Crazy Good Turns: Recent Episodes

Joyful Noise Productions

We tell inspiring stories about people who do amazing things for others.

Project D.R.E.W. brings together veterans and songwriters to turn their stories of service into songs.

The nonprofit was founded by Marilyn Zeidner, Mike Winnen and Brian Ferguson in honor of Captain Drew Ferguson, an Army Green Beret and Special Forces team leader who carried a guitar with him on deployment. Frank sits down with Marilyn, Mike and Brian to talk about what happens when a veteran hears his own story sung back to him for the first time.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Story Untold: How a song can surface something a veteran has held in for 40 years or more.
Hearing It Sung Back: What actually happens when a veteran hears his own song for the first time.
The Lyric That Lands: The moving, powerful lines that come out of this work — including one that brings a Navy SEAL to tears.
A Living Memorial: How Project D.R.E.W. is building what it calls "a registry of collective national memory."

Chapters:

[06:29] The Barn That Started It: How a few bands in a driveway became "Barnegie Hall" — and, eventually, a nonprofit.

[15:02] Delivering Restorative Energy: What Project D.R.E.W. actually does over one weekend — Saturday, they talk; Sunday, the song is played out loud for the first time.

[16:02] The Stories They've Never Told: How a stranger with a guitar reaches what decades of family never could.

[23:19] Why It Works: Brian Ferguson on why songwriters who never served are exactly the right people to draw a veteran's story out.

[35:15] A Crazy Good Turn: Our guests on who has done a crazy good turn for them.

[39:50] The Man in the Song: A veteran hears a song about a rescue mission — and realizes he'd been among those rescued.

[42:00] Captain Drew Ferguson's Song: The song Drew wrote as a young man, now sung by the whole room at the close of every workshop.

My Sincere Thanks

Because of listeners like you, our show now ranks among the top 5% of most-downloaded podcasts by volume per month. Your support has helped take our little idea to celebrate generosity and good deeds and turn it into one of the most-listened-to podcasts available. Thank you for being part of a community that celebrates people who do good things for others.

Please help us continue to grow by subscribing on your preferred podcast platform and sharing our show with friends.

Lindy Wood is the founder of Westonwood Ranch, a 10-acre working farm in the Florida Panhandle. When her son Weston was diagnosed with autism fifteen years ago, she realized a terrifying "services cliff" awaited him—and millions of others—the moment they transitioned into adulthood.

Rather than letting her son fall, Lindy built an extraordinary hands-on community where teens and young adults with autism learn life-changing job and life skills. Today, the ranch has grown from serving just four individuals to a full-time program supporting 60 participants.

In this episode, we discuss:

The "Services Cliff": Why ending high school is a frightening reality for families.
Growing the Vision: How Westonwood Ranch expanded to a full-time program serving 60 young adults.
The Power of Small Milestones: Why learning to use a microwave became an emotional victory.
A Crazy Good Turn: The incredible gift Lindy still has trouble processing.

Chapters & Timed Links: [04:12] The Diagnosis: How a 2-year-old's diagnosis sparked a much larger, lifesaver vision.

[07:45] The "Services Cliff": Why society stops providing resources just when those with IDD need them most.

[12:30] Building Westonwood Ranch: How a 10-acre working farm went from serving four young adults to 60.

[19:15] The Microwave Milestone: Why small achievements are massive emotional victories for families.

[25:40] An Unbelievable Turn: Lindy shares a "crazy good" gift that changed everything for the ranch.

[31:10] Finding Meaningful Work: Lessons on neurodiversity, inclusion, and the simple dignity of labor.

My Sincere Thanks

Because of listeners like you, our show now ranks among the top 5% of most-downloaded podcasts by volume per month. Your support has helped take our little idea to celebrate generosity and good deeds and turn it into one of the most-listened-to podcasts available. Thank you for being part of a community that celebrates people who do good things for others.

Please help us continue to grow by subscribing on your preferred podcast platform and sharing our show with friends.

Luke Mickelson is the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to building and delivering beds to children who don't have one. What started as a family project in an Idaho garage has grown into a global organization with nearly 400 chapters and more than 300,000 beds delivered to date.

In this episode, we discuss:

The moment Luke discovered that kids in his own town were sleeping on the floor—and why that was so shocking.
The Christmas project that helped Luke see poverty through the eyes of a six-year-old.
How TV personality Mike Rowe got involved—and helped spark a national movement.
What actually happens at a bed build—and why volunteers keep coming back.
The 150,000+ kids currently on their waiting list and the plan to reach them.

Chapters & Timed Links:

[04:12] The "Garage" Start: Why great American stories often begin in small, unheated spaces.

[08:45] The Discovery: Realizing "bedlessness" was a crisis in a town of only 4,000 people.

[12:30] The First Design: How Luke measured his daughter's bed to build furniture for the first time.

[17:15] Haley's Story: Seeing the impact of a bed through the eyes of a six-year-old.

[23:40] Avoiding "Mission Creep": Why saying "no" to teddy bears helped SHP scale to 400 chapters.

[31:20] The Mike Rowe Effect: How the Returning the Favor program launched 125 chapters in one year.

[40:05] More Than a Bed: The physical and emotional weight of a good night's sleep.

Bill Gurley is a venture capitalist known for early investments in Uber, Grubhub, Zillow and many others. Gurley joins us to discuss "Running Down a Dream," his new book — which is full of career advice that is as surprising as it is useful.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Power of Mentorship: Why Bill feels a moral urge to share what he's learned with the world.
The "Safe" Path Trap: Why the jobs your parents think are safe might actually be the most dangerous in the age of AI.
The Peer Group Secret: Why sharing your best ideas with others actually makes you more successful than hoarding them.
Finding Your Obsession: Why Bill looks for "fascination" rather than just "passion."

She's the mom of a child with a rare condition, and she wouldn't take "no" for an answer from doctors. He walked 500 miles for his granddaughter, who has the same condition. Together, they're helping a foundation develop a gene therapy treatment faster and cheaper than the big pharma giants.

Today, we speak with Nicole Johnson, founder of the FOXG1 Research Foundation, and Tom Horton, former CEO of American Airlines. Together, they are proving that a lean, parent-led organization can achieve breakthroughs usually reserved for billion-dollar pharmaceutical giants.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Startup Model for Science: How Nicole and Tom applied "lean startup" principles to fund a lab and launch a clinical trial.
500 Miles for a Cure: Tom Horton shares the lessons learned from his 500-mile walk carrying the names and prayers of children who cannot walk themselves.
Defying the Odds: An update on Josie, the beautiful 14-year-old who inspired the movement.
A Blueprint for Others: Why this breakthrough provides hope for thousands of other rare diseases left on the shelf.

Chapters & Timed Links:

[04:22] The Diagnosis: Nicole recounts the moment she was told "there's nothing you can do" and why she refused to believe it.
[10:15] Building the Lab: How the FOXG1 Research Foundation created a new model for gene therapy at a fraction of the usual cost.
[18:40] The 500-Mile Journey: Tom Horton discusses his walk and the "Gianna effect" that drives his fundraising.
[25:55] The Science of Hope: Why FOXG1 research holds the key to treating conditions like Autism and Alzheimer's.
[33:10] Staring Down the Impossible: Nicole's advice for anyone told that their goal is unreachable.

My Sincere Thanks

Because of listeners like you, our show now ranks among the top 5% of most-downloaded podcasts by volume per month. Your support has helped take our little idea to celebrate generosity and good deeds, and turn it into one of the most listened-to podcasts available. Thank you for being part of a community that celebrates people who do good things for others.

Walter Martin spent decades making and playing music, most famously with the indie rock bands Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Walkmen. Recently, he's started a new crazy good turn, helping people like you and me rediscover the joy of music through his Walter Martin Radio Hour show and Substack.

In this episode, we discuss:

How a single instrument (like the organ) can change how you hear a song.
Why Walter chooses positivity over rock criticism.
Moving past the "judgmental" years to love bands you once dismissed.
The "Crazy Good Turn" of human-to-human music discovery.

Chapters & Timed Links:

[05:07] The Austin Kleon Connection: How two creators found each other through "the magic of the internet."

[07:29] From NYC to Upstate: The origin of The Walter Martin Radio Hour.

[10:16] The Classical Club: Why Walter is diving deep into Strauss and Stravinsky.

[12:07] The Organ Episode: Learning to hear the difference between a Hammond and a Farfisa.

[21:43] Breaking the "Teenage Rules": How Walter learned to love the Grateful Dead and Neil Young.

[23:52] Walter's Favorite new musician right now.

[28:57] Walter's Songs: Discussing "The Rat" and the autobiographical beauty of "The Soldier."

[31:33] Who's done a Crazy Good Turn for Walter?

Frank Blake sits down with Goodwill Industries CEO Steve Preston and truck driver Michael West to discuss the organization's "second chance" mission. From running adult high schools in prisons to providing career paths for those overcoming addiction and incarceration, this is the story of how a 125-year-old mission is still changing lives today.

In this episode, we discuss:

The surprising scale of Goodwill: 650 job centers and 50 adult high schools.
Michael West's personal journey from addiction and incarceration to homeownership.
Why Steve Preston left the C-suite and the Cabinet to lead a "difficult-to-hire" mission.
The "Edgar Helms" philosophy: Turning charity into a chance.
How employers can unlock a massive, untapped labor pool.

Chapters:

[01:38] The Personal Mission: Steve Preston on transitioning from HUD Secretary to Goodwill CEO.
[06:02] A Missionary in Boston: The 125-year history of Edgar Helms and the birth of Goodwill.
[12:22] From Processor to Driver: Michael West shares his path from community service to a career in trucking.
[16:55] A Goodwill Wedding: The community and family culture within the organization.
[21:33] The Untapped Labor Pool: Why employers should look "beyond the label" of past incarceration.
[26:52] The Future of Work: How AI and tech-skills training are reaching low-wage workers.
[31:33] The "Internet Trash" Problem: Steve addresses the common false narratives about the organization.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We're @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we'd really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Crazy Good Turns received more than 500 nominations from listeners like you seeking to recognize organizations that are helping others. In this show, we reveal five winners selected to receive a $10,000 grant.

They are:

The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation: Founded by a man who was wrongly imprisoned for sixteen years. Since being exonerated, he's used his own money to free others who've been falsely accused.

Locker #505: A student clothing bank serving disadvantaged kids in Albuquerque in a special way.

Gotta Have Sole: The amazing story of a 5-year-old boy who visited a homeless shelter, wanted to help, and went on to launch a nonprofit that gives children brand new shoes.

Bridge of Hearts: A group of retired North Carolina teachers came up with a creative way to serve the needs of schoolchildren.

Golden String: An Ohio organization that provides residential care, life skills, and other support to hundreds of people with disabilities.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we'd really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Grey Bull Rescue helps innocent Americans who are stranded, imprisoned, or otherwise trapped in dangerous situations around the globe.

BRYAN STERN founded Grey Bull in August 2021, during the fall of Afghanistan. Since that time, Grey Bull has helped rescue more than 8,000 Americans in 800 different missions.

Stern's own story begins decades earlier. As a young Army intelligence officer, he was at Ground Zero on the day of 9/11, and narrowly avoided being trapped by the collapsing towers. He went on to serve a full and highly decorated military career.

In this episode, Stern discusses his path from the World Trade Center to today, and the missions he and his team of brave volunteers conduct around the globe today.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we'd really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

It's a story about the best of the internet. A place 100 million people visit every year and post 1,600 positive messages every hour. It’s CaringBridge. And the support and connection it makes possible can be truly life-saving. “Definitely I wouldn’t be here without it, I think,” says Jill Olecki, one survivor who’s used the platform for years. We speak with Jill, her husband, Dave, and CaringBridge CEO Tia Newcomer to bring you the story behind 27-year history of positivity, connection and support. We encourage you to check out CaringBridge at caringbridge.org. And we invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Brock Holt is a World Series winner and former Red Sox player. Caitlin Fink is the VP of the team’s official charity, the Jimmy Fund. They join us to share how the longest-running partnership between a sports team and a charity has improved the lives of cancer patients around the globe.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Ken’s Krew creates opportunity and hope for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities by helping them find fulfilling jobs — usually inside of a Home Depot store. In this episode, also you’ll hear from Executive Director Suzy Goldberger, who shares how the organization has helped nearly 1,000 people across its 25-year history. You’ll also hear from Crystal Hanlon, one of the top leaders at Home Depot, who saw firsthand what a powerful difference Krewmembers make. But to really help you understand what it’s like, we bring you the story of Krewmember Matthew O’Neill and his mother, Margy. They share the story of how they discovered Ken’s Krew and what happened after Matthew got started. We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Derek Sivers is one of the most interesting thinkers of our time.

He’s been a professional touring musician, a circus performer, and a successful entrepreneur who sold his company for millions – and then gave away his proceeds from the sale.

Since selling the company, Derek has become a speaker, writer and author of five books including his latest release, “Useful Not True.”

During our show, we discuss how to overcome self-limiting beliefs, why we over-value our instincts (and what to do instead), and a new (and more useful) approach to setting goals.

Derek also shares the one thing that all of his heroes have in common, and his thoughts on what the best thing is that you can pursue in your life.

You can learn more about Derek by visiting his website sive.rs.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Hal Donaldson has a goal to feed a million children every day. And his organization, Convoy of Hope, is on pace to make it happen.

In this episode, Hal joins us to discuss how he overcame tragedy early in life to found one of the world’s biggest charities. He’ll share what it’s like to come face-to-face with Mother Teresa, and the powerful advice she gave him. And he’ll explain the “secret sauce” behind Convoy of Hope and the good work they do around the globe.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Just 5 years ago, Oklahoma State University and the Cherokee Nation launched a first-of-its-kind medical school.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation is the first and only medical college to be founded on tribal land and linked to a native tribe. The school made history when its first graduating class of doctors received their degrees in May 2024.

Drs. Natasha Bray and Douglas Nolan are the Dean and Associate Dean of the school. They join us from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where they are helping a new generation of doctors learn to provide critical care — especially in rural and tribal areas, which are facing a dire shortage of doctors.

During the show you’ll also hear from Megan Tramel. She’s a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a student at the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tahlequah. This month, in May 2025, she’ll receive her degree and start the next phase of her journey as a doctor.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Each year, thousands of women give birth while in jail or prison. What happens to them, and their babies?

Amy Ard had been working as a doula (a caregiver for labor and delivery) for decades when she saw a prisoner who was in the hospital to give birth. Amy also saw a set of handcuffs hanging from a gurney, which said so much about the start of that prisoner’s journey.

That image led her to drop everything and take up the cause of helping incarcerated mothers and mothers-to-be.

Amy moved home, switched careers, and founded a nonprofit called Motherhood Beyond Bars. Today Amy’s organization assists almost every infant born in the Georgia prison system.

Motherhood Beyond Bars provides support for those children, preparing them – and their mothers – for an eventual reunification and life together.

We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy. Stay connected to what she and her organization are doing by visiting motherhoodbeyondbars.org.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Alle Amoroso is the founder of ROSE Women’s Foundation, which helps impoverished women in Kenya learn how to launch and run small businesses. To date, the organization has launched more than 3,500 businesses — and lifted thousands of people out of poverty.

Allie shares:

The awakening that led her to quit her dream life of venture capital and startups
What toxic charity is, and what people can do instead
The incredible story of Grace, who went from house help to ROSE Women’s Foundation operations manager
The life-changing business curriculum Allie is spreading through Kenya
What Allie wishes she had known to prepare for explosive growth

Stay current on all of the great work Allie and ROSE are doing at https://rosewomensfoundation.org/

Let us know what you think of today’s show on social. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Tom is the spokesperson behind Motel 6’s TV and radio spots and their famous tagline: “We’ll leave the light on for you.” His latest idea, HatchSpace, might be exactly what our world needs right now.

After all, Tom is more than a great baritone. He’s lived a fascinating life — and now he’s giving back in an excellent way.

In today’s episode, Tom shares how he moved west from his Michigan hometown to become a carpenter in Alaska. Along the way - almost by accident - he became a radio personality and writer.

After relocating again to Brattleboro, Vermont, Tom launched HatchSpace. His work there is bringing people together and teaching them a powerful lesson: That making things together matters.

During our show, Tom shares:

Two human qualities that Tom believes set us apart from beasts in the woods
How woodworking helps heal brain trauma, including addictions – and how it helped heal Tom
What changes Tom has seen in his own community after creating HatchSpace
The book that opened Tom’s eyes to the importance of making things with his hands
The Crazy Good Turn that saved his life

Stay current on all of the great work Tom and HatchSpace are doing at hatchspace.org.

Let us know what you think of today’s show on social. We’re @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we’d really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Leung is an award-winning business columnist and associate editor of the Boston Globe, as well as host of a Globe Opinion podcast called “Say More.”

She’s also a working mom who struggled to keep up with work and home-schooling her kids during the pandemic. Her motivation and abilities suffered until she finally acknowledged the problem and asked for help.

After she regained her stride, Shirley dedicated herself to helping audiences understand burnout better.

During our show, Shirley will discuss:

What burnout really is (it’s not just being tired)
Shirley’s personal experience and how she recovered
Practical tips to prevent or bounce back from burnout
Surprising insights on multitasking (and why it may not help you)
Heartwarming stories from her Boston Globe colleagues, including how they rallied for her during a health crisis.

Let us know what you think of today’s show on social @crazygoodturns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Crazy Good Turns listeners like you sent in more than 120 nominations of organizations that are helping others. In this show, we profile four of those organizations who were selected to receive a $10,000 grant. They are: Heart of Mary House, a hospice in the Nashville area that specifically serves patients who have nowhere else to go. Volunteer Rebecca Grunkemeyer nominated the group. You’ll hear from her and organization founder Kim Derrick. Teens4Teens Help, a platform for teenagers who are suffering from mental or emotional health challenges. This nonprofit was founded by two parents, Jeff and Kathy Long, who created the help they wished they had when their daughter went through a tough time. They share the story. Joshua’s Heart Foundation, a Miami Beach nonprofit doing two crazy good turns: fighting food insecurity and helping young people develop job skills and life skills. Founder Joshua Williams, who started the organization when he was just 4 years old, joins us. Pine Ridge Reconciliation Center, a ministry located on the Pine Ridge Native Reservation of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Located in South Dakota in the poorest county in the nation, the center is the only place many residents can go for basic needs. Pastor Dan Johnson explains. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

When Luther’s daughter, Jane Lockwood, was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy.

Luther and his family resolved to do something about it. During the two decades since, they founded the McColl-Lockwood Laboratory and dedicated enormous resources to creating more effective treatments for the disease to help not only Jane, but thousands of others like her.

In this episode, Luther and Jane share their experience. Jane describes what it’s been like to live with the disease – and how it hasn’t stopped her from achieving her dream of enrolling in law school. Meanwhile, Luther gives insight to their global search for the best minds researching muscular dystrophy, and how that may be leading to new and effective treatments.

We’re joined in this conversation by Frank’s friend Larry Powell. Larry has been an inspiration for and informal advisor to our podcast for a long time. He suggested that we feature Luther and Jane’s story, and we liked the idea so much we asked him to be a part of it.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

We mark 1 year since the October 7 attacks by speaking with Dan Senor.

Dan is the host of ‘Call Me Back,’ a podcast that is home to some of the most thoughtful and thorough reporting on the multi-front war Israel now faces. Dan’s work provides a valuable service to all of us – especially to people like myself, and many other Americans, who have only a general understanding of the conflict.

Outside of the podcast, Dan is also a foreign policy expert, investor and author of two books about Israel, “Startup Nation” and, more recently, “The Genius of Israel.” That second book explores how things like national service and a sense of purpose unite the people of Israel, and seem to help them avoid modern maladies like addiction, depression and suicide.

Follow Dan on Twitter @DanSenor, or find more information about him at dansenor.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Jenn is the first woman to climb the “seven second summits,” or the second-highest mountain peaks on all seven continents – which are arguably even tougher to climb than the tallest ones, for reasons which will surprise you.

She is also a successful businesswoman, a mother of seven children, and the author of “BreakProof: 7 Strategies to Build Resilience and Achieve Your Life Goals.” During our interview, she’ll share lessons to help you conquer the mountains (metaphorical or otherwise) you face in your own life.

Want to connect with Jenn? Text the word “Everest” to the number 33777. She’ll send you a video of the Milky Way Galaxy going over Everest Base Camp.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Alongside two African pastors, Justin founded Untold - a nonprofit that helps support the physical, spiritual, and mental health of those affected by AIDS and HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa.

During the past 17 years, their organization has helped more than 40,000 people let go of their stigma and embrace a more positive future.

Justin’s story is especially impressive because his commitment began in college, and has remained steady ever since.

In this episode, Miller describes how his organization assists more than 100 communities throughout Kenya, Tanzania and Africa. Hear his incredible story.

In her new book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History," Bowles documents how she risked her career – and her friendships – by continuing to ask questions after being told not to.

As a reporter for the New York Times, Nellie tackled some of the most controversial topics of our times, from the George Floyd protests to Defund the Police to DEI. Her writing was fundamentally sympathetic to the causes, but also clear-eyed about where they may have gone astray.

Nellie's approach of reporting, rather than advocacy, is increasingly rare in today’s media. And the courage she showed by engaging these topics with an open mind is a crazy good turn.

Follow Nellie on Twitter @NellieBowles, or find more information about her at nelliebowles.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom struggling to make ends meet. Then her skill with coupons made her a national sensation.

After helping millions save money, Nelson is paying it forward with a book, “Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential,” which aims to guide people with big dreams.

And she’s not stopping there. Nelson also is offering seed funding to those dreamers. She’s giving away her book advance as grants to help people get their ideas off the ground.

In our conversation, Nelson shares her remarkable journey and the leap of faith that led her down this unexpected but crazy good path.

Find more information about Stephanie, her new book, and those generous grants at stephanienelson.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a positive review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Godin is a renowned entrepreneur and author of more than 20 books – including one that helped our host, Frank Blake, turn around Home Depot during his time as CEO. Frank starts the show by sharing an all-important passage from that book, and then kicks off a wide-ranging discussion around meaningful work, finding success through strategic quitting, and the art of creating opportunities for yourself and for others.

For more on Seth and his work, we encourage you to check out his podcast and blog.

Seth’s Podcast: https://www.akimbo.link/

Seth’s Blog: https://seths.blog/

Please stay tuned to Crazy Good Turns on social media.

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Thank you for listening to Crazy Good Turns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways.

Your feedback means a lot to us. If you like what you hear, please leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We also very much appreciate you sharing our episodes and social posts with your friends, family, and anyone else you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Travis Ellis joins Crazy Good Turns to talk about his fundraising efforts for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Those efforts include a 684-mile run from Atlanta to Washington D.C. and then a journey twice as long from Boston back to their home down south.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazygoodturns/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazygoodturns

Thank you for listening to Crazy Good Turns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways.

Your feedback means a lot to us. If you like what you hear, please leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We also very much appreciate you sharing our episodes and social posts with your friends, family, and anyone else you think will enjoy. Thank you!

Walter Kirn is the bestselling author of “Up in the Air,” which became a smash hit movie starring George Clooney. Now Kirn is taking a risk on a longshot business that views America as one giant small town. And that’s just the beginning. In addition to his writing, Kirn is a non-partisan political commentator who appears regularly on TV and in podcasts, including one of my personal favorite shows, “America This Week,” which features Walter alongside investigative journalist Matt Taibbi. In a society where algorithms decide what we do and don’t see, and which feed us more and more of the same material, Walter is helping people discover new topics and viewpoints. I’m excited that you’ll discover a little more about him through this interview. You can also connect with Walter on X: https://twitter.com/walterkirn Photo by Max Savage Levenson/Montana Free Press

Dan and his brother Chip are the authors of several best-selling business books, including one that was highly influential for Frank Blake during his time as CEO of The Home Depot. Dan joins Frank to talk about the legacy of his first big book, "Made to Stick," and his new passion project, a podcast interviewing real people working real jobs that they love.

We’ll discuss:

The surprising story of how ‘Made to Stick’ came to be
What Dan and Chip do to avoid sibling rivalry and work so well together as co-authors
Dan’s approach to identifying whether an idea is good or bad
What strikes fear into his heart as a writer
Dan’s new labor of love, the What It’s Like to Be podcast

You can check out Dan’s new podcast at https://www.whatitsliketobe.com/

Trubek is an author, publisher and entrepreneur who’s been the driving force being an independent book publisher since 2012. She blogs about her experiences on Substack at notesfromasmallpress.substack.com.

We’ll discuss:

Why publishing is “slow motion gambling,” and how she manages to stay afloat
How she finds new authors — including one who published her first book at age 70
A tragedy that turned into a Crazy Good Turn

We asked listeners to tell us about groups and individuals making a difference in their communities. The response was incredible. We heard so many amazing stories about everyday heroes doing powerful work. It was no easy task, but we eventually narrowed the list for our award down to three organizations: Hearts & Hooves of Chattanooga, Tenn., Just Keep Smiling of Gardendale, Ala., and Joshua’s Place of South Lebanon, Ohio. In this show you’ll hear heartwarming stories from all three groups. And you’ll find out who received an award.

How to let go of ego and emotion and make the right choice, in seemingly small moments that matter far more than you think.

Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, an organization that pairs people who wish to help with humanitarian projects needing assistance.

Since the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, Indigo has placed thousands of volunteers in camps across Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and more.

Holly says she didn’t know anything about how to launch or run a nonprofit at first. She just saw a need, and then she found a way to help. She’s dedicated more than the past 10 years of her life to it. And she’s had some incredible adventures along the way. She’ll share them in this episode.

We discuss:

Her firsthand experience learning how difficult - and expensive – volunteering can be.
How helping refugees has changed since COVID and the war in Ukraine.
What people don’t understand about refugees.
What it’s really like inside of a refugee camp.
Why so many charities today are struggling to find volunteers.
How she’s seen the best in people through her work – and the lasting impression that’s left on her.

Follow Holly and Indigo Volunteers on Instagram at @indigovolunteers

Kimi was a successful television producer working with the biggest networks, like CNN, NBC and Oprah. But a mountaintop revelation led her to leave it all behind. Today she’s the voice behind what might be the world’s first “one for one” charitable podcast. Her show features people who’ve survived terrible ordeals. In this interview, she shares the inspiring lessons she’s learned from them. Follow Kimi’s show on Instagram @allthewiserpodcast We discuss:

What makes a great story — and how to tell it well
The overarching lessons Kimi has learned from her guests on the show
Her work on the excellent documentary Gleason, which captures the experience of an NFL player battling against Lou Gehrig’s disease — and which is I think just an outstanding tribute to human courage and faith
The toughest story Kimi has ever told on her podcast
And lastly, toward the end of our interview, you’ll hear a special surprise we have for Kimi

In a conversation made possible by listeners like you, Amy shares the story of how medical experts wrote off her son Jacob – but she refused to accept it. Instead, she gave up everything to help him. And along the way, she developed a method that’s not only helped Jacob thrive, it today helps hundreds of other kids develop at their school, Jacob’s Ladder.

Follow them on Instagram @jacobsladder407.

We discuss:

What happened on the day Amy walked off her job to care for Jacob full-time
How her work with Jacob started in the kitchen
The first child Amy assisted other than her own son (and how it grew to more than 4,000 kids to date)
The first thing children with neurodevelopmental disorders need
Jacob’s life today
A story showing why hard things are worth persevering through
What keeps Amy from becoming exhausted

In this unpredictable and fun conversation, Goff – who’s a best-selling author and philanthropist – answers questions from you, our listeners. Along the way he explains how “air distracts him” and what he’s learned to do fix that. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram @bobgoff.

We discuss:

Bob’s journey from high-powered lawyer to popular speaker and writer.
Curious tactics for staying focused, including a countdown clock for your life.
What Bob learned from being 10,000 miles away from any other person.
The magic of “small beginnings,” and how you can do better at turning intention into action.

Scott, a management expert who’s led teams at Google and coached high-profile CEOs, shares a groundbreaking framework for delivering better feedback to others. Follow her on Twitter @kimballscott

We’ll discuss:

How people in different generations can offer more candid and effective feedback to each other.

The new realities of leading a team in the digital age, where every video call can become permanent record.

Why Kim is optimistic about the future, and thinks the class of 2020 might solve some of our most pressing problems.

A high-profile executive coach, author and podcaster explains why generosity is a state of mind, and how you can shape a more generous life through observation and practice.

His father’s murder went unsolved. But Backmann did not give up. Today his organization, Project: Cold Case, assists families and keeps memories alive.

Gianni founded GiGi’s Playhouse a year after her daughter was born with Down Syndrome.

What’s it like to live with nearly a dozen dogs, 200 cats and an 800-pound rescue pig named Wilbur? Glad you asked.

Portman earned respect in Washington by working across the aisle to get things done. Tilow’s organization supports families and communities in the fight against drug addiction. Together, they discuss a difficult issue.

Meet six people who did something extraordinary in the past year.

Writer and podcaster Jason Feifer transforms what he’s learned into steps you can use to navigate through crises and change.

We’re bringing back a recognition program where you can send a Thank You with a $50 Gift Card to someone you feel deserves to be celebrated. Learn more.

We’re bringing back a recognition program where you can send a Thank You with a $50 Gift Card to someone you feel deserves to be celebrated. Learn more.

A year after the fall of Afghanistan, thousands of U.S. allies are still trying to escape the Taliban and certain death. Meet the Americans fighting to save them.

A year after the fall of Afghanistan, thousands of U.S. allies are still trying to escape the Taliban and certain death. Meet the Americans fighting to save them.

Donor Advised Funds are savings tools that had been reserved for the ultra-wealthy until now. Nash, a former LinkedIn exec, brings them to the masses.

Todd’s nonprofit 80,000 Hours helps new grads and experienced pros alike have greater impact by helping solve the world’s most urgent but neglected problems.

David Perell and Write of Passage graduates explain techniques for blocking out noise and nonsense and using the internet to improve lives.

The poet, author and philosopher takes questions from Frank and listeners, and offers some thought-provoking questions of his own for you to consider.

Must we face death to appreciate life? Survivor Kristi Nelson says there’s a better way. Learn how to reduce regret and live a life of authentic gratitude.

Her study The Giving Code found a glaring discrepancy between the ultra-wealthy and needs within their own communities. Now this advisor is using her philanthropic expertise to help donors and nonprofits alike.

A top filmmaker and podcaster explains how storytelling helps us develop more awareness and appreciation of one another.

Frank Blake looks back on a leadership lesson and discovers a new meaning. How can you show gratitude when you don’t know who to thank?

Outcomes over outputs: two fundraising consultants, Ted Grossnickle And Laura MacDonald, shed light on last year’s charitable giving statistics and offer advice for the wide world of philanthropy.

After receiving her own “heartbreak in a box,” a Navy sailor founded an innovative service to easily send high quality care packages to deployed troops.

Sean Doherty is a leading venture philanthropist who helped create the T1D Fund, which makes equity investments in companies developing life-changing therapies to cure his son – and millions of others – of Type 1 Diabetes.

Fewer than half of states require financial literacy classes. Tyrone Ross Jr. is passionate about changing that, and expanding opportunities.

Karl Zinsmeister - a researcher, journalist, author, Domestic Policy Advisor to a president, and vice president of the Philanthropy Roundtable, shares some of the incredible history of philanthropy in America, and why our passion for generosity and freedom defines our country.

Entrepreneur David Perell is teaching others to write online, share ideas, and build an internet audience to get ahead.

Morgan Housel is a partner and financial writer at Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Wall Street Journal as well as The Motley Fool.

This financial writer has unique takes on money, risk, greed, opportunity, and how decisions in the business world can be applied to so much more.

We need literature to understand life and feel our humanity. Dana Gioia, an award-winning poet, is dedicated to teaching and sharing the value of words.

Half a million people per day use his website, working toward a computer programming certification. Find out why he’s offering it for free.

Recognized as a global thinker, Tyler Cowen is a brilliant economics professor who wants to learn as much as possible -- and teach it to you, too.

These seven reflections on thankfulness from former guests and listeners, and the people they’ve helped, will remind you of the joy thanks brings.

Adrienne Bankert, an Emmy-award winning journalist and anchor for ABC News, knows the most valuable hidden force is kindness. She built her career on it, and she’s showing you how to use it too.

Tim Kachuriak is the founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter, a fundraising research lab and consulting firm that works with businesses, nonprofits, and NGOs to help them grow their resource capacity. He's using the internet to figure out what makes people give and leveraging that knowledge to help nonprofits reach farther.

The author and columnist describes how an intentional and systematic approach to kindness changed her life, and how it can change yours.

Millions turn to the Optimal Living Daily podcast for advice. Co-founder Lee Rankinen shares lessons from 6,000+ hours of personal development study.

The former CEO built YUM! Brands into a global powerhouse by emphasizing recognition. Now he’s on a mission to redefine leadership.

Kids are innately helpful. Meet the organization helping children cultivate that desire while raising money for charity.

Meet 6 remarkable people leading organizations that are meeting the enormous demands caused by COVID-19 in generous, creative, and crazy good ways.

We will pay to send a $50 “Thank You” gift to anyone you would like to celebrate for helping others. Nominate someone today.

Meet Alexis Corbin and Corbin Hooker of Unlocked, a social enterprise based in Nashville. They’re helping the city’s homeless women forge a path to better lives. But Corbin and Hooker needed help of their own -- and found it in a very surprising place.

Michaela “Chaeli” Mycroft of Chaeli Campaign will change how you think about disabilities and show how personal struggles can lead you to great things.

Dr. Laurie Santos is a Yale researcher whose course happiness is now a worldwide phenomenon. Her lesson: “The path to happiness is paved with gratitude.”

Hoke is the Founder of three rehabilitation programs for prisoners. But she’s had to overcome her own battles to find her “generous hustle.”

Phillips, an 88-year-old woman living in Reno, Nevada, is also the founder of ESL In-Home of Northern Nevada. Here’s why she feels like she’s in her 40s.

In this show we have the privilege -- and it truly is a privilege -- to talk with two remarkable people: Ophelia Dahl and Paul Farmer, founders of Partners In Health.

Many of you may already be familiar with them. There have been many articles and books written about Ophelia and Paul, as well as a documentary called Bending the Arc.

They’ve earned this attention because Partners In Health is one of the rare nonprofits started within the last few decades that has truly reached scale. They've helped four million patients through over 200 healthcare facilities in several countries, from Indian reservations here in the U.S. to Haiti, Sierra Leone, Kazakhstan, and beyond.

Imagine losing money for getting better at your job. That’s the insane reality for many nonprofits. Lindsay Beck and Catarina Schwab want to change it.

First, Pallotta raised millions to fight cancer and AIDS by inventing multi-day fundraisers. Now he’s out to change everything you think about charity -- and yourself.

Mick Ebeling and Daniel Belquer are helping the deaf hear music. Not Impossible Labs built limbs for amputees in warzones. That's just the beginning...

Vision isn’t just sight. It’s opportunity. VisionSpring brings it to millions around the globe each year. It started with Kassalow’s personal transformation -- one that may help you see your own mission in life.

Hear how April Tam Smith and Graham Smith, the founders of Times Square Restaurant P.S. Kitchen, are giving their lives away together.

Bailey and No Longer Bound help men break the chains of addiction. They’re 2X as effective as traditional rehab. But first, Bailey had to break free of his own.

In a time of crisis, would you text someone for help? Millions turn to Crisis Text Line and find life-saving support. Founder and CEO Lublin explains why.

Most juvenile offenders end up back in prison -- but not at Curt’s Cafe, a coffee shop offers a path to a better life. It could save taxpayers billions.

Of the 30 Million amputees worldwide, only 5 percent have access to prosthetics. A professor in Texas sets out to change that, one step at a time.

A team of “computer nerds” spot a huge hole in emergency services. Their solution may save 10,000 lives a year (or more!).

Haymakers for Hope trains regular people for boxing matches that have raised millions for cancer charities. Meet 4 people crazy enough to step into the ring.

It’s called Shared Harvest Fund, an organization that’s helping graduates to pay off their loans through volunteer work. And it’s working. Here’s how their creative approach to student debt relief makes everyone a winner.

The CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation talks about the battles we face today, and how she maintains optimism amid enormous challenges.

Exciting changes ahead! Our founder takes over the show and talks about what you can expect from now on.

What do a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and a Middle Tennessee farmer have in common? Creative new approaches for helping prisoners change their lives.

It's like an anti-collection agency. RIP Medical Debt is buying millions in unpaid medical bills in order to forgive the debts. Meet founders Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton, and hear their plan to bury billions in their "debt cemetery."

How do you overcome tragedy? At Camp HOPE, a retreat for children and adults grieving the death of a loved one, the answer is: By lifting each other up.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program opens minds and doors to new opportunities for students at inner city schools.

EOD Warrior Foundation helps the men and women who save lives by performing the military’s scariest job.

A school in the Deep South is changing hearts and developing minds with a “tough love approach” that works. Meet founder Luma Mufleh and her students.

Team Music is Love turns fans into volunteers and concerts into opportunities to make a difference. See how country singer Martina McBride takes her foundation on tour with her.

Kennedy first heard of sex trafficking when she was in middle school. “It was the worst fate I could think of.” So today she's fighting back as CEO of Marinus Analytics, a tech company that’s helping cops send traffickers to jail.

Ken Langone came from nothing to become a founder of The Home Depot, but never forgot his roots. He’s given staggering sums, but says his money isn’t truly charity. Discover a refreshing outlook that proves you don’t need riches in order to give richly.

U.S. Army Captain Matt Zeller says he wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Janis Shinwari, an Afghan Translator who saved his life during an ambush. Years later, Zeller had the chance to return the favor to Janis -- and many others. But thousands more still need help.

Liz Shropshire is the daughter of a Vietnam war vet who couldn’t shake the memories of her childhood. She became a music teacher, but then heard a new calling: Help refugee children. She gave up everything, brought hope to a camp halfway around the world--and then a new mission emerged.

Millions of people have seen the incredible 3D printer capable of building a 700-square foot house in 24 hours. Not as many know the equally incredible story of Brett Hagler and New Story, the people behind that machine -- and how they plan on using it to build communities worldwide.

A real estate investment takes a strange and delightful twist when Kenny Hill hears a calling: “What if, what you did for these homes, you could do for people’s lives? Totally renovate.”

Travis Roy was a hockey standout with a promising career ahead of him. But then everything changed in an instant. A tragic accident left the talented young hockey player paralyzed from the neck down. But Roy refused to let his story end there. In fact, his injury was just the beginning of something incredible.

There is nothing uplifting about cancer, but there is something incredible in the way some people respond to it.

In this episode, you’ll meet Jeanine Patten-Coble, a 39-year-old wife and mother who goes to bed normally one night but discovers cancer when she wakes up the next morning.

Like all cancer patients, Jeanine faces a tough road ahead. But she makes an incredible discovery -- that helps her not only survive but build something incredible: Little Pink Houses of Hope.

Not every podcast episode will make you look at the world differently. This one might.

Why? Because in this show you’ll learn about a concept that’s changing the way people view the autism spectrum. The idea is called “neurodiversity.”

While neurodiversity may sound complex, the idea behind it is as simple as it is true: people are wired differently. People on the spectrum are neurodiverse, while those who are not on the spectrum are known as neurotypical.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about how it works, and meet a company that’s using the idea to create jobs.

Why do sports matter to children who may be fighting for their life? Because people often forget that kids battling serious disease are still kids. They have interests, dreams, and passions -- including sports. That's the idea behind Special Spectators -- a non-profit that creates VIP, all-access gameday experiences for seriously ill children and their families. In this episode, you’ll discover what one of those unforgettable days is like.

Welcome to Season 3 of Crazy Good Turns! We’re excited to have you back -- and especially pumped about this episode. Two main reasons why:

We announce the winner of our $50,000 grant from Season 2. Don’t worry, we won’t keep you in suspense for long. In fact, click “play” and you’ll hear which of last season’s guests won the award right away.
Right after the announcement, you’ll meet a young person who’s done some pretty incredible stuff for others, incredibly early in her life. It’s part of our discussion about “#CrazyGoodKids, today’s young people and how they’re giving back.

Know a Kid Who’s Doing Something Great for Somebody Else? If so, we’d love to hear about them. We’re celebrating #CrazyGoodKids, and think that every good turn deserves a shout-out. There’s no deed too great or too small. It could be as simple as setting up a lemonade stand and donating the proceeds to charity. Here’s how you can celebrate kids who are giving back:

Email us their story at hello@crazygoodturns.org
Use #CrazyGoodKids on Facebook or Twitter

We’ll be featuring some of the stories we receive in upcoming episodes and in our newsletters. Don’t let your kid’s good work go unnoticed!

In this show, you’ll hear five stories of incredible gifts or acts of kindness.

Kindness and generosity come in many forms. This episode proves it.

Tune in and you will hear about:

A child who’s rescued from a life-threatening ordeal through the generosity of a total stranger
A retiree who set out to volunteer a few hours at his local hospital and discovered an entirely new purpose in life -- one that’s reached a billion of people
How a woman looking to help the refugees she’d seen on TV wound up forming a deep friendship with a refugee family in her own city
A “miracle cat” goes missing for more than a month, but makes it home with the help of an unexpected friend
How one man finds “endless opportunities to be generous”

Fame. Fortune. And the adoration of millions. Those are the things Danny Wuerffel left behind when he walked away from sports and into a life of serving others.

Today you’ll find the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback at Desire Street Ministries, where he’s helping inner city communities across the southern U.S. break the cycle of poverty, drugs and violence

In this episode, you’ll hear about Wuerffel growing up as the son of a military chaplain, and how that shaped his worldview—and led him to end up in lots of surprising locations.

He’ll take you behind the scenes of his Heisman Trophy award-winning night, and tell you what really happened after he received his award. And you’ll hear how volunteer work at his first NFL stop—New Orleans—led him to both the job he’s doing today, and the love of his life.

Tune in and you’ll also hear about the night Hurricane Katrina destroyed Wuerffel’s family home and the life-changing insight he discovered amongst the wreckage. You’ll also learn about Danny’s brush with a potentially deadly disease.

But don’t worry, it’s not all about scary storms and overcoming awful sickness. The energetic Wuerffel delivers plenty of smiles when he takes you back to his days at University of Florida, complete with some one-of-a-kind anecdotes about his one-of-a-kind coach, Steve Spurrier.

How far would you go to help one of your coworkers?

For Bernie Marcus, the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot, the answer is: farther than most would ever imagine.

In the 1980s, Marcus had a personal accountant whose 4-year-old son had autism. What started as a simple desire to help her developed into a 30-year campaign to improve the resources available to kids with autism and their families. Today the Marcus Autism Center is one of the world’s leading institutions for autism research and treatment..

In this episode, you’ll hear about the incredible personal philosophy that drove Marcus to build the Marcus Autism Center and go so far as to commit more than $100 million of his own money to the cause. All told, Bernie and his wife Billi, through the Marcus Foundation, have donated more than $1 billion to address some of the nation’s most pressing health issues, including stem cell research, spinal cord issues and brain injuries.

But while he’s a man who’s donated richly, Marcus didn’t come from a background of wealth. In this show he also shares how he grew up poor in Newark, New Jersey and worked until his 50s before he reached his big breakthrough. He also offers insight into his personal ethical code—the one that made sure that, when he did find success, he was going to share it with others, especially the people who’d helped him succeed.

Some people are strong. Some are tough. Some seem unstoppable. And then there’s Travis Mills of the Travis Mills Foundation, who will redefine all of those words for you.

He’ll tell you that he’s like anyone else. He just had a bad day at work.

But Mills’s job at the time was Staff Sergeant for the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. And that bad day—April 10, 2012—took away both his arms and his legs.

Today Mills is a quadruple amputee—one of five U.S. servicemen to lose all of his limbs to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But ask and he’ll tell you that he doesn’t consider himself a wounded warrior. Why?

“I’m not wounded,” Mills says.

Instead, Mills considers himself a “recalibrated warrior” — one who’s defied all odds and surpassed every expectation on his road to recovery. He taught himself how to walk, then run, then do an incredible number of other things you might not expect: swim, fish, and do CrossFit. He completed his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center in about half the time doctors thought it would take. Along the way, he made lifting the spirits of other injured veterans his new mission.

“I met everybody there. I was one of the first people they got to talk to when they got to the hospital,” Mills says. “I think that was impactful because, at Walter Reed, the worst amputation you're going to see is me.

"So here’s a guy with no arms and legs who either rolls or walks into your room and is like, ‘Hey, man. What's up? How's life treating you? You're in a great spot, you're going to get better, and I can't wait to see you down there. We'll work out together one day.’ It really is uplifting.Aa lot of the guys were really thankful for that.”

Today Mills is a speaker, an author, an actor, and the head of a foundation that’s helping other critically injured vets recalibrate their own lives, the Travis Mills Foundation. This year the foundation opened a beautiful wooded retreat in Central Maine where soldiers who’ve lost limbs can spend a week with their families free of charge.

“And I can tell you right now, I'm the president [of the foundation] and I have six other wonderful board members -- we're never going to pay ourselves,” Mills says. “We don't take a dime for this, and all the money raised goes towards the project, it goes towards the Travis Mills Foundation, and the retreat, and bringing the families up so the families don't have any cost when they get up here.”

The retreat is already earning incredible praise from the servicemen and women that it’s served. And it’s going the extra mile to help even more. Initially scheduled to stay open only through the end of October, the retreat extended its inaugural season in order to help military families displaced by the Hurricanes in Texas and Florida.

In this episode, you’ll find out how Travis survived his terrible injuries, who inspired him to take on an excruciating recovery, and how he learned to walk again with some help from his young daughter, Chloe. You’ll also learn how a past guest on Crazy Good Turns, The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, helped Travis, his wife, Kelsey, and Chloe, get back to a more normal life. And you’ll hear one inspiring, incredible quote after another from a man who is truly unstoppable.

On paper it doesn’t make any sense. One out of every six people in the United States lack access to sufficient food, yet 40 percent of the food produced in this country goes to waste.

These statistics may be staggering, but they aren’t unique to the U.S. According to the new documentary WASTED: The Story of Food Waste, more than 1.3 billion pounds of food gets thrown away across the globe each year, while 800 million people worldwide go hungry.

But Rick Nahmias wasn’t thinking about these stunning figures while walking through his neighborhood in Valley Glen, California in January 2009. He was a photographer who’d worked extensively with the state’s migrant workers, but on that day he was just trying to get some exercise for his dog, Scout. Glancing at the citrus trees in the yards around him, he realized that most of the fruit — food that could feed otherwise hungry people — would fall to the ground and go to waste unless someone did something. So he did.

With the help of just one other person, Nahmias set to work picking tangerines from a single backyard. By the end of the day, they’d harvested more than 100 pounds of fruit. And Nahmias knew he’d stumbled onto an idea with enormous potential.

Nahmias used that idea to launch Food Forward. During the past 8 years, Food Forward has rescued more than 42 million pounds (over 140 million servings) of produce. The organization has moved beyond just harvesting backyard fruit trees and today works with public orchards and farmers markets to take food that would otherwise be wasted and use it to help hunger relief agencies across eight Southern California counties.

Each month, food recovered by Food Forward feeds more than 100,000 people. And Nahmias says it’s just the beginning. Tune in and learn more about his two-birds-one-stone solution for fighting hunger and food waste.

The numbers are staggering. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma inflicted between 150 and 200 million dollars in damage to Texas and Florida alone. That’s to say nothing of the human cost — thousands of lives disrupted, people displaced and homes destroyed.

The situation is even worse in U.S. territories in the Caribbean. Hurricane Maria essentially destroyed all of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure. Recovery from all three hurricanes will take years — which is exactly why the Disaster Services Corporation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA is there to help.

While the Society of St. Vincent De Paul is a Catholic Charity focused on the needy and suffering that has been around for more than 150 years, the group’s Disaster Services Corporation was born just 12 years ago out of the crisis created by Hurricane Katrina. In this episode, you’ll hear how an unexpected announcement during that disaster caused the organization to take unprecedented steps to help evacuees in an entirely new way. You’ll also learn how a program created back then will bring comfort to the tens of thousands of people impacted by this year’s torrent of hurricanes.

Along the way, you’ll meet the leader of SVDP Disaster Services, Elizabeth Disco-Shearer. She was a successful businesswoman, but changed everything in her life after she made a deal with God — and God held up his end of the bargain.

Find out what her promise was, how it ultimately led her to lead an organization that’s helped thousands of traumatized people put their lives back together. Tune in now.

It’s dark, late, and cold. Of course it’s cold. This is Alaska and it’s the middle of winter. The evening temperatures are more than 30 degrees below zero—and dropping. And the boy was going outside to sleep in a car.

That scene is what broke Michelle Overstreet. Then a teacher at a high school in Wasilla, Alaska, Overstreet volunteered her time at homeless shelters to help at risk youth. The work was important, but it was never enough. Large percentages of kids are either homeless or at risk of homelessness within Wasilla and the surrounding Mat-Su Valley, so resources were always a problem. The boy—well, he was about 23 years old, Overstreet thinks, so not a boy but also not much older than one—had arrived too late that night at the shelter where Overstreet worked. There were no beds left, so he had to be turned away.

There was another shelter, workers told them. He can make it there if he drives. So Overstreet found herself handing a young man a gas card and wishing him the best of luck, sending him off to maybe drive, or maybe just sleep in the car. She couldn’t know for sure. All she knew was: This bothered her.

For weeks after, Overstreet couldn’t sleep. There has to be a better way, she thought. And the more she reflected on it, the more she realized that if there isn’t a better way available, then she had to make one.

In this episode, you’ll learn about how those sleepless nights led to the creation of MY House, an organization dedicated to providing Wasilla’s at-risk youth a path out of homelessness and into a more stable life. In just a few short years, MY House has helped hundreds of teens turn their lives around, including Brandy Kinney, who you’ll meet at the beginning of the show. The organization is also home to a successful coffee shop and clothing boutique, all staffed by formerly homeless kids. The organization also has helped launch a Task Force taking on the Mat-Su Valley’s Opioid Crisis.

Overstreet and MY House today are getting entirely different results from their work with homeless kids. Why? Because they are using entirely different tactics than the ones that used to keep her awake at night with guilt. “We’ve got to move away from the dependency model, which is, ‘I’m going to provide just what you need in this moment,’ but not ‘teach you to fish,’” Overstreet says. Tune in and find out how MY House is showing so many at-risk youth that they can escape homelessness and achieve their dreams.

What would it be like to go to work at a place where you always smile, people are genuinely glad to see you, and there always seems to be at least one coworker who reaches a new milestone every day?

That’s life at Bitty and Beau’s, a coffee shop in Wilmington, North Carolina that is staffed by people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) like autism or Down Syndrome. With a joyful environment that’s full of love and support, it’s no wonder that the shop’s founder, Amy Wright, finds it hard to leave.

“People ask me if I go to work every day,” Wright says. “I say, ‘No, but I wish I could.’”

Wright and her husband, Ben, are the parents of four children, including two who have Down Syndrome—Beau and his little sister, Jane Adeline, or “Bitty.” The children are the namesake of the coffee shop, which the Wrights launched in January 2016.

The family opened the shop in response to an upsetting stat: Only 20 to 30 percent of adults with disabilities are employed. Amy says she wanted to provide an opportunity for a better future not only to her children but anyone living with IDD.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the “Aha!” moment that led her to create Bitty & Beau’s—and the odds-defying young boy who inspired her to start it. You’ll also hear from an employee who says working there has changed his life for the better. By the end of the show, you'll be more able to see the often-missed gifts and talents of the disabled, and see why the fastest-growing coffee shop in the Carolinas is also the most inspiring.

Your car isn't just a way to go from one place to another. It symbolizes staying on the road to success.

The Lift Garage is a nonprofit aimed to move people out of poverty and homelessness by providing low-cost car repair, free pre-purchase car inspections, and honest advice that supports the community.

When longtime social worker Cathy Heying saw how transportation issues caused people to lose their jobs, which led to a loss of income and homelessness, she took action to fix the breaking point -- literally. Rather than letting cost stand in the way, she became a mechanic and built a business that would provide affordable car repair services, which kept people in their jobs and moving forward. Heying has provided affordable car repairs to more than 300 low-income individuals, saving them more than $170,000 and keeping them on the road to success.

Heying has provided affordable car repairs to hundreds of low-income individuals and saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep them moving forward in life.

Cancer and fun aren't two words that normally go together. And for children with cancer, a diagnosis seems to rapidly speed up the aging process. One day you have no worries, and the next day you're fighting cancer. But for Camp Sunshine, one thing doesn't change: a kid is still a kid. And they should have just as must joy in their lives as any other child.

The story of Camp Sunshine is one of hope, but also of inspiration and will to make lives better, even in bad situations.

Camp Sunshine provides retreats combining respite, recreation and support, while enabling hope and promoting joy, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through the various stages of a child’s illness.

Camp Sunshine goes above and beyond giving kids with cancer a wonderful place to play and be free. They offer year-round programs, which allow children with cancer and their families to share similar experiences and to participate in activities that promote normal childhood development as they cope with the challenges of childhood cancer. They are the only program in the nation that has year-round offers, while not only serving children but also their families. The program is free of charge to families and includes on-site medical and psychosocial support.

Camp Sunshine was recognized by GreatNonprofits as a 2017 Top-Rated Organization. They were also were awarded a 4-Star Distinction by Charity Navigator -- the highest possible recognition -- and is ranked about the top 10% of all charities.
responsible way.

For many women with a history of sex trafficking, prostitution or addiction, hope can be hard to find. But Thistle Farms is using love to help empower, reinvent, and employ women around the world.

The elation, the painful setbacks, the paperwork...but most of all, the unconditional love and hope for a child's future.

Young adults who age out of the foster system often bring with them a lifetime of trauma. One organization is determined to make them feel at home.

After burying a growing number of young people killed by gang violence, a Jesuit Priest took matters into his own hands.

By breaking down walls, we can give a voice to the voiceless and inspire redemption and hope.

Connecting the dots with a text. Learn how one young entrepreneur is leveraging technology and human kindness to create an army of philanthropists.

A story of love, loss and gratitude to a community that takes care of its own.

School supplies. May seem like a simple thing - but basic supplies like pencils, crayons and erasers might be all it takes to excite a child to learn.

Future generations of music lovers will thank this organization - dedicated to preserving the musical traditions of the South and ensuring musicians won't be silenced by poverty and time.

Investing in the success of young people around a dining room table. It's more than just a meal, it's breaking down barriers and establishing relationships rooted in love.

There are Unsung Heroes among us that keep our workplace, campus, and community running smoothly and efficiently behind the scenes, but often go unrecognized and unappreciated. We just have to take the time to listen and show a level of acknowledgment.

A Christmas tree is a holiday tradition so many take for granted. One single mother's joy and gratitude upon receiving a donated tree inspired a group to play Santa and spread cheer by delivering trees to those who would otherwise go without.

The glittering neon and bustle of the Vegas strip hide a vast maze of underground flood channels that hundreds of men and women call home. Hear how journalist turned activist Matt O'Brien discovered this homeless community and what he's doing to help.

Feeling alone and out of place is felt by far too many of our youth. One young girl's inspiring life is helping shape a movement to make everyone feel included and celebrated, no matter their differences.

What happens when you email a legendary special effects school and ask for some advice on a Halloween costume? Well, in the case of this nonprofit's story, Hollywood magic ensues, families are forever transformed - and Halloween will never be the same.

We all like movies. But is it possible that a movie can save lives? It seems at least one did - by galvanizing the need for a vital nonprofit aimed at LGBTQ teens and young adults in crisis. Let us introduce you to a brave young man and his inspiring story of love.

He grew up in Uganda, and his family was lucky to survive the terror of Idi Amin. And then he came to America and discovered his life's calling in an unexpected place. Derreck Kayongo found hope in those little bars of hotel soap.

A New York City firefighter who sacrificed his life on 9/11. A soldier in Afghanistan who sacrificed his body for his platoon. They never met. And yet they are connected through time, space, family - and their shared courage.

It's one of the most successful nonprofits in the last 20 years - dedicated to building playgrounds in underserved communities. But it took one man overcoming incredible personal odds to create "an explosion of hope and opportunity."

He's a white preacher from the hills of Virginia who brought his wife and five daughters to live in one of the most dangerous areas of Atlanta. Fought off car thieves, addicts, and deranged would-be killers. And took it upon himself to fight the city's worst problems and create a refuge for those who needed it. Why? Meet the man who was "conned by God."

We've heard too many times the stories of military veterans struggling to find a place in the civilian world. Jake Wood might have an answer - by sending veterans to the world's worst disaster zones. Help is on the way, with Team Rubicon.