Collected Clan: The Company You Keep

In this episode, we have the second half of the conversation with my friend Bradley Ford about his career in music, our love of music and musicals, the impact of music on society through education and so much more, including what it's like to have experienced a school shooting first hand. This conversation took many twists and turns and returns upon itself into a woven storyline that created the longest episode so far. Be sure you listen to Part 1 (aka Episode #11) which delivered the hilarity of two Scotch and Bourbon fueled friends spinning a yarn that continues into Part 2. As you listen to each episode, you'll hear that thread come through which is the power of empathy and how that is formed through music. So this is Part 2 of the two-part conversational biography.

Topics Covered:

• 0:01:23 Turning the tide of separation and racism
• 0:03:57 "Colored People" by dc Talk
• 0:06:40 Rediscovery with the Shuffle button
• 0:14:51 Non-Profit Spotlight: Waves of Grace
• 0:18:04 Living through a school shooting
• 0:37:07 Required reading: Martin Luther King, Jr.
• 0:40:30 The state of American education

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

I have a special treat for you as Father's Day approaches. This episode is a collection of unreleased material from previous episodes with guests who are fathers, an extension of Episode #9 that was Mother's Day. This podcast series is all about conversation, which is much more than an interview. They're two-sided; not just one-sided Q&A. To that end, I don't keep a list of questions to ask every guest. Except in this case. There's one question I asked each guest. One topic, rather, that I covered with each guest. And that's what I have in store for you today. Topics Covered:

• 0:02:16 David Meyers from Episode 2
• 0:08:50 Markus Garza from Episode 3
• 0:11:25 John J. Thompson from Episode 10
• 0:16:35 AD: Molliepop Studios
• 0:17:13 Bradley Ford from Episode 11
• 0:19:12 Gregory Byerline, your host

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

SPONSOR ... Molliepop Studios This episode is brought to you by Molliepop Studios, specializing in lifestyle portraiture of children and families. At Molliepop Studios, we capture that special smile, a mischievous smirk, a quick kiss for Daddy, or a special secret or snuggle with Mommy...like the cover image for this episode which was made by Molliepop Studios. And sometimes even the furry, barking kind of child. Please visit online at www.molliepopstudios.com or on Facebook at Molliepop Studios and book your session today to make your own photographic time capsules.

In this episode, I talk with my friend Bradley Ford about his career in music, our love of music and musicals, the impact of music on society through education and so much more, including what it's like to have experienced a school shooting first hand. This conversation took many twists and turns and returns upon itself into a woven storyline that created the longest episode so far. So this is Part 1 of the two-part conversational biography. Topics Covered:

• 0:02:17 Grown men gushing over Celine Dion
• 0:05:23 Celine Dion is the female Meat Loaf
• 0:08:23 Jafar lipsyncs Eric Carmen
• 09:55 Shared deep love of music
• 0:12:27 From Muffin to Bleach with Bradley on guitar
• 0:22:37 Impact of music on the creator and the listener
• 0:31:15 One of the most underrated rock records of all time
• 0:33:36 Hearing in technicolor
• 0:39:47 Phantom of the Opera
• 0:46:28 Life and humanity through the lens of The Greatest Showman
• 0:57:39 "A beautiful crap shoot of life"

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

In this episode, I talk with John J. Thompson. Though we met less than 10 years ago, John and I share a rather parallel life that was exciting to explore in this conversation about our shared Central Illinois roots and about signing his own adoption papers, how forgiveness is actually connected to understanding, the unique community that was Cornerstone Festival, his book called Jesus Bread & Chocolate: Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass Market World, and so much more. Topics Covered:

• 0:02:02 Our parallel life
• 0:12:10 Living in and out of hiding with a con-man father
• 0:15:28 The making of a con-man father
• 0:17:59 The forgiveness process
• 0:21:52 Counting native Nashvillians
• 0:22:43 Moving to Music City
• 0:23:48 The beginnings of a music library
• 0:26:35 Tales from the late great Cornerstone Festival
• 0:31:43 The rise and fall of True Tunes
• 0:35:54 "I'm cool with Africa, just don't send me to Nashville"
• 0:44:42 Grand ideals dashed upon the rocks
• 0:53:43 About Jesus, Bread, and Chocolate book
• 1:07:38 John's upcoming projects
• 1:08:17 Deep admiration for Phil Keaggy
• 1:10:03 Non-Profit Spotlight: Compassion International
• 01:10:18 How to connect with John online

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

In this bonus episode, I have a special treat for you. This episode is a collection of unreleased material from previous episodes with guests who are mothers. This podcast series is all about conversation, which is much more than an interview. They're two-sided; not just one-sided Q&A. To that end, I don't keep a list of questions to ask every guest. Except in this case. There's one question I asked each guest. One topic, rather, that I covered with each guest. And that's what I have in store for you today. Topics Covered:

• 0:02:10 Tanya Willis from Episode 5
• 0:05:06 Ginger Eldridge from Episode 8
• 0:06:23 Bethany Torino from Episode 4
• 0:12:34 Elizabeth Foster from Episode 6
• 0:13:11 AD: Molliepop Studios
• 0:13:43 Jenny Baker from Episode 7

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

SPONSOR ... Molliepop Studios This episode is brought to you by Molliepop Studios, specializing in lifestyle portraiture of children and families. At Molliepop Studios, we capture that special smile, a mischievious smirk, a quick kiss for Daddy, or a special secret or snuggle with Mommy...like the cover image for this episode which was made by Molliepop Studios. And sometimes even the furry, barking kind of child. Please visit online at www.molliepopstudios.com or on Facebook at Molliepop Studios and book your session today to make your own photographic time capsules.

In this episode, I reconnect with Ginger Eldridge, someone I've known for nearly the entire 26 years I've lived in Nashville. We talk about music business life in Nashville, the impact we both experienced knowing the late great Landy Gardner, getting to second base with Dolly Parton, doing life with an out ex-spouse, and so much more. She's a Mother. She's a Survivor. And she's an Honorer. Listen, you'll see. We go light we go deep then we go light then we go deep again then light again as we cover a lot of memory ground in this conversation. Visit the show notes at www.collectedclan.com/gingereldridge for links to topics discussed and supplemental material. Topics Covered:

• 0:02:14 College survival and Nashville arrival
• 0:09:16 Experiences in Christ Church Choir
• 0:13:10 Getting to 2nd base with Dolly Parton
• 0:21:14 Career on Music Row
• 0:27:10 Discarding stuff and heavy memories
• 0:31:30 The legacy of Landy Gardner
• 0:39:52 Coffee the Italian way
• 0:44:28 The legacy of Landy Gardner, part two
• 0:48:02 Adulting with an ex-spouse
• 0:54:54 Stairway To Heaven
• 0:59:48 Non-Profit Spotlight: Alive Hospice
• 1:01:04 Celebrity bucket list introductions
• 1:08:40 Importance of divorced parents staying close by for the kids
• 1:13:16 Doing life with an out ex-spouse
• 1:39:24 My shocking musical confession

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

Jenny & Franklin Baker have covered more ground (literally) than your average couple, whether on the road or trail running or turning their life's boat upstream by moving to the woods and simplifying their life to amplify the impact they have on others lives. Listen in as we talk about ultra running (any distance longer than a 26.2-mile marathon...yeah, it's a thing), homeschooling, living intentionally, female empowerment, and so much more. Another good'n for you. Visit the show notes at www.collectedclan.com/teambaker for links to topics discussed and supplemental material. Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

Elizabeth Foster is a beyond-talented artist whose work you really need to see and hear. We talk about her early music career, world travels, uber-fantastic paintings she creates that are must-see (truly), how she makes a living as a full-time artist, and how much I really want an Elizabeth Foster tattoo. Definitely visit the show notes at www.collectedclan.com/elizabethfoster to see her work.

Topics Covered:

• 0:01:48 Early music career
• 0:03:52 Touring Ukraine
• 0:08:20 Hannah & Elizabeth and solo music
• 0:13:12 Collecting Elizabeth Fosters
• 0:17:23 Tattoos
• 0:22:35 Origin of her style
• 0:33:18 Animals as muses
• 0:40:22 Current projects
• 0:42:49 Even more Elizabeth Fosters
• 0:44:36 Personal work vs Commissions
• 0:51:01 Non-Profit Spotlight
• 0:52:50 What Elizabeth sees in her dreams
• 0:57:54 The NeverEnding Story and storm chasing
• 1:02:47 Life in a creative household
• 1:04:44 First-time parent later in life

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

Tanya and I talk about a mutually favorite subject...DOGS!

Beyond their puppy dog eyes and waggly tails, she shares how Agape Animal Rescue came to be plus

• What it's like to raid a dog fighting operation
• How inspiring it is when she's able to find forever homes for rescues who simply want to be someone's everything
• What happened to dogs affected by Hurricane Harvey
• What about Michael Vick?
• Did Gypsy find a home?

All that and more.

1:32 Roadside epiphany ... 7:01 Self-education and growth of Agape ... 9:38 A family affair ... 11:06 How a rescue agency works ... 16:02 Growth rate ... 19:00 Current adoptables ... 21:33 How it works ... 30:09 Rescue fatigue ... 34:23 Hurricane Harvey dogs ... 47:18 What is it about dogs? ... 1:03:11 Non-Profit Spotlight ... 1:04:00 Michael Vick ... 1:08:30 Meet Your Next Running Buddy event

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly

Bethany is not in Kansas anymore, and she makes decadent chocolates that'll stir your taste buds and soul like a tornado. In this conversation, we talk about growing in Dorothy's hometown, how we were in the same building at the same time 25+ years ago without even knowing it, songwriting in Nashville, what grace is, the ups and downs of entreprenuership, and...chocolate!

A few specifics of discussion...

• 0:56 Liberal, KS
• Small towns
• Chocolat the movie
• Alfred Molina
• Moulin Rouge the movie
• 5:35 Songwriting
• Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Petra, Taylor Swift
• 9:52 Why chocolate?
• 17:14 Business 101 and entrepreneurship
• 19:55 The Cocoa Tree
• 33:25 Scaling up & Artisan grade
• 37:06 Imperfections and beauty4
• 42:42 Fake it until you make it
• 49:48 Pop-up restaurant
• 53:44 Guinness truffle
• 54:36 Non-Profit Spotlight ... Blood:Water Mission
• 55:40 Making a chocolate dress
• The Food Network
• Risk
• 1:00:38 What really matters

And much laughter.

Follow Along: Follow Collected Clan at these online destinations to never miss an episode. It's free to listen:

• Official Website
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Stitcher
• YouTube
• Facebook.com/CollectedClan
• Twitter.com/CollectedClan
• Instagram.com/CollectedClan

Feedback: Your thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome. Here's how:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voice: 615.592.5017

Support:

If you find value in what we're doing on Collected Clan, please support the show financially:

• PATREON to learn how you can financially support this show for as little as $5 a month, or
• PAYPAL to make a donation, either one-time or monthly