Fireside Talk Radio

Co-host Anna Krafve Pierce joins Cathy to share stories and successes when it comes to giving children a love for music, even if mommy can't carry a tune in a bucket! Choosing some of their favorite lines of great Christmas hymns, this mother-daughter duo laugh together about pushing the family to sing, even if it's off-key. If you're looking for practical ideas to inspire sweet sounds at your house during the holidays, don't miss this creative bonanza. There's no better way to teach young children to enthrone the King of Kings in our hearts than singing songs together, even the silly ones!.

World-renowned consultant, Dr. Alise Cortez, joins Cathy to share how unexpected events unleashed her to pursue her passion and purpose in life. When her marriage came to an abrupt end, Alise determined not to waste the opportunity, but instead re-calibrated her life in the most beautiful way possible. The change in her circumstances “yielded a new clearing for myself,” she says, and “gave me a space to recreate myself.” She shares the secrets of her success in this lively and authentic telling of how crisis can be our ticket to freedom, energy, and joy.

Dr. Alise Cortez returns to share the secrets she shares all over the world to leaders who seek out her wisdom. Do your employees seem to migrate away from your business just about the time you get them trained? Are you going through the motions, but feel asleep at the wheel (and we’re not talking country music here)? It’s not easy to surprise Cathy, but Alise shares an unexpected approach for getting your passion sparked up in all aspects of your life. Her suggestions are easy, practical, and oh-so fun - which makes us so happy at Camp Krafve!

Anna Krafve Pierce shares tender family stories as she co-hosts with Cathy. Naturally, the tone was set for full out fun (which, by the way, often happens whenever Anna is around)! If you want some Thanksgiving inspiration, you'll love Anna’s laughter and Thanksgiving memories! Plus, she offers inspiration right out of her favorite childhood hymns. Wondering how to handle the stress (or stressful people) in your holiday lineup? You’ll love Anna’s insight about setting the table for happy holiday gatherings.

In this episode, Cathy and Co-host Anna Krafve Pierce brainstorm a gazillion ideas that will make your life easier for Thanksgiving, especially if you're entertaining toddlers. Cathy revels all the fun ideas she has for her own grands. Yep, they talk about how to make a Thanksgiving Kits. But in a surprise twist, Cathy's amazing tech genius, Roy Bryan, whispered the news moments before the show that we've hit TWO MILLION downloads since we began a year ago. So, Cathy and her creative, artist daughter went on air in full surprise mode. Did she really just compare the family to squirrels because they chatter so much when they're together?! Anna and her mom brainstorm the best ways to have fun on the cheap. If your family has a, ahem, variety of personality types, you'll love the attitude and ideas of these two hilarious women.

Have you received letter notifying you of your Dense Breast Tissue status? Faithful to get her timely mammogram, Henda Salmeron was shocked and devastated when she was diagnosed with a stage four breast cancer. On this episode she shares some of the high and low moments in her battle with breast cancer. She also invites women to join the effort to make Dense Breast Tissue notifications standard practice nationwide so all women will know their risk, including, for instance, women serving in our Armed Forces. Dense Breast Tissue means that tumors are more difficult to see on traditional mammograms. Hendra rallies women to take care of themselves by knowing if they have Dense Breast Tissue. Henda's Law requires health care providers to notify patients of their status. 

Author Henda Salmeron joins Cathy to tell her story of how she became a political influencer, author, serial entrepreneur, breast cancer survivor, all-around amazing woman, and best of all, a mom. Henda began her life care-taking a mom who had serious mental and addiction health issues, which meant Henda was in danger from the men in her mother's life. Yet, she chose her mom's royal purple for her branding, in part because she no longer wishes for her "childhood to be different because it made me the woman I am today.” Known for her efforts to get Dense Breast Tissue notification accepted as the standard of care, she faced down both breast cancer and a heart attack in the same year. In this episode, Henda shares how running 100 miles in the Himalayas and becoming an amateur lobbyist became her strategy for beating the anxiety and depression she felt.

Dr. Sasha Vukelja joins Cathy to talk about the best ways we can encourage families when mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. Especially for daughters, breast cancer looms dauntingly. Will Mom be there for me? Will I get breast cancer, too? These are just a few of the topics Sasha handles with experience and deep compassion. Jumping from hilarity to comfort, Sasha speaks with ease and insight, offering a half dozen practical tips. If you want to be a valuable friend in the crisis, you won't want to miss this!

In her humorous and down-to-earth way, Oncologist Sasha Vukelja, joins Cathy to have an authentic conversation about life and joy. Dr. V as her patients lovingly call her, salutes her adopted home, Texas, and talks about immigrating to America with her mother. She shares about her military service and falling in love with her hubby. She tackles tough subjects, including breast cancer, with compassion and her contagious joy, offering insight into how truth can be comforting. To understand how this amazing and influential doctor became the woman we all love and cherish, don't miss this episode.

Author Dawn Franks discusses how our generosity is reflected in our Giving Fingerprints. The title of her new book reflects the extensive work and research Dawn has done throughout her career, first in helping nonprofits succeed with their fundraising, then in helping donors succeed in their giving. Acting as a bridge between nonprofits and donors, Dawn learned to help families pinpoint their shared values.

Founder and CEO of Your Philanthropy, Dawn Franks joins Cathy to offer ideas about how to pass generosity down through the generations of your family. She talks about the impact grandparents can have. Offering practical tips, she suggests easy examples for cultivating the natural generosity of our children. "The kind of giver you were destined to become showed as early a elementary school," Dawn says, to quote her new book Giving Fingerprints. If your little ones are already bringing you dandelions from the back yard, you'll want to tune in for Dawn's insight.

Runner, mom, wife, and professional financial advisor, Colleen Long never thought she'd be planning an event for her region that was almost unheard of there. Sure, everyone knows what a triathlon is, but a mindfulness tri? If you're wondering how to get enough energy just for today, much less anything else, you'll love Colleen's perspective on taking care of yourself! (And you can listen quietly without moving, if you like!) Soon, though, she'll have you inspired to stretch. Yep, Colleen advocates stretching physically, and in all other ways, too. In fact, she says taking a small step immediately increases your confidence and self worth. Maybe your small step today is simply to listen in for her beautiful thoughts. Please don't miss what this compassionate lady has to say! offers all kinds of encouragement to those wishing they could bring a Mindfulness Triathlon to their community.

The Mindfulness Tri is not your typical triathlon. A triathlon with walking or running, yoga and meditation as it's three pillars, Mindfulness triathlons are popping up all over. Runner and Civic leader, Colleen Long joins Cathy to talk about the different ways we all experience anxiety and depression. A mom, wife, and talented financial advisor, Colleen shares from her own personal experience how exercise, taking thoughts captive, and plugging into community helped her on her journey. Her journey now includes bringing folks to gather to host the first Mindfulness Tri to the East Texas region. You won't want to miss what this amazing young leader has to say about self-compassion and community!

Baptist pastor and scholar, Benjamin A. Simpson joins Cathy for practical insight about creating families that flourish. In this episode he shares about falling in love with Molly, his wife who is a Methodist minister. Ben and Molly met on Baylor University’s campus and started as friends, both determined to be true to the calling God had already established in their individual hearts. Even so, in a miracle of unity that cherishes differences, they fell in love. Soon they found they were embracing a life of bringing people together in community. If you're a Baylor bear fan, you’ll especially love the story he shared about asking Molly to marry him. Or, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live with a baby North American black bear in your apartment, tune in now! You won't want to miss what this practical pastor has to say about making good decisions based on your own family's values.

Pastor, curriculum writer, and thought leader, Benjamin A. Simpson joins Cathy to talk about how to create your own set of pracitcal Family Values. Based on a blog he wrote called "Tallying Family Values," Ben takes us through the simple process of defining and living by a set of personal family values. He explains, for instance, how making time for both work and play frees us to live a sustainable lifestyle. If you've ever wondered how in the world to keep your family on the right track, you're going to love the wisdom and authentic insight of this practical scholar and friend!

Cathy invites Rabbi Neal Katz to explain the tradition of separation of church and state. A Bible scholar, Rabbi Neal gives us a crash course on what it means to serve the community, especially in elected office. Drawing on his Jewish background, Neal explains how roles and responsibilities of leadership from Old Testament times can look in our modern world. For a religious scholar, Neal is down-to-earth and never dull! A fast-paced conversation, if you're wondering how faith and politics should reflect God's nature of compassion and justice, this episode will restore your confidence to recognize true leadership when you see it.

In this episode, Rabbi Neal Katz shares about why Predicate Theology excites his imagination. If those words sound too scholarly...yawn...to be engaging, no worries! He also shares about falling in love with the love of his life, his wife Jen. But, truly, between Cathy and Neil, even the conversation around an intellectual topic like Predicate Theology turns out to be fun. In fact, this episode is an easy way to be the smartest person in the room next time you're playing Bible Trivia! (Do people still do that?) Neal explains that by changing the way we talk about God, we actually can become more effective in having significant conversations with others about Him! If you have people in your life who come from a variety of perspectives, you'll want to hear what this wise and spiritual man has to say about presenting godly character to those who don't understand God.

Discovery Science Place's Whitney Patterson joins Cathy to talk about how her interest in science developed. She encourages young parents with the thought that often the best discoveries, like a love of learning, happen almost accidentally. Whitney's mom made learning fun. It wasn't until Whitney was an adult that she realized science was in everything, including her rock collection! If you're wondering how to work a love of science in your child's day without making your schedule any more hectic, you'll love what Whitney shares!

Discovery Science Place's Whitney Patterson joins Cathy to share how we can give our kids a love of scientific discovery. She offers thoughts and events that may shape interest in the STEM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Collaboration is a hallmark of Whitney's leadership style. In spite of reticence about collaborating among some nonprofits, Whitney offers proof that collaborations benefit everyone. She generously encourages listeners to branch out in their own communities to being people and nonprofits together.

Cathy asks Neita Fran Ward for details about how God is using this woman of influence to transform the community. By bringing together artists, community leaders, university and college officials, Neita Fran is making art accessible to all, especially students. When UTTyler's College of Pharmacy approached her about creating an art exhibit of local artists, Neita Fran was overjoyed and knew just who to call on for help. One of her favorite things about the process has been the reaction of local artists. “Many of them have told me they felt validated as an artist, often for the first time.” If you're wanting to encourage a flourishing, healthy creative community where you live, you will want to soak up the wisdom of this woman of influence!