Elite Spotlight

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🎙️ What does it take to bring a story to life using nothing but your voice?

On this episode of Elite Spotlight, we welcome Kris Keppeler, an accomplished voice actor, audiobook narrator, actress, and podcaster with more than 30 years of experience in entertainment and storytelling.

Kris shares her unconventional journey into acting, from discovering her singing voice later in life to performing in musical theater and eventually finding her passion for voice acting.

Ever wondered how one person can become a prince, princess, witch, dragon, or even an anteater? Kris takes us behind the microphone to reveal the creativity, imagination, and technical skills required to give unforgettable characters their own unique voices.

We also explore the booming world of audiobooks, what aspiring voice actors need to know before getting started, and how Kris continues to reinvent herself through her podcast, Kris Talks About the Wisdom of Women, where she celebrates women's stories, experiences, and insights.

Whether you're an aspiring performer, a storyteller, or simply curious about the voices behind your favorite audiobooks and animated characters, this conversation offers an entertaining glimpse into a world where imagination has no limits.

🎧 Discover more about Kris Keppeler: https://chriskeppler.com

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#EliteSpotlight #KrisKeppeler #VoiceActing #AudiobookNarrator #VoiceOverArtist #PodcastInterview #Storytelling #EntertainmentIndustry #Acting #WomenInPodcasting

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What does it take to keep going when life tries to stop you more than once?

In this episode, recorded live in Elite Spotlight’s first-ever Facebook Live broadcast, we welcome Jay Setchell. Jay is a Marine Corps veteran, a survivor of multiple near-death experiences, and the author of The Strength Within You, Always Too Soon to Quit.

Jay takes us from his upbringing on a working farm, where he learned early lessons in work ethic and responsibility, to his service in the Marines. Then comes the car accident that took the lives of three fellow Marines and left Jay with 32 facial fractures and paralysis. He also talks about surviving a broken neck and a drowning, and about the role faith played in his recovery. He believed he would walk again before his arms had even moved, and he noticed he made more progress on Sundays through prayer than in his regular therapy sessions.

Jay’s message is simple and powerful: keep your eyes on the goal, not the obstacle. He also shares stories of the people his journey has touched, including a teenage student deeply moved by one of his talks, and an 88-year-old reader who, after finishing his book, decided to start planning her 95th birthday.

If you’re facing your own setback, or know someone who is, this conversation is a reminder that it’s always too soon to quit.

Visit Jay's Website: https://neverquittrying.com/

#EliteSpotlight #JaySetchell #NeverQuit #Faith #Resilience #Veterans #Inspiration

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On this episode of Elite Spotlight, we welcome Bob Labbe, engineer, golfer, and author of Putting by the Numbers, to explore how an engineering mindset can bring more consistency and confidence to the green.

After struggling with long putts, Bob set out to understand the relationship between putting stroke, distance, and surface resistance. He shares the approach he developed and tested at more than 100 golf courses worldwide, along with practical ways golfers can prepare before a round and take some of the guesswork out of distance control.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The inspiration behind Putting by the Numbers
• How green speed and different playing surfaces affect a putt
• Why a consistent stroke and purposeful practice matter
• Bob’s journey from building air pollution control businesses to writing about golf
• His experience playing with a 7 handicap at age 82
• His recommendation for golf instruction in Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Whether you’re a golfer looking for a fresh approach or someone inspired by pursuing a passion in retirement, Bob’s story offers a thoughtful look at problem-solving, lifelong learning, and doing what you love.

👉 Visit Bob's Website: https://boblabbe.com/

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What does it take to bring history to life on the page? On this episode of Elite Spotlight, Michael talks with author and coach Larry Sommers about the research, imagination, and persistence behind his books.

Larry shares the stories behind The Price of Passage, a historical novel about American slaves and Norwegian immigrants, and Izzy Strikes Gold, a middle-grade adventure set in 1957. He also offers a look at his upcoming nonfiction book on church history.

For aspiring writers, Larry’s advice is direct: start writing, seek thoughtful feedback, keep practicing, and stay with it. Join us for a conversation about storytelling and the long journey of becoming an author.

Visit Larry’s website

https://larryfsommers.com

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What makes a speech memorable? In this episode of Elite Spotlight, Michael talks with public speaking coach Peter George about connecting with an audience from the very first words.

Peter shares his AMPT framework—Audience, Message, Presentation, and Delivery—and explains why understanding your listeners comes first. He explores the difference between informing people and inspiring lasting change, offers stronger ways to open a talk, and challenges the idea that you must feel confident before you begin.

Whether you’re preparing for a presentation or simply want to speak more effectively, this conversation offers practical ways to prepare, practice, and make your message matter.

To order Peter's book or to learn more about his coaching classes, visit:

https://petergeorgepublicspeaking.com/

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He was a CPA. His father was a rockabilly singer for Capitol Records, and music ran through Rick Norris's life from the very beginning. Now Rick writes books where characters sing to you. Literally. Scan a QR code mid-chapter and hear the song.

But that's not even the wildest part.

Rick's faith journey started at a stream during a retreat. A moment so intense it turned him into an online missionary who's quietly reached thousands of people over 15 years. And his next book? "Angelic Wars, First Rebellion", told through original music, and scripture woven straight into the story.

This episode is about reinvention, faith, and what happens when a numbers guy decides the world needs more songs.

👉 Explore Rick's books at https://ricknorrisbooks.com/

👉 ANGELIC WARS: FIRST REBELLION:

https://ricknorrisbooks.com/index.php/library/angelic-wars-first-rebellion/

👉 ANGELIC WARS: END OF THE BEGINNING: https://ricknorrisbooks.com/index.php/library/angelic-wars-end-of-the-beginnnig/

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Elite Spotlight • Nancy Jason Ensley

What can a lifetime spent caring for others teach us about life, death, and everything in between?

On this episode of Elite Spotlight, Michael Masci and Blanca Degarr Masci sit down with Nancy Jason Ensley, an 85-year-old nurse, author, and lifelong storyteller whose remarkable journey spans decades in healthcare.

Nancy shares how witnessing a plane crash as a 19-year-old nursing student helped shape her calling, eventually leading to work in hospice care, legal nurse consulting, Medicare auditing, and even the development of computer systems for hospice patients.

But some of Nancy’s most unforgettable experiences can’t easily be explained by medicine. She opens up about unusual encounters surrounding patients at the end of life, including seeing figures she believed were deceased loved ones and experiences that challenged the boundaries between the clinical and the spiritual.

Now an accomplished author, Nancy also discusses her books, her latest projects, and how journaling, faith, reflection, and a lifetime of experience continue to shape the stories she tells.

It’s a fascinating conversation about purpose, resilience, storytelling, and what we may discover when science and the mysteries of life intersect.

Discover Nancy’s books, her story, and more at NancyJasinEnsley.com⁠

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What if science could prove that life after death exists, but only for a genetically chosen few?

On this episode of Elite Spotlight, Michael Masci chats Don Schechter: CEO, filmmaker, author, and professor, to explore his science fiction novel, Ascendants.

Set in 2060, Ascendants imagines a world where technology has confirmed the existence of life after death for a select group of people, creating a society divided by genetics, privilege, and the promise of immortality.

Don shares how the story began with a vivid scene that came to him in his 20s and evolved over decades through filmmaking, world-building, and eventually the novel itself. He and Michael also explore how science fiction has changed since the 1950s, the powerful interests behind emerging technology, and why some of the best science fiction isn't really about technology at all, it's about people.

Don also discusses the challenge of finding an audience as an independent author, his upcoming sequel to Ascendants, and a new nonfiction project examining decades of science-fiction storytelling.

Discover Don's book: Ascendants::

https://ascendantsbook.com/

And check out Don's podcast: No Win Scenario. https://nowinscenariopodcast.com

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👉 Plan your next adventure: AmericanCruiseLines.com

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Special Feature: Michael Masci on MANNA — Faith in Life, Leadership & Business

In this special featured episode of Elite Spotlight, we turn the microphone around.

Michael Masci recently joined MANNA: Ordinary Men of Faith as a guest for a meaningful conversation about the role faith plays in his personal life, business, leadership, and the decisions that have shaped his journey.

Rather than interviewing someone else, Michael takes the guest seat and shares his own perspective on living out faith beyond Sunday morning—bringing it into relationships, professional life, difficult decisions, opportunities, and everyday circumstances.

It’s a candid conversation about faith, purpose, business, and trusting God through the different seasons of life.

Follow Manna: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/manna/id1500446247

Originally recorded for MANNA: Ordinary Men of Faith and presented here as a special featured episode of Elite Spotlight.

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CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL Breakout Artist of the Year. 6.25M streams. This is Dave McElroy’s story. 🎙️

A Billboard Hot 100 country chart debut. But before all that, Dave McElroy was just a Wisconsin kid fixing farm equipment with his dad and chasing deer through the woods.

In this episode, Blanca and Michael sit down with the country music artist, Outdoor Channel host, and Las Vegas developer to talk about how faith, family, and hard work built the man behind the music.

We get into:

🎸 How growing up in the Midwest shaped his sound (and his songs)

🏕️ Building HangTime into one of the fastest-growing shows on the Outdoor Channel

🎤 Breaking out at CMA Music Fest and landing on the Billboard Hot 100

🏙️ Balancing a country music career with real estate development in Vegas

🙏 Staying grounded in faith and family while chasing big dreams

If you love real stories about real grit, you don’t want to miss this one.

Follow & Listen to Dave:

📸 Instagram: @dmacband — his most active page, go show some love!

📘 Facebook: @edmacband

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/32PbxLSh2oQ18CY0tHhtD0