Episodes
Sept. 9, 2025
Courage After Tragedy: Kristen Breitweiser’s Fight for Justice In the Wake of 9/11
As the 24th observance of the September 11th attacks approaches, Next Steps Forward host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Kristen Breitweiser, a woman whose life was forever changed that day and who transformed her grief into a ...
Sept. 2, 2025
Breaking the Stigma: Understanding Veteran Mental Health with Dr. Ron Acierno
This week on Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Dr. Ron Acierno , professor and vice chair of Veterans Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School, and...
Aug. 26, 2025
The Power of Coaching: Building Leaders Who Inspire and Transform w/ Dr. Dana Kirchman
What makes a good leader truly great? In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Dr. Dana Kirchman, leadership expert, executive coach, and trusted advisor, to explore that very question. With...
Aug. 19, 2025
ENCORE: Giving A Voice to the Voiceless w/ Janice Trey & Ying Chen
Janice Trey, the head of Epoch Times/NTD Network, and Ying Chen, conductor at Shen Yun Performing Arts, join program host Dr. Chris Meek in this installment of Next Steps Forward to discuss their experiences with the Chinese ...
Aug. 12, 2025
ENCORE: Trailblazing Leadership: Lieutenant General Patricia “Patty” D. Horoho on Resilience, Service, and Empowering the Next Generation
In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Patricia “Patty” D. Horoho, a trailblazer who made history as the first woman, first nurse, and first non-p...
Aug. 5, 2025
Serving Those Who Serve w/ Lt. Randy Sutton
What happens when the protectors need protection? This week on Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Lieutenant Randy Sutton (Ret.) , a 34-year law enforcement veteran, national media voice, and founder of T...
July 29, 2025
Leadernomics: How Economics Can Teach Us to Lead with Integrity w/ Lt. Col. Seung Paik
What can economics teach us about leadership, resilience, and character? This week on Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Seung Paik, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, award-winning educator, and creator of Lead...
July 22, 2025
It’s Time to Rebel w/ Cari Kenzie
Cari Kenzie is trailblazer in the fields of leadership, resilience and personal transformation. As a dynamic speaker, coach and entrepreneur, Cari has dedicated her life to empowering others to rise above their circumstances ...
July 1, 2025
Legacy of Service: The Dowdell Brothers’ Story of Resilience, Duty, and Hope
In this moving episode of Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek is joined by brothers Patrick and James Dowdell - two men whose lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001, when they lost their father, FDNY Lieutenant Kevi...
June 24, 2025
Footprints of Schizophrenia w/ Dr. Steven Lesk
In this powerful and enlightening episode of Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek welcomes psychiatrist and author Dr. Steve Lesk, a 40-year veteran of the mental health field and author of Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evo...
June 17, 2025
Understanding and Overcoming Addiction with Faust Ruggiero
On this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek is joined by psychologist, researcher, and acclaimed author Faust Ruggiero for a timely and empowering conversation about the nature of addiction and the path to r...
June 10, 2025
Dr. John Berger: Confronting the Climate Crisis with Clarity and Resolve
On this week’s Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek welcomes back environmental expert and author Dr. John Berger for a timely and eye-opening conversation on the climate crisis. Building on their first interview, Dr. Berger -...
June 3, 2025
Our New World of Adult Bullies w/ Bill Eddy
This week on Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Bill Eddy - licensed clinical social worker, attorney, and director of innovation at the High Conflict Institute - for a compelling look at the rise of adult bull...
May 27, 2025
Empowering Innovation: Sanjay Puri on Entrepreneurship, AI, and Bridging Nations
In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Sanjay Puri - entrepreneur, investor, global strategist, and host of the Regulating AI and Indianness podcasts - for an insightful conversation on personal...
May 20, 2025
Fuel Your Future w/ Becca Powers
In this empowering episode of Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Becca Powers, an international keynote speaker, USA TODAY best-selling author, and founder of Powers Peak Potential. Becca shares her trans...
May 13, 2025
From the Pulpit to the Front Lines: Pastor David Lowery on Civil Rights and Empowering Second Chances
This week on Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Pastor David Lowery, Jr. – a passionate civil rights advocate, national speaker, and founder of the Living and Driving While Black Foundation. With a career spanning m...
May 6, 2025
Making Peace with the Unknown w/ Rachel Zimmerman
When a state trooper arrived at Rachel Zimmerman’s door with devastating news – that her husband, a brilliant MIT professor and loving father, had taken his own life – her world shattered in an instant. With no warning signs,...
April 29, 2025
Sports, Storytelling & Stepping into Your Power w/ Heather Lloyd
In this week’s inspiring episode of Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Heather Lloyd - sports journalist, former news anchor, proud stepmom, and Daybreak Colts Contributor for WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Fro...
April 22, 2025
The Second Fifty: Empowering America’s Aging Population w/ Dr. Debra Whitman
This week on Next Steps Forward , host Dr. Chris Meek welcomes Dr. Debra Whitman, Chief Public Policy Officer at AARP and a nationally recognized authority on aging, economic security, and public policy. In this powerful and ...
April 15, 2025
Navigating the "Failure to Launch" Phenomenon w/ Dr. Mark McConville
In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Dr. Mark McConville, a clinical psychologist and expert in adolescent and family psychology. Dr. McConville shares insights from his decades of exper...
April 8, 2025
Fried: Addressing Burnout Head-On w/ Cait Donovan
This week on Next Steps Forward , Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Cait Donovan, an internationally recognized expert in burnout and resilience. Cait's career began as a practicing acupuncturist with a master’s degree in Chinese...
April 1, 2025
The Fight For Change w/ Dr. Marcel van der Watt
In this powerful episode of Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Dr. Marcel van der Watt, the president of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), to discuss his remarkable career and the global ...
March 25, 2025
Little Victories w/ Jason Gay
Many know sports columnist Jason Gay from his work at The Wall Street Journal. In his interview with program host Dr. Chris Meek, Jason starts at the start, speaking candidly about how he decided to become a writer and the pa...
March 18, 2025
Trailblazing Leadership: Lieutenant General Patricia “Patty” D. Horoho on Resilience, Service, and Empowering the Next Generation
In this week’s episode of Next Steps Forward, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Patricia “Patty” D. Horoho, a trailblazer who made history as the first woman, first nurse, and first non-p...