On Life and Meaning

Charles Thomas is creating a more beautiful and connected world. He is a program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. He invests foundation funds in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of the city of Charlotte - one of the cities where the Knight brothers once published a newspaper. Charles is the former founding executive director of Queen City Forward, a hub for social entrepreneurs. His work included launching the organization and building programs to support social entrepreneurship and civic innovation. Charles is also a professional photographer and artist who earlier in his career served as director of education for The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film. He began his career working as a consultant for Andersen Consulting (Accenture). Charles earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in grant-making and community building, and a personal quest to create greater equity and connection in the world.

• Charles explains what he does as a program director and the mission of the Knight Foundation.
• He shares the conversation the Knight Foundation is having behind the scenes about their investments and what Knight is seeking to accomplish.
• He talks about how Knight is exploring the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on journalism and concerns about computer-generated news and commentary.
• Charles reveals what is top of mind for him as he sits at the Knight Foundation table, the typical day of a program director, and what makes for a good grant application.
• He shares his strategy as a program director for Charlotte and the challenges and opportunities he is facing in his role.
• He discusses what he would fund if he was investing his own monies and how and why he wants to get better at his job.
• He talks about what's frustrating him at work, what he's learning to do, and what he knows now about himself now that he didn't know when he took the job.
• Charles describes growing up, being raised as an only child by a single mom, and how the absence of his father influenced him.
• He reads from an article he wrote about the Keith Lamont Scott shooting in Charlotte and his hopes and vision for the city.
• He shares his mission and purpose and what sustains him.
• Charles discusses what's important in life and his sense of destiny.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "This is what I know about Charlie Thomas. He has a larger vision of himself based on a more beautiful and connected world..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Amy Chiou cultivates the virtues of democracy. She has been a staff volunteer on dozens of electoral campaigns at all levels of political engagement. She is former deputy director of the convention complex for the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. She is the founder of #WTFwevote, a non-partisan organization that seeks to 'increase the number of people who care enough to take action' in the political process. Amy is also executive director of Queen City Forward, a community of social entrepreneurs, civic innovators and change-makers. QCF seeks to tackle significant 'social challenges with innovation, creativity, curiosity and optimism that defines entrepreneurs.' Amy earned her undergraduate degree in government at the University of Texas-Austin and a law degree at The George Washington University Law School.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in politics and social entrepreneurism, and engaging the world with curiosity and joy.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Amy explains how she thinks of herself in the work she does.
• She defines politics and what she sees as the distinction between politics and governing.
• She talks about the best and worst parts of politics in America today and what we might do about it.
• She shares why political discourse is so difficult, what is critical about politics, and the challenge facts and feelings present in our conversations.
• Amy offers her insight on why Donald Trump won and Hillary Clinton lost in the 2016 election and a key way elections are changing.
• She explains what Queen City Forward is, the many hats we she wears as executive director, and what company she would like to start.
• She reveals how being a child of an immigrant family and growing up in Texas has shaped who she is today.
• She shares the values of her family and why she is not a Republican.
• Amy talks about who she was when she was younger and who she hoped to be one day.
• She discusses the privileges and challenges of being an Asian American woman and the value and limitations of identity politics.
• She answers what tough conversations we need to have in politics.
• She shares the vision she has for herself and whether she wants to run for office.
• Amy reveals the big question she is thinking about, what most people don't know about her, and the campaign the world needs right now.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When Amy Chiou talks about the importance of family, I'm drawn to ideas I heard expressed by Professor Owen Flanagan about Mencius, a 4th century BC Chinese Confucian philosopher..."

Deborah Bosley brings clarity to complex information. She is a plain language expert who re-envisions language so that readers might better understand and respond. She is owner and principal of The Plain Language Group, a consultancy that helps businesses improve internal and external communication. Her work includes developing and designing documents to meet plain language regulatory requirements, helping clients communicate more effectively, and serving as an expert witness on plain language compliance. Her clients include corporations, government agencies and professional firms. She is a former professor of English (technical communication) at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She has published extensively and has presented at conferences throughout the world on clear communication. Deborah earned an undergraduate and master's degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing from Illinois State University.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Deborah explains technical communication and how it differs from other forms of communication.
• She discusses how technical communication is informed by theories of rhetoric and psychology to create meaning and inform with empathy.
• She shares how technical writing is different than just good writing and what good technical writers do.
• She reveals what makes technical communication difficult to do and the difference between technical communication and plain language.
• Deborah explains how plain language addresses terms of art or precision within what she calls discourse communities.
• She offers her thoughts on whether Presidents Obama and Trump speak in plain language.
• Deborah explains why she doesn't market herself as a writer and how revising is something else entirely than editing.
• She shares why plain language interests her and what motivates her work.
• She reveals who she was as a child, where she grew up and what her family life was like.
• She describes being in college in the 1960s and what she learned about herself.
• Deborah tells stories about Eugene McCarthy, Norman Mailer, Grant Park and Woodstock.
• She answers who she would rather listen to: Grace Slick or Janis Joplin?
• She shares her career path from being a school teacher to an editor to a bookbinder to a professor and why she calls herself an accidental entrepreneur.
• She talks about what she is reading, what feeds her spirit and how she is wiser today than when she was young.
• Deborah shares what she hopes her daughter has learned from her.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I listen to Deborah Bosley talk about communicating clearly and the music of the 1960's and helping others, she and I have a few things in common..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Renee Stout is a visual artist who explores the mystical and rhythmic planes of existence. Her assemblages combine painting, sculpture, found objects, vintage photographs, ancient symbols, herbs and potions, and remnants of stories and letters. Her mixed-media, multi-sensory installations delve into spiritualism, soothsaying, magic and spells. She creates fictional narratives with imaginary characters derived from alter egos that trace her personal history and address contemporary issues of community strife and healing. Her work has been exhibited internationally and at the National Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African Art, the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Smithsonian Institution American Art Museum. Renee is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the conjuring of mystical powers and the life of a contemporary visual artist.

IN THIS EPISODE

Renee explains her art and what viewers would see at one of her exhibits.

• She shares what she wants viewers of her art to feel and the story she is telling.
• She reveals the role alter egos play in the construction and presentation of her work.
• She discusses what herbs, roots and found objects have to do with her art.
• She explains who Fatima Mayfield is and the conjuring of supernatural forces.
• Renee talks about connecting with spirits and interventions from other dimensions.
• She discusses moments of possession and the role music plays in her work.
• She tells a story about when she cast a spell of her own.
• She reveals who exactly are Madame Ching and Dorothy.
• Renee talks about how the relationship of her parents affected her and the burden and benefits of being sensitive.
• She shares what it was like growing up in Pittsburgh and key advice she received from her father.
• She tells the story of an early encounter with art that changed her life.
• She discusses how she feels about the label 'black art' and being known as a black artist.
• She talks about her breakout exhibition and what people don't know about the life of an artist.
• Renee shares what she is working on now, whether her art is where she wants it to be, and what spell she would cast on the world.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I hear Renee Stout talk about spirits and music and spells, I'm brought back to the street of Rio de Janeiro watching African-Brazilian women in white crinoline dresses..."

Mike Watson is an artist, educator, adviser and convener of people and ideas. He is a fashion designer and visual merchandiser. He teaches students about fashion design and fashion marketing at the Art Institute of Charlotte, a branch of Miami International University of Art & Design. He is the founder of Heartful Apparel, a fashion brand that supports reshaping lives for the better. Mike is also a leadership consultant. He is the founder of Heart-Centric Leadership, a personal development consultancy that advises clients on leading from the heart. He is the host of TEDx Charlotte, presenting 'ideas worth sharing.' Mike earned an undergraduate degree in fashion-textile design from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master's degree in fashion and consumer behavior from UNC Greensboro, and is a doctor of education candidate at Argosy University.

IN THIS EPISODE

Mike talks about what is at the center of all of what he does.

• He explains what he means by heart-centric and why it matters in our lives.
• He answers whether our emotions get in the way of insight.
• He discusses the difference between realizing ourselves and transcending ourselves.
• He shares how he achieves balance and the value he brings to time-tested wisdom.
• Mike defines what fashion is, what makes something fashionable and what is driving change in fashion today.
• He talks about what fashion teaches us about how to live our lives and the core values that current fashion is expressing.
• He considers how fashion 'makes belief' and how it shifts perceptions of reality.
• He discusses the connection he sees between fashion and leadership.
• Mike talks about the fashioning of identity and when he came into his own identity.
• He shares what began to happen in his life in his mid-thirties and the shift in his life that occurred.
• He discusses who he was as a teenager and how his professional life began.
• He reveals the choice he made that confused his family for many years and the most the most important career decision he made.
• Mike shares his purpose in life, why people need to fail, and the importance of 'forest-bathing' in his life.
• He reveals what we would see if we could he where he creates and what his culminating work of art would be.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When Mike Watson talks about heart-centric leadership, I think about what moral philosophers call the ethics of care..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Kelly Chopus is an instigator of connection and change. She is CEO of the Robins Foundation, a family foundation that seeks to lead transformational change for children and families in greater Richmond, Virginia. Kelly has had an extensive career in philanthropy, community engagement, corporate communications, community building and professional and amateur sports management. She previously served as Director of Community Relations for the Goodrich Corporation and directed operations for the Goodrich Foundation. She was Vice President for Business Operations of the WNBA Charlotte Sting and an associate producer of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympiad. She is a graduate of Colby College.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the rewards and challenges of foundation-led philanthropy and a life of taking risk for the public good.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Kelly explains the strategic focus of the Robins Foundation and her approach to community engagement and transformational change.
• She shares what the ghost of Christmas future has to do with her work.
• She describes the city of Richmond and what she thinks Richmond thinks of itself.
• She talks about how she sees her role, what keeps her up at night, what she does well and what she could do better.
• Kelly shares the personality traits that define her and how her mind works to see what others may not be seeing.
• She reveals what she is most proud of in her work, what she looks for in the people she hires, and what she hopes to accomplish in the years ahead.
• She talks about the challenge at the heart of philanthropy and the most important change that must be made.
• Kelly shares the personal burdens and rewards of her current work.
• She reflects on growing up in Connecticut and the origins of her mission-based consciousness.
• She describes Salt Lake City and what about Utah she carries with her.
• She talks about the Winter Olympics, the WNBA and a key lesson she learned in sports management.
• She shares a powerful memory from her time at the Goodrich Corporation and how it impacts her today.
• Kelly reveals what motivates her, the crossroads she is facing, and the most important thing in life she teaches her children.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I listen to Kelly talk about being an instigator of change and the love of community that drives her work, I think about the stories of Edell Quinn and Nate Bartlett..."

To learn more visit, On Life and Meaning.

Karen Geiger develops leaders for the 21st century workplace. She is a leadership and organizational development advisor and executive coach. Over a 25 year career as owner of Karen Geiger & Associates, Karen has helped corporate and non-profit clients diagnose and adapt to rapidly changing workplace issues and challenges. Along with her client service work, she has had a rich career as an academic: she served as associate dean and director of the Executive Leadership Institute at Queens University and director of Leadership Initiatives at the McColl Graduate School of Business. Karen previously served as senior vice president for work/family programs at NCNB/NationsBank (now Bank of America). She earned an undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of Rochester, a master's degree in education from Indiana University-Bloomington, and a Ph.D. in leadership and change from Antioch University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in leadership in the workplace and lessons learned to live a life of curiosity and contribution.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Karen explains how she starts all her engagements and what her favorite clients do.
• She talks about what is most important in her work and what distinguishes her practice.
• She discusses common leadership issues arising in workplaces today, the assessment tools she uses, and the philosophy that guides her consultancy.
• She shares a lesson she learned about her own behaviors as a young employee.
• Karen explains what good and poor leaders do.
• She reflects on growing up, the influence of her parents, what she studied in college, and where and how her career began.
• Karen talks about a life-threatening traumatic incident that changed the course of her life.
• She discusses the leadership of Hugh McColl, CEO of NCNB/NationsBank/Bank of America and what she learned from him.
• She shares the advice she would give to anyone who wanting to become a better leader.
• Karen explains the concept of 'sacred contracts' and how it informs her life.
• She talks about the challenges and reward she had as a parent.
• She shares what is on her mind about what might be next.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When Karen Geiger talks about the value of time and living life on her own terms, I'm drawn to a very different idea of an MBA..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Matt Olin creates moments of human brilliance. He is the owner of Matt Olin Creative, a copywriting, branding and creative consultancy. He is the host of CreativeMornings Charlotte, a breakfast lecture series for the creative community. He is also co-host of Queen City Quiz Show, a series of live games shows designed to help neighborhoods and communities shape the future of the city. Over a 20-year career in theater production in New York and Charlotte, Matt developed and produced over 60 projects for the stage exploring the human condition and our higher purposes. He was a member of the Dodger Theatrical's Broadway Producing team, which received 14 Tony Awards during his tenure. He was Managing Director and Producer of Charlotte Repertory Theater. For many years he was the keyboardist for Shadowflag, a rock touring band. Matt earned an undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill and a MFA from Columbia University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the power and purposes of creativity and a passion-filled life.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Matt explains what Creative Mornings is and what happens at CM gatherings.
• He shares what Creative Mornings means to him.
• He talks about the philosophy that guides production of Creative Morning gatherings and reflects on what he hopes it might become.
• Matt reveals what you would see if you saw him writing and what makes for good copy.
• He answers what he understand creativity to be and what role he is fulfilling in this moment in his city.
• He considers if we are innovating what we need to innovate.
• Matt shares a childhood memory that reveals how he feels about accomplishment and recognition.
• He reflects on his time in college and how his career ambitions took its course.
• He explains a time in his life he calls The Thrash and how it led to the work he is doing now.
• He talks about the influence of his wife Sarah Olin and the essential qualities of his marriage.
• Matt reveals who is seeks to become and how he hopes to be remembered.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When I hear Matt Olin talk about bringing people together to enrich the creativity of the city, I'm reminded of a book entitled Integral City: Evolutionary Intelligences for the Human Hive..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Charlie Elberson excavates and clarifies the meaning of brands. He is a brand strategist who has developed, built and stewarded brands for business clients for over 35 years. He is Vice President Insights Strategist for Wray Ward | Creative Marketing Communications. His work includes client engagement, developing strategy, drawing on research, working with creative, determining measurements, interpreting analytics, and asking the questions that lead to insight. Charlie previously led his own agency, Elberson Partners. He has worked for Young & Rubicam and Leber Kats Partners (now FCB). He is the primary trustee and advisor for Reemprise, a venture philanthropy fund. Charlie also sings and plays keyboard for Small Time Joe, a classic rock, blues and soul cover band.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in branding and marketing, and a personal journey of curiosity and engagement.

• Charlie explains what an Insights Strategist is and what he does.
• He talks about the anthropological work of brand development.
• He discusses the quality that makes him good at what he does, what he likes best about his work, and what he finds most challenging about it.
• Charlie defines the essence of a brand.
• He tells the story of a company that has successfully established a new brand.
• He reveals what he thinks about personal branding.
• He talks about growing up and what his friends thought of him in high school.
• Charlie shares the role his father played in one of the most iconic product development and advertising campaigns.
• He discusses the impact of the digital revolution on marketing communications and what he means by the dance of client engagement.
• He talks about the creation of a family legacy venture philanthropy fund.
• He shares what he values about playing music in a band.
• Charlie reveals what he hopes his life will be all about.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "When Charlie Elberson talks about asking the questions that lead to insight and living from the heart, he is describing the stated purpose of this podcast..."

To learn more about this podcast, visit On Life and Meaning.

Michael Goldfarb is a journalist, author and broadcaster who for over thirty years has written the first rough draft of history. A former London bureau chief of NPR, he has reported from more than 20 countries across five continents for the BBC, Newsday, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Die Welt and The Guardian. He spent many years covering conflicts from Northern Ireland to Bosnia to Iraq. He has authored two books: Ahmad's War, Ahmad's Peace: Surviving Under Saddam, Dying in the New Iraq and Emancipation: How Liberating Europe's Jews From the Ghetto led to Revolution and Renaissance. His journalism has won the highest awards on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Overseas Press Club's Lowell Thomas Award in America and the Sony Gold award in Britain. He is a former fellow of the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is the host of the podcast FRDH.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in journalism, war correspondence, drafting the narrative of history, and American and world affairs.

• Michael discusses providing historical context in news reporting.
• He reveals what motivated him to start a podcast.
• He talks about being in the middle of history covering Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq.
• He responds to whether his work is prophetic and discerning patterns of events.
• Michael reflects on the candidacy of Donald Trump and the paranoid style of American politics.
• He talks about storytelling on the radio and calling the audience to the better angels of their nature.
• He explains growing up as a child of victory.
• He shares when he knew for certain that Donald Trump would win the election.
• Michael notes how his experience in college reflected movements in America.
• He explains the difference between radio and television journalism.
• He reveals how he felt about being a war correspondent.
• He discusses his books about reporting in Iraq and Jewish emancipation.
• Michael shares his thoughts about the state of affairs in America today and the work of citizenship.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Listening to Michael Goldfarb talk about his work as a journalist and historian, I'm reminded of countless hours listening to the reporters of NPR report from distant places from around the world..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.