"Sharing Common Ground"

Join Billy K as he welcomes Joey Svendsen.  Joey grew up in Charleston, SC, received a degree in Elementary Education from Winthrop University and fast forward to today, is something of a Renaissance Man as a Pastor, Author and the Host of numerous podcasts, including the acclaimed "Things you Won't Hear on Sunday," the popular podcast series from Seacoast Church.  Joey is an open book and his interview was not only riveting, but left us hungry for more.

Join Billy Keyserling as he welcomes Mel Glover, a native of Beaufort, SC who back in 2014 faced an unexpected and devastating medical event that nearly killed him.  Once he awakened from a medically-induced coma he found himself faced with conflicting outcomes; a hospital system that was prepared to let him die, but family members who refused to let that happen.  And it's taken this many years (now 2026) for Mel to regain some sense of normalcy, but you will be inspired by his message of resilience and family advocacy.

"The Mayor," Billy Keyserling welcomes Catherine Wilhoit.  Catherine is an Attorney, Mediator and Conflict Resolution Educator.  She has worked with thousands of children bringing conflict resolution skills prioritizing fun, proactive, community-driven methods that allow children to learn to support one another through thoughtful choices and effective communication.

Join Billy as he welcomes Erik Kondo, a wheelchair user of over 40 years due to a spinal cord injury.  Erik is the owner of Adaptive Community Consulting and his work with mobility inventions has changed the rules about access.

Join "The Mayor" Billy Keyserling as he welcomes Chloe Duffy to "Sharing Common Ground."  Chloe was diagnosed with Leber's Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which strikes women around the age of 30 with severe and sudden blindness.  Fast forwarding past many life-changing events you will hear her discuss with Billy, Chloe now works as a Technology Counselor for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind .

Join Billy Keyserling as he welcomes Actor, Producer and Director John Lawson to "Sharing Common Ground." From John's bio:What do pumping gas and painting water towers have in common? Neither are glamorous exertions, and neither rise to the occasion of being called an aspiration. Both are a means to an end- a task to be accomplished so that something else, maybe something great, can happen. In the world of John Lawson, both of these things have taken on new meaning. John is an award-winning actor, singer, pilot, and a scuba diving instructor. And he has become one of the leading advocates of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. As a performer with disabilities, John is active with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and frequently gives talks to studio execs and others on the importance of casting authentically.

Join Billy K as he welcomes Alan Brown.Now retired, Alan enjoyed a long and storied career at NFL Films producing all manner of content for and about the National Football League.  At 25 he was diagnosed with FSHD, a type of neuromuscular disease that also afflicted his great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and brother.  As a result he is full time in a wheelchair, and of his history at NFL Films he proclaims "I walked in and rolled out."  Alan tells it like it is and if you want to see the world through the eyes of someone who lives with disability every day, don't miss this episode..

Join Billy K and his guest Holly Page. In addition to her leadership roles in No Labels, Meet the Future and the Win the Future Foundation, Holly has had impact as a strategic advisor operating at the nexus of ideas, people, and capital. Her portfolio includes serving the Executive Vice President of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), as long time strategic advisor to U.S. Ambassador Constance Milstein, the creation and launch of Georgetown’s Dog Tag Bakery, creating and implementing the campaign of Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s landmark speech and rally at the Lincoln Memorial, the first-ever online town hall meeting with then sitting President, Bill Clinton, and the Milstein Symposium, which brought together global leaders—including five sitting heads of state—for ongoing dialogue on advancing shared values in an era of rapid change.

Billy Keyserling is a web-saavy senior who was taken by internet scam, so pervasive these days. Join Billy with Host Ron Small as they discuss what personally happened to Billy in detail, and how to avoid being taken advantage of by these web predators.  They're out there and fair-warned, is fair-armed.

Join BIlly Keyserling as he welcomes Rev. Shaviance Dor, the visionary founder and Spiritual Director of Lotus Templar Inc., a 501(c)(3) Theravada Buddhist Church rooted in Afro-Indigenous wisdom and committed to spiritual liberation, community healing, and interfaith service. A devoted practitioner, teacher, and Army Chaplain Candidate, Rev. Dor brings together a unique blend of military leadership, Buddhist theology, and ancestral reverence to guide individuals and communities toward embodied wholeness.

Join Billy Keyserling and his guests Alexandra Seaman and her son Forrest Seaman-Rudd.  8-year old Forrest was born in 2017 with multiple missing limbs.The magic and mystery of Forrest has been revealed to Alexandra since his birth as what was once a fear of rejection is now awe at the ways he "cracks open the heart and brings people together."Forrest and Alexandra live Charleston, South Carolina where Forrest excels in school, swims, rides horses, skateboards, makes music, plays flag football, baseball and brings light to the world around him.  And Forrest wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

Join Billy as he welcomes David House to Sharing Common Ground.David is a retired Group President from American Express.  He retired to Beaufort, South Carolina and served two terms as Chairman of the Board and one term as Finance Chair of Beaufort Memorial Hospital and currently is deeply involved in a local initiative to build/refurbish homes for those in need.  Currently more than 50 families have benefitted and are no plans to stop this most worthwhile cause.

Join Billy Keyserling as he welcomes Anthony D'Altrui to the studio for an intimate discussion about Anthony's road to blindness.  With Billy's own impending sight issues, this is a truly candid conversation which asks all the tough questions.  Anthony is a captivating communicator and he is the perfect example of how a disability can happen to anyone at anytime.

Ella Small is a rising college senior who just returned from a semester abroad in Paris.  Join Billy and his old friend as they discuss Ella's cross-cultural experience and take this virtual tour of Paris; the good, the bad and the ugly.

In this episode Billy welcomes Amy Armstrong, the Executive Director of the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, which she joined in 2002.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, and a Juris Doctor and Masters in Earth and Environmental Resource Management from the University of South Carolina.  At age 25, Amy was involved in a car accident which parlayzed her legs and changed her life overnight.  Her brutal honesty about her experiences will get your attention, and emphasize disability can happen to anyone, at any time.

Join "The Mayor," Billy Keyserling as he interviews Richard Geier, the Chairman of the Board of Education of the Beaufort County School District.  Richard also lends insight into his role in the attempt by some members of the Beaufort community to ban a vast list of books. and how he brought about a consensus.  The story was documented on "60 Minutes."This interview will have you riveted. And before or after the interview, check out the above-mentioned "60 Minutes" episode:https://youtu.be/JNaw_ZPsg7E?si=OKU4q2JpCIO2IkN9

Join "The Mayor" as he welcomes Mike McFee.  Mike is past Chairman of the Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce and past President of the Beaufort Realtors Association.On the Beaufort government side, Mike was first elected to City Council in 2008 and re-elected in 2012 and 2016.  He was Mayor Pro Tem from 2014 to 2020 and won a special election in 2021 to return to City Council and was elected Mayro Pro Tem shortly thereafter, then re-elected to a full term inn November of 2022.  He and Billy K have also been great friends for years.

Join "The Mayor" as he welcomes Dan Durbin to "Sharing Common Ground."  A nearly 40-year veteran of education, Dan is a national award-winning educator, administrator and consultant who has joined the Mark Bookman Foundation as its Executive Director.  Listen to his vision for the Foundation and prepare to be impressed. 

Join Billy as he welcomes Alex Jackson.  Jackson was disabled as a toddler returning from a visit to his grandparents in Augusta, Ga., to show off his walking abilities. The car his mother drove was struck head-on when another vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic.  His mother, a pediatrician at the Medical University, was severely injured but recovered. Jackson suffered a debilitating spinal trauma and lives full time in a wheelchair.  He has never walked.To say Alex let's nothing stand in his way would be an understatement.  Billy was cleary taken by this extraordinary young man, and you will be as well.

Join "The Mayor" Billy Keyserling as he welcomes renowned Director of Photography/Cinematographer Felix Arceneaux to the Podcast. Felix was the Director Of Photography for "Mark - A Call to Action," the documentary about the life and achievements of Dr. Mark Bookman, a fully disabled man from Bryn Mawr, PA who, despite needing 24/7 care, became a globally respected disabilities advocate and scholar residing full time in Tokyo and teaching at the University of Tokyo.  Though they've not met in person, Billy served as Executive Producer for two documentaries shot by Felix; "Mark - A Call to Action," and "I Danced for the Angel of Death - The Dr. Edith Eva Eger Story" for the Holocaust Education Film Foundation.