Sounds Good With Branden Harvey

Moms Demand Action began the day after the Sandy Hook shooting, which claimed the lives of 28 people, including 20 children. Shannon Watts, a mother of five, knew she needed to do something — so she moved into action to end gun violence. She started Moms Demand Action, a non-partisan grassroots movement of moms who fight for stronger gun laws in America and encourage responsible gun ownership. Moms Demand Action has a volunteer chapter in every state plus Washington, D.C. Their work includes advocating for universal background checks, disarming domestic abusers, and responsible gun storage. Volunteers at their Gun Sense Action Network spend one hour per week driving phone calls into lawmaker’s offices or recruiting new supporters into the movement. Activist Crystal Turner also shares the story of how her life has changed since losing two of her children to gun violence in 2015. Crystal turned her pain into purpose and is now a dedicated activist working with Moms Demand Action to push for common sense gun ref

Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape countries where they face imminent danger because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Canada-based organization works to solve a multi-layered problem that goes beyond LGBTQ+ persecution — they’re also responding to a global refugee crisis. Refugees already face mounting challenges, but anti-LGTBQ+ legislation only adds to the obstacles. The organization addresses both challenges together. The organization has been praised for helping 70 Chechen men resettle in response to anti-gay purges in Chechnya beginning in 2017. Since 2006, Rainbow Railroad has helped more than 800 persecuted LGBTQ+ people from 38 countries travel to safety. In this episode, Branden Harvey sits down with Rainbow Railroad executive director Kimahli Powell to learn about the extent of the persecution LGBTQ+ people face around the world and the inspiring ways the organization provides transportation and support to bring people to safety. Guest: Kimahli Powell, executive directo

John Moe (“Depresh Mode,” “The Hilarious World of Depression”) is bringing humor to mental health. The writer and radio personality’s work often centers on his mental health journey, and his writing has appeared in numerous humor anthologies as well as The New York Times Magazine, McSweeney's, The Seattle Times, and many more publications. For two decades, he hosted nationally distributed public radio programs. Following decades of living with undiagnosed depression, John is now using his platform to break down the stigma of mental illness. In his new podcast “Depresh Mode,” he interviews comedians, musicians, authors, and actors about living with depression, anxiety, and other common disorders. Through their honest, relatable conversations, listeners can learn more about their options for facing mental illness and feel less alone. In this episode, John shares the power of sharing your story, how humor can make things less scary, and how we can all follow his example in breaking down mental health stigma by t

Yonathan Moya grew up on the U.S./Mexico border and sought out a way to tell the stories of the people living there. Following a nine-day photographic journey in 2017, he launched an organization supporting families along the border. Border Perspective leads service-learning trips along the south Texas border to provide opportunities to support local immigrant ministries and to better understand the complexity of immigration. In this episode, Yonathan and Branden discuss what’s currently happening at the U.S./Mexico border, the nuanced and complex historical and political contexts of immigration, and opportunities to create solutions. Guest: Yonathan Moya, executive director of Border Perspective Learn more about Border Perspective’s work on their website, follow @borderperspective and @yonathanmoya on Instagram, and donate to Yonathan’s father’s memorial fund Show your support: Buy something from Border Perspective's Amazon Wish List to provide humanitarian relief to migrant families at the border. Vo

Gene Stone (author of “Forks Over Knives”) has spent the last decade writing about plant-based diets and their relationship to health, animal protection, and the environment. The former Peace Corps volunteer and journalist (Esquire, GQ, and Vogue) is a New York Times bestselling author who has written popular books including “Forks Over Knives,” “How Not to Die,” “The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick,” “The Engine 2 Diet,” and “Eat for the Planet.” This episode, Gene shares his journey to adopting a vegan diet and simple action steps for transitioning to a plant-based diet to impact your health, animals, and the environment. Guest: Gene Stone, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Buy Gene’s new book, “72 Reasons to Be Vegan: Why Plant-Based. Why Now.” and check out his other books Background reading: Veganism is the “single biggest way” to reduce our environmental impact Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD Sponsor: Save 20% on Riff cold brew

All over the world, mysterious signs have been popping up. They say messages like: “Don’t give up.” “You are worthy of love.” “Your mistakes don’t define you.” Today we’re introducing you to the woman behind these messages and the global movement: Amy Wolff. One weekend in 2017, Amy and her family anonymously staked in yards in their small town of Newberg, Oregon. They had just learned of suicide rates in their town and wanted to find a way to encourage community members. Little did they know that their project would turn into a global movement featured on Good Morning America, Yahoo, the Washington Post, NowThis, and on countless other media. Within days, Amy incorporated Don’t Give Up as a nonprofit, and products (which the organization sells at-cost) have shipped to all 50 U.S. states and 26 countries, including the Philippines, Rwanda, Costa Rica, and Zambia. Now the movement serves more than as a response to suicide — it’s also a comforting cancer patients, those enduring the loss of a loved one, and tho

At 22, Paige More (The Breasties) got a preventative double mastectomy before ever being diagnosed with cancer. At the time, she was working as a producer for Good Morning America and felt on top of the world, but she had just discovered she carried the BRCA 1 gene mutation that indicates a higher risk for developing breast, ovarian, and other types of cancer. While seeking resources, support, and guidance online, she was discouraged to find only stories of nightmare experiences and worst-case scenarios. But Paige’s experience was different from those stories. After her surgery, she felt strong and sexy, so she started sharing her story on Instagram and co-founded a hopeful, empowering community for other “previvors” and women affected by breast and gynecological cancers. This community, called The Breasties, is a nonprofit organization that hosts events and retreats and offers a positive alternative to the nightmarish stories for others facing similar situations. The Breasties is on a mission to increase acc

Photographer Aundre Larrow (@aundre) has worked with clients such as The North Face, Amex, Volcom, Lululemon, and the Warriors, and his work has been published in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. His work aims to show the fundamental value in each person and commonly captures the intersection of art and racial justice. He’s currently hosting an Instagram series called Equity Through Editing about how to edit photos to accurately portray skin tones. In this episode, Aundre shares the challenges he and other content creators of color face in the photography, art, and creator industries, including lack of opportunity, imposter syndrome, and racism. He also explains how he uses photography as a vehicle for social change to increase access and racial equality and how we can create a more equitable future for creators of color. Guest: Aundre Larrow, photographer Follow @aundre on Instagram and view his work on his website, aundrelarrow.com Sponsor: Get 50% off your first Datebox from Happily with

Journalist and photographer KK Ottesen has photographed and interviewed the world’s most notable politicians and activists. She is a regular contributor to The Washington Post Magazine, and her work has appeared in many other international publications. Her new book, “Activist: Portraits of Courage” includes portraits of Stacey Abrams, John Lewis, Tarana Burke, Edward Snowden, Bernie Sanders, Cecile Richards, Al Sharpton, Gabrielle Giffords, Angela Davis, and many more. In her book, these world-changers recount the experiences that sparked their work in social justice and politics and share the beliefs that keep them going. In the first half of this episode, KK shares how through her interviews with them, she learned that most of the famous activists we know of today started their journeys simply by believing that a different world is possible, taking one small action step, and then committing to taking step after step. In the second half, she shares that anyone who has hope for a better future can be an acti

Expert writing coach Allison Fallon says writing can help you unlock your purpose. Allison is the author of “The Power of Writing It Down” and founder of the writing coaching company Find Your Voice. In Allison’s newest book, she shares why writing down your story is one of the most powerful tools you have at our disposal to see your life with clarity and generate positive change. In the first half of this episode, Allison shares why it’s important to sit with the obstacles, blocks, and pain we face in order to heal, understand, and relieve ourselves from the burdens of setbacks and frustrations of life and even anxiety or depression. In the second half, she shares how writing can help us make sense of a challenging world — and also make a bigger difference. The best news is you don’t have to be a “writer” in the traditional sense to tap into the power of writing it down. Guest: Allison Fallon, author of “The Power of Writing It Down” and founder of Find Your Voice Visit thepowerofwritingitdown.com and down

This teacher has turned to Instagram to combat misinformation. Sharon McMahon — who describes herself as “America’s (not boring) government teacher” — and her highly engaged Instagram community (self-described as Governerds) — just joined forces and raised enough money to forgive $50 million in medical debt — breaking records in just a matter of days. Sharon is a former high school government and law teacher on a mission to confront political misinformation and conspiracies. She uses her popular Instagram account to spread non-partisan information about government and democracy. Through her account and her workshops, called Government for Grownups, she teaches how to spot bias and decipher facts from conspiracies. In this episode, Sharon talks about paying attention to facts, how she carved out the best and most positive corner of the internet, and how we can actually make our country and world as thoughtful and generous as her community. Guest: Sharon McMahon, host of Government for Grownups Follow Sharon

Activist Leah Thomas created a platform to address the ways environmentalism impacts not only the planet, but the people on it, too. She calls the platform Intersectional Environmentalist, a movement that addresses and incorporates lawyer and scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw’s feminist framework of intersectionality.The platform Leah co-founded is now home to resources, information, and action steps to dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement. In the first half of this episode, Leah lays out how environmental issues affect different communities uniquely and how intersectional environmentalism addresses these differences. In the second half, Leah explains how we all can embrace intersectional environmentalism through simple, everyday actions. Guest: Leah Thomas, co-founder of Intersectional Environmentalist Follow Intersectional Environmentalist and Leah on Instagram Visit IE’s website to learn more and explore resources Background reading: Interview with Kimberlé Crenshaw and explanation o

After working on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns, Amanda Litman founded Run for Something, an organization dedicated to helping young and non-traditional candidates successfully run for office. Run for Something removes barriers to entry by providing assistance with behind-the-scenes mechanics, tactical and strategic support, advice, mentorship, training, and everything in between. Between 2017 and 2020, they’ve helped elect nearly 500 candidates in 46 states. In the first half of this episode, Run for Something co-founder and executive director Amanda Litman explains why anyone can run for office and why it truly makes a difference. In the second half, she lays out the steps for running for office — even if you aren’t sure what you want to run for yet. Guest: Amanda Litman, co-founder and executive director of Run for Something If you want to run for office, explore your options and get more information. You can also support people running for office by making a donation. Read Ama

Is the world becoming more peaceful? Or less? How would we know if it was? In an effort to measure peace, entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea founded the Institute for Economics and Peace, a nonprofit global research institute that measures peace levels around the world. The Institute created the conceptual framework for “positive peace,” which describes the attitudes, structures and institutions that underpin and sustain peaceful societies. Hint: Peace includes more than just an absence of violence. The Institute’s work now informs influential institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank. In the first half of this episode, Steve describes the difference between “positive peace” and “negative peace,” plus how the Institute developed the framework for positive peace. In the second half, Steve and Branden share good news from data the Institute has collected. Guest: Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace Read the Positive Peace Report a

Jedidiah Jenkins is a travel writer who lives with life with intention and purpose. He worked a dream job as a lawyer for the nonprofit Invisible Children before quitting to bike 10,000 miles from Oregon to Patagonia. He wrote a New York Times-bestselling book about his experience and has inspired thousands of people to engage their own lives with similar curiosity and passion. He is also the executive editor of Wilderness magazine. In this episode, Branden and Jedidiah talk about the nuance of purpose, how it’s different from what we imagine, and how we can find it — or at least get started in the right direction. Guest: Jedidiah Jenkins, author of “To Shake the Sleeping Self” and “Like Streams to the Ocean” Pre-order Jedidiah’s new book (out tomorrow!) and follow him on Instagram Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter reader

This is the full-length, unedited version of our conversation with Jedidiah Jenkins. Jedidiah was one of our first-ever guests on the show when we launched Sounds Good five years ago. His episode remains one of our most popular episodes, so we thought it would be fun to release the full unedited conversation of our latest conversation together. Enjoy! Check out the previous episode in your feed for the shorter, edited version of this episode. Jedidiah Jenkins is a travel writer who lives with life with intention and purpose. He worked a dream job as a lawyer for the nonprofit Invisible Children before quitting to bike 10,000 miles from Oregon to Patagonia. He wrote a New York Times-bestselling book about his experience and has inspired thousands of people to engage their own lives with similar curiosity and passion. He is also the executive editor of Wilderness magazine. In this episode, Branden and Jedidiah talk about the nuance of purpose, how it’s different from what we imagine, and how we can find it — or

Dressember founder and CEO Blythe Hill is on a mission to use fashion to end human trafficking. What she started as a style challenge in 2009, she turned into a nonprofit with global reach. The challenge is simple: Every December, wear a dress (or tie) every day. It’s a great conversation starter, and it works to raise funds for trafficking prevention, intervention, and survivor protection. In the first half of the episode, Blythe tells the story of how she started Dressember and how it works so effectively as a fundraiser and conversation-starter. In the second half, she gets to the bottom of QAnon, trafficking misconceptions and misinformation, and how you can make a difference. Guest: Blythe Hill, founder and CEO of Dressember Sign up to participate in or donate to Dressember, and learn more about Dressember and human trafficking on their website. You can also follow Blythe and Dressember on Instagram. Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks

Echo chambers are a real problem in our news and media consumption. We follow, listen to, and read news from people who tell us what we already believe, so we run the risk of missing out on the truth or valuable perspectives. Our guest, Harleen Kaur, co-founded Ground News, a news comparison platform that promises to uncover your media blind spots by offering news for people from all political ideologies through their website, app, newsletters, and browser extension. In the first half of the episode, Harleen explains how our current media landscape came to be and the importance of uncovering our own blind spots, and in the second half she shares three things each of us should do every time we consume news. Guest: Harleen Kaur, co-founder and CEO of Ground News Visit Ground News on their website and download their app, sign up for their newsletters, and install their browser extension. Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 wit

Shane Claiborne is an outspoken critic of the death penalty. He’s a well-respected justice system reform activist and Christian faith leader, and he believes capital punishment needs to go for good in the United States — a country that’s in company with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt for countries with the highest execution rates. In the first half of today’s episode, Shane shares how he came to believe so passionately against the death penalty, lay out the most important facts, and celebrate progress that’s already been made, such as the abolition of the death penalty in some places and the growing conversation on the topic. He also casts a vision for what a future without the death penalty could look like. In the second half, Shane lays out how each of us can get involved. Guest: Shane Claiborne, activist and author Get involved in protesting against the death penalty at deathpenaltyaction.org, and learn more about Shane and his work at shaneclaiborne.com. Background reading: The Guardian wr

The nonprofit Kids Boost empowers kids to become philanthropists and social entrepreneurs. With $100 in start-up funding, kids work with a one-on-one coach to raise funds for a charity they love. On average, participants turn the initial $100 into $1,850 for deserving charities. In the first half of this episode, Kids Boost founder Kristen Williams tells the story of a 12-year-old named Jared, who inspired her to start Kids Boost, and how participants creatively raise money for the causes they care about. In the second half, Kristen shares how everyone — kids and grown-ups alike — can make a difference by doing what they love. Guest: Kristen Williams, founder and executive director of Kids Boost Donate to Kids Boost and follow Kids Boost on Instagram Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewslett