find your cause

Joseph Smalzer

"find your cause" is the official podcast of Greater Than Zero Percent (GTZP). GTZP is 501(c)(3) non-profit on a mission to find people and organizations that are changing the world and sharing their stories. We believe that however big or small of a positive impact you have, every bit counts. As long as you are adding greater than zero percent, the momentum you build is already changing the world.

  1. He Turned Cybersecurity Into Plain English with Cyber Matters | EP. 191

    23 HR AGO

    He Turned Cybersecurity Into Plain English with Cyber Matters | EP. 191

    Partner with us: https://calendly.com/gtzp/gtzp-impact-alignment Saaim Khan spent 20 years inside some of the world's largest cybersecurity consulting firms before stepping away to build something he could not find anywhere else. Not a bigger firm. Not a flashier one. Just an honest one. As Managing Director of Cyber Matters, Saaim built a company around radical transparency, a flat structure where no one is anyone's boss, and a single guiding value that is far more direct than anything you will find on a typical company values page. In this conversation, Saaim shares what he deliberately kept and left behind from corporate consulting, why he thinks trust should never have to be earned through hoops, and what it actually looks like to build a business where people genuinely do not dread logging in on Monday morning. *Connect with Cyber Matters:* https://www.cybermatters.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/saaimkhan https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybermattersio/ *Social* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greaterthanzeropercent/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@greaterthanzeropercent Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ *Listen* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZeAnlQdjwKX5JodvYFwp2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/find-your-cause/id1528910691 *Connect* Website: https://www.gtzp.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gtzp Chapters: 00:00:00 Teaser 00:00:44 Introduction 00:01:22 What is Cyber Matters and why it exists 00:02:07 20 years in big consulting: what he kept and what he left behind 00:06:28 Why flexible work is really a question of trust 00:10:05 The problem with 50-page proposals 00:16:58 Flat structure, no bosses, and speaking your mind 00:22:42 How the culture has landed with the team 00:27:00 How Cyber Matters lets people go with dignity 00:28:20 The one company value that guides everything 00:29:19 The next six years: compliance beyond cybersecurity 00:31:28 Closing thoughts #FindYourCause #Nonprofits #Chicago #CommunityImpact #501c3 #SocialImpact #GTZP #GreaterThanZeroPercent

    33 min
  2. There's a Crime Scene In Her Block. She Stayed. | LaTanya Johnson & the Youth of Englewood

    23 MAR

    There's a Crime Scene In Her Block. She Stayed. | LaTanya Johnson & the Youth of Englewood

    A shooting happened right next door to her youth center. She closed for one day. Then she opened back up on Monday. LaTanya Johnson is the Executive Director of LaTanya and the Youth of Englewood, a 501(c)3 that has been serving children ages five and up in Inglewood, Chicago since 2013. Recreational activities, educational programming, mentorship, entrepreneurship, community events, and family support. All of it, completely free. In this community check-in episode, Joseph and LaTanya go deep into what has changed since they last spoke. She talks about the shooting that happened right outside her door, why she sent the kids home that Friday and came right back Monday, and the invisible calculus families in Englewood make every day just to survive in their own neighborhood. She shares what 12 years of free programming has actually produced, which activities changed the trajectory of real kids' lives, and what she needs most right now to keep going. TIMESTAMPS: [00:00:00] Intro [00:00:39] LaTanya's background and organization mission [00:02:06] Why she started 12 years ago [00:03:31] The alderman's office and how it all began [00:05:55] Why she starts programming at age five [00:07:25] Joseph's time at Chicago juvenile detention [00:08:58] What activities created the most lasting impact [00:12:10] Gardening, go-karts, photography, and building [00:13:13] Phones, safety, and keeping kids engaged [00:14:18] The shooting next door [00:16:16] The battle parents face living in Englewood [00:17:41] Poverty, cost of living, and why families stay [00:19:50] What LaTanya wants to build next [00:22:27] Sports, arts, and why variety matters [00:23:09] How to connect with LaTanya [00:24:50] Closing Connect with LaTanya LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latanya-johnson-7a202a154/ Social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greaterthanzeropercent/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greaterthanzeropercent Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZeAnlQdjwKX5JodvYFwp2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/find-your-cause/id1528910691 Connect Website: https://www.gtzp.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gtzp Partner with us: https://calendly.com/gtzp/gtzp-impact-alignment #FindYourCause #Nonprofits #Chicago #Inglewood #YouthDevelopment #CommunityImpact #501c3 #SocialImpact #GTZP #NonprofitLeadership #GreaterThanZeroPercent #CorporatePhilanthropy

    25 min
  3. She Quit to Give Kids With Disabilities a Team | Open Door Sports

    17 MAR

    She Quit to Give Kids With Disabilities a Team | Open Door Sports

    Sarah Albus was a college soccer player at Vanderbilt, a mom of four, and completely done with her first career when her daughter Hannah, born at 25 weeks with cerebral palsy and visual impairment, asked where her skis were. That question changed everything. In this episode, Sarah shares how she launched Open Door Sports in 2017 with no nonprofit experience, how six schools said yes before she had the staff to serve them, and why the most powerful outcome of her work wasn't the sports at all. Chapters: [00:00:00] Teaser [00:00:33] Welcome and Introduction [00:00:56] What is Open Door Sports? [00:01:23] Sarah's Personal Journey: Hannah's Story [00:03:04] The Gap in After-School Programming [00:09:28] First Programs: Soccer, Basketball, and Bocce [00:13:23] Unexpected Benefits: Community and Friendship [00:18:21] What Fuels Engagement: Stories Over Data [00:22:16] Open Door Sports and Special Olympics [00:24:44] The Future of ODS [00:27:22] How to Get Involved Connect with Open Door Sports: https://opendoorsports.org/ https://www.instagram.com/opendoorsports/ https://www.facebook.com/OpenDoorTeam/ Connect with Us Website: gtzp.org Sponsor inquiry: https://calendly.com/gtzp/gtzp-impact-alignment/ Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZeAnlQdjwKX5JodvYFwp2 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/find-your-cause/id1528910691 Follow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gtzp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greaterthanzeropercent/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greaterthanzeropercent Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greaterthanzeropercent/ #FindYourCause #GreaterThanZeroPercent #Nonprofit #DisabilityInclusion #AdaptiveSports #OpenDoorSports #SocialImpact #Inclusion #SpecialNeeds #PodcastForGood

    30 min
  4. E185: Can Doctors Outshine Health Influencers

    14/12/2025

    E185: Can Doctors Outshine Health Influencers

    In this episode of Find Your Cause, Joseph talks with Dr Spencer Lalk, founder of Med Story Studio, about how evidence based medical stories can compete with fear based health influencers. Spencer shares the story of his mom’s cardiology scare, why she left a long awaited visit more confused than before, and how that moment led him to create clearer, more human health education. They dig into rushed appointments, insurance pressure, lawsuits, and why so many people now look to influencers before clinicians. You will hear how Med Story Studio helps doctors become trusted storytellers, where AI fits in, and how patients and clinicians can both share better health stories online. Chapters 00:01:19 | What problem is Med Story Studio trying to solve 00:01:43 | How did Spencer’s mom’s health scare lead to Med Story Studio 00:05:10 | Why do patients leave appointments confused and afraid 00:06:13 | How do the system and insurance limit what doctors can do 00:11:16 | Why do US health and happiness outcomes lag other countries 00:12:18 | What could a better health care model look like 00:15:52 | How is AI changing doctor visits and patient prep 00:19:30 | How did Med Story Studio actually get started 00:20:43 | How does Med Story help doctors become storytellers 00:21:26 | Why do human stories matter in a digital health care world 00:22:02 | Why is recording doctor visits so complicated 00:23:18 | If Spencer could redesign health care, what would he change first 00:24:56 | Where is Med Story Studio going next 00:27:18 | What does evidence based medicine really mean 00:28:23 | How can we tell if a health influencer is dangerous 00:32:08 | How can patients vet health information for themselves 00:33:25 | How can clinicians get involved with Med Story Studio 00:34:05 | What is Spencer’s invitation to patients and doctors MedStory Media links: Website: https://medstorymedia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-lalk-dpt-/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/medstory-podcast/id1804185340 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalkhealth/?hl=en Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19UwCxHTbUtH7POBm0HM9L YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MedStoryMedia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567995375537# Visit gtzp.org for more info.

    35 min
  5. E184: How LifeSpheres Helps People Heal Through Presence, Not Advice

    08/12/2025

    E184: How LifeSpheres Helps People Heal Through Presence, Not Advice

    In this episode, Diana M. Canant, Executive Director of LifeSpheres, shares how people heal through presence, guided dialogue, and community support rather than advice or isolation. She explains the Peer Community Co Care Program, a process that helps individuals resolve trauma safely, rebuild resilience, and support one another through structured, one-on-one sessions. Diana breaks down the psychobiology of trauma, why presence is more powerful than advice, and how healing becomes possible when people feel seen and understood. Her insights offer a new way to think about trauma and the importance of not facing it alone. Timestamps: 00:02:22 | What does resilience really mean 00:05:41 | What kinds of trauma do communities experience 00:06:17 | Introduction of the Peer Community Co Care Program 00:07:23 | Why Diana focuses on young people and the elderly 00:09:46 | How the program teaches presence and listening 00:13:14 | Orientation, commitment, and how the program begins 00:16:18 | How individual plans are created 00:18:46 | How healing sessions work 00:21:23 | How participants complete the program 00:23:27 | What makes Life Spheres’ method effective 00:28:43 | What trauma informed practice really means 00:30:46 | How exposure therapy should and should not be done 00:35:22 | Why healing should not be done alone 00:40:48 | The future of Life Spheres and scaling impact 00:48:39 | Where to find Life Spheres 00:51:10 | Closing remarks Relevant links from LifeSphere: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifespheres/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turningthetideoftrauma/ Website: https://www.lifespheres.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurningTheTideOfTrauma/

    52 min

About

"find your cause" is the official podcast of Greater Than Zero Percent (GTZP). GTZP is 501(c)(3) non-profit on a mission to find people and organizations that are changing the world and sharing their stories. We believe that however big or small of a positive impact you have, every bit counts. As long as you are adding greater than zero percent, the momentum you build is already changing the world.