Crazy Good Turns

We tell inspiring stories about people who do amazing things for others.

Luther Lockwood and the McColl-Lockwood Lab: A Family’s Love Leads to a Medical Breakthrough

When Luther’s daughter, Jane Lockwood, was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy.  Luther and his family resolved to do something about it. During the two decades since, they founded the McColl-Lockwood Laboratory and dedicated enormous resources to creating more effective treatments for the disease to help not only Jane, but thousands of others like her.  In this episode, Luther and Jane share their experience. Jane describes what it’s been like to live with the disease – and how it hasn’t stopped her from achieving her dream of enrolling in law school. Meanwhile, Luther gives insight to their global search for the best minds researching muscular dystrophy, and how that may be leading to new and effective treatments.  We’re joined in this conversation by Frank’s friend Larry Powell. Larry has been an inspiration for and informal advisor to our podcast for a long time. He suggested that we feature Luther and Jane’s story, and we liked the idea so much we asked him to be a part of it.  Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you! 

11-08
22:49

Dan Senor: Bringing Clarity to the Fog of War

We mark 1 year since the October 7 attacks by speaking with Dan Senor.  Dan is the host of ‘Call Me Back,’ a podcast that is home to some of the most thoughtful and thorough reporting on the multi-front war Israel now faces. Dan’s work provides a valuable service to all of us – especially to people like myself, and many other Americans, who have only a general understanding of the conflict.  Outside of the podcast, Dan is also a foreign policy expert, investor and author of two books about Israel, “Startup Nation” and, more recently, “The Genius of Israel.” That second book explores how things like national service and a sense of purpose unite the people of Israel, and seem to help them avoid modern maladies like addiction, depression and suicide.   Follow Dan on Twitter @DanSenor, or find more information about him at dansenor.com.  Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!   

10-04
39:47

Jenn Drummond, Mom of 7 and World Record Mountaineer

Jenn is the first woman to climb the “seven second summits,” or the second-highest mountain peaks on all seven continents – which are arguably even tougher to climb than the tallest ones, for reasons which will surprise you.  She is also a successful businesswoman, a mother of seven children, and the author of “BreakProof: 7 Strategies to Build Resilience and Achieve Your Life Goals.” During our interview, she’ll share lessons to help you conquer the mountains (metaphorical or otherwise) you face in your own life.  Want to connect with Jenn? Text the word “Everest” to the number 33777. She’ll send you a video of the Milky Way Galaxy going over Everest Base Camp. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you! 

09-09
42:15

Justin Miller of Untold: How a College Trip Became a Life-Saving Mission

Alongside two African pastors, Justin founded Untold - a nonprofit that helps support the physical, spiritual, and mental health of those affected by AIDS and HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa.  During the past 17 years, their organization has helped more than 40,000 people let go of their stigma and embrace a more positive future.  Justin’s story is especially impressive because his commitment began in college, and has remained steady ever since. In this episode, Miller describes how his organization assists more than 100 communities throughout Kenya, Tanzania and Africa. Hear his incredible story.   

08-09
41:37

Nellie Bowles: The Courage to Engage Controversial Topics with an Open Mind

In her new book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History," Bowles documents how she risked her career – and her friendships – by continuing to ask questions after being told not to.  As a reporter for the New York Times, Nellie tackled some of the most controversial topics of our times, from the George Floyd protests to Defund the Police to DEI. Her writing was fundamentally sympathetic to the causes, but also clear-eyed about where they may have gone astray. Nellie's approach of reporting, rather than advocacy, is increasingly rare in today’s media. And the courage she showed by engaging these topics with an open mind is a crazy good turn.  Follow Nellie on Twitter @NellieBowles, or find more information about her at nelliebowles.com.  Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!   

07-05
35:01

‘Coupon Mom’ Stephanie Nelson: On Faith, Hard Work and Helping Others

Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom struggling to make ends meet. Then her skill with coupons made her a national sensation. After helping millions save money, Nelson is paying it forward with a book, “Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential,” which aims to guide people with big dreams. And she’s not stopping there. Nelson also is offering seed funding to those dreamers. She’s giving away her book advance as grants to help people get their ideas off the ground.  In our conversation, Nelson shares her remarkable journey and the leap of faith that led her down this unexpected but crazy good path.  Find more information about Stephanie, her new book, and those generous grants at stephanienelson.com.  Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways. If you already subscribe, please leave us a positive review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We appreciate you listening and sharing our episodes with anyone you think will enjoy. Thank you!   

06-07
41:31

Seth Godin: Doing What Matters. Quitting What Doesn’t, and Creating Possibility for Others

Godin is a renowned entrepreneur and author of more than 20 books – including one that helped our host, Frank Blake, turn around Home Depot during his time as CEO. Frank starts the show by sharing an all-important passage from that book, and then kicks off a wide-ranging discussion around meaningful work, finding success through strategic quitting, and the art of creating opportunities for yourself and for others.  For more on Seth and his work, we encourage you to check out his podcast and blog.  Seth’s Podcast: https://www.akimbo.link/ Seth’s Blog: https://seths.blog/ Please stay tuned to Crazy Good Turns on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazygoodturns/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazygoodturns Thank you for listening to Crazy Good Turns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways.  Your feedback means a lot to us. If you like what you hear, please leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We also very much appreciate you sharing our episodes and social posts with your friends, family, and anyone else you think will enjoy. Thank you!  

05-03
38:53

Travis Ellis & Shepherd’s Men: Why We Ran 1,300 Miles (And Won’t Stop)

Travis Ellis joins Crazy Good Turns to talk about his fundraising efforts for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Those efforts include a 684-mile run from Atlanta to Washington D.C. and then a journey twice as long from Boston back to their home down south.  Follow us on social media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazygoodturns/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazygoodturns Thank you for listening to Crazy Good Turns. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us on Apple Podcasts so you can stay up to date on the good news, including future shows and book giveaways.  Your feedback means a lot to us. If you like what you hear, please leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687 We also very much appreciate you sharing our episodes and social posts with your friends, family, and anyone else you think will enjoy. Thank you! 

04-05
42:05

Walter Kirn, Writer Behind the Hollywood Blockbuster “Up in the Air,” has a Crazy Idea to Bring America Together. Could it Work?

Walter Kirn is the bestselling author of “Up in the Air,” which became a smash hit movie starring George Clooney. Now Kirn is taking a risk on a longshot business that views America as one giant small town. And that’s just the beginning. In addition to his writing, Kirn is a non-partisan political commentator who appears regularly on TV and in podcasts, including one of my personal favorite shows, “America This Week,” which features Walter alongside investigative journalist Matt Taibbi. In a society where algorithms decide what we do and don’t see, and which feed us more and more of the same material, Walter is helping people discover new topics and viewpoints. I’m excited that you’ll discover a little more about him through this interview. You can also connect with Walter on X: https://twitter.com/walterkirn Photo by Max Savage Levenson/Montana Free Press  

03-01
48:31

Dan Heath, Best-Selling Author, Shares Lessons from ‘Made To Stick’ and Explores the Deeper Meaning of Everyday Jobs

Dan and his brother Chip are the authors of several best-selling business books, including one that was highly influential for Frank Blake during his time as CEO of The Home Depot. Dan joins Frank to talk about the legacy of his first big book, "Made to Stick," and his new passion project, a podcast interviewing real people working real jobs that they love.  We’ll discuss: The surprising story of how ‘Made to Stick’ came to be  What Dan and Chip do to avoid sibling rivalry and work so well together as co-authors Dan’s approach to identifying whether an idea is good or bad  What strikes fear into his heart as a writer  Dan’s new labor of love, the What It’s Like to Be podcast You can check out Dan’s new podcast at https://www.whatitsliketobe.com/  

02-02
35:55

Anne Trubek, Founder of Belt Publishing: Sharing Good Books and Good Ideas, Elevating Voices that Might Otherwise Go Unheard, and Staying Afloat as a Small Press

Trubek is an author, publisher and entrepreneur who’s been the driving force being an independent book publisher since 2012. She blogs about her experiences on Substack at notesfromasmallpress.substack.com.  We’ll discuss:  Why publishing is “slow motion gambling,” and how she manages to stay afloat How she finds new authors — including one who published her first book at age 70  A tragedy that turned into a Crazy Good Turn  

01-05
29:05

The Crazy Good Turns $10,000 Award Finalists: Meet Hearts & Hooves, Just Keep Smiling and Joshua’s Place

We asked listeners to tell us about groups and individuals making a difference in their communities. The response was incredible. We heard so many amazing stories about everyday heroes doing powerful work. It was no easy task, but we eventually narrowed the list for our award down to three organizations: Hearts & Hooves of Chattanooga, Tenn., Just Keep Smiling of Gardendale, Ala., and Joshua’s Place of South Lebanon, Ohio. In this show you’ll hear heartwarming stories from all three groups. And you’ll find out who received an award.   

12-01
38:31

Shane Parrish of Farnam Street on Making Better Choices, Positioning Yourself for Success and Discovering Superpowers

How to let go of ego and emotion and make the right choice, in seemingly small moments that matter far more than you think.

11-03
50:49

Holly Penalver of Indigo Volunteers: Hearing the Call to Serve Others, Creating a Better Way to Volunteer Abroad

Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, an organization that pairs people who wish to help with humanitarian projects needing assistance.  Since the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, Indigo has placed thousands of volunteers in camps across Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and more.  Holly says she didn’t know anything about how to launch or run a nonprofit at first. She just saw a need, and then she found a way to help. She’s dedicated more than the past 10 years of her life to it. And she’s had some incredible adventures along the way. She’ll share them in this episode. We discuss:  Her firsthand experience learning how difficult - and expensive – volunteering can be.  How helping refugees has changed since COVID and the war in Ukraine.  What people don’t understand about refugees. What it’s really like inside of a refugee camp.   Why so many charities today are struggling to find volunteers.   How she’s seen the best in people through her work – and the lasting impression that’s left on her.  Follow Holly and Indigo Volunteers on Instagram at @indigovolunteers  

10-09
37:07

Kimi Culp: Learning the Generosity of Resilience, Leaving Behind Oprah and Network TV, and Finding Your Personal Mission

Kimi was a successful television producer working with the biggest networks, like CNN, NBC and Oprah. But a mountaintop revelation led her to leave it all behind. Today she’s the voice behind what might be the world’s first “one for one” charitable podcast. Her show features people who’ve survived terrible ordeals. In this interview, she shares the inspiring lessons she’s learned from them. Follow Kimi’s show on Instagram @allthewiserpodcast We discuss:  What makes a great story — and how to tell it well The overarching lessons Kimi has learned from her guests on the show Her work on the excellent documentary Gleason, which captures the experience of an NFL player battling against Lou Gehrig’s disease — and which is I think just an outstanding tribute to human courage and faith The toughest story Kimi has ever told on her podcast And lastly, toward the end of our interview, you’ll hear a special surprise we have for Kimi   

09-08
32:27

Amy O’Dell of Jacob’s Ladder: Turning Obstacles into Joy and Hope for Kids

In a conversation made possible by listeners like you, Amy shares the story of how medical experts wrote off her son Jacob – but she refused to accept it. Instead, she gave up everything to help him. And along the way, she developed a method that’s not only helped Jacob thrive, it today helps hundreds of other kids develop at their school, Jacob’s Ladder.  Follow them on Instagram @jacobsladder407.   We discuss:  What happened on the day Amy walked off her job to care for Jacob full-time  How her work with Jacob started in the kitchen  The first child Amy assisted other than her own son (and how it grew to more than 4,000 kids to date)  The first thing children with neurodevelopmental disorders need  Jacob’s life today  A story showing why hard things are worth persevering through  What keeps Amy from becoming exhausted  

08-04
51:27

Bob Goff: How to Live an Undistracted Life

In this unpredictable and fun conversation, Goff – who’s a best-selling author and philanthropist – answers questions from you, our listeners. Along the way he explains how “air distracts him” and what he’s learned to do fix that. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram @bobgoff.   We discuss:  Bob’s journey from high-powered lawyer to popular speaker and writer.  Curious tactics for staying focused, including a countdown clock for your life.  What Bob learned from being 10,000 miles away from any other person.  The magic of “small beginnings,” and how you can do better at turning intention into action. 

07-07
44:43

Kim Scott: On Radical Candor and Ruinous Empathy

Scott, a management expert who’s led teams at Google and coached high-profile CEOs, shares a groundbreaking framework for delivering better feedback to others. Follow her on Twitter @kimballscott  We’ll discuss:  How people in different generations can offer more candid and effective feedback to each other. The new realities of leading a team in the digital age, where every video call can become permanent record.  Why Kim is optimistic about the future, and thinks the class of 2020 might solve some of our most pressing problems.   

06-02
45:05

The Return on Generosity, with Shannon Cassidy

A high-profile executive coach, author and podcaster explains why generosity is a state of mind, and how you can shape a more generous life through observation and practice.   

05-05
39:55

Ryan Backmann: Helping Those Left Behind By “True Crime” Mysteries

His father’s murder went unsolved. But Backmann did not give up. Today his organization, Project: Cold Case, assists families and keeps memories alive.

04-07
31:25

Steve Davis

also coming from Tim Ferris show!

01-05 Reply

Artur Gorbenko

coming from the Tim Ferris show. ready to listen.

03-20 Reply

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