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Todays guest is the kind of person that I haven’t had on the show since way back on episode 18, a teacher. And not an entrepreneural ex-teacher, but one that is still on a daily basis going to school and teaching his pupils history. Seems like a normal teacher? Well consider how many teachers you have had in your life that also focused on happiness? Yeah, I can’t think of more than….well none to be honest. He believes that discussing happiness with sixth graders will help them understand the path to well-being and how to create habits that nurture it. They will be laying a foundation for lifelong resilience, contentment and, ultimately, success in whatever endeavors they pursue. So with that in mind, he takes a few minutes each morning to ask his students to consider something they’re grateful for, happy about or that makes them feel good. And now with his new book “Teaching Happiness and Innovation” he goes even deeper into the world happiness, with practical exercises that we can all do to increase our well being and….well be happy. So was this a focus that he has always had in his life, or did he suddenly realise one day that there was a different way of teaching? And what has he found to be the biggest obstacle with kids to achieving this state of mind? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Mr Mike Ferry

Todays guest on Join Up Dots is one of those people that when you start reading his about page you think..."Is this real or has he made it up?" When it starts with, "he spent 10 years in the former Soviet Union investigating the Russian mafia and working with the KGB", you start to think this is one that will be fascinating to see where his dots have lined up. But the surprising things about him keep coming, he grew up in a family of 14, lived in China, loves using musical instruments to demonstate his opinions and views, and well......I guess we will find more and more as we go on. Nowadays he is an international speaker and author with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Behaviour, but the underlining theme of much of his work is to help people overcome the fears that hold them back. As he says its all about getting the nerve to succeed. Learning the skills to overcome those self limiting thoughts that not only hold us back as individuals but have the same effect on organisations too. If we were to become more ballsy, and have a plan to help us overcome our fears then we can do amazing things. So what did he learn growing up in such a big household that he has taken into his adult life...not least how to get in the bathroom before anyone else? And does he see more and people wanting to change direction but unwilling to risk what they already have in their lives? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Joe Serio.

Todays guest is a lady who has one of the most harrowing histories that I have read about for a guest on Join Up Dots. If you think of something bad that could happen to someone then she will have ticked it off her list. Being the youngest of five children she grew up in a dysfunctional house, whereby a loving and supportive Mother struggled to provide the upbringing she wanted for her children due to an abusive husband. Her Father was an alcoholic, and was abusive to her Mother, so at the age of eleven she grabbed all her children and moved out of the family home. And as our guest says in her own words "My life was simple but good, at least we never had to worry again about my father drinking and abuse. But within a few years my life would change, as I was brutally raped at the age of 14." And from that point onwards her life became one intertwined with crime, prison, and a myriad of activities that was sought to numb the pain of her earlier life. She had lost herself and couldn't see the path that she was put on this planet to walk. But as we see time and time again, that path can become visible at the most unexpected times, which certainly occurred to our guest. And now she is working hard to inspire us all to take control of our own lives with her well received book "From Insanity to Sane" sharing the lessons that she has learned in her life. So let's find out how that moment occurred, that shone the light on the way forward? And does she feel that a life of meaning, has to have the dark moments to fully appreciate the good that comes to us? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Barbara Archer.

Todays guest on Join Up Dots is a man who asked himself a brilliant question, and now helps others across the world to answer the very same question. "What do I want to be when I grow up?" Which is one of those things that we consider a lot when we are very young, and will answer with a spaceman, a princess, and professional footballer. Big answers, that just roll off our tongues easily, but are so hard to answer when we actually grow up. Well our guest today quit his business programme in college, and ended up in Tokyo, where he worked as an English teacher, and realised that there was no answer for the question that started his quest and that in fact, that very question is the wrong question to be asking. Which is where you lean forward to the speaker, and say "But what is that question then David.....what is the right answer to ask?" And i'll be honest I haven't a clue, but our guy knows, and has now travelled across North America speaking to teens about his findings, the importance of decision-making and the importance of having experiences. He is the author of the book Make Your Own Lunch - How to Live an Epically Epic Life through Work, Travel, Wonder, and (maybe) College and is the co-founder and CEO of RaiseYourFlag, a web platform developed to help the 45% of high school students in North America who do not attend college immediately after leaving school connect to careers that are available to them and the companies that can help. He is a man with a lot on his plate, not least a load of dodgy food in Japan. So why did he feel unlike millions of others to ask such a big question that we hear time and time again, but really dig down looking for answers? And does he see that this problem is an American one, or is it prevalent across the world. Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Ryan Porter.

Todays guest is an author who has a story that really resonated with me when I read his backstory. In fact so many of us will resonate with his tale, as it is one about unfulfilled dreams, held back, not by lack of talent, but lack of belief. As he says "There was a time in my life where I didn’t see myself as an author, perhaps just like you. I knew I had stories to tell, but I was afraid that they wouldn’t be good enough…that I would be a laughing stock among my friends if I tried to publish them. It was a couple of years ago, right after I had been unemployed for almost a year. We had wiped out our savings and were very close to going under. My son wanted to go to college and I couldn’t afford it. I felt like a failure. Then, a story came to me. I liked it, and when I started writing, it just naturally flowed. Pretty soon, I had a whole book written. There was only one problem—no agent would take it. I shopped it to agents month after month, and none of them were the least bit interested. Then I heard about self-publishing, but I didn’t know anything about it. I spent a lot of time researching it before finally deciding, “I can do this; I just need a plan.” Eventually, my book was ready. I loaded it into Amazon, but then I panicked. No one was home, and I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the computer screen. Sweat glistened on my brow as I looked at the cursor, hovering over the little button that said “Save and Publish.” I wanted to push the button more than anything else in the world, and yet I couldn’t." Isn't that a fascinating point that anyone who has created momentum and success will understand. You have done the work, you are proud of it, but scared stiff to show it to the world. Your dreams are there in front of you, but you don't want to take that final step that will slide the work over the top of the hill, where it runs away from you. Well now with a series of books flying off the shelves, he loves nothing more than helping other authors do the same, and create words that they will love and the world will want more and more off. So what was it about the written word that had such a pull on him throughout his working life? And would he look back at himself now and like many others shout "Just start....get it out there!"? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Mr Chris Kennedy.

Todays guest is a lady who has had many careers in her life, so it will be of great interest to discover if she feels what she is doing now is THE thing. The thing that she was always meant to do. Born in East Chicago Heights, Illinois she was reared in rural Hart Michigan. After beginning college at Eastern Michigan University, she returned to her roots in Chicago where she began a federal career with the department of Housing and Urban Development. And then it seems strange to see it from an outsiders point of view, but it was during this time that she became a protégé of Grammy Winning Songwriter and Arranger, Eugen Record and had three releases under the name the Chilites. But her life has been one of contrast as away from the glamour of musical output, she has for 35 years worked in civilian government service, seven years as a labor leader, and as a national negotiator. She is a lady that knows how to get her point across and can make a difference for so many. And now with her best selling book "Whose Apple Is It Anyway" and her Empowerment Center, she is helping the world to find their the purpose in life. In the book she tells in her own unique voice, a story of emotional and physical abuse, rape, divorce and a 17-year marriage to a man who was later convicted as a sexual predator. So she certainly has a history that will resonate with so many people who have endured similar tales of distress and woe. But its with a force of character that ties it all together and gives the whole platform a central focus, that our guest has got to show her true strength. The programme is stronger because of who she is and now what she is. So why did she for so many years appear to be driven and in control of her business life, but pushed around in her personal life? And would she go back and change anything, or is this just a part of what has made her who she is today? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start Joining Up Dots with the one and only Linda F Williams

How many times have you thought...."I've left it too late", "I am where I am"....or the worse "Getting the dreamlife is for others"? Well todays episode of Join Up Dots should make you think again and realise it's never too late. The question is how much do you want it? And what will you do to ensure that you get yourself to a point where you love greeting every day, as its an exciting 24 hours of possibilities. Well our guest started finding his true path in life in his mid fifties. And also it seems started enjoying himself more and more than he had ever done before too. At the age of 56 he hit a run of bad luck. Losing his mortgage business, being evicted from his apartment, having his car repossessed and shock of horrors, having to move in with his x-wife for a place to live, he thought he was done. He thought that this was where he was, one of life's victims, consigned to share the misery of his lot with whoever would listen for the rest of his life. But this wasn't the case, as he found the courage to reinvent himself. He shook off the dark faults of failure, brushed himself down and fought back. And now at age 60, enjoys being An Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Trainer and Author, as well as having a series of videos on YouTube called Over 50 And Broke and a web-site with the same name. As he says "I managed to come through it and create a new me. Can anyone do it? If you really want it bad enough. Remember "Age Should Never Be An Excuse For Not Succeeding." So where did it all go wrong for him in the past? And like so many of our guests, does he look back and see the dark times as now the best thing that has happened to him? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Mr Chris Vaca

Todays guest entrepreneur is an amazingly positive lady, who found her life turned around at the age of 50 when many are looking forward to a life of good health into their later years. She received the diagnosis that she was a victim of Parkinsons disease, which was not the kind of words that anyone hopes to hear. Athough in truth she didn't stay in the victim mode for long. As after many dark days spent coming to terms with her diagnosis, her natural comic optimism and irreverence began to resurface and she started writing on her blog about the funny side of living with Parkinsons. She shared the good the bad, the up and downs, the funny and the downright hilarious. And alongside her loving family, set off to ensure the world knows that there is a brightside to living with this chronic illness. Delivering her story in the form of the the best selling book Shake, Rattle & Roll With It: Living and Laughing with Parkinson's she has seen her life become a whirl of public speaking and media interviews, as the world looks to be informed about something that can happen to all of us. She is a humor writer, author, public speaker and former newspaper columnist and regular contributor to the Huffington Post and now a guest on Join Up Dots too. So what was it that she found in herself, that pulled herself out of the dark and despair? And what advice would she give to the listeners who have family members dealing with this on a daily basis? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Vikki Claflin

Todays guest on Join Up Dots is Josey Milner, a lady that has been delivering musical performances to the world since the age of seven, and I can imagine was belting them out in her bedroom even earlier than that too. She grew up on a farm in Missouri, and could often be found hanging around the local rodeo stadiums, where she would delight in such activities as Barrel racing, and getting up on stage and singing the National Anthem to the cowboys, cowgirls and of course the audience. There was certainly a ballsy approach to her upbringing as a small child, that has led her to take on bigger and bigger challenges as she has grown. And those challenges have come often as she has stepped into the country music world with her well received singles "Not Pretty Enough" and the foot stomping back to rodeo roots "Cowgirls", whilst also forming a band and playing everywhere she can. Its the live work, that really sharpens your tools, and turns your talent into something that the world ultimately takes notice off. But don't just think that this is a story that is about a hugely ambitious country starlet racing her way to the top, as she is also trying her hardest to give back to the world with a cause she is hugely passionate with, stopping bulling in childhood. As she says "When I started doing rodeo pageants, I received a lot of criticism and backlash from other kids. It was a difficult time, but thanks to the support I had with friends and family, I was able to overcome that time period. If I can help just one person feel like they are not alone, and that things will get better, then I will have accomplished what I set out to do." And with a tour of schools undertaken, to speak about bullying she is taking action and inspiring youngsters throughout America to do things a different way. So what was it about growing up in such a rough and tumble environment that has helped her on her way to Country stardom? And can she remember how she felt on those early occasions standing on the rodeo stages and the spotlight turning in her direction? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show, to start joining up dots, with the one and only Josey Milner

Todays guest on Join Up Dots is a man who is literally driven to change the attitudes of the world and help us to make courage decisions and lead from the front. In 1990, after serving for two years as Assistant Executive Director for Sigma Nu International Fraternity where he produced more than 20 video programs and two international conventions for the fraternity, he had established a reputation for creating and producing effective and powerful video presentations and special events. However, it was in 2008 when he saw the reaction to one of the films he just produced, which caused quite as stir with whoever vewied it. It was a reaction very distinct from his other creations. This one sparked a demand. The reason why has showed up in each of the nearly 4,000 stories he has accumulated via live texting from his keynote audiences that view the film.. Each story he received was heart-breaking. Each story was filled with the shame and regret from not intervening in a moment of need. Each story points to the pain we carry with us for the rest of our lives…pain that determines whether we will ever stick our neck out again. Pain that impacts our own confidence and self-esteem. It was with this realisation that the world need to take more responsibility for its actions that he created. RESPONSE ABILITY A movement away from the shame, regret and guilt we all feel from being bystanders to any injustice or wrongdoing. A movement towards a whole new world where we are standing up, stepping in, and speaking out against inappropriate, abusive, and unhealthy behaviors. A movement based on a creed that challenges us, inspires us, and moves us to action. So why does he feel that we are world full of anti-heroes. Hoping that we don't get involved. Hoping that someone else will step in and help? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr Mike Dilbeck