In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with Robert Wright. Robert is the New York Times bestselling author of The Evolution of God (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), Nonzero, The Moral Animal (named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review), Three Scientists and their Gods (a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award), and Why Buddhism Is True. 

Robert has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Time, Slate, and The New Republic. He has taught in the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania and the religion department at Princeton University, where he also created the popular online course “Buddhism and Modern Psychology.”

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with Ben Hunt. Ben is the creator of Epsilon Theory and the inspiration behind Second Foundation Partners. Over 100,000 professional investors across 180 countries read Ben’s work. As Chief Investment Officer, Ben is responsible for the company’s investments and portfolios, as well as producing a constant stream of important articles about thinking clearly and rationally.

Ben was a political science professor for 10 years, first at New York University and then at Southern Methodist University. 

Ben also founded and then later sold two successful technology companies.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with former Tarrant County prosecutor Jake Banks about his involvement in an international drug-smuggling conspiracy, his imprisonment abroad, and his path to redemption.   

Jake Banks tried 45 criminal trials in his first year as a prosecutor and won every single case except his first case. 

Next thing he knew, Jake was imprisoned in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in a prison in France. After spending two years in solitary confinement, Jake overcame his self-destructive nature and found personal and professional success. 

Jake then wrote and published “Lawyer X,” a story about the many missteps that landed him in a foreign prison and his road towards redemption.

This is a story about how money can indeed be the root of all evil, and it is also a story about how a human being can redeem himself even after hitting absolutely rock bottom.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with American football player Bucky Richardson. 

Bucky Richardson played quarterback for the A&M Aggies in the late ’80s and early ’90s and was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1992. Bucky is best known for his impressive college football career, having won two Conference Championships and three Bowl Games, including the 1990 Holiday Bowl where his captivating performance (passed, ran, and caught a TD) led the Aggies to a 65-14 win after BYU and the news media gave A&M no chance in the game.

More impressive than his football career has been Bucky’s post-football career. Bucky is an accomplished businessman and entrepreneur, father, husband, and an outstanding leader and American patriot.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with screenwriter and Hollywood producer Javier Chapa about his journey from a bartender with a law degree to the founder and CEO of a successful Hollywood multimedia company.  

Javier first got the acting and film bug in college, when he worked as a military extra on Ed Zwick’s Gulf War action-drama “Courage Under Fire,” an experience that changed his life’s trajectory forever. 

Javier made his first film, “Harvest of Redemption,” for only $25,000. The film is a true story about a Latino boy who witnesses his father’s murder and his struggles as a migrant farmworker. The film was awarded the best foreign drama at the 2007 International Family Film Festival. Later, Javier was chosen to be part of the prestigious Disney-ABC directing fellowship, where he worked on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Castle.

Since then, Javier has worked with Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Renee Zellweger.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with former American football player and coach, Jackie Wayne Sherrill. 

In the early ‘60s, Jackie played as a linebacker and fullback for the University of Alabama, where he won two national championships playing under coach Paul William “Bear” Bryant. 

In his career as a head coach, Jackie coached the likes of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, Hugh Green, and Tony Dorsett. Coach Sherrill carries a compelling 180-120-4 record as a college football coach, holding three SWC championship titles and one SEC championship title. Additionally, coach Sherrill was the first college football coach in history to have ever been publicly paid more than a million dollars, sparking new controversies and paving the way for college football coaches to come.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with Toby Ramirez-Johnson, author and suicide prevention advocate, about mental wellness and suicide prevention. 

Toby is the author of "The Last Seven Days," a book she wrote after her brother, a U.S. Army Sergeant who served two tours of combat in Afghanistan, committed suicide. To raise awareness about the troubling mental health disparity that many of our brave servicemen and women face, Toby founded a non-profit organization called "Keep Our Troops Alive" (K.O.T.A.). Toby's organization offers a focus on coping and provides support to families who have experienced the death of a loved one as a result of suicide.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with Ron Peters. Ron is the Executive Director of Katy Responds, a non-profit organization helping families recover and rebuild their homes after the historic flooding during Hurricane Harvey. 

Katy Responds was established in 2018 by a group of Katy churches and other local community organizations. Still today, many homes need rebuilding and restorations, especially as the pandemic adds another layer of despair for thousands of families who continue living with Harvey’s devastating aftermath. Though Katy Responds was created due to Hurricane Harvey, they continue to work, design, and prepare for the next storm.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with district attorney Dusty Boyd about substantive solutions to conflict and crisis within our communities. They address the justifiable mistrust in America’s legal system and examine ways in which we can lead our communities through to positive solutions. 

During the show, they discuss the origins of MAPS. A program that has sparked meaningful dialogue about ways in which minority communities interact with law enforcement. Dusty has created a modern and forward-looking model for collaboration between minority communities and law enforcement despite being from a small Texas county.

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with Harris County Criminal Court Judge Jesse McClure III about the state of criminal trials during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During the show, they discuss how criminal courts are managing the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that the wheels of justice continue moving forward. Brian and Jesse also discuss over-policing, the failures of the so-called War on Drugs, “cancel culture,” and free speech expression in the United States.