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Guest Occupation: Independent Business Associate with WCP Solar Renewable Energy & Social Media Specialist.
Guest Biography:
I was born in Lexington, Virginia where my Dad was finishing up his senior year at Washington & Lee University. I grew up in Woodstown, New Jersey where both of my parents were originally from. After graduating from Woodstown High School, I went to and graduated from Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.  After my college graduation, I moved to Chicago where I began my business sales career.
 
I have been in business sales for over 30 + years in Companies beginning with Dictaphone/Pitney Bowes to AT&T/Lucent Technologies/Avaya .  I have been blessed to work with many business professionals during my sales career and have learned that trusted relationships are key.
 
In addition to my professional life, I have participated in many special causes like The Ron Santo Walk for the Cure of Diabetes, St. Baldrick's Brave the Shave for Children's Brain Cancer, Autism Speaks Walk, and the Chicago Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Chicago.
 
I'm currently an Independent Sales Consultant with WCP Solar in Naperville, IL.  I work with a team of professionals that provide full service Solar Systems for Commercial and Residential Customers.  Clean Green Mother Earth with Renewable Solar Energy is the change we need to make happen.
 
My wife and I live in Naperville, IL. I am married to a Fighting Illini Grad and  Die Hard Cubs fan.  Our daughter is a University of Alabama Roll Tide Alum.   Her husband is a Clemson Fan. As you can see,  every day is an exciting new experience. 
Guest Category: Business, Kids & Family, Self Help, Variety
Guest Occupation: TEDx speaker and #1 bestselling author
Guest Biography:

JIM MCCARTHY

Jim McCarthy is a TEDx speaker and #1 bestselling author of Live Each Day: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Happiness. He teaches people how to create their happiness by blending mindfulness techniques and timeless wisdom with simple, science-based practices. 

Jim is recognized for his unique perspective — as a Stanford MBA, internet pioneer, and person living with a cancer diagnosis. He teaches people how to create their happiness by blending mindfulness techniques and timeless wisdom with simple, science-based practices.

He has presented his innovative and acclaimed “Happiness Keynote” to organizations of all sizes across the U.S. and internationally. His talks aren’t just inspirational. Jim’s talks can show you how to:

• Reduce your stress

• Boost your confidence

• Appreciate the life you already have

• Find greater meaning in your personal and professional life

• Create a legacy with no regrets

Audiences take away practical strategies, evidence-based insights, and daily action plans — because happiness is a skill you can develop.

Guest Category: Literature, Kids & Family, Philosophy, Psychology, Self Help
Guest Occupation: Independent music artist
Guest Biography:

HUGHIE STONE FISH

Hughie Stone Fish is an independent music artist with strong ties to his hometown of Syracuse, NY. This summer he will appear on NBC’s “Bring the Funny,” with his comedy band “Lewberger,” release his album “Look How Quickly Everything’s Changing,” and fund a campaign to investigate the American Detention Centers near the border with his group “What is America.”

Hughie recently completed the city-wide project “Welcome to Syracuse” in the city he holds so dear. 

Guest Category: Arts, Entertainment, Music
Guest Occupation: Author
Guest Biography:

GEORGE ARAU

Born in Mar 1 1962, in June of 1988 at age of 26 years old I decide to leave the country of Romania for good! I hide on a 65000 tons vessel named BACESTI, who’s destination was Venezuela after a few days at sea (Black Sea) I jumped off in water of Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey.

After 23 months in Istanbul I was able to get my approval from INS and travel legally to USA, arriving in New York.

Hours pass by and I was informed that my luggage did not make it, so I have to continue my next stop to LAX, Los Angeles the “City of Angels” witch later they were conform that my luggage was stolen in the airport transit Athens, Greece, so I realize that God has somehow put me to the test, you want freedom, then you should start from zero, after 2 months when I got my first check from Marriot company where I start my first job I decide to washed all my clothes that I came with in USA put the in a plastic bag and I placed them on the bench at the bus station, Sunset Blvd and Fairfax Avenue next to Thrifty store ( now Rite Aid ) including my watch and gold ring on top of it, so somehow to confirm my destiny that I came to USA with nothing and I left everything behind!

In August 26 2005 my older brother at 46 years old after God knows how many years of pain of a bad marriage (after over 20 years of marriage his wife put the divorce and kick him out of the house) he decide to end his own life and leave me (not knowing) with to many questions unanswered!

I was struggling to understand for years what just happened and finally after 14 years I made my book/novel dedicated in memory of my brother and the reason my wishes are centered on writing this book is that I have been in silence for so many years about losing him.

I never thought that I could, or would want to, write a book capturing a terrible event interrupting my life. But, I did feel so obligated to break my silence and place my truth into such words, because I believe that maybe someone, somewhere, is wondering why this is all happening to him or her; perhaps someone is in need of a brother or sister, and I hope that person will find solace!

Guest Category: Literature, Health & Lifestyle, History, Kids & Family, Philosophy, Self Help, Society and Culture
Guest Occupation: Indie Pop Rock artist and producer
Guest Biography:

DALLAS THORNTON

Los Angeles-based and Boulder-bred, he is an Indie-Pop/Rock artist and producer known for his high-energy performances and positive message. He has played for audiences in 9 countries and from coast to coast of the U.S. spreading a message of peace.

​Thornton serves as Artist In Residence for Common Foundation, a philanthropic incubator that serves 225+ companies across 27 industries and 20 countries for the benefit of people, planet and peace.

He’s been songwriting, performing and producing for over a decade and sometime after this photo was taken also earned a degree from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA in Contemporary Writing and Production. 

The answer is love, and music its soundtrack.

Guest Category: Arts, Entertainment, Music
Guest Occupation: Business Advisor to CEOs
Guest Biography:

Michael E. Sloopka, is the founder of negotiatingcoach.com and is an internationally recognized coach, teacher, and highly rated professional speaker. Michael is an expert on the topics of negotiating and decision-making dynamics that impact, influence, and affect negotiations in our personal lives, social lives, and especially in our business lives. Michael is also the host of his new Negotiating for Success Podcast. Michael has personally trained over 50,000 people of all experience levels, across multiple industries, in 31 countries how to negotiate more effectively. His five-star-rated presentations and negotiating skills training programs have been delivered around the world to small and medium-sized businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, and professional associations.

Guest Category: Business, Management, Education, Courses & Training, Philosophy, Personal Development, Self Help, Motivational, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: physician, author, speaker
Guest Biography:

Dr. Kevin Conners, D.PSc., FICT, FAARFM is the Staff Physician and Clinic Director at Conners Clinic, an Alternative Cancer Treatment center in St Paul, MN. He graduated with his doctorate from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 1986 and has been studying alternative cancer care for over 18 years. He also holds AMA Fellowships and Board Certifications in Anti-Aging Medicine, Regenerative and Functional Medicine, Botanical Medicine, and is Board Certified in Integrative Cancer Therapy.



Dr. Conners is also certified in Functional Neurology, has had over 300 hours postgraduate study in the Autism Spectrum Disorders, and is trained and certified in Epigenetic Clinical Methylation and Nutrigenomics. He is a practicing Applied Kinesiologist with an emphasis on Botanical Medicine and Homeopathy. He has written numerous books including “Stop Fighting Cancer and Start Treating the Cause” that is available as a free download at ConnersClinic.com/books.

Guest Category: Education, Health & Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology, Science, Self Help
Guest Occupation: Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.
Guest Biography:
William A. (“Sandy”) Darity Jr. is the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics and the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University. He has served as chair of the Department of African and African American Studies and was the founding director of the Research Network on Racial and Ethnic Inequality at Duke. Previously he served as director of the Institute of African American Research, director of the Moore Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, director of the Undergraduate Honors Program in economics, and director of Graduate Studies at the University of North Carolina.



Darity’s research focuses on inequality by race, class and ethnicity, stratification economics, schooling and the racial achievement gap, North-South theories of trade and development, skin shade and labor market outcomes, the economics of reparations, the Atlantic slave trade and the Industrial Revolution, the history of economics, and the social psychological effects of exposure to unemployment.



He was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (2011-2012) at Stanford, a fellow at the National Humanities Center (1989-90) and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors (1984). He received the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award in 2012 from the National Economic Association, the organization's highest honor. He is a past president of the National Economic Association and the Southern Economic Association. He also has taught at Grinnell College, the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of Texas at Austin, Simmons College and Claremont-McKenna College.



He has served as Editor in Chief of the latest edition of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, (Macmillan Reference, 2008) and as an Associate Editor of the new edition of the Encyclopedia of Race and Racism (2013).



His most recent books are Economics, Economists, and Expectations: Microfoundations to Macroapplications (2004) (co-authored with Warren Young and Robert Leeson) and a volume co-edited with Ashwini Deshpande titled Boundaries of Clan and Color: Transnational Comparisons of Inter-Group Disparity (2003) both published by Routledge. He has published or edited 12 books and published more than 210 articles in professional journals.



Darity lives with his family in Durham, N.C. where he plays harmonica in a local blues band, occasionally coaches youth sports, and especially enjoys reading science fiction and speculative fiction. (On leave, 2015-2016)
Guest Category: History, Kids & Family, Politics & Government, Society and Culture, Variety