Ruth Rogers is the owner and operator of The Canvas, a dining and creative space in the United Kingdom. The Canvas provides meals to those in need, as well as serving as a meeting place for events like art shows and group networking. It is clear The Canvas performs a lot of good for the community, but it is also clear that the pandemic has put The Canvas in tough economic circumstances. Hear how Ruth adopted a crowfunding campaign in an attempt to maintain her establishment into the future, as w...
Jun 14, 2022•1 hr 2 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Marlene Flowers, a fitness guru that recently started participating in competitive bodybuilding at age 65. Marlene (also known as "Granny Guns" to those who follow her on social media) has experienced a life full of ups and downs. Hear how fitness has rejuvenated her physically and emotionally to focus on the bright and fulfilling side of life! A solid listen for people of all ages interested in starting a fitness and nutrition regim...
Jun 01, 2022•50 min
Nadia Turner offers revealing and in-depth details about the many hats she has worn over the years. From being a Miami Dolphins cheerleader, singing at the G8 World Summit in front of Bill Clinton and Vladimir Putin, being a Top 8 finalist on American Idol’s fourth season, to recording an album featuring music legends like Chester Thompson, it is safe to say Nadia has had some incredible experiences throughout her life. We are fortunate that she is willing to talk about all of these experiences ...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 35 min
Chef Dennis Littley talks about the ingredients of a great chef, memorable moments in his career, his thoughts on fast food, how the pandemic has impacted the hospitality industry, and why he transitioned to being a blogger. His tips on being a successful blogger will be helpful to anyone interested in doing this kind of work, even if your focus is not on food and/or travel! Check out Ask Chef Dennis at https://www.askchefdennis.com/
May 16, 2022•59 min
Chris Thomas and special guest co-host Kevin Slaughter interview the Ukranian pop-punk band Cardinal Birds about how they formed, their musical influences, the art of constructing a song, their thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, how they feel about Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, what Ukrainian groupies look like, and all the other pressing questions of the day. Lots of ambient noise here, but listen in and enjoy the wild ride! Check out the music of Cardinal Birds on Spotify here: http...
Apr 24, 2022•47 min
Chris Thomas talks with Kristine Grant, a ghostwriter that has assisted many people in crafting messages. From love letters, eulogies, dating profiles, and everything in between, Kristine discusses how she maintains an authentic voice for each client. The importance of self-confidence in making interpersonal connections is a key theme. To learn more about Kristine's work, visit http://inspiredheartletters.com/
Apr 10, 2022•1 hr 38 min
A practitioner of sports medicine makes some tasteless remarks about the middle schooler that fell out of the drop tower ride in Orlando. The video is haunting, as are the comments of a so-called Doctor!
Apr 01, 2022•17 min
A substitute teacher returns to Grade A Nation to talk about how an acting class reenacting the Will Smith and Chris Rock slapping encounter at the Oscars ceremony did not go according to plan....if there even was a plan to begin with.
Mar 31, 2022•18 min
Hala Abdul is a licensed psychotherapist in Canada working with clients in the financial technology domain. Hala shares with Grade A Nation the most common psychological concerns expressed by those working in FinTech, tips on how to find a psychotherapist with knowledge about new and emerging technologies, and thoughts on whether the rapidly evolving nature of digital innovations exacerbates mental health concerns. It is a thought-provoking interview that should be engaging for anyone interested...
Mar 14, 2022•44 min
Chris Thomas chats with Jeremiah Stemple, a developer of comic book projects for chronic patients and the charities that serve them. Hear how Jeremiah and his friends are trying to put a smile on the face of those who need it most! Learn more about Jeremiah's work at https://heroesforcauses.com/
Mar 14, 2022•39 min
Chris Thomas chats with actress and model Ellie Noir about a collection of topics pertaining to the entertainment industry, including: preparing for roles in film and television compared to the live stage moving to pursue career goals how travel allows a performer to experience new cultures getting into the mindset of characters the most and least enjoyable aspects of being an entertainer Ellie already has a cool body of work and she is bound to have a bright future as she climbs atop the showbi...
Feb 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Riley Jarvis of TheSleepConsultant.com chats about what initiated his interest in helping others with their sleep, the general ingredients of sleep that enhance personal performance, the potential significance of dreaming, and warning signs of harmful sleeping habits. A good sleep is linked to positive health outcomes, so this conversation should be appointment listenting for many....and it is so engaging that I'm confident you are not going to doze off lis...
Feb 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Vi Vi Thai is a writer and YouTube content creator. While some may be shocked to learn that a person who earned engineering degrees from Texas A&M and Cornell University currently lives in a van, Vi Vi talks about how the van lifestyle has helped her to focus her mind on living a life of adventure unencumbered by any materialistic mindset. Vi Vi discusses how some perceive her as homeless, and how she responds to that. Vi Vi is a genuinely sweet person, and her story deserves a listen! Check...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Lance Ingram, host of the podcast Yesterday's Concert, joins the Grade A Nation to explain why he has attended so many live concerts from so many different genres of music in recent years. Is this behavior a passion or a compulsion? We discuss that, as well as the financial considerations tied to frequent concert-going, the reaction he has received from loved ones, memories of shows that stand out, and how to protect your hearing when going to so many noisy live events! To learn more about Lance...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Lacey Lehotsky, who runs travel blogging website liveitupwithlacey.com, reveals how she has not let anxiety and CPTSD stop her from exploring destinations around the world. Lacey wants people to know that anxiety is not something that should prevent people from trying new experiences in new places. A candid conversation that will hopefully get people thinking! Note: This installment contains discussion of traumatic life events that some may find triggering. Please keep this in mind when deciding...
Jan 14, 2022•52 min
Michael Unbroken talks to the Grade A Nation about his personal experiences with severe trauma at an early age and how these experiences led to self-destructive behaviors growing up. Michael decided to break the cycle of pain and studied to become a certified life coach to assist adults who also experienced trauma at a young age. Through helping others, he has learned quite a bit about self-improvement and mental health, and he shares his insights in this captivating discussion. Note: Some of th...
Jan 12, 2022•55 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Sophia Vee shares her experiences finding an audience on Twitch doing sidecasting (watchalong reactions to live material) and interviewing unique people like a spirit medium. Sophia gives tips on how to avoid toxic trolls while attempting to grow a fanbase as a live streamer and social media personality. She has a big appreciation for professional wrestling, so we discuss the general state of affairs with WWE and AEW. Sophia is a rising star on Twitch and y...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Actor Christian Birkenberger talks about his experience on Season 23 of the CBS show Big Brother, as well as his determination to achieve major mainstream acting goals. Christian emphasizes the importance of taking a 'no days off' approach in the pursuit of success. As someone who has done extensive modeling work, he reflects on how having a thick skin helps avoid being pigeonholed as someone that only brings looks to the table. Having cultivated a fanbase from reality television, Christian talk...
Jan 07, 2022•42 min
Kanika Issar talks about her efforts to take the negativity out of divorce. Getting married at 23 and divorced at 27, she was struck by how divorce is always characterized as a bad thing. Kanika wants to make clear that life after divorce can be personally enriching, as she feels the last two years have been some of the best in her life despite the pandemic. Kanika has the gift of gab which makes for a Grade A interview! Check out Kanika's podcast episodes on divorce called, "you WHAT??" https:/...
Jan 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Chris Thomas has an honest and open discussion about mental health with Paul Marlow, founder of the mental health advocacy platform Never Alone. In the discussion, Paul reveals how a challenging breakup and the death of his father led to serious mental health challenges that ultimately led him down a path toward self-improvement and a desire to help others facing mental health challenges. Paul reflects on his prior pursuits as an athlete and a model with candor and relates how these experiences ...
Dec 31, 2021•53 min
In this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Scott Heric, co-founder of the digital transaction platform Unionly. Unionly is designed to facilitate the collection and raising of funds by labor unions. Scott discusses how Unionly works, what inspired the idea, offers his thoughts on the strength of labor unions in the future, as well as his view on online groups potentially preventing labor groups like a law enforcement union from using Unionly. We also talk about the feasibilit...
Dec 31, 2021•51 min
Ed McCormack, founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency education platform Dchained, talks to the Grade A Nation about an array of topics, including: -What Dchained potentially offers to people interested in crypto investing -Why Dchained has popularity with Gen X investors -How Dchained as a startup grows at scale while serving both beginner and veteran crypto investors -Avoiding perceptions of favoritism or pushing specific crypto projects -Concerns investors have about recent cryptocurrency trend...
Dec 23, 2021•58 min
We chat with Will McKissick, the Chief Chief Strategy Officer for mePrism. mePrism is a service that encrypts and stores your personal data to help you discover insights about your digital identity, as well as facilitating potential sales of information linked to your digital identity that you can opt into. Will shares some background on how he joined the startup, advice for others exploring entrepreneurial avenues in the online realm, and thoughts on complex ethical questions regarding privacy ...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 6 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Nai Nicole, a life coach who has tons of experience with solo travel. Listen in as Nai talks about how traveling alone can foster meaningful personal growth, how her approach to travel has adjusted given the events of the last two years, and then offers us all some valuable travel tips! A perfect episode for people thinking about traveling in the near future. To learn more about Nai Nicole and her work, check out www.thespiritadventu...
Dec 21, 2021•41 min
Chris Thomas chats with author, entrepreneur, and film producer Doug Stebleton. Doug has co-written a historical science-fiction work titled, "It's a Wonderful Time," where the main character is transported back to 1946 while the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life" is being made. The book is the first in the Hollywood Time Travel series. Doug shares his inspiration for the book, tales of his early years in Hollywood pursuing a career in show business, converting a screenplay to a novel, the nua...
Dec 08, 2021•58 min
Thanks everyone for supporting the show for 3 years and counting. On this installment, we talk about a holiday fundraiser where people are asked to buy Cup Noodles ramen soup...but the promotion for the fundraiser doesn't appear to depict someone slurping on a ramen noodle. Perhaps slurping some other type of noodle; good grief!
Dec 02, 2021•15 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Debby Montgomery Johnson, a crusader and advocate for victims of online romance scams. Having herself experienced a two-year online relationship filled with deception that drained her both emotionally and financially, Debby shares the common signs of online dating and social media fraud to be aware of. Debby also reveals how she came to trust others again and rebuild her life in positive ways. You will learn a lot in this compelling ...
Oct 17, 2021•59 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Amy Sinha, a wickedly talented singer, voiceover artist, and entrepreneur. Growing up with severe health troubles did not impede Amy in achieving her goals. Hear how a positive mindset, a support system of friends and family, and a lifelong passion for creative arts led Amy to accomplish her ambitious dreams. Amy's enthusiasm for life exudes throughout the interview! To learn more about Amy, check out her various pages: Website - htt...
Oct 11, 2021•42 min
On this installment of Grade A Nation, Chris Thomas chats with Taly Matiteyahu, one of the founders of a new dating app called Blink. Blink hopes to establish more meaningful connections based on thinking beyond physical appearances. In the interview, Taly shares insights into how the idea for Blink was developed, how Blink can potentially limit biases and frustrations seen with other dating applications, and also addresses some potential obstacles tied to a culture where many seek instant grati...
Oct 04, 2021•30 min
Chris Thomas, still grieving over the passing of comedy icon Norm Macdonald, is forced to sit through a former talk show host doing material about a one-armed and one-legged person getting around an airport on a skateboard. What is the deal?
Oct 01, 2021•14 min
