The Ripple Effect Podcast with Steve Harper

Yvonne Nava is an anchor at KVUE in Austin, Texas. Yvonne starts her day bright and early with the Daybreak team. You can catch her behind the desk weekdays from 5 to 7 a.m. and on Midday at 11 a.m. Yvonne has reported and anchored across the country for more than a decade and is so happy to be back in her home state. In her years with KVUE, Yvonne has been recognized numerous times by the Texas Associated Press for her anchoring. Born and raised in Laredo, Yvonne jumped into the business at the age of 18 when she started reporting for Telemundo. While attending the University of Texas at Austin, she graduated with degrees in broadcast journalism and business. During her senior year she was recognized by Hispanic Magazine for being an outstanding role model for Latinas. After graduating from UT, Yvonne got her first anchoring job at KACB in San Angelo, Texas. Her next move took her to KCBD in Lubbock, Texas, where she anchored the weekend evening news, covering everything from deadly tornadoes to the Columbia space shuttle disaster. After less than two years, she was off to Tennessee at WATE in Knoxville, where she helped launch the station's weekend morning newscast. Yvonne's journey through journalism then took her to the beaches of sunny South Florida. In 2005, she joined WPLG in Miami as a breaking news reporter and anchor. She covered everything from Fidel Castro to Hurricane Katrina. After Miami she was off to Connecticut where she anchored their weekday morning newscast and her days consisted of wall-to-wall coverage of massive blizzards instead of tropical storms. In the Nutmeg State, Yvonne was also named one of Hartford's Top 40 Under 40 which is given to people in Connecticut who are positive role models in the community. Her career highlights include traveling to rural Mexico, where she discovered contaminated vegetables were the cause of a Hepatitis A outbreak in East Tennessee. She also reported on the capture of Eric Rudolph, the Olympic Park bomber, in North Carolina. Outside of work, Yvonne enjoys being active in the community. She has volunteered with the American Parkinson's Disease Association, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and their Race for the Cure, the American Red Cross, the Lupus Foundation, the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels. Yvonne enjoys mentoring young girls with GenAustin because she remembers how impressionable she was as that age. She believes it's important for young girls to know that they control their own destiny, which includes not only their career path, but their overall happiness as well. On the weekends, Yvonne loves to go exploring with all her boys -- her husband, Alex, and her sons. Together they like to go off the beaten path by going on road trips and visiting different museums and restaurants. And now that she is close to family, you can definitely add football tailgates and backyard barbecues to the list! Watch Yvonne every weekday morning and be sure to follow her on Instagram @yvonnefromkvue or on Twitter @YvonneN_KVUE

Do you know that Cameron Crowe movie, "Almost Famous"? Well, let's just say the movie could have literally been inspired by Elise Krentzel. Her quest to cover the rock band KISS during the Japan leg of their tour is nothing short of fascinating. The Ripples of her adventure will capture your imagination, tickle your inner hero and leave you wishing you had the guts or chutzpah to follow your passion, live your dreams and break some hearts along the way. Steve was so excited to have Elise stop by The Ripple Effect podcast during her promotional tour for her latest book "Under My Skin: Drama, Trauma & Rock & Roll" and boy did they have some fun! Friends for a number of years, Steve and Elise have only met once, in person, a fact they figure out during their interview. But they are a living testament to the fact friendship has no bounds and that it can in fact be built via social media. Which is ironic, since they both live in Austin. A fact that isn't lost on either of them. This is a fun, but very "adult" conversation about Elise's amazing journey, her lessons learned, and the way she hopes it all inspires us all to chase our dreams and smile and laugh while we do it.

Join Steve for a solo episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast as he shares November's theme at Ripple Headquarters and what it means to him personally. This is a really insightful look at where he struggled with in Finding His Voice but what's happened because he persevered. Plus, he shares his excited for the Ripple Membership.

Steve met Helen years ago at a corporate training and well, that's all it took for them to become friends. Well that, a few lunches and some fun conversations about changing the world. Oh and maybe a little Scottish futbol for dessert. Helen Lenk is someone you just instantly fall in love with. Whether it's her strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer service or her never-ending commitment to get the job done right, Helen is up for whatever challenge she has in front of her. She has an incredible personality and is smart as a whip. We've been excited to watch her lean into her power and land in a role where her efforts are literally creating Ripples and driving corporate culture. And don't think that's all! She's just getting started. Check out Helen's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-lenk-35294662/

Tom Cottar is a native Texan, author, award-winning songwriter, and entrepreneur. Tom and his wife, Heather, founded Backpack Friends Incorporated in 2018 to combat food insecurity among children in central Texas. They began by feeding 12 children in the Pflugerville ISD and now have fed almost 100,000 children to date across the area. And it's growing literally by the minute. With a fierce passion for creating a great community, Tom believes leadership isn't about being in charge. It's about caring for those in your charge. Tom lives in Pflugerville with his wife, two dogs, three kids, and 11 guitars. You can find out more at backpackfriends.com or tomcottar.com, or by following @BackpackFriendsOfficial across social media.

You will absolutely love Alli Onni. She has a gentle spirit, a quick wit, and a wicked smart brain. I was thrilled to have her on as a guest so you can meet this amazing woman. She's not only a data-driven change agent but a Rippler through and through. Alli Onni has over 20 years of consulting experience providing insight to how organizations work. Her experience includes extensive work in change management, organizational development, information technology and business operations. She has led global teams embracing the diversity of people from over 90 countries and 17 languages. She is recognized for her commitment to leader development and personal growth for teams and individuals at every organizational level. Alli is on a secret mission that she tells everyone. Her mission is to create work environments, and partnerships that nourish talent, cultivate innovation and commit to excellence. Alli currently resides in the Austin Texas area. In her free time she is an avid writer, dog fanatic and taco connoisseur.

I met Natasha Link on social media and we've become Twitter friends. Her witty one-liners and her amazing way of serving her clients had me super intrigued. I just had to bring her onto the show because well, she's an interesting woman doing some really cool things in the world. She has clearly embraced her Freedom To Be Herself which aligns perfectly with our theme this month at Ripple Headquarters. Check out Natasha's work at writingsbynatasha.com

Andrea Scher is an author, artist, and life coach whose work is driven by her belief in the transformative power of creativity for joy and well-being. For nearly two decades, through her award-winning blog Superhero Journal, her Creative Superheroes podcast, and her bestselling e-courses, Andrea has thrilled others with their own power to find magic all around them. Her new book, Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy (HarperCollins) straddles the world of creativity and mindfulness - playfully inspiring readers to live more vibrant lives full of presence, joy and connection. You can learn more about Andrea on her website: andreasher.com or follow her on Instagram: @andreascher.

Steve shares what it takes to find the courage to be yourself and to stop listening to those who we feel compelled to change for.

Our special guest today, Ruby Payne, is the authority on working across economic classes to create sustainable communities where everyone can live well. An engaging and down-to-earth speaker, Payne translates abstract concepts into concrete strategies with a sense of humor that leaves audiences wanting more. After changing the conversation in education to focus on poverty, Payne's work expanded into social services, criminal justice, healthcare, the workplace, and emotional poverty. Two recent publications won IPPY awards: Emotional Poverty in All Demographics and Before You Quit Teaching. -------------------------------------------------------------------------To inquire about Steve's availability for conference keynotes, corporate training or performance coaching please contact info@ripplecentral.com follow me: on http://www.ripplecentral.com on http://instagram.com/rippleon on https://www.facebook.com/rippleon on https://twitter.com/rippleon