DECEMBER UPDATE:
The podcast is moving to seasons, and season 2 arrives in January 2018. It'll have an even better production quality and I'm expanding in how I share these stories.
And it's going to be awesome!
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I’m excited to share a quick update about My Big Story with Christopher Swan. I’ve been working on changes for the show for a while. If you been following along with me, you know I did a mini-refresh in April. That included a name change, shifting my focus a little. And those were the prefect changes then. Because they helped me see how I was getting closer to the big idea, of what I had always envisioned for the show.
Also, there’s been things I wanted to do, to include in the show, to help tell the stories better and to bring things to life in a new way. I think that’s just a natural evolution. I’ve been on this podcast journey for a while and learned a lot, and have seen and heard things I’ve loved, and wanted to incorporate into my show.
So here’s what’s going on. I’ve added some awesome editorial and production support to create the amazing show I see in my mind, as a show I can share with all of you. Before you have that oh crap moment, and think, “wait, I already like this show, and now you’re changing it. Nice.” Don’t worry, the essence of the show is still the same. I’ll just be sharing the stories in a fresh way, that’s a lot more me.
To make these kind of changes, there’s a lot of work to do behind-the-scenes. So I’m taking a break for a few weeks and will be back in mid-August. I know. Sad. But it’s only a few weeks, and I’ll be back before you know it.
Until then, make sure you’re subscribed to get the new episodes as they’re released.
Join Me on My Adventure!
With a quick decision, Daniel Trust left Bridgeport, CT to meet me meet in-person in the San Francisco Bay Area. I found a place for us in downtown Oakland to meet and made the hour-long drive to meet him there. I was excited to meet Daniel, but truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to expect when meeting in-person.
Daniel started a nonprofit to help youth with education — specifically youth that are either refugees to the United States, impacted by low income, or are part of the LGBTQ community. That’s not his entire story.
Daniel is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, losing his father, two sisters, and witnessing his mother’s death, leaving him orphaned at age 5. And he had many difficult years following that trauma.
So I was meeting a man that has suffered a horrific childhood, but found a way to forgive and thrive in America. I couldn’t really imagine how this was even possible. But then I met Daniel.
He’s warm, full of compassion, and ready to tackle anything.
In our interview, we talk about his experiences in Rwanda, coming to the U.S. as a teenager, how support from his teachers made all of the difference, and his current world with the Daniel Trust Foundation, and how and why he needs to give back.
I left that interview with a new understanding of hope, perseverance, and very happily and most importantly, with a new friend.
See more about this episode and Daniel at MyBigStory.show
Singer-songwriter Bobby Jo Valentine and I recently spent the afternoon at his home, in Napa, CA. Bobby is an independent artist, crossing genres with music based in hope-folk, soul-pop, and poetic rock. The focus of his music is to provide meaningful connections to his listeners.
Interestingly, as he tours across the U.S. (and soon Europe), he intentionally performs for a variety of communities, specifically with LGBTQ and faith-based communities. This is where Bobby can create an important intersection of love, hope, and curiosity.
Bobby initially caught my attention, because of his music and our shared, local community. As I found out more, I was intrigued by the way Bobby was connecting with communities and how that was driven from his values and perspectives of the world.
This interview isn’t just about a music career. It’s also about how one man wants to bridge people and ideas, and he’s using his music to do it.
Of course, we do get into Bobby’s music and career, talk about his upcoming album, and we wrap it all up with a live performance of Bobby’s new song, Trading In. And that was amazing.
See pictures and videos mentioned in this episode:
accidentalinformation.com/portfolio/bobby-jo-valentine
Learn more about this episode and Bobby Jo Valentine at MyBigStory.show