Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Pattie Ehsaei provides her more than 400,000 followers on TikTok ("thesifactor") with tips and tricks for social and workplace etiquette, along with financial literacy, and now she's providing a crash course on her lessons in etiquette to the Next Steps Forward audience. Having established herself as an expert of "P's and Q's," her followers look to her to help answer their questions on topics ranging from how to make and keep a budget to guidance on what the little fork is used for. Program host Chris Meek sits down with the modern day Emily Post to discuss her etiquette tips, including proper table manners, job and workplace etiquette, financial success, and relationship tips. Pattie is also a fierce advocate for empowering women and grounds her advice in wanting all women to succeed on their respective paths. Women of all ages, backgrounds and experiences will take to Pattie's unique manner of imparting the rules of social conventions and etiquette. Having come to the United States as a young girl without speaking English and growing up less than affluent, Pattie will provide an inside look into how she cultivated her knowledge despite her background and honed her skills and passion to inspire other women to cultivate the same knowledge and empowerment to ultimately be their best selves.

Jotham Busfield and Jon Cunha help young guys between the ages of 8 and 25 years old in the Greater Boston area "Step Up + Move Forward" by providing therapy and coaching services through their company Riser + Tread. This week on Next Steps Forward, program host Chris Meek speaks with Jotham and Jon about the services that they offer, which include individual and group therapy, ADHD programming, sports performance and recovery and youth mentoring. Along with Riser + Tread, they are also the hosts of the Grim Drive podcast (https://grimdrive.com/) which they will introduce to those in the audience not already familiar with their platform. They will also speak specifically to their specialized program to help athletes strengthen their mental fitness and resolve, an especially timely topic given the prevalence that mental health among athletes has finally been given in the media. A topic that has for too long been brushed under the rug, Jotham and Jon have special insight where approaching mental health through the lens of athletics is concerned. Believers in prehab versus rehab, or training individuals to develop skills to manage circumstances as they come instead of after circumstances occur, this is a must listen for parents with young guys who may be experiencing changes in mental health, athletes and anyone who is looking for more information on the relationship between mental health and athletics.

Maria McCool, co-owner of Calista Salon & Spa in West Chester, PA, founder of the multi-million dollar business Calista Tools and perhaps best known by women across the nation as a QVC brand ambassador, speaks with Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek about her mission to help women feel great about themselves each and every day, or simply put, to become BeautyBrave. Maria's BeautyBrave mission not only encompasses the bravery she cultivated while working hard as a woman in a traditionally male dominated business but extends to the work she provides clients in her role behind the chair - as she will explain to the audience, the most empowering part of her job is the profound change she sees in women when they have a positive experience at the salon. Maria will discuss how men in general aren't challenged by the same things women are challenged by which is why she feels it's important to have more women at the top level of the beauty industry in order to better respond to the needs of female clients, especially as so many essentially look to their stylists as therapists. Among other things, Maria will reflect on her career progression, the role that continually believing in herself has played, her wonderful work and partnership with QVC, and her book "Becoming Beauty Brave: The Bold Makeover That Will Change Your Life."

Michelle Rogers, author of Trans Right, speaks with Chris Meek about how growing up with conservative values shaped her political philosophy and continues to do so today despite her journey of turning transgender later in life. Michelle embodies what it means to be both transgender and strongly conservative, a sector of individuals that is often overlooked and a reminder that their are many different voices and experiences of those in the transgender community. Though Michelle's story may seem like one solely of change, it is a reminder of the reality that becoming transgender doesn't mean that everything about a person will change - often change mainly occurs in regards to gender. Michelle will speak on important topics concerning the intersection of her conservative beliefs and transition, including why she believes it has become a common misperception that individuals who transition or those who support the transgender community have left-leaning political inclinations. Her message is powerful: transgender individuals are not trying to tear the lives of others apart, instead they simply want to live with dignity. Find more information about Michelle's book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trans-right-michelle-l-rogers/1139608894

Program host Chris Meek facilitates an informative discussion with Dimitra Manis, the Chief Purpose Officer for S&P Global, in this installment of Next Steps Forward. In her role, Dimitra oversees people, marketing, corporate responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion, and communications using the skills that make her renowned for leading a "People First" experience at the company. Her experience spans across industries through a variety of progressive senior leadership roles with organizations such as Nike, Revlon and The Esteé Lauder Companies, which has given her insight into what a truly authentic people-first philosophy looks like. Dimitra will speak to several important and timely topics that individuals in all spectrums will be able to apply to their own workplace, including leading through adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic, what lessons business leaders and everyday employees can take from the pandemic and what effects it has had on the workplace that can better prepare them for the future. A believer in something she refers to as the "points of passion," she will break down in-depth what each of her personal points entails and how she chose them (as well as give advice to the audience on how they can apply the concept of "points of passion" within their own lives). Dimitra is full of advice for people in the audience to create a better sense of purpose either for themselves or where they work.

Lisa Gable, who has served as the CEO of several organizations, former Presidential appointee, US Ambassador, UN Delegate and advisor to fortune 500 companies, speaks with Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek about how she has been recognized worldwide as a turnaround mastermind through her work orchestrating and executing successful turnarounds of well-known private and public organizations of all industries. On October 15, 2021 Lisa's book "TURNAROUND - How to Change Course When Things Are Going South" will be available for the first time and highlights her powerful method for rejuvenating and elevating ventures that have gone stale or find themselves in trouble. Her method, though simple, includes the effective steps of visualizing the future, breaking down the present and executing with confidence and diplomacy - all steps that she will expand on for the audience during her discussion. Not only will Lisa discuss the organizations she has previously helped turnaround, but she will also speak to the power of mentorships. Having been fortunate enough to have had life-changing and impactful mentors throughout the course of her career, she will speak to how she now positions herself as a mentor in order to help foster the next generation of thought leaders. She is a believer that ultimately as we build relationships, we start to grow with the people that we have cultivated relationships with. Additionally, having carried out meaningful work to uplift women in Afghanistan through some of her various positions, Lisa will weigh in on the timely and important topic of Afghan women in regards to the U.S.'s recent withdrawal from the nation. Lisa and others sought to take women from living in what she describes as essentially the middle ages and help them make tremendous progress by elevating their participation in free enterprise. The audience will find her not only to be a powerful voice on the unfolding situation abroad but will take many of her lessons on business and relationships and be able to apply them to their own lives in a consequential way.

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek was at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. He was one of the fortunate ones able to survive the carnage of that day. He walked out of the city with the mass of humanity that had no way home except to help each other take their next steps forward. Surviving one of the most horrific days in American history, Chris made the commitment to give back to those who risk their lives on behalf of fellow Americans. As men and women left to fight the war abroad and returned home with both physical and mental wounds, Chris immediately understood the importance of providing meaningful and innovative medical technologies to those wounded veterans. Thus, SoldierStrong was born, a nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans take their own next steps forward. Now, 20 years later, the rapidly unfolding events as the U.S. military leaves Afghanistan have affected us all, especially the brave heroes who served in that country in defense of democracy. In order to better understand the profound mental health impact that the situation abroad is currently having on post-9/11 veterans, Chris invites you to join him as he sits down with Ret. Army Reserve Sgt. Dan Rose, Ret. Army Cpt. Meaghan Mobbs, Marine Sgt. Chris Merkle and Dr. Albert Skip Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies, to discuss the mental health effects stemming from Afghanistan's downfall, their viewpoints on the withdrawal and what can be done to support those who may be hurting.

Janet Baker is an Assistant General Counsel at S&P Global Inc. and certified Information Privacy Professional for both Europe and the United States. But she is also a woman that wears many hats, one of which gives her profound ability as a storyteller, especially in her re-telling of the very true and very heart-wrenching story of the Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906. For those in the audience who may not know, 167 Black soldiers were accused, without trial or due process, of shooting up the town of Brownsville and were subsequently discharged from the 25th Infantry without honor by President Theodore Roosevelt. Baker will recount to program host Chris Meek her father's lifelong connection to the incident. Lt. Col. William Baker first witnessed the death of a Brownsville soldier as a young boy, then went on to serve on an assignment to investigate the Brownsville incident through his work at the Pentagon, finally leading him to spend several decades researching the incident for his book "The Brownsville Incident of 1906: The True and Tragic Story of a Black Battalion's Wrongful Disgrace and Ultimate Redemption," which lays out evidence for the Brownsville soldier's innocence. The book can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brownsville-Texas-Incident-1906-Battalions/dp/1943267715. Janet Baker's re-telling of the Brownsville Incident and her father's lifelong connection to the particular moment in history is a reminder of the power that can be found in storytelling, as well as a reminder that life can often be cyclical and how many of us are called to our true purpose over and over again if we are open and willing. Above all else, audience members will be inspired to always do the right thing even if it is difficult, especially when it means proving innocence and fighting on behalf of the honor and memory of others.

On this installment of Next Steps Forward program host Chris Meek speaks with legendary NFL linebacker and defensive end Charles Haley. Haley, who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1986 to 1991 and again from 1998 to 1999, as well as the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 1996, will speak about the trajectory of his football career from high school to college and then on to the NFL. Haley will discuss what it takes to play professionally, how he learned to use his teammate’s strengths to increase his own strengths and the importance of his coaches’ faith in him and his abilities on his path to greatness. In addition to football, Haley will also reflect on what it is like to live with bipolar. At first using violence to keep people and his teammates at arms length and oftentimes honing in on the negatives amongst all the many positives, Haley speaks in-depth about how he learned to cope with his mental health setbacks. After attempting suicide at a young age, he asked God to give him something to live for which came in the form of football. Haley will discuss the role that God has played in maintaining his own mental health and in his professional career. Haley’s words will embolden those in the audience who are struggling to find their own “one thing” to live for.