Emily talks with novelists Amy Safford and Misty O’Hara about what matters to them and the personal stories behind their books. 

Amy shares how her Goode Vibrations series explores intuition, spiritual transformation, magical realism, and buried history, and how a skiing accident helped push her to finish her first novel, Goode Vibrations of the Resting Place, followed by Goode Vibrations of the Dead River Valley. 

Misty discusses how her first novel, The Hundred Man Plan, was sparked after her mom died of ALS and she questioned her life, leading her to write fiction that challenges sexual double standards for women.

 In the Matters.com speed round, they weigh in on the supernatural, novels, writing, relationships, and skiing.

Amy: GoodeVibrations.com

Misty:  MistyOhara.com

03:44 Amy’s Origin Story: Writing Journey + Ski Accident Catalyst
04:57 Misty’s “The Hundred Man Plan”: Grief, Liberation & Double Standards
06:35 Parallels Between the Books: Female Agency, Sexuality & Reclaiming Labels
08:44 Matters.com Speed Round
11:03 Speed Round: Why Novels & Writing Matter
13:01 Speed Round: Relationships, Love & Self-Discovery
14:56 Speed Round: Skiing vs. Indoorsy Life (Netflix, Movies, Food)
16:59 Wrap-Up: Where to Find the Books + Final Thanks

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Mike interviews Angela Fuller — mom, fitness instructor, American Ninja Warrior competitor, and competitive gymnast. They talk about why adult gymnastics matters to Angela and how she returned to athletics after a serious back injury, pregnancies that worsened her discs, and being told she might need a spinal fusion.

She shares how her best friend’s terminal breast cancer diagnosis pushed her to go after her dreams again, leading her to train her way back, compete on American Ninja Warrior (after four years of applying and standing out among more than 70,000 applicants), and join an adult gymnastics team.

Angela also discusses parenting while actively pursuing her own goals and why she encourages other parents to jump into their dreams before they feel ready and to prioritize self-care.

Speed round: gymnastics, parenting, dogs, video games, pizza, artificial intelligence, exercise, and celebrities.

00:14 Why Adult Gymnastics Matters: Injury, Motherhood & Comeback
01:00 Chasing Big Dreams: American Ninja Warrior + Returning to Gymnastics
02:32 How Competing Changed Parenting & Mental Health
04:32 Breaking the ‘Too Old’ Myth: No Expiration Date on Gymnastics
06:20 Speed Round 

Find Angela here:

https://www.instagram.com/colofitnesschick/?hl=en

https://linktr.ee/angela_fuller

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Mike interviews Barton Williams, Athlete, Actor, and Educator.

Barton discusses the importance of physical and mental health, especially for children, and shares how using a pogo stick can be a metaphor for life's ups and downs.

The speed round covers topics like high-powered pogo sticks, mental health, pizza, artificial intelligence, and more.


00:12 Barton Williams' Passion for Physical and Mental Health
01:05 Discovering the Power of Pogo Sticks
02:43 Speed Round: What Matters to Barton?
03:11 Deep Dive into High Powered Pogo Sticks
04:14 Speed Round Continues: From Pizza to Travel

https://bartoncwilliams.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bartonc.williams/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barton-c-williams-92a70b70/

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Olivia interviews Jolene Puffer, a real estate broker, entrepreneur, Ironman finisher, author, and CEO. Jolene shares her journey of embracing bravery, highlighting how completing her first Ironman transformed her beliefs about what she could accomplish.  Jolene also discusses her book 'How Big Is Your Brave?' 

Speed Round:  entrepreneurship, social media, artificial intelligence,  endurance sports and more.

00:25 The Importance of Being Brave
02:19 Overcoming Challenges and Ironman Journey
03:50 Bravery in Everyday Life
07:49 Speed Round: What Matters?

https://www.instagram.com/jolenerocksrealestate/

https://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Brave-Jolene-Roberts/dp/B0CS3TFGTH/

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Olivia interviews Andrea Goldner, a former caregiver turned children's author, whose real-life inspired picture books celebrate family moments and childhood wonder. They discuss the importance of reading to children, highlighting its benefits for parent-child bonding, early learning, and empathy. Andrea shares her passion from years of caregiving and the positive impacts of storytelling. The episode's speed round touches on topics like early childhood education, video games, and children's literature. 

More on Andrea: NanniAndi.com

00:21 The Importance of Reading to Children
01:24 Andrea's Journey as a Caregiver
02:03 The Benefits of Reading and Storytelling
04:33 Speed Round: What Matters?
08:55 Andrea's Children's Books and Final Thoughts

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Olivia interviews Ella Shahbazian, the 15-year-old founder of Ella's Angels, a nonprofit aimed at empowering youth through community service, education, and financial literacy. They discuss Ella's motivation for starting the organization, notable events like a large Thanksgiving meal distribution, and upcoming initiatives. Ella shares her thoughts on leadership, the impact of community service, and personal finance. In the speed round, they cover topics like the importance of entrepreneurship, the role of sports in character building, and the usefulness of artificial intelligence.

Ella Shahbazian is a student, author, nonprofit founder, and community advocate dedicated to creating meaningful change through youth-led leadership.

Ella is a recipient of the Congressional Award at the Bronze and Silver levels, a federally chartered, non-partisan recognition created by the United States Congress to honor sustained commitment to community service, leadership development, personal growth, and physical fitness. She earned these distinctions through multi-year service and leadership efforts. The Gold level is currently in progress.

https://ellashahbazian.com/

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In this episode, Emily interviews Doug Cardell, PhD, an economist, systems dynamics modeler, educator, and author of 'Why Socialism Struggles.' 

Dr. Cardell discusses his new book, which explores the economic missteps of socialism and its unrealistic goals. He explains the distinctions between socialism, social democracy, and social capitalism, and highlights the complexities of managing a modern economy. Dr. Cardell argues that socialism, as envisioned by Karl Marx, is fundamentally flawed and impractical, often conflating with misguided government interventions within capitalist frameworks. 

The conversation also touches on voting, government shutdowns, economic policy, and the analogy of capitalism to the human body’s spontaneous order. 

00:31 The Threat of Socialism
01:43 Understanding Socialism vs. Capitalism
02:06 The Flaws of Marxism
07:56 Government Intervention in Capitalism
14:20 Matters Speed Round

https://dougcardell.com/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/why-socialism-struggles-doug-cardell/1148094114

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Doug-Cardell/dp/B0FPR5ZFR8

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Olivia interviews David Murrin, a geopolitical and financial forecaster. Murrin discusses the cyclical nature of empires, asserting that the western world, particularly the United States, is in decline while China rises in power—leading towards inevitable conflict. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing these cycles, addressing political and economic dissonance, and urgently waking up to imminent threats. 

In the Matters/Not Matters speed round, they discuss topics like military strategy, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and the role of social media. Murrin concludes by urging listeners to educate themselves and actively engage in discussions that shape the future of democracy and freedom.

00:21 The Cycles of Empires and Current Geopolitical Climate
03:08 America's Decline and Global Implications
06:13 Call to Action: Awakening the West
09:21 Historical Context and Lessons from Empires
12:51 Speed Round: Matters/Not Matters

Learn more about David:

https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk/

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Emily interviews Elvin Aghammadzada, an AI Architect at NVIDIA. 

Elvin discusses his work on large language models, AI systems, and mentoring engineers. He emphasizes the importance of understanding AI's future impact on workplaces and society, reflecting on his journey from a passion for mathematics to a career in AI.

He also shares his views on AI in education, the significance of supercomputers, and the potential for young innovators to transform industries with fresh perspectives.

01:39 Understanding AI and Its Implications

04:28 A Day in the Life at NVIDIA

06:42 Opportunities in AI

08:29 Matters.com Speed Round

14:27 Final Thoughts

More here on Elvin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvin-agammed/

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In this episode of Matters.com Presents, Olivia interviews Samantha Holland — a cancer survivor, resilience coach, and former Disney VIP tour guide — to talk about transforming pain into purpose.

At just 34, Samantha was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and rare forms of breast cancer. What saved her life was early detection, a trust in her intuition, and a medical team that truly listened.

Samantha opens up about:

• Navigating identity shifts during and after treatment
• The emotional aftermath of remission and “the silence” that follows
• Why she rejects the idea that “everything happens for a reason”
• Her philosophy of giving purpose to pain to create meaning and resilience
• The power of storytelling, community, and mental health awareness

💗 Connect with Samantha:

 🎧 Podcast: Just Happy to Be Here (Spotify)

 🌐 Website: GoBeyondNegative.com

 📱 TikTok & Instagram: @SammyJo757

#Resilience #CancerSurvivor #TripleNegativeBreastCancer #PurposeThroughPain #MentalHealthMatters #BeyondNegative #Inspiration #PodcastInterview #StorytellingMatters #WomenEmpowerment #FindingMeaning #SurvivorStory #DisneyCastMember #LifeAfterCancer #HealingJourney

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