Many of you have asked to hear from people who have started a non-profit! This week, you'll be hearing from Lisa Shotts, Co-Founder of Gaining Ground Literacy.

Lisa has a heart for helping and a mind for data-driven results. Her considerable time spent in the classroom as a teacher -over twenty-five years – provided insight into the importance of having access to summer reading material.

As a former instructional reading coach for a local school, she could see the notable digression students experienced in reading skills over the summer break. She could also see that it boiled down to opportunity, or lack there-of, in economically disadvantaged communities. In these areas, also referred to as reading deserts, students simply didn’t have access to books or reading material.

That’s when she and her colleague Kirby Mackenzie realized that they had the power to make a simple change that would provide a lasting and life-long impact. That simple change of getting books into the hands of children in reading deserts has grown into a local non-profit known as Gaining Ground Literacy.

Happy to kick-off Season 4! This season is full of amazing people who are actively engaged in their lives and careers. I'll visit with people who have started non-profits, joined the family business, are active in their communities and entrepreneurs who share the grit it takes to start and run a business! 

I'll also share a story of meeting someone in-person that I follow on Instagram & a personal BIG goal that I am working to accomplish in October! 

Also, please join my email list to stay in the loop about things I'm working on! I have some exciting things coming this fall!

It's been a fun season of meeting some great people who are impacting themselves and the others around them in a positive way - while following their passion and living their purpose! This quick 10 minute wrap-up will share my summer campaign to sign up for my email where I'll be sharing inspiration, behind-the-scenes content, a recap of previous guests and more! It will also share a few hints about upcoming guests in Season 4 starting August 16th! And a huge THANK YOU for joining me on this journey!

Do you struggle with getting a meal on the table every night? Me, too!

There is a new resource that considers budget and time while incorporating leftovers! It's all done with Cyndi Kane’s new cookbook, Save It Forward Suppers. In it, she shares her unique concept to simplifies meal planning and provides 15 weeks of meals.

She has cracked the code for simplifying meal planning and is now spilling the beans and sharing her techniques of how she managed to make all those meals with such ease! Our visit gets to know Cyndi, how she came up with this unique concept & how implementing this strategy will save you time and money! 

This episode shares what a mentor is, the qualities you need to have when looking for a mentor, why having a mentor is beneficial and how to continue to develop the relationship!

Sports and pop culture go hand-in-hand, and Amy Siegfried, co-founder of Last Night’s Game, is eager to connect you with both. She has made it her business to watch from the sideline, so others don’t always have to. Her goal is to educate people about the wide world of sports by connecting them with trending topics to maximize conversations that people engage in throughout the day, including those around the water cooler.

Through this endeavor, she is working to help level the playing field for those who don’t have time or interest in following athletics by providing a quick dose of content on trending topics through her podcast, Sports Curious.

In addition to this, she and her husband, Raegen, have a son who Amy lovingly refers to as the “tiny human” on her social media. In this visit, you’ll learn a little more about how she defines success, her interest in helping others and how she got to be a master of small talk!

Samson Sembeba is a former student of mine who is doing great things! He's the Pastor at a local church, Author of a new book, More than a degree, and a Speaker.

During our conversation, we discuss topics in his book along with the importance of recognizing your value, how to build a community and the benefits of having a growth mindset.