In this episode of Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Jody Zarn, award-winning author, speaker, corporate trainer, and TEDx speaker, to explore the unexpected friendship that completely changed her understanding of empathy, dignity, trauma, and human connection.

Jody’s journey began with something as simple as buying a cup of coffee for Leroy, a man experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg. What started as a small act of kindness developed into a two-year friendship that challenged Jody’s assumptions about homelessness, mental health, trauma, and what it truly means to help another person.

As their friendship grew, Jody discovered Leroy’s remarkable story, intelligence, talents, and life experiences. At the same time, she was confronting her own unresolved trauma from childhood bullying and the loss of her father to dementia.

In this conversation, we explore why people are often defined by labels, how genuine connection can restore dignity, and why sometimes the person we think we are helping ends up changing our own lives.

Connect with Jody Zarn and learn more about her story, book, speaking, and work: https://jodyzarn.com/index.html

In this episode of Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, psychologist, writer, advisor, and mentor with 50 years of experience helping individuals, couples, men, and families develop healthier emotional lives and relationships.

Dr. Gloria shares her unique journey from working with young boys to understanding how early emotional conditioning can shape men’s ability to express feelings, connect with others, and build healthy relationships. We explore why many men struggle with emotional intimacy, how childhood experiences can continue influencing our relationships as adults, and why emotional connection is essential to personal growth.

We also discuss fathers and sons, marriage, mental health, and the importance of understanding how our history can invade the present. Gloria offers practical insights into becoming more emotionally aware, challenging old patterns, and developing stronger connections with the people who matter most.

Whether you are navigating relationships, raising children, working through personal growth, or simply trying to understand yourself and others better, this conversation offers valuable wisdom for building healthier emotional lives.

Connect with Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst and explore her work and weekly writings: https://www.drvanderhorst.com/

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In this episode of the Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Nishanth Sirikonda, Workday Solutions Architect and AI-driven technology strategist, to explore how artificial intelligence, automation, data, and cybersecurity are transforming the modern workplace.

With more than a decade of experience designing enterprise HR and workforce solutions, Nishanth has worked on global Workday implementations, M&A integrations, compliance initiatives, data analytics, and intelligent automation. His work sits at the intersection of technology and people—helping organizations use AI and data to make smarter decisions while creating better experiences for their employees.

We discuss why successful AI transformation starts long before an organization adopts the latest AI tool. Nishanth explains the importance of clean data, strong governance, the right processes, and preparing people for technological change.

Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, technology professional, or simply curious about how AI will reshape the way we work, this conversation provides a practical look at building a smarter, more human-centered future.

Connect with Nishanth Sirikonda and follow his work on AI, digital transformation, automation, and enterprise technology:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishanthswd/

In this episode of the Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Robert Bowers, storyteller, outdoorsman, and author, to explore the fascinating experiences, unexpected encounters, and unforgettable stories that can emerge when you spend a lifetime in the great outdoors.

After a 43-year career with ODOT, Robert turned his lifelong love of storytelling into a writing career, beginning with his four-volume Campfire Tales From Uncle Rob series based on real experiences from his life. His stories draw heavily from decades of hunting, fishing, working outdoors, and encountering moments that sometimes defy easy explanation.

We talk about Robert’s fascination with cryptids, including Bigfoot and other unexplained creatures, and some of the strange experiences he has encountered while exploring the outdoors. He also shares the difference between writing true stories and creating fiction, what inspired him to write later in life, and how real experiences can become compelling stories.

Whether you enjoy outdoor adventures, mystery, storytelling, cryptids, or simply hearing fascinating stories from an unconventional life, this conversation with Robert Bowers is filled with curiosity, humor, and plenty of moments that will make you wonder what might really be out there.

Connect with Robert Bowers and explore his books, including Campfire Tales From Uncle Rob, Have Dog Will Travel, and Red Eyes at Black Mesa:

https://www.amazon.com/Have-Will-Travel-Robert-Bowers-ebook/dp/B0F255S3LT

In this episode of the Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Teddy Bloom, an engineer, cyclist, traveler, and the person behind Ride4Rights—a more than 3,000-mile bicycle journey across America designed to encourage dialogue, protect free speech, promote equal justice, and bring people together across political and social divides.

Teddy began his journey at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with the goal of reaching the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Along the way, he has ridden through extreme heat, powerful winds, hail, dust storms, dangerous roads, mechanical failures, flat tires, injuries, and countless other challenges.

But Ride4Rights is about much more than cycling. Teddy believes that differences in opinion do not have to destroy relationships or communities. His journey is an attempt to create conversations around the issues that divide people while finding the common ground that can bring them back together.

In our conversation, Teddy shares what inspired him to risk his savings and undertake such an extraordinary journey, how he prepared for thousands of miles on the road, and what he has learned from the people and communities he has encountered along the way.

Whether you're interested in adventure, cycling, social change, or simply finding ways to bridge divides, Teddy's story offers a powerful reminder that sometimes creating change begins with one person willing to take the first step—or, in this case, the first pedal.

In this episode of the Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Brian Parana, a men’s health and lifestyle coach with more than 20 years of experience helping busy, high-performing men over 40 lose fat, improve their health markers, build strength, and regain their energy.

Brian has coached thousands of people, owned and operated two CrossFit gyms, worked with elite athletes including Olympians and a CrossFit Games champion, and now coaches successful men remotely around the world. His approach focuses on making health practical rather than overwhelming—using strength training, protein-first nutrition, daily movement, sleep, stress management, and accountability to create sustainable results.

We explore why successful men often struggle with their health despite knowing what they should be doing, why weight gain and declining energy become common after 40, and how busy professionals can build healthier routines without spending hours in the gym or following extreme diets.

Brian also shares how health can become a leadership strategy, affecting how men perform in business, show up for their families, and lead their lives. We discuss consistency, discipline, travel, nutrition, bloodwork, and the importance of building systems that work even when motivation disappears.

Whether you're a busy professional, entrepreneur, executive, or father trying to become healthier without sacrificing your career or family life, this conversation offers practical strategies for building a stronger body, better habits, and a healthier life.

In this episode of the Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Andrew Ackerman, a two-time startup founder, venture capitalist, author, professor, and corporate innovation expert, to explore what it really takes to build, fund, and grow a successful business.

Andrew has experienced entrepreneurship from virtually every angle. He has founded two startups, invested in more than 70 early-stage companies, led accelerators, mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs, and taught entrepreneurship in the classroom. This unique perspective gives him a practical understanding of both the opportunities and the difficult realities founders face.

We discuss the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when building startups, what investors actually look for, the realities of raising venture capital, and why some businesses succeed while others struggle. Andrew also shares lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey and explains how founders can approach innovation, problem-solving, funding, and growth more strategically.

We also explore his book, The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey, which combines startup lessons with storytelling to make the entrepreneurial journey more relatable and practical.

Whether you're thinking about starting a business, already building a startup, looking for funding, or simply interested in entrepreneurship and innovation, this conversation offers honest insights, practical lessons, and valuable perspectives for navigating the entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode of Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Jason Lange, a men’s embodiment coach, group facilitator, and evolutionary guide, to explore the challenges men face today and why meaningful connection with other men can be so important for personal growth.

Jason shares his own journey from loneliness and difficulty creating relationships to discovering the transformative power of men’s groups. We discuss what a men’s group actually is, why men often struggle to ask for support, and how genuine male connection can help men develop greater self-awareness, emotional strength, confidence, and purpose.

We also explore the idea of the “manbox,” healthy masculinity, shadow work, and how outdated expectations about what it means to be a man can affect relationships and mental well-being. Jason explains how doing deeper personal work can help men become more authentic partners, fathers, friends, and community members.

Whether you’re a man looking to grow, someone trying to understand the challenges men face, or a person interested in healthier relationships, this conversation offers practical insights into connection, masculinity, emotional growth, and living with greater purpose.

Connect with Jason Lange: https://evolutionary.men/talk

In this episode of Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with Robert J. Wolf, MD, a neuroradiologist and award-winning author of Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man’s Fight for Freedom, to explore his father’s extraordinary story of survival, courage, and determination.

Robert shares the remarkable journey of his father, Ervin Wolf, a Hungarian Jewish man who survived Nazi persecution, a labor camp, two wars, and later the oppression of Communist Hungary. Through intelligence, courage, and an extraordinary determination to survive, Ervin escaped the Nazis twice before making another daring escape from Communist Hungary.

We discuss the personal history behind Robert’s book, the lessons it carries about resilience, hope, freedom, racism, and antisemitism, and why sharing stories from the past remains important in understanding the challenges of today.

Robert also explains why he believes these stories should be taught to future generations and how remembering history can help us recognize the consequences of hatred, prejudice, and intolerance before they repeat themselves.

Learn more about Robert and his work: http://RobertJWolfMD.com

Get Robert’s award-winning book, Not a Real Enemy: https://mybook.to/I3hEA5

In this episode of Wisdom Movers Podcast, we sit down with David Jeter, a physical therapist with 23 years of experience and the owner of Acceleration Physical Therapy in Spokane, Washington, to explore a different way of understanding and managing pain.

David explains why treating pain is not always about focusing on the area that hurts, but about identifying the underlying movement and biomechanical problems that may be contributing to it. We discuss how physical therapy can improve mobility, strength, movement efficiency, and the body's ability to handle everyday physical demands.

The conversation also explores when people should consider physical therapy, whether it should be tried before surgery, how physical therapists work alongside injections and surgical care, and how pain science and mindfulness can support people dealing with chronic pain.

David also shares his perspective on musculoskeletal health and what he believes the healthcare system often overlooks when treating pain and movement problems.

Connect with David and learn more about his approach to physical therapy: http://www.accelerationphysicaltherapy.com