Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Andi Buerger, founder and chair of Voices Against Trafficking, and the Hon. Blanquita Cullum, co-founder of Voices Against Trafficking and host of The Hard Question on WCGO AM/FM, join program host Chris Meek in this installment of Next Steps Forward. Buerger and Cullum will provide perspective on the current state of human trafficking in the United States, focusing in particular on the trafficking and other forms of abuse that are taking place at the southern border. Along with providing common sense steps for how parents, teachers and other adults can protect children and prevent abuse, they will discuss beneficial policy options within the political space, the importance of accountability and how parents must vigilantly play the role of investigator when it comes to who they are trusting their children with. Buerger and Cullum cherish the worth and value of all children and will inspire listeners to elevate innocence in all that they do and make a daily commitment to be a voice against human trafficking.

Kayla Scheanon is a believer in going for your dreams, leaning into fears and owning your self evolutions. On this episode of Next Steps Forward, she speaks to her personal philosophy and how something as simple as offering encouragement to others can lead to empowerment. A licensed professional counselor and creator of the mental health clothing line Self Evolver, Kayla preaches the power of connection, counseling and compassion and cites examples of how these components have played vital roles in her own journey of self evolution (and how they can make a difference in the lives of those in the audience as well!). Kayla's mission through her brand is to provide people who are currently working on themselves with something to wear while instilling pride in their own journeys - an extension of her mission to help people connect with each other and themselves as a counselor. Throughout the hour the audience will be moved to embrace who they are and who they want to be.

Graham Rahal, a race car driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the NTT IndyCar series, kicks things off by speaking about his experiences on the race track. Rahal will also share how he has applied leadership skills and a work ethic learned through racing to his business and philanthropic ventures, which includes his work through the Graham and Courtney Rahal Foundation. The foundation supports Turns For Troops, a program dedicated to helping our country’s veterans. One such veteran, Sgt. Dan Rose, speaks with Rahal and host Chris Meek about utilizing revolutionary medical technology in the form of an exoskeleton suit to regain his ability to stand and walk again after being severely injured by an improvised explosive device. Rahal and Sgt. Rose will provide listeners with an inside look at how perseverance, the power of hope and hard work can be harnessed to achieve everyday success, motivate us to give back to others and find successes we never thought possible.

This week on "Next Steps Forward," Chris Meek welcomes Mary Daly, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Beth Shaw, the founder of the largest yoga school in the world YogaFit. At the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, President Daly has the important job of setting American monetary policy that promotes a healthy and stable economy. She will talk about the importance of increasing diversity and inclusion in the Federal Reserve System and the broader field of economics. She will also discuss the role mentors have played in her success and rise in the financial world, as well as how current labor markets and monetary policy impact the listeners in our audience. Our second guest Beth Shaw is no stranger to health and wellness. She has taught over 100,000 students in her YogaFit education program over the last 24 years. Beth believes that now is the time to break the stigma of mental health within our society and will speak about today's most pressing mental health concerns, including depression, stress, anxiety and trauma. She will speak to how individuals can help address these issues through yoga and will provide her perspective on an all-encompassing approach to maintaining overall wellness. Additionally, she will discuss obesity and explain how it is another type of eating disorder and why she believes it is more socially acceptable than addiction to drugs or alcohol. She'll provide guidance to those who may be suffering and pearls of wisdom on how to transform our whole selves.

Chris Meek is honored to speak with U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams and Dr. Alveda King, civil rights activist, evangelist and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on this presentation of “Next Steps Forward.” As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams is committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and forging new partnerships in other sectors to fulfill his motto “better health through better partnerships.” Dr. Adams will speak about the current state of COVID-19, give insight into his inspiring journey to becoming the Surgeon General and walk listeners through how they too can better their lives through better partnerships. Dr. King will provide her unique perspective on the current civil unrest 57 years after the peaceful March on Washington where her uncle, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. She will speak about the inequalities that are still present today and how the key to positive action is ultimately through faith.

"When fear outweighs truth then we begin to live a life of justification." Does this sound like your current situation or the situation of someone close to you? John Register helps individuals overcome their fears in his motivational and inspirational speeches by first identifying the three areas of fear - ourselves, other people and society - and then helping others commit to overcoming their fears by actually putting in the work. A two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games silver medalist and Persian Gulf War veteran, John learned how to amputate his own fears and embrace his new normal. Now he guides others as they begin to do the same, by encouraging them to discover the stories that reside within them and unlearn or relearn the things they already know. Are you looking for inspiration to honor a commitment? Are you looking for ways to overcome your fears? Join John as he speaks with program host Chris Meek on this episode of Next Steps Forward.

Meriel Schindler is the author of The Lost Cafe Schindler: One Family, Two Wars, and the Search for Truth which follows the journey of her extraordinary family prior to and during WWII, including the Jewish doctor who treated Adolf Hitler's mother when she was dying of breast cancer, Franz Kafka, Oskar Schindler and Alma Schindler, the wife of Gustav Mahler. On this episode of Next Steps Forward, Meriel speaks with Chris Meek about the Cafe Schindler which was at the time a celebrated social club in Innsbruck, her personal family history and how it coincided with the overall fate of the Jews of western Austria. Meriel's family story is captivating and will leave readers spellbound, while bringing another fresh perspective on the antisemitism of the era and the Nazi occupation as a whole. For those interested in history, this is an hour that you will not soon forget. Meriel's story is a testament to the bonds of family and reclaiming a family's place in history.

Karin Weiri is a licensed marriage and family therapist and sought after speaker on trauma, anxiety and depression, marriage enhancement, divorce and healthy lifestyle management. In this installment of Next Steps Forward, Karin will focus specifically on trauma and the powerful treatment method of EMDR that targets cognitions, emotions, and the physical body to help release the body's memory of it on a cellular, neurological, and physical level. Karin will not only provide an overview of the prevalence of unresolved traumas within American society, but also the too-early and inaccurate diagnoses that unfortunately take place. According to Weiri, many people may be exhibiting behaviors that mirror conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit disorder but instead are a result of unresolved trauma and are therefore initially misdiagnosed. Karin will speak to the holistic approach that she takes to incite change in her clients and the different types of methods that she includes in her treatment plans, including frequency therapy, which is a medical device that helps reduce anxiety and depression. In addition, Karin will speak about her recent book Achieving Peace, Purpose, and Prosperity which focuses on how to overcome obstacles and build the life you want.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents Iowa's Second Congressional District, was elected to her first term in 2020 by one of the closest margins in United States history: six votes out of 394,625 cast. The Congresswoman - who is also a 24-year Army veteran, ophthalmologist and the former Iowa Department of Public Health director - joins program host Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to speak about her historic win and how she has already used her elected position to create positive policy. The Congresswoman will also speak about how she cultivated the tenacity and perseverance she displayed after losing her first three Congressional campaigns before finally being elected last year, the issues she is focused on while serving on the Education and Labor, Homeland Security and Veterans' Affairs committees, and how to encourage more women to run for office. Pulling from her background as a physician, she will reflect on what we have gotten right and what we have gotten wrong in our approach to handling the coronavirus pandemic. The grit, determination and resolve in Congresswoman Miller-Meeks' life story will resonate with the audience because it is a story that truly exemplifies what it means to live out the American Dream.

In his new book Belonging and Betrayal: How Jews Made the Art World Modern, professor of history at Boston University and founding director of its Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College, Charles Dellheim, provides a new look into how, what were at the time, considered Jewish outsiders came into possession of artful masterpieces in the late 19th century/early 20th century and the fate of their art after being stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Charles recounts fascinating tales of how prominent art dealers and collectors relocated valuable art from Europe to the United States against all odds. Throughout the hour, Charles will also touch on other topics discussed in his book, such as the opening of European high culture, ambiguities of Jewish acculturation, the emergence of different schools of modern art, the cultural impact of World War I and the Nazi war against the Jews. Charles will take the audience on a deep look into what history reveals about Jews, art, and modernity.