You may have checked out the two-parter I recently recorded as a guest on Finance/Life Coach Dwight Heck's popular long-running "Give A Heck" podcast... it was honestly one if the most fulfilling and open conversations I've had in the past several years. But when you switch places, and allow the interviewer to become guest, you're meeting an entirely new person. So, I thought it would be cool to bookend his shows with this interview.

While in Salt Lake City, UT, recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Chase Thornock. When I heard part of his story - a journey of self-healing in the face of a deadly autoimmune disease - I was eager to have him on the show. Only when we sat down did I learn that we shared - to very different degrees - the same affliction: Crohn's Disease. Yes, Chase's story is inspiring, but it goes beyond the remarkable aspects of treatment, it speaks to that moment at which we confront mortality and life's energy in a single instant, making a choice that will lead us down a road we never envisioned.

If healthy relationships grew on trees, each of us would pick at least one. Since no such tree exists, we can be thankful for Hannah Spanke, who spent nearly a decade in the adult entertainment industry before becoming a Licensed Authentic Tantra Practitioner, a Board Certified Clinical Sexologist, and a Relationship & Life Coach specializing in helping individuals become their happiest selves through inner & outer work, while learning to understand and relate to their partners & family in the best ways possible. Hannah is a passionate advocate for authentic happiness, and sustainable healthy relationships, starting with the one we have with ourselves.

Victor Varnado and I hit if off right away. His mantra that "Nothing is sacred, because everything is stupid" speaks to the essence of my Truth Tastes Funny podcast. He's a comedian, producer, and filmmaker who has created and produced for Comedy Central, TruTV, VH1, and NERDIST. His writing has been published on VICE, Salon, and Marvel Comics. His cartoons are in The New Yorker and Mad Magazine. As a comedian, he has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. His new tome, The Anti-Racism Activity Book, is out now.

At 20, as she was about to be married, Kathleen Donnelly Israel told herself, "Your life is not your own anymore." Indeed, she went on to raise 5 children with her husband of 48 years, Ron Israel. They were a team couple for World Wide Marriage Encounter. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Art from San Diego State University and studied Expressive Arts Therapy at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. Kathleen cared for her husband for the 17 years that he had Parkinson’s disease until his death in 2018. She next studied spiritual healing from many enlightened thought leaders and teachers, and wrote her book Wisdom on the Camino, about her travels on the Camino Santiago in Spain.

Rodney Waits has good instincts. A lot of us do. Thing is, we don't always trust them. When Rodney realized, "I've got to build myself before I actually can go empower other people," he decided to create the IMPACT>INFLUENCE podcast, dedicated to building up and not burning out. "As an entrepreneur I burn out," he concedes. "I've had about nine different businesses thus far. Owned two coffee shops, built a real estate brand, both in investing and in buying and selling, and still do that to this day. But the way that I actually got successful with those career endeavors is not because of what I was doing. It was because of the people that I was doing it for. So build on the strengths that you have and help other people find their strengths."

Just as our parents made choices that affected us, so too do we have the opportunity to set the narrative for those we bring into the world. My guest this week, Sabrina Victoria, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, with no preparation for life outside of that world. As a single mom, determined to escape a 13-year narcissistic abusive relationship, Sabrina displayed a tenacity and optimistic spirit that has inspired fans worldwide and helped endless amounts of people break through and discover their own untapped talents and immense potential. Here, I sit down with the creator and CEO of Human Better 365, a human transformation company, creator of the Her Version Podcast and founder of Her Nation Community, speaker, entrepreneur and author, Sabrina Victoria

I'm a pretty good conversationalist. But this episode provides a little less conversation and a little more wisdom. My guest, Michael Levy, has become a world leader on the philosophy of truth and wisdom - although not many people know it. His 17 inspirational books have never been advertised or marketed. Michael feels authentic works will eventually find their place in humanity by word of mouth over time, even if it takes a few 100 years. And it's hard to argue with Mike, because his only interest is in joy, truth, and where to find more of it. So, I consider my role in this instance to be that of stage-setter and student. And my hope is to engage you, the listener, in this 1-hour thinking exercise.

Meeting American Idol's William Hung in person earlier this year, I was struck by his positronic energy. In our interview, I learned more about his gentle spirit, which is backed up by focus and determination. These traits are what turned a longshot audition into viral sensation and a yearslong adventure! The title of this episode comes from William's vocalized plan to do a podcast honoring unsung heroes. I mentioned that it might be fun to call the show "Unsung with William Hung." Anyway, this is just one part of his mission to help others make their dreams come true. Join us for another fun and enlightening episode of TTF, as a guy who, as William himself puts it, "was just another college kid with dreams of going to Hollywood" ACTUALLY GOT THERE.

If ever there were an ideal moment, topic and guest for Truth Tastes Funny, it's three-time Emmy Award-winning "recovering journalist" Rafer Weigel. Son of iconic Chicago sports reporter Tim Weigel, Rafer came up in the news business, and I chose this interview to close out Season 2, because while we're just two dudes talkin' about life, news, and storytelling, it's hard not to think about the Dominion lawsuit against FOX, and the general complexion of "news" in a post-truth world. And, of course, the old adage, "If it bleeds, it leads."

Terry Tucker is an international podcast guest on the topics of motivation, self-development, and mindset has a business administration degree from The Citadel (where he played NCAA Division I college basketball) and a master’s degree from Boston University. has been a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, a high school basketball coach, a business owner, a motivational speaker, and for the past ten years, a cancer warrior.is the author of the book, Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life, and the developer of the Sustainable Excellence Membership. Terry has also been featured in Authority, Global Thrive, and Human Capital Leadership magazines.

Kari Schwear is a 7-time Career Path Conqueror. This means it took careers in hospitality, banking, business development, real estate, the medical field, and working for the luxury automotive brand, Porsche, before found herself at peace and at ease. We talk about this journey - and the journeys we all must go on to "get it right." Sometimes, we achieve great success in business...we just ain't happy. Join me, along with Executive Coach, Speaker, and Corporate Trainer Kari Schwear, on this quest for a more successful mind. Speaking of which, Kari also co-authored the book, The Successful Mind, Tools for Living a Purposeful, Productive, and Happy Life.

The first time I met Nikki Green - Life & Business Resiliency Expert, Author, and Speaker - was when we sat down for this interview. It was only a month or so ago, but we've since gotten to know each other better, and I've become a huge fan of her work and expertise. Her new book - Chameleon Mindset - launches February 22, 2023 on Amazon.* It deals with adaptation amidst constant change, and it certainly is apropos to our conversations here on Truth Tastes Funny. Nikki's first book is I Laugh in the Face of Danger, and we certainly have our share of laughs in this episode.

His long-running podcast is aptly named Peace Love and Bring a Bat. His Brooklyn accent gives each of his heartfelt words a bit more resonance. And as a Speaker, Mentor, Author, and Philanthropist (via the org Goons For Good), Dave Chametzky is committed to telling it like it is, while raising you up from wherever it is you're at. Our chat was a rare-these-days in-person sit-down, the culmination of several days spent together with a convocation of genuinely caring humans, so I was able to get to know Dave a little bit before rolling tape. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the entire experience. I hope you'll get a lift, and maybe even nudge you to get some soaring going...

Sure, Jem Fuller is a TEDx Speaker/Mindset Coach, and the award-winning author of a recently published book, The Art of Conscious Communication for Thoughtful Men. He's a partner and father, a coach, facilitator, and retreat leader. But that's who he is now. To get to this place, Jem has lived a colorful, global life. Fire-dancer. Traditional tattooist. Kindergarten teacher. Motorcycle courier, masseuse and reflexologist. Laborer and travel consultant. He also dug Truth Tastes Funny enough to join me for a wide-ranging interview about the above, and more.

Join me in this travel adventure with Dawn Fleming, who has literally been there and done that. She debunks travel myths (especially "But is it safe there??"), talks Covid-era considerations, and ways to save for that international retirement you were sure you could never afford. With her husband Tom, she owns and operates Overseas Life Redesign, a global coaching and consulting company that encourages others to discover their dreams and turn them into reality just like she did. As host of the Overseas Life Redesign podcast, she shares success stories of international relocation and retirement.

If you're a regular listener to Truth Tastes Funny, you probably know that I started my career in NY on Madison Avenue. My guest John Follis is a Madison Ave adman. John's campaign for Sorrell Ridge Fruit Spreads - citing their jam's all-natural ingredients - knocked Smuckers for a loop (maybe it was the tagline. In 2003, in response to the shifting media landscape and to provide an alternative to the traditional ad agency model, he created "Follis Marketing Therapy". And, in 2006, John created "The Follis Marketing Report" blog and "The Marketing Show with John Follis" podcast syndicated on iTunes. John has always made time for public service and for one very successful public service campaign that he spearheaded, he was honored at The White House. A

On this episode of TTF, I speak with the contagiously positronic and effervescent Elyse Archer, Founder and CEO of She Sells & Host of She Sells Radio. Hopefully, you will sense a coming together of money and humanity, two elements often (wrongly) in conflict. In Elyse's own words: "My heart is in serving female sales professionals and entrepreneurs. Here's a bit more about what that looks like: As an international sales mentor, speaker and trainer, I partner with female entrepreneurs and sales professionals who are ready to blast through six figures in income, learn to sell in a way that feels authentic to them and fulfill their deepest purpose and calling.

When I say Josh Steimle is a smarty pants, I say it with the utmost affection: he wears his genius well, which comes in handy, because he's all about using what you've got to get where you're going. He is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work, which includes interviews with 29 CMOs from companies like Spotify, Target, PayPal, GE, and The Home Depot. Josh has built a leadership system that includes books, speaking appearances, and over 300 articles in publications like Fortune, Time, Forbes, Inc., Mashable, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur. Josh is the creator of The 7 Systems of Influence framework used by entrepreneurs, educators, parents, and community leaders to build influence and increase impact.

How do you find your people when you're in business for yourself? You don't have a water-cooler or anyone to gather around it... Well, meet Pat Miller. Pat is the founder and host of the Idea Collective Small Business Incubator and the Pat Miller Show podcast. Pat is on a mission to create a place of belonging for solopreneurs and scaling small business owners while they grow their business. Running a business can be lonely and hard and it's easier when you find your people for information, referrals and creativity. Pat spent more than 20 years in radio broadcasting before leaving to found his small business consulting firm and ultimately the Idea Collective.

Zehra Mahoon’s mission is to guide others to stop making the mistakes that are preventing them from their success and ultimate joy by teaching them the power of the Law of Attraction based on her signature Heart and Mind Alignment Method. She is the author of twelve books on these subjects and the creator of the Unlimited 40 day law of attraction workbook and support group. After committing to completely transforming her self-worth in 2006, she went from being massively in debt to owning multiple properties and creating a thriving business, as well as healing her relationships. She shares her personal journey to help people understand that power of reclaiming their self-worth.

When I sat down with Vickie Helm - an acclaimed bestselling author of over 40 books. But the funny thing is that Vickie is known primarily as a business and asset development strategist, who happens to put her wisdom, experience, and insight into books. Lots of 'em. In this episode, Vickie fills us in on her inspirations, life lessons, and role models, some of whom are not what you'd expect! Currently, Vickie is the CEO of Smart Group Firm, and SmartWealthNews.com; and Co-CEO of Metadigm Digital LLC. She and her partners share the secrets to growing a successful business and creating more wealth. Vickie is a sought after consultant for people who want to grow more assets and take command of their financial freedom.

We wanted to kick off 2023 with a fun, stress-free episode that helps us all break free from stress. Enter Dr. Gina Simmons Schneider, a licensed psychotherapist, executive coach, and the author of Frazzlebrain: Break Free from Anxiety, Anger, and Stress Using Advanced Discoveries in Neuropsychology (Central Recovery Press, April 2022). Dr. Schneider is a coping skills expert with more than 25 years of experience helping people regulate difficult emotions and conflicts. We talk challenges and strategies for kids and adults alike, and even hit on a short film idea we plan to call COMPELLING FANTASIES.

Where this podcast - Truth Tastes Funny - strives to deliver tips help us keep our sanity, my new YES, BRAND podcast focuses on economic prosperity. Both offer fair amounts of comedy & a sense of play. But if you own a business, you need to keep your message sharp enough to pierce the next ceiling! Heartfelt thanks to all my listeners for taking the TTF journey, and I hope you'll find that YES, BRAND adds to the fun, and the growth - both personal and professional. HAPPY NEW YEAR! To check out the current YES, BRAND episodes and subscribe via your favorite platform, visit: www.YESBRANDmethod.com

We can get bummed around the holidays, especially amidst blizzards and other bullsh*t, or we can get fired up! I'm choosing the latter. Look at what we've been through and HERE WE ARE. Question is, what are we gonna do with the gift of possibility? For the past seven years, my TTF guest Elizabeth Louis has worked with entrepreneurs, athletes, and high performers, helping them develop a warrior/champion mindset, improve self-esteem, fine-tune goals, shift perspectives, overcome traumas, face fear, achieve success, and gain mental freedom.