Seeking the Extraordinary (pod617 - The Boston Podcast Network)

You may know Fran Drescher from her role on “The Nanny”, or the work she’s done as president of SAG-AFTRA. But what is she doing now? Learn about the work she’s doing as a founder and leader of the Cancer Schmancer Foundation and how her journey helped her “turn pain into purpose”.

Today's guests founded the groundbreaking Punchbowl News. Anna Palmer worked for the Legal Times and Roll Call before joining Politico in 2011. While at the Legal Times she began to attract national attention for her work and investigating the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who ultimately went to prison. Not long after joining Politico, she joined the team of journalists investigating sexual harassment allegations against presidential candidate, Herman Cain, who subsequently suspended his campaign.

While at Politico, she served as its senior Washington correspondent. She also led Women Rule a leading platform aimed at expanding leadership opportunities for women and hosted the critically acclaimed Women Rule podcast. She also got to work with our other guest who would become her primary writing partner.

Jake Sherman grew up in Connecticut before attending the George Washington University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. He worked for the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and the Minneapolis Star Tribune in their Washington DC bureaus and joined Politico in 2009. He too became a successful senior writer for Politico. But it seems to me that much of the real magic started happening when he began to partner with Anna. They collaborated extensively at Politico, especially covering the U S Congress. They reported on corruption scandals among Democrats and Republicans. Including on the matter of Congressman Aaron Schock who ultimately resigned.

For four years, they took over the wildly popular Politico playbook after Mike Allen's departure, further expanding its readership. And in 2019, our dynamic duo wrote The Hill To Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America, a New York Times bestseller. They left Politico in 2020 to start Punchbowl News, which would offer non-partisan reporting with a special focus on Washington's elite power players.

Anna would become Punchbowl News' CEO with one of the top names in the business. She has been a political commentator for CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and Washington Week. And Jake too, would become a top name in the business, serving as a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

In this special episode of Seeking the Extraordinary, sponsored by Her Wealth, The Colony Group’s Nicole Steinwedell, Associate Wealth Advisor, chats with The Colony Group’s Lauren Ledger, Senior Wealth Advisor. Lauren discusses her untraditional journey to finance. From growing up a daughter of two small business owners, living abroad, and her involvement in philanthropy, you’ll learn about how her sense of community played a big role in her career. Tune in now.

Matt Ruff is a New York Times bestselling author whose work is so compelling that HBO turned it into a highly successful TV series, 'Lovecraft Country.' He wrote the best-selling book of the same name on which that show is based.

In fact, he's the author of multiple books, including Fool on the Hill, Sewer Gas and Electric: The Public Works trilogy. Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls, Bad Monkeys The Mirage, Lovecraft Country and 88 Names. He's written other books as well though they are not published, at least not yet. He's been described as an author of thriller, science fiction and comic novels, but he has said that he doesn't actually write in the same genre more than once.

More on Matt: http://www.bymattruff.com/

In this episode of Extraordinary Lessons, The Colony Group’s Michael Nathanson, Chair and CEO, discusses the topic of modern resilience. What can both individuals and organizations do to withstand and recover from adverse conditions? Learn from Michael and his experiences in this latest episode.

The Colony Group’s Queen Harambee, Client Service Manager, left Africa with her family for a better life and new opportunities. How did that journey shape her perspective and ambitions today? Tune in to hear more in this special episode sponsored by Her Wealth by Colony, hosted by one of Colony’s Senior Portfolio Managers, Kristina Saunders.

In this edition of Seeking the Extraordinary, we're interviewing the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of Diversity & Inclusion- Gloria Cotton and Greg Jenkins. Greg is a dedicated and passionate leader, facilitator, coach, and mentor dedicated to helping people and teams achieve higher levels of performance. Greg helps leaders understand the value of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to enhance team & organizational outcomes. Gloria is an expert HR and organizational development professional. Gloria has more than 25 years of experience working with corporate, non-profit, union, non-union, and government entities. She is committed to helping individuals, teams, and organizations create and sustain environments where all people can be and do their best. Diversity and inclusion are more important than ever for both employers and job seekers. Join us as they share their journey's thoughts and answer questions on Diversity and inclusion.

More on Gloria Cotton at https://inquestconsulting.com/ More on Greg Jenkins at https://www.gregjenkinsconsulting.com/

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Martin Luther KIng III is an historic icon, though his own story still has many more chapters to be written. He was born in 1957, the oldest son of two African-American civil rights activists. Sadly at the age of only 10, he and his three siblings lost their father, when he was murdered in cold blood. His father was only 39 years old when he was killed, and he had known at the time that others wanted him dead. Only the day before his death, our guest's father specifically addressed the growing threats against his life saying, "I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop and I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as people, will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." MLK III was forced to endure the loss of his father. And was raised by his mother in Atlanta. He eventually attended Morehouse College where his father also went. And from there, he went on to make his own contributions to the legacy that his parents sought. He never feared standing up for justice, equity, fairness, and civil rights. He led countless movements, rallies and protests, including when he was arrested in the South African embassy in Washington, DC, is part of a civil disobedience protest against Apartheid and for the release of Nelson Mandela. But his passions are as broad as they are deep. He has led protests against bias in the field of technology. And it's spoken to the United Nations on behalf of individuals living with AIDS. He became the first of his family to attain political office, getting elected to the Fulton County commission. He became the fourth president of the Southern Christian leadership conference. And he founded the nonprofit, Realizing The Dream Inc, where he spearheaded nonviolence education workshops and programs in Bosnia, Herzegovina, India, Israel, and Palestine, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and the United States. He earned the honor of speaking for Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and also spoke at Michael Jackson's funeral in 2009. Our guest served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Martin Luther king Jr. Center in Atlanta. And he co-founded Bounce TV, the first ever independently owned and operated TV network featuring African Americans. He's also served on the board of advisors of Let America Vote, an organization that fights against voter suppression. He's received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the prestigious Ramakrishna Bajaj Memorial global award for the outstanding contributions he's made to the promotion of human rights and the humanitarian award by the Montreal Black Film Festival. He was even given the honor of presenting the ceremonial coin at Superbowl 40 and throwing out the first pitch at the major league baseball civil rights game. His father famously said, "I have a dream. That my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." Today we have the privilege and opportunity to hear from one of those children about his father's dream and much more.

For Colony Group Associate Wealth Advisor, Nicole Steinwedell, a career in financial services was never part of the plan, but when her curiosity about the industry piqued, she left behind a 20-year career in Hollywood to pursue a new challenge. Learn more about Nicole’s journey in this special episode sponsored by Her Wealth by Colony, hosted by one of Colony’s own Senior Portfolio Managers, Kristina Saunders.

David Baum has had adventures all over the world. He's a walking storybook and a book of quotations.

A Maasai warrior in Africa once gave him the nickname "La Mayan," which means one who loves to walk and talk. As a result, David has sometimes been called a conversation architect. For over 30 years, he has facilitated conversations that create significant change. With two doctorates, 1) finding horizontal connections as a social psychologist and 2) looking for vertical ones in divinity, he seeks the overlap.

He says his "why" is always the same, to create a connection without dots. He has worked with exceptional organizations and people, including Jane Goodell, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Conde Nast, We, The Philadelphia Flyers, and Life is Good. His work has included conflict mediation in Northern Ireland, designing walking board meetings in the middle east, and large-scale change projects for Shell Oil, Barclays, GE, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity Investments.

Learn more about David Baum here: https://www.davidbaum.com/

Serial entrepreneur, Sarah Durham, has over three decades of experience building, acquiring, leading, and selling small businesses. She supports executives in their leadership journey as a coach and an advisor, all while being an active volunteer and expert in the non-profit industry. Learn how her life experiences has shaped her journey in this episode of Seeking the Extraordinary.

In this episode of Extraordinary Lessons, The Colony Group’s Michael Nathanson, Chair and CEO discusses the concept of ambition. Not all human beings are wired to seek ambition, and if we do, it’s not always in the traditional sense. What exactly are you ambitious about? Listen to Michael’s thoughts in this latest episode.

In this episode of "Seeking the Extraordinary", The Colony Group's Brad Levin interviews Jeff Singer, a serial entrepreneur with a remarkable life journey marked by resilience, determination, and a commitment to giving back. Jeff shares his early challenges, including financing his education through a custom silkscreen t-shirt business amidst his parents' divorce. He discusses his ventures in real estate and the financial industry, including a harrowing experience with a hedge fund that collapsed due to fraud, leading him to lose substantial money and face emotional turmoil. Despite this, Jeff rebounded. Tune in now to learn more about Jeff's extraordinary story.

A successful business solves the world’s problems, not causes it. They give more to their community than they take. Andrew Winston is a globally recognized expert on megatrends and how to build companies that thrive by serving people and our planet. He is one of the most widely read writers on sustainable businesses in the world with regular columns Harvard Business Review and the MIT Sloan Management Review. His latest book, 'Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take,' coauthored with the renowned CEO Paul Polman, was recognized as one of Financial Times Best Business Books of the Year. His first book, 'Green to Gold,' which he coauthored with Daniel Esty, has reached more than 100,000 people in seven languages. And his book, 'The Big Pivot,' was selected as one of the best business books by Strategy and Business magazine. He shares his inspiration, motivation, and research behind the importance of being a net positive business. Learn more about his work and influence on The Colony Group’s Net Positive Pledge in this episode.

In this special episode of Seeking the Extraordinary, sponsored by Her Wealth, The Colony Group’s Kristina Saunders, Senior Portfolio Manager, chats with Author and Women’s Health Consultant, Phyllis Greenberger. Phyllis discusses her new book, “Sex Cells” and her fight to overcome bias and discrimination in women’s healthcare. Learn more about her involvement in women’s health research and how she continues to advocate for the cause now.

According to the New York Times, Mike Allen is the man the White House wakes up to. Some say he is among the most powerful and influential journalists in all of Washington. And they may be right. He is a co-founder of the renowned news outlet and platform Axios. And previously was chief political reporter for Politico, where he created and wrote the well-known Daily Playbook while helping Politico reach new heights. He's also worked at Time, The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Richmond Times Dispatch.

More on Mike: https://www.axios.com/authors/mikeallen

In this episode of Extraordinary Lessons, The Colony Group’s Michael Nathanson, Chair and CEO, explains that overusing cliches can oversimplify the world and be dangerous. Tune in to this episode to learn why.

The Colony Group’s Nan Vlad, Senior Wealth Advisor and Principal, shares her journey from a life in the performing arts to financial services. Tune in to a special episode sponsored by Her Wealth by Colony, hosted by Colony Senior Wealth Advisor and Principal, Dawn Doebler.

Lisa Poff has collaborated extensively with many allies in her quest to develop new programs designed to empower women with financial knowledge and confidence.She also attended culinary school and cooked in professional kitchens in Los Angeles and Washington DC, authoring a cookbook of her most successful recipes. She is the chief marketing officer of The Colony Group.About a year ago Lisa was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She joins the show to tell her story, one of heartbreak and fear on the one hand, but one of hope, courage, faith and an indomitable spirit on the other.

The Colony Group’s President, Vice Chair and Chief Culture Officer, Ron Rubin, learns about Rob Barbour of Epic Private Journeys, and his journey to becoming a professional and highly experienced safari guide in Africa. But Rob didn’t always want to be a safari guide, he needed to find a way to pay for his medical education first. Learn about his life experiences in this episode of Seeking the Extraordinary.

Andrew Hughes not only has climbed the seven summits, but also six of the seven volcanic summits, the highest volcanoes on each continent. He also became the fastest and first American man and third person ever to complete the Antarctica trifecta. He practices turning discomfort and challenge into growth and gratitude. But he does this all with a greater purpose; to make meaningful impacts in the world. What motivates Andrew to “seek beyond the summit”? Listen now.

Andrew Budson is a professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a lecturer in neurology at Harvard Medical School. He has published over 150 papers and book chapters on clinical and cognitive neuroscience aspects of Alzheimer's disease. His most recent paper is "Consciousness as a Memory System.” Learn more about Andrew here: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/profile/andrew-budson/

In this special episode of Seeking the Extraordinary in honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, The Colony Group’s Brad Levin interviews Carrie Kerskie. Carrie is an identity theft, privacy, and cybersecurity expert and during this episode she walks us through simple yet actionable steps we can take to confidently protect our privacy. Listen now.

Dan Egan is one of the most influential skiers of our time. He was instrumental in making extreme skiing what it is today and is known for skiing in the world's most remote, inhospitable regions. He's seen death and despair. But also, great triumph and new heights.

He has appeared in multiple Warren Miller ski films, on the Discovery Channel, ESPN Fox Sports, and in countless magazines, books, and videos. Along with his equally famous brother, he has skied around the world, recorded more than 51st descents, jumped off cliffs, the heights of 12-story buildings, and defied death multiple times (sometimes barely).

He's also a businessman, motivational speaker, consultant, media expert, writer, journalist, and producer. As a writer, he wrote and co-wrote three books, All Terrain Skiing: Body Mechanics and Balance From Powder to Ice, Courage to Persevere: The Triumph Over Tragedy of Bill Fallon, and 30 Years in a White Haze.

As a journalist, he covered three Olympics and is a three-time NESJA Harold Hirsch award winner for excellence in journalism. As a producer, he was awarded a Telly award in 1991 and is a three-time New England Emmy award nominee for his TV series Wild World of Winter. An avid sailor as well, our guest has also produced videos for the U.S. Sailing Team at two sailing World Championships, and his media company represented Sperry shoes during the 35th America's cup in Bermuda.

He's also worked with well-known companies on marketing and branding, including North Face, Suzuki, Sprint, and Coors. He is a member of the Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

More on Dan at https://dan-egan.com/skier/

Growing up in Sri Lanka and finding her way to finance, The Colony Group’s Indrika Arnold, Senior Wealth Advisor and Principal, is no stranger to stepping outside her comfort zone. Learn how she used these challenges to her advantage in this special episode sponsored by Her Wealth hosted by Colony Senior Wealth Advisor and Principal, Dawn Doebler.

Bill Cohan is the New York Times bestselling author of three non-fiction books about Wall Street money and power, How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World, House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street and The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co., which also won the financial times Goldman Sachs business book of the year.His book, The Price of Silence, about the Duke lacrosse scandal was yet another New York Times bestseller. And he's also the author of the books Why Wall Street Matters and Four Friends' Promising Lives Cut Short. One of America's most respected financial journalists, Bill is a special correspondent at and a founding partner of Puck, a new digital publication owned and operated by journalists.More on Bill at https://williamcohan.com/

In this episode of Seeking the Extraordinary, hear from one of the most impactful pioneers of the private equity and investing world, John Vogelstein. John left Harvard at the age of only 19 years old to pursue a career in finance. From there, he eventually went on to co-lead the venerable Warburg Pincus, along with some of the highest-profile financial investments and rescues in history. But John didn’t stop there. His success and impact in business are matched only by his success and impact in philanthropy and many other exploits. He shares the details of his extraordinary life in this episode. Tune in now.

The Colony Group’s Managing Director and Senior Wealth Advisor, Brad Levin, sits down with Catherine Kimmel and Sarah Adolphson, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of the Artemis Agency. This unique agency helps magnify the philanthropic reach of some of the most influential people in the world. Where did this idea come from and what makes them different? Tune in to learn more.

Today's guest, Dr. Craig Sable, is the first medical doctor on the show. He's also a researcher and global health advocate, Sable is the associate division chief of cardiology at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he also serves as director of echocardiography, a professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.Dr. Sable has made and lives a relentless commitment to global health. That includes extensive clinical outreach, practicing worldwide telemedicine and multiple research publications in the area of rheumatic heart disease. One of his greatest areas of interest, RHD remains the most common cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in children and young adults in the world today. Despite being preventable, it's also the fifth deadliest infectious disease in the world, but Sable is doing something about it.Actually, he's doing a lot about it.He's collaborated extensively with the medical team at a hospital in Uganda. In fact, he's personally led over 20 medical and surgical missions since 2003.More on Dr. Sable: https://childrensnational.org/visit/find-a-provider/craig-sable

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

In this episode of Extraordinary Lessons, The Colony Group’s Michael Nathanson, Chair and CEO, discusses the topic of three-dimensional thinking. Successfully embracing this concept, can help you solve and identify complex solutions – not just the original choices that are offered. How does this concept also help you identify your favorite Star Trek captain? Tune in.

Gunnar Esiason is a cystic fibrosis and rare disease patient leader, who is passionate about early-stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy. Professionally, he developed a patient engagement platform for a medical nutrition company, built a venture philanthropy practice at the Boomer Esiason Foundation and was the head coach of his high school alma mater’s varsity hockey team. He has consulted on clinical trial development, a real-world evidence population health study, and a cystic fibrosis-specific mental health and wellness screening tool. Gunnar has been the face of fundraising efforts for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which has yielded more than $160 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis since he was diagnosed with the condition in 1993. His blog has amassed nearly 1 million page views since 2015.

Gunnar co-hosted the podcast, Breathe In: A Cystic Fibrosis Podcast, which climbed into the iTunes top 200 health podcasts at the end of 2018. He currently hosts the podcast, The State of Health with Gunnar Esiason, which is available on all streaming services.

More on Gunnar at https://www.gunnaresiason.com/

The Breathe In Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breathe-in-a-cystic-fibrosis-podcast/id1299822342

The State of Health with Gunnar Esiason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-state-of-health-with-gunnar-esiason/id1566190374

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Marc Buoniconti, author of 'Undefeated: From Tragedy To Triumph' is the son of a Hall Of Fame NFL legend. Like his father and brother he was a feared linebacker whose presence on the field was felt not only by his opponents, but also by his own team. He went to college at the Citadel where he, again, excelled at football and even managed to exceed the success he had as a player in high school. Things were going well for our guest who was voted the Citadel's most valuable player, but on October 26th, 1985 in a play against East Tennessee State, he dislocated his neck.And at the young age of 19 was instantly paralyzed from the shoulders down. In fact, his life was now in grave danger. But that's the only the tragedy side of the story. The triumph started around seven months after his injury. When he got himself weaned off the ventilator that was keeping him alive. Despite the longest odds against him, he obviously survived. He is now president of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, co-founded by his famous father and the very doctor who saved his life.

In this episode of Seeking the Extraordinary, The Colony Group’s President, Vice Chairman and Chief Culture Officer, Ron Rubin, speaks with Laura Jorgensen and Courteney Lowe of Fuel Goods. How did these former professional cyclists find their way to the sports nutrition marketplace? Hear about their personal evolution, professional journey, and more in this episode. Learn more about at fuelgoods.com.

How are D1 basketball and the finance industry similar? The Colony Group’s Whitney Turner, Client Service Associate, will tell you! Here, Whitney discusses how lessons she’s taken from her time as a college athlete have equipped her with a distinct skillset in her new role. Join us for a special episode sponsored by Her Wealth by Colony, hosted by one of Colony’s own Senior Portfolio Managers, Kristina Saunders.

In this episode of Extraordinary Lessons, The Colony Group’s Michael Nathanson, Chair and CEO, discusses the benefits of expressing gratitude daily. Whether it’s reducing stress or embracing the reality of our interdependence, this concept can create more opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, and effectiveness. Have you thanked someone today?

After her son’s autism diagnosis, Lorri Unumb’s life changed entirely. Lorri is a lawyer, mother, and internationally renowned autism advocate. Her work has been critical in the autism insurance reform in all 50 states. But that didn’t come easy. Tune in as Lorri discusses her journey and welcomes our podcast’s executive producer to join in on the conversation.

Learn more about The Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment here: https://www.unumbcenter.org/

Learn more about The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) here: https://www.casproviders.org/

Hear from Stephanie Wolff, board certified anti-aging specialist, hormone and sexual wellness expert, and certified weight loss specialist in this episode of “Seeking the Extraordinary” hosted by Brad Levin, Managing Director and Senior Wealth Advisor. More people are looking for ways to live longer and healthier lives, without the long laundry list of medications. Stephanie shares her approach to improving her patient’s health through radio-frequency and stem cell exosome technology.

Disclosures:

All information presented in this podcast is intended for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of rendering medical advice. Statements made on this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Mark Schonwetter survived the Holocaust, along with his Jewish family, by hiding in the forests and homes of Polish families. Although, he experienced unimaginable horrors as a young boy, he believes in living every day with love and not hatred. Tune in to learn more about his journey and his recent work educating schools about the Holocaust.

Dennis Ross worked in key positions for presidents Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama. His bipartisan experiences dealing with the Middle East, Russia, the Persian Gulf, South Asia, and other areas are, in a word, vast.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Kaley Klemp has changed the lives of countless people through her teachings around self-awareness. As a management consultant for Deloitte, she's now a highly sought after coach, facilitator, and speaker. She's a TEDx speaker. She has facilitated retreats for hundreds of forums throughout the world. Is renowned expert in small group dynamics and leadership development, and is a black belt master of using the Enneagram and conscious leadership models to help individuals understand themselves and others as well as to help teams foster a common vision, build trust, develop authentic relationships, and use creative collaboration to achieve better results.

She recently co-authored the "80-80 Marriage: A new model for a happier, stronger relationship." Offering an entirely new paradigm based on radical generosity and shared success and one that calls for each partner to contribute 80% to build the strongest possible relationship.

More on Kaley at https://kaleyklemp.com/

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Alex Sheen, inspired by a personal tragedy, founded Because I Said I Would, a movement and organization dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. He and his organization are changing lives through an innovative concept called promise cards, as bolstered by chapters of volunteers, character education programs in schools and global awareness campaigns. One of the world's foremost experts on accountability and commitment, Alex is a five-time TEDx Talk speaker, an author, a podcast host, and an internationally recognized humanitarian. His work has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, CNN, Fox News, and many other programs. He donates 100% of his speaker fees and by the way, he's made over 700 worldwide speeches and donated some $5 million already. More on Alex at https://becauseisaidiwould.org/alexsheen/ Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Mary Margaret Revell is someone whose life has been a story the likes of which you've never heard before. Disney wanted to make a movie about her, and with good reason. She swam across the nine-mile Strait of Gibraltar finishing in seven hours, 13 minutes, and becoming only the second woman to accomplish this feat. She made several attempts to swim across the English Channel before swimming across the 14 mile Sea of Galilee in Israel.She was the first woman to swim the 16 mile Straits of Mackinac in upper Michigan, and the first woman, and first American, to swim the double crossing of the Straits of Messina.She also worked for the Pentagon as special assistant for the environment and help direct the Navy's first environmental and conservation office. She wrote children's books and newspaper articles; raised sea otters; founded a company that made swimwear and sporting gear; became an acclaimed historian; and took the lead in establishing her great passion, the Maryland Museum of Women's History.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Joseph Bramlett was the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the US amateur at the age of 14. In 2002, he was recruited by all the major collegiate golf programs, but being from Northern California, decided to stay home and play for Stanford. He went on to be an All-American and a member of the 2007 NCAA championship team.

Boomer Esiason is the founder of one of the most impactful nonprofit organizations in the world (https://www.esiason.org/). He's changing the world as it turns. Esiason has made a difference in the lives of thousands and in doing so has made a difference in the lives of millions of others.He also happens to be a national TV and radio celebrity, the 1988 NFL MVP, a Super Bowl quarterback, a four time NFL pro bowler, the first quarterback selected in the 1984 NFL draft, the Walter Payton man of the year in 1995 and the all-time leader among left-handed quarterbacks for touchdown passes, passing yards and completions.He's the husband of Cheryl and the father of Gunnar and Sydney. He is extraordinary, though he'd probably never admit it.

Find the Esiason Foundation at https://www.esiason.org/

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

After graduating from college with a degree in psychology, Jim McCann became a bartender, a social worker, the owner of several flower shops in New York city and ultimately the founder of something much larger and much more impactful, what we now know as 1-800-FLOWERS. In 1995, he launched 1-800-flowers.com, becoming one of the early leaders in e-commerce. When the rest of us were still trying to figure out what e-commerce ultimately might be, his company did an initial public offering in 1999 and his business model not only changed the way we shop, give gifts and express our emotions and appreciation, but also the way other businesses now operate. He's been entrepreneur of the year, retailer of the year and direct marketer of the year. He's now a celebrated philanthropist, board member, author, speaker, and even professional baseball team owner. Please enjoy this discussion with the extraordinary Jim McCann.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Mike's guest is Ty Law, the founder of the highly popular Launch trampoline parks, a serial entrepreneur.He's now an equity owner of V1 vodka, but you may know him better for his 15 years in the NFL. He won three super bowls. As part of the New England Patriots he was selected for five pro bowls and was a pro bowl MVP. His 53 career interceptions are among the best in NFL history, making him one of the best cornerbacks of all time. He's a member of the 2019 class of inductees into the NFL Hall of Fame, joining only 325 other members in this most special achievement.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

After an exemplary college basketball career at the University of Tennessee in which she was an All-American twice and let her team to four NCAA tournament appearances, Nikki McCray was an American basketball league MVP and champion. She played eight seasons in the WNBA and was a three time WNBA All-Star. She won two Olympic gold medals and a world cup gold medal. She coached basketball as an assistant at Western Kentucky and the University of South Carolina, where she won a national championship, and as head coach at Old Dominion, and now the Mississippi State women's basketball team, which is currently ranked number six in the nation. A member of the women's basketball hall of fame she was personally selected by President Clinton to serve on the president's council on physical fitness and sports.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Cynthia Hudson saw through the very fabric of broadcasting and journalism, as well as the causes of democracy, inclusion and human compassion, not just in the United States, but internationally as well.

She's won eight Emmy awards; been named one of People en Espanol's most powerful women; and been recognized by fortune magazine as one of the 50 most powerful Latinas running a leading global company. She won the Lake Valencia Media Award for her dedication to the cause of democracy, and the Palma University of Peru recognized her with the human merit award for a cause of peace for her anti-discrimination campaign.

The Latin Recording Academy has distinguished her with the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Award. And the National Association of Hispanic Journalists recognized her with a presidential award for her unwavering commitment to journalism, the pursuit of the truth and her leadership in journalism. She currently oversees all aspects of CNN Spanish language media businesses, including news gathering, editorial content, programming, production, operations, and personnel of the CNN en Espanol 24/7 television news networks, cnnespanol.com, and CNN en Espanol radio. Her community efforts are equally impressive and include being on the boards of the national epilepsy foundation and the Nicholas Children's Hospital Foundation.

In her own words, she comes from a lineage of "strong warrior women." More on Cynthia: https://www.cnn.com/profiles/cynthia-hudson-profile

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

At the young age of 16, Jim Langevin was working with the Warwick, Rhode Island Police Department in the Boy Scout Explorer program. A gun accidentally went off and a bullet struck our guest, leaving him paralyzed. But something happened after that. The outpouring of support from his community inspired him to change the world by becoming a public servant. He attended Rhode Island college and earned a Master's degree in public administration from Harvard University. About eight years after his injury, he was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1988 and was elected in 1994 to be the youngest Secretary of State in the nation, serving Rhode Island in that capacity until 2000. In 2000, he successfully ran for a seat in the U S Congress becoming the first quadriplegic in history to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

20 years later, he is a senior member of the House of Representatives where he now serves in several leadership roles. He is a senior member of the House Armed Services committee through which he serves as chair of the emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee. He's also a senior member of the House committee on Homeland security and the co-founder and chair of the bipartisan congressional cybersecurity caucus. He's been a powerful advocate for inclusion and independence for people with disabilities. Co-chairing the bi-partisan disability caucus and for medical research in all its viable forms.

John Thornton is a top agent for the Jay-Z powered Roc Nation. One of the world's best known agencies for entertainers, athletes, and other celebrities, from Alicia Keyes, Rihanna and Shakira to Kyrie Irving and Saquon Barkley, Roc Nation's client list reads like a veritable who's who list, garnering it over a half billion followers on Instagram.

John himself represents a first-round pick from last year's NFL draft, as well as several other high profile clients. But today's guest didn't start as his career as an agent. He attended West Virginia University where he played football and was a two-time all Big East selection. He was defensive co-captain and earned first team All-American honors from the Sports Network. A defensive tackle, he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft and went on to play in Super Bowl 34 for the Titans against the St. Louis Rams. In 2003, our guest signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he eventually finished an outstanding ten-year career of terrorizing NFL offenses that included 303 tackles, 27 1/2 sacks and four forced fumbles, along with a single year in which he had an amazing 74 tackles. Along the way he served as a defensive captain for his Bengals teammates.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Mike Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

She competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals in one bronze medal. He was chosen by his fellow Olympians to bear the U S flag at the closing ceremony of the 1994 winter Olympics. And will forever be an example of the power of human resilience. Mike chats with the real dynamic duo, Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen.

Through her life's work and advocacy, Joyce Payne has made an important life-changing difference, not for a few people, but for thousands. She is the founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which has raised over $300 million for support and scholarships for its 47 historically black college and university member schools, and numerous students attending those schools.She served as executive director of the National Alliance for Public Trust and as Vice President of the office for the Advancement of Public Black Colleges and Council of Student Affairs of the Association of Public and Land Grant universities.She was the president of Global Systems Inc. and was a senior staff member under the Carter administration. And as an authority on women's issues in relation to higher education and labor force participation, she has published and presented a number of papers on the pursuit of equality for women and African-Americans in higher education.

Driven by his personal mission to be the best version of himself and help solve the climate crisis, Peter Knight embodies the true meaning of a renaissance person. He started as a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice, later expanding his legal career into advising both the International and U.S. Olympic Committees, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. His knack for politics has propelled him to serve as Chief of Staff to Al Gore. He also served on four presidential campaigns, including as national campaign manager for President Bill Clinton in 1996. A visionary in the field of ESG investing, Peter partnered with Al Gore to found Generation Investment Management, which ultimately became a leader of global sustainable investing. Learn what fuels his passions in pursuing these incredible careers paths and don’t miss out on hearing some stories from his rides in Marine One.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

You've probably never heard of Joshua Nathanson, but his story may just change your life. In a special episode, Michael interviews his 23-year-old son about his amazing resilience in standing up to life-threatening challenges.

Joshua was born in 1998 in Boston. He grew up in the suburbs of Boston and from the earliest age was naturally precocious, wise beyond his years and perhaps a bit more serious than his peers, and his ambitions were as large as his personality. He was born with a congenital heart and vascular disease. At the young age of 13, he had to have major open heart surgery to save his life. Unthinkably, that surgery didn't work. So he had to do it yet again, just as he was turning 14. This time he got better. But because of his health challenges, our guest wasn't able to play football, wrestle, or do some of the other physical activities that he desperately wanted to do as a young man. So what did he do? He just became a third degree black belt and senior instructor in Kung Fu. He became a competitive, natural bodybuilder competing for the first time only months after his second surgery. And he focused on his academics. His academic career was in some ways unparalleled and he eventually graduated with over a 4.0 GPA from Cornell University, a member of Phi beta Kappa.

He got into his first choice for law school, the University of Chicago, where he studies right now, but that's not the whole story. Last December after experiencing several warning signs, our guest got the tough news that he had to have his third open-heart surgery at the age of 22, and that he needed it to happen as soon as possible.

He did. And things seem to get better for him almost immediately after the surgery. In March of this year, however, he started experiencing sharp pains in his chest and back. Those sharp pains, it turns out were symptoms of a potentially deadly aortic aneurysm, which required emergency open-heart surgery yet again, for the fourth time. Our guest is now on the mend again, but he has a message for us. It's one of resilience, one of hope, one of strength and one of gratitude.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com

Adam Hayden is a philosopher, writer, advocate and community organizer. He's married and has three young children. He's witty, charming, brilliant, and full of life.And in 2016, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most common forms of brain cancer. Glioblastoma or GBM has a median survival time of approximately 10 to 16 months and a five-year survival rate of only about 5%, making our guest's survival for five years, quite rare. GBM is the form of brain cancer that took Ted Kennedy, John McCain, Beau Biden, Tug McGraw, Ethel Mermen, and Neil Peart from us. But Adam says he is living while dying. He is published on medical education, cancer survivorship, and the philosophy of illness in both the popular and academic press. He completed the requirements for his graduate degree in philosophy while in active cancer treatment and was recently awarded the distinguished alumni award by his university.He's an investigator with the patient centered Outcomes Research Institute, grant funded brain cancer, quality of life collaborative. He's an American Association for Cancer Research scientist survivor program participant. A Stanford university medicine, ex E patient scholar and speaker, and was a speaker at the 2019 End Well symposium and event focused on de- medicalizing the end of life. As a champion for early intervention of the palliative care service, he offers a unique perspective on the end of life as a young dad and husband. He served three years as a reviewer for the peer reviewed cancer research program, a grant funding organization that resides within the Department of Defense.And he now serves this program on the programmatic review committee. He also served as an advisor on two projects with the broad Institute at MIT and Harvard. He is a regular lecturer in hospital settings, and he's delivered, invited talks at the Fairbank Center for Medical Ethics, the Indiana University School of Medicine Center for Bioethics, the St. Louis University Center for Bioethics and the Indiana University School of Medicine, palliative care fellowship program.

Etan Thomas attended Syracuse University where he played basketball and graduated with a degree in Business Management. In 2000, the year in which he was selected to the first team, All Big East, he was drafted number 12 in the NBA draft and went on to play as a center and power forward for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks. But this man is far more than a member of the elite group of men that were good enough to play in the NBA. He's a study in resilience and inspiration. During the Wizard's training camp for the 2007 to 2008 season, a routine physical examination revealed that he had a leaking aortic valve requiring open-heart surgery.The surgery was a success. And a year later, he returned to play again for the Wizards. And in this first game back, he had 10 points and eight rebounds. Yet our guest has passions and genius well beyond athletics. He's a prolific writer, thinker, advocate, and activist. He wrote a book of poetry called More Than an Athlete, in which he addresses big issues, such as the death penalty, racism and abortion.He coauthored his autobiography Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge, in which he discusses his own childhood without a father. In another book of poetry and essays, Voices of The Future, he collaborates with today's youth to tackle topics such as police brutality, wars, HIV, and even religion. And his most recent anthology, We Matter, relies in part on interviews of other athletes, activists, and scholars to educate, question, and inspire.He's also written for the Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN and ESPN, and he still likes basketball too. As he is a writer and podcaster for basketballnews.com. He's the recipient of the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award as well as the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Foundation, Inc. Legacy Award.

Seeking the Extraordinary is sponsored by The Colony Group. For more information and to contact Michael Nathanson visit www.thecolonygroup.com