers Circus. These are a few appearances at the Henry J Kaiser Auditorium, pictured on today’s cover.  It’s a beautiful Beaux Arts building with an amazing corkscrew walkway. I went to a fundraiser recently for Meals on Wheels Alameda County at the Oakland Museum.  On top of terrific food and tasty wine, there was a fabulous hum of good energy and a sense of fun.  We were guests of our friends Richard & Soreya. The Henry J, as we used to call it, is right next door.  Closed since 2006, it’s been purchased and will go from an events center to mixed comme

Michael-John Voss is the Co-Founder, Special Projects Director and Senior Litigator for ArchCity Defenders. Michael-John shares his story as a civil defense lawyer, why a non-profit law firm like his is so needed around the country and shares a sad story of how the justice system can really kick you when you’re down and make you lose everything. You should not be able to punish people and throw them in jail for being poor.    Key Takeaways: [4:35] Who is Michael-John, and what does he do for ArchCity Defenders?  [9:30] Michael-John created this organization to represent the poor because it did not exist in St. Louis.  [1355] Remember, at one point in US history, it was legal to own slaves and to prohibit women from voting. That doesn’t mean it was right or just. [15:20] Why did Michael-John pick St. Louis?  [20:55] Policing for profit hurts the community, including the poor community.  [25:40] You cannot punish people for not having enough money. [30:15] Unfortunately, there are large factors at play when it

Welcome to the 77th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing our problems and solutions. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: My good friend Ron Klabunde runs Generosity Feeds. He was a pastor for over 20 years and now his ministry is feeding kids. He was a guest, he’s stayed at my house and I’ve stayed at his. Wonderful family. His father-in-law is an immigrant from Germany who worked his tail off and rose to a high level as a sales executive. He traveled a lot and he has a unique perspective on America that Ron shared with me. He said problems in America are like leaves on a pool. That’s deep. And practical. And instructive. On so many levels. That we even have a pool. That our problems are obvious. And easy to sweep up. And also that if we let t

Danny Rosin is the co-owner of Brand Fuel, Inc., a nationally recognized promotional products agency and co-founder of Band Together, a community that leverages live music as a platform for social change. On today’s show, Danny shares how he combines his business with his community, why anybody can pursue a social change project and discusses ways you can completely transform your work environment to a more positive and fun atmosphere.    Key Takeaways: [2:55] What is Danny’s business, Brand Fuel, about?  [6:30] Danny has had zero turnover in his company in the last year. [7:45] During 9/11, Danny and his friends decided to host a benefit concert. He had never hosted one before, but that’s how Band Together NC started.  [9:00] Every year, Danny highlights a different, but special cause to allow people to tell their story.  [9:25] Brand Fuel has become the largest non-profit live music festival in the Southeast, US. [14:15] At work, we’re missing the mark when it comes to the importance of living. [19:15] Dann