Celebrate Your Story

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with John Bowe, author of "I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection." Drawing from years of research and teaching experience, John shares powerful insights on how better communication skills can transform our personal and professional lives. The conversation explores how to overcome speaking anxi...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with Scott Simon, author of "Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life." Scott shares his journey from being bullied as a child to becoming an expert on overcoming fear and living courageously. They discuss how small acts of bravery can lead to transformative life changes, the importance of vulne...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group and a renowned tech expert, for an engaging conversation about artificial intelligence, mentorship, and navigating rapid technological change. Shelly shares practical advice for business leaders on how to integrate AI tools to significantly boost productivity, all while underscoring the irreplaceable...

Join us as we sit down with Jason Eichenholz, founder of Jonathan's Landing, to discuss his vision for creating an inclusive community for adults with developmental disabilities. Jason shares his personal journey as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, and how it inspired him to develop this innovative concept. They explore Jonathan's Landing's mission to provide meaningful employment, hous...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with Gerry Poirier, the founder of AngeLink, to learn how she is reimagining crowdfunding and creating a community to build opportunities for women facing economic pressures.  Together, Jim and Gerry explore the financial challenges many Americans face and how platforms like AngeLink can provide a lifeline during emergencies or help aspiring e...

The desire to "do better" and "be better" is a fundamental drive for many, making the self-help genre one of the most popular in literature. With thousands of self-help books available, how do we know whom to trust and what advice to follow? In this special episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with George S. Everly, Jr. PhD, ABPP, FAPA, to discuss their exciting new book, Lodestar: Tappi...

How do we adapt when life takes an unforeseen turn, especially when it involves our loved ones? In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, I sit down with Sara Cunningham, author of "How We Sleep at Night" and founder of Free Mom Hugs.  Sara shares her powerful journey as a mother struggling to accept her son Parker's sexuality to becoming a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. We explore t...

In honor of Grandparents Day on September 8th, we're sharing a special episode of Celebration Chatter about the joys and significance of being a grandparent. This episode features stories and perspectives on being a grandparent from past episodes of Celebrations Chatter (Oscar Munoz, Justin Batt, and Geoffrey Zakarian), as well as some previously unreleased conversations on being grandparents with...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim McCann sits down with Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture at Culture Partners, for a discussion on building better workplace cultures. Jessica unpacks Culture Partners' approach to intentionally shaping workplace culture to drive results, and shares insights from her research on generational dynamics in the workplace that challenge...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with Colin Balfe, founder of Love What Matters. They discuss how Colin's personal experience with grief led him to build a community focused on uplifting content, which has touched millions of lives by sharing stories of hope, compassion, and human connection. The conversation explores resilience, the power of sharing our stories, and how tech...

In this inspiring episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim McCann sits down with Jordan Toma, who shares his powerful story of overcoming learning disabilities and behavioral challenges with the unwavering support of his #AmazingMom, Debbie. Jordan recounts how his mother's persistence and belief in him, even when he resisted, ultimately led him to attend college and discover his potential. From strug...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with nutritionist Sophie Anson to discuss the evolving landscape of nutrition, health, and longevity. The conversation explores topics such as the importance of gut health, the essential elements necessary for weight loss, and the building blocks of a healthy diet. Sophie also offers her perspective on recent developments like GLP-1 agonists,...

In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with John Rivers (founder of 4 Rivers Smokehouse and 4Roots Farm) for a conversation that delves into John's passion for creating a more sustainable food system, his innovative approaches to farming and nutrition education, and how his faith has guided him through challenges. John shares his inspiring journey of reinvention from healthcare exe...

How do we honor our friends' legacies? This week on Celebrations Chatter, Jim welcomes Andrew Cotto, founder of Appetito Magazine and author of "Pasta Mike," a touching novela written as a tribute to his late best friend. In this episode, Andrew shares the inspiring story of friendship behind the book, and why he felt it was important for him to write it. Andrew and Jim also explore Andrew's caree...

As we approach International Friendship Day, it is a great time to think about being intentional in our relationships so that we can show our dearest friends how we care. Jim is joined today by friends Dick Auletta, Larry Zarin, and frequent guest of the show Dr. George S. Everly Jr, to continue our exploration into friendship and connection. They discuss why strong communication is essential for...

As we continue our focus on friendship, we turn our attention next toward how it relates to kindness. By being kind to one another, we can strengthen our friendships and build stronger connections with those around us. In this episode, Stuart Muszynski discusses his journey and the incredible work he's doing with the Values-in-Action Foundation and Kindland. Stuart shares his personal story of ove...

Dr. Jan Yager, a sociologist and author who has written several books on how friendship and relationships enrich our lives, visits Celebrations Chatter to discuss how friends enrich our lives. This episode explores why having friends is so important to our well-being, how men and women experience friendship differently, what social media can do to help (and hurt) our relationships, and much more....

Celebrate 90 years of Harry & David's delectable pears and edible gifts with Celebrations Chatter. Jim visits Medford, Oregon's Rogue Valley to spend time with the incredible individuals who make Harry & David happen every day. In this episode, long-standing members of the Harry & David team share what the company means to them, the relationships they've formed along the way, their outlook on the...

On this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Jim sits down with  Michael Clinton, author, photographer, and former magazine publishing executive, for a discussion on aging and longevity. Michael shares lessons from his bestselling book "ROAR Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late)," which provides readers with techniques and guidance for finding purpose as they age. Together, Jim and...

How can businesses make a positive impact in the world? Chris Carneal, Founder of Booster Enterprises, shares how his interest in entrepreneurship led him to create a company that upholds his values of faith, family, and work. In this episode of Celebrations Chatter, Chris and Jim discuss the relationship between principles and career, the power of family and faith, and how Booster Enterprises cre...

Filmmaker and The Skin Deep Founder Topaz Adizes joins Jim to share insights on communication and relationships. The conversation explores Topaz's journey from filmmaking to becoming an experience design architect, and how he uses his platform to help people strengthen their connections through deep conversations. Topaz and Jim also discuss the ways in which digital tools have changed the way we c...

Investor, author, and entrepreneur Anthony Scaramucci returns to Celebrations Chatter to share lessons from his career and his new book, "From Wall Street to the White House and Back." Anthony and Jim explore his book's 25 lessons essential to building unbreakable resilience, and how forming strong relationships helps us maintain our strength in the face of adversity. They also discuss perspective...

New York Stock Exchange Group President Lynn Martin joins Jim for a discussion on how technological shifts have affected the US and global economy. Lynn shares her pioneering career journey from computer programmer to financial leadership, and how these two fields intersect in her current role. This discussion highlights the evolving landscape of the NYSE and gives insight into how tools like AI a...

In this episode, Jim sits down with Heather Campbell, the founder of Ready Set Recover, to delve into her inspiring journey from a successful career in media to becoming an entrepreneur and an amazing mom. Heather discusses the motivation behind starting Ready Set Recover and the pivotal role mindset, support, and self-advocacy play in the surgical process. Through her own experiences and observat...

On today's episode of Celebrations Chatter, Nicole Saphier shares her inspiring story of motherhood and perseverance. Nicole shares her journey from becoming a young mother to board-certified diagnostic and interventional radiologist, and how she accomplished this through determination and with her family's support. Jim and Nicole also discuss her new book, "Love, Mom: Inspiring Stories Celebratin...