Penny Forward

Does fear hold you back? When opportunities come up throughout our lives we don’t always take them because we’re afraid. Whether we’re afraid of failure, or afraid of success, that fear can hold us back from achieving our highest potential. This week, 2022 American Council Of The Blind JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellow Byron Lee returns to tell us how he recently overcame fear to accept a new and challenging job opportunity. The Fear Factor TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

This week’s guest is Star Trek’s first blind actor, Bruce Horak.  Bruce is originally from Calgary, Alberta where he trained in theatre and Improvisation. Horak lost over 90% of his eyesight to Retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer.  He has worked for over 25 years as an actor, writer, musician, composer, and painter, often creating work which addresses vision-loss, perspective, and perseverance.  His one-person shows have taken him all over the world.  "This is CANCER" premiered in 2006 at the Summerworks festival in Toronto, and went on to be performed over 1000 times earning awards from coast to coast. "Assassinating Thomson" premiered in 2013 and has been produced nearly 800 times.  The National Arts Centre, Common Boots Theatre, The Blyth Festival, and Manitoba Theatre Centre are just a few of the spaces to present his work. He can be seen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Paramount Plus as the blind alien engineer, Hemmer. When not creating new works and performing onstage, Bruce devotes his time to painting.  More can be seen at http://www.brucehorak.com/ Where No Blind Actor Has Gone Before Pt 2 TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Are you stressed out wondering if you’ll get a tax refund or owe money this year? We wanted to learn why some of us get a refund while others end up having to pay, so we invited Leah Hassler, a Certified Public Accountant and professional tax preparer, on to tell us how, with proper planning, we can minimize that stress. Coping With The Most Taxing Season Of The Year TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Have you always believed that you could only make a living if you went to college? George Wurtzel was the star of a 2018 Subaru Outback commercial, but he is also a blind woodworker and craftsman who believes that blind people can be successful in any type of job. In part 2 of a two part interview, we’ll learn how George’s talent and resilience helped him to succeed throughout his 50-year woodworking career, and what it was like to film that famous Subaru commercial. Seeing The World In Ways You Never Imagined TranscriptDownload You can learn more about George by visiting his Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wurtzel or by visiting his web site, http://www.gmwurtzel.com/ pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Have you always believed that you could only make a living if you went to college? George Wurtzel was the star of a 2018 Subaru Outback commercial, but he is also a blind woodworker and craftsman who believes that blind people can be successful in any type of job. In part 1 of a two part interview, we’ll learn how George’s talent and resilience helped him to succeed throughout his 50-year woodworking career, and what it was like to film that famous Subaru commercial. Seeing The World In Ways You Never Imagined Pt 1 TranscriptDownload You can learn more about George by visiting his Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wurtzel or by visiting his web site, http://www.gmwurtzel.com/  pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Will blind people ever live and work in space? This week, on the Penny Forward Podcast, Sheri Wells-Jensen will tell us why she, and Mission: AstroAccess believe that it’s critical that even an environment as hostile as space must be accessible to everyone. We’ll also learn how it feels to experience zero gravity and how you can get involved with Mission: AstroAccess and their on-going research into accessibility’s final frontier. Accessibility’s Final Frontier TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

If the topic of investing seems incredibly daunting, or your first thought upon hearing the word "investing" is, "I could never do that!" You are most definitely not alone. Additionally, while our inclination when our elders tell us things may be to not listen to them, much wisdom and invaluable life lessons can come from age and experience. Les Kriegler is 71 years old. Over his long life, he has enjoyed a successful career in the New York state rehabilitation system, both as a counselor and an administrator, raised two children with his wife Jane, and become a successful investor. We invited Les on because we think he has a lot to teach us about how investing can be a powerful tool to help blind people lead comfortable and care free lives. How A Lifetime Of Investing Has Paid Off TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

If upon hearing the phrase "identity theft," your first thought is, "Oh, crap!" You are not alone. While the topic of identity theft can evoke feelings of overwhelming dread, there are accessible resources out there if you find yourself a victim of identity theft as well as steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of having your identity stolen. We invited Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, ITRC for short, on to talk to us about identity theft, and explain how the ITRC, through a host of accessible resources, can help us be proactive and responsible about ensuring that our identity is ours and ours alone. To learn more about the ITRC, visit their web site at https://www.idtheftcenter.org/ Accessible Resources To Prevent Identity Theft TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Taylor Arndt founded Taylor's Accessibility Services after she lost her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She used her expertise in accessible web design to start a successful web hosting and web accessibility consulting company, and we wanted to learn how she made that possible through building a network of relationships with other blind people. Taylor's business, Taylor's Accessibility Services, provides web hosting for, and is a proud sponsor of, the Penny Forward podcast. Visit her web site at https://www.tayloraccess.com A Network Of The Blind TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Many blind people wonder if we will ever be able to own our own home, Especially if we’re struggling just to find work and get off of social security benefits. Michael Morris lost a good job when his vision changed and he didn’t know how to access the resources that could’ve helped him learn the skills he needed to keep working. We invited Michael on to tell us how his resilience and faith helped him access the resources he needed to achieve his goal of home ownership and how he paid off his mortgage in just seven short years. Michael used an individual development account, a special bank account that helps people with low incomes to save for their education, a first home, or to start a business. More information about individual development accounts and how they impact Social Security benefits can be found at https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-individual-development.htm  Daring To Dream The Impossible Dream TranscriptDownload pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

We want to know how to make, keep, and grow money on the Penny Forward podcast, and making money usually involves finding a job, or starting a business. Ron Brooks has done both, and we invited him on to learn how he did it, and what he thinks it takes for other blind people to achieve the same success. The Avenue to SuccessDownload Learn more about Ron’s company, Accessible Avenue, by visiting his web site at https://www.accessibleavenue.net  pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

What is the hardest part of starting a business? For Leena Ann Solusar, it was the fear that it was wrong to charge for her services. We wanted to learn how Leena overcame that fear, so we invited her on to tell us how surviving a sexual assault, coming to terms with her sexual orientation, and grieving the unexpected death of her wife helped her to discover talents that she is now using to help others while helping herself. Healing through Healing TranscriptDownload Leena provided the following contact information: Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/leena.bandy Personal Email address: leena.salim@gmail.com Business Email Address: cathedralofthephoeni­x@gmail.com This is a collaboration with the Pride Connection radio show and podcast sponsored by Blind LGBT Pride International. Pride Connection airs on ACB Media 1 every Tuesday at 10pm EDT and is available soon after wherever you get your podcasts. Tune into ACB Media 1 at https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media1/ Learn more about Blind LGBT Pride International at https://blindlgbtpride.org/  pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

Penny-Forward-Transcript-S2E3: The Winding Road to Success is Paved with Errors and MistakesDownload Do you feel like your mental health impacts your ability to be successful? If so, then you may be able to relate to this week's guest. Everett Elam is an assistive technology instructor with World Services for the Blind in Little Rock Arkansas. He's a pretty successful guy with a full time job. He's an accomplished fiddle player, and a successful world traveler. He's working on starting his own business, and he's raising money for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired by running the Boston marathon for the very first time this October. We want to acknowledge that success doesn't come easy for anyone. Everett has bipolar disorder. He's a recovering alcoholic, and has gone through a divorce. And all of those things contributed to his particular life path. We hope you can enjoy and relate to Everett's Story. Everett also provided the following contact information and fund raising methods: Work email: Eelam@wsblind.orgWork phone: 5014202651PayPal: eelam@wsblind.orgVenmo: @Everett-ElamCash App: $EverettElam pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lee: Superblink.org Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin

As guide dog users, we were curious about how affordable a guide dog might be. Especially to someone on a lower income. Guide dogs aren't for everybody, but for some people, guide dogs can offer more independence and freedom than traveling with a cane. But, if you're considering having a guide dog, there is some added cost, and some added responsibility. So we invited Jake Koch, from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Raphael California and Boring Oregon, to come on the show to talk to us about the costs of owning a guide dog, what it takes to get a guide dog, what happens during class, and what happens after you go home. For more information about Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., visit their web site at guidedogs.com or give them a call at 1-800-295-4050. A full text transcript of this episode is available at https://pennyforward.com/penny-forward-transcript-s2e1-can-i-afford-a-guide-dog/ The Penny Forward podcast is about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. Subscribe by searching for “Penny Forward” using your favorite podcast app, ask your smart speaker to play the podcast, “Penny Forward”, check out the Penny Forward YouTube channel, or listen to all of our past episodes or read transcripts at https://pennyforward.com Support Penny Forward by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/penny-forward Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/pennyforward) Penny-Forward-Transcript-S2E1-Can-I-Afford-a-Guide-DogDownload

Software engineer Mike Gorse shares how early mentorship, Linux accessibility work, and steady investing shaped his career and financial freedom. Hosts Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner explore his journey from Duxbury Systems to SUSE, the lessons he’s learned about networking, relocation, and accessibility in tech, and how a simple, long-term investing approach brought stability and choice. His advice: connect with peers in your field, volunteer to gain traction, stay open to opportunities, and align your work and finances with what matters most. Contact Info Guest — Mike Gorse 📧 mike@straddlethebox.org 🐘 @MikeGorse@mindly.social Penny Forward — pennyforward.com Aftersight — aftersight.org | feedback@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856 Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight Show Credits Hosts: Chris Peterson, Liz Bottner Guest: Mike Gorse Producer / Post: Jonathan Price Music: Andre Louis Presented by: Penny Forward in partnership with Aftersight Sponsors: Thrivent and The Nasdaq Foundation Chapter Markers 00:00 — Intro: Building bright futures 00:15 — Meet Mike Gorse 02:10 — Early tech and Braille foundations 04:23 — First job at Duxbury Systems 06:41 — Linux and open-source accessibility 11:05 — Joining Novell and SUSE 13:23 — Handling discouragement and finding mentors 15:28 — Advice for career counselors and seekers 17:48 — Remote work and moving to Austin 19:50 — Context matters in career paths 22:11 — Housing co-ops and community 24:58 — Pros and cons of shared living 26:43 — Investing wisely and the Simple Path to Wealth 28:40 — FIRE and financial independence 30:54 — Networking and creating opportunities 33:19 — How to reach Mike 35:25 — Credits and Aftersight partnership