Awkwardly Awesome w/ Jason Freeman

As anyone who follows me knows, I have disability. Because of my unique experience, it can be easy to assume that I know what the experience is like for other people with disabilities, but in truth I don't. People's experiences with their disabilities are as varied and unique as any one of us.

In this Fan Favorite episode of the Awkwardly Awesome Podcast, I talk to Ryan Groeneweg about living with Usher syndrome — a hidden d...

“The more I’ve let myself show up in the world as just who I am, the more peaceful and content I feel.  It’s almost like you feel like a square peg in a round peg world.  If you show up as a square peg, you will find a place for yourself.  And you will find people and other creatures who will support and champion you.  We each are so completely unique.  It’s a life's work to find the...

“I enjoy the freedom of expression to just be me.  I get to connect with family and friends, to communicate with the animals in my life, train and study in so many different modalities from Yoga Therapy, to Reiki, to breath work, to herbalism and sound healing.”  ~ Olivia Morrow

Tell me if you’ve heard this story before?  Olivia Morrow had a decent job in medical billing, she was good at it and it ...

“Without discussing different sides of an issue, we lose the chance to find middle ground. Talking things through opens space for questions and helps us move beyond polarized and familiar thinking patterns. I love conversations—talking, listening, yapping—because every exchange gives me new perspectives to consider.”  ~ Afomiya Dejene

Afomiya Dejene immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia, Africa...

“I want to teach my students to fall in love with the world by role modeling wonder, delight, curiosity, and being unashamed of what I don’t know.”  ~ David O’Hara

Generally, I think I notice a lot, but when I walk with David O’Hara, I realize that there are so many layers to what’s happening in my own backyard that are beyond my awareness.

I love the story he tells about being invited on ...

“Life, to me, is about caring for people and loving people, friends and family.  I don’t see anything, even in the politics of today, that can divide us if we are willing to sit down and talk about it.”  ~ Karen Brokenleg

Karen Brokenleg spent 19 years being a stay at home Mom.  Navigating the rewarding and labor-intensive work of raising three children is no easy task.  She offers the followi...

I just love this conversation with my longtime friend, Shiloh Oorlog. We've been friend's since college and yet, this interview brought up things I had no idea about her.

It's really quite fascinating how, when we've known someone for a long time, we tend to get used to thinking about them in a certain way and engaging with them in familiar ways. BUT, when we get to experience them in new environments, with different people, or in...

“Hey, this experience, as painful and disruptive to my life as it was, allows me to connect with a whole different group of people in a way I couldn’t have before….the choice isn’t easy at all, but I do have a choice to find light in the challenge, to sometimes make a dark joke and move on.”  ~ Katelyn Cook

At the end of her senior year of college, Katelyn Cook was excited to be graduating with ...

“As technology is changing the way we work, people are going to need to become more passionate, and really follow their passion.  Mundane jobs are going away.  Without something to be passionate about, it could leave our idle hands to do bad things.” ~ Kevin Elsing

Kevin Elsing knows a thing or two about following his passions.  While pursuing an education in electronic engineering after high school, he ...

“The only thing I wanted for my son was the best opportunities to have access to what he needed.” ~ Sarah Anthony

Sarah Anthony was well along her path to becoming a lawyer when her son, Aden, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.  At that time, “austim” was a word Sarah had hardly heard, as the condition was not widely known or discussed.

Like many things in life, a diagnosis of autism comes w...

“You mean there’re other things besides having fun?  Unless it’s fun on some fundamental level, for me, it’s not going to happen.  Humans play.  On a spiritual level, I think it’s our job as humans to find joy.  Whatever you pick, try to find some joy in it.  Just have some fun.” 

~ Anne Porter

Since retiring from a career passionately supporting the arts in various...

“I think for so many people guilt is a paralyzing thing which gives them blinders.  At the bottom of it all we are one humanity, all with dignity.”  ~ Sarah Meagher

Sarah Meagher was 18 years old when she first came face to face with mass scale poverty. She was on a youth group service trip to Mexico, and for Sarah the experience was not only overwhelming, it brought about deep feelings of guilt and shame for...

We all have challenges, which is why we need people like Tom Clute to remind us that we matter greatly.  That what we are doing is worth the effort.  That we’re free to choose challenges, to struggle, to be resilient and to try and try again.

Tom Clute walks his talk.  He’s an honorably discharged, disabled US Air Force Veteran, he has a Master of Social Work (MSW), is an advocate and resource in the men...

“I want middle school, high school and college students to feel loved and cared for.  That they are more than just the talent they bring to the stage.  I want them to feel that they are worth knowing and treasuring.” ~ Emily Magera

Emily Magera caught her first big break in third grade.  She was cast in “Honk!”, a popular, Olivier Award-winning musical that retells Hans Christian Andersen&rsq...

Whether you are graduating from high school, college or just another day of work, congratulations on being you and navigating this unpredictable and crazy life.  

Wherever you happen to be, I have a question for you about questions.  Specifically, are the questions you find yourself repeatedly asking empowering you to grow or are they keeping you struggling and miserable?

I ask because I’ve found the question...

“The number one mission for Parks and Recreation should be building community, but, the unfortunate reality is that engagement is often treated as an afterthought.”  ~ Joe Batcheller

Have you ever stopped to think about all the boxes that need to be checked in order for a town, city, or county to be appealing?  There is so much that needs to be planned, from housing, to transportation, to land use and zoning,...

“I believe that on a very fundamental level humans are meant to find purpose in doing challenging things.  I believe that AI can enhance what we do, but we must start with a baseline of willingness to learn and think.  I believe starting with a high baseline is very important.  Use AI to push you and give you feedback that challenges you to be your very best.”

~ Luke Cumbee

When I think about AI, I get a...

“Sometimes you have to let go of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are living.” ~ Flo Mina

I met Flo Mina through my late friend Bob Donnell.  Bob had been elated to introduce us because after a life filled with tremendous loss, he’d finally met the love of his life and had rediscovered the joy of happiness. 

Bob and Flo’s happiness together was somewhat ir...

Jason sits down with photographer Serge Van Neck to trace his journey from Amsterdam to Phoenix and the Rosebud Reservation.  Together they explore how he discovered and refined his craft—from mastering exposure and lenses to embracing film and long exposures.

Serge shares how his Baha'i belief in unity and diversity informs his work, and he reflects on timing, composition, and doing one’s imperfect best as an arti...