In this conversation, filmmaker Nick Budabin shares his journey from working on MTV’s True Life to founding Keepsake Documentaries, a company dedicated to preserving family legacies through film. What began as a personal project after losing his father to cancer became a powerful way to help families capture memories, stories, and wisdom for future generations.

Nick discusses how storytelling can aid in the grieving process, why every person has a story worth telling, and how technology and music bring these keepsake films to life. He also shares moving client stories, advice for families thinking about legacy projects, and his vision for the future of personal documentaries.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

·       Nick’s early career in reality TV and documentaries

·       How grief inspired him to create his first legacy film

·       The birth of Keepsake Documentaries

·       Why recording stories helps families heal

·       Client stories that reveal the power of legacy films

·       How music and personal touches make films unforgettable

·       Advice for families wanting to preserve their legacy

Keepsake Documentaries isn’t just about film—it’s about keeping memories alive forever. Whether you’ve lost a loved one or simply want to ensure your family’s story is remembered, this episode is a powerful reminder of the importance of storytelling.

 Learn more about Keepsake Documentaries: Website: keepsakedocumentaries.com Email: [email protected]

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Heather A. Campbell — former ESPN “Synergy” lead turned entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and author of Good Is Amazing. Heather shares her remarkable journey from holding unique corporate titles like “Head of Alchemy” to founding Ready Set Recover, a groundbreaking program that helps surgery patients prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for better outcomes. In this episode, Heather reveals: • How she pivoted from corporate life to healthcare innovation • The surprising habits that boost recovery and reduce stress before surgery • Why “good” can be more than enough when building a fulfilling life • How gratitude, mindfulness, and daily rituals can transform your well-being • The importance of knowing what you truly want — and asking for it Whether you’re preparing for surgery, seeking healthier habits, or looking for a spark of positivity, Heather’s wisdom will leave you feeling empowered and inspired. Learn more about Heather’s work and book: https://www.heatheracampbell.com If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe.

In this powerful episode of Power and Impact, host Jim McCann is joined by the brilliant Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman — economist, activist, and author of The Double Tax. What follows is a dynamic and inspiring conversation about gender, race, economics, and purpose.

Anna shares her remarkable journey: from being born in Ghana and winning the U.S. visa lottery, to growing up in Maryland, falling in love with mathematics, switching from pre-med to economics, and eventually pursuing a PhD at Harvard. Along the way, she became a voice for equity and inclusion, co-founding the Sadie Collective to bring more Black women into economics and related fields.

In this interview, Anna opens up about the hidden cost of being a woman — particularly a Black woman — in America. She explains the concept of the “double tax,” the systemic pink tax that’s embedded in our economy, and how structural inequalities are often normalized. From overpriced products to underpaid labor and overlooked data, Anna pulls back the curtain on how everyday economics disproportionately affects women.

Whether you’re religious, spiritual, agnostic, or simply curious—this conversation will move you, challenge you, and leave you thinking.

On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Rabbi David Katz, whose journey from the opera stage to the pulpit is as profound as it is inspiring. This episode weaves together threads of identity, transformation, faith, music, community, and what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world.

Rabbi David shares his story of being a professional opera singer before becoming a cantor and ultimately a rabbi. Through candid storytelling, he opens up about his experiences with addiction and recovery, his evolving understanding of faith, and how he bridges the sacred and the secular in both his personal life and his leadership within the Jewish community.

They said her son would never live on his own...now he thrives in the community she built.

On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Denise Resnik, trailblazing founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center and First Place AZ. From her son’s autism diagnosis at age two to reshaping real estate with purpose, Denise’s story is one of innovation, advocacy, and unshakable love.

She shares how she went from launching a real estate marketing firm to transforming blighted buildings into vibrant mixed-use housing communities that integrate people with autism, seniors, and the broader public. We discuss the heartbreak of being told to institutionalize her son, the grit it took to build new systems from scratch, and the vision behind a new marketplace for housing and community that includes everyone.

Now leading a national movement through First Place’s Global Leadership Institute and the Vote the Spectrum initiative, Denise is proving that when we plan for inclusion, we build something better for all of us. 

Before his art graced the Vatican and the Olympics, he was washing dishes and selling paintings on the street.

On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Romero Britto, the world-renowned pop artist whose signature style has become a universal symbol of joy. From humble beginnings in Brazil to collaborating with Disney, Absolut, and FIFA, Romero’s journey is a masterclass in creativity, resilience, and reinvention.

He opens up about walking away from a career in diplomacy to pursue his passion, selling art on the sidewalks of Miami, and turning a struggling storefront into his first gallery by painting over the walls of a beauty salon. We also dive into his personal story of love and loss, the influence of one special teacher, and the importance of building genuine friendships that ask for nothing in return.

Now with a mission to open his art palace to the public, create installations across the globe, and inspire the next generation through education and color, Romero reminds us that life, like art, is better when it’s bold, vibrant, and full of heart.

The day he begged his wife to kill him was the day everything changed.

On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Shawn Lesser, an impact investor turned mental health advocate whose life took a dramatic turn in the fall of 2022. What started as a persistent depression spiraled into a full mental health crisis, one that led to hospitalization, months in treatment centers, and ultimately, a complete reinvention of purpose.

Shawn opens up about the emotional toll of losing his identity after stepping away from the investment firm he co-founded, and how a simple text from a friend became the first step toward rebuilding his life. That friend became his “mental health sponsor,” and together they launched The Real, a movement to support men’s mental health through conversation, community, and change.

Today, Shawn’s mission is bold: help 10 million men by 2030, break the stigma around mental health, and channel billions of dollars into the space. From investor summits in Davos to grassroots mental health walks around the world, his journey is a powerful reminder that healing often begins with telling the truth.

"I told my husband he could leave—I had just been diagnosed with an incurable pain disease less than a year into our marriage… but he stayed. And that’s when I decided I was going to fight, not just for me, but for everyone like me."

On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Beth Stillitano, a former teacher whose life was turned upside down at just 24 years old after a seemingly minor fall led to a diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a rare and excruciating neurological disease often called “the suicide disease.”

Beth shares her emotional journey through years of relentless pain, misdiagnoses, and opioid dependency, and how she eventually found healing through therapy, mindfulness, and community. But her story doesn’t end with survival, it’s about purpose. Beth went on to co-found Fight the Flame, a national nonprofit supporting CRPS patients, caregivers, and medical professionals. Her mission: to make sure no one faces this invisible illness alone.

This is a story about pain, resilience, and the power of showing up for yourself, your family, and the millions who suffer in silence.

"I was going to break my promise to my dad that I would take care of my family… and that’s when I told myself, 'D.T., I’m not going to die here.'"

In this powerful episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Senior Master Sergeant Israel Del Toro, a true American hero. From a childhood marked by hardship and the loss of both parents at a young age to becoming a decorated Air Force special warfare operator, DT’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

He shares the harrowing day in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb left him with burns over 80 percent of his body, a 15 percent chance of survival, and an uncertain future. But what followed defied all odds. DT not only survived, he walked out of the hospital, re-enlisted as the first 100 percent disabled airman in U.S. history, and went on to inspire thousands through public speaking, Paralympic sports, and mentorship.

In this week’s Celebrate Your Story, I’m thrilled to hand the mic to my colleague, MiChaela Barker, for a conversation with Hali Lee, a remarkable philanthropist, author, and the founder of the Asian Women Giving Circle. Through her dynamic storytelling and rich cultural perspective, Hali shares how growing up as a Korean American in Kansas City and learning from generations of strong women shaped her commitment to community, generosity, and justice.

Hali Lee is a seasoned nonprofit leader and a pioneer in the giving circle movement. As the founder of the Asian Women Giving Circle, she has helped raise and distribute over $1.5 million to support Asian American women, girls, and gender-expansive artists in New York City. Her debut book, The Big We, published by Sweet July Books, challenges top-down philanthropy and invites readers to embrace collective care, mutual aid, and everyday activism.

Hali and MiChaela discuss the power of giving circles, the legacy of kitchen-table activism, and the urgent need to shift from a mindset of “me” to “we.” From her grandmother’s quiet resistance in colonial Korea to her mother-in-law flipping a local election at 93, Hali draws a powerful throughline between personal story and civic impact. She reminds us that meaningful change doesn’t require wealth or fame; it just requires community, intention, and the courage to act.