Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins

Sam Sorbo is an award-winning actress, model, author, and speaker, as well as the podcast host of The Sam Sorbo Show . She's also a homeschool mom and Classical Conversations® member. She's acted in TV shows such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and movies like Let There Be Light and Miracle in East Texas . As a homeschool and Christian education activist, Sam has written several books, includi...

Dr. Brian Ray is the president of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) and a leader in homeschooling research. The NHERI specializes in conducting and collecting research about homeschooling and publishes the research journal, the Home School Researcher . Dr. Ray is an author, speaker, and veteran homeschool father of eight children. He received his PhD in science education from...

Ever wonder what it's like to be "canceled?" Andrew Crapuchettes is the visionary behind RedBalloon, an organization that attempts to solve the cancel culture movement in the American workplace by connecting like-minded employers with employees seeking jobs where their religious and personal beliefs are accepted. Andrew was also the CEO of Emsi, an international economic data firm with hundreds of...

After practicing law in the private sector, Dan has gone on to serve on the Mecklenburg County Commission in North Carolina, the North Carolina House of Representatives, and the North Carolina Senate. Since 2019, Dan has represented North Carolina's ninth district in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees. Currently, he is running...

E. Ray Moore is the founder and director of the Exodus Mandate Project, chairman of the Christian Education Initiative, chairman of the movement Public School Exit, and president of the board at Frontline Ministries. In addition to serving in pastoral ministry for over forty years, Ray is a proactive advocate for school choice, the author of two books (including Let My Children Go ), and the execu...

Dr. Neil Shenvi is the author of Why Believe? A Reasoned Approach to Christianity . After receiving his PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, Neil has gone on to research nonadiabatic dynamics, electronic structure theory, and electron transfer while in positions at Yale and Duke. In addition to his scientific research, Neil speaks and writes about critical race...

Randan Steinhauser is a homeschool mom and the founding partner of Steinhauser Strategies, which specializes in creating public relations campaigns, influencing public policy debates, and building innovative digital movements. Randan is an expert in her field, having worked in more than thirty states on issue advocacy, political campaigns, client media relations, coalition development, strategic c...

April Bortins is a homeschool mom and the wife of Robert Bortins. Together, April and Robert homeschool their three children with Classical Conversations®. Before teaching her own children, April worked as a public-school teacher and head coach for both track and field and cross country. In this special episode of Refining Rhetoric , Robert and April chat about her background, her homeschooling jo...

Andrew Pudewa is the founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) and is a longtime partner and friend of Classical Conversations®. Speaking around the world, Andrew is known for presenting the skills of writing, teaching, and thinking with clarity and wit. Through IEW seminars and curriculum, he has helped students of all ages become better communicators and critical thinkers. Andrew...

Lisa Bailey is the host of Everyday Educator , a long-running Classical Conversations podcast, and is also the Lead Curriculum Developer for the Global Curriculum team of our publishing company, Classical Conversations MultiMedia (CCMM). Since joining the Classical Conversations family in 2004 as a Challenge B Director, Lisa has graduated two daughters out of the Challenge program and has served i...

Dr. Carol Swain is a distinguished political scientist, a former tenured professor at both Princeton University and Vanderbilt University, and late Vice Chair of President Donald Trump's 1776 Commission. Dr. Swain is the author of several books, including the bestseller Black Eye for America: How Critical Race Theory Is Burning Down the House . In this episode, Robert and Dr. Swain delve into a co...

In this episode, Robert and Michael P. Farris discuss basic human rights, educational choice, and the possible overturn of Roe v. Wade . Michael is the founding president of both Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and Patrick Henry College. Today, he serves as chairman of the board of HSLDA, chancellor emeritus of Patrick Henry, and the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom. T...

Mike Donnelly is HSLDA's Director of Global Outreach and Senior Counsel to members in seven states. He is also an adjunct professor at Patrick Henry College, teaching constitutional law, and a published author and notable speaker, defending homeschooling and educational choice. In this episode, Robert and Mike discuss the mission, origins, and future of HSLDA, what's changing in the homeschool mov...

Yvette Hampton is the producer and host of the 2021 documentary Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution . During production, Yvette and her family traveled around the country to speak with education experts and homeschool families about their thoughts on the increasing interest in homeschooling in the United States. In this conversation, Robert asks Yvette about her motivation for creating S...

Al Lopus is the CEO and co-founder of Best Christian Workplaces Institute, an organization founded in 2002 dedicated to helping Christian-led workplaces set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world. Al is a recognized author, speaker, and consultant for helping Christian leaders and organizations thrive. In this conversation, Robert and Al discuss the Christian's relati...

Lisa McLeod is the bestselling author of Selling with Noble Purpose: How to Drive Revenue and Do Work That Makes You Proud . Lisa is a global expert on purpose-driven business and has spent two decades helping leaders increase competitive differentiation and emotional engagement. In this episode of Refining Rhetoric , Robert Bortins interviews Lisa about her Noble Purpose philosophy, which is base...

In the second episode of  Refining Rhetoric , Robert Bortins speaks with Leigh Bortins, his mom and founder of Classical Conversations. Leigh has written several books, including The Core , The Question , and The Conversation , and is well known for her ability to demystify the fundamental tools of learning. Since 1984, her efforts have helped launch the "home-centered" education movement. Robert...

In this episode, Robert Bortins interviews Mike Sharrow, president and CEO of the C12 Group. C12 is a national platform where thousands of Christian CEOs and business owners learn and pursue building "great businesses for a greater purpose" together. In this conversation, Robert and Mike discuss #BaaM (Business as a Ministry) and what it means to be a Christian in business. Show notes: refiningrhe...

In this first episode of  Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins , host Robert Bortins discusses his background and what listeners can expect from future episodes of the show. Using the 15 tools of classical learning, Robert shares how he built a strong resume in high school with professional work experience, paid for college by himself while sleeping in friends' closets, worked in manufacturing fo...

Classical Conversations Studios presents Refining Rhetoric with Robert Bortins , a podcast where faith, business, politics, and classical education meet. Join Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, and use the classical tools of learning to seek truth in every arena of life. New episodes released every other week.