Better Place Project with Steve Norris

This week's guests are Paul House and Angie Gade of HouseInTheWoods.org. Paul and Dee House founded House in the Woods after their son, Sgt. Joel A. House, was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in the Army in Iraq.  Their vision for House in the Woods began shortly after attending the military memorial service at Fort Hood, TX for Joel and 19 other soldiers from his army base who died t...

In this very first episode of Feel Good Friday, Steve tells the remarkable true story of the Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony.  Anthony, a conservationist, environmentalist and best selling author, was head of conservation at the Thula Thula animal reserve in Zululand,  South Africa.  Anthony was known for his unique ability to communicate and calm elephants that had experienced trauma.  Lawre...

Hema Vyas, the “Heart Whisperer,” is one of the UK’s most prestigious psychologists.  A renowned speaker on heart wisdom, human consciousness, spirituality, health, energy medicine and the science of Ayurveda, for almost thirty years she has been practicing as a psychologist and life leadership mentor.  She has worked with creatives to CEOs helping them connect to their own personal truth and buil...

Every Mother Counts (EMC) founder Christy Turlington Burns’ work in maternal health began after experiencing a childbirth related complication in 2003—an experience that would later inspire her to direct and produce the documentary feature film, No Woman, No Cry , about the challenges women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Under Christy’s leadership, Every Mother Counts h...

CNN Hero Woody Faircloth is the founder of EmergencyRV.org , initially established in response to the massive and deadly November 2018 Campfire, which decimated the entire town of Paradise, California and left more than 50,000 residents traumatized and displaced.  It was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 i...

In this episode, Steve and Erin cover a variety of topics, starting with an update on the Paul Rusesabagina (The real-life hero of the movie “Hotel Rwanda") kidnapping and trial, and Steve does a deep dive on the  David Attenborough documentary “The Year Earth Changed,” which covers the many fascinating ways the pandemic has actually benefitted wildlife around the world.  They then discuss ch...

Robin Parrish is the Co-Founder of Ecstatic Dance LA where he has facilitated hundreds of events for thousands of participants encouraging self-expression, holistic wellness, and personal transformation through embodiment practices and community building experiences. He has built a community around the Ecstatic Dance movement, which is now world wide, and is also a frequent musical artist for the...

In this episode, we speak with Freddie about the power of music in our lives and his passion for playing musical last wishes;  singing and playing his guitar for those who are dying. FREDDIE FULLER, also known as the “The Singing Cowboy,” is a singer, songwriter, musician and storyteller.  For decades, Freddie has performed before thousands at various functions, from house concerts to larger venue...

Caroline Rose is a forty-three-year-old mom, wife, dog-lover, wine-loving, hope holding, three-time stage 4 cancer thriver. After being told there was no hope and that her cancer would eventually come back to take her life, Caroline did the only thing she knew to do; she took each day as it came and endured the brutal cancer treatments one by one. And then, one day, in the most unexpected of ways,...

At the end of every episode, Steve and Erin ask each guest "What advice do you have for us and our listeners on how we can help make the world a better place?" In this inspiring WOW (Words Of Wisdom) episode, they revisit and play back past guests' answers to this question,  Hear perspectives and advice from world-renowned thought-leaders, mental health experts, scientists, psychiat...

 In this 2nd Special Edition of Better Place Badasses Steve & Erin each select 5 special people from around the world and trade off stories about these inspirational badasses that are making the world a better place.  Included in the episode are Alex Stephany (Founder and CEO of Beam.org), Sikander Bizenjo (founder of Balochistan Youth Against Corona), Selah Thompson (8 year-old founder of emp...

Shad Helmstetter, Ph. D., is the author of more than twenty books in the field of self-talk and personal growth. His books include the  classic self-talk best-seller, “What to Say When You Talk to Your Self,” "Negative Self-Talk & How to Change It,” and “The Power of Neuroplasticity.”  His books are published in more than 74 countries worldwide. Dr. Helmstetter has appeared on over 1200 r...

Eric is a self-leadership coach, black-belt hand-washer, speaker, and author with deep knowledge in the science of building courageous and emotionally intelligent mindsets. His know-how is a result of over 20 years of international corporate life, two masters degrees in human behavior change, and over 12 years helping leaders and their teams become their best selves to meet workplace challenges ef...

Zach Correa, a finalist of NPR’s How I Built This Fellowship,  is the Founder and CEO of LemonGRAFT, built for the buying and selling of homegrown produce.  LemonGRAFT’s aim is to build a regenerative food system, build community and biodiversity, restore our ecosystem, improve our health, decentralize big agriculture and take food back into your own hands, by creating a sustainable food system. ...

With 30 years of experience, Christian de la Huerta is a sought-after spiritual teacher, personal transformation coach and leading voice in the breathwork community. He has traveled the world offering inspiring and transformational retreats combining psychological and spiritual teachings with lasting and life-changing effects.  An award-winning, critically acclaimed author, he has spoken at numero...

Dr. Rich Blundell is an ecologist working at the interface of art, science, nature and culture. His research examines how transformation happens across the scales of person, place and planet. As a cultural communicator, Rich tells a scientific story of the universe that includes art and human creativity as natural phenomena. Dr. Blundell’s research and work has received numerous grants and awards...

Dr. Chloe Carmichael holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University.  She is the author of "Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety," and "10 Commandments of Dating: How to stop getting hurt, put yourself out there and find a relationship that lasts."  Dr. Carmichael has been featured as an expert on VH1, Inside Edition, ABC Nightline and other t...

Dai Manuel is a super dad, dating his wife, with a lead by example way of living and a contagious personality, who is on a mission to positively impact one million role models around the globe to lead a FUN-ctionally fit life through education, encouragement, and community. He is an award-winning digital thought leader and author, Distinguished Toastmaster & keynote speaker, former partner and...

Dr. Christian Heim PhD is an award-winning Psychiatrist, Music Professor and Churchill fellow. During his 20 years as a doctor and 13 years as a psychiatrist, he has heard the stories of 1000s of people, so he listens a lot.  He gets lots of joy out of working as a consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy. He speaks from a place of deep compassion and authority on Mental Health issues that are aff...

You are about to be inspired.  Terence Lester is a speaker, activist, author, and thought leader in the realm of systemic poverty. He’s known for nationwide campaigns that have been featured on MLK50, CNN, Good Morning America, and more. In 2013, Terence founded the non-profit “Love Beyond Walls” and has helped hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty to rebuild their lives. I...

 Missy Bellinger's late husband Tom was diagnosed with Sarcoma Cancer on their second wedding anniversary, and he sadly passed away eighteen months later.  After making a promise to Tom, and being inspired after welcoming an out of town cancer family into her home, Missy created the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation, which later evolved into A Shelter for Cancer Families (ASCF).  In this ep...

In this week's Special Edition episode, Steve & Erin each select 5 special people from around the world and trade off stories about these inspirational badasses that are making the world a better place. Included are Adam Lowy (MoveForHunger.org), Malala (Malala.org), Dasia Taylor (Invented infection-detecting sutures), Missy Bellinger (CancerFamilies.org), Jane Elliot (JaneElliot.com), Jo...

Join us as we chat with Azim Khamisa about the healing power of forgiveness.  Azim lost his only son Tariq to a senseless gang-related murder in 1995. Azim chose the path of forgiveness and compassion rather than revenge and bitterness, and went on to mentor the gang member who killed his son Tariq, and forged a friendship with the Grandfather of his son's murderer.  This powerful choice led...

The science is in!  In this episode, we chat with Steve and Chanzie about the joy that dancing has brought to their lives, and it can do the same for you! But we now know that not only can dancing provide you physical health benefits, but according to the New England Journal of Medicine's report, dancing can actually make you smarter and help you live a longer, more fulfilling life!  Plus, it...

Bailey Richardson has worked at IDEO , StoryCorps , Pop-Up Magazine and The California Sunday Magazine . She was one of the first employees at Instagram and has also been featured in the recent Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma. Bailey, along with her friends, Kai and Kevin, started People & Company – whose mission is to help people bring their people together. Over the past four years,...