Over the past few years, we have all had to take a closer look at a lot of things. For me I started to think of all the people in my life I hadn’t been able to see. As I started making a list of all the people I wanted to see, I realized some of the people I know are utterly amazing. The list was full of scientists, authors, artists, soldiers, entrepreneurs, the list goes on. My goal became to give something back to them. I wanted to shine a light on their stories to create something special. That is what Good Life Stories is all about. Whether our guests have had a good life or have a good life story, I’m excited to share them all with you. Host, Tracy Crowley

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&#34;Every morning I wake up, I brush my teeth, and I sharpen my tongue.&#34;That&#39;s Thea Starr&#39;s favorite Dorothy Parker quote—and as the youngest of six, she learned early that piping up was the only way to get noticed. &#34;Nothing&#39;s happening for me unless I say something.&#34;In this second episode, Thea reveals her unexpected superpower: parallel parking. Despite not driving off her property for six years (due to an eye condition), she&#39;s confident she could still nail it—a skill honed at 13 when her father had her move cars in his auto body shop yard. &#34;I aced my driver&#39;s test,&#34; she laughs.Looking ahead, Thea&#39;s goal? Finishing the endless painting of her dilapidated homestead rambler. &#34;Approaching 50 is not the era of painting every room in a house,&#34; she admits, discovering muscles she didn&#39;t know existed.She spotlights her best friend since 1988—an elementary school teacher in Alaska who became an educator later in life. &#34;Every time she has done something good and hard, I&#39;ve been proud. I&#39;ve cried. I felt like I got the teaching degree too.&#34;The episode dives deep into Thea&#39;s world of vintage sewing machines (she has 60 in various conditions), Japanese tsumami kanzashi art (hand-folded silk flowers), and YouTube repair tutorials. She explains what to look for when buying vintage machines, why all-metal models outlast plastic ones, and how her Singer 301 can &#34;probably sew concrete to a pair of jeans.&#34;For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

60 Sewing Machines and Sass: Thea Starr (Pt 2)  on Collecting, Teaching, and Japanese Silk Flowers

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&#34;I was a wild girl. A teenage mom. I even went to juvenile detention. You know, bad girl. All the stories.&#34;Then Thea Starr&#39;s father died when she was in her mid-20s with four children of her own, and everything changed.In this episode of Good Life Stories, Thea—a sewist, vintage sewing machine repairess, and designer working from a workshop in the woods at the edge of a bog—shares three powerful life lessons that shaped who she became.First: life is shorter than you think. Losing her father while caring for young children who watched him struggle taught her to value every moment. &#34;Time moves so fast when the kids are little,&#34; she reflects. It completely transformed her parenting, shifting her focus from things to experiences—creating the kind of family memories you can&#39;t take away.Second: no one cares what you&#39;re wearing. After years in corporate accounting worrying about client impressions, Thea realized something liberating—they didn&#39;t actually care. &#34;Wear the clothes you have. Don&#39;t save them for a rainy day. You don&#39;t know how life will take you. Do it now.&#34;Third: sharing what you learn is deeply human. Her father ran an auto body shop after retiring from the military, and Thea—the youngest of six and a self-described daddy&#39;s girl—learned by holding flashlights while he worked. Those lessons shaped her teaching style, whether fixing vintage sewing machines on YouTube or running Six by Six Art Company with her husband.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Stitching Stories and Life Lessons: Thea Starr Part 1

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&#34;During COVID, when everyone was cooped up, the only freedom was the opportunity to go outside. And that was safe.&#34;Angela Shen had always loved mushrooms—she was &#34;one of those weird kids that actually liked eating mushrooms.&#34; But she&#39;d never foraged for them. Then the pandemic hit, everyone flooded the woods, and Angela had a realization: we live in one of the biggest wild gourmet mushroom regions in the country, yet foraging felt gatekept and inaccessible.In this episode of Good Life Stories, Angela shares how she begged a friend to teach her, fell down a deep rabbit hole, and emerged with Forage Seattle—immersive wild food experiences that make mushroom foraging approachable and fun. She explains why porcini, matsutake, and morels are worth $80 a pound (humans must physically find them in the woods—you can&#39;t grow them in a lab), and why Washington State is the country&#39;s biggest exporter of both wild mushrooms and shellfish.Angela also reveals her superpower: negotiation. Growing up poor with immigrant parents as a first-generation American, she learned to fight for every opportunity and find &#34;option C&#34;—the creative solution nobody saw coming. Her favorite quote from Mandela? &#34;Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.&#34;Most powerfully, Angela shares what she&#39;d spotlight right now: reclaiming your time. &#34;Working this hard doesn&#39;t mean a whole heck of a lot if you don&#39;t have time to spend that money with the people you love doing the things that bring you joy.&#34;.About AngelaAngela Shen is a Seattle entrepreneur best known for creating Forage Seattle and running Savor Seattle food tours in Pike Place Market. Her love of culinary storytelling began during her career in brand management at PepsiCo. A Wharton graduate, she has been celebrated as a PSBJ 40 Under 40, Women of Color Award recipient, and Nellie Cashman Business Owner of the Year finalist. She channels her expertise into helping people experience nature, food, and connection.Website:<a href="http://www.forageseattle.com" rel="nofollow"> </a><a href="http://www.forageseattle.com" rel="nofollow">www.forageseattle.com</a>Instagram: @forageseattleEmail: Angela@forageseattle.comFor more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Reinventing Life in the Woods: The Mushroom Foraging Journey with Angela Shen Pt 2

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A fifteen-year business shut down overnight. Tourism halted. Restaurants closed. What do you do?For Angela Shen, founder of Savor Seattle food tours, the answer came quickly: &#34;Instead of taking people to the restaurants, why don&#39;t we bring the food directly to the people?&#34;In this episode of Good Life Stories, Angela shares how COVID forced an immediate pivot from her beloved Pike Place Market food tours to something entirely new—curated local food boxes that anchored in the vendors she&#39;d worked with for years. The twist? Every box sold meant a minimum $5 donation to relevant local nonprofits.In nine months of this dramatic shift, Angela&#39;s team donated over $100,000 to local and national organizations while keeping small businesses alive and her team employed. Each themed box—from entirely Black-owned businesses to Latino community highlights—became a weekly mystery that gave families something to look forward to during hopeless times.Angela, a Wharton graduate and former PepsiCo brand manager, brought her experience in culinary storytelling to bear in a completely unexpected way. The boxes didn&#39;t just feed people; they connected them to communities they&#39;d never explored, introduced them to businesses they wanted to support again, and gave them hope when everything felt uncertain.She also shares her philosophy on customer service in the digital age: treating people better than you&#39;d expect to be treated yourself builds trust and human connection that technology can&#39;t replace.Angela Shen is a Seattle entrepreneur best known for creating Forage Seattle and running Savor Seattle food tours in Pike Place Market. Her love of culinary storytelling began during her career in brand management at PepsiCo. A Wharton graduate, she has been celebrated as a PSBJ 40 Under 40, Women of Color Award recipient, and Nellie Cashman Business Owner of the Year finalist. She channels her expertise into helping people experience nature, food, and connection.Website:<a href="http://www.forageseattle.com" rel="nofollow"> </a><a href="http://www.forageseattle.com" rel="nofollow">www.forageseattle.com</a>Instagram: @forageseattleEmail: Angela@forageseattle.comFor more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

From Food Tours to Community Support: A COVID Pivot - Angela Shen Pt1

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&#34;If you and I were sitting in deck chairs on the deck of the Titanic, and we knew it was our last conversation—what three stories would you tell me?&#34;That question is the heart of Good Life Stories. Host Tracy Crowley started this podcast during the pandemic, sitting in her dining room sewing, going for walks in the woods, and thinking about all the people she couldn&#39;t see. She made a mind map: authors she knew, martial artists, artists, successful entrepreneurs, friends who&#39;d survived challenging experiences and come out the other side.She wanted to capture their stories—the ones they&#39;d want saved, the ones their families should hear, the ones their friends needed to know. But what to call it?Tracy researched idioms and landed on &#34;rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic&#34;—that expression about futile action in the face of disaster. She considered naming the podcast &#34;Deck Chairs&#34; or &#34;Deck Chairs on the Titanic&#34; before her kids and friends gently pointed out that people might expect her to talk about the actual Titanic.The metaphor stuck, though. The premise she shares with every guest: imagine we&#39;re in those deck chairs, it&#39;s our last conversation (but we&#39;re not going to die—important caveat), and you get to choose three stories to preserve. What would they be?Three years later, Tracy&#39;s guest list keeps growing. These aren&#39;t interviews about achievements or accolades—they&#39;re conversations about the stories that define us, the moments that matter, and the lives we&#39;ve lived.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

The Inspiration Behind Good Life Stories

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&#34;I have 100 movies running in my head nonstop. That being said, I cannot remember what happened 15 minutes ago.&#34;Matt Meyers has an unusual superpower: he can quote obscure movie lines from memory, leaving his twenty-something employees baffled when he references Planes, Trains and Automobiles. But ask him what he said 15 minutes ago? No idea. He had to check his own notes to remember what he&#39;d written about his superpower.In this final episode of Good Life Stories, Matt reveals what truly drives success at Be Myers and Company: finding people who genuinely care. &#34;Apathy is death,&#34; he says. His team are &#34;true believers&#34; in their mission—helping protect those in harm&#39;s way with products that must work perfectly every time. &#34;Build it right, save a life&#34; isn&#39;t just a motto; it&#39;s a mandate when someone&#39;s son or daughter depends on your work.Matt shares the Earl Nightingale recording his father gave him at age 10—&#34;Acres of Diamonds&#34;—and why he returns to it quarterly. The message? &#34;There&#39;s no growth without risk. Risks brighten the eye and get the mind cooking.&#34; He illustrates this with the story of meeting Evan Hafer before Black Rifle Coffee&#39;s $75 million IPO, when Matt politely thought, &#34;I&#39;m a Folgers guy, why would I buy coffee through the mail?&#34;The episode closes with Matt&#39;s philosophy on travel: go now, because places change or disappear. His spontaneous road trip with 12-year-old Jack—through canceled flights and desert highways—created memories that can never be replicated.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Embracing Risk: The Power of Passion and Positivity - Matt Meyers Pt3

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&#34;Don&#39;t have to tell me to stay home. Don&#39;t have to tell me twice. I haven&#39;t been home in years.&#34;Fresh from cancer treatment and nine years of military service, Matt Meyers returned to a family business he barely recognized. The 20-30 person operation he&#39;d left in the late &#39;90s had exploded to 180 employees—only to be gutted back to 55 in one devastating year.In this episode of Good Life Stories, Matt shares the brutal reality of the post-deployment drawdown: four layoffs in twelve months at a company that had never laid off a single person in 40 years. As a new product manager, he watched the infrastructure collapse. The people who documented everything—those essential 700-page quality control manuals—were gone. The choice? Focus resources only where absolutely necessary and embrace common sense over bureaucracy.But this story isn&#39;t just about survival. Matt reveals the remarkable origin of B.E. Myers and Company, founded by his father—a college dropout who sold encyclopedias, dug graves, worked in a Milwaukee garage band, and taught himself explosives (surviving when most self-taught experts didn&#39;t). From underwater salvage diving to accidentally discovering how to clean ship hulls with explosive netting, to selling night vision on kitchen tables, his dad turned odd hobbies into a defense contracting powerhouse.Matt&#39;s journey from soldier to steward of this legacy reveals lessons about pulling the &#34;red string,&#34; questioning assumptions, and bringing common sense to uncommon challenges.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

From Soldier to Family Business: A Journey of Resilience - Matt Meyers Pt 2

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A routine chiropractor appointment. A swollen neck. An unprepared Air Force officer accidentally breaking the news: &#34;They told you you got cancer and everything, right?&#34;Matt Meyers&#39; cancer diagnosis came at the worst possible time—just home from his third deployment, with a newborn son and a wife he&#39;d barely lived with over three years of marriage. But this is just one chapter in an extraordinary story that begins years earlier, when a decade-long friendship transformed into love during phone calls from Baghdad.In this episode of Good Life Stories, Matt shares how he and Nicole built their relationship across continents and deployments. Their romance includes spontaneous adventures to Paris and Luxembourg, the near-collapse of their marriage when Nicole struggled with isolation in Germany (saved, Matt insists, by &#34;a GPS and a Jack Russell terrier&#34;), and the realities of military life that kept them apart more than together.Matt recounts his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, including unexpectedly becoming an intelligence officer for western Afghanistan despite having zero training. Then came that chiropractor visit, the shocking revelation of Hodgkin&#39;s lymphoma with two goose egg-sized masses in his neck, and months of devastating treatment.Through it all, Nicole became a superhero—caring for a returning soldier, a newborn baby, and a cancer patient simultaneously. Matt&#39;s raw honesty about the challenges makes this conversation unforgettable.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Love, War, and the Fight Against Cancer - Matt Meyers Pt1

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In this final episode with David Castillo, Tracy Crowley explores the personal philosophies and causes that drive this dedicated coach and community advocate. David opens up about his favorite quote—&#34;Don&#39;t let perfection be the enemy of good&#34;—and how it resonates differently at this stage of his life compared to his younger years.The conversation touches on the challenge of reading people close to us versus strangers, with Tracy offering the insight that we often know our family members so well that we can tell their mood by their footsteps, while requiring more attention to understand others. David reflects on balancing his pursuit of excellence in coaching with accepting that &#34;good enough&#34; sometimes truly is good enough.Looking ahead, David discusses his goal of completing his private pilot certificate by year&#39;s end, though football season means his training will take a backseat to coaching responsibilities. Most importantly, David shines a spotlight on two causes close to his heart: Compassion International, where he sponsors children in Africa and builds meaningful relationships with them, and the fight against human trafficking—a modern-day slavery issue he became passionate about during COVID. As the brother of three sisters raised by a single mom, protecting vulnerable women and girls holds deep personal significance for David.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Embracing Imperfection and the Fight Against Human Trafficking: David Castillo Pt3

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What drives someone to send 14 letters asking to volunteer coach for free? David Castillo&#39;s coaching journey on Good Life Stories reveals how the mentors who filled gaps in his fatherless childhood inspired him to pour into the next generation. After a promising football career ended with a knee injury in his senior year, David found his true calling on the sidelines.David&#39;s path from volunteer equipment manager to head coach spans 17 years and showcases both the rewards and challenges of high school coaching. He shares touching stories of players who still call him &#34;Pops&#34; and reach out years later, demonstrating the lasting impact coaches can have. &#34;Those boys are still in our lives. I mean, they&#39;re like sons to us,&#34; he reflects about two players he coached from seventh grade through graduation.The episode takes an honest turn as David contemplates whether this season of coaching is coming to an end. Between COVID&#39;s impact on high school sports, external pressures affecting his emotional well-being, and his son now in college, he&#39;s questioning if it&#39;s time for a new chapter. His superpower of empathy, while allowing him to deeply connect with players and families, also means he carries their pain and struggles as his own. David&#39;s candid reflection on recognizing life seasons and the courage to potentially step away offers valuable insights into knowing when it&#39;s time to transition from one calling to another.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

David Castillo Pt2 - Coaching Through Challenges and Life Transitions

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What would you do if you had the phone number of the father you&#39;d never met but couldn&#39;t find the courage to call? David Castillo&#39;s powerful story on Good Life Stories reveals how the universe conspired to bring him face-to-face with his dad at age 38, after a lifetime of wondering about his identity and heritage.David&#39;s journey began with a serendipitous moment while working at the VA, when his half-brother&#39;s case crossed his desk. Recognizing the shared family name, David made a courageous phone call that would change both their lives forever. As he recalls, &#34;I was like, I&#39;m going to be courageous here. I&#39;m going to be courageous.&#34; That call led to a parking lot meeting where both brothers immediately recognized their resemblance, and ultimately to David&#39;s first conversation with his father.The episode explores how David filled the void left by his father&#39;s absence through music, finding catharsis writing and performing with his band in Seattle&#39;s vibrant 1990s music scene. From venues like the Off Ramp Cafe to the Phoenix Underground, David channeled his questions about identity and family into songs that helped him process years of wondering and longing.His story beautifully illustrates how timing matters in relationships, how courage can open doors we&#39;ve been afraid to walk through, and how creative expression can provide healing during our most uncertain moments.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

David Castillo Pt1 - Journey to Find Family and Self

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What&#39;s the difference between &#34;I&#39;m not good at that&#34; and &#34;I&#39;m not good at that yet&#34;? In this final episode with Sheryl Tullis, host Tracy Crowley explores how one small word can fundamentally reshape our mindset and open possibilities we never imagined. Sheryl reveals her philosophy of being a &#34;multiplier&#34;—someone who helps others accomplish meaningful goals and rides along on their journey of growth.The conversation takes a powerful turn as Sheryl shares her ongoing work with Combat Flip Flops founder Matt Griffin, helping Afghan allies escape Taliban persecution. After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Sheryl joined a team working tirelessly to protect translators, teachers, university professors, and other vulnerable allies. Despite facing investigations, Western Union shutdowns, and countless obstacles, they&#39;ve successfully helped dozens of families reach safety—including one family that just arrived in Canada after two years of hiding.&#34;For me, not doing anything just worsens the helpless feeling,&#34; Sheryl explains. &#34;So if I can take some kind of action, no matter how small, it helps alleviate that.&#34; Her story demonstrates how individual action, no matter how small, can create ripples of hope in seemingly hopeless situations. Through her favorite quote—&#34;When is the last time you did something for the first time?&#34;—and her commitment to continuous learning, Sheryl embodies the transformative power of growth mindset and purposeful action.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Sheryl Tullis Pt3 - The Power of Yet and Creating Hope

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&#34;When it&#39;s my time, am I going to die doing what I love or am I going to have wasted a whole bunch of time doing things that I don&#39;t love?&#34;What question would you ask yourself if someone you loved died doing what they loved? For Sheryl Tullis, losing her brother in a helicopter crash led to a life-changing realization and an extraordinary challenge: completing 50 adventures by age 50. In this compelling episode of Good Life Stories, host Tracy Crowley explores how Sheryl&#39;s motivation stems from a profound loss: her youngest brother Justin was killed in a helicopter crash during a National Guard training mission on his birthday 13 years ago.This tragedy sparked a fundamental question that continues to drive her: &#34;When it&#39;s my time, am I going to die doing what I love or am I going to have wasted a whole bunch of time doing things that I don&#39;t love?&#34; Each year, Sheryl celebrates a &#34;Justin Day&#34; to honor his memory by doing something amazing or epic.Inspired by the movie Walter Mitty, Sheryl embarked on adventures ranging from simple new experiences like trying different foods to epic challenges like hot air ballooning over 3,000 temples in Myanmar and climbing Mount Rainier. As she reflects, &#34;My Walter Mitty moment was realizing that what I&#39;m about is adventuring with people I love and helping people get outside their comfort zone.&#34;The episode also reveals Sheryl&#39;s delightful superpowers: having &#34;a lyric for everything&#34; and remaining &#34;calm under fire&#34; during crisis situations. Her story demonstrates how tragedy can become a catalyst for intentional living and how pushing beyond comfort zones can reveal our true potential.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Sheryl Tullis Pt2 - 50 Adventures by 50 and Living with Intention

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&#34;When somebody tells you no, that doesn&#39;t have to be the end of it. There&#39;s always an appeal. There&#39;s always another way around.&#34;In this inspiring episode of Good Life Stories, host Tracy Crowley sits down with Sheryl Tullis to explore her remarkable journey from West Point rejection to acceptance and beyond. Sheryl shares the powerful story of how a childhood lawnmower accident that severed three fingers initially seemed to close doors but ultimately opened them in unexpected ways.When West Point initially rejected Sheryl for medical reasons due to missing finger joints, she refused to accept &#34;no&#34; as the final answer. Her childhood piano teacher, who had witnessed her determination to play piano again after doctors said she&#39;d never have the dexterity, wrote a compelling letter to West Point that secured her medical waiver. This pivotal moment taught her that &#34;when somebody tells you no, that doesn&#39;t have to be the end of it. There&#39;s always an appeal. There&#39;s always another way around.&#34;The conversation then moves to Sheryl&#39;s extraordinary experience as an intern speechwriter for General Colin Powell, where she learned invaluable lessons about leadership and culture creation. From breaking the silence in a military van with a humorous observation about a billboard to receiving personal mentorship from one of America&#39;s most respected generals, Sheryl&#39;s stories illustrate how small moments can have profound impacts on our lives and careers.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Sheryl Tullis Pt1 - When No Means Try Harder and Learning from Leaders

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&#34;Power is not a zero sum game. Just because somebody steps into theirs doesn&#39;t diminish the power of the people who are around them, regardless of gender.&#34;In this final part of the interview with Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken, host Tracy Crowley explores the deeper motivations and philosophies that drive her guest&#39;s remarkable work in women&#39;s empowerment and self-defense.The conversation begins with Dr. Yard-McCracken reflecting on leadership as her superpower, describing her unique &#34;goals backward&#34; approach—envisioning objectives first, then figuring out the path forward—rather than the more common &#34;resources forward&#34; approach. This perspective allows her to see possibilities where others might focus on limitations.The discussion delves into Dr. Yard-McCracken&#39;s powerful guiding philosophy that &#34;you have the right to take up space on the planet.&#34; She shares how learning about the estimated 60 million &#34;missing women&#34; worldwide profoundly impacted her worldview and fueled her mission to help women overcome societal conditioning to make themselves smaller. Tracy and Tammy explore how simple language shifts, like eliminating minimizing words such as &#34;just,&#34; can help women communicate more powerfully.The episode concludes with a spotlight on Mary Stevens, a karate practitioner and 500 Rising instructor who is making a significant impact by training girls and women in India through the Fair Fight organization. Dr. Yard-McCracken admires Stevens&#39; commitment to working in extremely challenging conditions, learning the local language, and persisting despite overwhelming obstacles.Throughout the conversation, listeners gain valuable insights into effective leadership, authentic communication, and how dedicated individuals can create meaningful change even in the most difficult circumstances.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Taking Up Space: Leadership, Language, and Creating Global Change: Dr, Tammy Yard-McCracken pt3

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&#34;People come to train out of self-love, not out of fear. They come to train because they recognize their value as a human being.&#34;In this compelling second episode with Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken, host Tracy Crowley explores the origins and evolution of 500 Rising, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women through self-defense. Dr. Yard-McCracken shares how the initiative emerged from a passionate &#34;rant&#34; during the height of the MeToo movement, fueled by her belief that awareness alone isn&#39;t enough to create lasting change in preventing violence against women.The conversation traces 500 Rising&#39;s remarkable growth from a grassroots effort to an international organization with training programs across the United States and Europe. Dr. Yard-McCracken details their three-level training system, which transforms participants into instructors who can spread these vital skills throughout their communities. Despite having no marketing budget, the organization has trained nearly 80 instructors and continues to expand through word-of-mouth and strategic partnerships.As the episode progresses, Dr. Yard-McCracken shares personal insights about watching her adult sons thrive in their respective life stages and navigating the delicate balance of remaining connected while respecting their independence. She also reflects on the privilege of being invited to share her expertise internationally, including training law enforcement officers in Minnesota and working with self-defense communities in the Czech Republic and United Kingdom.Throughout the conversation, listeners gain insight into how passion-driven initiatives can grow beyond initial expectations and the importance of teaching self-defense from a place of self-love and personal agency rather than fear.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Creating Real Change Through Women's Self-Defense: Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken Pt 2

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/9/17/9fc5854f-89ea-4565-aad4-8b8988eee59f_46.gls.tammy_mccracken_part_1_mixdown.mp3

&#34;I&#39;m on Mars now. I don&#39;t even know what&#39;s next.&#34;In this inspiring episode of Good Life Stories, host Tracy Crowley interviews Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken about her remarkable journey from psychotherapist to certified Krav Maga instructor. Dr. Yard-McCracken reveals how she initially encountered Krav Maga while seeking ways to help her trauma therapy patients find greater agency in their healing process.What began as casual research to help her patients unexpectedly transformed into a personal passion when she relocated across the country and found herself with free time while waiting for her new therapy practice to launch. Dr. Yard-McCracken details her extraordinary path to becoming an instructor, accomplishing in just one year what typically takes much longer.The conversation explores the unexpected intersection of therapy and martial arts, particularly how Krav Maga offers immediate practical application compared to traditional martial arts. Dr. Yard-McCracken shares her experience training under Eyal Yanilov, a key figure in Krav Maga Global, and how his encouragement of women in leadership roles supported her development.Throughout the episode, Dr. Yard-McCracken reflects on how this unexpected turn in her life created a profound shift in her perspective and career path, eventually leading her to open her own training center. Her story exemplifies how being open to new experiences can lead to discovering strengths and talents we never knew we possessed, and how sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones we never planned to take. For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken Pt 1: Finding Strength in Unexpected Places - A Krav Maga Journey

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/2/7/12/ab805c65-66d8-48a1-b839-ca17d6395132_45.gls.george_nowik_part_4_mixdown.mp3

&#34;Life is what happens while you&#39;re planning something else.&#34;In this heartwarming final episode with George Nowik, host Tracy Crowley explores the intersection of personal challenges and family legacy. George shares his adult diagnosis with ADD and how what society views as a deficit has become his superpower, enabling intense focus and creativity in his chosen fields.The conversation takes a powerful turn as George discusses his mother Dorothy&#39;s remarkable journey as a businesswoman in the 1970s. Known as &#34;the Ice Queen&#34; for maintaining professional boundaries in an era when harassment was commonplace, Dorothy built a successful medical equipment company through determination and exceptional customer service.Through personal anecdotes and touching memories, George reveals how his mother&#39;s legacy of perseverance, generosity, and authentic care for others has shaped both his personal approach and their family business. The episode culminates with heartwarming stories about Dorothy&#39;s special connections with her grandchildren, including her talent for creating personalized songs for each child - a tradition that George has continued with his own children. Their story exemplifies how challenges can become strengths and how authentic care for others can build lasting business success.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

George Nowik Pt 4: Unpacking Superpowers - Embracing ADD and Family Legacy

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/2/2/12/f94d7ec2-17ef-4027-90ec-493f00663ffa_44.gls.george_nowik_part_3_mixdown.mp3

&#34;You have to be as authentic as you can possibly be. And any of that baggage weighing you down completely obliterates your authenticity.&#34; George Nowik continues to share and today he describes his journey into voice acting. From his early days recording phone system prompts in an unventilated closet to landing national ad campaigns, George shares insights into the evolution of the voiceover industry and what it truly takes to succeed. With over 20 years of experience, George dispels common misconceptions about voice acting, explaining how the industry has shifted from traditional &#34;announcer voice&#34; to a more conversational, authentic style. He discusses the challenges of retraining his naturally resonant voice to meet modern commercial demands and the importance of acting skills over simply having &#34;a good voice.&#34; The conversation delves into the competitive nature of the industry, with George revealing surprising statistics about the number of voice actors and the complex selection process for commercial work. He shares valuable insights about the psychological aspects of the work, drawing interesting parallels between voice acting and sales, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and storytelling in both fields. Through his journey from recording corporate narration and video games to landing national commercial campaigns, George provides a compelling look at the realities of the voiceover industry. For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

George Nowik Pt 3: The Art of Voiceover - From Auditions to Authenticity

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/12/13/13/e5a624ed-b9fd-4ce4-9160-ace0439ee983_43.gls.george_nowik_part_2_mixdown.mp3

&#34;We have medical technology that is available to us now, both in the physical and mental arena that didn&#39;t exist 20 years ago. So kids like me are going to have a much better chance of getting through it.&#34;In this enlightening episode of Good Life Stories, host Tracy Crowley explores George Nowik&#39;s experience living with Tourette&#39;s syndrome. Diagnosed in sixth grade, George shares his journey from early childhood &#34;bad habits&#34; through challenging school years and into adulthood. He discusses the misconceptions surrounding Tourette&#39;s, particularly the common myth that all people with the condition curse uncontrollably.The conversation delves into the historical context of neurodiversity in the 1980s and how societal understanding and acceptance have evolved. George provides intimate details about his experiences in the education system, including his dramatic shift from being identified as gifted to being labeled &#34;severely mentally damaged&#34; - a stark example of how misunderstood neurological conditions were at the time.Throughout the episode, George and Tracy explore the positive changes in how society now approaches neurodiversity, particularly in educational settings. They discuss the impact of better awareness, vocabulary, and support systems that exist today compared to previous decades. The conversation culminates with hopeful observations about current attitudes toward neurodivergent individuals, illustrated through touching personal anecdotes that demonstrate how far we&#39;ve come in accepting and embracing differences.For more episode info and additional inspiring stories, visit <a href="https://www.goodlifestories.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodlifestories.com/</a>.

George Nowik Pt 2: Navigating Life with Tourette's, From Misunderstanding to Acceptance

Over the past few years, we have all had to take a closer look at a lot of things. For me I started to think of all the people in my life I hadn’t been able to see. As I started making a list of all the people I wanted to see, I realized some of the people I know are utterly amazing. The list was full of scientists, authors, artists, soldiers, entrepreneurs, the list goes on. My goal became to give something back to them. I wanted to shine a light on their stories to create something special.

That is what Good Life Stories is all about. Whether our guests have had a good life or have a good life story, I’m excited to share them all with you. Host, Tracy Crowley