Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Do you feel like your life is insignificant? Do you ever wonder if your life even matters? Next Steps Forward guest Dr. Cliff Robertson Jr wants you to know that your life matters and addresses these questions and more in his book "Your Life Matters: The Toolkit to Change Your World." Through his work with veterans as the executive director of The Warrior's Refuge in West Columbia, Texas, he is no stranger to members of the population expressing feelings of worthlessness as a result of mental health difficulties stemming from their time in service. This has inspired him to share the message that the impact we all make matters to this world. He implores listeners to think about all of the people they touch through their work, their involvement in faith-based activities, their hobbies and so forth, and how through those interactions we are each impacting over a thousand people yearly and ten thousand people in a decade. That's a lot of lives that our own lives are touching! Please join program host Chris Meek's discussion with Dr. Robertson to learn more about shifting your mindset to find your worth and fully understand the difference you are making in people's lives each and every day.

Program host Chris Meek sits down for a conversation on brain health with Dr. Geoff Ling and Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman on this installment of Next Steps Forward. Dr. Chapman founded the Center for Brain Health, a research institute at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she also serves as the Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Dr. Ling is a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and an attending neurocritical care physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Drs. Ling and Chapman will discuss a myriad of brain health related topics, including their specific but separate work on the cognitive and medical aspects, such as function, of brain health; how the Center for Brain Health is working to change the narrative surrounding brain disease, what they believe it will take for the general population to accept the importance of brain health and the advantages of living a brain-healthy life and how to go about doing so. This is a conversation that is relevant for everyone, from 10 years of age to 100, and will leave the audience with positive, actionable takeaways that will improve not only their brain health but overall quality of life.

Jeff Gum is a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, entrepreneur and founder of Sunga Life, a swimwear and athleisure brand focused on achieving bottom line goals of purpose and profitability, where 10% of profits go to veteran focused charities - specifically those that benefit wounded and amputee Special Operations Forces. He joins program host Chris Meek to speak to the essence of his brand and how he first fell in love with swimwear during his many travels and adventures in Brazil which ultimately inspired him to start his own line. Jeff's story, service and accomplishments embody the individuality, self-confidence and patriotism that he seeks to instill in others through his work. Drawing on his insights and perspectives stemming from his military experience, he will touch on an array of topics including how small brands and businesses can benefit from giving back to their communities, never giving up in the face of failure and why mentorship is crucial to veterans transitioning from service to civilian life. As a show that is focused on leadership through adversity, Jeff will speak to one of Next Step Forward's core missions by highlighting how best to determine when it is worth persevering through adversity and when to simply pivot. As Jeff says, "Fortune favors the bold," and his words of wisdom throughout the hour will certainly underscore why.

David Loud occupies a unique place in Broadway history. This week, he sits down with program host Chris Meek to discuss his distinguished body of work as a music director and vocal arranger and the three roles that he has originated as an actor. David will walk the audience through his Broadway career, which includes serving as music director for The Visit, The Scottsboro Boys, Sondheim on Sonheim, Curtains, Ragtime, A Class Act, Steel Pier and revivals of Porgy and Bess, She Loves Me, Company and Sweeney Todd. Expect tips and tricks for aspiring actors and music directors, behind the scenes scoop on some of your favorite Broadway shows and a first hand account of what it is like to work on the Great White Way. If you are a singer, dancer, actor or a Broadway fanatic this is a conversation you will not want to miss!

Ruth Rathblott is a TEDx speaker, Inspirational DEI speaker and an award-winning former CEO committed to creating inclusion for all. Ruth has spent her entire career focused on providing opportunities for those who face obstacles. In this installment of Next Steps Forward, she speaks with Chris Meek about being born with a limb difference and how her experiences have propelled her to speak on issues of inclusion and diversity, the freedom of accepting your differences, and rising above life's challenges. Ruth will recount her story of hiding her disability and feeling intense angst as a teenager before finally finding acceptance toward her differences and embracing her authenticity as a human being. She will speak to issues of inclusivity surrounding those individuals with disabilities - or more so a lack thereof - as well as diversity within disabilities, which is all too often overlooked. The audience will be engaged, entertained and inspired by Ruth's advice on how to overcome obstacles in their lives to become more empowered and to achieve their goals despite their differences.

Program host Chris Meek is pleased to sit down with Sylvie Légère Ricketts on this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward to discuss the philanthropist’s passion for leveraging technology to provide solutions to unite and inspire individuals and for advancing future generations of changemakers, particularly those that are female. A staunch believer in the power of public policy’s impact on daily life, Sylvie is the co-founder and chairman of The Policy Circle, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which seeks to inform, inspire and develop women into thoughtful civic leaders. Not only will she discuss how the organization works to drive fact-based conversation, promote personal responsibility and increase civic engagement but she will also highlight another area that is of particular interest to her: how technology can transform the lives of others. Sylvie has seen firsthand the power of utilizing technology as means to communicate and educate others and will speak to the importance of encouraging teachers to push students into STEM programs from an early age. Continuously curious about the ways in which technology can enhance our lives, Sylvie will influence the audience to exercise their own curiosity and to open their eyes further to how much better life is made by technology.

Katie Hafner is a journalist, author and current host of not one but two podcasts, Lost Women of Science and Our Mothers Ourselves. She speaks with program host Chris Meek about the focus of both of her podcasts. The first, Lost Women of Science, is a new narrative podcast that illuminates the lives of remarkable female scientists whose stories have been lost to history and have often been overshadowed by men. The show has focused on fascinating female scientists such as Dr. Dorothy Andersen, who developed the test to diagnose cystic fibrosis, and Klara Dan von Meumann who helped program the first computer in the 1940s which ultimately played a significant role in meteorology and weather forecasts. Katie will speak about these inspiring women and several others during her appearance on Next Steps Forward, as well discuss the concept of her other podcast which focuses on the children of resilient mothers. A champion of women who seeks to uplift the female gender in many of her initiatives and someone who seeks to bring forth stories of resilience into the spotlight, Katie will also give a preview of her newest book "The Boys." Giving Katie's interview a listen is a great way to observe Women's History Month or celebrate women at any time!

Every young person needs a trusted adult who they can turn to, both at home and at school. Brooklyn Raney explores this topic in-depth in her book "One Trusted Adult: How to Build Strong Connections & Healthy Boundaries with Young People" and now she is joining Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to speak on the same topic. As Raney will explain to the audience, being a trustworthy adult does not have to be onerous. It's about parents encouraging young children to develop connections with adults in order to ensure their safety and implementing the ABC's of being a trusted adult in everyday life. Raney will walk the audience through each of the ABCs, which include accessibility, boundaries and caring. She will also make the case for advocating for programs in schools to assess whether each student has a trusted adult in their life. We can each make the commitment to ensure all young people have at least one adult in their lives that they can trust. For those with questions or who are unsure of where to start, this podcast is the perfect springboard for tangible action we can all feasibly take!

How does society address wrongs inflicted in the past? Should we even dwell on the past when we don't have the power to change it? This week on Next Steps Forward, Chris Meek welcomes Mark Milke - a public policy analyst, keynote speaker, author and columnist based in Calgary, Canada - to discuss these questions and more. Mark highlights the current pervasiveness of victimhood and its negative effect on societies, while going into detail about how past societies and individuals have a long history of playing the "victim card" and using victimhood as a catalyst for war. Subsequently Mark will comment on the current state of the situation unfolding in Ukraine and explain why he believes it stems from Russian President Vladamir Putin's claim of victimhood due to the collapse of the USSR decades ago. Additionally, Mark explains why victimhood can't be easily fixed and why government intervention isn't the answer that many individuals in younger generations believe it is. For an inside look into the prevalence of microaggressions and the woke culture in American and Canadian universities, governments and societies, be sure to tune in.

Laura DeCook is a wellbeing specialist at a major technology company where she is passionate both inside and outside of the company about supporting the mental health of employees who are working in high-pressure corporate environments. In this installment of Next Steps Forward, Laura speaks with program host Chris Meek about how her own experience of not receiving the mental health support she needed while working at a previous major company inspired her to create a position at her current place of employment to meet the needs of employees in today's new work environment brought on by COVID-19. Laura will provide practical tips on how to focus on self-care (particularly when it comes to getting good and sound sleep), how best to look after yourself and how to recognize signs in people who may not be adequately coping with their situation or state of mental health. In addition, she will discuss what it means to be an "active listener" and walk the audience through how they too can embrace active listening.