Phil Green on the Impactful and Inspiring Work He Does for Young Musicians and His Hometown of Oakland
Blue Sky
Phil Green has had a successful career in music and sports. For what he describes as his “third act,” Phil is now overseeing , a nonprofit in his hometown of Oakland, California. Follow the Music provides artist development, booking and management services to young artists — to shine a light on their talents and bring visibility to the programs that helped develop them. Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Phil Green and Follow the Music Bill Burke introduces Phil Green, co-founder of Follow the Music, an organization dedicated to fostering young...
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Stacy Palmer on Nonprofits and the Role Optimism Plays in Moving Them Forward
Blue Sky
Stacy Palmer leads , the leading journal in the world of nonprofits. In this Blue Sky conversation, she talks about the evolution of nonprofits into sophisticated organizations that do remarkable work around the world. She describes the role of donors large and small, and how they’re helping address challenges created by cuts in government funding. Stacy also shares her belief that nothing gets done in this space without a healthy dose of optimism. Chapters: 02:04 Origins of the Chronicle of Philanthropy Stacy Palmer discusses the founding of The...
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Shirzad Chamine on Saboteurs, Sages, and Positive Intelligence
Blue Sky
Shirzad Chamine experienced a traumatic childhood, raised in Iran by a father who was full of a frightening rage. Following high school, Shirzad decided to move to the United States and make his future there. Along the way, he heard an inner whisper telling him to make a positive influence on a worldwide scale. After a variety of education experience, he developed innovative theories that resulted in the New York Times bestselling book, . In this Blue Sky episode, you’ll learn more about Shirzad Chamine’s remarkable life and inspiring work. ...
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Author Bree Groff on Finding Joy at Work
Blue Sky
Losing her mom to cancer reminded Bree that life is fleeting. Working as a consultant, she also saw how many people are miserable in their jobs. Connecting these dots, she decided to help people find more joy and meaning in their work and rather than count the days to the weekend, turn things around and actually look forward to getting to work, perhaps even embrace a “TGIM” mentality. In her book, she gives numerous examples of way we can find more joy from our work and our colleagues and encourages employers that creating a fun-filled workplace can improve an...
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Erin Cain on Personal Resilience and the Power of Horses to Heal
Blue Sky
Erin Cain didn’t grow up around horses but eventually was exposed to them and the remarkable abilities they have to facilitate healing for a wide range of individuals. A series of life events caused her to move from her native northeast to the Colorado Rockies and today, she’s the co-founder, owner, and operator of . In this episode she describes the personal hardships she’s overcome and the work she now does rescuing and “gentling” wild mustangs, then working with these animals to provide therapy to the diverse group of individuals who come to Grace Reins for healing. ...
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Psychotherapist Meghan Riordan Jarvis on the Importance of Understanding Grief as a Path Toward Living Healthier Lives
Blue Sky
Meghan Riordan Jarvis was a practicing psychotherapist when she found herself devastated by the loss of her two parents. She suddenly saw she was no different from those she helped, but she still needed outside support to recover. In this Blue Sky episode, she describes how this realization led her to become an expert about grief and an advocate for all of us to learn about this important and challenging part of life. Chapters: 02:20 Journey to Psychotherapy Meghan shares her personal journey into psychotherapy, beginning with a...
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Tricia Rose Burt Describes How She Transformed Her Life and Why She Encourages Others to Believe That There Is “No Time to Be Timid”
Blue Sky
Tricia Rose Burt had done everything right, according to the way she was raised. She went to a “good school,” had a “good job” and all seemed to be going great on the surface. But inside, she was miserable and decided to make a change. She left her career in public relations, took classes at art school, and began to explore her own creativity in a way that, as she describes it, “filled her cup.” She’s never been happier, and in this Blue Sky conversation, she’ll explain how listeners might want choose to tap into their “inner artist” as...
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Stacey Garcia on Resilience and Optimism in the Face of Personal Roadblocks and Why She Thinks “Mondays are Magic”
Blue Sky
As a personal trainer and wellness coach, Stacey Garcia was doing everything right. She ate well, exercised, and took great care of herself. That’s why her cancer diagnosis came as an extra shock, and in this episode, she explains how she dealt with this news and found strength and resilience as she battled her disease. Now in recovery, Stacey helps guide others through similar challenges both in her daily work as well as her podcast . Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Stacey Garcia Bill Burke introduces Stacey Garcia, host of ‘Never Miss a...
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Astronaut Nicole Stott Reflects on Lessons She Learned in Outer Space and How They Changed Her View of Life on “Spaceship Earth”
Blue Sky
Nicole Stott had a remarkable career with NASA, logging more than 100 days in outer space. Her time on the International Space Station drives her appreciation for the importance of cooperation across cultures and national boundaries. On this Blue Sky episode, she describes lessons learned from her time as an astronaut, and the inspiring work she does today through the Space For Art Foundation, and her optimistic and solutions-oriented approach to life. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Nicole Stott This chapter introduces Nicole Stott, a retired NASA...
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Back to School Edition
Blue Sky
Host Bill Burke thinks back to his own back to school days and offers thoughts on what he might study were he an incoming student this fall. He also discusses what he might teach if he were a faculty member and encourages us all to keep learning in our lives, whether we are enrolled students or not.
info_outlineNichole Argo describes the work she’s doing to bring communities together by assembling people with different viewpoints around one table to discuss their challenges and formulate solutions. After great success in her hometown, she’s now pursuing similar models across the country, and she’s optimistic that combining a growing desire for belonging with proven methods for building community will yield positive results.
01:11 Meet Nichole Argo
Bill introduces Nichole Argo, a social psychologist and founder of the Togetherup Institute, highlighting her impressive background and her work in promoting belonging and community resilience.
02:30 Understanding Social Psychology
Nichole explains the essence of social psychology, discussing how it examines social identities and group behaviors, and shares her journey from studying conflict to fostering cooperation.
04:11 Navigating Conflict
The conversation delves into Nichole’s personal comfort with conflict, exploring how understanding and managing internal conflicts can lead to more productive discussions in various settings.
06:02 The Challenge of Online Conflict
Bill and Nichole discuss the rise of online conflict and the societal tendency to engage in arguments, emphasizing the importance of recognizing when to step back from disputes.
08:39 Founding TogetherUp
Nichole recounts the founding of TogetherUp, driven by a local crisis in her community, and the importance of building relationships across differences to foster belonging.
10:44 The Needham Resilience Network
Nicole shares her experience with the Needham Resilience Network, a transformative initiative aimed at bridging divides and fostering collaboration among community members.
14:00 The Power of Local Communities
Nichole emphasizes the significance of local communities in practicing democracy and fostering resilience, arguing that local solutions are essential for addressing broader societal challenges.
19:09 Finding Common Ground
The conversation explores the idea of identifying shared values and interests among differing groups, illustrating how focusing on commonalities can facilitate better communication and understanding.
22:15 The Importance of Resilience
Nichole discusses the necessity of resilience in facing contemporary challenges, stressing that strong communities can better withstand adversities through social cohesion.
23:25 Launching Reimagining Us
Nichole introduces her podcast, Reimagining Us, detailing its purpose of exploring how Americans can collaborate across differences and the motivations behind its creation.
27:10 The Beauty of Local Action
Bill and Nichole reflect on the abundance of individuals and initiatives working towards positive change at the local level, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and action.
29:10 Influencing Change at the Local Level
In this chapter, the conversation explores how individuals can make a significant impact within their local communities, contrasting it with the challenges of influencing larger political structures.
31:05 The Role of Local Media
Nichole and Bill delve into the critical role of local media in fostering community engagement and cohesion, especially in the face of declining local news outlets.
33:30 The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media
This chapter addresses the paradox of social media, which has the potential to unite and divide communities.
36:14 Reimagining Social Media for Good
Nichole highlights emerging platforms that focus on building connections and fostering a sense of belonging.
44:40 Empowering Communities with Resources
In the final segment, Nichole shares how TogetherUp is providing tools and resources for communities to foster belonging and engagement.