Episodes

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 Steps Forward audience better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Throughout his appearance on the program, he will focus on varying topics including Judaism in the 21st century, examining the human experiences found in the Torah, how ancient texts relat...

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 CART, Mr. Rahal’s name is widely known across the world having garnered three CART championships, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. Chris is honored to know Mr. Rahal personally, having founded the nonprofit So...

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 stress disorder. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss how Heroes to Heroes invites U.S. military veterans of all faiths - and even no faith - who have attempted suicide, or are on a path to self-destruction, to join their 12 month, research-based, non-denominati...

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 giving birth to their fifth baby. In this installment of Next Steps Forward she joins Dr. Chris Meek to share Emmett’s story and the unique experience she has been given to reflect on her journey as a guest on national media platforms, such as Dateline, Dr. Phil, True Crime ...

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 discussed his focus on the topics of faith, politics, human trafficking, race and mental health, Chris specifically invited Pastor Sewell to be the special guest as he encapsulates the focus of the program exceptionally well. Pastor Sewell was born and raised in Detroit and gr...

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 Journal, and Entrepreneur. He has produced two films and, in 1996, the BBC One documentary, Al Dawaah, the first television documentary about the Muslim community in any Western country. He joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss his most recent book “Being Muslim Today: Re...

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 trafficking in America, in 2017. Inspired to take action after becoming aware of the high volume of this criminal activity, juxtaposed with the lack of safe and supportive housing options for those who have experienced trafficking, under Kristi’s leadership Safe House Project has...

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 Reports from the Race to Save the Earth,” a book he spent more than six years researching as he traveled the nation and abroad to gather a sweeping array of perspectives. A graduate of Stanford and the University of California, Dr. Berger has written more than 100 articles on cl...

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 in Afghanistan and a humanitarian mission in Haiti with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Sadly due to injuries and medical malpractice Tony was paralyzed, which led to many life-saving surgeries, depression, suicide ideation and drug abuse. Tony has triumphed over those ...

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 physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She has nearly a decade of experience mentoring students and early-career professionals. She’s also a healthcare contributor for Forbes, an entrepreneur, and a keynote speaker. She co-founded Writing In Color, a nonprofit that teaches the ...

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 dedicated to promoting women’s economic security through bipartisan and common-sense solutions. Rachel has extensive experience in elective politics, providing strategic planning and counsel for Fortune 500 companies, leading associations, social impact organizations, nonprofi...

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-American Bank, and co-director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. She is currently a professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this installment of Next Steps Forward, she speaks with program host Chris Meek about her ...

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 at BuzzFeed. Her writing on a wide variety of topics has appeared in many news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vulture, Vox, The Verge, Bustle, Washington Monthly, and more. She is also a frequent guest on radio programs and podcasts. She joins prog...

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 draw from her more than 15 years of corporate experience to speak in-depth about how to build high-performing teams that increase sales, productivity and employee retention. Even amid the upheaval of downsizing, restructuring and acquisitions, she propelled her team to a numb...

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 itself to her unique focus on examining the impacts of climate change on mental health and anxiety, particularly eco-anxiety and distress, eco-empathy, trauma, moral injury and the impact of climate anxiety on relationships. She joins Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek to discus...

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 Steps Forward audience better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Throughout his appearance on the program, he will focus on varying topics including Judaism in the 21st century, examining the human experiences found in the Torah, how ancient texts relat...

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, a licensed social worker, TEDx speaker, award-winning former CEO and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert and strategist, was born with a limb difference and is now committed to creating inclusion for all. In this appearance, Ruth will also focus on her most recent book ...

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 Next Steps Forward, he joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss his three-decade career in the Border Patrol, under both Republican and Democrat administrations, earning the respect and admiration of agents, colleagues, and partners alike while working to successfully en...

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 Orender Unlimited. She is a nationally-recognized business leader, innovative thinker, keynote speaker, entrepreneur and author. She joins Next Steps Forward program host Dr. Chris Meek to speak about how she uses her passion for making a difference and draws on her extensive ...

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-body coach. She is also the author of three award-winning books: Dancing on The Tightrope: Transcending the Habits of Your Mind and Awakening to Your Fullest Life; The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes: An Eight Week Guide to Reducing Stress and Cultivating Well-Being; and G...

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 where he was captain of the 1991 National Champion Gorillas and was voted most inspirational by his teammates. During a fulfilling 15-year NFL career that included 4 years each with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, and his final seven years with the Kansas City C...

Kristi M. Rogers is a leading executive and former senior government official with extensive international leadership experience in the public and private sectors. She joins program host Chris Meek to discuss the strategic advice and counsel she is regularly sought after for issues relating to security and disaster response, federal government contracting, the role of business in complex and dynamic environments (including markets emerging from conflict), public-private partnerships, and crisis ...

Peggy Willms is innately and passionately wired to help others discover the healthiest version of themselves as a certified personal trainer, sports performance nutritionist, and health, wellness and life coach. Well known as the host of the internationally syndicated radio show The Coach Peggy Show, she joins Chris Meek to bring her expertise on all things wellness to the Next Steps Forward audience. Peggy knows there is no wellness “fix” - wellness is a journey of self-discovery and self-impro...

Dr. Marie Murphy is a non-judgmental coach for people involved in infidelity. She is trained and certified as a life coach, with her training coming from the Life Coach School and Martha Beck’s Wayfinder life coach training. Her bachelor’s degree is in sociology and human sexuality studies from San Francisco State University and she earned a Ph.D. in the sociology of sexuality from the University of California, San Diego. For years, she researched and taught about many things related to sex, sex...