“The future doesn’t have to be about more stuff,” says Gina Nicholas . “It can be about sharing experiences with others.” When the World Trade Center twin towers came down in a terrorist attack , Gina saw it as a sign that she should leave her corporate career to return home to the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, surrounded by the cold waters of Lake Superior , and focus on preserving the natural lands she loved for future generations. Through this work, she met Helen Taylor , the Michigan direc...
Mar 08, 2021•45 min
Sometimes meaning comes out of the tiny obligations and routines of daily life. We find meaning in the mundane as easily as preparing a meal and sitting down with people we love to enjoy it. As a celebrity chef, author of two books and mom to two young children, Crystal Blanchette is dedicated to making meal prep easy and making food a priority, not a chore. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Crystal speaks with host Lynne Golodner about her internship at Lucas Films , her caree...
Feb 22, 2021•34 min•Ep. 104
“A mural cannot be a band-aid on a society that puts Black and Brown people at the bottom every single day,” says Katie Yamasaki , muralist and children’s book artist who uses art as a platform to build dialogue and tell stories of communities. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Katie speaks with host Lynne Golodner about her early influences (including her famous grandfather, architect Minoru Yamasaki , who designed the World Trade Center ), collaborating with former students a...
Feb 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 103
Learning how to write and channel your voice is an act of bravery, says Patrick Hicks , which may lead you to become more adventurous in other parts of your life. The author of more than 10 books , including The Collector of Names , Adoptable and This London , Patrick is the latest guest on the Make Meaning Podcast . In this episode, Patrick speaks with host Lynne Golodner about whose history is real history, how to pay homage to the possibilities, and why an American whose ancestors came from N...
Jan 25, 2021•38 min•Ep. 102
Sometimes a meaningful life and a purpose-driven career grows out of a step-by-step approach to accepting opportunities and seeing where they take you. Margaret O’Gorman , President of the Wildlife Habitat Council and author of the book, Strategic Corporate Conservation Planning , could not have charted her life’s course from her childhood in Ireland – she simply embraced the opportunities that came her way and a meaning-rich life unfolded. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Mar...
Jan 11, 2021•21 min•Ep. 101
Growing up in the Chabad Lubavitch community, Bassie Shemtov always knew she’d devote her life to service. So when she married and moved to Michigan, she and her husband set about dedicating their life and family to building friendships with people in isolation. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Bassie speaks with host Lynne Golodner about the origins of the Friendship Circle , her husband’s role as “the Friendship Rabbi,” and the next phase of the Friendship Circle’s growth, a...
Dec 28, 2020•29 min•Ep. 100
When many people receive life-altering medical news, they don’t see it as opportunity. Keisha Greaves does. As founder of Girls Chronically Rock and an inspiring advocate for the disability community, Keisha embraced her situation and let it motivate her to live her best life. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Keisha speaks with host Lynne Golodner about being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy while in graduate school and using such initially devastating news as motivation to s...
Dec 21, 2020•27 min•Ep. 99
She calls herself an eco-warrior, and her mission started early in life. By the age of 8, Kehkashan Basu was already advocating for sustainability, and now as a university student in Toronto and the founder of the Green Hope Foundation , she shows no signs of slowing down. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Kehkashan speaks with host Lynne Golodner about why children are perfectly positioned to move the needle on climate justice, social equality, gender issues and more. She shar...
Dec 14, 2020•24 min•Ep. 98
Eric Hale says he’s not trying to be the best teacher; he’s trying to be the most impactful educator in the country. As Texas Teacher of the Year, and the first African-American man to be awarded this honor, Eric raised more than $100,000 in the last two years for his economically challenged school district in the “red light district” of Dallas – in addition to teaching some of its youngest students. “I may be the first to receive it, but I know I’m not the first African-American educator who de...
Dec 07, 2020•24 min•Ep. 97
Sabrina Colosimo has been productive during this year’s coronavirus pandemic. Her interior design business exploded online, as people stayed home and found renewed energy and inspiration for renovating and redecorating. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Sabrina speaks with host Lynne Golodner about spending a month in Bali to find precious housewares and fabrics, creating rooms that are globally inspired, and how to find new purpose for vintage furniture amid contemporary desig...
Nov 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 95
Seeing people as solutions to problems, Froswa’ Booker Drew says she wants her funeral to be a networking session. Relationships are critical for success, Froswa’ says, they teach us how to become leaders, how to interact with the world, and how to transform what we do and who we are. Froswa’ holds many roles: Vice President of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas Co-Founder of HERitage Giving Circle (the first African American women’s giving circle in Texas) Professor at Tulane Univers...
Nov 16, 2020•30 min•Ep. 94
When asked which role he prefers – teaching high school, coaching soccer, serving as a blended family expert, or being a husband and father – Joel Hawbaker has a hard time choosing. All of these roles combine to form his personal purpose, says the Alabama native. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Joel speaks with host Lynne Golodner on having a growth mindset, the purpose of education (hint: it’s to become a better human being and better understand the world), taking time to bl...
Nov 09, 2020•46 min•Ep. 93
It makes total sense to form a consortium connecting the 17 colleges and universities in our nation’s capital. The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, led by Andrew Flagel, develops financial efficiencies and better delivery of higher education core services as well as making it easier for students, staff and faculty in the region to access the great offerings of its members. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Andrew speaks with host Lynne Golodner on ...
Nov 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 92
From living with monks to leading a consciousness-raising website, Harry Sherwood has done a deep dive into meaning and purpose in his young life and built a career based on what he believes. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Harry speaks with host Lynne Golodner about feeling suffocated by the life he was living and going on a journey for something more, something meaningful. Harry studied with yogis, martial arts masters, professors and psychologists, devoting thousands of ho...
Oct 26, 2020•33 min•Ep. 91
As chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee of the Michigan PTA, and past PTA President at Norup International School , Jennifer Johnson is living out her purpose – to advocate for all children, and to take steps toward building true equity in education. Growing up in a family committed to Civil Rights and accompanying her mother to rallies from before she could walk, Jennifer feels purpose in her bones – and lives it out by speaking up and modeling for her children and her communi...
Oct 19, 2020•40 min•Ep. 90
What does a high school teacher do after retirement? Teach about Ethics, of course. At least that’s Rabbi Yonason Goldson’s journey, from a “repentant hitchhiker” to an ordained Orthodox rabbi to a jolly grandfather who converts ancient wisdom into modern-day lessons on operating by a set of ethical imperatives. On the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast , Yonason talks with host Lynne Golodner about how purpose is the key to happiness and how biblical Hebrew has 8 words for joy or happin...
Oct 12, 2020•26 min•Ep. 89
From spreading out the learning calendar more evenly throughout the year to shifting from grades and ages as benchmarks to educational success toward competencies, David Hornak has revolutionary, smart ideas for how to transform education. As superintendent of Holt Public Schools, and executive director of the National Association for Year-Round Education , David is passionate about making American education equitable and far-reaching. For everyone. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podc...
Oct 05, 2020•35 min•Ep. 88
It’s hard to forget being bullied. In fact, it can alter the whole course of your life – if you let it. Knowing this first-hand, Rasheda Kamaria Williams founded Empowered Flower Girl and became an advocate speaking out against bullying to build up confidence and mentorship for young girls so they don’t let harsh early experiences dictate their futures. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Rasheda speaks with host Lynne Golodner on where bullying comes from, PTSD that occurs from p...
Sep 28, 2020•32 min•Ep. 87
Joshua J. Smith was humbled and honored to be selected to serve on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 Task Force on Education. As a high school counselor in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and a three-time cancer survivor, Josh knows how precarious health and wellness can be while also realizing the very real pressures of children not being able to go to school. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Josh talks with host Lynne Golodner about how the state of Michigan is making dec...
Sep 21, 2020•24 min•Ep. 86
In this episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Michele talks with Lynne Golodner about how “the arts teach us we are all in this together” and hold up a mirror to our societies and ourselves. They touch on the struggle to achieve universal access and equity in Higher Ed, democratizing the classroom, and the challenge to help people understand the value of Higher Ed in a changing world.
Sep 14, 2020•34 min•Ep. 85
Leading with the belief that education is transformation, Andrew Meloche did an exemplary job as principal of Berkley High School in Berkley, Michigan, during the months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sep 07, 2020•40 min•Ep. 84
Adrian Tonon is an example of what happens when people believe anything is possible. The first-generation son of Italian immigrants, Adrian is now Director of Customer Service and the first 24-hour Economy Ambassador for the City of Detroit. But before that, he was an inspiring leader of the entertainment economy in Detroit, as co-founder of Sick Em Records with hip hop artist Kid Vishis, co-founder of the Detroit Music Foundation and a manager of bands during his years at Michigan State Univers...
Aug 31, 2020•25 min•Ep. 83
For decades, we’ve heard that Americans are losing interest in formalized religion – while at the same time seeking spiritual connection. This episode’s Make Meaning podcast guest, Jessica McCormick, is part of an effort to reimagine how American Judaism can be. As director of the Jewish Emergent Network Rabbinic Fellowship, Jessica oversees seven innovative Jewish communities across America.
Aug 24, 2020•26 min•Ep. 82
From a young age, John Hartig knew he wanted to work toward protecting the environment, especially waterways and the quality of water in the Great Lakes region. Today, he is a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor and the Great Lakes Science Policy Adviser for the International Association for Great Lakes Research. He’s the author of five books and more than 100 articles about the environment, and for 14 years he served as...
Aug 10, 2020•25 min•Ep. 81
Meaning has directed Iris Lee Underwood along the many paths of her life – from her childhood in Appalachia, hailing from the McCoy part of the Hatfield-McCoy legend, to raising three daughters in Michigan, to losing her eldest daughter to drug addiction and farming lavender as a way to heal from that devastating loss. Along the way, she’s served as president of Detroit Working Writers and writer-in-residence at the Troy Public Library, published three books and authored a weekly column for her ...
Jul 27, 2020•29 min•Ep. 80
In this episode, Laura and Lynne Golodner talk about writing past the fear of exposure, writing as practice, prayer, meditation, a way of life and a way TO life, and so now what? , the next logical step from pandemic or other life-changing events. They also discuss the courage to face the empty nest , and how cultivating a self-definition that is productive and creative during motherhood can help women transition through the time that their children leave the nest....
Jul 13, 2020•27 min•Ep. 79
What do you do when you’ve worked hard to ascend the academic ladder, put in the time, sparked great research and debate, and you’re denied tenure? You ask yourself some hard questions, turn to your personal board of directors for guidance, and redirect your career into the direction it was really meant to go. That pivotal pause was groundbreaking for Dr. Sibrina Collins , this week’s guest on the Make Meaning Podcast, a story she humbly shares in this interview. As Executive Director of the Mar...
Jun 29, 2020•27 min•Ep. 78
Jason Kadlitz dropped an engineering career to become a barber, morphing his engineering skills and creative passion into vintage precision haircutting. As he built a one-of-a-kind business, he drew upon personal values to create a culture of kindness. Jason has created in the Berkley Chop Shop a retro-style clubhouse of community and fellowship where everyone matters. Jason joins Lynne Golodner on this episode of the Make Meaning podcast to share what inspired him to find a new path, create a w...
Jun 15, 2020•25 min•Ep. 77
In this episode of the Make Meaning podcast, Lynne Golodner speaks with former Your People team member Kirstin Karoub explore the power of volunteering to instill meaning, reveal purpose, create connections and build mutually beneficial relationships, all while making a difference.
Jun 01, 2020•39 min•Ep. 76
Growing up with dyslexia can lead children to feel stupid, misunderstood, or as if they don’t fit in. Jacob Blumenstein knows this well. His own transformation from a 5th-grader who tried to skip out on reading aloud in class to a 9th grader earning summa cum laude accolades led him to create KidsRead2Kids with his sister, Alana. Now graduating from Detroit Country Day School and heading to the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in the fall, Jacob joins his sister in a special Make M...
May 18, 2020•18 min•Ep. 75
