Life’s a Road Trip Scott Martin

This week's guest is Meryl Evans.
It was the statement "Progress Over Perfection" that she proudly wears that made me pause. It didn't take long before I opened another window or two on my PC to start digging into Meryl and what she does on behalf of those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
As the show moves forward, we're more focused on guests who aren't afraid to stand up and speak out when it comes to shining a positive light on the disability community. Meryl definitely fits that mold.
Want to see an example of Meryl's message? Click HERE to watch her TEDx presentation. I promise that she'll make you think. You need to watch her talk on automated captions with Thomas Logan HERE. Interested in having Meryl speak to your company? Go HERE.
Progress over perfection... Listen to Meryl and come away with a better understanding of how important and simple that statement is.

Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Steve Wright.

Steve is a respected city planner who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it comes to designing or retrofitting cities so they are welcoming to all -- including members of the disabled community.
When I first came across Steve, it was easy to see that he is eagerly searching for the 'Inclusive City'. 
Yes, he realizes there is no Yellow Brick Road to guide him. But when it comes to shining a light on what is missing, he takes a step back and ponders, and then recommends new ways to make our cities more functional.
Below are just a few of Steve's articles. They're an interesting read.
Everyone Benefits From Inclusion  HERE
When Inclusive...Isn't  HERE















Why Universal Design is critical to CNU  HERE
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I shift gears from my teaching and soccer to my book and soccer. New episodes will be recorded during the summer months.

This week's guests are Carla Birnberg & Mariam Ndegwa.
Baron Von Raschke, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and The Crusher. Those were some of the wrestling characters that we watched on Sunday mornings before church when I was a kid. But they have nothing on the tag team of Carla and Mariam.
First in the ring is Carla who goes by the nickname of Chief Storyteller. It's her job to make the initial contact with possible donors before she tags off to Mariam who closes the account and the match.
Of course, I'm making light of what Carla and Mariam do within the Next Step Foundation (HERE), which leverages the power of technology to train and upskill people from marginalized African communities, especially Persons with Disabilities
The current task that these two mighty women are wrestling with is the Upili Project. Click HERE to learn more. Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and jump in the ring as part of their team.
Check out Carla's website 'Unapologetically Myself' HERE and her book What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms HERE.
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.

This week's guest is Mindy Sheier.
I titled the show "Life's a Road Trip" because as I've matured and dealt with suddenly becoming a quad amputee, that's how I see life. For Mindy, designing clothing for such movers and shakers as INC and Saks Fifth Avenue had her on cruise control.
And it just so happened that her son, Oliver, who is on his own Muscular Dystrophy road trip, wanted to wear jeans like everyone else but nothing on the market met his needs. It didn't take much for Mindy to shift gears into the adaptive clothing market.
Yes, Oliver got his jeans and the disability community received a fashion advocate who is blowing the doors off the clothing industry with her company, the Runway of Dreams Foundation (Link).
Mindy isn't afraid to rev the engines of society either. Check out "Time to Adapt" HERE.
She also hits high gear with "Getting Intimate with Disability" HERE.
Oh, yeah, Mindy has another means for moving the speedometer, visit GAMUT Management HERE.
That "Whoosh!" that just passed you was Mindy Scheier.
 
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.



This week's guest is John Griffin.
This was one of those shows that veered in an unexpected direction -- for the better!
As we settled into our seats some 1,000 miles apart for the interview, I dropped the first topic on John and we were off with no holds barred.
A quote "Disability isn't about pity, it's about paychecks" from one of his podcasts got us going on what could have been two guys literally on a road trip or sitting in a pub.
This was a two-pint discussion that would have called for at least a third as we continued our discussion after the recording ended.
After listening to the show, take a gander at the episodes of John's Accessibility Interview Series HERE. 
During our discussion, we looked at one of John's shows that features the future of wheelchairs, the Revolve Air Wheelchair. You really should take a look HERE.
Digging into John's background, I came across a book that he wrote titled This'll Be The Day That I Die which is a Sci-Fi straight from the early 1960s black & white television show, The Twilight Zone, or the 1950s radio classic X Minus One. Interested? Pick it up on Amazon HERE.
Perhaps one day John and I will have another discussion -- this time in a pub!
 
Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching.



This week's guest is Jordan Roman.
So, answer the question: 'Raise your hand if you need a hug!' Okay, you're at work and you're afraid a colleague may think you're weird. Or you're listening in your car and sitting at a light that just turned green.
There! In your head, you raised your hand. Who doesn't need a hug, right?
Jordan is the writer, director, producer, and chief bottle washer of the short film, Cuddle Buddies. As I state more than once during the show, take 15 minutes for yourself and click HERE to watch for free.
Interesting stuff, huh?
Want to learn more about cuddle therapy? Click HERE to check it out. Need more information? Click HERE for a report from Newsweek.
Are you ready to possibly book a cuddle session? Go to CuddleList.com HERE. [No, they're not paying me -- but they can!]
Cuddle Buddies is what drew my interest in having Jordan on the show. But I don't want it lost that Jordan is a fantastic director and screenwriter who's at the front end of his film career. More of his work can be found HERE and HERE.
Remember the name: Jordan Roman.

 


Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com