Nadya Okamoto is the founder and executive director of PERIOD, an organization she founded at the age of 16. PERIOD is dedicated ensuring that menstrual products are reliably available to those who need them the most and is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health. Since 2014 they have addressed over 400,000 periods and registered over 2 ...…

Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers launched their podcast, Pantsuit Politics, in November of 2015 with the goal of listening to each other first, and talking politics second — even though Sarah is on the left of the political spectrum and Beth is on the right. Pantsuit Politics has been named one of the 7 best political podcasts to listen t ...…

He wore his own trash for 30 days. He built tiny houses for the homeless. He dumpster dived for food. And now he’s committing to only eat food he’s grown and foraged himself for an entire year. His name is Rob Greenfield and he’s wholeheartedly committed to making a difference and leading the way to a more sustainable and just world You may hav ...…

Andy J. Miller (also known as Andy J. Pizza) is an illustrator, podcaster and public speaker. His explosive color drenched illustrations have brought hope and smiles to clients like The New York Times, Nickelodeon, Amazon, YouTube, and Warby Parker. He is also the founder of the Creative Pep Talk podcast. In this episode, Andy shares the story ...…

The 21st century has given birth to marvels of human ingenuity—smartphones and social media have connected us more than ever before — but this 24/7 modern world feels like it’s messing with our minds and doing unprecedented damage to our mental health. It’s no surprise then, at least to international bestselling author Matt Haig, who suffers fr ...…

At the age of 27, Kate Manser was working at Google when she had a number of people close to her die young and unexpectedly. It sent her into a tailspin of fear and anxiety, processing her own death one day. That is, until she slowly pivoted toward seeing these tragedies and her new awareness of her own impending death as an opportunity to live ...…

Joanna Waterfall is the founder of Yellow Co. whose mission is to equip and inspire creative, entrepreneurial women to become agents of good. In this episode, Branden and Joanna dive into relationships, prenatal depression, failing publicly, and how to separate who we are from what we do. soundsgoodpodcast.com/joanna ——— Sponsor: Visit GetLasti ...…

Erica Mandy left her six-figure 'dream job' as a TV news reporter in Los Angeles, the second largest news market in the country, all because of two things: 1) She kept hearing from people that they were tuning out news all together because it was too "depressing." 2) She, herself, was feeling depressed and anxious from ten years of covering hor ...…

Brandi Lea is a nonprofit founder living in Colorado Spring, Colorado who loves people in incredible ways. She’s the co-founder of a non-profit called Beauty for Ashes Uganda which works toward long-term sustainable development and deep healing for single mothers and widows in Uganda. In this episode, Branden and Brandi dive into Brandi’s exper ...…

British visual artist Shantell Martin has originated her work upon the foundation of these two key questions: WHO ARE YOU? And ARE YOU YOU? After moving to New York from Tokyo, she became best known for creating stream-of-consciousness drawings and light projects with childlike wonder and joy. Her artwork (— which is mainly lines and stick figu ...…

Dwayne Reed is the rapping teacher from Chicago responsible for the viral hit, Welcome to the 4th Grade. You may have seen him on Good Morning America or in an Old Navy commercial directed by Pharrell Williams. Dwayne, or as he’s called in his classroom: Mr. Reed, genuinely cares about his students and has found a number of creative ways to sho ...…

In 2015, Inc. Magazine recognized Noonday Collection as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. But years earlier, as Jessica Honegger stood at a pawn-shop counter in Austin, Texas, and handed over her grandmother's gold jewelry, her goal was much more personal: to fund the adoption of her Rwandan son, Jack, by selling artisan-made jew ...…

Morgan Harper Nichols is a writer and artist whose work revolves around people and their stories. As a musician, she’s seen her song, “Storyteller” garner over 1 million Spotify plays and as an author, her self-published book of poetry has become a #1 Amazon Bestseller in Inspirational Poetry. Her Instagram has gained an audience of more than a ...…

After serving four years as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corp, including a combat deployment in Iraq where he was hit by four IEDs in four months causing a traumatic brain injury, Richard Casper returned home suffering from post-traumatic stress. That is, until he discovered the healing power of music and art. After experiencing f ...…

Gustavo Guerrero was born in a small town in Honduras in April of 1992. After being raised by his Aunt, Gustavo became an immigrant in America at the age of 12 after he moved to South Carolina to live with his parents. Gustavo is a talented musician and his love for music became apparent early in life when at the age of 6 he created his own dru ...…

Nirrimi Firebrace is an award-winning Australian photographer and writer who catapulted into the public eye when she was just a teenager because of the unique way she shares her story through photos and words online. Shortly before recording this conversation, Nirrimi lost her brother to suicide. After realizing she didn’t have many photos of t ...…

In 2015 when protests broke out in Baltimore in response to the death of Freddie Gray, photographer and activist Devin Allen was one of the first photographers on the scene to share his photos with the world. His photos were quickly shared by celebrities like Rihanna and Beyonce and one of his most iconic photos landed on the cover of TIME maga ...…

As founder of International Justice Mission, Gary Haugen fights the chronically neglected global epidemic of violence against the poor. While a member of the 1994 United Nations team investigating war crimes in Rwanda, Gary Haugen’s eyes were opened to the appalling extent of violence in the developing world. Upon his return to the US, he found ...…

At 28 years old, Scott Harrison had it all. A top nightclub promoter in New York City, his life was an endless cycle of drugs, booze, models on repeat. But 10 years in, he was unhappy and morally bankrupt. Walking away from everything, Harrison spent the next 16 months on a hospital ship in West Africa and discovered his true calling. In 2006, ...…

Founding Omaze with his business partner Matt, CEO and co-founder Ryan Cummins is responsible for the online platform known for raising hundreds of millions of dollars for charity by raffling once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Today, Omaze is breaking the traditional model of charity and creating more good than ever before. Chances are you've seen ...…

After watching a special of The Oprah Winfrey Show about the AIDS epidemic in Africa, 11-year-old Kendall Ciesemier founded the organization Kids Caring 4 Kids in 2004. After this event, Kendall knew she had seen the opportunity she was waiting for — a chance to give her life more purpose than the chronic liver disease she had grown up fighting ...…

Jamie Tworkowski’s life changed in 2006 when he met Renee Yohe and wrote a story called “To Write Love on Her Arms.” He posted the story on MySpace and began selling TWLOHA t-shirts as a way to help pay for Renee’s treatment. Today, TWLOHA has now responded to 200,000 messages from people in 100 countries, in addition to giving two million doll ...…

Before we figured out that it wasn’t ok to stand out and do crazy things for fear of rejection, we had a period of our lives where we weren’t afraid to do stuff. Author, speaker, and media producer, CJ Casciotta, has passionately given himself over to the idea that if we’d get back in touch with what makes us different, we’d change the world. C ...…

Civil rights activist, teacher, and author, DeRay Mckesson thinks hope is the belief that tomorrow can be better than today. As one of the leading voices in the Black Lives Matter Movement and the co-founder of Campaign Zero, DeRay has spent his life working to connect individuals with knowledge and tools, and provide citizens and policy-makers ...…

Most notably recognized as the most popular figure from ABC’s The Bachelor, Ben Higgins is someone who is currently leveraging his platform of fame for good. Currently known for hosting iHeart Radio’s pop culture podcast, Almost Famous, nothing could have adequately prepared Ben for how appearing on one of the highest grossing television shows ...…

Lisa Gungor’s faith was the lens through which she viewed her marriage, music, and dreams—all of which the world witnessed through her and her husband’s Grammy nominated band, Gungor. Yet, when the lens was shattered through events like the unraveling of a career, the loss of a worldview, and the birth of a baby girl with heart defects, it led ...…

While living in Ethiopia in 2010, Founder and CEO of the lifestyle brand ABLE, Barrett Ward, saw firsthand how extreme poverty forced young women, generation after generation, to resort to prostitution as a means of supporting themselves and their families. He saw that they needed an opportunity to earn a living with dignity, empowering themsel ...…

Jodi Ettenberg is a Canadian ex-lawyer who later discovered her passion in the world of food and travel. On her award-winning website, Legal Nomads, she’s helped people all over the world to explore the world around them, not with fear and suspicion, but with open-minded curiosity and compassion. Jodi’s writing has been recognized by the world’ ...…

In a pit of depression, Ben Nemtin and his three best friends decided to create the world’s greatest bucket list to make them feel alive. They bought a rickety old bus and criss-crossed North America, achieving the unthinkable. And most importantly, every time they accomplished a dream, they helped a complete stranger cross something off their ...…

From his humble beginnings in Bradenton, Florida, R&B singer and classical guitarist Reggie Williams Jr. never expected his side project R.LUM.R to blow up. Then the internet found him and his music took off with the release of his 2016 single "Frustrated" — racking up over 39 million streams on Spotify to date. He has also won fans with single ...…

Mike Donehey is and singer, songwriter and guitarist primarily known for his work as lead singer in the Christian rock band Tenth Avenue North. What many people don’t know, is that Mike’s journey as a musician began after a near-fatal car accident where he was told he would never walk again. He then picked up a guitar during his days in the hos ...…

Benjamin Von Wong is a world-renowned photographer who decided to use his talents to make a difference. He never set out to be a photographer, and he became one almost by accident. Nevertheless, in the space of the past 5 years since he quit his day job as a mining engineer, he’s earned a worldwide reputation as a brilliantly original photograp ...…

Is the process of creating art more about becoming a mirror for the creator or the observer? Fine art photographer, Brooke Shaden, has explored this question for the better portion of her life and found the nuanced answer inside her own powerful story. As a self-portrait artist who emphasizes surrealism and imagination, Brooke has spent years b ...…

Nigerian American professional soccer player, Amobi Okugo, has had an incredible journey in the world of soccer ever since he was young. He was then drafted after his freshman year at UCLA into Major League Soccer as part of the 2010 Generation Adidas Class. He has amassed over 150 appearances in all competitions professionally and has been hon ...…

Called "The Brené Brown of Wonder” by Mind Body Green and a “Millennial Motivator” by Fortune, Amber Rae is an author, artist, and speaker whose work invites you to live your truth, befriend your emotions, and express your gifts. Her writing blends raw, personal storytelling with psychology and neuroscience, and has reached over 5 million peopl ...…

In 2005, Shawn Askinosie left a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer to start a bean-to-bar chocolate factory, Askinosie Chocolate, and never looked back. The only chocolate maker working directly with cocoa farmers on four continents, Shawn travels to regions of Ecuador, the Philippines and Tanzania to source cocoa beans for his choc ...…

Jacqueline Whitney had a plan for her life. As a teenager, she was great at school, great at volleyball, and knew those would take her down her dream path. Everything changed when a series of injuries affected her ability to exercise for more than a few minutes and to be able to focus on her school work without needing to nap. Jacqueline had to ...…

After the tragic and unexpected loss of her husband, Kristine Carlson resolved to find hope in the midst of heartache and her life has never been the same since. Today, Kristine is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and leader in the field of transformation. After collaborating with her late husband Dr. Richard Carlson to create a pu ...…

In November of 2015, Rob Lawless began a journey to spend 1 hour with 10,000 strangers to learn about their lives with no agenda. Leaving behind his careers in finance and tech sales, Rob took a huge risk and made the bet that creating human connection is currently a more important foundation for his future than building his savings account. Si ...…

Founder of Design Sponge, Grace Bonney, believes that curiosity allows you to find deeper meaning inside whatever community you’ve found yourself in. This belief has altered her life in profound and impactful ways ever since she started building her own business. Grace Bonney’s blog, Design Sponge, attracts over 1 million readers per day while ...…

Miles Adcox has devoted his life to living into these three concepts: Empathy over action, love over agenda, and grace over advice. Publicly and privately, he is known as one of the most plugged-in people on human condition that there is today. Today, Miles Adcox is a speaker, writer, and CEO/Owner of Onsite — an extended care center for emotio ...…

Anjali Pinto is a professional photographer, artist, and writer who met her husband, Jacob, when she was young. They fell in love and shared their beautiful story consistently on Instagram. Jacob died suddenly at age 30 — out of the blue and with no warning. In her grief, Anjali didn’t turn inward. She turned to Instagram. Over the course of th ...…

The most recognized male figure-skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Olympic gold medal, an Emmy Award nomination, and induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. In 1984, Scott captured the attention of the world with his Olympic Gold medal performances in Sarajevo and has since ...…

Tiffany Mitchell’s life circumstances have opened her up to this important truth: The act of creating is like pulling something from your core – bypassing everything that is covering up your true self. Her painful and beautiful story has taught her that when you admit what you’re curious about creating with other people, you’re allowing somethi ...…

Justin Zoradi’s important work began the day he decided to no longer deny opportunities to others that he demanded for himself. This realization was sparked while working in South Africa in 2006, where he met several bright students who wanted to go to college but couldn't afford it. Today, Justin Zoradi is an award winning social entrepreneur, ...…

Multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur and creative activist Ali Nelson didn’t always think of herself as an artist. But in 2008, everything changed with a series of tragic events — a divorce before the age of 23, a death of a close friend, a car crash with a drunk driver that led to a brain injury — that would change her life forever. Losing u ...…

Author and speaker Allison Fallon is someone who has lived into this idea that telling the truth about yourself is the hardest thing we can do, but the beginning of something really beautiful. Like many of us, she’s realized that something amazing happens when we realize we don’t have total control and are forced to surrender to a force that is ...…

Do you believe that the catalyst for most things we create and move toward in our lives — is perhaps a broken heart? Do you think that tragedy is the underlying spark of our most important work? For photographer and world-traveler Theron Humphrey, this statement has been one of the truest statements for the trajectory of his life. And it’s been ...…

In 2010, the conflict in Somalia was raging heavily and the majority of Mogadishu and the South Central Regions of Somalia were lost to the control of the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group al-Shabab. Somali-Canadian social activist, Ilwad Elman, living in Canada at the time, left the safety of her new home in North America to return to her home c ...…

How do we maintain resilience and consistency in the midst of opposition? The Women’s March was the largest single-day protest in US history—bringing together more than 3.3 million people in 500 US cities. And Linda Sarsour, a rising household name in the United States, was a big reason why that happened. But that doesn’t come without significa ...…