Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Rochelle Keyhan is the Chief Executive Officer of Collective Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit committed to eliminating human trafficking. She joins the Next Steps Forward audience to speak about how she develops and executes the organization's strategic direction and collaborations focused on disrupting specific types of human trafficking. She was formerly the Director of Disruption Strategies at Polaris, the nonprofit organization that operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. Before joining Polaris, Rochelle spent six years as a prosecutor of gender-based violence crimes in Philadelphia. As an Assistant District Attorney, Rochelle championed the need for increased investigation and prosecution of human trafficking in Philadelphia, successfully prosecuting the first two trials herself. For her tireless efforts, Rochelle has received numerous honors, including the 2018 Thomson Reuters Foundation Stop Slavery Hero. With a goal to encourage the existing anti-human trafficking community and other stakeholders to think in new and innovative ways, Rochelle will discuss how Collective Liberty is similar to and different from other anti-trafficking groups, will take the audience through the four main action areas in the Collective Liberty model which includes breaking down silos, elevating local heroes, thinking outside the box, and challenging the narrative; as well as place a spotlight on labor trafficking and how to prevent it.

Stephanie C. Hill is executive vice president of Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) for Lockheed Martin Corporation, a $16 billion enterprise employing 35,000 people across the globe. She's also a vocal advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and a role model for mentorship in the workplace. She joins program host Chris Meek on this edition of Next Steps Forward to discuss her deep commitment to mentoring others and what planted that seed of commitment, her continued championing of the STEM fields and why it is important to her to advocate for STEM education, what leadership means to her and the key qualities she believes are essential for successful leaders, among a plethora of other topics.

“Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek speaks with Anne Beiler, creator of the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, Auntie Anne’s, Inc. Beiler will offer an inside look at the company’s humble beginnings as a single farmer’s market stand and the steps she took to turn it into an internationally recognized brand. Beiler will speak about how her professional success came after many years of personal turmoil and how others who have experienced hardship can emerge as a better person, too, by implementing lessons she learned along the way. Throughout the hour, Beiler will inspire listeners with her authentic, relatable stories and life experiences. And, she’ll offer support and guidance to help others overcome past pain to take their next steps in life and achieve the personal and professional success they seek.

Chris Meek welcomes Tom Sterner to Next Steps Forward. Tom is best known as the founder and CEO of the Practicing Mind Institute. In addition to those roles, he is a successful entrepreneur, an expert in Present Moment Functioning, and an in-demand speaker who works with industry groups and high-performance individuals, including athletes, to help them operate effectively in high-stress situations so that they can achieve new levels of mastery. He has brought clarity to thousands so they can accomplish more with less effort, in less time and with less stress. He's the author of the bestseller "The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life, "Fully Engaged: Using the Practicing Mind in Daily Life," and "It's Just A Thought: Emotional Freedom Through Deliberate Thinking." Before founding The Practicing Mind Institute, he served as the chief concert piano technician for a major performing arts center, preparing instruments for the most-demanding performances. During his 25-year tenure, he personally worked with such legendary performers as Van Cliburn, Pavarotti, Andre Watts, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt and Wynton Marasalis. Those who tune in to this hour of Next Steps Forward will come away from the program with a better sense of how to navigate high stress situations and how to accomplish more with less effort.

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to speak with Dana Perino, co-anchor of FOX News Channel’s morning news program America’s Newsroom and co-host of The Five, about her career as an American political commentator, bestselling author and role as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush. Perino will speak about the lessons that she has learned throughout her career on how to maintain a level head and find success in the face of adversity. No conversation with Perino would be complete without talking in-depth about her time working for President Bush and, of course, politics in general, including how to navigate relationships with individuals in the workplace or in our families who have different political views. In addition, Perino will share the inspiration behind her latest book “Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (by a Former Young Woman)” and why men, and not just women, should consider reading her book. Perino serves as an inspiration for young women and all Americans alike and, throughout the hour, will share with the audience how they too can feel empowered and achieve their goals.

On this installment of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Elizabeth Anderson-Fletcher and Jeff Dill join program host Chris Meek. Dr. Elizabeth Anderson-Fletcher is Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management in the Department of Decision and Information Sciences in the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, with a joint faculty appointment in the Hobby School of Public Affairs. She is Faculty Director of Bauer Honors, Director of Accreditation in the Hobby School, and Associate Director of the UH First Responder Program in the Department of Psychology. She is also a volunteer firefighter with eleven years of service, recently promoted to captain. She was the project director for First Responder Mental Health and Wellness, a grant awarded to Cypress Creek Fire Department by the Office of the Governor, State of Texas, Criminal Justice Division. She was instrumental in building Cypress Creek's mental wellness program, which offers firefighters peer support, chaplaincy services, and/or licensed professional counseling through a partnership with a clinical practice. Jeff Dill is a retired Captain of the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District in Inverness, Illinois, who organized Counseling Services for Firefighters in 2009 and then founded the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. In July of 2021, Jeff accepted the position of Behavioral Health Administrator with Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. Elizabeth and Jeff will discuss some of the specific mental health challenges commonly faced by first responders, the current prevalence of moral injury and how it applies to firefighters, the meaning of "cultural brainwashing" when it comes to talking about first responder's mental health, as well as a plethora of other issues regarding firefighters and mental health.

This week's guest on Next Steps Forward is Michael Koslow. Michael Koslow joined the U.S. Air Force at the age of 17, rising through the ranks and working in counterintelligence to safeguard our national security. He retired from military service after 33 years and his path led him to the Department of Defense Inspector General's office. He broadened his perspective as a special investigations regional manager for a leading healthcare industry organization. He holds a B.A. in criminal justice, a master's degree in public policy and administration, and is currently working on a doctorate in organizational change and leadership. He's also running for Congress in his native state of California. Chris Meek look sforward to welcoming Michael Koslow to the program!

This week's guest on Next Steps Forward is Jenn Granneman. Jenn is the founder of Introvert, Dear and the co-founder of Sensitive Refuge. An educator and a journalist, she is the co-author of a fascinating, and even groundbreaking, new book, Sensitive. She's also the author of The Secret Lives of Introverts. Jenn has been featured in The New York Times and Washington Post, by the BBC, Oprah Daily, Buzzfeed, Glamour, HuffPost, and more, as well as numerous podcasts. She hosts her own podcast called The Introvert, Dear Podcast. She lives in Sant Paul, Minnesota, where she claims to lead a "pleasantly boring life." Exploring the topics of introvertism and sensitivity, Jenn will explain why, from her perspective, sensitivity is an essential personal trait, the pros and cons of being highly sensitive, why we should reframe the way we think about sensitivity, and so much more. For those who are introverts and/or sensitive like Jenn, this will be an informative hour which will leave you feeling both seen and heard.

Julie Scelfo is the Founder and Executive Director of Get Media Savvy, a nonprofit using pop culture to establish a healthy media environment for kids and families. She joins Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek to discuss the mission, goals and outcomes of her organization, as well as how exactly to create a healthy media environment for children. Julie will provide background about how her experience as an award-winning journalist, which included serving as a staff writer at the New York Times, helped move her to start Get Media Savvy and the effect that reporting on the youth mental health crisis and seeing suicidality affect children at ever-younger ages drove her mission to provide widespread media literacy to better position gatekeepers, community leaders, parents and educators to protect children.

On this edition of Next Steps Forward, program host Chris Meek speaks with General George Casey and Dr. Joel Kupersmith, authors of “Supporting Veterans After 50 Years of the All-Volunteer Force and 20 Years of War: Ideas Moving Forward.” The goal of their book and their wider work is to begin the important discussion regarding how best to treat and serve the veterans of the all-volunteer military which will have existed in the United States for 50 years next year. Dr. Kupersmith, the current director of Georgetown University Veterans Initiatives and pioneer of the world’s largest health system genetic repository the Million Veteran Program, and General George Casey, a 41-year Army veteran and former commander of the Multi-National Force – Iraq, will discuss why veterans who volunteer for military service are different from those who were drafted and served, as well as the reasons that individuals are motivated to join our volunteer force to begin with. America’s all-volunteer force has resulted in a very capable military but as the audience will discover, the absence of compulsory service has taken a toll on the culture of national service and the idea that citizens in a democracy have responsibilities as well as rights.