You Matter!

Today I welcome Marie Sander; Marie was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer in September 2013, and today, is in remission. Marie has become an advocate for colon cancer awareness and is here to share her story from discovery to diagnosis to recovery, and how cancer has impacted her life. (Note: this episode will air in March for Colon Cancer Awareness Month)

Hayley is an actress, curve model and body confidence activist who appeared on such shows as Baywatch, Huge, Pair of Kings and Why Women Kill. Hayley also graced our screens to give us fashion tips as the resident style host for Good Morning America's Strahan, Sara and Keke. At the age of 14, Hayley made her fashion debut by signing with the world-renowned modeling agency Ford Models; today, Hayley is one of the world's leading Curve models and is on a mission to help women look their best and to accept their curvy bodies.

Today I welcome Jody Plauche, a child sexual abuse and kidnapping survivor, and the author of The Jody Plauche Story - Why Gary Why?, the question asked by Jody's father as he shot and killed Jody's abuser, Jody's childhood karate instructor. As an adult, Jody educates parents regarding the tactics predators might use to manipulate their children in an effort to keep children safer.

Karen speaks with Professor Dalton Conley, the Henry Putnam University Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and affiliate of the Office of Population Research and the Center for Health and Wellbeing. Professor Conley talks about his bestselling book, The Pecking Order, Which Siblings Succeed and Why, which asserts that birth order does not determine success but instead, success is influenced by socioeconomic factors.

Maura and Eric talk to Karen about Maura's mother, Mary Joy Scherlach. Mary was a school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut; on December 14, 2012, Mary gave her life protecting her students when someone entered the school and fatally shot 26 people and injured one. Following this nightmare, Mary's family and friends created Mary's Fund to honor Mary's legacy.

Monroe France, NYU Senior Associate Vice President for Global Engagement and Inclusive Leadership and Chris Woods, Director, LGBTQ+ Center at NYU. Monroe and Chris talk about the ways in which the Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation is dedicated to developing strategies to enhance the lives of all members of the NYU community.

Ali is an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and a groundbreaking performer who made history as the first actress in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway. Ali won a Tony for her performance in the revival of Oklahoma! and earned a Barrymore Award nomination for starring in The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In addition to her work on and off-Broadway, she has soloed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, New York's Town Hall, and Lincoln Center for Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall.

In this episode, Karen speaks with Claire Tietgen and her father Charles. Claire is 18 and the survivor of bullying as well as several suicide attempts. Claire is on a mission to share her story to normalize the conversation about bullying, depression and suicide.

Dr. Robert J. Ackerman is Professor Emeritus from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an author, and the previous Director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Research and Training Institute. He is the co-founder of the National Association for Children of Addiction and the previous Editor of Counselor: The Magazine for Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals, and currently the Chair of the Advisory Board. Dr. Ackerman discusses his bestselling book, Silent Sons, the counterpart to his pivotal book in the Adult Children of Alcoholics movement, Perfect Daughters: Adult Daughters of Alcoholics.

Claire Bidwell Smith is a renowned grief expert and author. After losing both of her parents at a young age, Claire was drawn to helping others navigate the grief process. A former therapist in private practice for over a decade, she has counseled thousands of people and written three books about grief and loss. Claire speaks and lectures widely; she is passionate about advocating for advancement in end-of-life care and bringing awareness to our culture's understanding of grief. Claire has written for The New York Times, Scientific American, The Washington Post, Goop, The Huffington Post to name a few, and she has been featured on MSNBC, Good Day LA, Today.com, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, NPR, Forbes, Oprah Magazine, Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, and dozens of radio shows and podcasts.