Alicia Bean is one of our country’s frontline nurses putting her life at risk in an effort to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. She is generously blessed with humility, compassion, and determination to care for others and is deferential to courage. Instead of ascribing it to herself, she attributes it to her colleagues, essential workers …

My initial intention for today’s episode was to talk to my guest, Judi Langley, about her twenty-five year marriage to her husband, Gotham. I quickly realized, however, that Judi is one of those people who has as much knowledge as she does depth, on a variety of topics. From her bi-racial, bi-cultural marriage and an illustrious thirty-five year ca…

By Mo Vear

Can a positive attitude help us heal? My guest today is Laura Alberts. While Laura is a breast cancer survivor, she isn't defined by it. In fact, after undergoing chemo and radiation treatments, Laura claimed to have her "breast year ever" in real estate. One of Coldwell Banker's top realtors in Orland Park, Illinois, Laura is also a musician, danc…

Are you free, really? My guest, 41 year old Dawan Warren, has had a lot of time to think about this question. He's spent half of his life in prison. Indicted at the age of 18 for a series of robberies, Dawan was facing 40 years. Charged with 16 years at the age of 20, he had served 8 by the time he was released. 11 months later, he proceeded to com…

How do you hang on to your dreams when you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay? My guest today is Dr. Charles Vear. Ninety-three years young, he is a retired medical doctor, a navy veteran and an author who, along with his wife Gloria, wrote their memoir called Love, Laughter & Dreams: We Prayed for Twelve Children. But at the age of 34, wi…

Can accepting and embracing your adversities be the key to living out your wildest dreams? My guest, Elaine Gabalac, opens up for the first time about living with epilepsy. Diagnosed at fourteen, she was angry, sad and scared. But things had to get a lot worse before she realized that the very thing destroying her life was also the very thing she n…

Is love stronger than death? My guests, Christine and Jean Bosco Rutagengwa, talk about surviving the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Inspired by his love for Christine, Jean Bosco recounts what happened and why, and how he found the courage to leave Hotel Rwanda to get Christine—hopefully, alive, and return with her to the hotel. An unplanned refuge wit…

Livia Gazzolo is a musician and jazz vocalist with a residency at the Atwood Cafe in downtown Chicago, Illinois. She also produces a monthly cabaret variety show at The Mouse House called “When the Cat’s Away." © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn…

Celebrate your powerlessness? That’s just crazy talk. I thought. I’d have to relinquish control! Can giving up control and embracing my pain and feelings of powerlessness really be the key to healing? It's hard to imagine, but that's how it began for my guest today. Albert Ancel, a grateful recovering alcoholic, says that once he embraced his pain …

Can an act of defiance help to cultivate courage? My guest thinks so. An attorney by trade, Vince Auricchio is used to having the odds stacked against him, but this was personal. His daughter was about to undergo brain surgery and the reality of losing her was more than his heart could bare. But in a moment of defiance, Vince, a Christ follower, fo…

High school senior, Skyla Stillo, talks about finding her courage after an attempted suicide and how it led her to start her blog: Unlabeled.blog about self-love, mental health, and fashion. “It's not who you wear, it's who you are.” © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on…

After suffering from traumatic burns over 50% of her body, Lesia decided she didn’t want to be known as the “burn girl.” Determined to be known as an ordinary girl who endured an extraordinary experience, Lesia learned how to face rejection, conquer her fears and live in the moment by unlocking her courage with vulnerability and turning her pain in…

Dr. Kessler Vear, who is currently the inpatient attending physician at Chicago’s Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, specializes in physical medicine, neurological rehabilitation, and spinal cord injuries. Paralyzed in a skiing accident at sixteen, she shares her story of courage, recovery and ultimately, her desire to live her best life, despite her physica…

Kirsten Alberts is a stand-up comedian, writer, podcast producer, and social media professional who can be seen at comedy clubs across the country. On this episode of Bite of Courage, she shares openly about finding the courage to overcome an eating disorder and her journey to manage it. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@…

A chance meeting in Chicago, Marzie Ghasempour and I met because we happened to be sitting next to each other at the musical Hamiliton and we couldn’t contain our excitement that night. During intermission, we picked up our pre-show conversation. Born in Iran, Marzie feels privileged and proud to be living and working in the United States where usi…

Singer, songwriter, Stephanie Erin Brill, whose music Save the Day is the title track for Bite of Courage, shares her incredible story of strength. As she takes us on her journey and tells us about her love for music, family and friends, she talks candidly about how she overcame a tragic event in her early childhood. From Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Step…

Jim Gaffigan doesn’t need a lot of introduction. He’s one of America’s funniest and most well-recognized comedians. He’s also been a friend of mine since high school so I have lots of dirt on this clean comic. From high school to show business, Jim talks honestly about life’s ups and downs and the courage it takes to be true to yourself. © 2019 Mo …