Crazy Good Turns

Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom struggling to make ends meet. Then her skill with coupons made her a national sensation. After helping millions save money, Nelson is paying it forward with a book, “Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential,” which aims to guide people with big dreams. And she’s not stopping there. Nelson also is offering seed funding to those dreamers. She’s giving away her book advance as grants to help people get their ideas off the ground.  In our conversation, Nelson shares her remarkable journey and the leap of faith that led her down this unexpected but crazy good path.  Find more information about Stephanie, her new book, and those generous grants at stephanienelson.com.  Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a positive review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!   

Renowned entrepreneur Seth Godin discusses meaningful work, strategic quitting, and creating opportunities for yourself and others. Topics include recognizing when to quit or persist, revolutionizing charity auctions with Good Bids, influential book recommendations, and the power of generosity and kindness.

Travis Ellis joins Crazy Good Turns to talk about his fundraising efforts for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Those efforts include a 684-mile run from Atlanta to Washington D.C. and then a journey twice as long from Boston back to their home down south.  Follow us on social media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazygoodturns/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazygoodturns Thank you for listening to Crazy Good Turns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways.  Your feedback means a lot to us. If you like what you hear, please leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We also very much appreciate you sharing our episodes and social posts with your friends, family, and anyone else you think will enjoy. Thank you! 

Walter Kirn is the bestselling author of “Up in the Air,” which became a smash hit movie starring George Clooney. Now Kirn is taking a risk on a longshot business that views America as one giant small town. And that’s just the beginning. In addition to his writing, Kirn is a non-partisan political commentator who appears regularly on TV and in podcasts, including one of my personal favorite shows, “America This Week,” which features Walter alongside investigative journalist Matt Taibbi. In a society where algorithms decide what we do and don’t see, and which feed us more and more of the same material, Walter is helping people discover new topics and viewpoints. I’m excited that you’ll discover a little more about him through this interview. You can also connect with Walter on X: https://twitter.com/walterkirn Photo by Max Savage Levenson/Montana Free Press  

Best-selling author Dan Heath discusses the success of 'Made to Stick' and his new podcast focusing on real people in real jobs. He shares insights on avoiding sibling rivalry with co-author Chip, identifying good ideas, and the fear of writing. The podcast explores the emotional depths of everyday professions and the expertise of professional Santas. Dan also talks about changing book titles, career influences, and his current projects.

Trubek is an author, publisher and entrepreneur who’s been the driving force being an independent book publisher since 2012. She blogs about her experiences on Substack at notesfromasmallpress.substack.com.  We’ll discuss:  Why publishing is “slow motion gambling,” and how she manages to stay afloat How she finds new authors — including one who published her first book at age 70  A tragedy that turned into a Crazy Good Turn  

We asked listeners to tell us about groups and individuals making a difference in their communities. The response was incredible. We heard so many amazing stories about everyday heroes doing powerful work. It was no easy task, but we eventually narrowed the list for our award down to three organizations: Hearts & Hooves of Chattanooga, Tenn., Just Keep Smiling of Gardendale, Ala., and Joshua’s Place of South Lebanon, Ohio. In this show you’ll hear heartwarming stories from all three groups. And you’ll find out who received an award.   

How to let go of ego and emotion and make the right choice, in seemingly small moments that matter far more than you think.

Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, an organization that pairs people who wish to help with humanitarian projects needing assistance.  Since the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, Indigo has placed thousands of volunteers in camps across Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and more.  Holly says she didn’t know anything about how to launch or run a nonprofit at first. She just saw a need, and then she found a way to help. She’s dedicated more than the past 10 years of her life to it. And she’s had some incredible adventures along the way. She’ll share them in this episode. We discuss:  Her firsthand experience learning how difficult - and expensive – volunteering can be.  How helping refugees has changed since COVID and the war in Ukraine.  What people don’t understand about refugees. What it’s really like inside of a refugee camp.   Why so many charities today are struggling to find volunteers.   How she’s seen the best in people through her work – and the lasting impression that’s left on her.  Follow Holly and Indigo Volunteers on Instagram at @indigovolunteers  

Kimi was a successful television producer working with the biggest networks, like CNN, NBC and Oprah. But a mountaintop revelation led her to leave it all behind. Today she’s the voice behind what might be the world’s first “one for one” charitable podcast. Her show features people who’ve survived terrible ordeals. In this interview, she shares the inspiring lessons she’s learned from them. Follow Kimi’s show on Instagram @allthewiserpodcast We discuss:  What makes a great story — and how to tell it well The overarching lessons Kimi has learned from her guests on the show Her work on the excellent documentary Gleason, which captures the experience of an NFL player battling against Lou Gehrig’s disease — and which is I think just an outstanding tribute to human courage and faith The toughest story Kimi has ever told on her podcast And lastly, toward the end of our interview, you’ll hear a special surprise we have for Kimi