Episodes
July 26, 2022
Redesigning Work w/ Lynda Gratton
Lynda Gratton is one of the foremost global thought-leaders on the future of work and has been named by “Business Thinkers 50” as one of the top fifteen business thinkers. A professor of Management Practice at London Business...
July 19, 2022
Some Things Still Take Time w/ Ellen Beckjord
Dr. Ellen Beckjord, the Vice President of Population Health and Clinical Optimization at UPMC Health Plan and host of the Health Plan’s podcast, Good Health, Better World, speaks with Chris Meek about a myriad of issues withi...
July 12, 2022
Fear Is Not A Factor W/ Tana Goertz
Fans of NBC’s hit show “The Apprentice” will recognize this week’s Next Steps Forward guest, season three runner-up Tana Goertz. Also remembered for appearing on “Reality Stars Fear Factor,” Tana is an entrepreneur, an inspir...
July 5, 2022
The Life of A Hero w/ Yvette Benavidez Garcia
Yvette Benavidez Garcia is the author of Tango Mike Mike: The Story of Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez which focuses on her father, Medal of Honor Recipient Roy P. Benavidez. She joins program host Chris Meek to share the tr...
June 21, 2022
A Conversation w/ Michaela Rubinfeld and CSM Andraus L. Williams
On this edition of Next Steps Forward, Chris Meek speaks with Michaela Rubinfeld and CSM Andraus L. Williams, both recipients of the SoldierScholar academic scholarship provided by the national veteran-focused nonprofit Soldi...
June 14, 2022
Surviving Abusive Relationships w/ Beverly Gooden
Beverly Gooden, author of Surviving: Why We Stay and How We Leave Abusive Relationships and creator of the viral social media movement #WhyIStayed, joins program host Chris Meek in this edition of Next Steps Forward. Listed a...
June 7, 2022
The Strong Black Woman w/ Marita Golden
As an acclaimed author and veteran teacher of writing, Marita Golden provides guidance to aspiring authors on how to tell their own stories and encourages them to dig deep on their journeys as writers. The author of nineteen ...
May 31, 2022
Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention w/ M. David Rudd
On this hour of Next Steps Forward, program host Chris Meek is honored to speak with M. David Rudd, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention,...
May 24, 2022
Mental Health and Sports w/ Dr. Robin Scholefield
Dr. Robin Scholefield has provided counseling to individual student athletes, groups, teams, as well as conjoint sessions for student athletes and coaches/teammates for the past 24 years at the University of Southern Californ...
May 17, 2022
It’s Just Called “Life” w/ Gita Barry
Chris Meek is honored to have Gita Barry, executive vice president and general manager of immersive healthcare at Penumbra, Inc., join him on this edition of Next Steps Forward. Through more than 25 years in the medical devic...
May 10, 2022
Always March Forward w/ Crystal C. Romero
The Next Steps Forward guest this week is Master Sergeant Crystal C. Romero, who retired after serving sixteen-and-a-half years in the U.S. Army National Guard. She served full-time, providing active-duty operational support,...
May 3, 2022
The Toolkit to Change Your World w/ Dr. Cliff Robertson Jr.
Do you feel like your life is insignificant? Do you ever wonder if your life even matters? Next Steps Forward guest Dr. Cliff Robertson Jr wants you to know that your life matters and addresses these questions and more in his...
April 26, 2022
Brain Health w/ Dr. Geoff Ling and Dr. Sandra Chapman
Program host Chris Meek sits down for a conversation on brain health with Dr. Geoff Ling and Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman on this installment of Next Steps Forward. Dr. Chapman founded the Center for Brain Health, a research insti...
April 19, 2022
Fortune Favors the Bold w/ Jeff Gum
Jeff Gum is a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, entrepreneur and founder of Sunga Life, a swimwear and athleisure brand focused on achieving bottom line goals of purpose and profitability, where 10% of profits go to veteran focused cha...
April 12, 2022
Facing the Music w/ David Loud
David Loud occupies a unique place in Broadway history. This week, he sits down with program host Chris Meek to discuss his distinguished body of work as a music director and vocal arranger and the three roles that he has ori...
April 5, 2022
Exclusion in an Inclusive World w/ Ruth Rathblott
Ruth Rathblott is a TEDx speaker, Inspirational DEI speaker and an award-winning former CEO committed to creating inclusion for all. Ruth has spent her entire career focused on providing opportunities for those who face obsta...
March 22, 2022
A Conversation on Women and Resilience w/ Katie Hafner
Katie Hafner is a journalist, author and current host of not one but two podcasts, Lost Women of Science and Our Mothers Ourselves. She speaks with program host Chris Meek about the focus of both of her podcasts. The first, L...
March 15, 2022
One Trusted Adult w/ Brooklyn Raney
Every young person needs a trusted adult who they can turn to, both at home and at school. Brooklyn Raney explores this topic in-depth in her book “One Trusted Adult: How to Build Strong Connections & Healthy Boundaries with ...
March 8, 2022
The Victim Cult with Mark Milke
How does society address wrongs inflicted in the past? Should we even dwell on the past when we don’t have the power to change it? This week on Next Steps Forward, Chris Meek welcomes Mark Milke - a public policy analyst, key...
March 1, 2022
Mental Health 1st Aid in the New Work Environment w/ Laura DeCook
Laura DeCook is a wellbeing specialist at a major technology company where she is passionate both inside and outside of the company about supporting the mental health of employees who are working in high-pressure corporate en...
Feb. 15, 2022
Self Evolver: Finding Pride in Your Journey w/ Kayla Scheanon
Kayla Scheanon is a believer in going for your dreams, leaning into fears and owning your self evolutions. On this episode of Next Steps Forward, she speaks to her personal philosophy and how something as simple as offering e...
Feb. 1, 2022
Insights from Mary Daly - Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
This week on “Next Steps Forward,” Chris Meek welcomes Mary Daly, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Beth Shaw, the founder of the largest yoga school in the world Yoga...
Jan. 18, 2022
Commit to a Courageous Life w/ John Register
“When fear outweighs truth then we begin to live a life of justification.” Does this sound like your current situation or the situation of someone close to you? John Register helps individuals overcome their fears in his moti...
Jan. 11, 2022
The Story of the Lost Cafe Schindler w/ Meriel Schindler
Meriel Schindler is the author of The Lost Cafe Schindler: One Family, Two Wars, and the Search for Truth which follows the journey of her extraordinary family prior to and during WWII, including the Jewish doctor who treated...