Flip Your Script

Mike DelGuidice grew up on Long Island looking up to the one and only, Billy Joel. Mike knew he was meant to be a musician, and began playing piano bars and fronting Big Shot, a Billy Joel tribute band, as well as working on his own music. Everything changed when Billy Joel heard Mike play and personally invited Mike to tour with his band. In this episode, Kristi Piehl, a fan of both Billy and Mik...

We're grateful to have sat down with the New York Times bestselling author, Janice Kaplan . Before writing "The Gratitude Diaries," Janice worked for Good Morning America and was Editor-In-Chief at Parade. After joining a gratitude research project, Janice penned her experience and inspired a new wave of gratefulness. In 2020, Janice released her book, "The Genius of Women," redefining who a geniu...

In a newsroom in South Dakota, Tony Fleecs was creating on-screen graphics for newscasts. After hours, Tony would use the equipment to work on his passion, comics. After new management deleted his work, Tony took a leap of faith into his comic art and moved to L.A. He hustled for any job he could and has gone on to draw for comics like My Little Pony and Star Wars. Now, Tony is releasing his first...

Melissa Johnston's Flip Your Script story began when she had her first-born daughter, Audrey, only to lose her at just 43 days old. Audrey was born with Trisomy 18, and as the first-time parents navigated the NICU and Audrey's life-limiting condition, they noticed a lack of resources for their family. Three years later, Melissa learned of Crescent Cove, one of three respite and hospice facilities...

What do cheesecake and music legend Prince have in common? Vanessa Drews. Vanessa is the founder of Cheesecake Funk and credits Prince for naming her business. While working part-time at Paisley Park, Vanessa would make and leave cheesecake in the fridge for the musicians. One day Prince tweeted about Vanessa's cheesecakes and later named them Cheesecake Funk. In this episode, Vanessa shares how P...

Skip Rohde always had a passion for art. After retiring from the Navy in 1999, Skip went back to school to be an artist, but he couldn't resist the call of civic duty. He went overseas as a civilian to serve in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. While traveling, he would sketch people in what he calls "diplomacy through art." The artwork he created while away has been accepted into the Smithsoni...

TIME Magazine declared 2020 the worst year ever. In a year of loss and grief, each of us learned lessons that will last the rest of our lives. In this episode of Flip Your Script, host Kristi Piehl helps us look back so we can look forward with hope. This episode is dedicated to providing positivity and inspiration to kickstart the new year. At the end of each podcast, Kristi asks, "Is there a quo...

From the UK to Nigeria to London to Minnesota, Rosemary Ugboajah's journey to her career in marketing shaped who she is today. Her background could have made her an outsider in the U.S., but instead, she used her perspective to challenge stereotypes in marketing. In 2013, she founded Neka Creative, a brand development agency devoted to inclusivity marketing. In this episode, you'll learn what book...

A stewardess and flight attendant might seem like one and the same, but Flip Your Script host Kristi Piehl sat down with retired flight attendant Jeannie White to share how different they are. Jeannie began her 43-year career in 1969 when airlines only hired single women who met weight and age limits. They discuss everything from the strict rules to smoking on airplanes to the first attempts at se...

Are you ready for a sweet episode? Beth Kimmerle, food author and expert, joins Kristi for a mouthwatering conversation about Beth's passion for the artistic and scientific aspects of food. Currently, Beth works with companies to create flavorful foods and teaches the art of food tasting. In this episode, Beth shares how her soft spot for sweets flipped her script and gave her the title of food ex...

How did a New York-born, Chicago playwright and LA screenwriter end up interviewing farmers in rural communities? In this episode of Flip Your Script, host Kristi Piehl is joined by expert storyteller and author Daniel Rubin as they dive into his journey of quitting his job as a Hollywood writer to work with farmers in the heartland of America. Daniel shares how the change in scenery and pace taug...

In 2014, Jody LaVoie's husband, Steve, was shot in an act of workplace violence. Three months after the accident, Steve passed away. Without a succession plan for his business, Jody took over ArrowStream and grew the company before selling it. Now, Jody is the CEO of the non-profit Female Strong, an organization on a mission to enable girls to be future leaders. In this episode of Flip Your Script...

Women earned the right to vote 100 years ago! Do you know what suffragists endured to ensure this right? Elaine Weiss, a politically active and proud voter, realized she never knew the whole story. Using her journalism skills, Elaine uncovered the decades-long journey suffragists took to secure the 19th Amendment detailing the efforts in her book, "The Woman's Hour." With her novel set to be a tel...

Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Arshay Cooper struggled to find a place devoid of gangs, drugs and sirens. Little did Arshay know a rowing program would flip his script. Now, the award-winning author of "A Most Beautiful Thing" and the focal point of a documentary, Arshay recounts being a member of the first all-black high school rowing team. Kristi Piehl and Arshay discuss his mission to...

In high school, Maggie Aldrich excelled at writing, but as an adult, pursued a career as a government analyst. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Maggie became a full-time stay-at-home parent. Facing pressure to return to the workforce, Maggie realized she had the opportunity to do whatever she wanted to do. Maggie surprised everyone by picking up a pencil and writing her first book. The ind...

Sean McCabe spent years working 18-hours days. The extreme hours took their toll. When he realized the people he considered friends were all on his payroll, including his wife, the script flipped. Sean found the solution to his workaholism was taking a seventh-week sabbatical to recharge and open himself to possibility. In preparation for Kristi's own sabbatical, they discuss Sean's mission to cha...

When Laura Sobiech's son Zach faced a battle with Osteosarcoma, she encouraged him to find a way to share what was in his heart. Zach did that by writing the song, Clouds, which quickly became an international ballad of hope. After his passing in 2013, Laura has dedicated her life to helping families battling cancer. Laura joins host Kristi Piehl to discuss her family's motivation to keep Zach's m...

In 2016, on a girls' trip in Atlanta, Taylor Hayden died when a stranger used her as a human shield during a gunfight. After her tragic passing Joyce Hayden, Taylor's mother, made it her mission to share Taylor's story by starting an organization, Stand 2 Oppose Gun Violence and advocating for justice in her daughter's death. In this episode of Flip Your Script, Joyce and Kristi discuss the realit...

After being born with no legs and put up for adoption, Jen Bricker-Bauer grew up in a midwest home learning everything is possible. This mentality shaped Jen into an adventurous, thrill-seeking, state championship-winning gymnast who looked up to Olympic gold-medalist Dominique Moceanu - only to learn Dominique is her biological sister. Now a speaker, author and aerial artist, Jen joins Kristi Pie...

At 12 years old, Tate Maurer was diagnosed with Stage 3 Burkitt Lymphoma. After beginning his treatment, Tate and his mom, Katie, realized the power of accepting help and how the little things can make a big difference. Now cancer-free, Tate and Katie flipped their scripts and work to repay the generosity their family was given by speaking at awareness events and schools. Through their conversatio...

Mike and Gaby Grinberg weren't expecting the arrival of their daughter at just 24 weeks into their pregnancy. When she was unexpectedly let go from her job, Gaby quickly transformed into a stay-at-hospital mom caring for her premature daughter. Frustrated by the lack of family-focused policies from companies, Mike and Gaby started their own business. Mike and Gaby sat down with Kristi to discuss t...

From a young age, Elizabeth Tumulty was curious about television and how it worked. Little did she know her habit of asking "why?" would lead to a successful career in broadcast television, starting as an assistant, eventually becoming a founding member of the CW and then President of CBS Television Network. Liz joins Kristi to reflect on how a difficult childhood doesn't define you, highlight the...

After suffering an injury on spring break in 2015, Matt Bowen's life changed forever. Now a C6 quadriplegic, Matt and his wife, Sloan, navigate their life together as an interabled couple, sharing their story in a series of YouTube and TikTok videos. The couple's date night videos have gone viral, spreading their message of hope and joy. Matt and Sloan sat down with Kristi Piehl to share with us h...

Pam Borton, the most winning women's basketball coach in University of Minnesota history, was fired from her coaching position. Pam flipped her script, taking her skills from the basketball court to boardrooms across the country as an executive coach. Kristi Piehl and Pam discuss the pressures of working in the public eye, how to surround yourself with people who will make you better and the impor...

Timi Ogunpide's "all in" attitude led to some of his biggest challenges and successes in life. During his youth, Timi struggled with anger issues, and as a young adult served time in jail. Determined not to be a statistic, Timi flipped his script to launch a business, focus on his family and become a voice for those who've experienced police brutality and racial profiling. Listen in as host Krist...