Build Upon The Good

*special crossover episode of Build Upon The Good and also Good George podcasts At a 1966 dinner party in NYC, one woman asked a simple question: What if the addictive power of television could be used to teach instead of selling? Sesame Street changed the world of education and childhood for hundreds of millions of kids. This is the story of how and why it started, the amazing impact it's had on...

*originally aired Sept 2025 Guest Felice Zaslow lost her husband Ira on the WTC terror attacks on September 11th. She shares her story, why she wrote her book, and what good she hopes to pass down to the next generations. www.felicezaslow.com www. BuildUponTheGood.com Thanks to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too! Visit their Albany, NY locations and at www. EmpireWine.com . Special thanks for...

*originally released Sept 2020 Kean's fellow Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity brother, Rich Winner, was inside the first building hit on September 11th, 2001. Rich shares his story, how it's impacted him as a father, and what "good" he hopes to pass down. www. BuildUponTheGood.com Thanks to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too! Visit their Albany, NY locations and at www. EmpireWine.com Speak thanks t...

Kean shares what's coming to Build Upon The Good as we head into the Fall, including new guest interviews and special legacy segments. www. BuildUponTheGood.com Special thanks to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too. Please visit them at their Albany, NY locations and at www. EmpireWine.com Thanks to Sean Kelly and the band The Samples for permission to use Streets in the Rain. Visit them at www...

*Originally released July 2023 Kean had the honor of delivering the 2023 Commencement Address to his alma mater graduation (Cambridge, NY high school). www. BuildUponTheGood.com Thank you to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too. Please visit their Albany, NY locations and at www. EmpireWine.com Special thanks to Sean Kelly and the band The Samples for permission to use Streets in the Rain.  

*orginally released in August 2023 Former US Navy SEAL and author Benjamin Milligan shares his story on what led him to become a Navy SEAL and ultimately to research and write his book "By Water Beneath The Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs." www. BuildUponTheGood.com Special thanks to Sean Kelly and the band The Samples for permission to use Streets in the Rain, Thank you to our sponsor Empire Wi...

*originally released in August 2022  Bonus Episode (Re-Release) Debbie Lee, Gold Star Mom to fallen US Navy SEAL Marc Lee (KIA-Aug 8th, 2006- Ramadi, Iraq), answers 5 more questions relating to Marc's final lettrer home, the SEAL Brotherhood, the purpose behind AMW, her faith, and what "good" Marc would want to pass on to the next generations. www. AmericasMightyWarriors.com www. BuildUponTheGood....

*episode originally released in August 2022 Debbie Lee is the Gold Star Mom of fallen US Navy SEAL Marc Lee (KIA-Aug 2, 2006- Ramadi, Iraq) and the CEO/Founder of America's Mighty Warriors. Debbie shares how her faith, and Marc's inspiring call to action in his final letter home, led her through some of her darkest days. Having visited Iraq in 2007 and 2010, Debbie is the first Gold Star Mom to vi...

*Episode first released in August 2023 Grief and joy can and do co-exist. That's the powerful message author Casey Mulligan Walsh shares in this very personal and raw episode. Her story, which includes being orphaned as a teenager and then losing her son to a car accident, is heartbreaking and inspiring. Her essay, Still, abour her son Eric's death, published in Split Lip Magazine, was nominated f...

One Billion. That's the estimate... one billion people are alive today, or lived lives they would not have, because of one man. Norman Borlaug, an Iowa farm kid, changed the world and the science behind crops. We share his story and the impact it had on the world. www. BuildUponTheGood.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thanks to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too. Visit them at www....

Father's Day might not get the same recognition as Mother's Day, but the story behind it involves one woman's mission for 60+ years to honor her father. In this short episode, we'll share the story and also how other countries ight celebrate their own form of it. www. BuildUponTheGood.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram Thank you to our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too! Please check them...

*Crossover episode between Build Upon The Good and Good George podcasts June 14th is Flag Day, but the history and meaning behind it isn't well know. It involves one man and a thirty six year mission. It's a great example of walking with intent for good. Follow us at www. BuildUponTheGood.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for our sponsor Empire Wine and Empire Too! Check them out at www. E...

*release from 2024 Memorial Day episode Kean shares what made Memorial Day weekend change for him and asks several former US Navy SEALs and those close to the NSW community to share a tribute to a specific fallen teammate and/or honor our fallen.   Special thank you to Robert Sweetman, Bill Brown, Larry Indiviglia, Travis Lively, and Ajay James for their tribute to our fallen. Please visit and sup...

*Our first ever cross over episode shared on both podcasts, Build Upon The Good and Good George. In this episode, we learn the forgotten true origin of Memorial Day and why it should be included. From the grief following the Civil War to today's long holiday weekend, we'll discuss what shaped it, and why it's important to take an extra moment to remember those lost. Visit us at www. BuildUponTheGo...

The story behind how Mother's Day became a holiday is fascinating and also heartbreaking. And, we'll discuss how the other version of Mother's Day was left in, well, history. Learn the story of Ann Jarvis and her daughter Anna, and the irony of the florist industry and a funeral. Happy Mother's Day! Follow us at www. BuildUponTheGood.com and on Facebook and Instagram. *Thank you to our sponsor Emp...

*Re-release of episode 17, which aired in Feb 2021 On May 3, 2026, it'll be 10 years since Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV (C4) was killed in action (Iraq). His family created the C4 Foundation in his honor and continue to support Navy SEALs and their families. Charlie's father (Charles Keating III) and his widow (Brooke Keating) share personal insights into Charlie, his legacy, the importance of the...

*Re-release episode, originally aired in Oct 2020 From Wall St to the White House (and back again)... Anthony Scaramucci ("The Mooch") is a legend on Wall St, Founder/Managing Director of Skybridge Capital, and also worked as the Director of Communications at the White House... until being fired after 11 days!  Anthony shares his story, from childhood to Wall St to those short lived days in DC. Wh...

**Re-Release, originally recorded and released in 2021 Marc Summers is a legendary tv host, including iconic shows such as Nickelodeon's Double Dare and Food Network's Unwrapped. Marc shares how his midwest upbringing and multiple health issues impacts his outlook on life. The perfect mix of humor and humility provides an entertaining and inspiring message. Kean & Marc also joke about the prizes a...

Howard Behar was there when Starbucks was still figuring out what it wanted to be. And, few people did more to shape the answer. As the company's longtime President, he championed a radical idea that taking care of your people wasn't just the right thing to do, it should be the whole strategy. As he coined, "people over profits." In this conversation, Howard traces that conviction back to his chil...

Originally released in Feb 2021 (ep 16), this re-release features when Kean sat down with Cobra Kai and daytime TV star Sean Kanan to discuss his book (Way of the Cobra), and the hit series Cobra Kai & Studio City. Sean also shares his background and why it's so important to give back in life, any way possible. Sean is one of the most sincere guests Kean has ever interviewed and it shows in this i...

In a re-release of an episode originally released in Nov 2021 (Ep 24), Kean sits down with then CEO of Newman's Own Foundation Miriam Nelson to discuss the origins of the Newman's Own brand, the foundation, and all the good they've done over the years.  We need more of this in business and the world. www. NewmansOwnFoundation.org | www. NewmansOwn.com www. BuildUponTheGood.com and follow us on Fac...

Kean welcomes back Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator, for part 2. If you haven't heard Michael's first interview, check out episode 42 (April 30, 2025 release). Michael shares how important it is to be aligned with the mission of your job, organization or path in life. We also discuss the need for doing "good" with today's business models, whether a new B Corporation or an established bus...

Going back to the beginning... again.  In a re-release of episode 3 (Kean's Story part 2), Kean shares the spark that ignited Build Upon The Good. In retelling the loss of his father to cancer and the final deathbed talk, you'll learn why this has become a mission. If you haven't heard the episode prior to this (Kean's Story part 1), stop and go listen to it first. This episode is a very personal...

Going back to the foundation of the Build Upon The Good project and podcast, Kean reshares part 1 of the "why."  In this re-release of episode 2, Kean shares the loss of his mother to cancer and how she visited him after her death. Yes, you read that correctly. This isn't about ghosts or illusions, it's about how those we love can stay connected to us, even in death. Follow us at www. BuildUponThe...

The legacy project and podcast Build Upon The Good is beginning the next chapter. After losing both of his parents to cancer in less than four years, and hearing his father's inspiring deathbed legacy talk about inheriting and passing down the good, Kean started this in 2020 to hear others share what "good" they hope to pass down. Building upon all the amazing guests throughout the years, and Kean...