Life, Mentored

Some people learned leadership in a boardroom, Freeman learned it on the river. As a whitewater rafting guide and operations manager of an adventure company, he led teams in fast-paced, high-stakes environments where clear communication, quick decision-making, and trust made all the difference.

That experience shaped how he approach project management, client success, UX design, operations, innovation, and so many other aspects of life. Keeping things moving, solving problems quickly, and working as a team are paramount.

Over the past 15+ years, he’s worked across adventure tourism, tech, consulting, and construction, leading teams and building systems that help businesses run smoother, improve customer experiences, and scale without chaos.

He believes great leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but rather it’s about asking the right questions, empowering people, and turning big challenges into simple, effective solutions. Whether it’s scaling operations, streamlining workflows, or designing better user experiences, he brings the same approach he did when guiding a raft down Class V rapids...plan, adapt, communicate, and make sure everyone gets to the other side in one piece.

Check out this episode where Freeman shares how the lessons he learned on the rapids helped him in his everyday life.

Dr. Caroline Danda is a licensed psychologist with over twenty years of clinical experience working with children, teens, and their families. As a mother of three, she brings professional expertise and real-world understanding to the challenges families face today. Her collaborative, educational approach is grounded in real-life solutions—from managing big emotions to improving communication and strengthening family connections. Her mission is simple: to help young people and their families create happier, healthier lives where resilience can flourish.

Dr. Danda co-authored "From Surviving to Vibing," offering practical strategies for teens and tweens to navigate life's difficulties and build well-being. As an engaging speaker and educator, she delivers workshops and presentations that equip parents, educators, and professionals with evidence-based strategies to support youth mental health and help them create environments where children and teens can thrive.

Dan Cox is an experienced educational leader, endurance athlete, and speaker. With over 25 years in education, including 15 years as a superintendent, Dan has led school districts through both growth and complex challenges, always with a focus on cultivating strong leadership and resilient cultures.

Beyond his work in education, Dan is an ultramarathon runner and endurance athlete who transformed his own life by losing 100 pounds and ultimately completing the grueling 50-mile World's Toughest Mudder. His personal journey of self-discipline and perseverance shapes the coaching and consulting he provides through his business, Endurance Edge.

Dan’s philosophy is rooted in doing hard things, leaning into discomfort, and embracing the mindset of "earning your sunrise," believing that growth lives on the other side of challenge.

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld has served as a public school superintendent in Illinois since 2010 and currently leads North Shore School District 112, serving the communities of Highland Park and Highwood, IL, just north of Chicago. A nationally recognized educational leader, Dr. Lubelfeld is deeply engaged in leadership development and professional growth, collaborating with state and national associations to inspire the next generation of educational leaders.

A sought-after speaker, he has presented across the United States and internationally on topics including leadership, student voice, global service learning, and innovative educational practices. Dr. Lubelfeld has co-authored several influential books, including The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools (2017), Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable (2018), The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth & Development (2021), and The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself (2024). His latest work, Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, is currently in publication.

Dr. Lubelfeld’s leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2017 Lake County Superintendent of the Year Award and the 2021 Administration and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Education.

Mike and his wife, Stephanie, have two children and live in suburban Chicago, where he continues to champion educational excellence and leadership development.

Dan Stecken is the District Superintendent of Seneca Township High School in North Central Illinois. He spearheaded the implementation of The Seneca Way and led the district to the honor of being a certified Great Place to Work. He also authored A Stressed Leaders Journey, the Rookie’s Guide to Being a School District Superintendent, and has a weekly newsletter by the same name. Beyond that, he has developed the Stressed Leaders Conference to support leaders in all fields who are overworked, overburdened, and burned out. His work and more about this conference can be found at www.stressedleaders.com.

As a mom of 20 years and former teacher of 30, Kathy Van Benthuysen knows firsthand the challenges of raising kids in today's digital world. After spending over 67,000 hours working with children in the classroom, she made a life-changing decision: she left teaching early to help parents navigate the growing crisis of digital dependency. Now, as a speaker and co-founder of Converlation, Kathy transforms her deep understanding of how kids think and behave into practical solutions for parents. She doesn't just talk about screen time limits – she shows moms how to build meaningful connections with their children in a world dominated by devices. What makes Kathy different is her ability to blend her experience as both a mom and an educator. She's been in the trenches, dealing with the same struggles many parents face: the battle over phones at dinner, the impact of social media on self-esteem, and the challenge of maintaining real conversations in an increasingly virtual world. Through her engaging presentations and practical tools, Kathy helps moms feel less alone and more equipped to raise confident, emotionally healthy kids who can thrive in our tech-driven society.

You can find her on LinkedIn, on YouTube at @ConverlationYT, and converlation.com

Eric Kussin is a magna cum laude grad of Cornell University and 20+ year professional sports executive, who got his start at the NBA League Office. After five years with the League, he went the team business route and rose the ranks with the expansion Chicago Sky, and then the NBA's Phoenix Suns. He then switched over to the NHL, working with the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers, becoming the League's youngest Chief Revenue Officer. However, a debilitating mental health crisis stopped Eric’s career and life in its tracks for over two and a half years. After many failed treatment modalities, he was lucky enough to learn healing practices that enabled him to dig out of his abyss, and found a higher calling, launching a non-profit at the end of 2017 called

#SameHere - The Global Mental Health Movement. #SameHere’s Alliance is comprised of athletes and celebrities, along with media members, expert practitioners, advocates, and everyday heroes who’ve come together to make talking about mental health a common topic for “5 out of 5” of us. Their #SameHere Movement has swept across college campuses in the US from Cornell to USC, K-12’s, Corporate Offices from CNBC to JPM Chase, Professional Sports Teams from the Golden State Warriors to the New York Mets, and military & first responder groups from the NYPD to the DOD. The Movement has recently begun to expand globally as well, with events in markets outside of the US. Eric is a sought-after international speaker who presents keynotes and workshops on topics from vulnerability to suicide prevention. Eric also hosts a podcast called “We’re All A Little ‘Crazy’” with NHL great Theo Fleury, and has launched an app called the: SameHere Scale to normalize emotional health monitoring & daily check-ins. To “keep his foot in sports,” Eric consults for a number of professional sports teams and leagues, guiding their ticket and sponsorship sales and retention efforts

In the first episode, host Joe Mullikin, shares his story of balancing between anxiety and excitement, and living in the anticipation. In his story, he discusses why this project exists and his hopes for it. As someone who has struggled with feeling like he belongs, he sets the stage to create the environment of abundance that exists where everyone's story, everyone’s lived experience, and everyone’s humanity matter. Hopefully, everyone feels a bit more connected and a bit less alone. Here’s to the beginning of the journey.

In the final teaser episode, Joe Mullikin talks about the why, the what, the who, and the journey to come.

A huge thank you to Brandon Lee Ward, our post-production genius! If you have any marketing, podcast, video, or other work, check him out at www.brandonleeward.com, connect with him on LinkedIn, or email him at [email protected].

In this episode, Joe Mullikin talks about the abundance mindset necessary to truly bring a sense of belonging to our world. Every single one of us brings a beautiful part of the puzzle, and that puzzle is built by the stories of each of our lived experiences.