On Life and Meaning

Hope Muir is artistic director of Charlotte Ballet. Her first season as artistic director in 2017-18 included the introduction of eight new choreographers to the company, the creation of five new ballets, and two ballets making American premieres. Before joining Charlotte Ballet, Hope was assistant artistic director at the Scottish Ballet. She has taught classical and contemporary dance at The National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Company. She had a 20-year career as a dancer. She was a founding member of London Festival Ballet School, then joined the company (now English National Ballet) before dancing for the Rambert Dance Company in London and later Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In the summer of 2018, Hope will serve as a guest artist for The School at Jacob's Pillow.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the work of an artistic director of a ballet company and a career in ballet and modern dance.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Hope reflects on her first year as artistic director of the Charlotte Ballet and what surprised her.
• She explains what an artistic director does and what part of her work she loves the most.
• She describes what someone would have seen if they watched the ballet The Most Incredible Thing and the significance of presenting it.
• She talks about the pros and cons of touring as a company.
• Hope answers why Charlotte Ballet does not identify any of its dancers as principal dancers.
• She considers the responsibility of artistic directors to connect what is on stage with social realities in the world.
• She answers whether she would stage gay and lesbian themes on stage.
• She explains how she assesses a dancer and what traits in a dancer she is drawn to and excites her.
• Hope shares whether she sees any changes in the composition of the dance company at Charlotte Ballet
• She discusses whether there is space on stage for older dancers and what project and role would bring her back on stage.
• She talks about deciding what not to do, what choreographers she would like to bring to Charlotte, and the 'bespoke repertoire' she wants to create.
• She remembers growing up in Toronto and what drew her to dance.
• Hope notes the turning point in her dance career and what she learned about herself as a young dancer.
• She answers whether the Charlotte Ballet is a stepping-stone job for her and whether she would take the call to become the artistic director of a national ballet company.
• She shares what informs her intellectually and what she values most.

plus Mark's Personal Word Essay: Exploring A New Tangent

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Daniel Levine is president of Levine Properties, a family-owned property investment company that develops, owns and operates commercial and residential properties in Charlotte, North Carolina and in select urban locations throughout the United States. Levine Properties owns over 20 acres on nine square blocks of largely undeveloped property in the First Ward district in the center of the City of Charlotte. As president, Daniel is responsible for the development, leasing, property management and asset management of all properties owned. He earned a B.A in City & Regional Planning and Development from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in real estate investment, property development, and the challenge and responsibility of creating a neighborhood in the center of a city.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Daniel explains the challenges to developing nine blocks of First Ward in the center of the City of Charlotte.
• He reveals what he is committed to building in First Ward.
• He imagines First Ward in the year 2030.
• He describes what he is building now and how it is setting the stage for a different building pattern in First Ward.
• Daniel explains how his master plan for First Ward works in concert with the City of Charlotte North Tryon Vision Plan.
• He considers the weight and consequence of his development decisions.
• He answers whether he feels overwhelmed by the responsibility of developing a new neighborhood in the center of a city.
• He responds to whether any one person or family should control so much land in the center of a city.
• Daniel shares how he goes about his work and what informs his vision of development.
• He reveals what neighborhood in the United States is the model for the neighborhood he wants to develop in First Ward.
• He outlines his philosophy of real estate development.
• He tells the story of the Levine family, the retail stores they built, and how he came to study city and regional planning.
• Daniel talks about the influence of Walt Disney and EPCOT on in his ambitions.
• He shares the 'pearls of wisdom' that guide Levine Properties.
• He discusses a recent change in his development approach and whether he thinks about the time he has left to realize his vision for First Ward.
• He identifies the two developers in Charlotte that seeks to emulate.
• Daniel answers how he wants to be remembered.

plus Mark Peres' Personal Word Essay: Imagining First Ward

To learn more visit On Life and Meaning

Tana Greene is CEO of the Greene Group, parent company of three national staffing companies disrupting labor, transportation and logistics: My Work Choice, for warehouse and light industrial workers; Road Dog Team, for truck drivers and crew workers; and Blue Bloodhound, a technology application company matching pay-by-the-run and long-haul commercial drivers with motor carriers. The Greene Group has won several awards, including recognition as one of the Top 50 Women-Owned Businesses in the United States by Forbes Magazine and the Best Place to Work by Staffing Industry Analysts. Tana is a board member of Safe Alliance and the Employers Association. She is the author of 'Creating A World of Difference,' a memoir and book of inspiration on the importance of values and vision in business and in life.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, business disruption, a story of personal resilience, and transitioning from success to significance.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Tana explains My Work Choice and the benefits it offers.
• She discusses the biggest concerns of employees and clients, managing change and how to build community specific to a client.
• She defines the problem that My Work Choice is solving.
• She identifies who she is disrupting in the staffing market and what possibilities she sees for her business down the road.
• Tana explains Road Dog Drivers and Blue Bloodhound, the challenge of bringing efficiency to a market, and creating a nationwide play.
• She addresses how she sees herself and her purpose.
• She discusses where the staffing and transportation industries are going and the importance of 'the last mile.'
• She answers whether electric vehicles and driverless trucks threaten her transportation staffing model.
• Tana reflects on growing up in Chesapeake, Virginia and what her parents taught her.
• She talks about what prompted leadership in her at a young age.
• She shares what happened in a first marriage and what she did next.
• She identifies the four goals that changed her life and what is on her vision board now.
• Tana explains how she got into the staffing business and a key business and life decision she and her husband had to make.
• She shares how and why she transitioned into organizational leadership.
• She reflects on when something felt missing, 'the big lie,' and a leadership turning point.
• She address what these words mean to her: 'gut instinct,' 'you better believe it,' 'never settle,' and 'dare to be different.'
• Tana explains the meaning of 'creating a world of difference.'

plus Mark's Personal Word Essay: 'Finding a Better Way'

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

J. Michael 'Mike' McGuire is CEO of Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world's leading accounting and advisory firms. Mike has more than 30 years of experience working closely with high-growth, startup and middle-market companies, assisting in capital markets transactions ranging from angel investing, initial public offerings, merger & acquisition strategies, due diligence and deal structure. Before joining Grant Thornton in 2002, Mike served as Carolinas Audit Division Head for Arthur Andersen, LLP. Mike has received many awards and honors, including 'Most Admired CEO' by Charlotte Business Journal, and the 'Top 100 People in Accounting' by Accounting Today. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Management Information Services from Bowling Green University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in national accountancy, brand positioning, creating culture, disruptive technologies, and scaling family values.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Mike describes Grant Thornton ('GT') and what makes it 'significantly different.'
• He explains how GT is structured and how it serves clients across borders.
• He shares how he sees his job as CEO and what he means by 'People First.'
• He explains what GT means by 'StatusGo' and what is today's most important asset.
• Mike reveals the real differentiating factors between accounting firms.
• He discusses what qualities GT hires for and the two personality traits in employees he values most.
• He shares why he wants GT to be the 'Tesla' of the accounting industry.
• He answers whether he thinks of himself as the Elon Musk of accountancy.
• Mike talks about how Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Smart Contracts, Data Analytics and Robotics are changing the accounting industry.
• He considers what changes he would make to GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
• He identifies what difficult issues GT clients are facing on the horizon.
• He explains what has to be done right to successfully disrupt industries.
• Mike addresses whether accounting firms are serving society when they help companies 'optimize' or pay less taxes.
• He tells the story of how he hired Dianne Swonk, the new chief economist of GT.
• He discusses growing up in the grocery business and what decision his father made that totally changed his family.
• He talks about what he learned 'at the corner of Jackson and Main.'
• Mike shares what happens to him when he enters a grocery store today.
• He answers whether his childhood friends would recognize him.
• He reflects on attending Bowling Green University and what it allowed him to do.
• He reveals why he became an accountant and what he will never forget.
• Mike shares how he wants to be remembered.

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Joseph C. 'Piko' Ewoodzie, Jr., examines how marginalized populations in urban locations make sense of inequalities in their everyday lives. He embeds himself into communities and takes a long-term immersive approach to research. Piko is the Malcolm O. Partin Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Sociology at Davidson College. He teaches courses on qualitative methods, sociological theory, culture, race and urban sociology. His publications include articles on the everyday eating patterns of people inhabiting different social classes and the book Break Beats in the Bronx: Revisiting Hip Hop's Early Years. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in urban sociology, hip hop artists, qualitative research, 'getting out,' and Wakanda Forever.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Piko explains his core research interest and how he sees his work.
• He shares what inspired his interest in ethnographic research.
• He talks about his course 'Hip Hop and Urban Sociology' and what Kendrick Lamar and 3D Na-Tee have to do with it.
• Piko answers what sociologists can learn from hip hop artists and what hip hop artists can learn from sociologists.
• He discusses qualitative research and 'the beautiful process of collecting data and making sense of it.'
• He addresses whether his qualitative data is generalizable and 'being as reflexive as possible' in documenting his observations.
• Piko considers whether qualitative research is more literature than science.
• He discusses his course 'Contemporary Race Theory' and whether we would be better off if the idea of race faded away.
• He answers whether his research makes normative judgments about how people should behave.
• Piko talks about his feelings leaving the communities he is studying and how he manages the guilt of 'getting out.'
• He reflects on the movie 'Black Panther' and why 'he isn't down with Wakanda Forever.'
• He describes growing up in Ghana and how emigrating to the United States informed his approach to studying social life.
• Piko shares the song that inspired his first book, what changed his life at Ithaca College, and what his doctoral dissertation explored.
• He answers what question is on his mind and what he values most.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I asked Piko about how he feels being able to leave behind the marginalized people whose stories he tells, I opened up something raw and very emotional in him..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Amanda Pagliarini Howard is co-founder of The Society Guide, a membership-based program that connects non-profit organizations to high net worth donors and their advisors. The Society Guide publishes The Giving Book, an annual catalog and dossier of non-profit organization members. Previously, Amanda was editor of Society Charlotte magazine and nFocus Magazine, and a freelance writer and editor. She has contributed dozens of articles and essays to publications, including The Washingtonian, Uptown Magazine, Charlotte Viewpoint and the Charlotte Observer. Amanda earned an M.F.A. in Creative Non-Fiction Writing from Queens University of Charlotte and a B.A. in Communications from George Mason University.

In this episode we explore trauma that she has overcome. Amanda was sexually assaulted when she was 14 years old, she was committed to a psychiatric hospital and became suicidal, she was recruited into a cult-like group that took control of her life for seven years, when she left the group she lived very much on the edge, until finding her way to a new city where a process of healing began. We talk about her past and where she is now.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Amanda talks about where she grew up and how she was raised.
• She explains the pressures and expectations she felt growing up and why and how she rebelled as a teenager.
• She describes being sexually assaulted when she was 14 years old.
• She shares the aftermath of the assault and being committed to a psychiatric hospital.
• Amanda talks about the death of her best friend shortly after she was assaulted and how the compounded trauma led her to become suicidal.
• She describes becoming part of a cult-like group that would take control of her life.
• She discusses being brainwashed and groomed by older men into sexual relationships.
• She reflects on who she was during her time in the group.
• Amanda explains the phrase 'one clear voice.'
• She talks about the difficulty of leaving the group and her life on the edge afterward.
• She shares how she found her way to Charlotte.
• She reveals how writing helped her heal.
• Amanda talks about renewing contact with her teenage boyfriend and forgiving him publicly for his role in her assault.
• She discusses the importance of her own 'one clear voice.'
• She answers how she is doing today.
• Amanda reveals what she would tell her 14 year old self.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "This was a brave conversation for Amanda to have and I'm grateful to her for sharing it..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Nick Napoletano is a painter, muralist and designer known for hyperrealist works brimming with allegory and symbolism. His work can be found in galleries and museums internationally, including the collections of Amway and the New Britain Museum of American Art. He recently exhibited at Jerald Melberg Gallery and at the Mint Museum. He has painted a series of large-scale exterior murals in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. He has expanded his work into the fields of augmented and virtual reality. Nick earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts at the University of Hartford, Connecticut.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in figurative painting, public art, augmented and virtual reality, and the challenges and rewards of 'a monkey mind.'

IN THIS EPISODE

• Nick describes the three different trajectories of his work.
• He explains how his art reflects Mannerism and the High Renaissance.
• He discusses measuring himself against Renaissance masters.
• He considers whether his art challenges the viewer, the illustrations of Norman Rockwell, the role of public art, and whether it is enough for public to just be beautiful.
• Nick talks about one of his murals and the idea that informs it.
• He answers whether he prefers public or private art commissions, the challenge of his 'monkey mind,' and what an unfettered public art project might be.
• He describes the work of Two Form, a design collaboration group merging our world with augmented and virtual reality.
• He explains how he paints augmented reality components onto sculpted spaces to enhance dialog between the work and viewers.
• Nick talks about his work creating digital worlds using virtual reality.
• He shares how Nordic and biophilic design influences his art.
• He shares what he remembers seeing as a child and how his interest in figurative work developed.
• He considers what it means being an artist and moving through the world differently.
• Nick talks about living and painting in New York, taking a tour of the south, and what Snug Harbor has to do with why he lives in Charlotte.
• He discusses a current recurring dream, a question on his mind, what delights him, what truth he wants revealed, a vision he has, what he is certain about, what draws him in, and what matters most.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "As I sat across from Nick Napoletano I thought of Leonard da Vinci. I imagined Leonardo explaining his art to a journalist or at least trying to as the journalist busily scribbled away..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Marek Ranis creates art about social and ecological change. His work considers the loss of permanence and 'the grief of the world.' Ranis is Associate Professor of Sculpture at the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Arts + Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a sculptor, installation, performance and video artist, public art artist and consultant, photographer and painter. Since 1994 Ranis has focused on environmental art and is the author of more than 50 large-scale environmental installations in United States, Poland, Germany, France, Iceland, Holland, Taiwan and Australia. Ranis has received many prestigious grants and has participated in numerous residencies and art symposiums in Europe, United States, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. He earned a an Art and Design diploma from the Lyceum of Fine Arts and an MFA in Sculpture/Studio Art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in environmental art, ecological change, and the connection between political and climate disruption.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Marek addresses whether he is an artist who happens to be an academic or an academic who happens to an artist.
• He explains in the broadest terms what his art is about.
• He describes what form his art takes, his relationship with craft and choosing forms to convey an idea.
• He states the major advantage of being an artist.
• Marek considers his art as a 'landscape of landscapes' and how it connects to 'the colonial dream' and to 'world grief.'
• He answers why he is drawn to the arctic and what 'whiteness' has to do with it.
• He addresses whether there is a 'Polish sensibility' that informs his work about change.
• He talks about the current political climate in Poland and climate change.
• Marek considers what our collective denial about climate change says about the human condition.
• He discusses whether the planet will survive.
• He reveals the roots of his fascination with lack of permanence.
• He talks about his time as a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland and how he found his way to Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Marek addresses the role of the artist.
• He discusses the ethical compromises in his work.
• He shares what's next for him and the difference he hopes his art makes.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Marek Ranis is an artist who considers cultural and environmental events from a perspective suggesting ecological time..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Spencer Merriweather III is the Mecklenburg County District Attorney, leading an office of over 200 attorneys and staff who prosecute state felonies and misdemeanor charges. He served as an Assistant District Attorney in the felony division in Mecklenburg County for more than a decade. He previously led the District Attorney's Office's Habitual Felon Prosecution Team and has prosecuted a variety of crimes ranging from homicide, robbery and sexual assault. He has been an active member of the Mecklenburg County Bar is the incoming director of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Board. He earned a B.A. in Politics with certificates in American and African American studies from Princeton University and J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in criminal justice reform, the emotional burdens of prosecuting crimes, serving as the voice of victims, and finding solace in faith.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Spencer shares what he has learned as Mecklenburg County District Attorney (D.A.) in his first five months on the job.
• He talks about the administrative initiative that is most important to him.
• He answers whether he is a good D.A. and what makes him good.
• He explains what he means by the phrase '21st century prosecutor.'
• Spencer addresses what he thinks is the underlying causes of crime.
• He considers whether there are people who are just bad.
• He reveals what he takes pleasure in as a prosecutor, what guides the charging of a crime, and his position on the decriminalization of marijuana.
• He discusses bias in prosecutorial discretion.
• Spencer shares what he tries to put at the center of all of his decisions.
• He answers whether he has ever regretted prosecuting someone and how he feels when someone he has prosecuted is found guilty and sentenced.
• He describes a moment when he thought the job would break him.
• He discusses how he hopes to impact mass incarceration and the criminal justice system.
• Spencer talks about the 'Spencer Merriweathers' who came before him, growing up in Mobile, Alabama, attending Catholic school from K-8, and how his friends would have described him in high school.
• He reflects on his time as student body president at Princeton University, being a Congressional Aide during 9/11 and what drew him to the D.A.'s office in Charlotte.
• He answers whether he has been managing his resume to run for public office and whether he has ever marched for civil rights or protested in the streets.
• He discusses his role reviewing the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.
• Spencer shares how his faith informs his work and what he wants his life to be about.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Spencer Merriweather challenged my view of prosecutors. His outward manner was humble and compassionate. He self-examined and thoughtfully engaged. He talked about systems and structures..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Amy Herman is a visual artist, entrepreneur and community builder. Her photography is in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Kresge Art Center in East Lansing and The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and has been shown in numerous galleries, including at The Light Factory and at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Amy is the co-director of Goodyear Arts, an artist in residency and event space initiative, and owner of Vintage Charlotte, a pop-up market of vintage and hand-made vendors. She is a recipient of the Charlotte magazine 2015 Charlottean of the Year Award. Amy earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Michigan State University and an MFA in Photography from Columbia College, Chicago.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in photography, identity and memory, and creating the community that you want to live in.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Amy explains what makes an artist an artist and what makes her an artist.
• She answers how she sees her role in the community and whether her work in the community is art.
• She describes her recent photography exhibit at Central Piedmont Community College.
• Amy shares what identity, masking and memory have to do with what she photographs.
• She talks about what she hopes viewers feel looking at her work and whether an audience informs the work she creates.
• She states whether she produces art to be sold.
• She discusses a photography series of hers called 'Relative Intimacy' and the staging of intimate moments.
• She addresses whether what a photograph captures is 'real.'
• Amy talks about Goodyear Arts, the exhibit space and artist in residency program she co-launched, and the four words that inspired it.
• She shares what she learned through each iteration of Goodyear Arts.
• She explains the criteria Goodyear Arts uses to select resident artists.
• Amy discusses Vintage Charlotte, a business she launched, and whether it is an extension of themes she explores in her photography.
• She answers whether administrative work is coming at the cost of her art.
• Amy reveals what she wants.
• She discusses the connection between her and Charlotte magazine.
• She talks about growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, how her parents supported and influenced her, what was important to her growing up, and whether she is today who she expected to be.
• Amy answers what photographer she admires and whether she wants to produce a photography book of her own.
• She reveals what's next for her and the role magic is playing.
• Amy shares the life she wants to look back on.

Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Before my conversation with Amy I looked at the photographs she created that had been exhibited at the Ross Gallery at Central Piedmont Community College and was now available for view on her personal artist website. I was immediately drawn in..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning