Thank you for coming along with me on this journey. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this podcast. I was certain it would be useful, interesting, and inspiring. I do have some experience with this after all. Membership in my company’s flagship offering, The Top Practices Marketing Mastermind Group is in essence a private podcast I’ve been curating and facilitating since January 2007. It’s fun, VERY FUN, and I love the work. So, I knew I could do this. What I hoped for was that something greater would happen in this podcast than a look at how a few hand-picked friends and colleagues would see prosperity. I put that hope in the title:  Something Greater. And that is exactly what happened. Recommended Books: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly DepartingThe ONE ThingThe Power of Now

On the journey of our lives, we are always presented with choices. If we are open to this life and say yes to what comes our way, we have a chance to … maybe … see that small quiet road that might be filled with heart and joy for us instead of whisking right past it and never even know that it, with all its possibilities, was even there. How did a man who was on the team that built the original CNN.com end up in a salt cave in New Hampshire? I’ve known Daryl Browne since the late 1990s when we worked together at Classroom Connect which was a company focused on using technology in K-12 instruction. This, in the 90s when people were just learning about the internet and using dial-up modems. Daryl and I have always been kindred spirits and have always enjoyed a personal friendship that had nothing to do with technology or instruction, but more about the journey of life we are all on. You’ll hear the very interesting story about how Daryl and his wife built Soleil's Salt Cave in Exeter, New Hampshire in 2017 to ease their newborn daughter, Soleil's health journey. With a web development career spanning 25 years, 7 continents, and several Fortune 500 companies, Daryl has applied his technology experience to giving people the most efficient and effective path from start to finish possible. For nearly the same amount of time, Daryl has fostered a vision of creating a body of work that would help people focus on the power of each moment of their own lives. That project has led to bottled messages (literally bottled in Ball-Mason Jars he calls Journey Jars), mixed media art installations, and several books. I’m thrilled to share this conversation with my friend, Daryl Browne, with you. Find Out More: https://www.saltcavenh.com/homeRecommended Books: Journey of 1,000 Breaths: Little Reminders that You are the Gift You Are the Gift: A Decade's Worth of Daily RemindersNapoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and SuccessGrow Rich!: With Peace of Mind - How to Earn all the Money You Need and Enrich Every Part of Your Life

Living our lives, looking forward, and saying “yes” can lead to ever deeper abundance, health, wealth, love, and joy. And then, sharing that abundance almost magically creates even more abundance and prosperity. My guest on this episode is Dr. Ebonie Vincent. She is a podiatrist practicing in Orange County CA.   She grew up in Temecula, CA in wine country, but attended college and podiatry school on the East Coast and Midwest.  Returning to Southern CA, she built a thriving private practice. She also became a TV star on the reality series “My Feet Are Killing Me” on TLC now in its third season. She shares how the producers found her from her social media posts. Her story is about the word “yes” and how accepting what life brings can bring abundance in health, wealth, love, and joy. And how sharing that abundance “magically” creates more.  It’s a delight to share her story and insightful look at life and prosperity with you. Recommended Books:The AlchemistLegacy of Orïsha

The technology on your desktop and in your pocket was invented by…well… people. On this episode, you’re going to hear from one of them as he shares some fascinating stories from those times and reflects on the journey, family, health, and teaching. My guest on this episode is Dr. David Thornburg. David started his career as a research scientist and inventor at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center where he worked on a variety of projects, including his invention of the first inexpensive touch screen. In 1981 he left Xerox and worked for a bit at Atari before helping start a company to launch two of his hardware designs: the KoalaPad touch tablet and the Muppet Learning Keyboard made in conjunction with Jim Henson of Muppet fame. After that venture, Dr. Thornburg became a consultant with a focus on the role of technology in K-12 education and held adjunct teaching positions at Stanford University, College of Notre Dame (Belmont, CA), University of Sao Paulo, and Walden University. He has been on several advisory boards, including the education board of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), and has been an active participant in the International Space Development Conference. I first met David when I was hosting the Connected Classroom Conferences for K-12 Educators in the 1990s and very early 2000s. David was my keynote speaker at numerous conferences all over the United States and delighted audiences with his message of how technology can and will impact teaching in schools all over the country and the world. You should know that you are going to be hearing a founding member of the small group of people who invented what we now know as personal computers. All roads for the computers you use today on your desktop and in your pocket passed through the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center where David worked with the teams that built graphic (point and click) technology, touchpads, and the mouse. His discussion of these times is something I’m so delighted and honored to have recorded for this podcast. Get comfortable and prepare to sincerely enjoy hearing these stories from someone who was in the room, my friend, Dr. David Thornburg. Recommended Book:From the Campfire to the Holodeck

Dan Totaro has been working as a therapist, consultant, and educator for the last 40 years. He is currently a compassion fatigue and resiliency educator and works mostly with professional care providers such as Marriage and Family Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Addiction Treatment Counselors, and medical personnel.  I met Dan through his sister, Tina Del Buono, who works as a consultant with me at Top Practices. Dan spoke at the Western Podiatry Conference in Disneyland a few years ago and I got a chance to hear his perspectives on burnout, compassion fatigue, and resilience.  I asked him to join me on a Top Practices call to share his thoughts and wisdom with my members and it was extremely well received.  A self-described “child of the 60’s” Dan is a soft-spoken delight to talk to.  Especially about our topic of prosperity. You’ll enjoy this episode, and you’ll just feel better when you complete it than you did when you started.   Recommended Books: If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!  Self-Compassion

Is finding wealth, and maintaining or restoring your health a path to prosperity?  Dr. Tyson Franklin is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology and over the past 30+ years, he has successfully opened more than 20 podiatry businesses. At one stage, he operated 5 podiatry businesses approximately 1000 miles apart and from that experience, he learned quickly that great systems are paramount if you want a business to run without you. He feels business education is one of the key ingredients to business success, which is why he wrote It's No Secret There's Money in Podiatry, and it’s why he focuses his energy on Podiatry Business Coaching and enjoys sharing other podiatrists' stories on the Podiatry Legends Podcast.I met Tyson in 2013 when he traveled across the world to attend the Top Practices Marketing and Management Summit in Nashville, TN. Tyson being Tyson he created and nurtured a number of relationships and friendships that he made at that meeting and has been of our circle ever since. It’s a delight (and you will soon see why I use that word) to share my good friend with you, Dr. Tyson Franklin.Recommended Books:Be Our Guest

Health, freedom from worry, gratitude, and relationships with outstanding people. Are these the four pillars of prosperity? David Weiman is a psychologist and leadership consultant. He has been working for over 25 years with organizations across the US and around the world. His firm, Weiman Consulting, provides talent assessment services to help companies make the best hiring decisions, executive coaching to develop awesome leaders, and development assessments and programs to help foster high-performance teams. You can find him online at weimanconsulting.com.   He’s been interviewed as an expert on leadership and psychology in Businessweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Men’s Health, Entrepreneur, and other publications. He has also served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology.He is a licensed Pennsylvania psychologist, a Certified Performance Coach through Johnson & Johnson's Human Performance Institute, and he is also certified in Clinical Hypnosis through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.I met David because we are both friends of Dave Frees who I interviewed on this podcast last season. I could tell quickly that he was a great guy, a lot of fun, and a real mensch. But then I had the chance to hear him present to Dave’s group and knew I was in the presence of a real master.This topic is truly in his wheelhouse and you are going to love hearing his thoughts on prosperity. If you can, be prepared to take notes, because you are going to want to.Recommended Books:The Millionaire Next DoorThink and Grow RichThou Shall Prosper

Is prosperity found in our lives through the pursuit of balance in our health, work, family, and interests? How important is fun and a pursuit of joy in our prosperity? My guest on this episode is Dr. Hartley Miltchin. He’s been in private podiatry practice for 39 years. He first attended the University of Toronto and then graduated from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine.  He spent 3 years in Chicago learning minimally invasive surgical procedures from one of the first pioneers.  And then he returned to TOEronto and has been practicing as a solo practitioner ever since.  He is considered a leader in minimally invasive foot surgery and is one of 10 master trainers in the world.  Hartley has created a highly successful and very creative practice, concentrating on bunion corrections, hence he is known as the Bunion King.  He is extremely innovative in practice management and is always eager to share his techniques as well as his procedures on his YouTube channel Doctor Toe. He is also a delight. You’ll hear about his remarkable shoe collection which he has been amassing for years.  Recommended Books:The Obstacle is the WayThe Fred Factor

Who has planted seeds in your life that have changed you?  In whose life have you planted seeds that allowed them to grow and blossom? My guest on this episode is Dr. Larry Anderson. Larry is the Founder and CEO of the National Center for Technology Planning headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi. The moment he begins to speak you will know he is a true son of the south.  Larry has served as a junior high school industrial arts teacher, middle school principal, and a university professor. He is the author of multiple books and a pioneering podcaster. He was the first educator in Mississippi to create a podcast named “Think Like a Leader”. He created the first podcast in Mississippi for real estate.  He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in the year 2000.  In 1994 he was appointed by the Mississippi Governor to the Council for Education Technology.  Besides being known as a good husband, father, and grandfather, Dr. Anderson is most pleased to have been given the nickname, the "Johnny Appleseed of Technology."Recommended Books:As a Man ThinkethThe One Minute ManagerThink and Grow RichThe War of ArtThe Total Money MakeoverEven Eagles Need a PushNext: The Future Just Happened

Becoming comfortable with who you really are. Peeling off the layers and living a life more authentic to who you truly are. Finding more success and fulfillment by just being “real” with those we both love and work with.   My guest on this episode is Rod Haenke. He is a senior consultant for Instructional Designs, Inc. As such he is a “go-to” charter school consultant in the areas of accountability systems, governance, curriculum and instructional practices, teacher evaluation systems, and professional development. Rod's been a classroom teacher, a school principal, a national trainer/presenter, and as a charter school founder and leader he has experience developing instructional software and online curriculum featuring live expeditions including the International Greenland Expedition.When I met him he was working with the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium on their MayaQuest Program. And you’ll hear us talk about his involvement in their iconic Oregon Trail Computer Program that so many people of a certain age loved using in school. This was early and very fun educational computing.He is also someone who has learned as much about prosperity as anyone I know. I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend, Rod Haenke.Recommended Books:Leadership is LanguageNonviolent CommunicationThe Power of FramingDo You Mind If I Cancel?: (Things That Still Annoy Me)

Choose carefully the hills you’re willing to die on. Find the win/win in everything you. In all things, find the positiveness and blessings.My guest on this episode is E. Dollie Wolverton. Dollie’s entire career has been in public service. She began as a teacher and elementary school administrator. It’s inspiring how she started by being the first member of her entire family to attend college to retiring as Chief of Education for the Head Start Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services in Washington DC in 2006. She’s also a community activist for the protection of recreational land and raises funds for equestrian therapy for children with disabilities and breast cancer research.  She’s an advocate for Foster Care Youth and funds a county-wide program for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to play golf free.Recommended Books:Leadership: In Turbulent Times

Finding balance in our lives is never easy. Not for any of us. Yet, some people seem to have figured it out. They’ve cracked the code. And if you listen carefully they often try to share how they did it so we can follow their path to prosperity and balance. Dr. Neil Baum is a professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice: Ethically, Effectively, and Economically. It is a classic and required reading for anyone who wants to effectively market a medical practice. It’s sold over 200,000 copies and has been translated into Spanish. All in total he has written ten books on practice management and the business of medicine and authored or co-authored over 250 articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed medical publications. I had the privilege of collaborating with him on an article about practice marketing several years ago.I’ve known Neil for over 30 years and have never had a chance to hear his thoughts about balance and prosperity. It turns out, he has given it a lot of thought.Recommended Books:Marketing Your Clinical Practice: Ethically, Effectively, EconomicallyThe 1-Page Marketing PlanBreath: The New Science of a Lost Art

How do you spend your time? Do you, as so many do, say you value time with your loved ones more than anything, but when pressed, you would have to say they are not actually your top priority? My guest is Landon Ray, the CEO & Co-Founder of Ontraport. Ontraport is a company we’ve used at Top Practices for a decade now to run our marketing and outreach. It is a sophisticated marketing platform. You’ll hear Landon share how he came up with the idea out of necessity and started the company with, as he describes it, three guys hunkered down in a yurt with spotty internet connection in Santa Barbara, California, to build a software that he needed to run his startup. Realizing what he had in this software, he gave the other company to his friends and focused on what ultimately became today’s Ontraport. This episode is not only filled with information, it’s fun as you are about to discover. Recommended Books:How Will You Measure Your Life?Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice

Can we view prosperity as bringing love to life? My guest on this episode is Sharon Lopez. Sharon is an attorney who represents workers and plaintiffs in employment law, discrimination, and police misconduct cases. She is the managing partner of her firm, Triquetra Law®, located in Lancaster, PA. She recently served as special counsel for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where she prosecuted discrimination complaints before the Commission at public hearings. She also served the largest statewide bar association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as its 123rd president, where she was the first Latina president, first president who is also a mother, and as the first ex-full-time legal services attorney. All of which fits beautifully into her discussion of prosperity as love.Recommended Books:The Metaphysical Club The Mists of Avalon The Third Life of Grange Copeland

Could prosperity be as simple as making the choice to be kind? My guest for this episode is Dr. Jane Graebner. She is a podiatrist who practices in Delaware, Ohio. She is one of the earliest and longest-tenured Top Practices member – 14 years. She has been working toward retirement on her terms and is completing her plan of leaving her practice in the very competent hands of her younger partners. Her story is inspiring and instructive and especially so because she is a pioneer in a profession that was dominated by men for much of her career. That is certainly not the case now, but it is because of women like Jane that her female colleagues have so many opportunities. I know in my work the future of podiatry is in great hands, both men and women doctors because of those who went before like Jane.  Recommended Book:The Road Less Traveled

Have you ever thought - I’d like to retire when I’m still young? Maybe your early 50’s or earlier?  In 2007 I met Dr. Marybeth Crane and she became one of the earliest and most successful Top Practices members in the history of the company. Dr. Crane opened her podiatry practice in Grapevine, TX in 1997 with her mother answering the phone. When she retired at age 52 on Dec 31, 2020, her practice had become the multi-million dollar, Foot and Ankle Associates of North Texas (FAANT) with 2 offices, 6 doctors, and 40 employees. A long-time competitive distance runner, Dr. Crane keynoted the Top Practices Annual Marketing and Management Summit in 2019. In that address, she shared how she faced down a seemingly endless series of challenges that threatened to break her spirit and bankrupt her practice, to now prepare for her exit from private practice on her own terms. Recommended Books:Grit: The Power of Passion and PerseveranceThink and Grow RichHow to Win Friends and Influence People

David Marquet (MAR-KAY) was assigned to command the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe, then ranked last in retention and operational standing. He “turned the ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This revolutionary approach not only took the Santa Fe from “worst to first” in the rankings, but also created more subsequent leaders than any other submarine. Stephen R. Covey called the Santa Fe “the most empowering organization [he’d] ever seen” and wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.Student of leadership and organizational design, former nuclear submarine Commander, and named one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc. Magazine. David is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller: Turn the Ship Around!, and The Turn the Ship Around Workbook. Fortune magazine named it the #1 must-read business book of the year, and USA Today listed it as one of the top 12 business books of all time. David’s latest book, Leadership is Language, is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller.  David imagines a workplace where everyone engages and contributes their full intellectual capacity, a place where people are healthier and happier because they have more control over their work–a place where everyone is a leader.Find Out More:DavidMarquet.comRecommended Books:Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into LeadersThe Turn The Ship Around! Workbook: Implement Intent-Based Leadership In Your OrganizationLeadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say--and What You Don'tMansfield Park

This third and final installment of the mini-series has had some twists and turns as it came to life. It started in mid-march when the COVID-19 epidemic was obviously going to impact the United States and San Francisco became the first Major US City to shut down. I was researching Pandemics and Quarantines. At the time – mid-March - there was no reference to COVID-19 at all.  That has certainly changed now. Interestingly, what primarily came up were references to polio. Polio has plagued humans for thousands of years. The great Polio Epidemic in the US occurred from 1916-1955.Polio is a viral disease that affects the nervous system, causing paralysis. It spreads through direct contact with people who have the infection. Outbreaks occurred regularly in the United States through the 1950s, with two major Polio outbreaks in 1916 and in 1952. Of the 57,628 reported cases in 1952, there were 3,145 deaths.In 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk’s vaccine was approved. It was quickly adopted throughout the world. By 1962, the average number of cases dropped to 910. The CDCTrusted Source reports that the United States has been Polio-free since 1979. Europe since 2002. But it still persists in small numbers today. In 1941 my dad contracted Polio.  He was 7. His Younger brother, my uncle Dick was only 5. I spoke to my dad and my uncle Dick about their memories of that time and their insights. The conversation took some turns as you’ll see as these sons remembered their parents, and in particular, their father. My grandfather as you will soon discover was someone very special.

What if this Saturday you could drive up to your childhood home and pick up your six-year-old self so the two of you could spend the day together? What would that be like? What would that mean to you? Maybe there is still time.

In 1937 Napoleon Hill published “Think and Grow Rich.” Arguably one the most influential personal development and self-improvement books ever written. Most of what has been written since 1937, in my opinion, is derivative of this remarkable book. And Napoleon Hill himself stands on the shoulders of James Allen in “As a Man Thinketh” as well as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and the stoics, Socrates and so many more.His 17 Principles of Personal Achievement have been the guidepost and playbook for thousands of people who have reached the heights of business and personal success. This podcast episode explores several of the 17 principles in some detail.