Nick Gross is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He signed with a major recording label in his teens, was on a hit MTV show, and has worked with Ariana Grande. Nick chatted with me on the Good People podcast about helping students find their way, where drive comes from, and how social media inhibits self-discovery.
Learn more about Nick and his Find Your Grind initiative.
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As a teenager in the 90s, Liz Boltz Ranfeld, trekked up mountains in Nepal carrying a leather bound Bible, intent on planting a church and winning souls. She looks back on the experience with regret, shame, and anger. Liz joins Kelsey and Jay to discuss mission trips, responsible travel, racism, and even the controversial work of Mother Teresa.
Liz in Nepal in 1999:
The description of her trip:
If you’d like to exam mission trips more, I recommend reading Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, And How to Reverse It by…
Heidi Ganahl has faced extraordinary adversity in her life. But her entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills helped her focus on others allowing her to build a $100 million brand, found SheFactor to empower young women, help kids (Fight Back Foundation), run for office, and a whole lot more.
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Laura and Bill Grindle, co-founders of See Kids Dream, empower kids to give back to their own communities, and in the process, teach us all how to be better givers….
Julie Austin had it all–big job, big salary, big house–and then she left it all behind to work as a social worker. Kelsey and Jay talk to Julie about her journey, happiness, and purpose.
In the conversation we mention:
The Social Worker Code of Ethics
Joshua Berman has volunteered with the Peace Corps, fought wild fires, gone on a 1+ year-long honeymoon, and written guidebooks. He’s a dad, a teacher, columnist for the Denver Post, and he’s good people.
Joshua writes a monthly column in The Denver Post and is the author of six books. His travel articles have appeared in The New York Times, Yoga Journal, Delta SKY, Sunset, and National Geographic Traveler, among other publications.
Joshua has appeared multiple times on the Travel Channel, including as a tour guide for the host of “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern” in Nicaragua.
His…
On the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory disaster that killed 1,134 Bangladeshi garment works and injured thousands more, Kelsey shares his experiences in Bangladesh. This episode also features Christopher Cox of the Human Thread Campaign who, along with Kelsey, was a featured speaker at DePaul University’s Fair Trade fashion show.
Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or on Stitcher.
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Ben Conard’s class assignment became a business – Five North Chocolate. Ben shares his journey from farmer’s market to national shelves and how and why Five North became the first to print the LGBTQ-owned label on its packaging.
We discussed Fair Trade, ethical consumption, Ben offers advice for social entrepreneurs, and the importance of being who you are everywhere and in all aspects of life.
Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Notes:
Forbe’s article on Five North: This Chocolate Brand Is The First To Feature A New LGBT Seal
Ben’s Tedx Talk
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Jay and I have been meeting for beers for years and wrestling with life’s toughest questions like: is a $400 pair of jeans unethical?
There’s no guest this episode, just Jay and I sharing a beer. The conversation shifts into a discussion of Effective Altruism (EA).
There are several EA sites you should check out:
Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save (Take the giving pledge and use the tool to determine how much of your income you should give)
Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or on Stitcher….
After a year of my friend Jay Moorman bugging me about doing this…I started a podcast. The Good People podcast explores what it means to be good by talking to everyday heroes, philanthropists, altruists, and do-gooders.
I’ve spent the last 18 years traveling to 50+ countries to research my books and meeting amazing people who do so much good in the world. Meeting them changed me. And it’s my hope that I can introduce listeners to these people and others who’ve had such an influence on me. They’ve helped me see how I can best make an impact in the world in very tangible ways. It’s my hope that together we learn how to be better local and…
