In this episode of “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity,” I talk with Bill Whiteside, software salesman turned lay historian, about the process of writing, which he’s detailed in a new book, Everybody Knows a Salesman Can’t Write a Book.

Reflecting on past decisions, actions, and accomplishments can be a springboard to future action or a recurring regret for what we didn’t do, impacting our ability to focus on the present. In this episode, I briefly discuss one of mine.

Debbie Danielpour, an award-winning writer, and I examine how screenwriters and leaders use objects to grab their audiences' attention at a particular moment and for a particular reason.

Like the powerful question organizations need to ask — “Why do we exist?” — “Why do I do what I do?” is a powerful question we should all ask ourselves periodically.

Steve Miletto is the Executive Director of North Georgia Regional Educational Services Agency, which provides professional development services and support for five school systems in North Georgia. He is a professional leadership coach, a classroom teacher mentor and coach, a speaker on better instructional, leadership, and social media practices, and the host of the very popular “Teaching Learning Leading K12” podcast.

“Own Your Awkward,” And Vargo, is no stranger to change! If you’ve ever felt awkward about yourself, then you can understand how Andy lived the first forty years of his life. Coming out of the closet at forty doesn’t define him; pursuing his passion for helping others does.

Dr. Caroline Brookfield, is a veterinarian, stand-up comic, and passionate believer that we can courageously welcome creativity into our lives. She is the author of THE RELUCTANT CREATIVE: 5 Effortless Habits to Expand Your Comfort Zone.

My brother, Leon, (right) and me the night before the incident on the river. What’s been your tendency in the past when confronting an obstacle? Paralysis? Immediate action? Pause and reflect, and then act?

Nate Hassman is on a quest: seize every possible opportunity to position students as leaders and experts, and partner with students to find a path that is individualized to their skills and interests. He wears several hats for Maine Township School District 207, northwest of Chicago. By trade, Nate is a science teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, facilitating workshops in action research and classroom culture, sponsoring Maine West’s student mentor-leader organization, and coaching track and cross country.

Someone who knows more than a thing or two about brave leadership is Kimberly Davis, author of the best-seller Brave Leadership, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Brave Leadership University.

Brooke Erol is a corporate dropout who pursued her dream of having more meaningful work for herself and others where we are not only seeking money but also contributing to a more significant cause. All her life is spent on writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting on this topic of having a life of fulfilling and purposeful work. She works with individuals- YourBestLife and organizations - Purposeful Business, Inc.

Megan Miller is the founder of Aprovechar Language Solutions, LLC, whose mission is to empower anyone needing a bilingual voice. She offers a personalized, habit-based approach to teaching Spanish and English language and culture to adults worldwide.

Megan has over 20 years of experience in Spanish and has been obsessed with learning and teaching all of her life: from living abroad in Madrid, Spain; traveling worldwide, and being a training consultant and language coach.

Michelle Chen was the SMART Nav lead for the DART mission. She is a software systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which built the spacecraft, and is managing the mission for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

We’re all leaders — of our own lives and or the roles we play where we work. How do we effectively lead ourselves or those with whom we work through the grief associated with a life change? Helping us to answer that is Melissa Douaire. Melissa has more than 15 years of experience supporting those who are grieving. She is recognized for her gifts and expertise as a compassionate listener, faithful optimist, and knowledgeable confidante. Melissa earned her Masters in Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. She is an ordained UCC minister and a certified grief counselor.

Carl Richards is a Certified Financial Planner™ and creator of the Sketch Guy column that appeared weekly in The New York Times (2010-2021). There, he used simple illustrations to introduce calming financial advice and counsel. He is also the author of The One-Page Financial Plan and The Behavior Gap resources — a book, website, and podcast that provide simple ideas to help us “Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money.” Carl’s goal is to demystify financial planning by focusing as much — or more — on the humans it serves as it does on the numbers.

With her background in psychology and focus on global differences in value systems and communication patterns, Charlotte Wittenkamp leads a multinational and multigenerational communication training group. The third edition of her book Building Bridges Across Cultural Differences, Why Don’t I Follow Your Norms? comes out later this year.

My guest in this episode is Richard Goldstein. Since joining the New York Times in 1980, Richard worked as an editor and an obituary writer, focusing on figures from the military and sports world.

Debbie Danielpour writes screenplays, libretti, fiction, and nonfiction and has been a professor of fiction or screenwriting for over thirty years. On the film side of her work, she’s written seven feature screenplays, a limited television series, and tv or feature scripts as a writer-for-hire. Her biopic, MIRIAM was just selected as a finalist in one of the preeminent screenwriting competitions, and her feature film WE’RE ALL HERE will be shot next summer.

My guest in this episode is Dr. Christine Mason. Chris is the Executive Director, Center for Educational Improvement; Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry Yale University School of Medicine, Program for Recovery and Community Health; Chief Advisor, Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative; New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. Dr. Mason has co-authored several books, notably Visioning Onward and Compassionate School Practices.