Better Kids Better World

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Allen Washington.  Allen has two beautiful boys ages 5 and almost 2.  Allen and his brother co founded The Future Kingz, a Chicago dance crew that competed for the Semifinals on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent.  Currently Allen is leading KNVS House, a startup that offers young people a multi-dimensional, creative learning environment while also providing life skills education.

*Topics discussed include:*

How Allen’s mother, a single Mom, instilled core life skills in Allen and his brother; the need to build work ethic and confidence in our creative young people; the incredible privilege it is to be a father, even if you’re first child arrives when you’re 15; raising black boys in modern America; the need for empathy and optimism in the face of bias; how hating those with different political views is the wrong approach; why empowering kids to self-manage their own personal growth is the key to their future success. 

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Larry Morrissey.  Larry and his wife have 4 wonderful children ranging in age from 6 to 20.  Larry was the mayor of Rockford, IL from 2005 to 2017. With nearly 150,000 residents, Rockford is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metro area.

Prior to being mayor for 12 years, Larry ran and lost an election to be mayor in 2001.  He discusses his resilience to run in 2004 (and win!) as a combination of two critical factors: how he overcame family adversity both as a child and a parent; and his ability to establish a clear vision, passion and sense of purpose towards transforming the lives of all Rockford residents.

Topics discussed include:

Humanizing our most disadvantaged citizens; transforming your adversities into purpose-driven missions; the power of empathy in politics; key characteristics to being resilient; structural inequity in our cities;  what an alcoholism recovery program can teach us about redemption, spirituality and optimism;  how we can’t let excellence and achievement be defined by an educational system that fails to personalize learning to the individual child. 

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes author and father Robbie Rimsky to his show.  Robbie wrote a novel called A Mild Form of Madness based on his observations on the streets of Chicago.  Friends since their 20’s, Robbie and Justin reflect on transitioning from being self-focused artists to selfless driven parents.  Enjoy an authentic, laid back discussion between two old friends who continue to fight for what is real in life - especially as parents of young kids.

Topics discussed include:

Transitioning from a life “all about me” to parenthood; how today’s reality is not really reality at all; kids being our greatest reality in an increasingly edited social media society; how identities are being increasingly controlled by external opinion; raising kids within the most dangerous drug territory on Chicago’s west side; and much much more.

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Frankie Fabre of Fabre Media to his show.  Frankie is Justin’s podcast producer, content creator and social media manager.  More than that, Frankie is a mixed race millennial who grew up in a two parent household and is deeply passionate about giving kids what they need in the modern world.

*Topics discussed include:*

Why American adults spend $10 billion per year on self-improvement but rarely do we find any of those tools available to kids in K-12; recent deep personal pain Justin is managing through and how he’s maintaining focus and connection to his true purpose during this adversity; the risks of not connecting with your kids on a deeper level; and the power of empowering kids to drive their own experiential learning.

Building strong relationships with your Children.

In this Episode of "Better Kids, Better World" - Justin Lyons, CEO of Blaze, discusses parenting in the modern world with Rima - the owner and founder of "Wild Child Healing".  Justin and Rima talk about feeling guilty at times as parents, learning to say sorry, how our kids become like us, and how our close relationship with them can make being a flawed parent not such a bad thing. 

Building the right habits and skills in your kids.

In the episode, Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, leads a discussion around building positive habits and skills in both children and parents.

Ryan Bond, father of 2 and leader of digital consumer products at Encyclopedia Brittanica, joins Justin for a wide ranging discussion.  Topics include awkward conversations, preparing kids for the future unknown, and finding time to be more present in the digitally distracted world.

What you see & hear isn't always reality

Good Day Blaze Family! Today marks the release of our first Podcast. We are  so excited to share with you stories and experiences from parents and  children from all over. Today’s Podcast deals with leading by example  and dealing with common things as parents such as raising our children  in these technological times. On this podcast you will hear a discussion  between Justin Lyons CEO of blaze and the wonderful Cortney. Enjoy and feel free to comment your experiences.