Seemingly Ordinary

After achieving her life's dream of becoming a TV reporter, Caroline Burkard lived through a hurricane and found herself devastated by it.  What do you after you achieve your wildest dream--only to have it ripped from you? With grace and tenacity, you start over. This is the story of Caroline Burkard's hard-fought recovery.

(This episode was recorded on February 23, 2024.)

Caroline Burkard was an TV news reporter who was everything the news business ever wanted--telegenic, outgoing, a good storyteller--until she lived through a hurricane, and had to cover the aftermath. The devastation, the stories of people who lost everything, and the reaction of her own executives--nearly broke her. She started off idealistic. Everything changed. She's had to remake herself. 

This is a story of devastation--and recovery.

Before Mike Coy’s father passed, he said, “Make a Difference, Son.”  That credo has led Mike, a lifelong athlete and a former baseball coach with 3 Texas State Championships and 1 National Championship, to now urging men to take care better care of their health. Never sick a day in his life, Mike had to suffer through cancer—although he bounced back, and now, at age 70, still plays baseball with a bunch of guys in their 40s. An incredible speaker, Mike is a successful author of “I Choose…Live” and “A Random Act of Kindness.” Mike has coached the best and played at the highest level. You can find more about him at https://ichoselive.com

Sammy Kopecky is a professional photographer (episode 28) and a future F.O.C.U.S. missionary. Currently a senior in college, she has traveled to Peru (episode 141) and she has great advice for taking your relationships to a whole new level (episode 97). Always growing, Sammy is disarmingly relaxed. How does she do it all? In this episode, she takes her very successful life in a brand new direction.

In this concluding episode, Sam and I discuss religion, and he continues to mesmerize me with great stories. Don't miss this excellent conversation, in which Sam puts my brain in high gear.  

Sam's podcast, "Those Film Nerds," is available on YouTube and other places. His album, "Them Who Haunt," is on Spotify and elsewhere. 

(This episode was recorded on Jan. 20, 2024.)

The well-read Sam Dierberger joins me to discuss his album, tell me some great stories, and he begins to explain what he really thinks about God.

(This episode was recorded on Jan. 20, 2024.)

In this wide-ranging conversation with Sam Dierberger, a brilliant senior from Rockhurst University, we discuss his 700 page novel, the crazy real-life stories that inspired it, religion, how Sam’s had his worldview severely challenged, and much, much more. Sam is a great storyteller with highly unusual observations. You’ll love this.

 (This episode was recorded on Jan. 20, 2024.)

When college works, it really works. Sam Dierberger is a brilliant, well-read, fascinating senior at Rockhurst University who is going to law school in August, which raises the question: does college make people brilliant? Or do some brilliant people go to college?

But what I find compelling about Sam are his many interests. Sam wrote two novels while in college. He loves literature, politics, philosophy, music, and theology. He has an album, "Them Who Haunt," available on Spotify and other places. For two years, he did the “Those Film Nerds” podcast, which was film criticism, available on YouTube, Spotify, and elsewhere. This and for the next three weeks, Sam mesmerizes me with stories, discourses on life, and much, much more.

(This episode was recorded on Jan. 20, 2024.)

Everyone wishes he or she were stronger, more self-disciplined, and more courageous; it's the key to life. Adam Clement discusses resilience: what it is, what gets in the way of developing it, and how to grow it to be a better spouse, parent, friend, and everything else that you want to be. A truly great conversation, loaded with insight and practical advice.

A Marriage Therapist Discusses All of Those Petty Personality Traits That Can Drive You Crazy (Part 2): Bossy people. Indecisive people. People who minimize your problems. And many more!