Next Steps Forward with Dr. Chris Meek

Natalie St Pierre, successful entrepreneur and disability advocate, speaks with "Next Steps Forward" host Chris Meek about living her best life with cerebral palsy. St Pierre avidly participates in a number of adaptive sports, including cross country skiing, surfing, biking and sailing, showing that people, regardless of circumstances, can find a way to live a limitless life. She will speak extensively about her involvement with The Impossible Dream, the world's only catamaran that is universally accessible. St Pierre will touch on how inclusivity, specifically within the workplace and recreation, have changed throughout her lifetime. She will also speak to the importance of becoming a self-advocate, a skill that everyone can learn to cultivate no matter the cards that life has handed them. St Pierre's story and achievements will remind the audience that whatever they pursue, through the power of positive thinking, affirmation and planning, they can achieve it.

Albert Hernandez, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient, speaks with "Next Steps Forward'' host Chris Meek about overcoming both the visible and invisible wounds he sustained during his two deployments to Iraq. Focusing on the mental health implications of service, Hernandez will speak directly about losing a close friend and fellow service member to suicide and how that prompted him to volunteer much of his spare time to a multitude of organizations that aim to better the lives and overall wellbeing of veterans. He is an advocate for maintaining open and accessible lines of dialogue that allow veterans to share their experiences and feelings regarding their time in the service as part of an overarching effort to prevent suicide. Hernandez's story of overcoming mental health setbacks and using his experience to give back to others has the power to resonate with all Americans.

Armen Keteyian,11-time Emmy Award winning journalist and former chief investigative correspondent for CBS News, speaks with "Next Steps Forward" host Chris Meek about his celebrated career as one of America's most recognized news and sports anchors. Keteyian will take the audience on his journey from starting out as a sports writer for a San Diego newspaper, to landing his dream job as a reporter for Sports Illustrated and finally making it on the national stage serving in roles such as lead correspondent for "60 Minutes Sports". Keteyian will speak directly about the current state of journalism in the United States, the role that ethics ultimately plays and how that translates into everyday life, as well as the integrity of modern day sports through the lens of his experiences directly from the sidelines. Keteyian, the author of 11 books, will also give a look into the upcoming HBO documentary based on his best-selling biography "Tiger Woods."

COL Irving Smith, general manager of Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., speaks with Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek about serving as an Infantry Officer and Battalion Executive Officer over his 27 years in the U.S. military, where he was one of only a few Black service members in his regiment. Smith will touch on how he maintained his composure and displayed strength in the face of adversity, particularly in overcoming injustice and inequality experienced within military institutions. Smith touches on the contemporary challenges, including diversity and inclusion, that military leadership currently face and the steps leadership must take to overcome them, as well as how to confront injustice and inequality and the power of mentorships and relationship building in an effort to create a successful professional workplace atmosphere.

Sean O'Keefe, former Secretary of the Navy and NASA administrator, speaks with "Next Steps Forward" host Chris Meek about his leadership roles within the U.S. government and how he ultimately navigated the challenges and opportunities that he experienced within those roles. O'Keefe currently serves as a university professor in strategic management and leadership at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs teaching the next generation invaluable leadership skills, including a commitment to building trust and maintaining honesty - the very same skills that have long inspired confidence in him and ultimately resulted in four presidential nominations. O'Keefe will speak about the role that honesty and trust have played in the progression of his career and share with listeners how these values can transform their own career paths as well. The story of Sean O'Keefe and the lessons he imparts will embolden listeners to step up, move forward and take flight.

LTG H.R. McMaster, 34-year Army veteran and former National Security advisor, speaks with "Next Steps Forward" host Chris Meek about his recent book "Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World" and the current state of security, freedom and prosperity in the United States. As a soldier, commander, scholar and national security advisor, LTG McMaster brings a unique perspective to problem-solving that everyday Americans and listeners can utilize within their own lives. LTG McMaster will also speak in-depth about the downfall of "strategic narcissism" – the trap of defining problems as we would like them to be instead of defining them on their own terms. In this candid discussion, LTG McMaster calls for listeners to better educate themselves on the important issues of the day and for Americans to work together so that we are fully prepared to secure the future of our nation.

WWE Superstar Lacey Evans speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about her successful career in sports entertainment. Evans will take listeners on her personal journey, speaking candidly about growing up in a toxic home environment and how that informed her career progression. From enlisting in the U.S. Marines, where she served as military police to opening and operating her own construction business to her current career as a WWE Superstar, Evans has continuously demonstrated her tenacity and fight. She will offer insight into what it takes to achieve your goals through hard work and determination, what makes a business and brand successful and how to fight like hell for what you want out of life.

Program host Chris Meek is honored to speak with Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence on this special presentation of “Next Steps Forward.” In her role as Second Lady, Mrs. Pence has elevated art therapy as a mental health profession and has raised awareness about the role it can play in treating military members and veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mrs. Pence will discuss in-depth her passion for art and advocacy for art therapy, the work she is doing on behalf of preventing veteran suicide as Lead Ambassador of the Presidents Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) task force, as well as how she uses her platform as one to promote the power of healing. Mrs. Pence’s enthusiasm for those things she is passionate about and her willingness to share her passions with others to better their lives will leave listeners inspired.

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 become 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.

Dean Kamen, founder and president of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, speaks with "Next Steps Forward" host Chris Meek in-depth about the impressive and life changing technologies he and his team at DEKA work diligently to develop and provide. These technologies include a portable dialysis machine, the iBOT™ Mobility system, a robotic arm and the ever popular Segway™ Human Transporter, among a plethora of others. Not only will Kamen speak about the process involved in designing these sophisticated technologies, but will also provide insight into the inspiration behind his proudest achievement: founding FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and FIRST® Global. Kamen will motivate listeners to commit themselves to understanding and listening to science and technology, and perhaps most importantly, to find enjoyment in it.