Positivity Matters

President Jeffrey Gold: Walking Alongside Others as they Build Pathways to Meaningful Goals Dr. Jeffrey Gold is the ninth president of the University of Nebraska System. Dr. Gold serves on the Clinician Well-Being Collaborative of the National Academy of Medicine with the former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy.   President Gold's Top 10 CliftonStrengths: Achiever Learner Ideation Individuali...

Amy Smith: The Art of Playing with Our Thrownness Porcelain is so unforgiving that potters say throwing it is like working with cream cheese. Ceramic artist Amy Smith has built a life around that material, and this conversation moves from clay to something larger: how we embrace what we're given — the temperament, the circumstances that shape us — as material to work with, and even to play with. A...

Annick Janson: Now (Strengths) & Next (Practical Hope)  Recorded June 22, 2026, this conversation features Dr. Annick Janson — positive psychologist, social science researcher , and co-founder of the Fast Track Inclusion Trust . Drawing on her work with families of differently-abled children through programs like Pictability and Now & Next , Annick shares how parents move from feeling over...

Mia Sundstrom: Toward a Radiantly Kind and Playful World    CEO, The National Institute for Play Play Styles : Mover (Kinesthete) | Explorer (Adventurer) | Competitor (Sports Competitor) Sports competitor, adventurer, kinesthete VIA Strengths : Leadership | Humility | Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence | Creativity | Judgement Recorded Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026

David Thomas: On Becoming a Playvolutionary for Fun Dave's CliftonStrengths: Ideation | Strategic | Intellection | Input| MaximizerDavid Thomas hosts the podcast The Fun Question and co-founded Professors at Play — the nearly-1,000-member "Playvolution" remaking higher education — and co-author, with John Sharp, of Fun, Taste, and Games (MIT Press, 2019). His work argues that play isn't ornamental...

Jarrod Elwell: MI ↝ ABCD ↝ AI ↝ CI = How Community Change Happens Along the Lines of Relationships at the Speed of Hope Jarrod Elwell is the Community Development regional manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, serving Virginia and Washington D.C. Strengths: Fairness, Love of Learning, Kindness, Spirituality, Hope Record: March 31, 2026

Retired police lieutenant and positive psychology practitioner David Berez , MAPP, DRE joins us to discuss how we can transform trauma into a catalyst for growth. David shares his journey from a 20-year career in law enforcement—where "resilience" meant simply bouncing back—to his development of "Courageous Optimism," a framework that empowers first responders to become "anti-fragile" in the face...

Dele Davies, MD , Interim Chancellor at University of Nebraska Medical Center Emotional Intelligence (EQ ) = (Personal Competence = Self Awareness x Self-Management) x (Social Competence = Social Awareness x Relationship Management) CliftonStrengths : Significance | Futuristic | Focus | Maximizer | Strategic | Learner | Achiever | Responsibility | Belief  Recorded: January 8, 2026

Grant Stonebraker : Building a Pay-It-Forward Culture Speaker, coach, and author Grant Stonebraker shares how his signature strengths of honesty, kindness, and love fuel both his entrepreneurial work and his grassroots kindness movement, Operation: Pay It Forward. Grant discusses how spirituality and creativity guide his approach to building authentic connections and inspiring others to make progr...

Jacob Kendall : Curiosity, Creativity, and Rethinking How We Grow Older Dr. Jacob Kendall—gerontologist, social worker, and two-time open-heart surgery survivor—joins us to share a fresh lens for understanding health across place, and time. Drawing on his signature strengths of creativity, curiosity, and humor, Jacob challenges one-dimensional thinking about aging and advocates for a pro-aging min...

Leo Louis II : Identity Formation, Community Building , and Cultural Transformation Leo recently co-authored the book: The Grownfolks and the Magic Wand Recorded: November 14, 2025

Lakesha Green : Speaking Love into Community through the Arts and Vision Lakesha is the Executive Director of the Union for Contemporary Art CliftonStrengths: Self-Assurance | Learner | Input | Arranger | Strategic Recorded: October 30, 2025

Amy Goodburn : Building the Good Life with Husker P.O.W.E.R.  Senior Associate Vice Chancellor & Dean of Undergraduate Education , University of Nebraska-Lincoln CliftonStrengths : Learner | Achiever | Input | Discipline | Arranger Recorded: September 10, 2025 P.O.W.E.R. = Purpose, Ownership, Well-being, Engagement, and Relationships From the Inter-association Wellbeing Collaborative : We defi...

Amy Lanham : Creating Wellbeing Through Recreation Campus Recreation Director , University of Nebraska-Lincoln CliftonStrengths : Responsibility | Communication | Developer | Relator | Belief Recorded: September 3, 2025 From the Inter-association Wellbeing Collaborative : We define well-being as an optimal and dynamic state that allows people to achieve their full potential. Our focus is on two in...

Daryl Davis: How to be Prohuman with Music and Friendship Recorded 8/7/2025

Becca Schusler : The Win-Win of Workplace Wellness VIA Strengths : Gratitude | Learner | Hope | Forgiveness | Self-Regulation Born in a struggle for justice ( Horace Carter Fights the Klan ), Atlantic Packaging works to build wellbeing ( Atlantic Wellness ) and a thriving planet ( A New Earth Project ) Core Values: Connection, Nourishment, Purpose, Movement, Nature, Prevention Vision: To establish...

Maital Neta : Positivity Matters to Our Brains! Professor of Psychology at UNL CliftonStrengths: Empathy, Achiever, Responsibility, Relator, Learner   Recorded: 7/23/2025

Josha Sietsma : The Nebraska Capitol is a Question Mark  The Nebraska Capitol asks us to respond to a series of profound questions: What does it mean to live a good life?  How best to live a good life to the fullest together and transmit that wisdom to future generations in ways that expand that fullness? www.21panels.org Recorded: July 17, 2025

Meghan Talarowski Founder and Executive Director, Studio Ludo A finding a the study that Meghan draws on to inform her playground designs: “ Play builds grit, prevents burnout, ignites joy through movement, and helps us become better people together. “  

Carlos Garcia Co-Founder & CEO, True Progress Lab VIA Strengths : Honest | Perseverance | Hope | Humility | Spirituality Recorded on July 11, 2025

Tracy Edgerton : Leveraging Our Unique Strengths to Achieve a Shared Vision President & CEO , Lincoln Community Foundation Lincoln Vital Signs | Prosper Lincoln CliftonStrengths : Learner | Input | Intellection | Developer | Achiever Recorded: July 1, 2025

Zoya Awan - Creating Sparks of Hope Director of Public Affairs, Walmart Zoya the Explorer! CliftonStrengths : Positivity | WOO | Includer | Adaptability | Connectedness Recorded: July 9, 2025

Andrew Hanna - Emerging Leadership , Life Design , & More Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln  Prof. Hanna spoke at Nebraska's International Day of Hope celebration . CliftonStrengths : Woo | Relator | Input | Positivity | Futuristic Recorded: June 25, 2025 Brought to you by Positivity Matters!

Kathryn Goetzke - How to S.H.I.N.E. Hope • S tress skills • H appiness habits • I nspired actions • N ourishing networks • E liminating challenges Kathryn's top VIA Strengths: Curiosity | Love of learning | Spirituality | Honesty | Fairness Recorded 6/19/2025

Rebecca Davis - Dimensions of Connectedness (Social Capital & Social Health) Director & Producer Rebecca speaks on the community engagement she has generated around the country with the documentary, Join or Die , and we also explore themes of wellbeing present in the film.   Recorded 6/5/2025