Better.

Today’s guest is Michelle Icard, author of “Middle School Makeover.” She also made headlines earlier this year when she left a note for three “mean girls” at Starbucks encouraging them to be more kind (http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/stevens/ct-note-to-girls-at-starbucks-balancing-0531-20160531-column.html) Michelle shares her story about how the anxiety she experienced in middle school inspired the work she does today, and we also take a deep dive into the often murky waters of the middle school years. I think her advice and perspective can help both kids and parents navigate this period a little easier.

Back in October, Emily came on the podcast to talk about her brother Jack, who had tragically passed from brain cancer.  Today, we have her older sister, Leigh, joining us to share her perspective in dealing with Jack’s illness.  Leigh was away at college for a large portion of Jack’s battle, and was also dealing with her own personal health crisis, which created a lot of difficult emotions for her.  We also talk a lot about some of the inspirational writings Jack published on his blog (linked below) before he passed away, as well as some of the pieces he hadn’t published that Leigh later discovered.

Erica Lofton is the 15-YEAR-OLD founder and CEO of Girls in Action, a not-for-profit organization spreading powerful messages of anti violence and female empowerment. As a entrepreneur, speaker, host of workshops, and musician who still finds time to hit the mall with friends once in a while, Erica is truly one of the most inspirational teens I know. This is an important listen for those of us out there who may be disappointed with the current state of millennials and our youth in general, as Erica is accomplishing major things in this world.

Are there crucial life lessons to be learned from having a serious illness?  Is it possible that cancer can actually make you a better, stronger person?  And do the thoughts that you think daily play a role in just how much we suffer through such a process?  These are just a few of the ideas we tackle with today’s guest, Jessica.  When diagnosed with breast cancer, Jessica decided to approach her illness from a mindset of healing as opposed to the all too common “fighting" one, using the mantra #BetterEveryDay to not only shift her focus away from fear, but inspire many, many others to do the same via hashtag in the process.

Erin Taylor & Sue DeCaro are PCI certified parenting coaches as well accomplished speakers and authors (their respective resumes are not a short read!). Together, they formed Building Connected Communities, a network of therapists, life coaches, social workers, etc., working together toward the common goal of inspiring change in the world.  They’re here today to talk not only about their story and experiences, but what they feel are some of the biggest obstacles in raising children in our modern society.

Just a quick episode today to all of you out there who may be experiencing some anxieties over the holidays, dealing with difficult people or family members, and how to set yourself up for a happy and successful 2017. Enjoy!

The title says it all here, folks.  Today’s episode features top Chicago attorney, Beth McCormack, who’s here to talk about her work focusing on family law, and all the things that go into navigating the tricky, gray areas of topics like divorce and domestic violence.  Beth has a developed a unique approach to such cases by employing a philosophy that favors conflict resolution over destroying the other party in court. Lots of great wisdom and knowledge here, especially in regards to maintaining your mental health throughout situations that tend to be so emotionally taxing.

December 9th is always a weird day on the calendar for me, as it’s the day my younger brother, Tom, took his life. So today I’d like to take some time (along with my wife, Julie) to share some of my favorite memories of him, talk about what made him so special and unique, and hopefully provide a different lens through which to view any loved ones of yours who may be dealing with depression, addiction, etc...

As a natural born athlete, Conner fell in love with the sport of hockey at the age of 3. It was this passion that carried him all the way through his childhood, teen years, and was what he was planning on using to pave the way through college. You can say that it completely defined his life and who he was.  Until age 18, when an unfortunate accident left him unable to lace up his skates for an indefinite amount of time. So what happens when you suddenly can’t be who you are anymore? How does one pick up the pieces and re-discover their sense of self-worth and find meaning in life again? Conner’s got some great insight on today’s episode...