Headlined Guests
Headlined Guests that have appeared on BBS Radio TV
BENKI PIYÂKO
Benki has been referred to as a leading spiritual leader from the Amazon. He comes from an Antaviari lineage in Ashaninka culture, a term meaning “a direct Messenger of God “. Benki has embraced the struggle for the rights of his community since his teens, replanting over 2.5 million trees. In 2007, as a Secretary of Environment Acre, Brazil, he inaugurated the Yorenka Ãtame agroforestry center, where he began to rehabilitate drug and alcohol addicted youth by teaching them to work with Nature.
He thus brought people and endangered animal/plant species together again. He also created the world’s first eco-market which exchanges plastic for food in Amazonia. Benki has helped many indigenous groups to recover their culture. He is a recipient of the UN Equator Prize alongside his community, Apiwtxa. More recently, he has created the Yorenka Tasorentsi Educational and Spiritual Institute to pursue his environmental and spiritual work.
RAINE PIYÂKO
Young Ashaninka leader Raine Piyãko has been accompanying his father, world-renowned spiritual and environmental leader Benki Piyãko, in his works since early childhood.
Raine began his pajé (master shaman) apprenticeship a decade ago under his father’s and grandfather’s auspices. His maternal grandfather Aricemi is also one of Benki’s teachers and one of the highest regarded Sheripiari (tobacco shaman) in the Western Amazon.
Raine is a composer of traditional Ashaninka songs and a talented musician. He is the Vice President of the healing and reforestation center, Institute Yorenka Tasorentsi, in the Brazilian Amazon.
Coming from a lineage of ‘Antaviari’ (direct messenger of God in Ashaninka culture), Raine is steeped in the most profound shamanic traditions of the Amazon.
SONIA MARIE KAZAROVA
Sonia Marie Kazarova is a New Country Artist Singer Songwriter. Sonia is also a Grammy Nominated Opera Singer, Actress & Philanthropist.
She is Colorado native, born in WheatRidge and raised in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on a small ranch outside Boulder. Sonia’s cross-genre ‘Country Opera’ “DESPERADO DEBUTANTE” celebrates the storytelling that she fell in love with as a kid listening to country on the radio & the sweeping stories she sang in opera. Influenced by the greats of early country music such as The Carter Family, Tom T Hall, Dolly Parton, Waylon, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Bobby Bare, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, George Straight, Clint Black, the trinity of Twitty, Twain, & Tanya Tucker. Sonia has performed worldwide as Tosca, Norma, and Salome to name a few, and is known for groundbreaking genre-bending combining her operatic vocals with polyrhythmic Afro-beats, pop, jazz, taiko drumming, blues, gospel, Regge, spoken word and hip hop.
These collaborations led her to a Grammy nomination. This honor inspired Sonia Marie to follow her dreams, and tell the stories so close to her heart. At last arriving back home where she began in Colorado. This new ‘Country Opera’ genre brings Sonia’s rich theatrical style of storytelling with full orchestration inside country music tradition. The blend of these two art forms is a beautiful alchemy offering sweet country melodies and a great big opera heart. Miss Sonia is bringing Opera back to the Opry!
DEVAN LONG
Devan Chandler Long is known for his ranging scope of work, most recently starring on hit CBS comedy “Ghosts” where he portrays ‘Thorfinn’ a brash, lovable, larger than life Viking.
Long was raised in the small island town of Anacortes, Washington, where he grew up entertaining his peers in the classroom and on the football field. His talents earned him a full ride scholarship to play football at the University of Oregon, where he would go on to garner school records and become known for his humorous interviews and locker room antics. Given his boisterous personality and proclivity for storytelling, it wasn’t long until Long found his truth in acting. He got his first acting job on the series “Shameless” in 2012.
Utilizing his blue-collar work ethic and stubborn determination, Long blazed a career as a multi-faceted character actor, having portrayed an eclectic array of characters from vicious assassins to lovable super-heroes, thus escaping the stereotypical confines adopted by most actors of his physical prowess.
Long lives in Venice, California with his wife, Jesse Golden, who he married in 2020, and her son, now their son, Kaleo Golden. Long’s big brother is Rien Long, who played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans. Long enjoys cooking, surfing, paddle tennis and prank calling his grandma with character voices (she loves it, it’s their thing).
Since 1991, Chuck Thies has been headquartered in Washington, D.C. He leads, advises and
supports advocacy, political and PR campaigns, corporate affairs projects, NGO operations,
special events and a variety of other endeavors.
In high-profile, high-pressure roles or behind the scenes in an advisory manner, Chuck brings to
all projects a depth of expertise and poise gained by working across a breadth of subject
matters with skilled and diverse people from around the globe. His professional travels span the
United States, China, France, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, Palestine,
Portugal and Sweden.
Chuck is a skilled writer and communicator. He has appeared on television, co-hosted a weekly
radio program on WPFW, written a weekly column for NBC Washington and has been quoted or
published in numerous outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Los
Angeles Times, CNN, Fox News, San Francisco Chronicle, Des Moines Register, The Atlantic,
Washington Times, Washington Examiner, Detroit News, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Village
Voice, Boston Phoenix, Washington Blade, Washington City Paper, The American Prospect,
Wired, techPresident, Washingtonian, Washington Business Journal, DCist and elsewhere.
Chuck’s experience and expertise in event management is far-reaching, from promoting and
coordinating large-scale rallies on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and in Central Park,
New York City to providing comprehensive meeting and exhibition services for businesses,
NGOs and technical associations around the world. Chuck has also served as a vice-president
for one of the world's premier conference, exhibition and event management firms, The
Congrex Group.
A recovering perfectionist, lifelong learner, and survivor of life’s trials and tribulations.
Jennifer’s leadership and personal development expertise have been highly sought after by companies around the world. With over 12 years of experience as a consultant helping high-performing individuals at various multinational Fortune 500 companies, her efforts have positively influenced nearly 50,000 leaders across cultures, countries, and industries.
Jennifer’s undergraduate and graduate degrees are focused on behavioral change and as a thought leader, she is frequently requested as a speaker and consultant. She has spoken at conferences and led workshops in over 18 different countries.
Drawing from her background in science and collective expertise, Jennifer helps you develop into the very best version of yourself and learn how to thrive.
Tom Julian
714.270.1603
Tamara Lich is the woman who made Justin Trudeau blink. A Saskatchewan native, Tamara is a passionate advocate for the rights and freedoms of all Canadians, with a special focus on the oil & gas sector. Tamara was instrumental in organizing the 2022 truckers Freedom Convoy, a protest against vaccine mandates that garnered international attention. Tamara is a wife and grandmother who lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
After years of teaching, sales and recruiting, and a love of entrepreneurship, a position in Business Development and Customer Support, brought Lori Balke to the Henhat team.
Lori is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Vocational and Occupational Education.
Most of Lori’s day is spent introducing the world, to Henhat’s 3D iPhone and iPad scanning system. Once a doctor signs on with app, Lori gets to do the best part of her job- training the professionals who are entering the world of 3-D scanning!
She also enjoys troubleshooting and is a phone call away.
In April of 2022, Henhat was the first custom orthotics lab to bring 3D scanning to iPhones and we haven’t looked back. The system reduces costs, saves precious time for both doctors and patients and increases the accuracy of the orthotic.
If you want to know how to bring this simple -“state of the art” 3D system to your practice, send Lori a message
Ron is the author of “The Moses of Wall Street” and Founder of the Triple Tank System, the only investing system created from a biblical truth.
Known to his friends and clients simply as Tank. He also teaches new and experienced investors on how to eliminate risk and maximize returns in the stock market to become “Bulletproof Investors!”
As a Sunday school teacher and expert investor, Ron offers an extremely unique combination of field-proven strategy, real-life tested biblical advice, and a proven system that investors need to be successful in today’s financial markets.
Ron first gained national attention and recognition when he was profiled with his brother in Investors Business Daily after submitting his astounding 3,460 percent gain, turning $40,000 into over $2.2 million in eighteen months.
Here’s the timeline of Ron’s personal journey on the path to becoming a “Bulletproof Investor”, writing his book and developing The Triple Tank System.
Ron began investing at 24, in his spare time with about $3,000, which he turned into about $15,000 over the next three years. A few years later, in 1995, at the age of 29, he left his computer programming job to become a full-time individual investor.
In 1999, at the age of 33 he turned the $40,000 into $1.4 million dollars in profit in the stock market, a 3,460% gain. During that same time, the NASDAQ Composite gained a total of about 57%. Here’s an article in the Smart Investor section of Investor’s Business Daily…
The IBD paper is a great tool that Ron has been using for over 20 years. Investors.com is a web site that he likes too. He doesn’t get paid to promote either one, but recommends both as great tools.
More recently, in 2014, using the system he turned $58,650 into $720,366.35, for a $661,508.63 profit in just 17 days …a 1,124% net gain. Ron knows this “sounds too good to be true”… but here are the transactions straight from his brokerage account.
In June, 2016, within a week or so of the Brexit news, he used the system again and generated gains of over 100% in just a few months. And here’s a short video reviewing Ron’s Brexit stock trades.
Obviously, it goes without saying, having that level of financial success has been great, but what really matters most, is the life it allows Ron to live, which is a life of freedom.
In his own words…
“There are some big moments that I’m incredibly grateful for, like having the freedom to buy 400 acres of undeveloped land that my family and I immerse ourselves in every chance we get, or building a 5-acre lake there to enjoy fishing with my kids.
It also allows me to enjoy even more important areas of life, like attending my kid’s school and sporting events, and time to prepare for and teach Sunday school each week, and the ability to provide monetary support to causes my family and I believe in, like Compassion International, Wounded Warriors and the AWANAS program for kids.
Many of us open our Bibles on Sunday morning expecting a spiritual gain, but to some, if those same pages were to also lead us to a financial gain, it would somehow be immoral, almost illegal.
I believe, when it comes to investing and our financial house, the Bible is the single most important book we can trust and use.
This is my family – my two children, Wyatt and Ava, and my wife Sheryl. My kids are the reason I wrote the book and my wife’s support was key to finishing it and being here today.”
FinancialCop is the largest financial wellness training group in the country taught by first responders, for first responders. They have taught over 30,000 first responders from over 3,000 agencies nationally. In addition they operate one of the largest first responder owned, fiduciary only, financial advisory firm.
Asil Toksal receives and transmits transformational energy and spoken wisdom from higher and non-dual sources of consciousness. This benevolent energy and wisdom is an unconditional gift intended to support humanity’s evolution. Asil channels the Elohim, a collective consciousness that has been instrumental in the proliferation of life, they are “the architects of this reality, of space and time, of the material experience, of consciousness.” Asil also embodies an archangelic being named Emmanuel who serves as an ambassador to humanity on behalf of higher consciousness. Asil authored the book, Transmission: Awakening in a Time of Transition: Vol. 1, an autobiographical account of his journey. The goal of both aspects of Asil’s work is to assist in the evolution of consciousness in humanity. He travels globally to do this work.
Suzanna Kennedy helps dynamic awakening people activate their superpowers, fulfill their soul purpose, and stop working so hard. In 1997 she experienced a spontaneous quantum consciousness awakening. Suzanna is an expert on the Planetary and Personal Accelerated Evolution. A powerful change agent and visionary, she facilitates enlightenment for individuals and groups. Suzanna is the author of the book Sacred Union, Pathway to Paradise. Her Divine Human Upgrade Program™ guides clients to expand to higher levels of consciousness, and clients report dramatic shifts in their quality of life within days of beginning their Divine Human Upgrades.
Chairman, DC Democratic Party
As Chairman of the DC Democratic Party since 2018, Charles Wilson has helped
grow and strengthen the organization to bring in dozens of new members and
make an impact on Democratic infrastructure in the District and across the
country. In addition to serving as Party Chairman, he currently works as an
Associate General Counsel for Social Governance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
at Booz Allen Hamilton. Charles has also served as the Chief of Staff for
Councilmember Anita Bonds and was appointed to serve as Manager for Business
Opportunity for the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development.
Charles has a deep and ongoing commitment to the greater DC community and
has served on a number of local boards, including the DC Historic Preservation
Review Board, River East Emerging Leaders and the Ward 8 Democrats. He co-
founded his neighborhood civic association, the Historic Anacostia Block
Association, where he served as president until 2018.
He received his undergraduate degree in Accounting at Hampton University and
attended the University of Baltimore School Of Law. He lives in Ward 8 with his
wife and children.
Best known for his portrayal of Walter “Flynn” White Jr. for five riveting seasons of AMC’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning dramatic thriller “Breaking Bad,” RJ Mitte is an actor, advocate and philanthropist who has carved out his niche in Hollywood by breaking down stereotypes and changing people’s mindsets with his easy-going demeanor and positive outlook. As Walt Jr., referred to by fans as “The Breakfast King,” Mitte acted as the cerebral palsy afflicted son of Walter (Bryan Cranston) and Skyler White (Anna Gunn). As Walter continues his descent into drug manufacturing and trade, Walt Jr. finds himself torn between his father’s deceit, his mother’s protectiveness, and his own developing sense of independence as a disabled teenager. Walter Jr.’s cerebral palsy on the show was embellished, as he had to learn how to walk on crutches and slur his speech to create a more dramatic version of his own disability.
At the age of three, Louisiana native Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but that has never deterred his drive to succeed in television and film. A chance encounter with a casting director led to his move to Los Angeles and Mitte quickly landed roles on various shows such as “Weeds,” NBC’s “Vegas,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and co-starred on ABC Family’s primetime hit show “Switched at Birth,” until being cast in his life-changing role on “Breaking Bad.” Mitte has since made his way to the big screen, starring in multiple indie films in the past few years, including DIXIELAND, appearing in his first non-handicapped leading role, TIME SHARE, a winner of Sundance Film Festival’s
Never one to shy away from an opportunity to take his talents to new avenues, RJ was thrust into the global spotlight as the celebrity face and model of GAP International’s “Lived in Spring” campaign; with his image appearing on mediums such as billboards, buses, and life-sized posters in cities across the world from Tokyo to the US,. He has since cemented himself as a face to know in the fashion world after walking in Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, Berlin and New York City for Vivienne Westwood, soPopular and Ovadia & Sons. He’s also a member of Kenneth Cole’s “Courageous Class;” for talent recognized for using their platform for advocacy and creating social change.
Throughout the years, Mitte has been an inspiration to his peers around the world by championing his cerebral palsy in hopes of removing the stigma associated with disabilities. In order to bring awareness to his own issues with bullying and prejudice, Mitte has engaged in public speaking and Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting and 2021’s heartfelt hit TRIUMPH, starring World alongside Terrance Howard and Jonathan Schaech.
Serves as the official Ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and partners with Shriners Hospitals for Children to spearhead their #CutTheBull campaign to advocate on anti-bullying measures. He’s also involved with SAG-AFTRA as a committee member of the union's IAPWD (I Am a Performer with Disabilities) and is an active board member of his family’s legacy project, The Mitte Foundation.
Dione Sims is the President and Founder of Unity Unlimited, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on producing educational activities and opportunities to support unity and understanding. She has produced the Annual Juneteenth Fort Worth Celebration with her grandmother Dr. Opal Lee since 2015, engineered the Opal’s Walk campaign for Juneteenth national holiday recognition, developed the Your Voice Unleashed Fine Arts Workshop and Concert unity programming, and sponsored the Opal’s Farm urban farming project that seeks to reduce food insecurity and provide a means for second chance training and employment. She was present at the White House signing of the bill that established June 19 th of every year as a federal holiday. Mrs. Sims served as the Founding Executive Director of the National Juneteenth Museum working to highlight the message of freedom that Juneteenth represents.
Ms Opal Lee Known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," was present on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act bill that established June 19 or “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. Ms. Lee is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) started by the late Dr. Ronald Myers to have Juneteenth declared a National Holiday. At 90 years of age, she started her walking campaign and in 2019 she launched an online petition campaign that garnered over 1.6 million signatures to continue the crusade for holiday observance.
Charles “Chuck” Hughes serves as the Executive Director of the Gary Chamber of Commerce. His mission, along with that of the Chamber is to attract new business, retain existing businesses and to promote and further develop all of the business interests in the City of Gary.
During his very diverse and productive career, Mr. Hughes served as a Gary Fire Official for 34 years reaching the rank of Battalion Chief and the department’s Public Information Officer. He worked as a member of the media doing both radio and television. He was the host of the popular “Sound Off” program on W.W.C.A. radio for several years in addition to serving as the evening newscaster. He was the 4th black on-air person hired full time at W.W.C.A. behind only the legendary Lucky Cordell, Vivian Carter and Jesse Coopwood. He later was named as the first black play-by-play announcer and that was followed by his being named the first black Sports Director at that station. Next, he ventured into Chicago television where he served for 12 years as Producer and host for the popular television talk show “Dimensions” seen weekly on W.P.W.R. and U.P.N. Channel 50 in Chicago.
Chuck also served with distinction for 16 years as a member of the Gary City Council at an At-large position. During that time he served two terms as President, two as Vice-President and each year served as the Council’s Public Safety Chairman. He is credited with founding several community programs such as the Gary Midnight Basketball Program, the “No Workshops, No Jump shots” program, the Local and Chicago media anti-violence initiative and bringing the owners of Taser to Northwest Indiana to expose local Law Enforcement to non-fatal techniques.
Chuck’s council success enabled him to serve as the Education Chairman for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. National recognition included his being selected as first Vice-Chair and then Chairman of the National League of Cities Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee being the only person from Northwest Indiana to ever serve in that capacity. Next Mr. Hughes was asked to serve on the prestigious National League of Cities Board of Directors, where only a couple of other people from Northwest Indiana had ever previously served.
In addition to his duties as Executive Director of the Gary Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hughes recently served as the Board Chairman for the Gary-Hammond East Chicago Empowerment Zone. Currently he serves as a member of the Indiana University Executive Council, the I.U. Chancellor’s Community Engagement Committee, the Indiana University School of Business Advisory Board, the I.U. SPEA Advisory Committee, Northwest Indiana Chamber Executives Association, the Regional Development Corporation Board of Directors, Ivy Tech Society of Innovators, the Indiana Black Expo Board of Directors, Friends of the Gary Airport and the Salvation Army Board of Directors. Among his many affiliations are the National Association of Black Journalists, Firefighters Local 359, Indiana Association of Fire Firefighters, Retired Fire and Police Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the I CHANGE NATIONS 3M Project Global Initiative.
Chuck has received numerous honors and recognition for his work in the community and on behalf of its citizens. Those include; the prestigious Indiana University Outstanding Alumnus Award, Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society Award for Public Affairs and Administration, Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Civil Rights Library, induction into the National Civil Rights Library Hall of Fame, Honorary Doctorate degree in Philosophy in Humanities from United Graduate College and Seminary International, appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by Golden Rule International, I Change Nations Award as a Human Conservation Solutionist, creator of the internationally acclaimed Community Civility Counts initiative, a campaign that earned him recognition from Ambassador Dr. Clyde Rivers at the Gerald R. Ford presidential Library in Grand Rapids Michigan and later on the U.S. Capitol Hill, Outstanding Individual Award from the Mayor’s Office on Disabilities, and the Lakeshore Classic event that spotlights our student athletes and that also attracts national dignitaries to Northwest Indiana.
Chuck Hughes is a graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School where he was a stellar atlete, has a Certificate of Graduation from Midwestern Broadcast School and a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Public Affairs from Indiana University. He is married to Dr. Danita Johnson Hughes and the father of 3 daughters.
My name is Diane Cherico and I have been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1999 and a Medical Massage Practitioner since 2018. The best thing I've ever learned in my 24 year career was in 2003 when I took my first Active Isolated Stretch class. I now have 95 hours of training in this amazing therapy. I have trained under 2 leading experts in the US. I was so blessed to help myself heal the pain I was in only 3 years into my massage career. Plus, it’s so rewarding to be able to help so many others live their best life free from muscular pain! My clients were so grateful to use this therapy during the pandemic when we couldn’t meet in person. I love hearing how they share this info with others to help them feel better NATURALLY!
The first part of my career was working hands-on with clients who could come to me. The combination of massage and stretching worked so well in helping folks with pain ranging from merely bothersome to chronic. Then I realized that I could reach others via a DVD and, later, a book.
My step-by-step DVD titled "Stretching with Diane Cherico” allows you to stretch your whole body in less than an hour! My book "You Can if You Say You Can" is common-sense approach to better health all naturally. It contains the keys to unlocking your tight muscles. Plus, as you know, features my 85-year "young" mom demonstrating some of these stretches to loosen her tight muscles so she can keep dancing! So this therapy with help old and young folks alike.
Recently, I have noticed places such as “Stretch Zone” opening up different locations so people are noticing the benefit of stretching. Because I always want to stay current with what is going on in the industry, I made an appointment. They didn’t query me as to what areas I needed help with which I thought was important. Also, as they were doing the stretches, they were holding them for 30 seconds which is too long and painful. In Active Isolated Stretches, the hold is only for 2-3 seconds. It’s a much more gentle and effective approach to open up the muscles. I was curious to know what kind of training they had to work on my body and was told “my boss trained me”. Needless to say, I was shocked that someone without extensive training was working on me (and others).
Corin Grillo is the author of Angel Wealth Magic and The Angel Experiment. She is also a Chicana and Puerto Rican mother, a licensed psychotherapist, visionary leader, inspirational speaker, and proprietor of the Casa Condor retreat center in Mount Shasta, California. Corin offers online training in authentic spiritual leadership, nature immersions, intuitive healing arts, and in-person trainings. She has dedicated her life to sharing the life-changing gifts she received while learning to work with the angels.
I'm currently in my 20th year and hold the rank of Captain (overseeing both sworn/civilian personnel). I've blended my law enforcement career with that of a military beginning (US Army), college professor for 10+ years, and by serving as a motivational speaker. On
July 1st, I released my first book; "Copikaze", which is a series of lessons built to help navigate the career, while simultaneously serving as a means of understanding for the non- sworn.
I am most proud of the fact that while much younger, I served as the primary caretaker for my mother who suffered from terminal cancer. Since her untimely death, I now find myself caring for my wife, who also suffers from medical disabilities, to include parenting four children. I provide you this background as a means of understanding why I teach what I teach. Traditional supervisory courses, while valuable, seemingly always offer similar content in the "management" of the position, but not the leadership tenets which focus on the human component. With no bad intention, as we promote and gain more years of experience, we tend to become further separated from the operational level and more importantly - our loved ones, who we are tasked to lead and care for (Ivory Tower theory). To counteract this, I've found by learning transformational leadership strategies, officers can influence personnel in such a way that allows them to expand their potential to heights never thought possible. In addition, learning various methods on how to properly address our personal wellness, so that it aligns with the obligations of our profession serves to achieve a profound effect - multi-dimensional wellness. We become the best TOTAL version of ourselves, which in turn, allows us to perform at our best, while productively influencing others.
Simply stated, this course is about leadership perspective. By having others realize that they too, can be transformational leaders, despite their current rank/designation, serves them on a personal basis, in addition to improving their respective agencies as becoming more effective officers. I can assure you the confidence that enrollment in this course will not only equip the officer student with a newfound leadership mentality, but a work-life balance methodology, built to support wellness on both fronts.