Talk! With Audrey

After a car accident almost claimed his life, Kenneth James Moore was overcome with a renewed sense of motivation to pursue the promise he had made to his mother at age eight—that he would unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of her youngest brother, Lt. Billy Weber, a B-29 Bomber pilot during WWII. This pledge led him to Saipan, a US-held island in the Pacific, bringing him face to face with the horrific realities of Japanese rule and the inspiration for his first novel and first instalment of a trilogy. Pieces of Wood explores a dark piece of World War II history not often talked about in the West, bringing to light the atrocities Imperial Japan inflicted on millions of innocent women.

Every moment of our lives, we make choices. Some of our choices can change the world, and some of our choices only change one moment of the day, but each choice we make has the potential to change the world for the better. Dr. Christopher Gilbert is a senior international ethics consultant and popular keynote speaker, co-founder of NobleEdge Consulting, and the author of  The Noble Edge: Reclaiming An Ethical World One Choice At A Time.

CONTRAVE® recently launch its Why Weight: Communicate initiative to address the gap in communication between patients and health care professionals when it comes to weight loss. The goal is to encourage adults to take control of their health by engaging in meaningful conversations about their weight with their doctors. Joining me with the results of the national survey, the most recent statistics on obesity in this country and the initiative, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

According to Dr. Nate Link, the Chief Medical Officer at Bellevue Hospital, the nation’s oldest public Hospital, and the author of The Ailing Nation, Lessons from the Bedside for America’s Leaders, “Standards of leadership in our political world are sadly deficient.” Dr. Link is on a mission to bring evidence and politics together by using narratives of patient care and leadership challenges at Bellevue to underline what good leadership should look like.

According to Edward Jones and Age Wave’s latest study, "The Four Pillars of the New Retirement: What a Difference a Year Makes," following a year of unprecedented volatility across economic markets, physical and mental health and social justice issues; 76% of Americans credit the pandemic with helping them refocus on what’s most important in life.  Joining me to discuss the results: Ken Cella, Principal, Client Strategies Group, Edward Jones and Ken Dychtwald, PhD, Retirement specialist and Co-founder and CEO, Age Wave.

Chandler Crews was born with achondroplasia, a serious, progressive and lifelong condition that is the most common form of dwarfism. In 2010 at the age of 16, she made the choice to undergo a series of limb lengthening surgeries. In 2018, she founded The Chandler Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to connecting people with achondroplasia resources and community.  Chandler joins me to share her personal story of living with achondroplasia, why she made the choice to get limb lengthening surgery and the latest news about the condition and what to expect from the upcoming annual conference.

If you’re a man over the age of 45 experiencing urgent or frequent urinary symptoms, or if you feel like you’re spending a lot of time planning your next bathroom trip, it might be time to talk to your doctor about your prostate health. Urologist, Dr Gregg Eure joins me to talk about the condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and new minimally invasive treatment options.

June is Men’s Health Month, a good time to remind men and everyone who loves them to practice healthy lifestyle habits. Joining me to talk about how, despite his hectic lifestyle, he prioritises health and good nutrition and how we can do the same. Husband, and father, Two-time Emmy® Award nominated television, film and theatre actor and philanthropist John Stamos.

The diary aisle is a go-to for staples like milk, butter, eggs, and cheese, this aisle has evolved over the years. Joining me  with some tips to help you step up your culinary game by incorporating new, versatile, and nutritious recipes and ingredients from the new modern dairy aisle, Chef Jamie Gwen.

“Corporate sustainability” and “conscious capitalism” have become the new buzzwords for social good initiatives, but for Carrie Freeman, co-CEO of SecondMuse, social good is more than just a buzzword. Carrie has been named the 2021 YPO Global Impact Award winner, a prestigious honor that celebrates CEO impact that is both significant and sustainable, for her work with SecondMuse. She speaks with me about what it means to win the award and what employers can do to create diversity in the workplace.

Back in November 2019, bed bug experts Allergy Technologies went on the attack against a pervasive pest, bed bugs, launching the Allergy Technologies’ Affordable Housing Control and Prevention or ATAHC Program, a first-of-its-kind strategic approach to create an affordable and sustainable model of bed bug control and prevention. Joseph Latino, Bed Bud Expert & President of Allergy Technologies . . . tips for preventing bed bug infestations in homes, dwellings, and when traveling.

Lynette Kahlfani-Cox joins me to talk about tools needed to better understand your credit and financial health. She will explain the facts and dispel the myths around credit scores and discuss how to develop a plan to achieve your financial goals and the “FICO Score Open Access” program, which enables over 200 financial institutions to share free access to FICO Scores used by lenders in credit decisions.

The issues of diversity and inclusion in the workplace remain at the forefront of the national conversation. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and heightened glaring inequalities around the world, especially when it comes to income and employment, access to health care, protection under the law, and political inclusion. My guest today is Carla Grant Pickens, IBM Chief Diversity Officer and we are going to talk about neurodiversity and how to bring new perspective and talent to your team by embracing a rainbow of thought.

Across the span of his career, Norman Bacal, a retired entertainment attorney and founder of the Toronto Office and former national co-managing partner of Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie noticed a void between what he was taught in law school and the practical skills he later developed that actually made a difference in building a successful career. Last week we spoke about his book,  Take Charge, The Skills to Drive Professional Success. I asked him to come back to talk about how to tackle fear, failure, and risk.

Across the span of his career, Norman Bacal, a retired entertainment attorney and founder of the Toronto Office and former national co-managing partner of Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie noticed a void between what he was taught in law school and the practical skills he later developed that actually made a difference in building a successful career. He joins me now to talk about his book,  Take Charge-The Skills to Drive Professional Success.

In 2011, author Norman McCombs stood outside the East Wing of the White House before receiving the National Medal of Technology from President Obama, he asked himself a simple question: How did I come from the circumstances of my birth to the steps of the White House? After losing his wife to a battle with Alzheimer’s, McCombs was left devastated until a chance encounter with a sharp, compassionate librarian named Suzy Hamilton on the steps of the New York Public Library shakes him from the throes of grief, and encourages him to research his ancestry. The result? A Reason To Be, his historical novel, a poignant tale of loss, hope and the transcendent power of the love that binds us to one another.

According to the FDIC, 7.1 million U.S. households were unbanked in 2019, meaning they do not use banks or banking institutions at all, and nearly 12 percent were STILL utilizing expensive methods like check cashers, money orders, and bill pay services to access the cash they need. My guest is Craig J. Lewis, Founder & CEO of Gig Wage – a fast-growing FinTech start-up exclusively focused on bringing better financial tools to the 65-75 million people in the gig workforce.

The recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans is extremely troubling. A coalition of The Asian American Business Development Center, US Black Chambers, US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and 100 Black Men issued an open letter to America’s CEO’s along with a CEO Pledge to address the issues  rise in hate crimes, discrimination and harassment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. My guests are John Wang, President, Asian American Business Development Center, and Aldrin K. Enis, President of 100 Black Men of NYC.

Many parents have decided to homeschool their children, feeling that the virtual programs provided by their children's schools aren't adequate. To help, PETA's humane education division, TeachKind, is providing free humane education materials for parents to use at home. PETA’s Lisbet Chiriboga, and Teachkind Program Manager is my guest.

The pandemic has kept many of us at home, making our furry friends some of the happiest members in the household. On the flip side, some of our pets are probably counting down the days until kids go back to school and offices reopen so they can have the house to themselves again! Either way, as we look to leave the house more, it’s important for families to start preparing their pets for this transition period. Pet Behavior Scientist at Purina, DR. RAGEN MCGOWAN has Tips  to help address separation anxiety and create a smooth transition into the post-pandemic world.