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The career of Donald “D.J.” Vodicka encompassed the rapid expansion of the prison system in California. For sixteen years, he was a prison guard in California’s highest security and most notorious correctional institutions Daily duties included serving meals to gang leaders, proctoring serial killers in lockdown cells, or patrolling exercise yards filled with violent felons while unarmed and outnumbered 1000-to-2. He belonged to an elite unit called the Investigative Services Unit (Internal Affairs), responsible for solving horrific crimes occurring inside the walls. He was retired as a decorated veteran officer, but certainly NOT of his own volition. He became the most influential “whistle-blower”, uncovering the silent secrecy of a group of rogue prison guards who called themselves “The Green Wall.” His book is a true story, a real-life drama of one man’s courage to do the right thing against the California State Prison System that helped in the cover-up. It is an unblinking look at what can go wrong when only one person is willing to stand up and speak for what is right, against almost insurmountable odds. Vodicka’s televised state senate testimony exposed a scandal that led to resignations, transfers, sudden retirements, and reforms of the system that are still underway. The story is a classic tale of the triumph of personal integrity in the most dishonest and crooked institution imaginable.

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I am a new author of the book Human Earthquake Book 1 (available on Amazon) and I have a unique story that I detail in my book. My life story is told with humor, raw emotions, and the uncensored truth of how I became the most notorious pimp in the Midwest for over 20 years with encounters with over 400 women. I say that not boastfully but just stating a fact of my journey in the business of selling sex. My story does not start or nor stop there but this book is the first book of a three-part series. Ultimately it is a story of how I rose to the heights of the oldest profession in the world but was redeemed from that lifestyle. I don’t’ condone being a pimp or a prostitute, my life is in a totally different place. I wrote this book with the purpose of helping my urban community (Chicago and so many others) and the young men that should want and get other options than a life of crime. I have experienced it all, police brutality, social injustice, and the consequences of my actions. 

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Tamara Cherry is the author of All the Bumpy Pebbles, a fictional novel based on her years of reporting on the domestic sex trafficking of women and girls. Tamara was an award-winning crime reporter for CTV News Toronto, as well as the Toronto Sun and Toronto Star newspapers, before founding Pickup Communications, a public relations firm aimed at supporting victims and survivors of traumatic events. She has lectured widely on the topic of human trafficking and assisted in the training of hundreds of police officers, lawyers, and front-line service providers.

Website: www.pickupcommunications.com
Anyone interested in learning more about or participating in my research project can do so by visiting www.pickupcommunications.com/research.

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Jamey Jenkins is a native of Hazlehurst, MS, a graduate of Alcorn State University.

A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, a professional photographer who shoots under the alias Big Pretty Pictures, a long-term employee at Nissan North America, an amazing father, and a phenomenal person. 

His most recent accolade and venture is the launch of Hello Black Man enterprises. 

Hello Black Man  originated as a Journal series, to restore communication within the black community and more importantly within the black family. It has sparked a fire and he is now exploring apparel, jewelry, podcast, conferences, and building a nonprofit organization to support the black man throughout the course of life. 

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Jamie has been entertaining audiences as one half of the comedy duo, Mack & Jamie, for over 35 years. His appearances with Mack on The Tonight Show both with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno lead to 125 original episodes of the syndicated half-hour COMEDY BREAK WITH MACK & JAMIE. Jay Leno said, “…Mack and Jamie are at the top. They are the funniest duo, working today!” 

 Since the amicable end of Mack and Jamie, after 35 years, Jamie has entered the elite corps of LA Voice Actors. Providing voices for many National Commercials, plus The Simpsons, Rugrats, Power Beach, Justice League, Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights, and scores of Video Games, most recently Gears of War I & II & III & IV, Transformers Halo, and numerous film loopings for celebrities such as Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, even John Lennon.

 Jamie was named “Westlake Village Citizen of the Year” for his successful fundraising for area schools. He was named one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in Ventura County.” He can be seen on YOUTUBE by going to BOOMERSONABENCH.COM with Phil Proctor, of Firesign Theatre fame.

 In 2017 he had a change of heart, literally. He suffered CHF in July of 2017 resulting in a heart AND liver transplant from a 46-year-old donor. He waited in the hospital for three months and every day he made an entry in his journal which resulted in a book called The Tin Man Diaries. Jamie speaks to groups about donation and the many benefits of donorship as an International Ambassador for One Legacy.org. A Silversmith by trade, he crafts sterling silver jewelry at his studio in Burbank, California. Silverbyjamie.com.

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In many ways, I believe I am just like any of the billions of people existing on this planet. ​I have reinvented myself frequently over my professional career. After I graduated from college at The Citadel (where I played NCAA Division I basketball), I was employed in the Marketing Department at the corporate headquarters of Wendy’s International in Dublin, Ohio. From there, I worked in hospital administration for Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. After getting married and moving to California for my wife's job, I became the Customer Service Manager for an academic publishing company in Santa Barbara. After our daughter was born and we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, I became a police officer with the Cincinnati Police Department, where I was a SWAT Hostage Negotiator. Following a family relocation to Texas, I started a school security consulting business and coached high school girls' basketball in Houston. Each time I took on a new job, I had to develop new skills and faced different challenges. There was always a significant learning curve with every new position. But my greatest challenge began in early 2012 when I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, which presented on the bottom of my foot. By the time the melanoma was detected, it had metastasized to a lymph node in my groin. Because my cancer is so rare (only about 6,500 people are diagnosed with this form of malignancy in the U.S. each year), I was treated at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. I had two surgeries to remove the tumors, and after I healed, I was put on a weekly injection of the drug, Interferon, to help keep the disease from coming back. I took those weekly injections for four years and seven months before the Interferon became so toxic to my body that I ended up in the Intensive Care Unit with a fever of 108 degrees. Fortunately, expert medical care saved my life. The Interferon gave me severe flu-like symptoms for two to three days after each injection. I lost fifty pounds during my therapy, was constantly nauseous, fatigued, and chilled, my ability to taste food significantly diminished, and my body constantly ached. This misery went on for over 1,660 days! One thing I learned during all my pain and suffering is that you have two choices. You can succumb to the debilitating discomfort and misery, or you can learn to embrace it and use it to make you a stronger and better human being. I chose the latter. 

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Meagan Copelin is an international speaker, author, empowerment coach, blogger, contributing writer, and podcaster. Mental health is her passion which is why she founded Mental Rich, a mental health movement dedicated to helping young girls and women who suffer from mental illnesses, steaming from abuse, abandonment, and rejection. Meagan’s goal is to become a trailblazing voice for young girls and women worldwide. Drawing on her own experiences of mental illness, loss, and trauma, Meagan uses her words to encourage others to build a home within themselves; to love, live, and create fearlessly. Her love for people and their struggles is evident through her work with mental health. Meagan’s story is inspiring and her energy contagious. She has overcome immense obstacles such as homelessness and mental illness with grace and perseverance. Meagan entertains and empowers audiences with her moving personal stories. Her voice has helped her to be featured on several platforms for the purpose of empowering women to tell their stories from struggle to success and live up to their full potential.

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Terry McDougall is an Executive and Career Coach and author of Winning the Game of Work: Career Happiness and Success on Your Own Terms. Prior to becoming certified as a coach, I was a long-time marketing executive in financial services. Today I work with high-achieving professionals who are "successful but not satisfied" to optimize their professional success AND personal happiness. I've found that way too many "successful" people are not very happy and are feeling stuck and/or burnt out. My goal is to help people begin to reconnect with their internal wisdom and understand that what they want matters and is worthy of their attention. For many high-achievers, they become almost addicted to external validation to the point that they lose touch with their own desires. Because of this, they will push themselves relentlessly which results in burnout. Often by the time people seek out me for coaching they often are considering quitting their jobs even though their livelihood depends on it. The focus of my coaching and the topic of my book is about helping people see the larger context of the work environment -- much like seeing the whole playing field in sports. When they begin to see the bigger picture, they begin to understand that there are myriad options for what they can do next and that in reality the pressure that they put themselves under is not necessary, and is in fact, a huge waste of energy that could be used more productively. I'd love to be a guest on your show and talk about some of the issues that I see with my clients and what shifts are needed to overcome the anxiety, depression, anger, fear, and confusion that so many people experience at work.

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Cuyla Coogan is a Queer Life Coach helping people in the LGBTQ+ community become more confident and comfortable so they can achieve their full potential. Pulling from her own experiences, Cuyla’s practice highlights the value of self-awareness and self-acceptance so her clients can be all of who they are, without reservations.

To check out my personal website: www.cuyla.com

To check out my free online community called THE COMING ALIVE COMMUNITY: www.comingalivecommunity.com