Next Steps Forward

Kristi M. Rogers is a leading executive and former senior government official with extensive international leadership experience in the public and private sectors. She joins program host Chris Meek to discuss the strategic advice and counsel she is regularly sought after for issues relating to security and disaster response, federal government contracting, the role of business in complex and dynamic environments (including markets emerging from conflict), public-private partnerships, and crisis communications. As the managing partner and co-founder of Principal to Principal, a strategic positioning company operating at the most senior levels of business and government, she will speak to constructive approaches that can be taken to address today’s multifaceted public policy issues, how she assists organizations with successfully addressing complex challenges, and the challenges, rewards and lessons she has learned in having successfully launched, managed and grown two companies with overseas operations.

Peggy Willms is innately and passionately wired to help others discover the healthiest version of themselves as a certified personal trainer, sports performance nutritionist, and health, wellness and life coach. Well known as the host of the internationally syndicated radio show The Coach Peggy Show, she joins Chris Meek to bring her expertise on all things wellness to the Next Steps Forward audience. Peggy knows there is no wellness “fix” - wellness is a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. She will walk the audience through how she helps individuals re-wire and rid old habits by designing new ones, identifying pain points and extinguishing all excuses. Through her coaching, she helps others find their current “punctures” and solutions whether that means focus on preventative care, nutrition, exercise/movement, relationships, organization, or sleep. For those seeking real life strategies and to implement sound tools to regain control, you will not want to miss out on Peggy Willms’ advice!

Dr. Marie Murphy is a non-judgmental coach for people involved in infidelity. She is trained and certified as a life coach, with her training coming from the Life Coach School and Martha Beck’s Wayfinder life coach training. Her bachelor’s degree is in sociology and human sexuality studies from San Francisco State University and she earned a Ph.D. in the sociology of sexuality from the University of California, San Diego. For years, she researched and taught about many things related to sex, sexuality, love, romantic relationships and family life. Her training and work in these realms have given her countless insights into the human experience and how we can deal with the many challenges associated with being human. She joins program host Chris Meek to discuss the both fascinating and uncomfortable topic of infidelity and her success in counseling people who are actively cheating or actively engaging in some kind of infidelity throughout the process of repairing their relationships. Many of those in the audience will think of cheaters as bad people but Dr. Murphy will provide perspective on why it is important for there to be support and empathy, or at least understanding, for people who are actively cheating as many might be experiencing something missing in their own lives.

Travis Conover is an actor, film producer and president of StoryTeller Film Company. He made his on-screen acting debut, co-starring in The Trial of Everett Mann, which won several awards throughout some of the largest film festivals in the world, including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Shortly after, Travis booked an acting and producing role in The Penitent Thief, which hit theaters in 2020. During Travis’ career, he has written and produced several short and feature films. After becoming aware of the disturbing realities of human trafficking, he dedicated himself and his work in acting and film production to anti-human trafficking advocacy, which can be seen in his latest film project, Lions and Lambs. He joins program host Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss his journey as an actor, his passion for ending human trafficking for good, and how he and other actors are flipping the script on Hollywood which for far too long has ignored and even contributed to human rights injustices.

Stacy Blakeley is the CEO of The Policy Circle, a national organization that informs, equips, and connects women to be more impactful citizens. Founded in 2015 on the belief that the free market is the best means to unleash human potential, the organization has grown to include 15,000 members in all lower 48 states. The Policy Circle has built a proven model to boost civic literacy and equips its members to lead at the local, state, and national levels through solutions-oriented programming and approachable training. Stacy is a noted public speaker who engages audiences in constructive dialogue and inspires citizens to take action in their communities as positive change-makers. Throughout Stacy’s appearance on Next Steps Forward, she will discuss The Policy Circle’s advice to women to “be more curious and less furious” and it’s work to help women do just that, as well as why civil discourse and civic engagement is so crucial in today’s society, why The Policy Circle focuses its efforts on getting women involved in public policy and debate due to wealth transfer, women out-voting men and women only holding one-third of elected positions; and the two gaps in politics and policy that the organization is concerned about, which includes the confidence gap and the competence gap. For those audience members who are looking to become leaders in their communities and develop skills and qualities needed to do so, this is a conversation that you won’t want to miss!

Singer, songwriter, musician and producer Julius Adams is music and music is Julius Adams. His love for music extends from his own love for people, as the Next Steps Forward audience will find as he joins program host Chris Meek to promote his new single, “Healer.” Healer is a beautiful song about God being able to heal you from anything, whether it's sickness, disease, mental illness, financial issues, or heartbreak. Healer is meant to encourage listeners and let them know that God can heal them, that he loves them and he will never leave them. Julius will discuss how he uses music as an avenue to bring light to the lives of others, how he creates music with the goal to make listeners feel love, hope, happiness and closer to God, and provide insight into his own faith and relationship with God. As the audience will find, there is something for everyone in his music.

Dr. Sherry Davis Molock, is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Molock teaches undergraduate and doctoral courses in clinical psychology and conducts research on the prevention of suicide and HIV in African American youth. Thirty years ago, she first discovered her calling was to help prevent suicide among Black people, as rates of suicide continued to rise in Black adolescents. Since then, she has been adamant that Black churches could lead the way on teen mental health and suicide prevention and has worked diligently to implement suicide prevention programs for Black youth in predominately Black churches. In addition to her work in psychology, Dr. Molock and her husband, Guy Molock, Jr., are the founding pastors and Pastor Emeriti of the Beloved Community Church – United Church in Christ in Fort Washington, Maryland. Their ministry focuses on “family healing” that is designed to bring spiritual, physical, and emotional healing to the community. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss a reluctance in the Black community to acknowledge mental health problems, how her work continues to challenge misconceptions about Black people and suicide, how faith leaders can recognize mental health issues within their own congregations and ensure their parishioners are comfortable speaking about them, and both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for her HAVEN Connect Workshops.

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to speak with Dana Perino, co-anchor of FOX News Channel’s morning news program America’s Newsroom and co-host of The Five, about her career as an American political commentator, bestselling author and role as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush. Perino will speak about the lessons that she has learned throughout her career on how to maintain a level head and find success in the face of adversity. No conversation with Perino would be complete without talking in-depth about her time working for President Bush and, of course, politics in general, including how to navigate relationships with individuals in the workplace or in our families who have different political views. In addition, Perino will share the inspiration behind her latest book “Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (by a Former Young Woman)” and why men, and not just women, should consider reading her book. Perino serves as an inspiration for young women and all Americans alike and, throughout the hour, will share with the audience how they too can feel empowered and achieve their goals.

At a moment when the nation seems intractably divided and incapable of addressing our long-term challenges, a single movement, No Labels, is working to get Washington past the brain-dead politics of Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s the brainchild of Nancy Jacobson, described by New York Times columnist David Brooks as No Labels’ “undeterrable” leader. Having spent her early career helping Gary Hart and Bill Clinton remake the Democratic Party, Jacobson worked for Sen. Evan Bayh for fifteen years before launching No Labels in 2010. Over the past few years, host Chris Meek has used Next Steps Forward as a platform for civil discourse when it comes to politics. Ms. Jacobson and her organization have charted a path for what civil yet effective political conversations and actions should and can look like for Americans. Throughout the hour she will give a voice to America’s often ignored political majority, which is overshadowed and drowned out by the extremes of the two major parties. This will be a conversation rooted in civility, which regardless of political beliefs, audience members can all be appreciative of.

Danielle Freitag, co-founder and executive director of Action169, is on a mission to empower women to overcome substance use and to enable those in sexually exploitative industries to know their intrinsic worth. As a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, she has worked in a variety of settings as a counselor and advocate to provide direct support, care and counseling for women in recovery. She joins Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek to speak about the trauma-informed, faith-centered counseling program she created that promotes holistic restoration through evidence-based practices, including the creative arts. As an overcomer of severe addiction and the commercial sex industry, Danielle’s captivating story of transformation will inspire hope in the audience and leave them with solutions to overcome in their own lives .

“If we’re going to overcome anything, it’s our mindset around it. It is how fast we come to grips that life is not going to return to a previous state of existence.” Do you have a desire and/or need to overcome adversity in your life? John Register helps individuals overcome their fears and attack life’s obstacles in his motivational and inspirational speeches through a three-step process of reckoning, revision and renewal. Host Chris Meek welcomes John back to the program to illuminate the three step process of overcoming and to share more about his definition of “new normal” and how to come to terms with exactly what that means. A two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games silver medalist and Persian Gulf War veteran, John learned how to amputate his own fears. Now he guides others as they begin to do the same, by encouraging them to discover the stories that reside within them and unlearn or relearn the things they already know. Catch up with John Register and better position yourself to amputate your fears!

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to welcome legendary auto racing driver, Bobby Rahal, who most famously won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986 to the program. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA and CART, Mr. Rahal’s name is widely known across the world having garnered three CART championships, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. Chris is honored to know Mr. Rahal personally, having founded the nonprofit SoldierStrong which benefits greatly from Mr. Rahal’s many philanthropic efforts. Throughout the hour, Mr. Rahal will discuss his iconic career in auto racing, his role as a principal at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and his focus on philanthropy and bettering the communities in which his businesses serve.

Dr. Gary Reiss is a licensed clinical social worker and certified trainer in process-oriented psychology in private practice in Eugene and Portland, Oregon, who joins program host Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss his work teaching process-oriented psychology worldwide for more than 35 years. His specialties include family therapy, sex therapy, working with coma patients, worldwork in hot spots in the world, organizational development and integrating process work with different spiritual traditions. He is the director of The International Peace Group and the founder and director of the Rivers Way Community Clinic in Portland, Oregon. In addition to finding the time to do all that, he’s the author of 14 books, including Healing History, Process-Oriented Facilitation and Getting off the Wheels, a Process-Oriented Approach to Personal and World Liberation. Throughout the hour, Dr. Reiss will draw on his extensive experience teaching, counseling and facilitating individuals and groups to walk the audience through how he has developed unique techniques for applying process oriented awareness skills with the goals of enhancing deep development while reducing suffering, both personally and collectively.

Samantha Baltadonis, owner and CEO of Strive Solutions and senior manager at a Fortune 5 company where she provides Organization Development Consulting and Leadership and Transformation Coaching, joins program host Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps Forward. Sam advocates for creating healthy organizations that prioritize the well-being of individuals, emphasizing that kindness and empathy do not need to be separate from exceptional business results. She will speak to her mission to fundamentally alter corporate America’s approach to workplace expectations and engagement by leveraging trauma-informed leadership to go beyond emotional intelligence to understand the psychological and physiological elements to overstimulation and burnout. She will walk the audience through how she empowers leaders to respond to the complex and evolving needs of their teams with empathy and compassion. Listeners will be inspired to take control of their lives and align with their true values and desires to enable true, lasting transformation.

On this installment of Next Steps Forward, Strategic Communications Executive Jackie Gulley joins program host Chris Meek to discuss her experiences as an executive in global communications, marketing, and digital strategy advising clients on executive coaching, brand development, corporate strategy and media relations. Through her work in corporate branding, she built a strategy of outreach and advocacy for business executives with regulators, third party groups, think tanks, trade associations, influencers and media. Jackie’s experience in corporate life served as the launching pad for her career as an executive coach - with her years leading global employee communications, crisis and issues management, strategic messaging, and executive communications, she developed the tools and methodologies to help her clients succeed. As she will share with the Next Steps Forward audience, her secret to success is understanding the dynamic and ever-evolving role of leaders today. Audience members are encouraged to tune in to learn about how Jackie expands the presence and creates strategies to thrive for businesses and high achieving executives, increases productivity and visibility for employers and their businesses and helps entrepreneurs grow and expand.

Donna Rice Hughes is the President and CEO of Enough Is Enough ® (EIE), an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker and Emmy-Award winning producer. She joins Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps Forward to share her vision which helped to birth the internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age and how, since 1994, she has been a pioneering leader on the frontlines of U.S. efforts to make the internet safer for children and families. Throughout the hour she will share steps to prevent internet-initiated crimes against children through education, equipping and empowering parents, educators and caring adults with the knowledge and resources they need to protect children, as well as cyber security risks and dangers related to social networking, online gaming and mobile devices. Ms. Rice Hughes uses evidence-based curriculum to equip adults to implement both safety rules and software rules when it comes to youth’s internet enabled devices.

Fundrage founder Maria Underwood brings her over ten years of experience in fundraising, business and social media strategy to the Next Steps Forward audience, offering her unique knowledge of the how and why behind donor giving. Throughout her appearance on the program, she will discuss the success she has experienced in all types of fundraising campaigns, including major events, corporate sponsorships, peer-to-peer fundraising, grassroots grant writing and major gifts, as well as trends in the nonprofit sector, what drives millennial giving and secrets to success for digital fundraising. The audience will gain insight behind her mantra “Don’t get mad, get giving,” and will be inspired to give to the causes that the mean the most to them.

Stan Gibson is passionate about delivering powerful stories, science-based research and real world strategies that help high-achieving leaders experience renewed energy, uncover creative solutions and unleash their team’s true potential! The corporate executive turned author, entrepreneur, speaker and success coach, joins Chris Meek in this installment of Next Steps Forward to share his message that will both inspire and engage the audience to find greatness. Mr. Gibson’s mix of strategies found on both the athletic field and in the business world are timely to leaders wanting a reset at home and in the workforce. Those looking for information about transformative and powerful leadership strategies and training will find just that and more throughout the hour!

Eric Caron served honorably for 25 years as a distinguished Special Agent and Diplomat for the U.S. Government, where he held senior positions within Homeland Security and INTERPOL and managed world-wide covert operations relating to Iran, China and Russia’s illegal acquisition of weapons of mass destruction. He joins program host Chris Meek in this installment of Next Steps Forward to discuss his endeavors in furthering the interests of U.S. National Security, including his work leading covert operations relating to human trafficking, child pornography, terrorism, money laundering and drug smuggling. Mr. Caron has spent his life lending both his knowledge and expertise to the country’s continuing fight against crime, evil and terrorism - and will now share with the audience the realities of his experiences and important information about the current state of America’s national security today and what more needs to be done to protect our nation. A believer in John Adams’ wise words, “We are a nation of laws, not of men,” Mr. Caron will spend the hour driving home the important point that no man or institution is above the law.

Program host Chris Meek is honored to welcome Bishop Donna L. Hubbard to Next Steps Forward. Chris has been proud of his commitment to bring forth guests who have worked tirelessly on the frontlines to combat human trafficking to share their stories, educate and offer hope to all of those who have suffered the horrors of being trafficked and to America at-large. Bishop Hubbard joins him to share her own experiences of being trafficked and how becoming incarcerated offered her a way out and led her to finding God. Upon her release she founded Women at the Well Transition Center, a non-profit ministry providing direct services to rescued, trafficked, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women throughout the United States. Bishop Hubbard is a world recognized and respected Human Trafficking Subject Matter Expert and Survivor Leader, who will provide awareness, education and critical information to empower those who have experienced trafficking and place us all in the position to decrease the likelihood of exploitation throughout her appearance on the program.