People Of Distinction

The great and inspiring THEODORA MAYS appears as a special guest of Al Cole from CBS Broadcasting on his stellar SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW SERIES. Theodora's impressive book is called "Read My Mind...See My Thoughts". It's a Poetry collection for your heart, full of wisdom that explores themes of human emotion, resilience and self-discovery! https://thequippyquill.com/

What if the place that promised to heal you became the place that broke you? When Darla Melancon's son disclosed abuse at their church, her pastors didn't offer support, they offered silence, and eventually, the door. In this conversation, Darla shares the journey behind her book The Things I Learned After Being Kicked Out of Church , a story about losing everything but finding that faith and inst...

What happens when life's darkest moments become the canvas for God's most encouraging messages? In this episode of People of Distinction, we sit down with Althea B. Best—poet, survivor, and author of Encouraging Good News Through Poetry , to explore how scripture, suffering, and the gift of verse can meet you right where you are. Born in Barbados and tested through the trials of a new life in Amer...

What if the God you've been told to fear is actually just waiting to be a father? Author and 44-year ministry veteran John Phelps joins People of Distinction to unpack his book Trust God, Period , a raw, honest look at moving from fear-based faith to genuine confidence in a God who isn't afraid of your questions, your pain, or your pace. This isn't religion; it's an invitation to freedom, and whet...

What if the moment you hit rock bottom wasn't the end of your story, but the beginning of finding your way back? In this deeply raw conversation, author Winfield Ivers opens up about how addiction, wilderness solitude, and a stubborn refusal to quit led him to write The Sacred Path Back . From locking himself in a bedroom to withdraw, to stepping out of his self-created "circle of guilt," Winfield...

Forty years, seven states, and one question that changes how you think about care: what does it mean to help someone live their life, not just recover from an injury? Occupational therapist Margret Kingery joins People of Distinction to share the moments that never make it onto the chart ; from a widow who relocated her husband's ashes so she could host neighbors for coffee, to practicing through...

When darkness targets your purpose, only divine intervention can save it—that's the real-life story of author Eddy Colin. In this raw, faith-driven conversation, Eddy opens up about his rise, his fall into an ego-driven life, and the moment God intervened to save him and redirect his path. He shares the truth behind his book  A Message To Humanity , why he believes the devil actively works to sile...

What if everything you were looking for was already inside you, and a single field trip could prove it? Author James Edwards III joins People of Distinction to unpack his debut novel The Other Life of Mary Abrams , a surreal psychological adventure following five college students on a trip that quietly reshapes everything they thought they knew about themselves. From a life-changing high school En...

What happens when you finally escape a place that hurt you, only to discover God is calling you right back? L.A. Damon's memoir Matter of Principle: R8mans is a 25-year journey involving stolen manuscripts, silent seasons, and the stubborn grip of divine purpose. In this conversation on People of Distinction, she shares what it means to grind through discomfort when God won't move you, and why the...

Every headline you've ever read was chosen. Every outrage you've felt was framed. Dr. Richard E. Vatz, professor of nearly 50 years and author of The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda Spin Method —reveals how the loudest voices don't just react to reality, they build it. If you've ever wondered why the news makes you angry or how politicians control what we talk about, this episode wil...

What happens when the fire that burns you becomes the light that guides you home? Randy Lemieux survived a childhood shaped by domestic violence, drug addiction, and rebellion — then turned every scar into a lesson worth sharing. In this episode of People of Distinction, Randy opens up about his memoir Journey to the Crossroads , the mentor who saw a diamond in a lump of coal, and how martial arts...

Ever wonder what your cat is really thinking when they stare out the window? Author Patricia Kawa'a turns that everyday curiosity into a delightful children's book series that reminds kids and parents alike to slow down and find magic in ordinary moments. Meet Leon St. Ray and Grapefruit — two real cats whose Hawaiian window perch sparked a rhyming adventure and discover why a third book, Cats in...

She survived fourteen years of abuse that began at age four. She stayed silent for decades, building two versions of herself just to make it through the day. Then she took her abuser to court and won a $1.1 billion verdict. Now Pamela Elaine Lockridge is showing survivors everywhere that healing isn't just possible, it's a path you can walk intentionally. Pamela returns to the network to discuss h...

What if the real problem isn't the screen, it's that we've forgotten we're allowed to turn it off? In this episode, we sit down with Michael Hartfield to discuss Unplug: 101 Ways to Pull Your Kids Away From Their Electronics — the powerful book written by his late wife, Wanda Kanten Hartfield. From crafts at the dining room table to building a family identity that doesn't bend to peer pressure, th...

Erectile dysfunction affects millions of men worldwide, yet the conversation around it is still stuck in silence and shame. In this episode, clinician and author Seema Tangri breaks down everything your doctor might not have time to tell you: from the surprising medical conditions hiding behind ED to the treatments that are changing lives right now. Her book, The Only Way is Up , is a self-help gu...

He moved his wife and kids to Alaska with no job, no money, and no plan,  just a word: obedience. Bishop Eugene McCrea sits down to unpack the faith-fueled leap that nearly broke his family and ultimately built his legacy, detailed in his new memoir The Journey of Obedience . This is a raw, real conversation about trusting God when the ground gives no guarantees. Get the book on Amazon and Barnes...

What if a poet answered a dead man's verse with one of his own—across a full century? Martin Bidney did exactly that, translating Rilke's poems and writing a live poetic reply to each, from a panther's caged despair to monks finding meaning in a garden. This is a conversation that shouldn't be possible, happening anyway. Grab Martin's book, Rilke's Art of Metric Melody, Volume I , on Amazon, Barne...

At 5:30 AM, a toddler's newfound freedom from a crib quickly becomes an exhausted parent's worst nightmare. In this conversation, Diana Yacobi unpacks the spontaneous storytelling strategy she invented during a single phone call to rescue her daughter from these relentless early-morning wake-ups. In her book,  Everyone Is Asleep but Me , she explains how a hastily improvised tale designed to keep...

What if death isn't the end, but a door you've been standing in front of your whole life? Author Hillary R. Carraway joins us to unpack her book Soul Existence, born from a spiritual awakening and forged through unimaginable tragedy: the loss of her son to a drunk driver. This raw, unfiltered conversation challenges organized religion, explores a direct and personal relationship with God, and dare...

Hear how one man tracked a stranger's stolen daughter using only a chance encounter, a chill down his spine, and a discarded piece of trash to find her. Retired police officer Edwin Tazelaar joins People of Distinction to unpack the true story behind  Cathy! Cathy, Where Are You? , a real-life search for an abducted six-year-old that reads like a detective thriller and a spiritual reckoning all at...

He walked into a classroom nobody wanted: the dreaded fifth period. 28 years later, he wrote the definitive guide on shaping young minds. In this episode of People of Distinction, retired educator Melvin Wendell Gates opens up about the students who changed him, the burnout that almost broke him, and why he believes every child is a gift, no exceptions. From surviving COVID-era classrooms to a for...

What if the American Dream has quietly become a lie sold to keep you compliant? Eagle Scout, teacher, and author MG Montpelier joins People of Distinction to expose 50 years of trickle-down economics, eroding civil liberties, and a rigged system designed to keep ordinary Americans "eternally subjugated." From the origins of corporate political power in 1971 to the poetry he wrote to capture Americ...

More people die by suicide in U.S. jails than from any other cause and it's happening in the first 72 hours after arrest. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Anasseril Daniel, who has reviewed over 200 correctional suicide cases in 25 years, exposes how solitary confinement, inadequate training, and a profit-driven prison system are quietly costing lives. He breaks down exactly what jails get wrong and the...

What if the biggest threat to your organization isn't the crisis you see coming, but the one you can't? Derek M. Stevens—consultant, author, and former programmer—joins People of Distinction to unpack Top Gun Governance , a radical rethink of leadership built on military-grade situational awareness. Drawing lessons from the 2008 financial crash, COVID, and fighter squadron doctrine, Derek explains...

At 15 years old, Jan Rustad snuck onto a freighter to Norway and gave his life to Jesus in a narrow bunk somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. Decades later, after facing cancer, COVID, and back surgery, he brings his story full circle with his new book, " Lessons on Jesus: Who Is This Man Jesus Christ? " In this episode, Jan sits down to unpack the historical, personal, and spiritual case for...