Episodes

Chris Meek speaks with Shauna “Doc” Springer, one of the world’s leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition and suicide prevention, in this installment of Next Steps Forward. A trusted doctor to our nation’s military war fighters, Springer will discuss practical, tangible tools for suicide prevention and the importance of trust in the prevention process. A champion for the power of connection, Springer will speak on how methods and results of connection have changed over the pa...

Andi Buerger, founder and chair of the organization Voices Against Trafficking, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about facilitating and energizing nonprofits, individuals, businesses and social groups to be a powerful collective voice in the fight against human trafficking. Having survived years of childhood abuse and having been trafficked herself, Buerger will share with the audience how her survival led her on a quest to rescue others who find themselves in similar situations....

On this edition of Next Steps Forward show host Chris Meek speaks with Mark Halperin, nationally recognized political analyst, reporter and current host of Mark Halperin’s Focus Group on Newsmax TV. Halperin will speak about covering the ebb and flow of the ever-changing American political landscape over the course of his career and how his professional experiences have brought him up close and personal with a number of the major political news stories and key-players of the last three decades. ...

Show host Chris Meek speaks with Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, about the services that the organization provides to individuals and families who suffer distress from serious life crises, such as abuse, loss of a loved one and thoughts of suicide. Reynolds will speak about what she refers to as “the behavioral health tsunami,” or how the remarkable events that unfolded throughout 2020 are impacting people’s emotions and mental health and the steps that can u...

COL Greg Gadson, a 26-year retired Army veteran, speaks with Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek about the loss of both his legs above the knees and the normal use of his right arm and hand after experiencing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack while serving in Iraq. Refusing to be defined by his injuries, Gadson will explain to the audience how he draws on the lessons of pride, poise and team he learned as a linebacker at West Point, to find continued success within his life, career and ...

Natalie St Pierre, successful entrepreneur and disability advocate, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about living her best life with cerebral palsy. St Pierre avidly participates in a number of adaptive sports, including cross country skiing, surfing, biking and sailing, showing that people, regardless of circumstances, can find a way to live a limitless life. She will speak extensively about her involvement with The Impossible Dream, the world's only catamaran that is universall...

Albert Hernandez, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient, speaks with “Next Steps Forward'' host Chris Meek about overcoming both the visible and invisible wounds he sustained during his two deployments to Iraq. Focusing on the mental health implications of service, Hernandez will speak directly about losing a close friend and fellow service member to suicide and how that prompted him to volunteer much of his spare time to a multitude of organizations that aim to better the lives a...

Armen Keteyian,11-time Emmy Award winning journalist and former chief investigative correspondent for CBS News, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about his celebrated career as one of America’s most recognized news and sports anchors. Keteyian will take the audience on his journey from starting out as a sports writer for a San Diego newspaper, to landing his dream job as a reporter for Sports Illustrated and finally making it on the national stage serving in roles such as lead cor...

COL Irving Smith, general manager of Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., speaks with Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek about serving as an Infantry Officer and Battalion Executive Officer over his 27 years in the U.S. military, where he was one of only a few Black service members in his regiment. Smith will touch on how he maintained his composure and displayed strength in the face of adversity, particularly in overcoming injustice and inequality experienced within military institutions. Smith touche...

Sean O’Keefe, former Secretary of the Navy and NASA administrator, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about his leadership roles within the U.S. government and how he ultimately navigated the challenges and opportunities that he experienced within those roles. O’Keefe currently serves as a university professor in strategic management and leadership at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs teaching the next generation invaluable leadership skills, ...

LTG H.R. McMaster, 34-year Army veteran and former National Security advisor, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about his recent book “Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World” and the current state of security, freedom and prosperity in the United States. As a soldier, commander, scholar and national security advisor, LTG McMaster brings a unique perspective to problem-solving that everyday Americans and listeners can utilize within their own lives. LTG McMaster will als...

Chris Meek is honored to speak with U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams and Dr. Alveda King, civil rights activist, evangelist and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on this presentation of “Next Steps Forward.” As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams is committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and forging new partnerships in other sectors to fulfill his motto “better health through better partnerships.” Dr. Adams will speak about the current state of COVID-19, giv...

Dean Kamen, founder and president of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek in-depth about the impressive and life changing technologies he and his team at DEKA work diligently to develop and provide. These technologies include a portable dialysis machine, the iBOT™ Mobility system, a robotic arm and the ever popular Segway™ Human Transporter, among a plethora of others. Not only will Kamen speak about the process involved in designing these sop...

Eric Canonico, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of MOTOPARA Foundation, Inc., speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about how his organization elevates and enhances lives by delivering elite global response teams made up of Veteran Special Forces Operators and Military Specialists that administer search and rescue, disaster response and humanitarian relief. In addition to MOTOPARA, Canonico will discuss how to promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, as well as holistic...

Todd Connor, U.S. Navy veteran and co-founder of the career and professional development program The Collective Academy, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about how to facilitate an environment in which leaders thrive and how to transform the way that we think and deal with the challenges that life presents. Connor will also discuss how he aims to empower military veterans as leaders in innovation through his national nonprofit, Bunker Labs, and his new book “Third Shift Entrepren...

Program host Chris Meek is honored to speak with Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence on this special presentation of “Next Steps Forward.” In her role as Second Lady, Mrs. Pence has elevated art therapy as a mental health profession and has raised awareness about the role it can play in treating military members and veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mrs. Pence will discuss in-depth her passion for art and advocacy for art th...

“Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek speaks with Anne Beiler, creator of the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, Auntie Anne’s, Inc. Beiler will offer an inside look at the company’s humble beginnings as a single farmer’s market stand and the steps she took to turn it into an internationally recognized brand. Beiler will speak about how her professional success came after many years of personal turmoil and how others who have experienced hardship can emerge as a better person, to...

Martha MacCallum, award-winning anchor of Fox News Channel’s The Story With Martha MacCallum, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about her more than 25 years of reporting experience on some of the most noteworthy events of the past two decades and the opportunities she has had to interview many of the most influential American figures of our time. MacCallum will also discuss her new book, Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima, includ...

WWE Superstar Lacey Evans speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about her successful career in sports entertainment. Evans will take listeners on her personal journey, speaking candidly about growing up in a toxic home environment and how that informed her career progression. From enlisting in the U.S. Marines, where she served as military police to opening and operating her own construction business to her current career as a WWE Superstar, Evans has continuously demonstrated her ten...

Commander Guy Snodgrass, student turned instructor at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School known as TOPGUN, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about the skills he learned in the TOPGUN program and the leadership qualities he hopes to instill in the next generation. Commander Snodgrass will offer a unique inside look into what it takes to train the top 1% of America’s fighter pilots, and provide a glimpse into his current work as a strategic advisor in national security and foreign pol...

Graham Rahal, a race car driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the NTT IndyCar series, kicks things off by speaking about his experiences on the race track. Rahal will also share how he has applied leadership skills and a work ethic learned through racing to his business and philanthropic ventures, which includes his work through the Graham and Courtney Rahal Foundation. The foundation supports Turns For Troops, a program dedicated to helping our country’s veterans. One such veteran, Sgt....

This week on “Next Steps Forward,” host Chris Meek speaks with Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo, director of medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, about BraveMind, the virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy program Rizzo created to successfully treat post-traumatic stress (PTS) in veterans. Aside from discussing that groundbreaking technology and treatment in-depth, Rizzo will also touch on how other revolutionary medical technology advance...

Rorke T. Denver, a U.S. Navy SEALs commander and founder of the motivational brand Ever Onward, speaks with “Next Steps Forward” host Chris Meek about his experiences running every phase of SEALs training and leading special forces teams in international hot spots. In addition, they will discuss Denver’s novels Worth Dying For and bestseller Damn Few, his appearances on FOX competition series American Grit, and the hit film Act of Valor. Denver will give an inside look into the SEAL principles t...

In the inaugural episode of “Next Steps Forward With Chris Meek” Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, Executive Director of The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) task force and founder of the national nonprofit Give an Hour, speaks with Chris about how to improve overall mental health; and the importance of mental health care accessibility for those who need it, including our country’s service members and veterans. They’ll also discuss PREVENT’s national...