Episodes
Jan. 21, 2025
Encore: Enough Is Enough: Internet Safety w/ Donna Rice Hughes
Donna Rice Hughes is the President and CEO of Enough Is Enough ® (EIE), an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker and Emmy-Award winning producer. She joins Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps ...
Jan. 14, 2025
Run Like Hell: Healing from Trauma Bonds w/ Dr. Nadine Macaluso
Dr. Nadine Macaluso is the real-life inspiration behind Naomi Belfort’s character in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” She survived a turbulent eight-year marriage to Jordan Belfort, marked by abuse, greed, and trauma. She joins Nex...
Jan. 7, 2025
Operator Syndrome w/ Dr. Chris Frueh
Dr. Chris Frueh, PHD has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans and active duty personnel as a clinical psychologist. In this edition of Next Steps Forward, he joins Dr. Chris Meek to disc...
Dec. 31, 2024
Encore Inspiring People to Realize Their Potential w/ Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Rabbi Daniel Cohen, who has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years, is a popular motivator, mentor and inspirational speaker, who will bring his unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom and insight to help the Next ...
Dec. 24, 2024
Encore The Making of A Champion w/ Bobby Rahal
Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to welcome legendary auto racing driver, Bobby Rahal, who most famously won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986 to the program. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA and...
Dec. 17, 2024
I Put My Hand on the Wall w/ Judy Isaacson Elias
Judy Isaacson Elias founded Heroes to Heroes in 2010 as a tribute to her father, Irving M. Isaacson, a World War II veteran, as a way to honor the service of all veterans, especially those with moral injury and post-traumatic...
Dec. 10, 2024
The Moments We Stand w/ Ashlee Boyson
Ashlee Boyson is the author of the blog and book series titled “The Moments We Stand,” which tells the story of her family’s journey of healing after the infidelity and murder of her husband Emmett in 2011, just months after ...
Dec. 3, 2024
Faith, Prayer and Politics w/ Pastor Lorenzo Sewell
In this installment of Next Steps Forward, host Chris Meek celebrates the 200th episode of the program! After first seeing Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, Senior Pastor at 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, on a news segment where he di...
Nov. 26, 2024
Being Muslim Today w/ Saqib Qureshi
Saqib Qureshi is a Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he received his PhD in International Relations and Epistemology. His work has been featured in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Jour...
Nov. 19, 2024
Making A Difference Today for a Safer Tomorrow w/ Kristi Wells
Kristi Wells joins program host Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward as a leading expert in the fight against human trafficking in the United States. She co-founded Safe House Project, a nonprofit organization combating traff...
Nov. 12, 2024
Solving the Climate Crisis w/ Dr. John Berger
Dr. John Berger, an environmental science and policy specialist and a Senior Research Fellow at The Pacific Institute, joins Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss his book “Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Repo...
Nov. 5, 2024
The Only Disability in Life is a Bad Attitude w/ Tony Trzeciak
Tony Trzeciak is a Philadelphia native, husband and father of four. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012. Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Kilo Company, Tony completed a combat tour...
Oct. 29, 2024
Small Actions, Big Impact w/ Dr. Resa Lewiss & Dr. Adaira Landry
Special guests Dr. Adaira Landry and Dr. Resa Lewiss join program host Dr. Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps Forward. Dr. Landry is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an emergency medicine physici...
Oct. 22, 2024
Promoting Women's Economic Security w/ Rachel Pearson
Rachel Pearson, founder and chief executive officer of Engage for Women, joins program host Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to speak about promoting women’s economic security. Engage for Women is a non-profit organization de...
Oct. 15, 2024
Let’s Change The World w/ Emiliana Vegas
Emiliana Vegas, EdD, has been highly recognized for her career working to inform education policy in the so-called Global South. She has been a leading economist at the World Bank, division chief of education at the Inter-Ame...
Oct. 1, 2024
An Inside Look at Athlete Mental Health w/ Julie Kliegman
Julie Kliegman is a writer and editor who was previously the copy chief for Sports Illustrated. Before that, she was the copy editor at The Ringer, weekend editor and breaking news contributor at The Week, and a news fellow a...
Sept. 24, 2024
Unstoppable Grit w/ Danielle Cobo
Danielle Cobo is a former Fortune 500 senior sales manager and renowned for empowering individuals with the grit, resilience and courage to thrive both professionally and personally. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to d...
Sept. 17, 2024
Is it Catastrophe or Transformation? w/ Dr. Caroline Hickman
In addition to being a lecturer at the University of Bath, Dr. Caroline Hickman has a background in mental health social work and has worked closely with a number of community mental health projects. Her background lends itse...
Sept. 10, 2024
Inspiring People to Realize Their Potential w/ Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Rabbi Daniel Cohen, who has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years, is a popular motivator, mentor and inspirational speaker, who will bring his unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom and insight to help the Next ...
Sept. 3, 2024
Unhide & Seek w/ Ruth Rathblott
Program host Chris Meek is pleased to welcome Ruth Rathblott back to Next Steps Forward to further speak on issues of inclusion and diversity, the freedom of accepting your differences and rising above life’s challenges. Ruth...
Aug. 27, 2024
Honor First: Securing Our Nation’s Borders w/ Rodney Scott
Prior to joining the Texas Public Policy Foundation in the fall of 2021 as the Distinguished Senior Fellow for Border Security, Rodney Scott served as the 24th Chief of the United States Border Patrol. In this installment of ...
Aug. 20, 2024
The Positive and the Possible w/ Donna Orender
Donna Orender is a powerhouse executive whose innovative leadership shaped some of the most recognizable brands in the sports industry. She is the former president of the WNBA, PGA Tour Senior Executive, and current CEO of Or...
Aug. 6, 2024
You Don't Have to Change to Change Everything w/ Beth Kurland
On this installment of Next Steps Forward, program host Chris Meek speaks with Dr. Beth Kurland, a clinical psychologist with three decades of experience. She is a TEDx Talks speaker, sought-after public speaker and a mind-bo...
July 30, 2024
The Power of Emotional Strength w/ Kendall Gammon
Kendall Gammon is a sought-after keynote speaker with a presence that’s quite different from what you’d expect from a 15-year NFL veteran known for his physical strength. He attended Division II Pittsburg State University whe...