Dr. Paul J. Zak, acclaimed neuroscientist and bestselling author of The Little Book of Happiness, returns to The Daily Helping to share groundbreaking insights on how connection and fulfillment truly shape our well-being. As a professor and pioneer in behavioral neuroscience, Dr. Zak has spent decades studying what it takes for people to thrive, developing tools that help us measure and build more meaningful lives.

In this episode, Dr. Zak discusses his innovative SIX app, which uses data from everyday smartwatches to track our most valuable, emotionally resonant moments. His research shows that fulfillment isn’t about minimizing stress or chasing endless self-improvement—it’s about being present, nurturing relationships, and making small, positive impacts on those around us.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Make a point to add love to the world. Strive to make every interaction “love plus”—bringing kindness and care to those around you, even if they aren’t always able to do the same. The simple act of connecting with and helping others is at the core of lasting happiness.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Read The Little Book of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Living Better by Paul J. Zak
• Immersion Neuroscience: immersionneuro.com
• SIX App: your6.com
• Follow Dr. Paul J. Zak on LinkedIn
• Listen: Ep. 1: Love, The Moral Molecule & Trust | with Paul J. Zak (AKA Dr. Love)

Produced by NOVA

On this episode of The Daily Helping, we’re joined by Paul Johnson and Larry Aldrich, two accomplished leaders who have spent decades shaping policy and championing individual rights. Paul, former mayor of Phoenix and host of The Optimistic American podcast, brings deep experience from his roles in business, politics, and international development. Larry, a federal antitrust prosecutor and newspaper CEO, has long defended First Amendment rights and innovation in media. Together, they bring a unique, bipartisan lens to the question: Is America’s future as bright as its past?

As we reflect on their conversation, it’s clear how much negativity and fear dominate the news and our feeds, making it harder for people to feel empowered or hopeful about the future. Paul and Larry remind us that the founders built this country on the power and responsibility of individuals, not institutions, and that our national fabric is woven from courage, imagination, grit, generosity, and optimism. Through stories like Rosa Parks’s compassion and lessons from history, they show us that when we focus on agency and human connection, we not only enrich our own lives but also strengthen our communities.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Paul Johnson:

The differences we had writing this book forced us to communicate, and there’s real joy in that. If you want to find purpose, it’s very hard to do that if you start from a pessimistic point of view. The goal is to find agency, and the good news is, you live in the greatest nation in history. Whatever you do, don’t exclude people from your life just because they don’t think like you. That’s a huge mistake.

Larry Aldrich:

The story of America wasn’t written by institutions—it was written by individuals. Look around your community and find places where you see courage, grit, generosity, and joy every day, because that’s where America shines and where its future lies.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Read: What's Right with America: …And How We Can Keep It That Way!
• The Optimistic American Podcast
• The New Frontiers
• Larry Aldrich on LinkedIn
• Paul Johnson on LinkedIn

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Ken Banta, founder and CEO of the Vanguard Network, is a recognized expert in leadership and organizational change. With a rich background as a journalist—covering pivotal events like the Eastern European revolutions for Time magazine—Ken transitioned into corporate leadership, helping guide major turnarounds at companies such as Pharmacia and Bausch & Lomb. His latest book, Seeing Around Corners, gathers lessons from top leaders and is designed to inspire everyone, from emerging professionals to global executives.

Ken’s perspective on leadership is shaped by witnessing ordinary people drive extraordinary change, often guided by unexpected leaders like Vaclav Havel. These experiences reinforced his belief that leadership isn’t just for those at the top; anyone, regardless of background or title, can play a vital role. True leaders are consistent in their purpose, adaptable, and agile—qualities that matter as much in everyday life as in the boardroom.

Ken’s key takeaway is simple: leadership is for everyone. Whether you’re leading a team or contributing as an individual, you can make an impact by being clear on your purpose, staying flexible in your approach, and staying connected to those around you. Embrace your own ability to lead and remember—often, the most lasting change comes from ordinary people stepping up in extraordinary ways.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Leadership is really for everybody. The idea that leaders sit at the top of a pyramid with everyone else below them is simply wrong. Not everyone can be the head of a large team, but within any team, everyone can play a leadership role—whether that's leading sideways with colleagues or leading upwards by influencing those at the top.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Read Seeing Around Corners by Ken Banta
• The Vanguard Network website: thevanguardnetwork.com
• Connect with Ken on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA

Joel Zuckerman may have made a name for himself as a golf writer, but it’s gratitude—not golf—that transformed his life. With over 300 handwritten letters under his belt, Joel has shifted from penning sports columns to advocating for expressive gratitude as a path to greater well-being. In this episode of The Daily Helping, Dr. Richard sits down with Joel to unpack his latest book, Gratitude Tiger, and the powerful personal journey that inspired it.

Joel’s story begins with a single letter written in 2013, inspired by a two-page chapter in Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. What started as an intellectual exercise quickly became an emotional revelation, and Joel found himself writing dozens, then hundreds, of gratitude letters to people who had shaped his life. Some recipients responded. Many didn’t. But that wasn’t the point. As Joel says, “Every time I write a letter, it makes me feel good.” His letters have become a practice not just in gratitude, but in personal healing and joy.

Gratitude Tiger offers a framework that’s part inspiration, part instruction manual. Joel shares how even a simple seven-word message—like “You are the cog in the machine”—can have a profound impact. And in one of the book’s most moving chapters, he explores how people facing unthinkable hardship—ALS, cancer, the loss of a child—still manage to find purpose and, yes, gratitude. Joel reminds us that we don’t need to be saints to be grateful. We just need to start.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“You write letters of gratitude for yourself. I am not Mother Teresa. I'm not an altruist. The reason I've gone to the computer 280 times over 11 years is that every time I write a letter, it makes me feel good. Yes, the person who receives it will receive what I call collateral joy and be shocked and pleased and taken aback and surprised. But every letter I write is to make myself feel better.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at gratitudetiger.com
• Read Gratitude Tiger: Creating Joy Through the Art of Impactful Letters by Joel Zuckerman
• Read Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff... and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
• Follow Joel on Instagram: @gratitude_tiger

Produced by NOVA

Bill Zujewski—better known as Bill Z—is the founder of Good Life LLC, creator of the Life by Design system, the ZenScore app, and the Good Life platform. After a long and successful career in enterprise software with companies like Oracle and Tulip, Bill co-founded the Green Business Bureau, which was successfully acquired in 2023. He’s now the author of What’s Your Life Score?, a book and system designed to help people bring intentionality and balance into their everyday lives.

Bill’s journey toward intentional living began while still in the corporate world. After years of climbing the ladder and working with high-tech startups, he experienced a shift: he wanted to do something that had a deeper purpose. What began as a personal spreadsheet to evaluate his year across different life categories eventually became a comprehensive tool for self-assessment. First used with his four children and later expanded into a larger framework, this tool evolved into the Life Score system—a way to measure not just success, but fulfillment across eight key life areas.

The heart of Bill’s approach lies in the acronym HELP GROW: Health, Environment, Leisure, Purpose, Growth, Relationships, Occupation, and Wealth. Each category is scored to assess how balanced and intentional your life is. Whether you’re questioning your purpose, feeling stuck, or just want to improve your habits, Bill emphasizes the power of regular self-check-ins. His takeaway? The happiest people invest time in all areas of life—not just work—and live with purpose and balance. His tools and insights offer a roadmap to get there.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Live a balanced life, and do it intentionally. And balance is not just work and everything else. Manage all eight buckets. Invest in your relationships, invest in leisure, invest in your physical health and go to the gym. There's a playbook for life that is anchored in having a balanced life if you pay attention to all those areas.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at goodliife.com
• Read: What’s Your Life Score: A Playbook for Designing Your Best Life
• Connect with Bill Zujewski on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA

Sol Smith is a certified autism specialist, author of The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery, and former college professor who is also autistic, dyslexic, and has ADHD. After spending over twenty years in academia, Sol transitioned into coaching and advocacy, building a large online following and offering guidance to neurodivergent individuals around the world. His work aims to help people better understand themselves and build autonomy—especially those who have felt left behind by systems that weren’t designed with them in mind.

Sol’s personal journey mirrors that of many late-identified autistics. Though he always sensed he was different, it wasn’t until much later that he fully understood his neurotype. Growing up, his family viewed those differences positively, but it wasn’t until creating a podcast during the pandemic that he realized how deeply he had internalized the need to mask his traits. That podcast became the foundation for his book, offering both a critique of traditional education and a guide for navigating life through an autistic lens.

The book serves as a roadmap for unmasking and rebuilding—helping autistic individuals reconnect with themselves after years of performing to meet neurotypical expectations. Sol talks about the emotional toll of masking, the challenge of expressing needs, and how burnout often leads people to seek diagnosis in the first place. He also offers practical tools for identifying what you truly want out of life, communicating with loved ones, and managing stress and rumination. Above all, his message is one of self-acceptance: you're not broken—and you deserve to live as your full, authentic self.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“You're not broken. Trust that you're a unique person and you're not defined by your neurotype. You are unique even within that neurotype. Start where you are and accept yourself. You're going to be able to overcome the challenges that you're facing and live a happy life.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at ProfessorSol.com
• Check out NeuroSpicyCommunity.com
• Read The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery

Produced by NOVA

Todd Patkin is a successful entrepreneur turned happiness advocate whose life story took a sharp turn after selling his family business. A Tufts University graduate, Todd spent nearly two decades building that business before it was acquired by Advanced Auto Parts. With his time and energy newly freed, he turned toward philanthropy and mental health advocacy—particularly drawing from his personal battles with depression and anxiety. He went on to write Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and Finally Let the Sunshine In, as well as develop a 12-week happiness program that blends lived experience with psychological insights.

From an early age, Todd had a drive to help people, but his own journey wasn’t easy. He experienced two major breakdowns that left him feeling hopeless and suicidal. Those painful chapters gave him a deep empathy for others struggling with mental health. After running the Boston Marathon to “stay busy” post-sale, he began authoring books and programs to share what helped him find peace—including plenty of humorous, humbling stories that highlight his core message: we’re all human, and we all make mistakes.

Todd’s 12-week program begins with one simple but powerful principle: exercise. It’s the fastest way to change your brain chemistry and spark motivation. But beyond that, his program walks people through the work of reprogramming their inner dialogue, identifying their strengths, setting boundaries with toxic people, and finding joy through gratitude, community, and service. As Todd reminds us, “The happiest people are those that help others”—and that happiness, no matter your starting point, is something you can actively build.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“I always tell people who are feeling awful to go to the gym. It's the quickest way to feel better. Go to the gym and feel stronger and more powerful, but start off easy so you don't get turned off.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at toddpatkin.com
• Read Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and–Finally–Let the Sunshine In
• Listen: Tony Robbins – Personal Power II
• Read: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• Read: The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale
• Connect with Todd on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA

Butch Meily has lived a remarkable life bridging cultures between the United States and the Philippines, carving out a career that spans public relations, corporate communications, and journalism. With stints at top PR firms and as VP of Communications for TLC Beatrice International, Meily’s storytelling prowess has graced publications like The Wall Street Journal and Black Enterprise. But perhaps his most defining chapter is the one he shares in his memoir, From Manila to Wall Street, chronicling his journey alongside trailblazing business magnate Reginald Lewis.

Meily’s story begins as an immigrant arriving in America in 1977, escaping the confines of a strict Catholic upbringing to embrace the freedoms of a new world. It was a time of transformation—personally and professionally—that led him to a serendipitous encounter with Lewis. From a windowless PR office to the boardrooms of billion-dollar deals, Meily found himself in the orbit of a man he describes as “the sun”—charismatic, commanding, and determined to leave his mark on history. Lewis was not only the first African American to own a global conglomerate, but he was also a mentor who exposed Meily to the realities of race, success, and sacrifice in America.

Through their journey, Meily gleaned hard-won lessons: success demands relentless effort, perceived limits must be challenged, and even the most powerful achievements mean little without connection. As he reflects now, it’s not the billion-dollar takeovers or champagne-filled boardrooms that define a life well lived—it’s family, love, and showing up for the people who matter. Meily’s tribute to Lewis reminds us that legacy is not just what we build, but who we bring along with us.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

The most important thing in your life is being with your family and staying close to your loved ones. Because you're going to regret it if you don't talk to your kid, go to the movie with them, or watch their ball games. You're going to regret it someday. Stay close to the people you love because in the end, that's all you're going to have.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at butchmeily.com
• Pre-order From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant Story of America’s First Black Tycoon

Produced by NOVA

Barry Shore is known as the “Ambassador of Joy,” and for good reason. A successful entrepreneur with multiple patents and a top-ranked podcast, Barry has turned immense personal adversity into a global movement of giving. After a rare disease suddenly rendered him a quadriplegic, Barry rebuilt his life from the ground up. Today, he swims two miles a day, six days a week, and has reached millions through his Keep Smiling cards, his podcast The Joy of Living, and now, through a groundbreaking platform: Einstein Cares.

Barry’s journey is one of deep transformation. At the peak of his career, he went from healthy and thriving to completely paralyzed overnight. That experience became the catalyst for his most impactful work. As he lay in bed unable to move, his wife asked him if they could donate to a charity providing wheelchairs to those in need. That moment sparked an idea: a platform where shopping could fuel giving, automatically and without extra cost to the consumer. It took 15 years for the technology to catch up to Barry’s vision, but the result was worth the wait.

Einstein Cares is Barry’s bold answer to democratizing philanthropy. Through a simple, secure platform, users can link their credit cards, shop as they normally would at over 20,000 participating merchants—including Amazon, Nike, Home Depot, and thousands of local restaurants—and automatically earn cash back while donating an equal amount to the charity of their choice. Barry calls it “philanthrotainment”—an ecosystem of good that makes giving fun, effortless, and woven into everyday life. His biggest helping? “Learn to live in joy daily.” And with Einstein Cares, he’s making that joy contagious.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Learn to live in joy daily. And the best way to do that is to utilize that which you enjoy doing, which is to smile, and understand that SMILE stands for Seeing Miracles In Life Everyday. You are a good-looking person because you're always looking for and finding the good in life.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at barryshore.com
• Instagram: @barryeshore
• Ep. 188: Find the Joy of Living, Pt. 1 | with Barry Shore
• Ep. 189: Find the Joy of Living, Pt. 2 | with Barry Shore

Produced by NOVA

Marissa Afton is a partner and Head of Global Accounts at Potential Project, a global leadership development firm focused on building more human workplaces. With over 20 years of experience in workplace well-being and performance, Marissa helps leaders drive cultural excellence, innovation, and resilience. She’s also the co-author of More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead, and her work appears in outlets like Forbes and Harvard Business Review.

Her passion for human-centered leadership began with her father, a corporate attorney who discovered mindfulness to bring balance to his fast-paced life. That practice deeply influenced Marissa’s career and continues to shape her work today. At Potential Project, she’s spent the past decade helping organizations create mindful, connected, and compassionate work environments.

In our conversation, Marissa challenges the common fear that AI will dehumanize us. Instead, she argues that when used intentionally, AI can actually enhance our humanity. Whether it’s helping leaders free up time for meaningful conversations or serving as a mirror for self-reflection, AI has the potential to support—not replace—our most human qualities. The key is making sure we’re still in the driver’s seat. For Marissa, the future of leadership is not about competing with machines—it’s about leading with heart.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

In our world today, we have lost a lot of the humanness in our day-to-day interactions. Hopefully, we're still staying human in our communities and in our families. But in our workplaces and in our lives, I think we're just going at such a fast pace. We have abdicated a lot of our humanness to other people's perspectives and technology. And really, to be able to keep coming back to our human connection will really, I think, help us in the long run for all of us.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at www.potentialproject.com
• Read More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead
• Connect with Marissa on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA