Tangential Inspiration

Missed last week due to Covid, but we are back and feeling good!  Amy brings us the story of a local charity that is working with restaurants to help stop food insecurity in Portland.  Teresa deep dives on Betty Ford who was a First Lady for the people and whose legacy carries on.  Then Teresa wraps up with some happy dog stories.  Who doesn't love a good dog story?  It's a great episode to find s...

It's the day before Thanksgiving!  Family, food, and thankful hearts.  It's a great time to reflect.  There are so many things to be thankful for.  We are thankful for our listeners and all we have learned from this podcast!  This week, Amy talks about Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) and the beauty of this Mexican holiday honoring our ancestors.  Teresa covers the life lessons learned by...

Brrrr.  Beautiful Fall leaves, cold crisp air, and sunlit azure skies.  Rain is right around the corner, but today is a magnificent day.  And just as we can bask in a beautiful Fall day to prepare for the darkness of Winter, we can take in some inspiration to insulate us from some of the darkness in the world.  So here is your chance to fill your inspiration tank.  Teresa starts with a story about...

Posting this as election results are coming in- what a stressful night!  But regardless of the outcome, this episode can give you a little inspiration, a little Zen.  Teresa starts off with some stories of kids who stepped up during Covid.  Amy tells us the touching story of country music star Brandi Carlile and how she is a different kind of county musician and is bringing a different message to...

Halloween is over.  Let the non-stop Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas begin!  We have some stories to inspire this week!  Amy talks about an incredible teacher that literally goes to great lengths to help her students afford college.  Teresa dives into Inky Johnson, whose promising football career was cut short by a freak accident, and how he is now helping to inspire others.  Finally, Teresa...

Fall has hit hard this week in Oregon.  We went from 80-degree days to cold and wet in the blink of an eye.  Perfect soup weather.  Time to serve up a steaming hot bowl of inspiration.  Amy talks about the kindness and compassion of Martha's Vineyard towards the Venezuelan migrants caught up in some political games.  Teresa talks about tv and movie actor Zachary Levi and his battle with mental hea...

Good day to everyone!  We hope that you are having a fantastic week and can top off the inspiration tanks with a quick refuel of wine, baked goods, and hope.  Teresa starts off by talking about Vital Wines, a non-profit winery that supports providing health care for wine workers.  You will be hungry after Amy talks about Christina Tosi, who started the popular Milk Bar company and has made a caree...

We have some great stories for you this week.  Teresa starts off with a story about GiveBackBox.com, a great way to donate to charities using boxes and free mailing labels.  Then Amy shares a touching story about Heather Lende, a woman in a small Alaskan town who shares life lessons learned from writing obituaries and the connections she has made with her community.  Then Amy finishes up with a st...

It's October!  We are already pulling out the Halloween decorations as the temperature starts to drop and the leaves start to turn their brilliant colors.  Morning is the perfect time to take a walk or a run, breathe in the crisp air, and listen to a podcast to get inspired for your week.  Amy talks about Harper's Playground which started in Portland, Oregon but is now making playgrounds that are...

It's the 100th episode of Tangential Inspiration.  This episode does not follow our usual format, but we will be talking about our vision boards, what inspires us, favorite quotes, and our favorite episodes.  We wouldn't have a podcast without our listeners, so come celebrate with us! #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would love to hear from you. Send us your comments or even your own inspirational s...

It's a crazy world we live in and so many things going on right now.  Sometimes you need to just slow down, turn off the noise, and focus on yourself.  Give yourself a little time to recharge and get inspired to go out and do battle again.  Here is some fuel for you this week to get you ready to fight the good fight!  Amy starts off with an inspirational story of a woman paying it back and using h...

Starting to feel a little bit like Fall around here, but we aren't quite ready to give up Summer yet.  Sometimes you have to hold on to something a bit longer.  And that is what we try to do each week, find a few stories to hold onto hope, love, and inspiration.  Its what we do!  This week, Teresa starts off with two stories about indigenous American women doing some great things and inspiring so...

Some crazy things going on in the world right now.  It is good to take a mental break and find some inspiration.  You don't have to change the world, just leave it better than you found it.  Every little bit of hope and love matters.  This week, Amy shares the heartwarming story of a young surfer who has spent over 700 consecutive days surfing to help out his community.  Then Amy deep dives on the...

Summer is winding down here in Oregon.  Looking forward to some slightly cooler weather.  What isn't cooling off is the inspiration we are serving up this week.  Amy starts us off with how garbage and waste can be used to make useful items and even beautiful art.  Teresa takes us on a swim-bike-run adventure with the Iron Nun who has completed over 40 Iron Man events and is still doing triathlons...

Everyone has experienced feeling down and getting hit with one more thing.  Imagine your whole life being a continuous downward fall, where you see rock bottom as you pass it by going 100 miles per hour.  That was Jesse Thistle's life.  How this guy kept surviving is insane!  Learn about how it's never too late to turn things around.   Amy tells us about a new find of an amazing salad dressing tha...

Some fantastic stories this week!  Amy starts off with teens setting up a support network for other teens experiencing mental health crises.  Then she brings the delightful but unexpected pairing of President Barack Obama and rock star Bruce Springsteen.  These two come from very different worlds, but have a shared vision for the United States.  And Teresa wraps it up with a hodge-podge of short s...

Welcome to another week of inspiration!  We have some great stories to top off your inspiration tanks!  Amy starts off with some heartwarming stories about how transformational a simple game of catch can be.  Teresa brings you the incredible story of the rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo, from very humble beginnings in Greece to a power player on the Milwaukie Bucks.  The determination and humility of...

August 7th is National Sister's Day in the US.  We have got some great sister stories in this episode, with Amy doing a deep dive on the Former First Daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush.  The story of the closeness of the sister's is amazing, and that even with their careers and young families, these sisters are doing some fantastic things in the world.  Teresa has some welcome updates on the battle...

So, like much of the world, we are suffering through a heatwave this week.  Every year it is just getting hotter and hotter.  Our planet is on fire (in some places literally).  We need to muster all the positive energy we can so we must seek out the good and the light.  This week, we bring you stories to help nurture that positive energy so you can let it build and then release it out into the wor...

Summer is going full blast!  Well at least here in the Pacific Northwest, and apparently the UK- weird.  Well anyway, it's hot.  But we do have some fantastic inspiring tales this week.  Teresa starts off with the story of a father that gave his son a gift that was 10 years in the making, and helped a lot of other people along the way.  Amy introduces us to New York Times columnist, Suleika Jaouad...

The war in Ukraine still wages on, with countless people dying from the Russian invasion.  Whenever we can, we like to highlight the bright spots in this tragic war.  We have touched on Chef José Andrés before, but this guy deserves a lot more attention.  Amy does a deep dive on this Chef who travels the world to feed those in need under the direst circumstances.  You have to hear about this guy. ...

So, we have something special for you this week- an interview with Amy Lobben, one of the owners of Terra Pacem Winery.  Amy with her husband Andrew Marcus opened Terra Pacem Winery to help provide a place for their developmentally disabled son and other people with intellectual disabilities to have a community.  Besides making delicious wines in the Pacific Northwest, Terra Pacem supports people...

So many dark things taking up everyone's attention.  It is too easy to be swallowed up in the darkness, so we must seek the light and the hope.  Things can get better and change will come, but we got to make it through to the other side.   Here are some stories that will help shine a light.  Amy starts off with three short stories about women fostering literacy in creative ways.  Teresa takes on P...

Our first 2 part episode!  Not only was Jackie Robinson a superstar baseball player and the first Black major league player, but he was also an important civil rights activist.  There is just too much inspiration to contain in one episode so we are doing it in two.  Amy starts off with a fantastic story about a farm that is helping homeless and at-risk youth, right here in our own backyard.  Teres...

Ok- so we did Bob Goff in episode 14, but we find him so inspiring we are doing it again.  And this one we are doing it a little differently.  We are tag-teaming this episode as we discuss Bob's latest book Undistracted.  This book is all about love and being in the moment with those you love, and we love it!  Teresa also hits a few quick stories about fathers that are going above and beyond for t...