The Make Meaning Podcast

“The future doesn’t have to be about more stuff,” says Gina Nicholas. “It can be about sharing experiences with others.”

When the World Trade Center twin towers came down in a terrorist attack, Gina…

Sometimes meaning comes out of the tiny obligations and routines of daily life. We find meaning in the mundane as easily as preparing a meal and sitting down with people we love to enjoy it. As a cel…

“A mural cannot be a band-aid on a society that puts Black and Brown people at the bottom every single day,” says Katie Yamasaki, muralist and children’s book artist who uses art as a platform to bui…

Learning how to write and channel your voice is an act of bravery, says Patrick Hicks, which may lead you to become more adventurous in other parts of your life. The author of more than 10 books, inc…

Sometimes a meaningful life and a purpose-driven career grows out of a step-by-step approach to accepting opportunities and seeing where they take you. Margaret O’Gorman, President of the Wildlife Ha…

Growing up in the Chabad Lubavitch community, Bassie Shemtov always knew she’d devote her life to service. So when she married and moved to Michigan, she and her husband set about dedicating their li…

When many people receive life-altering medical news, they don’t see it as opportunity. Keisha Greaves does. As founder of Girls Chronically Rock and an inspiring advocate for the disability community…

She calls herself an eco-warrior, and her mission started early in life. By the age of 8, Kehkashan Basu was already advocating for sustainability, and now as a university student in Toronto and the …

Eric Hale says he’s not trying to be the best teacher; he’s trying to be the most impactful educator in the country. As Texas Teacher of the Year, and the first African-American man to be awarded th…

Sabrina Colosimo has been productive during this year’s coronavirus pandemic. Her interior design business exploded online, as people stayed home and found renewed energy and inspiration for renovat…

Seeing people as solutions to problems, Froswa’ Booker Drew says she wants her funeral to be a networking session. Relationships are critical for success, Froswa’ says, they teach us how to become le…

When asked which role he prefers – teaching high school, coaching soccer, serving as a blended family expert, or being a husband and father – Joel Hawbaker has a hard time choosing. All of these role…

It makes total sense to form a consortium connecting the 17 colleges and universities in our nation’s capital. The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, led by Andrew Flagel…

From living with monks to leading a consciousness-raising website, Harry Sherwood has done a deep dive into meaning and purpose in his young life and built a career based on what he believes. In the …

As chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee of the Michigan PTA, and past PTA President at Norup International School, Jennifer Johnson is living out her purpose – to advocate for all …

What does a high school teacher do after retirement? Teach about Ethics, of course. At least that’s Rabbi Yonason Goldson’s journey, from a “repentant hitchhiker” to an ordained Orthodox rabbi to a j…

From spreading out the learning calendar more evenly throughout the year to shifting from grades and ages as benchmarks to educational success toward competencies, David Hornak has revolutionary, sma…

It’s hard to forget being bullied. In fact, it can alter the whole course of your life – if you let it. Knowing this first-hand, Rasheda Kamaria Williams founded Empowered Flower Girl and became an a…

Joshua J. Smith was humbled and honored to be selected to serve on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 Task Force on Education. As a high school counselor in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and a t…