Coffee & Change

Mark Rowe is southern born actor who grew up in Tennessee. He spent a decade in New York City as a stage actor, and, since 2012 has lived in LA, Atlanta and New York, working in film, television, commercials and theater. Today in conversation with Mark we will hear about his change journey that took him from “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” all the way to “Stranger Things Season 4” with a few stops along the way starring in a memorable and profitable Superbowl Budweiser commercial, a particularly moving role in “The Resident” and most recently a film called “Campfire” that I cannot wait to hear more about as a Veteran. Enjoy the conversation and learn more about Mark at https://www.markroweactor.com/

Emily Falvey is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter. She is an alumna of Belmont University's Curb College, graduating in 2018 with a B.A. in Songwriting & a B.B.A. in Music Business. Falvey signed an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with Shane McAnally's publishing company, SMACKSongs, in April 2018. The single she penned for Big Loud artist MacKenzie Porter, “Seeing Other People,” recently reached #1 on the Canadian country airplay chart. Falvey has other recent & upcoming releases with artists such as Walker Hayes, Carly Pearce, Tiera, Josh Kerr, Jake Scott, and more. Falvey is a member of the AIMP Songwriter Series class of 2019, was voted "Favorite Songwriter" by Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP), & was named to the inaugural Nashville Briefing 30 Under 30 List. Enjoy the conversation!

Remember back to the days of pandemic lockdown, when so many of us tapped into the well of mindfulness, meditation and mental wellness apps? Perhaps you dusted off the Headspace app in your phone or maybe you discovered an app called Insight Timer, discovering audio treasures and tracks including music to help us heal amidst our unyielding grief. In those early days, when it was hard to breathe, even scary to breathe, I stumbled upon an artist page in the Insight Timer app. It was one breathtaking photo of the Cliffs of Moher that caught my eye. And with one tap further, I dove into a track called Ireland. And it changed everything for me. It was in that moment, my grief danced with a duo of souls using the power of intention and frequency to resonate new levels of healing. Matt Bingham and Andrew Hamby make up the duo The Light Meeting. Matt on Guitar and Andrew on Cello. And their creations became my soundtrack for serenity, solitude and stability when all around us was falling apart. On this episode I

Over a decade ago I had the opportunity to meet and mentor two incredible consultants, who were just starting out in their careers at IBM in Washington, DC. Together we created a family-like environment, and worked like we were in a startup, always having each other’s back and hyper focused on the mission our daily work supported. That mission was to protect the U.S. joint warfighter and the military’s digital infrastructure around the world. In this episode you will hear from Matt Hennessy and Kristen Mullery, two inspirational humans whose commitment to service has grown to benefit Veterans and global communities around the world. It was an honor to take a walk down memory lane with these two guests and echo their story of change in the world.

In 2020 over 18 million students applied to go to college. And 17.7 million of those students applied for financial aid. Applying for financial aid can be a daunting and emotional process for students and families. In my research for this episode, I learned that in 2020 the number of submitted applications of the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, fell by 50,000 applicants. Guiding students and families along that journey is a global community of Financial Aid Directors and Counselors who are committed to simplifying the complexities and easing the pathway to graduation for the next generation. This episode is dedicated to these unsung heroes, these keepers of all those forms and even some of the memories. Those makers of dreams. With their focus ever on the next generation pursuing higher education and newfound purpose, their work is seldom heralded. And while the statistics and metrics are all too easily cited, we rarely hear of the stories behind the numbers. Nor do we get to meet the

Welcome back. And pardon the interruption. It is a time of reflection in the times we are in. And as such, my partner in composition, a man I am fortunate to call a friend, has scored a new seasonal anthem for the podcast. You may reflect back on his previous seasonal scores, or even his powerful story shared in Episode 72, Playing it Through with Jason Latham. And as with any co-creation, it often leaves us inspired and gifted with words to accompany the silence between the notes. And so, on this interlude episode, I will share with you, the listeners, the very words that came to the composer as he beautifully scored, composed, mixed and produced this masterful piece, aptly titled, “ALL THE KING’S HORSES” followed by an full, uninterrupted listen of the movement of the music that inspired his words. Enjoy and thanks for listening and sharing.

Sydney is journalist turned strategist with a unique blend of experience in diversity & inclusion, management consulting and people strategy. Her superpower is th ability to connect and influence - With a knack for leaning into hard and uncomfortable conversations with employees of all levels. She is anchored in doing work that is meaningful and directly impacts and uplifts historically excluded communities. From scrappy pre-IPO startups to public Fortune 50 companies, Sydney has honed her skills in building diversity recruiting strategies, D&I programs, policy and product inclusion, guiding teams through change management, and educating and empowering senior executives to build, sustain and lead more diverse and inclusive teams, companies and environments. When not at work, she's trying a new recipe, traveling to and exploring a new place, listening to Stevie Wonder (or trap music) on full blast, reading Black American fiction and sippin' something bubbly. Enjoy the conversation!

My guest on Episode 117 is Beth Banks Cohn, PhD. As President of ADRA Change Architects, Beth helps individuals and organizations reach their full potential. She uses a highly developed organizational intuition to help them see what others might have missed. All efforts are focused on giving the business results they desire. With over 25 years of business experience in the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare arena, Beth brings time in IT, Sales & Marketing and Operations and combines it with degrees in Organization Development and Human and Organizational Systems as well as a Certificate in Positive Psychology to bring a unique and proven approach. Beth knows that change and transformation isn't easy for individuals or organizations, no matter what the business drivers are. But it's amazing how much easier it can be when they can align their people and strategy - and look forward to seeing them all grow. Learn more about Beth at adrachangearchitects.com Enjoy the listen.

My next guest could write an opus on what it feels like to lead and live in change. I first heard Drew Wilkinson’s story on a the Powered by the People podcast at Microsoft, and instantly found myself drawn in to learn more about his story, most intriguingly the path that led a modern day poet to go from the stage life as the lead singer of a hardcore punk band to one of the world’s preeminent technology companies leading corporate activism and communities of passion for sustainability. If you look up Drew Wilkinson, you will find a quote that fits his change story, and reads almost like a lyric from his days as the front man of his band, “We don’t give up easily. No, doesn’t intimidate us.” Those are the words of a changemaker. Those are the words of a punk rock veteran. And those are the words of an activist, working to leave the place better than he found it. It was an honor to record in person, capturing Drew’s incredible story and listening to the music his band put out into this world. It speaks to the

I met my next guest sailing somewhere in the waters of the Eastern Caribbean in 2014. Canaan Cox began his career singing on Cruise Ships and is now one of Nashville’s fastest rising Independent artists. A true entertainer, Canaan is what some in the industry might consider a triple threat. Actor, singer, dancer…and now he has director and producer credits under his belt too. Having been a fan since the first time I heard him sing so many years ago, it was my honor to welcome Canaan to the show and hear stories of change as an independent artist. Learn more about Canaan at http://www.canaancox.com

Brandi Olson believes that you shouldn’t have to choose between doing good, important work, and your own humanity. An expert in organizational design and agility, she teaches leaders how to solve problems and adapt fast with high-performing teams. Brandi is a best-selling author of Real Flow: Break the Burnout Cycle and Unlock High Performance in the New World of Work. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. She is the founder of Real Work Done and lives in Minnesota with her kids, dog, chickens, and garden. You can learn more about Brandi at www.realworkdone.com

Coach GARY WATERS spent 11 seasons (2006-2017) as Winningest Coach in Cleveland State University’s Program History. With over two decades of experience in coaching, Waters has seen many changes within the profession over the years, and has worked tirelessly to instill a core of values and integrity, both on and off the court. Together, we talk about the imperative and life changing role an Athletic Coach can play in the lives of others, past, present and future. We also talk key moments in sports history that left us both changed. Enjoy the listen! Learn more about Coach Waters at https://www.coachwaters.com/

My guest on Episode 112 needs almost no introduction. Scott Kelly is a former military fighter pilot and test pilot, an engineer, a retired astronaut, and a retired U.S. Navy captain. A veteran of four space flights, who has commanded the International Space Station on three expeditions and was a member of the yearlong mission to the ISS. In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days (520 days) spent in space, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut. I am honored to welcome Scott Kelly to the podcast to launch the 2023 season. This conversation was a true honor and a dream come true. You can find more about Scott Kelly at: scottkelly.com and support his cause to help Ukraine and their citizens at donorbox.org/scottkelly

Our final episode of 2022 is a unique episode for me. My guest, Thomas Mallon, is an author whose work is special in my life. His novel “Fellow Travelers” created a lasting bond and memory for me and my husband, and is a gleaming gemstone in the mosaic that is our relationship. We used to talk of how great it would be to someday invite Thomas Mallon to dinner and thank him for his work, stories and characters. After reading so many of his works, it feels like Thomas is an old DC friend, with his stories intertwined with our life and the city where our love story began. This conversation, recorded in DC on a beautiful winter morning, reminds me of the power of a friendship that exists through his characters and the pages of his stories…a friendship that spans 14 years. And yet we hadn’t personally met until the morning of this podcast recording. In this very special episode we hear his story and have a conversation with Thomas Mallon. We discuss his novels and how the changing stories in our lives unfold

Imagine being able to go back and have a conversation with your 12 year old self. Imagine being able to share all the things you had learned along the way, to celebrate your unwavering resilience, to honor your fortitude and most importantly admire your compassion for change. While it may not seem achievable, this next conversation with Rory Woonsue did just that, for both the host and the guest. See, I met Rory when I was 12 years old and we were both in the 7th grade in Warsaw, Poland. It was a historic time - Gulf War, Reunification of Germany, the fall of the Soviet Union. All this was taking place around us while we were trying to salvage our childlike wonder, and hold on to our innocence. The world around us was changing fast, and we had no choice but to try and find our way in the world, in a post communist country, while navigating adolescence behind the Iron Curtain. This conversation was a salve on a wound I didn't know I had been ignoring for multiple decades. It was in this connection, reigni

On Episode 109, I welcome a long overdue conversation with Dele Downs Kooley. Dele and I met on a panel for the Women in Tech Regatta in Seattle. We both hit it off sharing our backgrounds in the military and as fate would have it, we would be working together a year or so later. Her story is one that will remind you the power and importance of the pivot. And most importantly, the pivot to joy. Enjoy the listen. Learn more about Dele and her new book at: https://delekooleycoaching.com/

Edward Cleaves is the author of Kind Soul, Closet Maniac: A Memoir – a tale of a kid trying to escape a horrible past and navigate an uncertain future. All the while never giving up, and eventually coming to terms with life. Ever vigilant and ever hopeful. This is a powerful story rooted plainly with purpose and perseverance in prose. Learn more about Ed at: https://www.edwardcleaves.com/

On Episode 107, we meet Bryan Komornik. Bryan is a Partner at West Monroe where he leads and focuses on Healthcare Management and Health Strategy Solutions. Bryan is also an Executive Board Member at Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare, a non profit that provides integrated care that enables people in mental health recovery to build meaningful and independent lives. Bryan is a frequent author of articles and publication on topics of navigating the future of healthcare and the transformative power of connected care. Bryan also wrote a very powerful article on Progressology.com in 2019 on his personal journey while becoming a father to twin boys and redefining his understanding of work-life balance, and how it is an erroneous myth. Read Bryan's article here: https://progressology.com/articles/2019/02/26/throw-out-the-work-life-scale-a-father-of-twins-journey-to-imbalance/ Learn about Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare here: https://www.trilogyinc.org/

Welcome back and thanks for listening. As we approach the Thanksgiving Day Holiday here in the United States, I want to extend my gratitude and thanks to all the listeners that keep this show vibrant, relevant and growing. One of the many gifts I get to experience from this platform built on a passion for both storytelling and story listening are the connections, recommendations and suggestions that former guests share with me for future shows. Today’s guest came to me that way as well, and from one Steven to another. My guest on Episode 106 is Steven Jaggers, founder of Somatic Breathwork. Steven’s purpose in life is to liberate people from the stress & overwhelm that lies unprocessed in our bodies so that we become free in our mind. As we discuss in this episode together, Steven believes there is an exact correlation between our physical vitality and mental health. If we want to improve the quality of our lives we MUST address both…and that begins with breath. Living and practicing out of Sedona, Arizo

To listen is to practice... To listen is to prompt... To listen is to love. Thank you for joining me in and adventure in attunement and an alongside listen. New Seasonal Theme music composed by Jason Latham. Poetry and words written by Bill Kirst and Jason Latham.