The Daily Helping

Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of kidnapping and sexual violence.

From growing up on an idyllic Colorado horse farm to being violently kidnapped in France, Cheryl Hunter has always shown a fierce will to live her best life and help others do the same. Cheryl joins us today to tell her amazing life story, and why she does what she does today.

Cheryl has been an elite, global model and TV producer for major networks including HBO, CBS, and NBC, but nothing has fit her as well as her current vocation. Today she helps people who help people. She helps healers get their message out to the whole world through major media. 

Cheryl’s story is inspirational and fascinating. Prepare yourself and you will come away with a deeper understanding of life.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Look at your own life and consider that everything you've previously believed is wrong with you is actually what makes you magnificent, is actually that which comprises the building blocks of your superpower.

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

Resources:

• Read “Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl
• Learn more at CherylHunter.com
• Connect with Cheryl on LinkedIn
• Follow Cheryl on X
• Stay in touch with Cheryl on Instagram
• Follow Cheryl on Facebook

Produced by NOVA Media

This episode is a rebroadcast of an interview with John Ruhlin. John unexpectedly passed away recently. He leaves behind a wife and four young children. We’re rebroadcasting this episode to both remind us of the beautiful legacy John created, and to encourage listeners to consider donating to his children’s education fund.

John truly cared about helping people and making the world better. His “Biggest Helping” advice was to give more than is reasonable. I hope you’ll join me in following his lead as we support his family during this heartbreaking time.

The GoFundMe link is in the Resources section below.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

You'll never regret giving more than is reasonable in most situations. People hold back five or ten percent in relationships. We don't want to be taken advantage of. We're afraid of getting hurt. Paul lived his life the exact opposite. He would he always asked himself, what's the most I can do in the situation? And when you live life like that you show up at a huge show up at pizza shop and he'd be like what's the most I can do here I can pick up the tab for the entire restaurant it's gonna cost 800 bucks but all the I love 90% of these people I know and I love and he would just do it that's just who he was and so I picked up that mentality and do I do it perfectly? No. Sometimes I suck sometimes my wife you know thinks I'm a jerk like I'm not perfect in it but the idea of giving more than is reasonable and going all in on people like that's where you separate yourself and give that, you know, everybody says go the extra mile, give 110%. But I don't think they actually actually live it. And they're willing to do that with their time and with their pocketbook. When you do that with whatever level you're at, people notice it shocks and awes them. You become memorable in their mind. And so I would say that give more than is reasonable is the thing that I've tried to live my life around and build my life on and it's it's paid back huge dividends and it's just fun.

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

Resources:

• Donate on the “Upholding John's Legacy: Supporting His Family” GoFundMe page.
• Read “Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention” by John Ruhlin
• Check out John’s free gift-giving guide 
• Learn more at GiftologyGroup.com

Produced by NOVA Media

Sam Bennett is a writer, speaker, actor, instructor, and productivity specialist. In her words, she has followed a trail of “sparkling breadcrumbs” to build a fulfilling life for herself. If you wish that could be you, don’t worry it can. Sam explains how in her “The 15 Minute Method” book, and as a guest on our podcast today.

The key for Sam is experimentation. Set aside 15 minutes to just do a little bit of what you want to do. Schedule it in your calendar to make sure you actually do it. See if you like what you’ve chosen to do. See if you don’t. Observe how the act of doing it changed you. Yes, even tasks like cleaning out your garage can follow this method. Break down overwhelming tasks into doable pieces.

This interview with Sam is a delight.  Be sure to check out all her books, follow her on her socials, and maybe even keep an eye out for her in reruns of the Drew Carey Show and Modern Family!

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

I have an acute awareness that we are not here for very long. We do not have an unlimited amount of time in which to make our contributions to the world, in which to do the things that we love to do. And we don't know how long it is. So if there is something that is on your heart to do, this is it. Start now. Start today.

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

Resources:

• Read “The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done” by Sam Bennett
• Learn more at TheRealSamBennett.com
• Check out Sam’s Daily Practicum 
• Follow Sam on Instagram: @TheRealSamBennett
• Follow Sam on Twitter/X: @RealSamBennett
• Follow Sam on Pinterest: @TheRealSamBennett
• Follow Sam on Facebook: @TheRealSamBennett
• Read “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh
• Read “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
• Read “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy

Produced by NOVA Media

From his time as a psychiatrist and emergency physician, to his experience in corporate healthcare C-suites, Dr. Angel Iscovich’s wealth of knowledge about the human condition has led him to an important finding: Humans thrive with routine. 

Dr. Iscovich, or “Dr. I” is our guest on the program today and author of “The Art of Routine.” He explains that routines are found throughout human physiology: Circadian rhythms, postprandial tides, the gastro-colic reflex, etc. He points out that the power of routine also appears in longevity studies and in cultures across the globe.

Dr. Iscovich then brings us to our daily lives today, especially around technology. He warns that technological innovations shouldn’t just disrupt industries, but strengthen routine-making for users. Rather than increase distractions, technology should be designed to help us stay focused on healthy routines. 

If you’re looking for one man’s incredible life story and incisive insights into human nature, look no further. Dr. Angel Iscovich brings all that and more in today’s episode.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Continuous striving to just change the things you do is not necessarily what your body and your mind really need, but rather routine. 

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

Resources:

• Read “The Art of Routine” by Dr. Angel Iscovich
• Learn more at AngelIscovich.com
• Read “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
• Read “High Performance Habits” by Brendon Buchard

Produced by NOVA Media

Holly Swenson is a registered nurse, an award winning author, a wellness blogger, mother to four incredible sons, and a perpetual student of life. She's on a mission to raise the bar for parents and infuse more joy, intention, balance, and wellness into parenting and beyond.

Holly joins the show today to discuss her book, “Stop, Drop, Grow, & Glow: Forming Deeper and More Joyful Connections with Yourself and Your Children.” She breaks down each easy-to-remember step: Stop, Drop, Grow, and Glow. She also explains her “5 Rights of Parenting” based on her nurse training of “5 Rights of Medication Administration.”

Holly packs a lot of wisdom and practical advice into this episode. Even if you aren’t a parent, you’ll learn a lot about creating deeper, more joyful connections in your life.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Activate your unique gifts and then share them with the world. I wrote “Stop, Drop, Grow, and Glow” to be of service to parents everywhere. And what I found is that in being of service to others, it has really changed my life from the ground up. And, you know, for me, one of my gifts is promoting wellness and intentional living for parents and children alike and, you know, becoming an author has open doors that never would have opened had I not been brave enough to put pen to paper, you know? And so I think to share with your listeners that, you know, The world needs more people to turn on their individual light and to live their truth in a way that makes a difference for humanity. And that's your gift. They're going to vary. Everyone has different gifts. And so, you know, don't blindly follow in the footsteps of others, but be brave enough to leave your own mark. You know, I think that we can change the world one person at a time. And I believe the biggest way to start making an impact is to activate your own wellness and your own internal knowing and then start sharing your heartfelt wisdom with others.

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

Resources:

• Read “Stop, Drop, Grow, & Glow: Forming Deeper and More Joyful Connections with Yourself and Your Children”
• Learn more at liveyourglow.live
• Follow Holly Swenson on Instagram: @HollySwenson_LiveYourGlow 

Produced by NOVA Media

Have you ever noticed how some people are great storytellers and some aren’t? Matthew Dicks joins the show today to explain how storytelling is a skill anyone can learn and improve upon. He also shares his newest book with us, “Stories Sell:  Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand.”

Matthew is an international best-selling novelist, comic book writer, and humor columnist. He is a 61-time Moth StorySLAM winner and acts as a consultant for major businesses to help them tell their stories.

He shares the secret sauce with us: Figure out what the story is, pick an excellent beginning, focus on actions and thoughts, and know when to stop talking. Above all, lean into the listener’s imagination. 

And yes, he tells us some good stories during the episode. Don’t miss it!

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

I think the most important thing is that people see stories as big sort of momentous occasions in their lives. They watch movies and they see plane crashes and people jumping from building to building and bank robberies and epic romances. And I think what they fail to see is that tiny moments like the one I just described to you, where your son says something to you and it just reframes your thinking, I actually think those are the most important stories to tell. I'm a person who has died twice and been brought back to life via CPR both times. And those are not my favorite stories to tell. I would much rather tell you the story about Charlie reminding me that ice cream on a shirt is called childhood. Because I think those are the stories that relate to people the most, they're the stories people understand the most. And they're the ones that if we don't pay attention to and hold onto, it's like sand through our fingers. They just, they disappear forever. And then suddenly our son is 27 years old and we don't know where the time went. But if we recognize those moments, we hold onto them and we tell those stories, like the one I just told you, then they become permanent markers in the life of me and my son, Charlie. And suddenly it's not sand through my fingers anymore, but it's something I get to share with other human beings and remember myself. So be paying attention to the tiniest of moments because they can have the biggest meaning.

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

Resources:

• Read “Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Brand” by Matthew Dix
• Listen to Episode 269. Making Someday Today with Matthew Dicks

Produced by NOVA Media

Rusty Rueff has built an incredibly successful career in tech, and today he invests in and advises startups. That is why it is no surprise that he thinks about life in tech terms, even spirituality. Rusty joins the show today to tell us about his new book, “The Faith Code: A Future-Proof Framework for a Life of Meaning and Impact.”

He explains that Biblical teachings can act as the source code on which you build your life. You and your circumstances might change– your apps may update– but your source code can continue to be your foundation for an intentional life.

Tune in to hear Rusty’s incredible career journey and his perspective on modern spiritual living. 

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

We pay a lot of attention in our jobs and the world around us on mind and body. Right? The corporations now for the last 45 years have helped us with our body. That's why we have corporate gyms and memberships. And all those things to take care of our body. And in the last 15 to 20 years, we've started to talk about our mind. You know, with mental health. And now you can, it's a wonderful thing. You can be expressive about your mental health that you couldn't when, you know, when I was going into the workplace. Which is fantastic. And now we have tools and things, enablers to help us. But what we haven't done is we're not paying enough attention to the spirit. And in a healthy life. In my estimation. It is an isosceles triangle. It is balanced. Mind, body, and spirit. So whatever and however you define spirit. Pursue it. Pursue it. It's the one thing actually in our lives that can get stronger while we age. Our minds will go. And our bodies will go. We can fight it. As much as we want to. But they will go. But our spirit can increase and increase and increase. And we may well be the strongest point in our spirit in the last days of our lives. So find it. Pursue it. And hold on to it. And life will be better. 

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

Resources:

• Read “The Faith Code: A Future-Proof Framework for a Life of Meaning and Impact”
• Learn more at RustyRueff.com

Produced by NOVA Media

Robert Brace has been an elite ballet dancer, a Harlem minister, and creator of the 28-day challenge for six pack abs. As you can imagine, he has deep insights into how physical, mental, and spiritual wellness are all connected. We are thrilled to have Robert on the show today.

Robert walks us through his incredible personal journey and how that has led him to create The Brace Life community. This wellness community guides people in improving their physical movement, spiritual fulfillment, and mental acuity. We talk about neurotransmitters, community, and “soul level qualities.”

There’s a reason Robert has been selected by VeryWell.com as one of the Top 100 Voices in Wellness. He is a force for good. Enjoy our conversation.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

The most important thing is remembering that the body as a temple. Yes, the outer shell and that can include your body, that can include what we achieve, the things we have and things we buy. But the most important thing is what's inside that temple, is the soul that is within every single person listening to this podcast. Within that soul, there is a spirit of goodness because people at some point in their lives has done something good for other people, some cause or whatever. There's a spirit of greatness because everybody has some gifts, some talent, something that they do better than anybody else, whether it's big or small. And there was a giving spirit within everybody, right? Uh, we've sacrificed at some point, we've given of ourselves to some point. And that goodness, that greatness and that giving spirit is what resides in your soul and whatever you do, you want that to be steamed by the world. Because if that's the place you're living from, you're happier, you're fulfilling your purpose, you're changing the world in a way that you were, that you're supposed to change the world, and you'll find whatever you need to do that gives you a life purpose, right? That goodness, that greatness, and that giving spirit. And so, do whatever you can in your life, whether it's taking care of your physicality, whether it's taking care of your environment, whether it's taking care of the career that you're in. to give yourself the opportunity for that goodness, that greatness, and that giving spirit to thrive. Because that's where you'll find your true purpose and your true happiness.

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

Resources:

• Learn more at BraceLifeStudios.com
• Check out Robert’s online platform: TheBraceLife.com

Produced by NOVA Media

Dr. Joe Vitale has written 90 books. He’s made appearances on CNN, CNBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, Fox and Friends, Extra, etc. He’s one of the top 50 inspirational speakers in the world. He is known globally for his role in the movie, “The Secret.” But it wasn’t until his latest book, “Zero Limits Living,” that Dr. Joe Vitale put everything together.

We’re thrilled to have Dr. Joe Vitale as a guest on the show today. He’s here to explain how “Zero Limits Living” is a synthesis of all his work, combining everything that needs to be put in place for success. He organizes it into three pillars: mindset, inspired action, and mysticism.

How he describes each one may surprise you. So tune in and check out why Dr. Joe Vitale is considered the guru he that he is.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

The message I really want people to get is that you are loved by this invisible spiritual force. You are loved by this invisible spiritual force, this cosmic consciousness, this infinite intelligence. And the more you can feel that and sense that, the happier you'll be, the more relaxed you'll be, the more in the flow you will be. the more life will work out in a co-created, moment-by-moment sense of the miraculous. You are loved. 

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

Resources:

• Read “Zero Limits Living: The Three Essential Pillars to Achieving All Your Life's Goals” by Dr. Joe Vitale
• All 90 of Dr. Joe Vitale’s books can be found here on Amazon
• Learn more at MrFire.com
• Follow Dr. Joe Vitale on Facebook
• Follow Dr. Joe Vitale on X
• Watch Dr. Joe Vitale’s videos on YouTube

Produced by NOVA Media

The methods we’ve traditionally used to tell if you have heart disease aren’t very accurate. Only 40% of people who have a heart attack experience any warning signs like chest pain of shortness of breath. Cholesterol levels, inflammation levels, diabetes status, blood pressure, etc. are only indirect markers– highly unreliable in identifying who has heart disease and who's at risk of a heart attack.

Our guest on the show today is here to tell us about a better way to identify heart disease and save lives. Dr. James Min is a board certified cardiologist and professor of radiology and medicine at Cornell. He’s also the founder of Cleerly, a company that provides 3D images of the coronary system so that doctors can see exactly what’s going on and what exactly a specific patient needs.

Dr. James Min is on a mission to create a world without heart attacks. What he has to say is fascinating.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

Heart disease remains, is, was, and remains the number one public health epidemic in the world. There's somebody who suffers a heart attack in the US every 40 seconds. It's a preventable phenomenon. We have a heavy toolbox of tools. We just need to identify people at an early stage where we can get to them, treat them effectively and prevent all of these catastrophic events from occurring. It's a new paradigm, a new clinical paradigm, but I think it is the one that has been demonstrated in many other fields to be successful. And I think what we need to do is really introduce or transition our field into an era of precision heart care or personalized medicine. So easy to be proactive. It's harder to be reactive because an adverse event has already occurred.

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

Resources:

• Find a Cleerly-integrated scan site near you
• Learn more at CleerlyHealth.com

Produced by NOVA Media