Awkwardly Awesome w/ Jason Freeman

“If you haven’t had challenges, it’s easy to assume you can do everything yourself.  Before my injury, I certainly did.  My injury has helped me appreciate how much people have helped me throughout my life.” ~ Billie Sutton A fifth generation South Dakotan and a cowboy in the truest sense of the term, Billie Sutton exudes everything about the Western way of life.     Growing up on his family’s ran...

“Jockeying is how I became who I am.  Everything I have gone through brought me to a very humble place.  I’m thankful for everything, from the FORTY broken bones, to the two divorces, the years I battled alcohol addiction, to the decade-plus I struggled with bulimia.  Jockeying demands absolutely everything of you, and that really messes up your head.  You have to become an actor, projecting confi...

For this Fan Favorite episode, we're taking you ALL THE WAY BACK to the very beginning!  That's right ladies and gentlemen, we're talking the VERY FIRST episode of the Awkwardly Awesome Podcast.      When Chris Taylor and I began Awkwardly Awesome Podcast we knew so little about the world we were stepping into compared to how we navigate it now, but I love sharing this episode because it's unlikel...

“I’ve translated my entire life.  I’ve done my best to bridge the gap. I’ve had to become creative with explaining things to a vast variety of people.”  ~ Vince Danh Growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with immigrant parents, Vince Danh’s native languages were both English and Vietnamese. Much of his childhood was spent translating for his parents, sitting across the table from lawyers, doctor...

“I have a life of joy, and challenges are inside that.  The gap between who I am and who I can  become is not the problem. It’s the invitation.”  ~ Martin Lopez Martin Lopez talks freely about finding enjoyment in life, as well as, the nitty gritty reality of life.       Martin knows about navigating the heavy realities of life.  Driving while intoxicated, his son hit and killed someone.  Martin s...

“I’ve found I get really bored with routine.  So, I love that I don’t have a set plan and never have.   My life has kind of taken its own path and shape.  I like riding the waves.  Sometimes if you have a plan you miss out on an opportunity that wasn’t part of your plan.”   ~ Shannon Abels  Shannon Abels found her first love at the age of eight.  It came in the form of a piano at that age and evol...

“Life can be beautiful, enjoyable and deeply satisfying, just as it can be full of struggle, self-doubt and uncertainty.  It seems to always be swinging somewhere between the extremes, so it’s important that we learn to find joy in the struggle because it’s as much a part of the gift of life we’re given as is the feeling of being on top of the world.” ~ Jerry Burns, Ph. D. At 78 years old, Profess...

“If my goal is to move people, perfection has to be removed, completely, from the map.  Don’t get me wrong, preparation is still essential.  But after preparing, I go out there and open myself up to the magic of all that I don’t know yet about the experience I’m walking into.” ~ Sally Zimney If anyone was truly “meant for the stage”, you could make a very strong argument that it's Sally Zimney.  ...

As anyone who follows me knows, I have disability. Because of my unique experience, it can be easy to assume that I know what the experience is like for other people with disabilities, but in truth I don't. People's experiences with their disabilities are as varied and unique as any one of us.   In this Fan Favorite episode of the Awkwardly Awesome Podcast, I talk to Ryan Groeneweg about living wi...

“The more I’ve let myself show up in the world as just who I am, the more peaceful and content I feel.  It’s almost like you feel like a square peg in a round peg world.  If you show up as a square peg, you will find a place for yourself.  And you will find people and other creatures who will support and champion you.  We each are so completely unique.  It’s a life's work to find the place you fit...

“I enjoy the freedom of expression to just be me.  I get to connect with family and friends, to communicate with the animals in my life, train and study in so many different modalities from Yoga Therapy, to Reiki, to breath work, to herbalism and sound healing.”  ~ Olivia Morrow   Tell me if you’ve heard this story before?  Olivia Morrow had a decent job in medical billing, she was good at it and...

“Without discussing different sides of an issue, we lose the chance to find middle ground. Talking things through opens space for questions and helps us move beyond polarized and familiar thinking patterns. I love conversations—talking, listening, yapping—because every exchange gives me new perspectives to consider.”  ~ Afomiya Dejene Afomiya Dejene immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia, A...

“I want to teach my students to fall in love with the world by role modeling wonder, delight, curiosity, and being unashamed of what I don’t know.”  ~ David O’Hara Generally, I think I notice a lot, but when I walk with David O’Hara, I realize that there are so many layers to what’s happening in my own backyard that are beyond my awareness.   I love the story he tells about being invited on a hunt...

“Life, to me, is about caring for people and loving people, friends and family.  I don’t see anything, even in the politics of today, that can divide us if we are willing to sit down and talk about it.”  ~ Karen Brokenleg   Karen Brokenleg spent 19 years being a stay at home Mom.  Navigating the rewarding and labor-intensive work of raising three children is no easy task.  She offers the following...

I just love this conversation with my longtime friend, Shiloh Oorlog. We've been friend's since college and yet, this interview brought up things I had no idea about her.   It's really quite fascinating how, when we've known someone for a long time, we tend to get used to thinking about them in a certain way and engaging with them in familiar ways. BUT, when we get to experience them in new enviro...

“Hey, this experience, as painful and disruptive to my life as it was, allows me to connect with a whole different group of people in a way I couldn’t have before….the choice isn’t easy at all, but I do have a choice to find light in the challenge, to sometimes make a dark joke and move on.”  ~ Katelyn Cook   At the end of her senior year of college, Katelyn Cook was excited to be graduating with...

“As technology is changing the way we work, people are going to need to become more passionate, and really follow their passion.  Mundane jobs are going away.  Without something to be passionate about, it could leave our idle hands to do bad things.” ~ Kevin Elsing   Kevin Elsing knows a thing or two about following his passions.  While pursuing an education in electronic engineering after high sc...

“The only thing I wanted for my son was the best opportunities to have access to what he needed.” ~ Sarah Anthony   Sarah Anthony was well along her path to becoming a lawyer when her son, Aden, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.  At that time, “austim” was a word Sarah had hardly heard, as the condition was not widely known or discussed.   Like many things in life, a diagnosis of autism...

“You mean there’re other things besides having fun?  Unless it’s fun on some fundamental level, for me, it’s not going to happen.  Humans play.  On a spiritual level, I think it’s our job as humans to find joy.  Whatever you pick, try to find some joy in it.  Just have some fun.”  ~ Anne Porter   Since retiring from a career passionately supporting the arts in various capacities, Anne Porter, AP a...

“I think for so many people guilt is a paralyzing thing which gives them blinders.  At the bottom of it all we are one humanity, all with dignity.”  ~ Sarah Meagher Sarah Meagher was 18 years old when she first came face to face with mass scale poverty. She was on a youth group service trip to Mexico, and for Sarah the experience was not only overwhelming, it brought about deep feelings of guilt a...

We all have challenges, which is why we need people like Tom Clute to remind us that we matter greatly.  That what we are doing is worth the effort.  That we’re free to choose challenges, to struggle, to be resilient and to try and try again.   Tom Clute walks his talk.  He’s an honorably discharged, disabled US Air Force Veteran, he has a Master of Social Work (MSW), is an advocate and resource i...

“I want middle school, high school and college students to feel loved and cared for.  That they are more than just the talent they bring to the stage.  I want them to feel that they are worth knowing and treasuring.” ~ Emily Magera Emily Magera caught her first big break in third grade.  She was cast in “Honk!”, a popular, Olivier Award-winning musical that retells Hans Christian Andersen’s classi...

Whether you are graduating from high school, college or just another day of work, congratulations on being you and navigating this unpredictable and crazy life.     Wherever you happen to be, I have a question for you about questions.  Specifically, are the questions you find yourself repeatedly asking empowering you to grow or are they keeping you struggling and miserable?   I ask because I’ve fo...

“The number one mission for Parks and Recreation should be building community, but, the unfortunate reality is that engagement is often treated as an afterthought.”  ~ Joe Batcheller   Have you ever stopped to think about all the boxes that need to be checked in order for a town, city, or county to be appealing?  There is so much that needs to be planned, from housing, to transportation, to land u...

“I believe that on a very fundamental level humans are meant to find purpose in doing challenging things.  I believe that AI can enhance what we do, but we must start with a baseline of willingness to learn and think.  I believe starting with a high baseline is very important.  Use AI to push you and give you feedback that challenges you to be your very best.” ~ Luke Cumbee When I think about AI,...