Intersection Podcast

063: [TheDigital.Church] Dr. Ted Swann - Community, Churches, & COVID-19

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 20:24:00 -0000

Ted Swann is President of Swann Medicine in Clemson, SC. Over the the past few months, he has been working diligently to educate his patients and also advise his community how to navigate COVID-19.

He has also been advising his home church, First Baptist Church of Clemson how to plan and prepare the church during this global crisis. He has created a wonderful graphical guide that helps explain how each person can personally prepare when trying to decide where to travel and how to interact with others during this pandemic.

This conversation highlights the creation of the above COVID-19 Individual Risk Guide and addresses the concerns of churches along with congregational members how to manage the risks of potential exposure.

To learn more about Ted Swann and Swann Medicine:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ted.swann.7

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-swann-74b32a55/

Website: https://swannmedicine.com/

Liberty Fellowship: https://www.libertyfellowshipsc.org/people/details/ted-swann

Palmetto Promise: https://palmettopromise.org/independent-doctors-old-school-medicine-on-the-covid-19-frontlines/

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062: [TheDigital.Church] Sewing Masks for Healthcare Workers

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 02:22:00 -0000

Acts 1:11 - Why do you stand here looking into the sky?”

Betsey Matheny of Boulevard Baptist Church decided to no longer and “stand there staring;” she decided to do something and help the healthcare workers in Anderson, SC. So, she organized a group of women to sew masks for AnMed Health’s healthcare workers. This began as a simple initiative, but over time as AnMed Health engaged the community; they met their goal of 8,000 masks. It is because of this wonderful community here in Anderson came together to sew masks.

This story is about community, faith, and a commitment to helping each other. This story will feature interviews with Betsey Matheny of Boulevard Baptist Church, Tim Self of AnMed Health Foundation, and Ila Tribble of Boulevard Baptist Church.

Links:

AnMed Health - Anderson, SC - https://anmedhealth.org

Boulevard Baptist Church - Anderson, SC - https://www.boulevardbaptist.com

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061: Recidivism Series Part 6: Recidivism, COVID-19, and Jail Populations

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0000

In part six of this recidivism series, we talk with Jennifer Johnson of the public defender's office about jail populations, public health, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer serves as co-vice chair of the Anderson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and is the Chief Circuit Public Defender of the 10th Judicial Circuit in South Carolina.

Links:

42 inmates released from Anderson County Detention Center as fears rise about coronavirus:

https://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2020/03/19/coronavirus-anderson-county-detention-center-inmates-released-sc-jail-amid-covid-19-fears/2877575001/

Public Defender's Office:

https://www.andersoncountysc.org/public-defender

Jennifer Johnson's Bio:

https://sccid.sc.gov/about-us/circuit-public-defenders/bio/1961/jennifer-l-johnson

https://www.scbar.org/lawyers/directory/profile/14224

Anderson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC):

https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

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060: Recidivism Series Part 5: Examining the Log Jam in the Courts

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:51:00 -0000

In Part Five of this recidivism series, we talk with Jennifer Johnson of the public defender's office about the log jam in the court system. She shares her story as she serves as co-vice chair of the Anderson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. She also shares her perspective as the Chief Circuit Public Defender of the 10th Judicial Circuit in South Carolina. She shares about the data and the log jam inside the court system as the CJCC continues to find ways to reduce the jail population inside the over crowded Anderson County Detention Center.

Links:

Public Defender's Office:

https://www.andersoncountysc.org/public-defender

Jennifer Johnson's Bio:

https://sccid.sc.gov/about-us/circuit-public-defenders/bio/1961/jennifer-l-johnson

https://www.scbar.org/lawyers/directory/profile/14224

Anderson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)

https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

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059: Recidivism Series Part 4 - Social Determinants of Health and Criminal Justice Reform

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Recidivism, social determinants of health, and what does recidivism have to do with re-admission rates? Is there a cycle, a pattern, a deeper exploration surrounding how those who are mentally ill access the care they need before the cycle begins; or even in the midst of the cycle? This cycle is happening and it is bigger than the four walls of a hospital, the criminal justice infrastructure, and the community they serve. So many questions, Here is part two of my discussion with Michael Cunningham from AnMed Health, part four of this series exploring recidivism.

As we talk to Micheal, he shares how hospitals term recidivism differently, specifically identifying the core cause for re-admission. This conversation leads to a larger discussion surrounding the social determinants of health for those consistently seeking access to care, especially those cycling inside the walls of the hospital from the criminal justice system.

Links:

AnMed Health: https://anmedhealth.org/

Anderson County CJCC: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

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058: Recidivism Series Part 3 - Recidivism, Health Care, and Healthcare

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Recidivism and the words "health care", what do they have to do with each other? Health care refers to provider actions, and in this case actions truly speaks, shows, exemplifies so much more than the two words themselves. Michael Cunningham works for AnMed Health, a community healthcare system, healthcare in this case is one word. AnMed Health is located in Anderson County, South Carolina; and Michael is a champion seeking change, committed to the service to the community he serves. He is also a partner in this journey of tackling recidivism as a part of the CJCC in Anderson County. Here is part one of his story; part three in this series exploring recidivism.

Links:

AnMed Health: https://anmedhealth.org/

Anderson County CJCC: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

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057: Recidivism Series Part 2 - What is a CJCC?

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0000

What is CJCC? Well, CJCC is an acronym for Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and Anderson County establish the second of it's kind in South Carolina behind Charleston County. What does that have to do with recidivism? Anderson County was advised to create a CJCC and begin the process of criminal justice reform before starting the process of building a new jail. Why? Because the Anderson County Detention Center is grossly over crowded. Part two of Intersections exploration of recidivism in Anderson County South Carolina. Let's continue Dave Phillips story, curator of the Anderson County Community Resource Guide.

Links:

Anderson County CJCC: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

Charleston County CJCC: https://cjcc.charlestoncounty.org/

Anderson County Resource Guide: https://myresourceguide.org/

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056: Recidivism Series Part 1 - Homelessness, Poverty and Criminal Justice Reform

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Recidivism, poverty, homelessness and a community resource guide; what do all of these items have in common? Dave Phillips shares his path of engaging the needs of a community through a simple idea, a community resource guide. This simple idea provided a spring board, creating connections across Anderson County, South Carolina; leading Dave down a path of a bigger mission! Dave began building connectivity inside the newly created Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in Anderson County, South Carolina.

Links:

Community Resource Guide: https://myresourceguide.org/

Anderson County CJCC: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/criminal-justice-coordinating-council

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055: Brian Barlow: Offside

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Bryan Barlow is motivational speaker and a passionate highly requested and recommended soccer referee. Brian Barlow is also a father, pilot, golfer, writer & Emmy award winning TV Producer and husband of long-time best friend Lori Barlow. Barlow is no stranger to center stage so it was no surprise when the little “Offside” project went Viral the summer of 2018.

Making a bold statement is one of the fundamental pillars of impactful marketing, Barlow took his own advise a few years ago and offered $100 for anyone who captures referee abuse and its posted on the Offside page. Offside received more than 6000 videos to date and is currently the only grassroots campaign discussing the negative impact fan behavior has on youth sports. This Offside Facebook page is often controversial, in your face and to the point - for those who are sensitive, uptight, wound-up or in need of a politically correct approach to the subject should probably skip-out.

Here is his story...completely "Offside"!

Links:

NY Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/sports/referee-parents-abuse-videos.html

Offside FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside/

Brian Barlow's Website: http://barlowontheball.com/

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054: Tigers United: Rachelle Beckner

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 10:00:00 -0000

According to best estimates, there are fewer than 3,900 tigers remaining in the wild. The reasons for dwindling populations are varied. Major issues include loss of tigers' natural habitats and poaching, which affects the 13 tiger range countries around the globe.

Rachelle Leigh Beckner is a very passionate person, yet did not expect to find her passion in saving tigers until she arrived at Clemson. This former journalist found her way into the classroom teaching and into the wild saving tigers, representing four land grant institutions.

Auburn University, Clemson University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri want their mascot to roar forever. That's why they are joining forces to form the Tigers United University Consortium, committed to saving wild tigers worldwide.

The Tigers United University Consortium was initiated by Clemson University President James P. Clements, who also serves on the Global Tiger Initiative Council. Comprised of business and conservation leaders, this international council assists the Global Tiger Forum in saving remaining populations of wild tigers, with a goal of doubling tiger numbers in the wild by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.

Links:

Rachelle Leigh Beckner Bio: https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/rachelle-beckner/

Rachelle Leigh Beckner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellebeckner/

Tigers United University Consortium: https://www.clemson.edu/tigers-always/consortium/index.html

Clemson World Article: https://clemson.world/saving-tigers/

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053: Carla Boyd: From The Heart

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 10:00:00 -0000

Carla Boyd, the mother of former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, has written a book called 'From the Heart of Momma Boyd.’ The book takes us back to the days before Tajh was a household name and what it was like to be the mother of an All-American quarterback at a major university.

When you meat Mrs. Boyd, you immediately want to call her “Momma”; because she is just exactly that, a mom to many. From those very moments as a teenage in high school, having a child and fighting cancer; she has vowed to create a better home life for her children than she experience. And she did more than that, she followed her son to Clemson and became a mom to a football team.

There are not enough voices of division one mom’s sharing their stories in the mainstream media outlets. We could learn a lot from sitting and having a conversation with these strong women. They could change the way we look and view at each son or daughter whom compete at the highest level in college athletics. I am thankful I spent some time with Momma Boyd.

Where to buy From The Heart of Momma Boyd: The Mother of All American Quarterback Tajh Boyd

Amazon - http://bit.ly/MommaBoydBook
Books-A-Million - http://bit.ly/BAM-MommaBoydBook

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052: Jordan Scott: Forage - Searching Widely

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 10:00:00 -0000

Jordan Scott, florist, small business owner, lover of all people and their stories, committed to small business in downtown Anderson, SC; and yet she is not a United States Citizen. Jordan Scott came to the United States from Australia not for business or the American Dream, she came her following her faith in Jesus Christ and her new husband as the began their life together.

She owns a beautiful florist shop in one of the most southern towns in South Carolina, Anderson. She has grown to love the people, grow a business and yet her heart might be elsewhere, serving people in other regions of the world. She knows Anderson, SC will be her home but is called to a great purpose beyond the idea of American Nationalism and Capitalism.

As she navigates her Immigrant VISA for Spouse(s) and Fiancée(s), she is torn with the requirement of never leaving this domestic soil for close to 8 years and serving the poor internationally. Coming to the United States is more that a better life for people economically, it is also for people seeking a place they can call home and to serve. I wonder if our supply chain lifestyle here in the United States blinds us from those who seek a place just to serve one another.

Links:

Forage Botanics Website: https://foragebotanics.org/
Forage Botanics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foragebotanics/
Immigrant VISA for Spouse(s) and Fiancée(s): http://bit.ly/USVisa-ImmigrantSpouse

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051: Kate Ranta: Killing Kate - Part Two

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 10:00:00 -0000

Kate Ranta is a public figure in the gun reform and violence against women movements. In 2012—after leaving an emotionally, financially, and sexually abusive marriage—Kate’s ex-husband stalked her to her apartment in Parkland, FL, where he shot her twice and her father twice in front of her then 4-year-old son. One bullet destroyed her right hand, and another went through her left breast, just missing her heart. Her father was shot in his left arm, which is still disabled, and in his left side, just missing his heart and lung. Although not physically hurt, Kate’s son witnessed the entire event from start to finish.

To Listen to Part One, go to: Intersection Episode 050: Kate Ranta: Killing Kate - Part One

Links:

Website: http://www.kateranta.com

Book: Killing Kate: A Story of Turning Abuse and Tragedy into Transformation and Triumph

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ravinranta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportkateranta/

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050: Kate Ranta: Killing Kate - Part One

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 16:11:00 -0000

Kate Ranta is the mother of two boys, a marketing professional, and a survivor of intimate partner and gun violence. She and her father survived two bullets each when her ex-husband ambushed her at her home and shot them. The couple's then 4-year-old son witnessed the shooting. Kate has been an activist for several years, and has appeared in documentary films, in national media, and on expert panels.

In the years since the shooting, Kate has elevated her story in documentaries, television, online media, and print publications, as well as spoken out publicly at rallies—in particular, on the steps of the Capitol with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Lewis—and participated on numerous panels nationally. As a survivor, she is aligned with many national and local grassroots gun violence prevention groups.

Kate focuses her work on raising awareness about the deadly intersection between guns and domestic abusers. Kate’s ex-husband was a Major in the Air Force who had many weapons, but she didn’t know the danger she was in as he became increasingly abusive—especially once she left. When a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, women are 500% more likely to die. And, 57% of mass shootings in America (defined as four or more people dead) are domestic violence-related.

Kate is the co-author of “Killing Kate: A Story of Turning Abuse and Tragedy into Transformation and Triumph.”

Links:

Website: http://www.kateranta.com

Book: Killing Kate: A Story of Turning Abuse and Tragedy into Transformation and Triumph

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ravinranta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportkateranta/

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049: Susan McLarty - What is a homeless coordinator?

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 19:18:00 -0000

Susan McLarty is the Coordinator of the Greenville Homeless Alliance, which is a broad public private partnership to broaden support of making homelessness brief and rare in Greenville County.

Greenville Homeless Alliance recently hired Susan McLarty to be the community’s first homeless coordinator. Susan will "literally open doors here in Greenville for people in desperate need of safe, affordable housing," said Tony McDade, who chairs the steering committee for the Greenville Homeless Alliance in addition to being the director of United Ministries.

What does it mean to be a community's first homeless coordinator and what does it take to identify the need to create such a position. Does it mean she is building homes for the homeless population, is she literally helping each individual into a shelter...what does one do in this new position?

I wanted to meet her, learn more about her passions, and what does it mean for a community to admit it is time to find someone to take a leadership role in such a vital conversation. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Check Out The Links Below:Greenville Homeless Alliance Meet Susan McLarty Greenville News Article: Susan McLarty will become Greenville community's first homeless coordinator TEDxGreenville: Susan McLartyFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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048: It was like a symphony - George & Henry's 2nd Birthday

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 21:15:17 -0000

The morning started at 3:30am Saturday, June 10, 2017 being awaken by Sarah saying something is wrong. As I rubbed my eyes trying to figure out what was going on, I realized her swift movements to the bathroom indicated I better jump into action. As I ran into the bathroom, I looked at Sarah as tears ran down her face. I knew…I better call Dr. Hearn immediately. I wondered…how did this start.

After rushing to GHS at 4:30am, I knew something big was going to happen. I hoped the boys could hold on a few more weeks, but I had a weary feeling in my gut. As I raced Sarah down I-85 to GHS, I called my mother who spent 28 years in the GHS Emergency Department. She told me where to park and how to find OB Triage.

After rushing to the sixth floor and into OB Triage, I knew we were in a teaching hospital. Teams of physicians and nurses surrounded us, checking Sarah, checking the boys, telling us to prepare for a long day. Then it came…it was finally said…we were going to deliver.

As they prepped Sarah for surgery, I dropped into execution mode calling all the family, friends, ministers, and even Dr. Hearn. I told him what was happening, he reassured me that we made the right decision. I stood in the labor and delivery recovery room as they took her away. I watched my wife, my twin boys, my whole life and being wheeled away to surgery. My heart sunk!

Today...this traumatic day became one of the best and most memorable days of my life. Today, June 10, 2019 is George and Henry's second birthday. We brought the family to celebrate their birthday together and shared some stories. Happy Birthday to George and Henry. Thank you to South Carolina's Systems of Care!

Check Out The Links Below:George & Henry Coming Home Day - July, 6 2017 (video)Gorge & Henry’s Life in Pictures - Flickr Bryan Neonatal Intensive Care UnitFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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047: Urbanization and SDOH - Brittany’s Story

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Meet Brittany, mother of Lily, single mom, healthcare worker, and a woman who spent years looking for affordable housing for her family. For many years I have been studying, documenting, and telling stories surrounding access to healthcare. The more stories I tell, the more people I meet, the more I realize access is a uniform word, a consistent word that is popping up over and over.

Access for this population of people, families, individuals is bigger that just health care. So many individuals need access to affordable health care, affordable insurance, and affordable housing. I am talking about urbanization and the many social determinants of health.

The upstream determinants of healthy urbanization include: stimulation of job creation, land tenure and land use policy, transportation, sustainable urban development, social protection, settlement policies and strategies, community empowerment, vulnerability reduction and better security among others.

Stable and affordable housing was a barrier for Brittany and Lily. One that brought many stressed to her family and it all started with one healthcare situation, Lily’s seizure that changed everything. This is Britany’s story, a story of challenges and opportunities, but a story that connects the idea of urbanization, access to affordable housing, access to quality healthcare, and a growing region of South Carolina that is trying to rethink growth.

Check Out The Links Below:WHO Defining Urbanization and SDOH WHO’s and Social Determinants of Health Homes of Hope United Ministries in Greenville, SC Greenville Homeless AllianceFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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046: Changing the Language of Sports...Word by Word: Sarah Spain

Mon, 20 May 2019 17:32:40 -0000

Meet Sarah Spain…I have yet to meet her in person, but we have exchanged conversation on Twitter. Sarah has a huge voice in the sports world much of which can be attributed to her passion for telling stories. She also has a huge voice in the world of bringing a female voice to a male dominated profession.

Sarah is a Peabody Award-winning radio host, TV personality and writer. She is one half of the “Spain and Fitz” radio show, airing weeknights on national ESPN radio, a writer for espnW.com, host of ESPN’s “That’s What She Said” podcast, a regular panelist on “Around The Horn” and a “SportsCenter” reporter.

No one makes it to that stage in the professional world without a strong voice…but what I love most about her, she represents the voice, tenacity, intentionality that I want for my children, especially for my daughter Rose. She is a role model, glass ceiling breaker, a conversation starter, and a change agent.

Her voice is changing the space of sports and sports reporting…she is changing the language we are using when talking about women, girls, and sports. She changed mine and even corrected me numerous times in this interview. I hope she changes yours!

Check Out The Links Below:Sarah Spain’s Website Around The Horn That’s What She SaidFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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045: The Greatest Gift - Linda Rettew

Mon, 13 May 2019 19:07:00 -0000

What is the intersection of nursing and mother’s day? Well, her name is Linda Bridwell Rettew and she is a nurse practitioner, mother, wife, grandmother, caregiver, and an all-around great person.

My life has been surrounded by medicine, from the earliest days of my childhood, I have memories waiting for mom in doctor’s offices, emergency departments, waiting rooms; sleeping overnight in a vacant rooms while mom pulled a night shift. Her career put food on the table, clothes on my back, money in my pocket, and values into my soul.

This mother’s day comes at the tail end of nurse appreciation week. What better way to celebrate our appreciation for the one nurse that taught me how to fix a cut, clean a wound, work hard, and to be a good man.

She is a nurse, a nurse in South Carolina. But she is more than a nurse…she is my mother. And I not only have to share her with my sister, but my children, all the other grandchildren, players on the sidelines of a Clemson Football game, and majority of four counties in the Upstate of South Carolina. She is a nurse, she is a caregiver, and I believe she is South Carolina’s mother of the year!

Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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044: I am a black man; survivor & victim of domestic violence - William Peppers

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:00:00 -0000

It is a Friday afternoon and I received a phone call. It was from William Peppers and he had a powerful message and story to tell, one that I did not expect, one that breaks all stigmas and stereotypes in the world of domestic violence.

It is a beautiful Friday afternoon, so we met in a park where he could share his story. As we sat and chatted, we gained an audience, a crowd of women sat and listened instead of setting up for a wedding shower.

He is a black man who won custody of his two girls after being a victim and a survivor of domestic violence. He also grieves the loss of one of those daughters, who was a victim of domestic violence, shot multiples times minutes after talking to her father on the phone.

This is a big story, one that is hard to tell in just one short podcast episode. It is one that takes many turns, many directions, and even takes tangents where I find myself wanting to keep William on point. But what I find in his story is his journey of grief, trying to reconcile the many years of abuse and seeking acceptance in this world where he finds himself an anomaly. His story is intertwined with numerous intersections, and I truly think he is still trying to justify to himself, he did nothing wrong.

Here is his whole story, the whole truth, the whole conversation. It is long, but what you will find is a man who just wants to feel normal again…whatever that means.

Check Out The Links Below:WYFF TV Town Hall: Project CommUNITY Domestic Violence Town Hall Part 1 Long history of domestic violence leads to murder-suicide Families of murder-suicide victims hold double funeral to help heal

Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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043: Albinism & Ruth’s Story - Andrea Kinghorn Busby

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 20:11:00 -0000

All you have to do is Google Andrea Kinghorn Busby and you will realize she is one smart lady. She is a doctoral student in Northwestern University’s Human Development and Social Policy Program and a fellow through the Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences Training Program. Her research focuses on using ecological frameworks to understand the intersection of home and school environments and their impacts on children’s development, especially among families from low-income, immigrant, or ethnic-minority backgrounds.

Andrea is also a mother, a mother to a child who has a very special disability. Her daughter Ruth is albino and this genetic trait impacts more that her skin pigmentation...it impacts what she can see.

What we see is the unique intersection in this story. What we see is Andrea and Ruth look completely different and Ruth requires special attention during this critical time in her life. This special attention created barriers for Andrea to find specialized child care after relocating to the Anderson and Clemson area of South Carolina.

Andrea's research combined with her child's differing abilities has done more than empowered this mother to advocate for the best possible care for her child. It has literally opened eyes to how one child care facility called DCEC is creating space for something special to happen...Ruth's development has exploded. Here is their story!

Check Out The Links Below:Andrea Kinghorn Busby’s Profile - Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH)Developmental Center for Exceptional Children (DCEC)Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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042: Pediatrician, Mom, and A Son’s Mental Health - Bry’s Story (Part Two)

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:04:00 -0000

In part two of Bry’s story, she continues sharing how her career as a pediatrician collides with her instincts as a mother of a child who has a mental disorder.

This episode picks up with the decision to go to an in-patient facility and the realities behind what it means to gain access to quality care her child needed. If you have not listened to part one, please stop and go back to episode 41 for complete context. Here is part two of her story.

Check Out The Links Below:The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn R. Saks Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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041: Pediatrician, Mom, and A Son’s Mental Health - Bry’s Story (Part One)

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:38:00 -0000

Her name is Bry and she is an amazing pediatrician in a small town in South Carolina. This mother of three faced one of the toughest challenges as a mother, finding out her son has a mental health issue and feeling completely helpless in a system that has no easy answers.

The next two episodes explores her journey in becoming a pediatrician and a mom and how all those relatable conventions were tested beyond measure when she finally started seeking help for her son.

This story is one being faced everyday by parents, the rise of mental health issues found in their children with no easy answers and with little access to quality care. Her journey took her out-of-state to an emergency room just to have her son examined. Here is part one of her story.

Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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040: Brave - Teresa Bauer

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:00:00 -0000

Teresa Bauer is more than a survivor, she is a friend and one that makes me coffee almost every morning at Figs Coffee and Creamery downtown Anderson, SC. Here story is one that was hiding behind her facade, one that was ever present in her life, yet tucked away behind that smiling face.

We all have stories to tell and many times it takes years to tell our own story. But Teresa found the courage one Friday morning as I sat and drank my coffee upon the barstool in Figs. For years, I have documenting the stories of domestic violence victims and survivors. So many stories that have been recorded and shared, built on trust and perseverance.

This is the first time I have interviewed a survivor of domestic violence who the was the child of a mom who experienced the abuse. Her story showcases the years and years of trauma a child can endure from witnessing someone they love receiving the abuse. She shares her story, her path, and the passage to revealing this delicate story.

We hope you are patient during this interview…it was a tough one for Teresa. This is the first time she is publicly sharing her story. There are many pauses and spaces for thinking and sharing in this episode. So we hope you grab a cup of coffee and truly listen and hear Teresa’s story!

Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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039: The Will To Live - Ken Scar (Part Two)

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:00:00 -0000

Ken Scar has to be one of the most fascinating and talented photojournalists I have met, and I have only spent a few hours with him. Ken is a man of many passions! He loves his country, he loves his family, has a renewed desire to live life to the fullest, and he is an amazing storyteller.

Ken’s path to Clemson University is an amazing journey, one that refined his craft during his time in Afghanistan during his tour with the Army as a photojournalist. His craft was challenged, but those experiences have shaped the way he captures stories today. Clemson’s long military history was a natural fit for Ken’s expertise as found himself capturing and sharing more and more Clemson military stories including Colonel Ben Skardon.

Ken’s story is one of many intersections...one of transparency that allowed him to tell his story. Admitting you wanted to commit suicide is tough, writing those words is even tougher, but telling your own story comes as we find more wisdom in our life. Ken’s wisdom and path as a photojournalist has brought voice to the reality that we all have a story to tell. Here is the question, are we willing to tell it? I hope you enjoy part two of Ken’s story!

Check Out Links Below:Meet Ken Scar Ken Scar Twitter Ken Scar LinkedInFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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038: The Will To Live - Ken Scar (Part One)

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 11:56:31 -0000

We all need a little more Ken Scar in our lives. He is a man with unbelievable authenticity that transcends from his personal life into the work that he loves so much, telling great stories. I have met many great storytellers in my life, none more highly decorated than Ken. Ken’s story is more than the amazing moments he has captured with his cameras. Ken’s story runs deeper beyond his time serving this great country. Ken has battled some of the hardest battles in his personal life that nearly drove him to suicide. What he found in the army in the heat of an ambush was his desire to live. Ken Scar is the face of the brave, a man who breaks down barriers as he tells stories for Clemson University. But for this podcast, he breaks down his own barriers and shares his battle with depression, mental illness, divorce, almost dying in combat, and his desire to live...to live life with his kids and continue to capture and share more stories. Here is part one of our conversation. Check Out Links Below: Meet Ken Scar Ken Scar Twitter Ken Scar LinkedIn Find Me Online: Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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037: Print Ain't Dead - John Garrett

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 10:04:00 -0000

Is printing newspapers a dead enterprise? You better ignore the national narrative because John Garrett has a message you want to hear. John Garrett started Community Impact Newspaper from the game room of his home with his wife and best friend, Jennifer. The belief that everyone—not just the insiders—should know what is happening in their own backyard. This prompted him to leave a news giant and start his own news organization...print first.

Community Impact has a mission, to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through collaboration of a passionate team. John is beyond passionate. He believes in covering basic areas like city and county council meetings, local business news, and local news that and gives a community information about their community. Bottomline, he is doubling down on national media companies purchasing local newspapers who then aggregate national news into their reporting. He believes in local first!

His success is bigger than the 26 print editions, the 45 communities covered, and the 2 million in total circulation...he is focused and has a strong faith that he shares openly inside and outside the walls of his business. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Check Out Links Below:John Garrett’s Bio Community Impact Newspaper John Garrett’s LinkedInFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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036: Constant State of Learning - Roger Cicala

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 10:04:00 -0000

Roger Cicala likes gadgets but most of all, he loves photography. This former physician fell in love with photography and built a nationwide photography rental business because of one lens he purchased. Yes, it was a Canon lens, one of those beautiful white, prime lenses.

After purchasing this $5000.00 lens for a picture he wanted to capture, he found himself with an asset he only used a few times year. So he decided to rent it and from the living room of his house he grew a multi-million dollar business that not only rents photography equipment, but ventures into other arenas including testing lenses for NASA, testing lens and camera for accuracy, and even giving back to his medical roots.

But what is so fascinating about of Roger as an entrepreneur, he has a venture he wants to dust off and find a group willing to partner. He has a way to photograph injuries of domestic violence victims using a special technology that could help law enforcement build a case against their abusers. Roger and I have many intersections and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Check Out Links Below:Roger Cicala Blog LensRentals.com Website LensAuthority.com WebsiteFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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035: Running for the Statehouse - James Smith & Mandy Powers Norrell

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 10:04:00 -0000

Running for political office has to be one of the hardest journeys an individual can face. It takes time, energy, lots of resources, a lot of contacts, and a committed family. Running for the highest offices in the State of South Carolina is the pinnacle of challenges for a democrat in a traditionally republican state.

James Smith and Mandy Powers Norrell were ready to face that challenge charged with core values they believed were inside the heart of their fellow South Carolinians. Their statewide, grassroots approach took them city to city, meeting so many people, with so many passions yet fell short during the late hours of the 2018 November election night.

I followed their campaign closely. My political background came as journalists covering Senator John McCain’s first presidential run in 2000, Senator John Edwards presidential run in 2004, and numerous Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

James Smith and Mandy Powers Norrell had the drive, spirit, and commitment to serving the highest offices in the state. I wanted to connect with them after the dust cleared from the campaign and reflect. They have amazing stories that intersect so many lives and so many strong initiatives they believe will push the State of South Carolina forward.

Check Out Links Below:Smith and Norrell for Governor and Lt. Governor Website Candidate Spotlight: James Smith & Mandy Powers Norrell (SCDP Website)Norrell & Powers Norrell, LLC WebsiteFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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034: Just Thank You - Tammy

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:04:00 -0000

You never know when you are going to meet such an old soul, a person with just a sense of wisdom that undoubtedly resonates with your viewpoint on life. I met Tammy one morning while working on a project for our friends at Welvista.

Founded in 1991, Welvista is a 501(c)3 organization that helps uninsured and underserved South Carolinians gain access to essential health services while reducing the long-term costs of health care that result from untreated conditions. In 2018, Welvista filled more than 291,000 free prescriptions in the treatment of chronic disease.

Tammy is a recipient of Welvista prescription assistance program. Tammy is one of 250,000 plus people in South Carolina who is uninsured. Tammy and I share something in common, we both have asthma and rely on medication to keep it under control. Since I have insurance, my medication is little to no costs. For Tammy, this is hundreds of dollars per month; money that is being used for rent, utilities, and livelihood. Here is our conversation.

Check Out Links Below:Welvista Prescription Assistance Program The Duke EndowmentFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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033: She is FitFluential - Kelly Olexa

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 10:04:00 -0000

What does it mean to be a social media influencer? This is a question many of us “OLD SCHOOL” social media pioneers toss around while giggling under our breath. I guess it means you have more than 10,000 followers on the latest social media outlet. But seriously, what is a social media influencer? I want you to meet Kelly Olexa.

Kelly is the founder of FitFluential, a nationwide network of highly influential fitness, health and wellness fanatics sharing their journey online via social media. She has also just launched Socially Fit Services with the goal to meet the needs of businesses and individuals struggling with Digital, Social and Influencer Marketing.

She is probably the first true social media influencer, starting her journey in 2007 with a $600 camcorder and a YouTube channel. She had zero strategy and just put videos up of her “ramble-on-a-thons” daily and that’s it. No editing. No calls to action. No fancy graphics. Just Kelly, sweaty after her workouts sharing her ups and downs.

Suddenly, she had big brands reaching out to work with her as an ambassador including Sears, Polar heart rate monitors, Nike, even Ford with the Ford Fiesta Movement. From losing her job to working with big brands because of a camcorder and a YouTube channel, Kelly shares her story as one of the first true social media influencers!

Check Out Links Below:FitFluential Website Socially Fit Services Kelly Olexa’s LinkedIn ProfileFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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032: Carved In Stone - Pat Williams

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 10:04:00 -0000

Basketball hall-of-famer Pat Williams is the founder and senior vice president of the NBA’sOrlando Magic. In addition to his roles with the Orlando Magic, he served as general manager of the1983 world champion Philadelphia 76ers and managed both the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. Pat is best known for acquiring top talents such as Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

A cancer survivor, Pat is in remission after winning his battle with Multiple Myeloma which is a blood cancer. As an author of over 100 books, Williams has focused much of his writing on inspiring and motivating others through leadership, teamwork and peak performance. He and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of 19 children, including 14 adopted from four nations.

In his new book, CHARACTER CARVED IN STONE, Pat shares incredible stories of West Point graduates who exemplify these traits. Williams proves that these 12 virtues aren’t exclusive to the military, but instead can be developed and used in every aspect of their lives.

Check Out Links Below:Pat Williams [Website]Pat Williams - Amazon Page - Books Pat Williams [Wikipedia Overview]Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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031: Mile Marker 50 - Allison Andrews

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 10:04:00 -0000

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.” - Denis Diderot

Allison Andrews gave me a card with this quote one afternoon in 2005 while the Road Show crew from WCNC-TV in Charlotte, NC was preparing for a live television production. She always knew how to get the team excited about the live television event we were about to produce.

Allison is one of the most passionate and creative people I know. And to be honest, I still feel guilty to this day when I had to tell her I was leaving television ultimately to go work for myself. At that time, and still to this day, she is such a tremendous leader and mentor that I never wanted to disappoint her. But what is so funny, she called me when it was time for her to leave broadcast television news to work for herself.

Allison has done more than embrace entrepreneurship and small business ownership, she has embarked on a journey of learning how to tell her own story. We journalists have a hard time with this creative shift in thinking, we are built to tell others’ stories. Now her strong voice as a single mother fighting the world of business, has a created an avenue for her to share her story on the largest stage. Now, many seek her advice, knowledge, and creative expression to find the voices to their own stories.

Check Out Links Below:Allison Andrews Creative Mile Marker 50Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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030: You're My Horse - Leighton Cubbage

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:04:00 -0000

I believe there are certain people in your life that provide you the mentoring and leadership necessary to succeed. We are all blessed with God given natural talents, but there are only certain people who fully maximize that talent and share it with the world.

Serial entrepreneurs are a special breed of people; true serial entrepreneurs. These are people who combine the ability to leverage their God given natural talent and courage to keep stepping up to the plate and swing for the stars. But the most successful serial entrepreneurs know which pitch to zero in on, stare down, and take that mighty swing.

Leighton Cubbage grew up in Sumter, SC and from the moment he left his football career on the Clemson gridiron, he started swinging hard. Leighton has hit it big, many times, taking lots of calculated risks, and investing in places no one could imagine. He slept in the office and on the road for months when it was time to make sales necessary to fulfill dreams and passions. But it all started with this one phone call from his Daddy, words he needed at a crucial time in his life.

Check Out Links Below:Serrus Capital Partners Lakeside Lodge Leighton Cubbage’s LinkedIn ProfileFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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029: Bowtie Comedy - Mike Goodwin

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 10:04:00 -0000

From the moment I met him...I just started laughing. Not because he always wears a bowtie, I like bowties and I wear them constantly. Not because of his cool, unique, circular glasses; because I just recently started wearing glasses and I wanted something cool.

I start laughing because he is always laughing, smiling, and trying to make other people laugh. This former military serviceman who found his career in higher education one day just gave it all up and start a career in comedy. Are you laughing yet? Well, the people that pay him to make them laugh certainly get what they pay for...a man of wisdom and pizzazz delivered on a plate full of laughter, full enough to make your see life in a new perspective.

This is the heart of Mike Goodwin and I hope he brings just a little bit of laughter in your life, because his story is like all of ours...we just want to make a difference in the world. Some just have the guts and the laughs to do it!

Check Out Links Below:Comedian Mike Goodwin Comedy Zone Worldwide - Mike Goodwin Bio Mike Goodwin Event TicketsFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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028: Sister Norma Pimentel

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 10:04:00 -0000

This interview with Sister Norma Pimentel was recorded not long before President Trump visited McAllen, Texas on January 10, 2019; the center of the international border debate, right where Sister Norma runs the Humanitarian Respite Center. President Trump’s trip was to visit the border and advocate for the construction of a larger wall along the US-Mexico border. Sister Norma’s passion to serve this humanitarian crisis is larger than walls and this legal/political debate. This is why I had to sit down and hear her story.

It is one thing to say we have passion and the heart to love all of God’s people. It is another to actively live this out in our daily lives. But one woman not only believes this to her core, she lives it everyday of her life. Sister Norma Pimentel is probably one of the most inspiration women I have ever met.

Sister Norma serves as executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville, Texas and has directed this charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville since 2008. She helped organize local response to the 2014 surge of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States, helping to establish the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas.

On May 20, 2018, University of Notre Dame honored Sister Norma with the Laetare Medal, the highest and oldest award given to U.S. Catholics, for her work with migrants and refugees. In 2015, Pope Francis also honored and thanked Sister Norma for her work with immigrants. I met Sister Norma in February of 2017 after my visit the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas and since then have followed her work and her passion. Today, it is an honor to share her story.

Check Out Links Below:Humanitarian Respite Center Sister Norma Pimentel - Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley 2018 Laetare Medalist Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J.Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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027: Finding Respite in McAllen, Texas

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 10:04:00 -0000

It is February 7, 2017 and we find ourselves in the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center…right downtown McAllen, Texas. McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, and the twenty-second most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley. McAllen, Texas has the largest immigration processing center in the United States

We are getting a tour, learning about their operation. Their mission…to help those who have crossed the border and have been released from ICE to being the process of seeking asylum. I am traveling with a group from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Buckner Missions to learn more about immigration and the impact inside our communities.

The Humanitarian Respite Center was created to provide a way-station for asylum seekers from Central American countries moving through McAllen, Texas. The respite center mainly serves women and children who have traveled together as a family and have been paroled from detention centers while they await their asylum court hearing. This ministry provides welcomed relief and support, especially for those fleeing traumatic and life-threatening circumstances in their home countries.

During our tour, a pregnant lady traveling who traveled from Guatemala and swam across the Rio Grande to cross the US-Mexico border walks through the door.

Check Out Links Below:Humanitarian Respite Center Sister Norma Pimentel - Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande ValleyFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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026: Walking Humbly - Ellen Sechrest

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 10:04:00 -0000

Ministering at the corner of Boulevard and the world is a big statement for a church that has a congregation of roughly 500 people in Anderson, SC. Ellen Sechrest truly believes in this statement fundamentally and each day seeks more missional ways to carry out that goal at Boulevard Baptist Church.

As Anderson, SC continues to see exceptional growth from the Hispanic/Latino populations, she has been seeking new ways to be a better neighbor. So she found herself drawn to McAllen, Texas to learn more about immigration, migration, and how she can better educate her congregation in Anderson, SC. What she found was a bigger missional calling.

On her second trip to the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center downtown McAllen, Texas...she has found a missional calling to engage in more intentional ways to serve these populations. But what she found on this second trip, is the need is increasing. She continues to carry out that mission, to minister at the corner of Boulevard and the world.

Check Out Links Below:Boulevard Baptist Church Ellen Sechrest BIO Humanitarian Respite CenterFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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025: Charlie Jordan - Santa Claus

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 10:04:00 -0000

I just believe...don’t you? It’s that time of the year where kids can be kids and so can us little adults. We just can’t hold it back, admit it...you get a little a little giddy when see jolly ole Kris Kringle. You have the yearning to go crawl up in his lap and share your greatest wish, each and every holiday season.

But there is only one Santa Claus. At-least every kid believes there is only one Santa and all the other Santa’s are … well … just fake Santas. But I was able to catch-up with ole Saint Nick...he invited me to his temporary home on the lake in Townville, SC. Just a short stop-over before heading back to the north pole for the last push before Christmas.

It was Christmas 2014, I captured one of my most favorite images of Rosebud with Santa. It is this picture that is now hanging in our house during each and every Christmas holiday season. It is this picture that made me want to meet the man that made Rosebud’s eyes sparkle.

So...regardless if you believe in Santa, there is one thing for sure … Santa’s helper named Charlie Jordan believes. He believes so that others may continue to believe.

Check Out Links Below:

Santa Claus and Rosebud [Picture]

Santa on Facebook

Town Carolina - Profile of Santa

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024: Desert Reporter (Part Two) - Morgan Loew

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:04:00 -0000

In 2006, I was working for the WCNC-TV Investigative Unit in Charlotte, NC. I was part of the team sent to the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona in the hopes to find people migrating to the Carolinas. I was sent with the team because I knew the land, the people, and how to navigate the bureaucratic monster called “The Wall”.

I found myself in a Econoline van riding with 15 people from Altar, Mexico to Sasabe, Arizona to cross in the United States. Along with 15 people traveling was a Coyotaje (Coyote). Coyote is a colloquial Mexican–Spanish term referring to the practice of people smuggling across the U.S.–Mexico border

Smuggling should not be misinterpreted to mean human trafficking. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) define smuggling as the "importation of people into the United States involving deliberate evasion of immigration laws.”

In part two of my interview with Morgan Loew, we pick-up talking about crossing the border in Sasabe, the dangers of the border, and what is life is like for a reporter to tell these stories in such dangerous conditions and treacherous times. We continue this journey was we examine the institution of “The Wall” in Beyond the Borders.

Check Out Links Below:Morgan Loew [Bio]Morgan Loew [Twitter]Morgan Loew [Facebook]

Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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023: Desert Reporter (Part One) - Morgan Loew

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:04:00 -0000

In 1998, I found myself in a new job, new city, new state, and really a whole new side of the country. This southern born and bred young adult from South Carolina found himself in Phoenix, Arizona working for, at-the-time, the flagship television station for Meredith Corporation. KPHO-TV5 is where I met Morgan Loew.

Phoenix is the fifth most populous city nationwide, the most populous state capital in the United States, and the only state capital with a population of more than one million residents. The history of the city of Phoenix begins with Jack Swilling, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. In 1867, while traveling through the Salt River Valley, he saw a potential for farming.

Cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper were known locally as the "Five C's" of Phoenix's economy. Now it is a high-tech epicenter a few hundred miles north of the U.S.–Mexico. Morgan Loew grew up on the border and gave me my first experience with border towns, immigration, and migration. Now, his storytelling and reporting has created an epicenter of debate, discussion, and further contextualization of this international cultural war. We continue this journey was we examine the institution of “The Wall” in Beyond the Borders.

Check Out Links Below:Morgan Loew [Bio]Morgan Loew [Twitter]Morgan Loew [Facebook]Find Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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022: Beyond the Borders - Javier Perez

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 10:04:00 -0000

Home is powerful word, powerful state of mind, and a sense of security for those across this United States of America fabric. In part one of this series examining the idea of home inside and outside our borders, we find ourselves in McAllen, Texas.

I visited McAllen, Texas in January 2017 on a trip with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to examine and understand one of the largest cultural passages from Latin America into the United States. This is where we find Javier Perez, Director of National Missions & Humanitarian Aid for Buckner Ministries.

Javier not only serves the populations in Southern Texas, specifically children of immigrants and those who are migrating, but he is also an immigrant as well. He came to the United States from Colombia on a student visa for his education, but now has converted into a H1B visa as he works for Buckner Ministries in McAllen. He understands immigration, passage, home, and finds himself battling for his right to live in the US; as he helps those whom immigrate to this great nation to build a sustainable relationship for their future. Now his future is in jeopardy.

Check Out Links Below:Javier Perez’s LinkedIn Profile Ethics Daily Interview with Javier PerezFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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021: Determined Tiger - Michael Bays

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 10:04:00 -0000

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

I love the last line of this poem, “Could frame thy fearful symmetry.” Fear is a powerful word, powerful feeling, and can even consume one’s spirit. I have never seen fear in Michael Bay’s eyes, I have never heard fear in Michael Bay’s voice, and I have never felt fear in Michael Bay’s heart.

This former mascot, The Clemson Tiger, has done more than help Clemson Football fight for a win on a Saturday afternoon. He has fought one of the biggest fights…bone cancer. His story is so real, a story we see everyday. But no-one ever suspects The Clemson Tiger would ever have to fight cancer, bone cancer, twice.

In some ways, I always felt Michael was immortal. I never thought I would hear that my good friend who made 85,000 people cheer on a Saturday could get cancer. Yet, his fight is one to embrace, because his mortality was more than real…it is the humanity of what makes Michael's story so reverential.

Check Out Links Below:TigerNet.com Article - Fighting Cancer Like a Tiger Michael Bays LinkedIn Profile Michael Bays Twitter ProfileFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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020: The Clemson Tiger - Michael Bays

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:04:00 -0000

How many push-ups can you do at one time? I actually cannot remember doing a push-up in years! I wonder what it's like to go down in the record books as the all time push up record holder...for this Tiger, it’s more than a record to beholden.

Michael Bays is one determined Tiger, literally. He was the Tiger, the actual Clemson University mascot during his years as an undergraduate student at Clemson University. He put on the uniform for the three whole years and was the central focus for every Clemson Football game during his time as the Tiger.

Being the Tiger at Clemson is more than just doing push-ups after every touchdown scored. It is more than being the face of a large division one university. It is more than just putting on the outfit. It is living the determined spirit for everyone that loves an institution located in Clemson, SC. It is truly about being a Clemson Tiger, and also living up to being THE Clemson Tiger.

Check Out Links Below:The Tiger Tradition - Push-up Record Holders Clemson World - The Clemson Tiger Tradition [Youtube] 1996 Clemson/FSU Football Game - The Tiger Video ClipsFind Me Online:Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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019: Invisible People - Mark Horvath

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 14:16:00 -0000

Are many Americans one paycheck away from homelessness? Well, after the 2008 financial crash, I assumed yes. A Jan 20, 2018 Marketwatch article says that millions of Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness? Just 39% of Americans say they have enough savings to cover a $1,000 emergency room visit or car repair. Can you identify with this statistic? Mark Horvath has a different viewpoint. I met Mark in 2012 downtown Chicago at a conference where he was telling the InvisiblePeople.tv story. He has been interviewing individuals who are homeless across the United States for years. As he told more stories, his YouTube channel just grew and grew becoming one of the top channels on YouTube, even being feature on the homepage. When I met him, GM just became a sponsor and presented him with a SUV so he could continue traveling and telling more stories. Mark is a special person, one with passion and a true desire to bring the stories of the homeless population to the forefront. His passion comes with experience! Once homeless, he understands first hand how America's forgotten are more than just people...they are a part of this great American fabric we call home. Check Out Links Below: Invisible People Website Invisible People YouTube Mark Horvath Twitter Find Me Online: Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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018: Mobile Medicine, Part II - Dr. Paula Watt

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:14:00 -0000

I never thought I would find myself taking a tour of a mobile health clinic, which is more of a visual tour, yet only recording the audio. But that is how this just so happened to transpire. After arriving to see this large vehicle, larger than the biggest Ryder truck, Dr. Paula Watt just wanted to show me around. So I hit record. In part one of this Mobile Medicine series, Episode 017, I sat down inside the mobile health clinic and talked about the background and vision for the future. Sitting inside felt like more a small doctor’s office with lots of examination rooms side-by-side. By the way...if you have not listed to part one, I hope you go back and listen. But in this episode, part two focuses on the magnitude of this mobile health clinic, both in size and impact. Trust me, when this mobile health clinic rolls up into your community...you will not miss it. You will think that the Clemson Football team is coming to play. It is a moving Clemson billboard with every possible emminity to serve the community’s health needs. Join me as we take a tour, right inside the heart of the Clemson University’s campus. Check Out Links Below: [Release] Clemson’s Sullivan Center to unveil world’s first solar-powered mobile health clinic Clemson World Magazine Article: Mobile Medicine Paula Watt, PhD - Clemson Bio Find Me Online: Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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017: Mobile Medicine, Part I - Dr. Paula Watt

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:54:00 -0000

What does it mean to have the world’s first 100 percent solar-powered, mobile health clinic? Well, that is just as good as being in the Guinness Book of World Records, I think? But what does that mean for South Carolina, the state where this mobile health clinic is based...inside the land-grant institution Clemson University whose primary purpose is educating undergraduate and graduate students to think deeply about and engage in the social, scientific, economic, and professional challenges of our times. Well, improving the health of the underserved communities while providing a teaching experience for public health students...I think it fits rather nicely. Dr. Paula Watt, Clemson University Sullivan Center director has been dreaming of the day when they could have a four wheel drive, solar powered clinic; so they could serve rural communities primarily in Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties. All of this while demonstrating to Clemson students the challenges in caring for the most vulnerable patients. I had a chance to hear Paula's passion and vision. I was able to talk with her about serving the underserved, the uninsured, the people who desperately need access to quality care. We also talked about serving and training the rising healthcare providers who are learning what it means to serve the populations of the future. Check Out Links Below: [Release] Clemson’s Sullivan Center to unveil world’s first solar-powered mobile health clinic Clemson World Magazine Article: Mobile Medicine Paula Watt, PhD - Clemson Bio Find Me Online: Bobby Rettew Twitter Bobby Rettew Portfolio Website Intersection Podcast Twitter

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016: Sabrina Greenlee - Victim, Survivor, Crusader

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:59:00 -0000

In the many years of telling stories of domestic violence victims and survivors, I have never interviewed someone who has described the actual details of their physical abuse with such specificity and granularity; where her injuries from her abuser were so visibly apparent. She was burned with acid and lost her vision.

There are so many intersections inside this story. Sabrina Greenlee is the mother of four children and grew up and raised her children in a little town outside Clemson University...Central, SC. I grew up right around the corner in Clemson. Her son is a former wide receiver star from Daniel High School, Clemson University, and now one of the leading receivers in the NFL playing for the Houston Texans. His name is DeAndre Hopkins.

I went to Daniel High School and worked for Clemson Football with her brother Terry Smith, former receiver who also played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts. He died from a domestic dispute. Sabrina has been surrounded by domestic violence all her life; and this is a story of a survivor, of a crusader, of a lady who embraces her scars to tell a larger story...to help women overcome and transition back into real world after a traumatic experience of domestic abuse.

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015: Shelly Hill Young - We Need More "Skirt"

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 13:06:00 -0000

We all just need a little bit more skirt in our life. Yes...Skirt! Many would feel that this is a male chauvinistic statement especially given the current political and social climate; but it is true. We need more Skirt...that is Skirt Magazine based in Charleston, SC.

“Skirt is all about women – their work, their play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls. … skirt Is an attitude – spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial, always passionate.”Skirt magazine is Charleston’s first women’s magazine, celebrating women with attitude since 1994. Shelly Hill Young is the executive editor and embodies everything that is Skirt.

I met Shelly in 2009 as we worked together during a re-branding of a nonprofit working to grow the number of IT professionals in South Carolina. Afterwards, she spent a few years in California working for FOXSports.com, Hollywood Reporter, and the Doctors TV show. The south called her home, not only to raise her family but take on a new challenge; becoming the executive editor to a magazine that embodies passion necessary...during a time when we just need more Skirt.

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014: Jeff and Amory Cone - Miracle Baby

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Do you know someone who has experienced infertility? This is one of those tough subjects to talk about not only in mixed company but also around family. It took Sarah and I years to have Rose, and when she was born in 2011, we experienced a miracle especially after three miscarriages. Around the same time, I was helping Greenville Health System tell some amazing stories in celebration of their centennial. This is when I met Jeff and Amory Cone.

We helped Greenville Health System produced this story in 2013 as an opportunity to help other families realize the amazing advancements available when faced with infertility challenges. Jeff and Amory shared their home, their story, and how their family changed after the magic moments of having their little girl Payton. Six years later, their family has grown with a little boy.

According to the CDC, about 10 percent of women in the United States, roughly 6.1 million women ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. Sarah and I along with Jeff and Amory shared similar experiences, facing the challenges of infertility. Close to six years later, I sat back down with Jeff and Amory to see how they are doing. I wanted to share our conversation as we compared our stories and the roads we traveled.

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013: Don Oglesby - Building Dreams

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 13:14:00 -0000

Homes of Hope has a tremendous vision, providing opportunities for generational change throughout South Carolina. They do this in two ways, by rebuilding communities and rebuilding lives. But what does that really mean? In their 20th year of operations, they have developed 600 homes for families and helped over 300 men restore their lives. Their mission is to rebuild communities and individual lives through housing, economic and workforce development.

They build safe, affordable, and energy-efficient housing for low-to-moderate income families and/or individuals in South Carolina. They also lead a men’s development program which is a voluntary one-year residential job training and mentoring program for men overcoming drug and alcohol addictions.

As a storyteller, I have been leading a team to help tell the Homes of Hope story for over 3 years. Their impact and the stories we find inside these programs has not only inspired our staff of digital storytellers, but has inspired so many people here in the Carolinas to grow this mission far beyond what President and CEO Don Oglesby ever imagined. This story is worth hearing and sharing!

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012: Lizzie Allen - The Fumble

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:56:00 -0000

It was the most controversial call during the second week of college football play in the 2018 season. College Station, Texas is the home to the Texas A&M Aggies, home of the 12th man, and they were hosting the second ranked Clemson Tigers for a classic Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference match-up.

A critical play as the Aggies were mounting a comeback in-front of the home crowd, a run to the corner near the end zone where the ball was stripped propelling it in the air. Was it out-of-bounds or did it fly over the pylon indicating a touchback. The decision by the officials...critical. Yet, television replay could not provide an adequate view to confirm or deny the call on the field.

Meet Lizzie Allen, a senior at Texas A&M and a student photojournalist on the field during the game. She just so happened to be in the right place at the right time, followed her instincts, and captured the perfect image of the ball flying. There is the many intersections inside this story, one that you will just have to listen to understand. I will just say one thing...I love my Clemson Tigers.

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011: Nick Charalambous - Coming Home

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 14:17:00 -0000

In part two of this story, Nick Charalambous had to overcome a terrible cycling accident and chart a path for one of the biggest fights of his life, stage four bone cancer. Nick’s journey is one of a determined spirit, one of spiritual exploration, one that led him to explore every fundamental facet needed to merely live. He realized death was possible.

This will to live was bigger than just fighting cancer, a faith journey that took him over and over and over again from a small town in the upstate of South Carolina across the state to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. This geographical journey brought him back to one of his greatest passions, cycling.

He found his physical restoration was a small part of his faith journey, one that took him to train to get back on his bike and return from the coast...visiting every campus that was a part of Newspring Church. Here is the second part of his story, facing death, fighting cancer, and rebuilding to return home to place he loves and calls home.

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010: Nick Charalambous - Faith Journey

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 14:10:00 -0000

If you have ever met Nick...you are drawn in by his British accent and the inner desire to figure out how to spell his last name. Here is why, because you will never forget this man once you shake his hand, so you better know how to spell his last name.

Nick Charalambous is a man of many passions. He loves his work. He loves telling stories for the church he loves. He loves his wife. He loves Christ...and I believe this affection is one of many intersections you will find woven together inside this soft spoken man. Nick is a fellow storyteller, and it is time for his story to be told.

He has done more than fought stage four bone cancer. His journalistic career as a heretic led him down a path to understand the inner workings of a rapidly growing church, one that led him to his faith. It is this faith that was the undercurrent after almost dying from a severe cycling accident and then again as he fought stage four bone cancer. Here is his story...

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009: Marty Boardman - Master Re-Builder

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:41:00 -0000

In 1998 I was recruited by the Chief Photojournalist of KPHO-TV to join one of the best broadcast television visual storytelling teams in the United States. The moment I stepped off the plane in my black suit on a hot summer day in Phoenix, Arizona; Marty Boardman not only welcomed me in style but became one of my closest mentors and ultimately best man in my wedding.

As Chief Photojournalist, Marty Boardman taught me more in 3 years about storytelling, life, friendship, empathy, and ultimately business; more than I could have ever imagined. After leaving Phoenix and KPHO-TV for graduate school at Clemson University, Marty left the broadcast television business to tackle a new industry. He converted his journalistic style into a business acumen that ultimately helped him build a huge real estate business.

One of the most fascinating intersections in Marty's path was his ability to transfer his visual storytelling and journalistic skills into relationship building mechanism. One that helped him raise capital, buy and sell homes, expand to other cities across the country, and ultimately launch a training business. He moved from behind the camera to the featured personality, writing books and creating how-to videos dominating social media. Ladies and Gentleman...Marty Boardman.

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008: David Vaughn - Climbing for Water

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 13:12:00 -0000

A few years ago the people of Cange, Haiti needed water. Some of them had to walk a thousand feet down the mountain and climb back up lugging 40 pound buckets of water. Today a new system pipes clean water up the mountain and into Cange. A team of Clemson engineering students working with the Haitian partners helped make this happen.

Clemson Engineers For Developing Countries, CDEC, began in the fall of 2009 when seven students in civil engineering noticed that something was missing from their curriculum. CDEC designed a system that would filter out large contaminates, kill microbes and ultraviolet radiation and chlorine, and then transport the water through the village in new pipes buried underneath recently paved roads. It would be the first chlorinated municipal water system in the country of Haiti.

I met CDEC professor in practice, David Vaughn, in 2016 as we began telling the story of Clemson engineers traveling to Cange, Haiti as they continued to work alongside the Haitian people to service the municipal water system. Here is the interesting intersection. Clemson engineers were not traveling just to build and maintain this water system, they were traveling to Cange to work alongside the Haitian people, building global relationships. An educational experience for this new global economy. An educational experience outside the walls of the traditional classroom.

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007: Reverend Mary Jane Wilson-Parsons - Social Justice

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 12:35:00 -0000

Since 2013, the Duke Endowment has funded summer literacy programs in North Carolina designed to engage United Methodist rural churches and improve literacy among elementary school students in their communities. These summer literacy programs are providing more than just building confidence for the children. These host churches are providing nurturing relationships, nutritious meals, daily enrichment activities, and more importantly, a safe space for families to engage and chart a path for the future.

I met Reverend Mary Jane Wilson-Parsons in June 2018. She is the co-pastor at Seaside United Methodist Church in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. She recognized a need in her community, beyond the resort golf courses and high net worth retirees, that there are large pockets of poverty where underprivileged elementary children needed help. They needed help with basic literacy skills, especially during the summer months. This is called the “summer slide.”

I found a unique intersection in this story. One that we at Rettew Creative were telling for the Duke Endowment, to recruit more United Methodist Churches in North Carolina to host summer literacy programs. The Church was a safe space to teach literacy, not the schools. A safe space for children, parents, teachers, and community partners to come together under one roof. One church roof. Their mission is to provide social justice for these children in the form of literacy skills so they could overcome the summer slide and perform just as well as other students in their classrooms.

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006: Allison Greene - Since John Got Sick

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:00:00 -0000

For anyone who has suffered a serious illness, whether personally or with a child; anyone facing the challenges of autoimmune disease; and any medical professionals who have worked to help them, Allison Greene has walked in these shoes.

I met Allison in 2013 while working on a story for the South Carolina Hospital Association advocating for the South Carolina’s Legislature to consider expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Her son's story became a central focus of the story, one of heart, soul, trials and tribulations.

Allison has worked in healthcare communications for more than twenty-five years and currently works for a large healthcare system in the upstate of South Carolina. Allison's story has so many intersections intertwined with one basic narrative, her son John almost died. Since that moment, she has spent many years fighting and navigating a system that has employed her; not only fighting for John's life and care, but also fighting a healthcare delivery system entangled with bureaucratic and political dilemmas that a seasoned healthcare communicator can barely unwind.

Since John Got Sick: A Quest for Survival and Faith is the story of a young man’s heroic battle to survive both the initial onslaught and the ongoing assault of a traumatic autoimmune disease and its ensuing consequences (including dialysis, disability, transplant, depression, opioid dependence, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Simultaneously, it is the story of a mother’s love and strength against daunting odds, including donating a kidney.

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005: Meredith Owen - Trailblazer, Pioneer, and Bioengineer

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:10:00 -0000

In 2017, Dr. Anand Gramopadhye, Dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, asked Rettew Creative's ’s storytelling team to craft a series of stories inspiring the next generation of engineers to attend Clemson University.

We identified numerous narratives showcasing visual stories that would inspire individuals to take the next steps to change the world. During the creative process, we knew telling a story of a bioengineering researcher helping a young boy with a lower limb prosthetic find comfort while walking and running would be a compelling story.

What we found was something far more interesting and compelling. I met researcher and PhD candidate Meredith Owen, who we cast for this story. Her work is amazing, but what was more amazing is her passion to help people, lower limb amputees, real people in dire need of comfort.

In a 2016 study by a MIT sociologist, 20 percent of undergraduate engineering degrees are awarded to women, but only 13 percent of the engineering workforce is female. Meredith Owen is changing the face of the profession providing a rich intersection inside the story we crafted for Clemson. We purposefully chose a smart female bioengineering researcher so other high school teenage girls could see themselves as future engineers.

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004: Bob Dotson - The Master Storyteller

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 13:02:00 -0000

Most of what hear about America these days outlines our frustrations – the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, middle class jobs fading away, hate-filled politics that prefers gridlock to compromise. What we know about America mostly comes from journalists who travel in herds, trailing politicians or camped out at big stories, pouncing on problems to repeat over and over. They offer up celebrity experts for solutions, the people who spend their busy days spouting opinions to cameras, while others in the shadows quietly make America work.

America survives and thrives because of all those names we don’t know, seemingly ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They don’t run for president or go on talk shows, but without them, the best of America would not exist. Bob Dotson has traveled more than four million miles, crisscrossing America practically non-stop for half a century, searching for people who are practically invisible, the ones who change our lives, but don’t take time to tweet and tell us about it.

His long-running series, “The American Story with Bob Dotson,” was a regular feature on the TODAY Show until his retirement on the 40th anniversary of the day he joined NBC. I met Bob in 1998 at the National Press Photographers Association workshop in Norman, Oklahoma. It was that day, I began a journey of telling stories. He taught me the passion and skill behind the interview, something I use everyday of my professional career.

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NBC News: Bob Dotson looks back at 40 years of American Stories
Book: American Story: A Lifetime Search for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
Book: Make It Memorable: Writing and Packaging Visual News with Style
Additional Music Reference: The Ants That Built A City On His Chest by Doctor Turtle is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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003: Becky Callaham - Leveraging the Domestic Violence Story

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 13:01:00 -0000

Becky Callaham is the executive director of Safe Harbor, a domestic violence organization that serves the upstate of South Carolina. Safe Harbor’s mission is to provide a continuum of services for victims of domestic violence and their children, as well as to eliminate the cultural acceptance of domestic violence through prevention, education and a coordinated community response.

I met Becky early 2011 as Safe Harbor began embarking on a new journey; to tell their story and the many stories of domestic violence survivors. In that same year of 2011, South Carolina had the highest rate of women murdered by men in the US, more than double the national average. In 2012, it had the second highest rate of women murdered by men; 71% of women killed by men in South Carolina were killed with a gun. On a single day in 2014, South Carolina domestic violence programs served 390 victims and domestic violence hotlines receive approximately 21,000 calls, an average of close to 15 calls every minute.

It was time to tell Safe Harbor’s story; not only survivor stories but also stories showcasing how Safe Harbor is truly impacting their community. There were interesting intersection emerging time and time again. What are the ethics associated with leveraging stories of domestic violence survivors as a means to fundraise; specifically in-order to expand services in the upstate of South Carolina. A conversation we continually examined and discussed during our time working together, a conversation that encouraged us to continue capturing and telling more and more stories.

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002: Representative Gary Clary - Listening is Leading

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Rep. Gary Clary was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives House District 3 seat in 2014. After practicing law in the private sector for 17 years Rep. Clary was elected as a Circuit Judge by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1992 and re-elected in 1997. He retired in September 2002 and re-entered the private sector to work as Assistant General Counsel of Extended Stay America, a Fortune 500 hotel company.

I first met Rep. Clary in 2013 where we both served on the Fort Hill Clemson Club Board. From that point on, he asked me to just call him Gary. We are both Clemson graduates and regardless of our age gap, we share a passion for our alma mater and public policy topics like domestic violence and even issue to move our state forward like the confederate flag.

Gary’s story has many intersections, but one I find most intriguing is his passion to listen. In the world of politics, this unique trait has served him well...a trait even us storytellers could learn to adopt as part of our own cultural DNA. This trait took him door to door, listening to his constituents, town halls, and even to the state house to co-author a bill removing the confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds.

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001: Rozalynn Goodwin - The Bridge Builder

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:20:00 -0000

Rozalynn “Roz” Goodwin is vice president for engagement and a lobbyist for the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). Passionate about improving the well-being of populations through health and human services, Rozalynn serves as the primary link with many private and public sector stakeholders, including policy-makers, community and advocacy groups, insurers and employers.

In 2008, I met Roz when South Carolina Hospital Association hired me to craft a series of stories to demystify the stigmas of medicaid in South Carolina. Our journey together continued as I worked alongside Roz capturing and telling stories of the uninsured across South Carolina. Her passion and commitment to the underserved population comes from her childhood in rural South Carolina.

Roz’s commitment and compassion to every patient having access to quality healthcare provides a unique intersection, where her faith, passion, and her amazing ability to speak up and tell her own story build broader bridges across the state she diligently serves and calls home.

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