AwareNow™: The Official Podcast for Causes

Many of you have probably heard of the book series about the ‘boy who lived.’ But, have you heard the true story of the 'girl who died'? Maybe I am being too vague. How about the 16-year-old that started her career because of a train, won an Olympic gold medal, died, and then won another Olympic gold medal eight years later? This is the tale of the most remarkable comeback story that you have neve...

“I believe that when a person stands for something, rather than against it, the effect and energy is infinitely more powerful.” This story is found in 'The Rise Edition' of AwareNow Magazine: www.awarenowmagazine.com Written & Narrated by: Paul S. Rogers Music by: Sol Rising Produced by: Awareness Ties

Bliss. So close yet      so far. In the other room lies The closest person to it. The giver, the taker, The arbiter of Bliss. She is Bold, Beautiful, Born to RISE. She is Mother. Before this, she was just a mother. Now, She walks for miles and miles And m  i  l   e   s To find home again. Her Son is scared, Her Daughter is flying, and Her Husb...

Julia Varvara, a photographer, actress, producer and director is the CEO of Hollyfield Productions. Based in London, she and her partner, Adam Morse, work with established and emerging artists to create original and thought-provoking cinematic content for a global audience. In alignment with their mission to make commercial movies with visionary filmmakers while promoting inclusion on screen and b...

I'm here with Russ Pritchard, founder of the Afghan Medical Corps and the Afghan Supply Corps, who lives here in the United States. Joining us, we have Abdullah who is hiding in Herat, Afghanistan. While there are 6,600 miles between them, they have stayed connected with constant communication that began in September of last year after the Taliban took control upon the departure of U.S. and NATO f...

Offering developing worlds sustainable and secure solutions while educating and empowering the people, The 4North Project seeks needs and finds ways to fill them. Dedicating not only his career but his life to the service of others, the story of Matt Gewirtz, founder of The 4North Project, is one of ‘living for giving’.   This exclusive interview is found in 'The Rise Edition' of AwareNow Mag...

Air Force Major ‘Annie’ (as we’ll refer to her), who was born in Afghanistan, came to the U.S. as a teenager to get an education. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 and attained the rank of Master Sergeant. On September 11, 2001, Major Annie was the only Airman in the Air Force to understand Pashto (the same language spoken by the insurgent group known as the Taliban) and was immediately deploy...

Her throne of success is built from hard work and determination. A queen holding court in an empire of her own design, Santia Deck (aka ‘Queen of Abs’) defied odds as a girl when advised she shouldn’t play sports and overcame obstacles as a young woman when told she shouldn’t play football. She attained a royal status forged in strength and fortitude making history not only as the world’s highest...

Reframing the view and rewriting the definition of disability on and off stage, Keely Cat-Wells, Founder & CEO of C Talent, is redefining disability as it’s been previously seen and heard in entertainment. She’s built a platform for those with disabilities to take center stage and claim the spotlight they more than deserve.    This exclusive interview is found in 'The Rise Edition' o...

It takes guts to stand up for what’s right when others choose to run, as opposed to fight. While many walk away from adversity, Lisa Bowman stood and stayed to speak and publish the truth. Too many women are harassed, inappropriately talked to or grasped. Too often these actions are seen, and too often the only consequences come to the harassee, not the harasser. ‘Harasshole’ is Lisa Bowman’s narr...

Dedicating her career to supporting success for clients through storytelling, Audrey Vandenbroeck is a VP at Issuu, the world’s largest digital publishing and discovery platform. With every discussion and directive, she supports the stories that shape our world with a purpose and passion to elevate engagement through storytelling. Audrey helps make stories ‘go’.    This exclusive intervi...

Beyond beautiful, she’s bold and brilliant as well. As a child refugee in America, Kristina Alexandra made her way as more than just a ‘pretty face’, while creating a space for others to rise and to thrive. In her career, she’s held her own in corporate America, while holding others up in New York City during 9/11. Despite the circumstances of any battle, she shows up not just ‘pretty’, but powerf...

The most beautiful smile I’ve had the pleasure and honor to see belongs to my sister, Elizabeth Marie Mateer. Whether in tears of immense joy or intense sorrow, she wears a smile and wears it well. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis over 20 years ago, MS has knocked her down on many occasions, but every time she gets back up with a smile in response to the pain. Having been diagnosed with MS just o...

Jessica Frew has Cerebral Palsy. Nonverbal, she communicates with an eye gaze application that she’s used since the age of 9. As a model and actress, her industry of choice is entertainment, Jessica works to inspire others and open opportunities for other non-verbal actors with communication devices. She’ll not allow her disability to silence her. She wants to show the world that people with disab...

LaunchLeft is an alliance of left-of-center artists. An intentional space for art and activism where famed creatives launch new artists, the LaunchLeft ecosystem currently includes a podcast, live production arm, record label and NFT gallery. They work to grow and nurture collaborative projects from production through distribution with artists that span artistic disciplines, but share a commitment...

From 'Hope For Afghanistan', a column in AwareNow Magazine, Russ Pritchard shares a series of true stories entitled 'Afghan Accounts'. The first in this series is entitled 'Weekend From Hell'.  "I receive seven texts almost simultaneously, 'Multiple confirmed eyewitness reports of mass execution and burial of 100s of Tajiks in Kapisa and other areas of Afghanistan.' I can’t stay awake any lon...

Once upon a time, a little boy named Jacob fought a war. It was a war without end. On the day it began, the doctor told Jacob's parents, "I do not want to give you false hope," when he revealed Jacob's terminal & degenerative condition to them. The prognosis was grim. To paraphrase, "There would be no winning this battle," he told them. Jacob was condemned. Spinal Muscular Atrophy or SMA was a...

Hilary thought she overcame the most traumatic time in her life after she was told to plan her own funeral while pregnant with her second child. The stress caused while planning for her death, triggered premature labor. She gave birth to her preemie, and after a week in the hospital, the scare was over. Arriving to her brand-new home, fully baby-proof (they thought), Hilary was ready to return to...

Have you ever met anyone who, just being in their presence, makes you feel lighter, happier and energised? It is that invisible uplifting energy that chases the darkness away. If you have felt this, then you have been the recipient of vicariously lighting... This story is found in 'The Light Edition' of AwareNow Magazine: www.awarenowmagazine.com   Written & Narrated by: Paul S. Roge...

From delivering babies in Afghanistan to delivering supplies sent from the U.S., Russ Pritchard delivers hope to the people of Afghanistan. While he would say he’s just a glorified telephone operator, he’s so much more. He runs the Afghan Medical Corps, bringing help and hope to those unseen and unheard.   Featuring: Russ Pritchard Interviewed by: Allié McGuire  Music by: Sol Rising&nbsp...

A beautiful young woman who rejects every guy she meets because they don't meet her insane standards for perfection meets a guy on a dating app who is smart, funny, and kind but heavier and balder than the old pics he posted. Confined to the digital realm by quarantine -- and eager to prove to her friends that she isn't shallow, she allows herself to get to know him in a way she never would have i...

Imagine a virtual marketplace where your skills and your time build value, create opportunity and foster community. Picture a place where intersectionality and community blends with everyday transactional services, where no matter who we are or where we come from, there’s a place for everyone to create a world of worth and impact. Welcome to YING. Karla Ballard is the Founder and CEO of this peer...

“To say love is what makes a marriage work is like saying it takes oxygen to climb a mountain. Yes, oxygen is necessary. But not sufficient.” Clinical therapist and marriage coach Ana Gabriel Mann and her husband, New York Times bestselling author John David Mann, are the authors of The Go-Giver Marriage, a little story about the five secrets to lasting love.   This exclusive interview is fou...

Go-getter and jet-setter, Charlë Webb, is a luxury real estate professional with an extensive background in the arts as an accomplished actress, writer and producer for film and television, and is a lifelong New Yorker. Finding success in love and life is all about finding your fit. In this conversation, Charlë Webb shares how she tailored her life to find success.   This exclusive interview...

What started with something not that funny resulted in a mission to #MakeItAwkward. This then became a game by the name of ‘Not That Funny’. Actor, activist, speaker and singer (both professional and karaoke with his kids), Jesse Lipscombe is an empathetic entrepreneur who is gamifying social change one awkward conversation at a time.   This exclusive interview is found in 'The Light Edition'...