The Uplifters

Some environments will lead you to believe that something is fundamentally wrong with you. I was finally able to sit back and realize there's nothing wrong with me, I just learn differently and I operate differently. When you're able to discover your uniqueness you discover how you individually contribute to the beauty in the world. -Taylor Ratliff This week's episode of The Uplifters Podcast feat...

Have you ever thought you were too old to try something new? In today's episode of The Uplifters Podcast, Gerilynn Berg is going to prove it's never too late. In fact, like Gerilynn, your whole life may have been preparing you for your next big adventure. Recently, on her 70th birthday, Gerilynn competed in a bodybuilding competition. She oiled up, taped her breasts in place, slid on her stilettos...

Have you ever thought you were too old to try something new? In today's episode of The Uplifters Podcast, Gerilynn Berg is going to prove it's never too late. In fact, like Gerilynn, your whole life may have been preparing you for your next big adventure. Recently, on her 70th birthday, Gerilynn competed in a bodybuilding competition. She oiled up, taped her breasts in place, slid on her stilettos...

If you can't help someone, don't harm anyone. Do what you can to make the world a better place, one person at a time.  Dr. Aziza Shad Dr. Aziza Shad , a pediatric oncologist, was nominated for The Uplifters Podcast by Terri Tomoff , whose son was cared for by Dr. Shad during 5 rounds of cancer treatment, beginning at age two. In episode 15, Terri described the family’s journey through their 27-yea...

Dr. Aziza Shad , a pediatric oncologist, was nominated for The Uplifters Podcast by Terri Tomoff , whose son was cared for by Dr. Shad during 5 rounds of cancer treatment, beginning at age two. In episode 15, Terri described the family’s journey through their 27-year battle. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Shad how she approaches caregiving as a team effort that involves families, neighbors,...

What if we shifted the words puberty and perimenopause to mean growth? Konika Ray Wong One year into the Uplifters Podcast, sharing stories of inspiring women and understanding how they overcome obstacles and grow, and yet, we haven’t talked about periods once! I’m 49 years old (as of yesterday 🎂) and live with two teen daughters, so there’s plenty of talk about periods (coming and going) in our...

One year into the Uplifters Podcast, sharing stories of inspiring women and understanding how they overcome obstacles and grow, and yet, we haven’t talked about periods once! I’m 49 years old (as of yesterday 🎂) and live with two teen daughters, so there’s plenty of talk about periods (coming and going) in our house. In this candid episode, I'm joined by Konika Ray Wong, founder of Girl Power Sci...

We have joined with other family members who have paid the price for society's failure to act and we pour out our pain to demand action. Amy Cohen In today’s episode of The Uplifters Podcast Amy Cohen, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets , shares her journey from motherhood to advocacy after her son Sammy was killed in a traffic incident.  As I prepared for this episode, I had to confront the...

We have joined with other family members who have paid the price for society's failure to act and we pour out our pain to demand action. -Amy Cohen In today’s episode of The Uplifters Podcast Amy Cohen, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets , shares her journey from motherhood to advocacy after her son Sammy was killed in a traffic incident.  As I prepared for this episode, I had to confront the...

To not be of service and live my life to the fullest after receiving so much support would be spitting in the face of anyone who ever believed in me. Sean Wachter Sean Wachter is a business guy, a husband, and a father of two young girls. He also happens to be a former two-sport collegiate athlete and a former pro football player, and after battling and surviving a rare form of melanoma, he is usi...

Sean Wachter is a business guy, a husband, and a father of two young girls. He also happens to be a former two-sport collegiate athlete and a former pro football player, and after battling and surviving a rare form of melanoma, he is using wrestling – of all things – to raise awareness and raise funding for cancer research (all while finishing his MBA and working with several major cancer organiza...

We all have cringey moments when we say or do something that not only shows our humanity and our imperfectness, but it shows a little bit more of our authentic selves than we want to show. We don't like to put ourselves out there in a way that is different than the status quo because that might lead to rejection. When you embrace the cringe with art, it's giving you practice that will reflect in y...

Uplifters , we are going on a magical musical adventure with this week's guest - world traveler, songwriter, and creativity coach Caroline Scruggs! Caroline invites us into her radically courageous creative journey and shows us how embracing imperfection helped her find her authentic voice (and resulted in a song about roadkill). Caroline shares the power of building safe spaces for creative growt...

“Not only does it feel good to laugh, but when you find yourself laughing, whether you realize it or not, you're reminding yourself that you're still in there. It's like, ’ Oh wait, I'm still me.’” Rebecca Soffer of Modern Loss , on grief In the final episode of our Uplifting series on grief and loss, you’ll meet Rebecca Soffer, co-founder of Modern Loss , author of the bestselling “ The Modern Lo...

“Not only does it feel good to laugh, but when you find yourself laughing, whether you realize it or not, you're reminding yourself that you're still in there. It's like, ’ Oh wait, I'm still me.’” In the final episode of our Uplifting series on grief and loss, you’ll meet Rebecca Soffer, co-founder of Modern Loss, author of the bestselling “ The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Movin...

My grandfather, Philip Dwight Baker, was born on February 7, 1929. He would’ve been 95 this week. Just as he thought he was done rearing children, he and my grandmother stepped in to raise me when my parents couldn’t. He couldn’t always live on his own terms, but he got to leave on them. Alongside my grandmother, mother, and aunt, I had the privilege of sitting with him in hospice during his last...

My grandfather, Philip Dwight Baker, was born on February 7, 1929. He would’ve been 95 this week. Just as he thought he was done rearing children, he and my grandmother stepped in to raise me when my parents couldn’t. He couldn’t always live on his own terms, but he got to leave on them. Alongside my grandmother, mother, and aunt, I had the privilege of sitting with him in hospice during his last...

At the end, almost everyone says, “I wish I had listened to other people less. I wish I had lived larger.” It makes me cry to think about it, to imagine myself at the end of my life, and to think I had the chance, but I didn't out of fear or out of self-imposed limitations. I want to go out knowing I tried everything and I did everything. Today, as part of our month-long series on grief, we are jo...

At the end, almost everyone says, “I wish I had listened to other people less. I wish I had lived larger.” It makes me cry to think about it, to imagine myself at the end of my life, and to think I had the chance, but I didn't out of fear or out of self-imposed limitations. I want to go out knowing I tried everything and I did everything. Today, as part of our month-long series on grief, we are jo...

Welcome to our first-ever bonus episode of The Uplifters Podcast! In last week’s heartbreaking and hope-rich episode featuring Lia De Feo , she shared about the impact of a wonderful organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep which helped her and her family heal from the loss of their first two children. In this week’s special bonus episode, you’ll hear from Ali Furtwangler a photographer from...

I hope that my story will provide hope to people out there who need it, and peace to those who are accepting a life that isn’t what they envisioned. Lia : I always wanted to be a mother. I always had a maternal instinct. I always wanted to raise a child. Aransas : What did you imagine the journey to motherhood would be? Lia : The journey to motherhood would begin with falling madly in love with a...

"I hope that my story will provide hope and peace to those who are accepting a life that isn’t what they envisioned." Lia : I always wanted to be a mother. I always had a maternal instinct. I always wanted to raise a child. Aransas : What did you imagine the journey to motherhood would be? Lia : The journey to motherhood would begin with falling madly in love with a man who would be an amazing par...

It’s that time of year when we reassess what’s working, ask ourselves what we want more and less of, set intentions for the year ahead, and wonder if this year will actually be different than last, all while quietly hoping that this is the year that will be . Some of the things we do at this time of year can be really helpful. Many of them are counterproductive and defeating. After 20 years in the...

It’s that time of year when we reassess what’s working, ask ourselves what we want more and less of, set intentions for the year ahead, and wonder if this year will actually be different than last, all while quietly hoping that this is the year that will be . Some of the things we do at this time of year can be really helpful. Many of them are counterproductive and defeating. After 20 years in the...

“I love service and time with people. So you add service to time with people and I'm there for it. But, with a person who's not gonna honor those as my love languages, it can bleed into this idea of becoming a friend’s accidental personal assistant.” When Rachel Everson Fink was in her 20s healing from anorexia and an abusive relationship, she discovered the power to change her health through medi...