Life 2.0

"We're Doomed!"

It's been a rather interesting week for your host. From lunch with a General, to pushing a 5,000-pound truck down the block, to watching the news going crazy over cold weather (again) to learning that "Manwich" doesn't include meat in their cans. I'm all over the map in this episode, which is just how life goes sometimes...enjoy.

Back to the Future

Instead of omitting the podcast today due to time constraints, I opted to throw a dart and send out a rebroadcast of a previous Life 2.0 episode from 8.13.21 "In a world where pseudo-talk radio hosts lie to people to make money, and my email inbox looks like a cat box full of crap, I am reminded that the best way to stay out of the headlines, is to contribute to the greater good via the lifelines." Enjoy!

Lessons of the Game

On the eve of the Bears vs. Packers in Lambeau (and the last regular season NFL game) I cannot help but think about the lessons the game of football has taught me, after playing it for over 20 years. There is a price to be paid for those lessons, and what I learned on the gridiron has become an invaluable part of my professional success. Also, a 30+ friendship with Hall of Fame Packer legend Jerry Kramer has taken those lessons to another level. You don't have to be a football fan, to apply the lessons of the game to the game of life.

What One Man Can Do

December 31st would have been John Denver's 80th birthday, so I gathered up some of his friends to talk about his environmental impact, his musical legacy, and perhaps most importantly, the concept that one person can make a world of difference. My guests on this very special episode are educator Dr. Cheryl Charles, legendary country/western artist Michael Martin Murphey, and communications coach Donna Lipman, who share their thoughts, memories, and more of JD.

Merry Christmas!

There's no going up the down staircase, in the "out" door, making sense out of the senseless, or finding the obvious buried in the absurd in this episode. It's time for some of my favorite Christmas music including Seymour Swine, Julie Andrews, John Denver, and John Berry. Also, I had to include the great story of how President Theodore Roosevelt's son Archie, saved the tradition of the Christmas Tree back in 1902 and a few thoughts on the sacredness of the season.

 

Never Alone

It is the news that no parent wants to ever hear...that your child has died. In 2016, 21-year-old Chris McQuillen and a group of friends, many home from college on winter break, had met up at a lake house in southern Wisconsin to catch up and celebrate the new year. At some point early in the morning, Chris and three friends went missing, and sadly, drowned in a nearby lake. Joe McQuillen began a journey that would make him a "reluctant prophet" when it comes to staying connected to his son after his death, and the many gifts that have come out of his grief.

Dealing with loss at the holidays is compound interest of the worst kind, but Joe insists that there is light in the darkness, if we look for it.

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier Life 2.0 podcast episode. But, just because it's a repeat, doesn't mean you don't have to pay attention, pilgrim...

Taylor Made

16 years ago I shared the stage with a then-unknown (at least to me) Taylor Swift. In full disclosure, we were on the same stage, (an hour apart) however- we were in the same room, that's for sure. There was nothing in her presence or performance that night that would have led me to believe that one day she would be named the "Time Magazine Person of The Year" for 2023 and become a billionaire in the process.

 

Perspective of course, is everything.

Vibrational Therapy

50+ years ago I would have been up early on a Saturday morning having a great time with the "Thingmaker" cranking out rubbery-looking bugs, racing on my Hot Wheels set, or looking for an opponent to play "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" (and you do know the whole blue and red thing is a reflection on politics right?...or left.) But fear not! This episode is about raising your vibrational patterns, and one of the best ways to do that is music-and at this time of year, there is no one better than John Berry 

Higher Ground

When I had a no-show client, but a mic that was ready go to, I launched into a rare audio version of "The Wednesday Rant." It all started when I got a call to speak at a local college as a stand-in for another speaker who took ill.  While it's been a while since I've done a platform performance, the switches flipped, the words came forth and I had the opportunity to deliver the mail one more time. It's the best way I know to validate the fact, that I've won the lottery of life one more time-and so have you.

The Power of Music

There I was, minding my own business on Thanksgiving Day, watching a football game between the Packers and Lions, when suddenly a Chevy commercial had me in tears. Not 24 hours earlier, I had been in conversation with Jerry Kramer (one of the greatest Packers of all time,) talking about the magic of music and recalling an event that took place a decade earlier, that once again manifested itself right on time. It is a reminder of the power music has when it comes to breaking down the demons of dementia, this time with a little help from John Denver.