Crazy Amazing Humans

For this fun and festive episode, we're on location at the Carlson's haunted home with all their Halloween decor-–monsters, vampires, ghosts, oh my! You'll get the real, behind-the-scenes story of why Ken and Katrina Carlson have decided to put in the effort to make Halloween a magical time for kids of all ages. You'll hear how it has grown organically into such a beloved community-building event. They also offer some helpful advice for communities that might want to create their own Halloween experiences in their neighborhoods. After listening to the audio, check out the Crazy Amazing Humans YouTube version of the podcast to see the Carlson haunted home decorations (inside and out) in all its spooky grandeur!

This year the Carlson's 26th Halloween extravaganza in West Los Angeles benefits Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the GOFARR Fund. GOFARR is dedicated to Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutic applications affecting the kidney.. This wonderful annual event for the community brings folks from all over the Los Angeles area to enjoy their wonderful haunted house and trick-or-treat experience.

Don't forget to make sure you're following us on Instagram at CrazyAmazingHumans and also subscribe to our YouTube version of the podcast so that you'll know about this episode as well as the many crazy amazing humans featured in all of our episodes.

Did you know that a girl's self-esteem peaks at the age of 8 and then rapidly declines by 64% by the age of 9? Sonali Perera Bridges does and she is doing something about that and much more with an organization she co-created and runs called Shero's Rise! Get it? It's like hero, but "she"ro.

Sonali Perera Bridges is an award-winning, dynamic and innovative leader with over 20 years of experience in a wide breadth of educational settings. With her BA from Mount Saint Mary's University and MBA from University of Redlands, her experience as well as her passion for making a difference in the lives of young women resulted in founding Shero's Rise. Shero's Rise reaches out to young women (particularly from underserved communities) and helps them recognize their worth and value in order to empower them to become agents for change in the world.

In this episode you'll hear how Shero's Rise provides girls with the essential skills, experiences, tools and the support they need so every girl can become their own "shero." You'll learn about identity building, mindfulness, financial literacy, Toxic Positivity vs. Healthy Optimism, owning your own power, kindness and gratitude and much more. In addition to the students, Shero's Rise also helps educates parents so that the whole family benefits, many times breaking unhealthy cycles. Where was Shero's Rise when I was a kid? And you'll want to hear this so you can pass it on to your own kids or someone you know with kids.

We're sure you'll be inspired by hearing first-hand about the teamwork making the dreamwork at Shero's Rise for future generations.

We're at the Ukraine-Poland border with Maxwell Eaton, an entrepreneur and restaurateur from New Orleans, who signed up to travel halfway around the world and volunteer to work with World Central Kitchen to help feed displaced Ukrainian families. Maxwell is the epitome of someone who asked the question "How can I best help?" and then dropped everything and showed up!

You may have seen the National Geographic documentary We Feed People from Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard, available for viewing on Disney+. The film spotlights renowned celebrity chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen's incredible mission and evolution over 12 years. They've become one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector. And, most recently, they've set up shop at the Ukraine-Poland border to assist Ukrainians fleeing from the devastating war Russia has inflicted on their country.

We're all aware of the heroic efforts being made by President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Their valiant example has inspired folks from around the world to help them, and one such person is today's guest! Join us as Maxwell shares stories and his experiences in this important humanitarian effort. We're sure you'll be inspired by hearing first-hand about the teamwork making the dreamwork for people in need. Thanks for being part of the Crazy Amazing Humans community. We appreciate you!

In this episode we take you inside The Montgomery Summit presented by March Capital, a premier tech conference. Katrina interviews Jamie Montgomery, the founder and host of the summit. Jamie is a successful businessman who Co-Founded and is Managing Partner of March Capital. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of Montgomery & Co., an L.A.-based investment bank where he advised and mentored over 500 companies, financed over 200 companies, and took approximately 40 companies public. In addition to his business acumen, Jamie is also a wonderfully passionate and forward-thinking philanthropist. Jamie has provided leadership to a myriad of charitable causes both personally and through his companies. Because of his passion for encouraging education, Jamie also supports programs for innovation and entrepreneurship at many schools and universities.

Some of the many organizations that have benefitted from Jamie's efforts are (but not limited to) the following: UC San Diego, Claremont McKenna College; USC, Stanford and Chapman University, Westmark School, Brentwood School, St. Matthews School, the Boy Scouts of America, as well as efforts to help homeless populations with feeding programs, housing and inoculation efforts. In addition, Jamie was involved with ways to help rebuild businesses that have been harmed by Covid and other related factors...and much more.

Jamie Montgomery authentically helps create community and connection everywhere he goes and in all that he does in a positive and inclusive way. He not only leads on a large scale, he rolls up his sleeves doing one-on-one work for various organizations so he can better understand them.

It is our hope that you'll be inspired by Jamie Montgomery's unique perspectives and then be motivated to incorporate this entrepreneurial spirit in your own life. Jamie reminds us that, as lifelong learners, we can always discover new ways to utilize our gifts to make a difference for good!

In this episode we take you inside The Montgomery Summit presented by March Capital, a premier tech conference. Katrina interviews Jamie Montgomery, the founder and host of the summit. Jamie is a successful businessman who Co-Founded and is Managing Partner of March Capital. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of Montgomery & Co., an L.A.-based investment bank where he advised and mentored over 500 companies, financed over 200 companies, and took approximately 40 companies public. In addition to his business acumen, Jamie is also a wonderfully passionate and forward-thinking philanthropist. Jamie has provided leadership to a myriad of charitable causes both personally and through his companies. Because of his passion for encouraging education, Jamie also supports programs for innovation and entrepreneurship at many schools and universities.

Some of the many organizations that have benefitted from Jamie's efforts are (but not limited to) the following: UC San Diego, Claremont McKenna College; USC, Stanford and Chapman University, Westmark School, Brentwood School, St. Matthews School, the Boy Scouts of America, as well as efforts to help homeless populations with feeding programs, housing and inoculation efforts. In addition, Jamie was involved with ways to help rebuild businesses that have been harmed by Covid and other related factors...and much more.

Jamie Montgomery authentically helps create community and connection everywhere he goes and in all that he does in a positive and inclusive way. He not only leads on a large scale, he rolls up his sleeves doing one-on-one work for various organizations so he can better understand them.

It is our hope that you'll be inspired by Jamie Montgomery's unique perspectives and then be motivated to incorporate this entrepreneurial spirit in your own life. Jamie reminds us that, as lifelong learners, we can always discover new ways to utilize our gifts to make a difference for good!

Shirin Yadegar, journalist, publisher, TV host, mother and CEO/Creator of L.A. Mom Magazine, shares all her best tips, tricks, advice and hacks that will help anyone in a parenting role and will inspire you to live a healthier, balanced and more meaningful family life. Shirin is on a mission to provide as much practical and useful information to parents of kids of all ages and we get to benefit from it!

From her time spent as a journalist at several major publications including the Los Angeles Times and the Managing Editor of the Beverly Hills Weekly to becoming a wife and a mother of four girls, Shirin is on a mission to provide as much practical and useful information to parents of kids of all ages and we get to benefit from it! As the TV host of "Moms Matter," she diligently finds experts whose interviews answer parenting, personal and spiritual questions. Before becoming a mother, Shirin received her M.A. from USC's Annenberg School of Journalism.Passionate about repairing the world, Shirin is involved in many philanthropic causes such as Shero's Rise, Visionary Women and WIZO USA. She believes that we all need to pay it forward because this is the world we are leaving our children and grandchildren.

Whether you are a biological mom or play the role of a "mom" in all its wonderful varieties, shapes and forms, this episode is for you. Each and every one of us, mom, parent or not, can be the source of hope for others. And to all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day! I am constantly learning how to reset, recalibrate and adapt to new situations so I always look for, and welcome, good advice as a mom! We hope you enjoy all of her excellent advice and more!

Rebecca Alexander inspires, empowers and entertains us with hilarious anecdotes; candid insights and expert advice that will help you overcome any obstacle and encourage you to live life to its fullest in this lively conversation with Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim. Rebecca is the perfect guest with whom we celebrate "National Month of Hope" because she brings that and much more in this podcast! This episode is also completely closed captioned on Crazy Amazing Humans' Youtube channel.

Born with a rare genetic disorder called Usher Syndrome rendering her almost completely deaf and blind, Rebecca has written the best-selling book Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found which is currently in development to be made into a major motion picture and received an Indie Book Award. She was also honored as one of the MS Society's Books For A Better Life. She recently narrated the PBS American Master's biopic documentary "Becoming Helen Keller" and her TEDx talk entitled "H.E.L.P. - Humanity's Essence, Living Proof," has been critically acclaimed. Rebecca has been featured on many TV shows such as The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and ESPN, as well as numerous publications including People, Cosmopolitan and Shape. Rebecca has been honored with prestigious awards for her advocacy work, presented for TEDx, and has been the keynote speaker for many esteemed companies and organizations.

She has been honored with prestigious awards for her advocacy such as The American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award, Disability Rights Advocate Eagle Award, Future Vision Foundation Luminary Award, The Foundation Fighting Blindness Hope and Spirit Award, Strike Out USH, No Limits for Deaf Children Spirit of Leadership Award, University of Michigan Bicentennial Alumni Award, JWI Woman To Watch, Center for Hearing and Communication - Irving Berelson President's Award.

Among her many extraordinary feats, Rebecca participated in the 600-mile AIDS Lifecycle ride, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, swam from Alcatraz to shore in the San Francisco Bay, and competed in the Civilian Military Combine (CMC) races. Rebecca has a thriving psychotherapy practice with two masters' degrees from Columbia University in Clinical Social Work and Public Health. She works with individuals, couples, and groups, specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, grief/loss, eating disorders, and disability. Rebecca received post-graduate training at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy at the Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia and received her psychodynamic psychotherapy training from the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. Rebecca is certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) and also communicates in American Sign Language and Tactile Sign Language.

Rebecca currently serves on the boards of Usher Syndrome Society, Usher Syndrome Coalition, No Limits for Deaf Children, Disability Rights Advocates, Kresge Hearing Research Institute at the University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology.

As we celebrate the National Month Of Hope, always remember that we can be the source of hope for others. Every small kindness has the potential to create a Crazy Amazing Human experience, one person at a time. You have the power to create that every day because you are Crazy Amazing! And we, at Crazy Amazing Humans, are in your corner, we're rooting for you, and really appreciate you as part of our community.

In honor of International Women's Day, we have a very special guest, Sheryl WuDunn, who reminds us that women hold solutions to our world's greatest challenges and that empowering women and girls is the most effective way to fight poverty and extremism. Selected as one of Newsweek's "150 Women Who Shake the World" and listed as one of 60 notable members of the "League of Extraordinary Women," WuDunn has helped raise awareness about the challenges facing women as well as models being a woman who makes an impact.

Sheryl WuDunn is the first Asian-American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize and is a best-selling co-author of "Half the Sky," "Tightrope" and "A Path Appears" amongst other books. She also is one of a small handful of people who have worked at The New York Times both as an executive and journalist. Sheryl is a co-founder of FullSky Partners, a consulting firm focusing on double-bottom line ventures and was previously a VP at Goldman Sachs.

In her inspirational best-selling book, "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide" – written with her husband, Nicholas Kristof – WuDunn goes beyond simply exposing the devastating daily reality for so many of the world's women, and uses the powerful book as a call to action for solutions. Thanks to the book's popularity and global impact, it soon grew into a multi-platform digital media effort that now includes a highly popular documentary series on PBS, mobile games and an online social media game on Facebook.

Sheryl has co-taught on China as part of a global affairs course at Yale University, and she frequently speaks about business and economic challenges facing China to a wide range of audiences. She discusses Chinese economic issues on major television and radio programs such as Bloomberg TV, Fox Business News and NPR. She also was an esteemed guest at President Obama's State Dinner at the White House for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

She was elected this year to the Harvard University Board of Overseers. She is also a former member of the Board of Trustees at Princeton and Cornell. WuDunn has a BA from Cornell, an MPA from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also helps run Kristof Farms, a vineyard and cider apple orchard in Oregon.

Join us as Sheryl WuDunn demonstrates ways in which we can all take steps, both large and small, to impact our world for good. And as we celebrate our second year together, remember that every small kindness has the potential to create a Crazy Amazing Human experience, one person at a time. You have the power to create that every day because you are Crazy Amazing! And we, at Crazy Amazing Humans, are in your corner, we're rooting for you, and really appreciate you as part of our community.

There is not one human being who feels happy when they see another human being living on the street– it's safe to say that we all agree homelessness is something everyone cares about and no one is for.

If you've ever been moved with compassion for families with children experiencing homelessness and wondered what can be done, then this inspiring episode is for you! Join us as we speak with positive and innovative Christine Mirasy-Glasco from Upward Bound House. She shares the successes they've seen at UBH as they address this issue in Los Angeles and remind us of our common humanity. UBH provides housing, training, and support, helping families get back on their feet and become self-sufficient. Going beyond physical needs, they address psychological issues such as PTSD from being on the street and the like with love and care. These efforts result in families feeling more stable and hopeful for their futures, many times breaking the cycle of what brought them to homelessness in the first place. Ally Piddock also joins us to highlight Home Run For Kids, their hugely successful, collaborative fundraiser that brings together the entire community.

If you love movies, want a deeper understanding of media - and have a cool Catholic nun explain it all - then this episode is for you! Sister Rose Pacatte, founder of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, opens our eyes to seeing our favorite media in a new light! She is an award-winning author, film journalist, well-regarded film reviewer and a "tomatometer-approved critic" on Rotten Tomatoes. Featured on Turner Classic Movies, Sister Rose shares what's hot and what's not with the Academy Awards and beyond!

Sister Rose explores the crossroads of media literacy, humanity, and several controversial topics in this episode. Media literacy expert, Sister Rose, is a member of the Daughters of Saint Paul and founded the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles. She is an award-winning film journalist and author/co-author of 15 titles on film, film and Scripture, and media literacy education. Some of her books include Martin Sheen: Pilgrim on the Way and Lights, Camera, Faith!: A Movie Lectionary Guide to Scripture.

Her educational journey is impressive. Sister Rose earned a Master of Education in media studies from the University of London's Institute of Education and a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation. Her doctoral project was an undergraduate film textbook entitled To Seek God's Face: Theological Approaches to Film.

Sister Rose is a resident film critic for the St. Anthony Messenger and for the National Catholic Reporter. She reviews mainstream, independent, and faith-based titles. She also writes the blog "Sister Rose at the Movies" on the Patheos website. She has sat on ecumenical juries at the Berlin, Locarno, and Cannes film festivals, as well as on the SIGNIS independent jury in Venice. In 2015, she presented the inaugural "Redeemer" award at the Razzies parody award show. In 2016, Sister Rose hosted a series of classic films on Turner Classic Movies that were originally condemned by the National Legion of Decency.

Remember to make listening to our podcast a "habit" (see what we did there?) by subscribing to our podcast and Instagram. Like, right now, do it! No, seriously, click on the link to subscribe–it's free and it's crazy amazing! And with every new subscription, an angel gets their wings!

We really appreciate you, Crazy Amazing Humans, and we're proud to call you part of our community. Remember that every small kindness has the potential to create a Crazy Amazing Human experience, one person at a time. We are in your corner, rooting for you and think YOU are Crazy Amazing, too!