Our words can carry a bigger impact than we sometimes realize.

That’s why it’s so important for us to live out the positive messages that we preach.

Emily Knuth, founder of Emily Knuth Photography and Made Fearless, sat down with us to share her moving story and why it prompted her to launch an apparel line with a positive message.

In this episode, we cover:

• Choosing faith over fear
• Entrepreneurship
• Overcoming mental illness

To hear this episode and more like it, subscribe to Orlando Impact on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

What are the foundational ideas that impact a community?

Faith and family are probably 2 of the first concepts many us would shout out. Well, mix together loads of faith, a family-run business, a dash of fun, and a huge heart, and you’d have John Arie Sr.

John Arie Sr. is the 70-year-old founder and chairman of FunSpot Attractions, but you’d have to imagine a smiling much younger version to spot John (he doesn’t look anywhere near 70).

He started working on a golf cart track in high school, and essentially never stopped. His family now runs 3 family-fun attraction locations across Florida and Georgia.

On this episode of the Orlando Impact podcast apple, John discusses the ups and downs of a family business, and why giving back to the community initiatives (such as high school gyms, churches, and St. Jude’s) are the lifeblood of his organization.

There's something sweet about employing young people.  There's an innocence to it, as you watch young men and women become adults.

On this episode, we sat down with Reginald Burroughs III, Youth Employment Coordinator/ Legistlative Advocate for Families with the City of Orlando Parks and Recreation, to talk about the work he does with the city's youth.

Are you treating the symptoms of a problem or the problem itself?

In this episode, Dr. Erik Lerner, Doctor of Chiropractic at Lerner Family Chiropractic Center, talks about his journey toward innovative chiropractic care.  Having struggled with his health from an early age, his love for sciences and desire to be a doctor fortuitously led him to become a chiropractic doctor.

He and his brother have embarked on a journey to help others make beneficial health changes.  

Non-profit organizations and fundraising present unique and sometimes interesting challenges.  

On this episode, NIck Geinosky, Development Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, talks about his path to working with non-profit organizations, the motivation to help others, and what it looks like to raise the funds that make a difference in the lives of children.

Many people sincerely want to change their community.  Nick is working to match their passion with the opportunity to change lives.

After a successful collegiate and professional sports career that saw him helping with charitable causes all over the world as a WWE star.  

Everything changed for Matt Morgan, Commissioner of Longwood City District 4, when his son was born.  Although he’d impacted people abroad, he began asking what he’d done for his community.

It wasn’t long before he decided to “stop playing armchair quarterback and get in the game”.  

There will always be struggles as you try to live in the new body and mindset that comes becoming fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Josh Jensen and Kim Mencia, founders of All of Me Fitness in Orlando, FL, have created a brand and company that’s leading the charge in Orlando to help people improve their physical fitness.  They’re changing the mindset of what others can do and what they’re limited to.

Josh and Kim hope to match the effort of their AOM athletes.  Just as the people they serve spend time, energy, and money to work on fitness, Josh and Kim want to match that effort in becoming better coaches.

Melissa’s world was turned upside down when her child was diagnosed with cancer.  Pregnant with twins, what was first recognized as a limp quickly became a life changing reality.

Melissa Wiggins, the Co-Founder and Executive Director for Cannonball Kids Cancer Foundation, wants more children to survive cancer.  And she wants survivorship to be a better quality of life.

Fighting an uphill battle, Melissa saw changes that needed to be made.  She and her husband’s investigative nature kicked in and has bloomed into a program that is making a difference for children fighting cancer!

Our children are the future.

On this episode, Kay Rawlins, the VP of Community Relations for Orlando City Soccer Club, President of the Foundation and Founder and Owner of the Club, talks about some of her experience with children's programs both in England and the past 13 years in the USA 

She has owned and ran children’s pre-schools in the UK, served as an educational assessor, lectured on signs and symptoms of child abuse to pre-school educators and also taught parenting classes.

Listen to how her experience, diverse and thorough, leads her a great passion for the lives of young people!

The philosophy that we adopt in our life view often determines our perspective on building wealth and the adversity along the way.

Marius van der Riet, Principal at Kingdom Impact Investments, is no stranger to adversity.  A Defense Attaché for South Africa in Washington D.C., his endeavors to create wealth to support his wife and family led him on a faith enhancing journey.  

Marius garners great joy from what life has taught him about relying his faith and how he defines significance.  He believes everyone should have a dream and pursue it.