S4 Episode 1: Resilience & Hope at Moraine View R&R Veterans' Retreat
A conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Scott Grotbo, USAF, Retired, & Susan Grotbo about PTSD, the stigma surrounding mental health, a path to wellness, and finding a new chapter of service by helping others.
Guest: Lieutenant Colonel Scott Grotbo, USAF, Retired
Lieutenant Colonel Scott Grotbo, USAF, Retired, is a veteran with over 27 years as an Air Force Special Warfare Operator. He served three tours of combat duty---two in Afghanistan, one in Kuwait. He became Commander of the 182nd Air Support Operations Group (ASOG) in Peoria, Illinois before retiring. Scott has found a way to use his knowledge and experience to help others in a new chapter of service, as Founder and Executive Director of Moraine View R&R Veterans' Retreat. The Moraine View R&R is a not-for-profit retreat providing individualized stays devoted to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strengthening for our nation’s veterans, free of charge.
Guest: Susan Grotbo
Susan Grotbo is an Engineering Program Manager at Google. She has worked on various global projects ranging from building Google’s first employee donation and volunteer platform to providing lifesaving information on Google Search for early detection and warning of major natural disasters with the use of AI and Machine Learning. Susan has more than 10 years of experience working in the philanthropic and social impact space including supporting Moraine View R&R Veteran’s Retreat in Central Illinois with her brother Scott.
This Episode includes conversations about the impact of unresolved traumas, treatment paths, as well as overcoming the stigma around mental health in the military and in our communities. This is an up close and personal story of survival, service, leadership and hope for our nation's veterans.
To learn more about Moraine View R&R Veterans' Retreat:
https://www.moraineviewretreat.org/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moraine-view-r-r
Instagram: moraineviewr_r
Facebook:@MoraineviewRR
S4 Episode 2: Christina Helena: "My Scar is Sexy"
In this Episode, Christina Helena and I talk about resilience, trusting your intuition, the human experience, and how the veil of truth is lifted when forced to confront our own mortality. We laugh and we go deep. She is redefining and modernizing the stigma behind trauma and pain with one simple thought: Your scar is the sexiest thing about you. She is truly an inspirational force.
Guest: Christina Helena
Christina is a speaker, writer/performer and coach. She is redefining and modernizing the stigma behind trauma and pain with one simple thought: Your scar is the sexiest thing about you.
At nineteen years old, she became one of the youngest pancreatic cancer survivors. Four months later she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts.
Christina went on to train at The London Academy of Music & Drama where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Performance. A couple years later, she studied philosophy and theology earning a Master of Science in Consciousness Studies.
An inspirational force, playwright and classically trained performer, her autobiographical story SCAR is currently in development for an off-Broadway production and a film.
With a thirteen-inch scar across her abdomen, Christina knows the physical and emotional toll that our scars have on our self-worth and ability to love ourselves.
Christina’s talk, “My SCAR is Sexy” was featured on Goalcast receiving over 10 million views.
To learn more about Christina Helena visit https://www.christinahelena.com/
S4 Episode 3: Polar Bears 101 & Their Survival: Krista Wright, Executive Director, Polar Bears Inter
Twenty-five years ago, I read about the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba in Departures Magazine and saved the article for nearly 15 years. Occasionally I would gently unfold the page to gaze at the mesmerizing photograph of a polar bear standing on its hind legs, leaning against a tundra rover. I finally went.
The best word to describe this incredible immersive experience is "awe." The vast landscape, seeing the expanding sea ice form overnight, watching polar bears in their natural habitat, the resilience of the people I met along the way, and how we are all interconnected with the universe.
This Episode features an inspiring conversation with Krista Wright, Executive Director, Polar Bears International. We discuss how polar bears are uniquely suited to survive in their environment, how communities co-exist with polar bears, climate warming, groundbreaking research, and why protecting their future saves ours.
Guest: Krista Wright
Krista has worked with nonprofit organizations that focus on building environmental literacy and a conservation ethic for more than 25 years. Her expertise includes strategic planning, environmental education, and nonprofit management and development. She is a visionary who is skilled at establishing partnerships with entities, including government agencies, other nonprofits, educational groups, universities, and the business sector. She has also volunteered as a consultant for a variety of nonprofit organizations, offering expertise in development and strategic planning. Wright previously held positions with Montana Outdoor Science School, Big Sky Ski and Summer Resort, and Colorado Outdoor Education Center. She received a B.S. in outdoor education from University of Kansas and later studied elementary education at Montana State University. Wright began volunteering with PBI in 2008 and joined the staff as Executive Vice President in 2009. She became the Executive Director in 2013. She is a passionate conservationist who is deeply concerned about the effects of global warming on polar bears, the Arctic, and the planet.
Learn more about Polar Bears International visit: https://polarbearsinternational.org/
Facebook: @PolarBearsInternational
Instagram: @polarbearsinternational
Twitter: @PolarBears
TikTok: @polarbearsinternational
S4 Episode 4: Mike Abrashoff, Former Commander USS Benfold: Achieving Breakthrough Performance
At thirty-six years old, Mike Abrashoff was the most junior officer in the Pacific Fleet when he took command of the USS Benfold. Morale was low, turnover was high and the ship’s performance ranked near the bottom of the Pacific Fleet. Just twelve months later, using the same crew, Benfold was ranked #1. The lesson was clear – leadership matters and culture is everything.
This inspiring Episode is for every individual and organization looking for practical and usable ways to take performance to new heights. In Mike’s case, he realized that before the ship’s performance could change, he had to change his leadership style. His story is legendary.
Guest: Mike Abrashoff, Former Commander, USS Benfold and Author, "It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy."
Captain Mike Abrashoff is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to commanding USS Benfold, Mike served as the Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He also helped draft the air defense plan for naval forces in the Persian Gulf in 1990, coinciding with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait; and served as the executive officer of the Cruiser Shiloh, where he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.
He has authored four books. His first, "It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy," sold more than 1.4 million copies. Mike has spoken to every industry and kind of audience – from board retreats to front line personnel; from sales groups to universities; from Fortune 500s to startups. He inspires audiences to rethink their beliefs about leadership and organizational culture and tailors the message to focus on engagement, execution, change, safety, diversity, leadership, teamwork, innovation, accountability and more.
Mike Abrashoff is the founder of Aegis Performance Group, a consulting firm which works with and supports leaders as they address leadership, talent and performance challenges within their organizations. Mike and his team prompt leaders at all levels to re-imagine their leadership thinking and create new ways to elevate individual, team and organizational performance.
Aegis Performance Group: https://www.apgleadership.com/
It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, 10th Anniversary Edition Hardcover
Amazon: https://a.co/d/f8ywtFN
S4 Episode 5: Unscripted: Ted Lasso Executive Producer & Writer Bill Wrubel
A great conversation with award-winning writer and producer Bill Wrubel, known for Ted Lasso, Modern Family, Will and Grace, Ugly Betty, Sports Night and more.
Bill has won multiple awards- at least 20 wins and 17 nominations- including 7 Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Producer from PGA, 5 WGA Awards, Hollywood Critics Association for Best Writing in a Streaming Series, and the list goes on.
He shares his personal story and how streaming has changed writing for TV, whether comedy can be learned, social impact, character and storyline arcs, and of course, "football is life!"
S4 Episode 6: Understanding, Preventing & Healing Burnout with Dr. Neha Sangwan
"Burnout is due to prolonged stress and an ongoing net drain of energy on one or more of five levels: physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual," Neha Sangwan, MD, CEO and Founder of Intuitive Intelligence.
In this episode, Dr. Neha Sangwan discusses understanding, identifying, and preventing burnout with insights from her book, "Powered by Me." From Burned Out to Fully Charged in Work and in Life." She shares her personal story along with practical strategies to identify root causes and heal.
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Neha worked as a manufacturing engineer for Motorola before attending medical school at State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY at Buffalo). As a dedicated Internal Medicine physician, she was so focused on other people’s health and doing what was expected that she rarely paid attention to what her own body was saying.
For more than a decade, she regularly worked 36-hour shifts and saw up to 18 hospitalized patients a day. Instead of acknowledging her headaches, throat constriction, insomnia and physical exhaustion as warning signals, she powered through, fueled by caffeine, sugar and a fear of failure. Eventually the grueling pace, erratic sleep schedule and blatant disregard for her own physical, mental and emotional well-being led to burnout.
Listen to S4 E6 to learn more about how Dr. Neha Sangwan moved from "burned out to fully charged in work and in life," and the steps we can take to identify, heal and prevent burnout.
Neha Sangwan, MD, CEO and Founder of Intuitive Intelligence is an internal medicine physician, international speaker, executive coach and corporate communication expert. Her private practice and corporate consulting focuses on empowering individuals, organizational leaders, and their teams with the tools for clear, effective communication. She addresses the root causes of stress, miscommunication and interpersonal conflict, often healing chronic conditions such as headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and burnout.
Dr. Sangwan consults with organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Express, Apple, Kaiser Permanente, and Google, and has shared her journey on the stages of TEDx Berkeley, TEDx San Luis Obispo, and TEDx Babson.
She is the author of "TalkRx: Five Steps to Honest Conversations that Create Connection, Health and Happiness" and "Powered by Me. From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life."
Burnout Assessment Tool:
https://intuitiveintelligenceinc.com/burnout-rx
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BOOK
Instagram: @doctorneha
Facebook: Neha Sangwan, M.D.
Website: intuitiveintelligenceinc.com
Linkedin: drnehasangwan
Follow me on Instagram @warriorsdayoff
NEW EPISODE!
S4 Episode 7: Davide Nestola: The Art of Noticing
Great conversation with Swiss street photographer Davide Nestola about how he captures the essence of humanity in his beautiful street interviews and photography. He shares stories about the year he traveled around the world, being present, honing his craft, mindful storytelling, his first photo exhibition, taking risks, finding balance and more. I find there is a soulfulness to his art beyond the images themselves. His choice of words reads like poetry, touching hearts and nourishing souls. You can feel the raw emotions he communicates through his lens.
In a world that feels increasingly divisive, Davide bridges gaps between cultures with moments that define our shared human experience and celebrates the beauty of life, one photograph... and one story at a time.
Guest: Davide Nestola, Street Photographer
Davide Nestola is a Swiss Street Photographer who uses the medium of video and photography to tell interesting stories from often unseen and unheard members of society. His interviews have touched hearts around the world such as, "The Art of Letting Go," which had 25 million views. Davide transcends language barriers and celebrates the beauty of life with moments that define our shared human experience.
Visit @davnesto on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or any of his social media platforms to see the unscripted moments and unfiltered stories we discuss in this episode.
https://www.instagram.com/davnesto/
https://www.tiktok.com/@davnesto
Website:
https://www.davidenestola.com/