Corporal Todd Nicely of the U.S. Marine Corps is one of the few modern veterans to survive catastrophic blast injuries that cost him both hands and both legs. Six months into his second deployment, an IED changed his life on March 26, 2010. Todd lets us in on what came next—first the grit of rehab fueled by a mission mindset, then the hard truth that life after the hospital brought isolation, grief he hadn’t processed, and a suicide attempt in 2016. What ultimately turned him around was a questi...
Oct 20, 2025•26 min
We sit down with Joe Pardavila—radio veteran with more than 10,000 hours behind the mic on New York’s 95.5 PLJ’s Scott & Todd Morning Show and author of the bestseller Good Listen: Creating Memorable Conversations in Business and Life. Now a creator and producer of entrepreneur-focused podcasts, Joe brings a storyteller’s toolkit to modern communication: curiosity, humility, and genuine care for the person across from us. Joe shows us why great conversations start with comfort, not ego. He s...
Oct 13, 2025•35 min
John O’Leary returns to The Daily Helping with a timely reminder born from extraordinary adversity. Burned across 100% of his body at age nine and given less than a 1% chance to live, John has since inspired millions as a keynote speaker and the bestselling author of On Fire and In Awe. Now, his story reaches the big screen in Soul on Fire, a feature film shot in the very St. Louis places where his life unfolded—starring Joel Courtney, John Corbett, and William H. Macy. We explore how John’s rec...
Oct 06, 2025•32 min
Ranae Van Roekel never imagined the word felon would be part of her identity. Yet after serving 36 months in federal prison for mail fraud, she refused to let that label define her. Instead, she used it as a turning point. A mother, grandmother, wife, and dog lover, Ranae is also the founder of Connecting to Cope , a platform designed to empower individuals with the tools, community, and support they need to heal from trauma and grow—no matter what’s in their past. Through her coaching, speaking...
Sep 29, 2025•29 min
Margaret Andrews—leadership expert and longtime Harvard instructor—joins us to share the MYLO framework: Manage Yourself to Lead Others. Her executive program has run for years with a loyal waitlist, and she’s distilled those lessons into her book, Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding. We explore her journey from hard feedback about “self-awareness” to building a practical approach leaders can apply immediately. At the heart of Margaret’s work is a ...
Sep 22, 2025•29 min
We sit down with Wes Adams—CEO of SV Consulting Group and positive psychology researcher at UPenn—and Tamara Myles—speaker, author, professor, and researcher at UPenn—to unpack their new book, Meaningful Work. Together, they argue that what makes work feel worthwhile isn’t a lofty mission on a wall; it’s the daily experience we create. Their research shows leaders and environments account for nearly half of our sense of meaning at work, and they translate that into a practical playbook we can us...
Sep 15, 2025•32 min
Valerie J. Walsh is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and transformational leader whose work turns personal tragedy into a mission to help others rise. Through her memoir Shattered to the Core and her follow-up, CoreAgeous, she invites us into the real work of healing—naming trauma, telling the truth, and leading from the heart. We explore her journey from fitness professional to aviation leader and mental health advocate, and how journaling her way through loss and cancer recovery bec...
Sep 08, 2025•27 min
We sit down with Dr. Reza Zahedi—civil engineer, international real estate leader, and author of Self-Made Maverick—whose story begins as a child refugee from Iran and evolves into a career built from scratch across Europe. What struck us wasn’t the highlight reel, but the mindset shift he credits for everything: believing he could build something from nothing and change his destiny despite the doubters. Dr. Reza challenges the Instagram myth of overnight success. He reframes failure as a daily ...
Sep 01, 2025•32 min
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed accounts of domestic violence, emotional abuse, and the murder of a parent. It may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion and take care of yourself while listening. In part two of our conversation with filmmaker, podcaster, and speaker Collier Landry, we continue the extraordinary story that began when he was just 11 years old. After testifying against his father for the murder of his mother, Collier was left without...
Aug 25, 2025•32 min
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed accounts of domestic violence, emotional abuse, and the murder of a parent. It may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion and take care of yourself while listening. At just 11 years old, Collier Landry’s life was upended when his father murdered his mother. Refusing to remain silent, he gathered evidence, testified against his father, and became the key witness in a case that would change his life forever. Abandoned ...
Aug 18, 2025•38 min
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Scott Hutcheson, a biosocial scientist and senior lecturer at Purdue University, whose work with hundreds of organizations has redefined how we understand leadership. Dr. Hutcheson’s new book, Biohacking Leadership, takes a unique look at how leadership is rooted in biology and behavior—demonstrating that how we feel at work is shaped less by the job itself and more by the signals sent by our leaders. Dr. Hutcheson shares how his background in theater led to his...
Aug 11, 2025•32 min
In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Swift, an innovative organizational consultant and the author of Work Here Now: Think Like a Human and Build a Powerhouse Workplace. Having worked with global giants like Mercer and Deloitte, Melissa brings a data-driven yet deeply human perspective to understanding what’s broken about modern work—and how we can actually fix it. Her book unpacks the three types of “broken work” and introduces the “work anxiety monster,” but what truly sets Melissa apart ...
Aug 04, 2025•31 min
In this episode, we’re joined by Susanne Madsen, a globally recognized executive coach, award-winning author, and specialist in transformational leadership for complex organizations. With nearly 30 years of experience working with global leaders at companies like JP Morgan, Citigroup, and Lego, Susanne has dedicated her career to helping people rethink how they lead—and, more importantly, how they show up for themselves. Her latest book, How to Do the Inner Work, explores why genuine transformat...
Jul 28, 2025•32 min
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Alexandra Miles, founder and CEO of Project Blackbird, a nonprofit organization that champions mental health awareness and access in Washington, D.C., and beyond. Alexandra brings a wealth of experience, from her dual degrees in business and fine arts to her leadership in producing impactful mental health programming and films. Her work, which includes screenings at global events such as Sundance and Cannes, focuses on reducing stigma and connecting you...
Jul 21, 2025•28 min
In this episode, we reconnect with Mark Monchek, founder and Chief Opportunity Officer of the Opportunity Lab, whose clients include global leaders like Google, Apple, GE, and the United Nations. Mark’s journey sits at the crossroads of business, art, and psychology, and his latest book, Opportunity Intelligence: How to Thrive in an Age of Radical Disruption, is both timely and personal—shaped by a legacy of resilience from a family that endured some of the 20th century’s most profound upheavals...
Jul 14, 2025•30 min
For this episode, we’re honored to welcome Diane Kahn, founding member and executive director of Humans of San Quentin. Diane’s journey began with a simple curiosity that blossomed into a life-changing mission: helping incarcerated people share their stories with the world. Over seven years volunteering at San Quentin, she’s been deeply moved by the vulnerability and emotional intelligence of the men she works with—seeing firsthand how storytelling, art, and letter writing can bridge the gap bet...
Jul 07, 2025•23 min
In this episode, we sit down with Jim Poole, CEO of NuCalm, a leader in neuroscience-based wellness and performance. Jim’s journey is rooted in a family dedicated to helping others, shaped by parents who were both psychotherapists and a mother who was a true force of nature. Today, he channels that legacy into pioneering technology that allows people to manage their mental state on demand—without drugs or side effects. NuCalm, once a $6,000 FDA-regulated device used in dental surgeries, has evol...
Jun 30, 2025•40 min
In this episode, we’re joined by Thomas G. Waites—acclaimed actor, playwright, musician, and star of the raw and riveting one-man show Lucky Man, A Warrior’s Journey, currently playing in New York and produced by Emmy and Golden Globe winner John Goodman. With a storied career spanning film, television, and stage—including cult classics like The Warriors and The Thing—Tom pulls back the curtain on his rollercoaster life, sharing openly about both meteoric highs and hard-won lessons in redemption...
Jun 24, 2025•32 min
Dr. Paul J. Zak, acclaimed neuroscientist and bestselling author of The Little Book of Happiness, returns to The Daily Helping to share groundbreaking insights on how connection and fulfillment truly shape our well-being. As a professor and pioneer in behavioral neuroscience, Dr. Zak has spent decades studying what it takes for people to thrive, developing tools that help us measure and build more meaningful lives. In this episode, Dr. Zak discusses his innovative SIX app, which uses data from e...
Jun 16, 2025•29 min
On this episode of The Daily Helping, we’re joined by Paul Johnson and Larry Aldrich, two accomplished leaders who have spent decades shaping policy and championing individual rights. Paul, former mayor of Phoenix and host of The Optimistic American podcast, brings deep experience from his roles in business, politics, and international development. Larry, a federal antitrust prosecutor and newspaper CEO, has long defended First Amendment rights and innovation in media. Together, they bring a uni...
Jun 09, 2025•38 min
Ken Banta, founder and CEO of the Vanguard Network, is a recognized expert in leadership and organizational change. With a rich background as a journalist—covering pivotal events like the Eastern European revolutions for Time magazine—Ken transitioned into corporate leadership, helping guide major turnarounds at companies such as Pharmacia and Bausch & Lomb. His latest book, Seeing Around Corners, gathers lessons from top leaders and is designed to inspire everyone, from emerging professiona...
Jun 02, 2025•29 min
Joel Zuckerman may have made a name for himself as a golf writer, but it’s gratitude—not golf—that transformed his life. With over 300 handwritten letters under his belt, Joel has shifted from penning sports columns to advocating for expressive gratitude as a path to greater well-being. In this episode of The Daily Helping, Dr. Richard sits down with Joel to unpack his latest book, Gratitude Tiger, and the powerful personal journey that inspired it. Joel’s story begins with a single letter writt...
May 26, 2025•33 min
Bill Zujewski—better known as Bill Z—is the founder of Good Life LLC, creator of the Life by Design system, the ZenScore app, and the Good Life platform. After a long and successful career in enterprise software with companies like Oracle and Tulip, Bill co-founded the Green Business Bureau, which was successfully acquired in 2023. He’s now the author of What’s Your Life Score?, a book and system designed to help people bring intentionality and balance into their everyday lives. Bill’s journey t...
May 19, 2025•30 min
Sol Smith is a certified autism specialist, author of The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery, and former college professor who is also autistic, dyslexic, and has ADHD. After spending over twenty years in academia, Sol transitioned into coaching and advocacy, building a large online following and offering guidance to neurodivergent individuals around the world. His work aims to help people better understand themselves and build autonomy—especially those who have felt left behind by systems that ...
May 12, 2025•31 min
Todd Patkin is a successful entrepreneur turned happiness advocate whose life story took a sharp turn after selling his family business. A Tufts University graduate, Todd spent nearly two decades building that business before it was acquired by Advanced Auto Parts. With his time and energy newly freed, he turned toward philanthropy and mental health advocacy—particularly drawing from his personal battles with depression and anxiety. He went on to write Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat ...
May 05, 2025•32 min
Butch Meily has lived a remarkable life bridging cultures between the United States and the Philippines, carving out a career that spans public relations, corporate communications, and journalism. With stints at top PR firms and as VP of Communications for TLC Beatrice International, Meily’s storytelling prowess has graced publications like The Wall Street Journal and Black Enterprise. But perhaps his most defining chapter is the one he shares in his memoir, From Manila to Wall Street, chronicli...
Apr 28, 2025•28 min
Barry Shore is known as the “Ambassador of Joy,” and for good reason. A successful entrepreneur with multiple patents and a top-ranked podcast, Barry has turned immense personal adversity into a global movement of giving. After a rare disease suddenly rendered him a quadriplegic, Barry rebuilt his life from the ground up. Today, he swims two miles a day, six days a week, and has reached millions through his Keep Smiling cards, his podcast The Joy of Living, and now, through a groundbreaking plat...
Apr 21, 2025•31 min
Marissa Afton is a partner and Head of Global Accounts at Potential Project, a global leadership development firm focused on building more human workplaces. With over 20 years of experience in workplace well-being and performance, Marissa helps leaders drive cultural excellence, innovation, and resilience. She’s also the co-author of More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead, and her work appears in outlets like Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Her passion for human-cente...
Apr 14, 2025•29 min
Billy Wynne has been a devoted student of Buddhism and mindfulness for over 30 years, trained under renowned teachers like Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and quoted in outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. But his latest work, The Empty Path: Finding Fulfillment Through the Radical Art of Lessening, is more than just another book on mindfulness—it’s a vulnerable exploration of his personal journey through addiction, burnout, and spiritual rediscovery. With a deep understand...
Apr 07, 2025•31 min
Reema Datta, renowned yoga and Ayurveda instructor and author of The Yogi’s Way: Transform Your Mind, has shared her wisdom across five continents, helping countless students, including celebrities like Sting and Paul Simon, discover profound inner peace and transformation. Her journey blends traditional Indian heritage with modern struggles and discoveries, offering a unique approach to ancient practices. Reema's story is a powerful illustration of how life's challenges can become gateways to d...
Mar 31, 2025•31 min
