Sleep...What is it good for? Absolutely EVERYTHING!

Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health, especially in teens, but it’s very poorly understood. Why does it matter if teens sleep all day and stay awake all night? Could it actually impact their long-term development? Valerie M. Crabtree, Ph.D. (Department of Psychology and Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), says YES! She drops by the studio to explain how and share why later school start times could make all the difference.

Whether you're walkin' with your feet 10 ft. off of Beale, watching the sunset from the deck of Bass Pro Shop's pyramid, or biking across Big River Crossing - Downtown has something for you! Paul Young of the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) drops by to share why Downtown is THE place to be. So what are you waiting for? Things really are great when you're downtown.

Once upon a time.. a pioneering princess and prince set out to create a new narrative. The Diaper Diva (Cori Smith of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry) and the Duke of Data (Jared Barnett of Slingshot Memphis) worked tirelessly on innovative solutions that would transform their respective kingdoms.

Cori shares the personal reasons she created Sweet Cheeks and how she grew her business from donated diapers to the Kelly Clarkson Show! Fellow innovator, Jared is on a quest to help non-profits easily collect and report on data (you know... the numbers and figures that help non-profits keep their funding and solving problems!). Slingshot Memphis is working to create a standard to make meeting the communities' needs easier and more efficient.

Tune in to hear how you can help them both get their storybook ending!

Dr. David Schwartz (Professor & Chair, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, UTHSC School of Medicine) has made a career of learning and healing. He was at the forefront of COVID prevention in the Memphis area, so much so that he was named as one of Memphis Business Journal's Healthcare Heroes. But even with all he's already learned, he's on a quest to continually climb and get out of his comfort zone.

He joins us in studio to chat about empathy in healthcare, the impact of outside factors on health, and his TEDxMemphis talk, "Who Says Kids Can't Cure Cancer?" Tune in here for this extended edition of the episode that aired live on WYXR.

The infamous Marie Antoinette line felt appropriate for all guests on this episode!

First up we have Alese Taylor (Collegiate engagement Manager at New Memphis) and Madison Mullis (University of Memphis grad student + AutoZone intern) to share why access and free resources (cough, cough provided by New Memphis) are changing the game for college students entering the workforce. (Something Marie could've taken some pointers from in our opinion!).

Then (the more obvious correlation!), head gnomie of Muddy's Bake Shop, Kat Gordon, shares the most meaningful day of being a shop owner and entrepreneur (hint: it was in 2020!), and how she managed to check a bucket list item off her checklist, too!

This extended cut offers nearly 15 extra minutes not heard live on radio, so you don't want to miss out!

Law and Order. Our justice system is set up to be a fair system of checks and balances.. right? Not necessarily. When you're a hammer, everything can look like a nail. Josh Spickler of Just City shares gaps where the justice system continually says, "can't touch this" because it's "hammer time" in his 2018 TEDxMemphis Talk, "Crime and Lots of Punishment."

But what's the alternative? He gives his a-ha moments, possible solutions, and ways he and others have already made lasting change in Tennessee. You won't want to miss this one!

Dr. Patrick Washington of ManUp and Curley "CJ" Harris of Promise Academy Spring Hill are in-studio to share why working in a schoolhouse, well, rocks!

Dr. Washington created ManUp as a pipeline to develop men of color who can be impactful in any school setting and to work relentlessly to ensure the success of all students. His program recently caught the attention of The Kelly Clarkson Show and First Lady Jill Biden.

One of the graduates of the first cohort of ManUp was CJ Harris, who has since received numerous teaching accolades including New Memphis' Educator or Excellence award.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the impact of representation + how to celebrate all educators during Teacher Appreciation Week (Mary 3-7, 2021!).

A real life Leslie Knope...? NOPE. But she is pretty darn passionate about "her park," aka Shelby Farms. Jen Andrews gets why you might find similarities, though. Like Leslie Knope, Andrews is also blonde, bubbly, and associated with parks.

Tune in to this extended-cut episode to hear why the CEO of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy might just put work ahead of waffles and friends voluntarily. (Did we mention she loves her job?!) + Hear her 2018 TEDxMemphis Talk, "The Magical, Magnetic Power of Parks and The Public Realm."

Two innovative women stop by the studio to chat about the impacts of comprehensive care in their fields.

Jennifer Pepper, the new Executive Director of CHOICES, drops by to give some context and history behind the significance of their new move - which makes them the first nonprofit in the nation to offer truly comprehensive sexual/reproductive health services.

Mary Braddock, Director of Communications for Porter-Leath, shares the data behind childhood literacy levels and what the iconic (170-year-old!) nonpforfit is doing to empower children to love to learn. BONUS: She also shares the backstory of Books from Birth, Shelby County's local affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program, which merged with Porter-Leath in 2017.

Sarah Houston, Associate Director at University of Memphis' Center for Applied Earth Science & Engineering Research (CAESER), drops in to put the "OH YEA" in H2O.

We as individuals, need water for so.many.things. Never mind the plants, animals, corporations, entire business sectors that depend on clean water, too. But what are we doing to make sure that our water usage is sustainable? And does that even really matter? Find out by tuning in to this extended cut of our WYXR radio show here.