Better Place Project with Steve Norris

Once again, it’s time for Better Place Badasses of Season 4, where Steve and Erin each shine a light on 5 Badasses that are making a positive difference in the world.

Featured on this episode:

Amy Wright of Bitty and Beau’s Coffee - Amy and her husband started this coffee shop as a safe place of children and young adults to find employment.  As advocates for the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the Wrights have dedicated their lives to making the world better place for their children and others living with disabilities. https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/

Austin Perine: 7 year-old super hero child humanitarian, featured on CNN, CBS, Steve Harvey, who used his allowance money to feed burgers to people experiencing homelessness. Instagram: @austinperine

Riley and Abbie Weeks of EcologicalAction.org: EcologicalAction is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a sustainable tomorrow by encouraging sustainable practices. 

Mindy Mayes: Founded Live4Jesse.org where she spreads small acts of kindness in her brother Jesse’s name, to help people who just need enough.

Coral Catch: An all-women coral conservation team, helping to revive Indonesia's world-famous reefs. Instagram: @coralcatch

Keanu Reeves: Actor, philanthropist and all around good human,

Aral Sürmeli: Founder of HERA Digital Health, whose aim is to increase the rate of prenatal care and childhood vaccinations among Syrian refugees in Turkey under temporary protection. HERA’s goal is to prevent health problems for refugees and thereby decrease deaths. HERA now serves 300 women between the age of 20 to 49.  Heradigitalhealth.org

Chewang Norphel, The Iceman of India: Designed and built artificial glaciers to bring much needed water to his community of Ladakh.

Lala Land Cafe: Kind cafe with the purpose of hiring foster youth and spreading kindness: https://lalalandkindcafe.com/about/

Craig Kielburger: Social entrepreneur and the co-founder of a family of organizations dedicated to the power of WE, a movement of people coming together to change the world.  We.org

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
 Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
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Email: [email protected]

 

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
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Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

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Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Steve tells the story of Betty Jenkins and the inflatable Bra.  Betty, in her own words, describes what happened to her when she was just a skinny teenager, was wearing an inflatable bra given to her by her mother, and took a flight over the Andes Mountains.

As the non-pressurized plane increased altitude, her bra started to expand, leading to an embarrassing, but hilarious story that she will never forget.

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Linda Bjork is a best selling author, speaker, host of "Linda's Corner" podcast, and founder  of Hope for Healing non-profit charity.  Some of her books include “Crushed: A Journey Through Depression,” and Amazon best seller “You Got This! An action plan to calm fear, anxiety, worry, and stress.”  Linda’s personal mission is to empower people to become their best selves.

In this episode we chat about Linda's five year battle with depression.  She goes into detail describing what it was like living in a "deep, dark hole" and how she climbed out of that hole, one step at a time.

Topics covered in this episode include:

* Coming out of depression
* Linda's message of hope
* Empowerment to become your best self
* The importance of gratitude
* Tips for building self confidence and self esteem
* How doing acts of kindness can change your life, and the science behind it
* Linda's Hope for Healing Foundation and all of its free resources

For more info, please visit:
Hopeforhealingfoundation.org

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Steve tells the heartwarming Thanksgiving story of Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench.  Wanda went to send a Thanksgiving Dinner Invitation text to her grandson, but unbeknownst to her, he had a new phone with a new number.  Hence, her text went to a complete stranger, Jamal Hinton.  What happens next, set the stage for a unique friendship and a new tradition that has lasted six years and counting.

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website: www.BetterPlaceProject.org

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

This week's guests are Paul House and Angie Gade of HouseInTheWoods.org.

Paul and Dee House founded House in the Woods after their son, Sgt. Joel A. House, was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in the Army in Iraq.  Their vision for House in the Woods began shortly after attending the military memorial service at Fort Hood, TX for Joel and 19 other soldiers from his army base who died the same month as their son.  It was both emotionally overwhelming and comforting to be around so many families who were experiencing the same grief and loss.  They dreamed of creating a program using Maine's outdoor resources that would help military families support one another.

Paul is a life-long Maine woodsman and Maine Master Guide. Dee is a former Navy "brat" who grew up in military housing and schools during the Vietnam War era.

In this episode we chat about:
* Joel House and his childhood growing up
* Joel's first tour in Iraq
* Joel's second tour when a suicide bomber drove a vehicle through his barracks, killing his friend.
* We chat about the documentary "Welcome to Lee Maine," which tells the story about this small town and how it was affected by the war.
* The day a van drove up to the house and two soldiers stepped out.
* The motivation to start Houseinthewoods.org
 * The support from state senators and the Governor to get House In The Woods off the ground.
* The work that House In the Woods is doing
* The impact the organization is having on veterans suffering form PTSD.
* Paul and Angie's advice on how we can help make he world a better place

For more info, or to make a donation, please visit:
HouseInTheWoods.org

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
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@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

 

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To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

In this very first episode of Feel Good Friday, Steve tells the remarkable true story of the Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony.  Anthony, a conservationist, environmentalist and best selling author, was head of conservation at the Thula Thula animal reserve in Zululand,  South Africa.  Anthony was known for his unique ability to communicate and calm elephants that had experienced trauma. 

Lawrence ended up taking in a herd of "troubled" elephants who hated humans due to abuse and killings of members of their herd by humans. He quickly learned that earning the trust of these elephants was going to be next to impossible. But as you'll learn in this story, over time, Lawrence developed a bond with the elephants, earned their trust and earned their friendship.  Years later,  Lawrence suddenly passed away.  To their astonishment, the family witnessed the elephants showing up at their property, after walking 12 hours in the bush, and holding a vigil for Lawrence, their old friend. The elephants never forgot.  

How did the elephants know he had died? Perhaps they are reminding us that we all truly are connected.

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

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Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Hema Vyas, the “Heart Whisperer,” is one of the UK’s most prestigious psychologists.  A renowned speaker on heart wisdom, human consciousness, spirituality, health, energy medicine and the science of Ayurveda, for almost thirty years she has been practicing as a psychologist and life leadership mentor.  She has worked with creatives to CEOs helping them connect to their own personal truth and build towards a life of joy, love, mindfulness, and prosperity.  Her philosophy is built on the wisdom that once heart, mind, body and soul are integrated and aligned, people can achieve optimal wellbeing, creativity and success. 

Hema is known for seeing the 'problem behind the problem' and recognizing deeply held blocks, to allow for lasting change. She leads international retreats which are fully immersive, workshops and events that align and restore heart, mind and body. Her signature 'Heart Renaissance - Path to Prosperity' experience in Kerala celebrated its 10th anniversary in January 2020. 

In this episode we chat about:

* Hema’s out of body experience as a young child

* Hema shares a story about a dream that she had where she experienced a moment of synchronicity that would change the course of her life.

* We chat about what it means to align the heart, mind, and body and how to accomplish this in your life.

* Hema stresses the importance of getting back to truth and integrity and the role the heart plays in the process.

* We discuss the importance of passion and purpose in our lives and steps we can take to discover the passion and purpose in all of us.

* Hema answers our favorite question: "What advice do you have for us and our listeners on how we can help make the world a better place?”

To learn more about Hema or to join her free community, Heart Renaissance, for complimentary guided meditations, talks and resources to help tap into the heart space, please visit: hemavyas.com.

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Every Mother Counts (EMC) founder Christy Turlington Burns’ work in maternal health began after experiencing a childbirth related complication in 2003—an experience that would later inspire her to direct and produce the documentary feature film, No Woman, No Cry, about the challenges women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Under Christy’s leadership, Every Mother Counts has invested nearly $21 million in programs in Africa, Central America and Caribbean, South Asia and the United States focused on making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere.

 Before founding Every Mother Counts, Christy received international acclaim as a model representing the world’s biggest fashion and beauty brands. She was the Founder of Nuala, a yoga lifestyle brand in partnership with Puma, co-founder of Sundari, a skincare based on the principals of Ayurveda, and author of the bestselling book, Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice.

Christy has been featured on thousands of magazine covers, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, and among Glamour Magazine’s 2013 Women of the Year. In March 2016, EMC was recognized as one of Fast Company magazine’s Top 10 Most Innovative Not-For-Profit Companies.

In this episode, we chat with Christy about her childhood growing up in Northern California, a middle child raised by an Airline Pilot father and flight attendant mother from El Salvador.  She talks openly about her experience on that fateful day that changed the course of her life forever. We chat about the problems in maternal healthcare worldwide and here in the US, where a woman is twice as likely to die in childbirth now as her mother was decades ago.  We discuss the disturbing disparities in mortality rates in childbirth between women of color and white women, and why that is, as well as the amazing work that Every Mother Counts is doing in order to bring about change around the world.

To make a donation to EMC, or to learn more about their work, please visit:
EveryMotherCounts.org

To send a quick email in support of the Build Better Act (discussed in this episode), which includes policies that improve maternal health and equity, please go to https://p2a.co/eydcbjc

To learn more about pregnancy, and postpartum during the time of COVID-19, please visit justbirthspace.org 

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

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@Erinorris

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Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

CNN Hero Woody Faircloth is the founder of EmergencyRV.org, initially established in response to the massive and deadly November 2018 Campfire, which decimated the entire town of Paradise, California and left more than 50,000 residents traumatized and displaced.  It was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses.  

For Faircloth and his then six-year-old daughter Luna, watching events unfold on television from Denver was not enough. Determined to help, the father and daughter set out to raise funds to purchase an RV and deliver it by Thanksgiving to a family in need.

Word of their kind act spread quickly and within days, press requests, RV donations, offers of legal services, and funds poured in. Before the Faircloth’s knew it, they were delivering another RV and then another. Since then, EmergencyRV has helped hundreds of victims and expanded its mission to help many more victims of wildfire and other natural disasters.

For more information, and/or to donate or volunteer, please visit: EmergencyRV.org

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
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@Erinorris

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Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Steve and Erin cover a variety of topics, starting with an update on the Paul Rusesabagina (The real-life hero of the movie “Hotel Rwanda") kidnapping and trial, and Steve does a deep dive on the  David Attenborough documentary “The Year Earth Changed,” which covers the many fascinating ways the pandemic has actually benefitted wildlife around the world.

 They then discuss challenges that they are encountering as they try to implement some of the things they’ve learned from guests on the show.  They chat about the difficulties in tackling forgiveness, the importance of practicing positive self-talk, of surrounding ourselves with positive people,  and making the difficult decision of cutting someone out of your life, and establishing boundaries. Steve tells a story about an encounter with a person experiencing homelessness, and how he still is learning and adapting, which leads to a discussion about the importance of empathy for our fellow humans.

 After Erin mentions that unplugging from technology and being present has been a big challenge for her, they talk about how they’ve learned the important lesson that making the world a better place does not necessarily just mean doing kind deeds for others.  It is just as important to focus on improving our own mental health, our own worldview, our own happiness, living a live of gratitude and kindness, living our truth, living an authentic, joyful and fulfilled life.  By doing these things, we are well on our way to helping make the world a better place. 

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
@Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj

Email: [email protected]

 

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]