Team Powdered Donut™ Podcast

Gary Thompson

Over the past ten years, Gary has honored his late wife, Maureen’s, memory by delivering bags of powdered donuts to meaningful places each year on October 21, the day of her passing. What began as a way to turn grief into joy has sparked powerful connections and moments of healing. Team Powdered Donut™ takes this tradition and makes it about all of us. "One Story. One Moment. One Donut at a time." The podcast is going "on the air" ahead of Team Powdered Donut heading out on the road via Airstream® in 2026 to visit all 73 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers and other meaningful locations along the way. At every stop, powdered donuts will be shared and stories will be collected – echoing the spirit of StoryCorps® – with a mobile podcast studio in the Airstream in which Gary will travel. From patients to those who love them, from oncologists to their healthcare teams, stories will be captured and shared along the way.

  1. Jul 28

    Beyond the Red Dot - Curating Connection From Libraries to Art, Creativity, Nature and the Spirit

    Who is Patricia Fitzgerald? Patricia is a visual artist, author and mindfulness meditation facilitator located in Dublin, Ireland. Her main focus is on the art of Mandala and the power of mandala as a tool for the expansion of consciousness. Her internationally selling work has been exhibited extensively in Ireland and abroad. As well as creating stunningly detailed mandalas, she also hosts workshops and retreats on Mandala creation and meditation. She is a part of the creative collective outlet who are situated in the Courtyard at Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Patricia studied Visual Education and Communication at Dun Laoghaire College of Art & Design (IADT) and also holds a first class honours degree in Philosophy and Sociology from University College, Dublin where she was also awarded a post graduate scholarship. Her first book Healing Creations: Discover your mindful self through mandala colouring and journaling (Collins Press 2016) contains forty hand drawn mandalas for you to engage with, positive quotations and wisdom from many of the world's best thinkers plus meditation. Her second book ‘Who Would You Be If..’ is a personal development book for women and was published by Red Stag Books in December 2018. She has featured on The RTE Today Show, The Irish Times, The Independent, Irish Examiner, Victoria Mary Clarke's The Art of Living Show, Derry City FM's Arts show, Positive Life, Live Encounters, The Dublin Enquirer and on many other radio shows and magazine features. Patricia was a Senior Librarian and Arts Officer with South Dublin Libraries for over 27 years until she changed her career in 2017 to pursue her art and meditation practice full time. During her time there, she organised many events including TEDxTallaght (she was the principal organiser and license holder for nine years), The Red Line Book Festival, Culture Night, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Children's Book Festival, Bealtaine, and more. She underwent treatment for TNBC Breast Cancer treatment in 2021/22 whilst simultaneously losing both of her parents during that time. She believes that the tools she has built up creatively and through meditation greatly helped navigate this extraordinarily difficult time. She is also an advocate for women with breast cancer and for the rights of women and children to have single sex spaces and keep safeguarding and language in tact. Peace@healingcreations.ie

    Beyond the Red Dot - Curating Connection From Libraries to Art, Creativity, Nature and the Spirit
  2. Jul 14

    What Does It Mean to be Human? An Exploration of Belonging in an Age of Hybrid Intelligence. | Jennifer Sertl, VP, Mktg, Circle Optics, Strategist, Futurist

    Who Is Jennifer Sertl? Jennifer Sertl is an internationally recognized strategist, leadership coach, and marketing executive with more than two decades of experience across transportation, beauty, defense, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. She is actively consulting through her firm Agility3R, where she helps organizations and executives build strategic capacity through resilience, responsiveness, and reflection. Jennifer is also Vice President of Marketing at Circle Optics, a deep tech company pioneering stitch-free panoramic imaging systems for aerospace, defense, and robotics. Her consulting and executive advisory work spans global companies including Genesee & Wyoming Inc., Zotos International, TRACSIS, Fujifilm, and Optimax Systems Inc., where she delivers transformation through behavioral branding, system design, and narrative intelligence. Jennifer is affiliated with several innovation ecosystems—including the MARL Accelerator, Upstate Venture Connect, Luminate Accelerator, GENIUS NY, and Alley to the Valley—supporting founders and leaders as they navigate growth, alignment, and complexity. She is the designer and creative director of three thought leadership platforms: ~ Studio A3R – her personal podcast, where she hosts thinkers and visionaries exploring the theme “The antidote to chaos is connection.” ~ 360° Pulse Podcast – produced for Circle Optics, focusing on Wide Field of View Innovation ~ Slow Drip Podcast – hosted by India Osborne, where Jennifer serves as creative director and co-producer Jennifer personally hosts both Studio A3R and 360° Pulse, and brings a high level of strategic storytelling and philosophical depth to each. A seasoned facilitator, she previously led three executive roundtables for Vistage International, curating thought leadership for C-level executives. She currently teaches “Exploring Innovation” at Rochester Institute of Technology and has spoken on global stages including Sibos, Asian Banker Summit, and the New York State CIO Conference. She is co-author of Strategy, Leadership and the Soul and The Upstate Founders Playbook, and serves on multiple advisory boards focused on technology, ethics, and workforce development. Jennifer lives in Rochester, New York. When she’s not consulting or creating, she’s likely hiking, reading existential philosophy, or hosting intimate salons that foster connection across disciplines and generations.

    What Does It Mean to be Human? An Exploration of Belonging in an Age of Hybrid Intelligence. | Jennifer Sertl, VP, Mktg, Circle Optics, Strategist, Futurist
  3. Jun 16

    The Search For Meaning With the Luckiest "Mann" in the World | John David Mann, NYT Bestselling Author & Coauthor, The Go-Giver

    As I dug into John's story in preparation for his episode, I stumbled into not only a prolific writer but a deep thinker with a rich and interesting story. The kind of story and person I just love having a conversation with on the Team Powdered Donut™ podcast. John is as eloquent a speaker and thinker, as he is a writer. His own love story with Ana led to their book The Go-Giver Marriage, and they have another one on the horizon from their love story, "The Start of Something Big." As you get ready to listen to a truly special episode, these two quotes really stood out, both of which we discuss in the episode. One from John's Substack, "Mann’s Search for Meaning," definitely worth subscribing to by the way. John starts each post with a quote. This one from C.S. Lewis from the start of John's post, "On love, grief, and joy stood out. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken." And finally, from Doris Lessig, the oldest winner of the Nobel prize in literature. "Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. Circumstances will always be impossible." Thank you John for inspiring us all not only with your more than 40+ books but to making the impossible possible! Who is John David Mann? John David Mann is an award-winning author whose books have sold more than 3 million copies in 3 dozen languages, including the New York Times bestselling memoir The Red Circle with former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb and the New York Times bestselling parable The Latte Factor with personal finance legend David Bach. As a teenager, John started his own high school and was an award-winning composer and cellist before turning to careers as an entrepreneur and author. His classic The Go-Giver (with Bob Burg) has sold over 1 million copies in 38 languages and won the Living Now Evergreen Medal for its “contribution to positive global change.” His book Take the Lead (with former White House staffer Betsy Myers) was named by Tom Peters and the Washington Post “Best Leadership Book of 2011.” His first novel, Steel Fear (with Brandon Webb), was nominated for a Barry Award in 2021 and named one of the “best books of the year” by Publishers Weekly. John lives in Florida and New England, where he leads a coaching program called Writing Mastery Mentorship. https://johndavidmann.com

    The Search For Meaning With the Luckiest "Mann" in the World | John David Mann, NYT Bestselling Author & Coauthor, The Go-Giver
  4. May 19

    Can You Really Change Everything in a Minute? | Dr. Masha Malka, Author, To Mastering Your Emotions

    Who is Dr. Masha Malka? Over the years, Masha has worked with C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and ambitious women worldwide — guiding them to break through limitations and design lives of purpose, freedom, and fulfillment. From co-founding ShiftHub – a global movement for women 40+ to transform midlife transitions into opportunities for growth, leadership, and authentic living - to founding Inborn Genius Corp. and creating The One Minute Coach™️ series, Masha is all about harnessing change. She is also a visionary leader, best-selling author, executive coach, and recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Speakers to Watch This Year. Holding an Honorary Doctorate in Entrepreneurship and a Master’s in Higher Education, she combines academic insight with two decades of real-world experience in personal transformation, mindset mastery, and strategic leadership. Her journey — from refugee beginnings to trusted advisor for global leaders — has reinforced her belief that we are never defined by circumstances, but by how we choose to transform them. Power, clarity, and possibility are always available when we align with who we truly are. Today, her mission is simple: to redefine what midlife means — and to build spaces where growth, leadership, and authentic living are not only possible, but inevitable. To learn more about Dr. Masha Malka, visit www.mashamalka.com or find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theoneminutecoach

    Can You Really Change Everything in a Minute? | Dr. Masha Malka, Author, To Mastering Your Emotions
5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Over the past ten years, Gary has honored his late wife, Maureen’s, memory by delivering bags of powdered donuts to meaningful places each year on October 21, the day of her passing. What began as a way to turn grief into joy has sparked powerful connections and moments of healing. Team Powdered Donut™ takes this tradition and makes it about all of us. "One Story. One Moment. One Donut at a time." The podcast is going "on the air" ahead of Team Powdered Donut heading out on the road via Airstream® in 2026 to visit all 73 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers and other meaningful locations along the way. At every stop, powdered donuts will be shared and stories will be collected – echoing the spirit of StoryCorps® – with a mobile podcast studio in the Airstream in which Gary will travel. From patients to those who love them, from oncologists to their healthcare teams, stories will be captured and shared along the way.