Project Candor: Ordinary People. Unexpected Stories

"A man is what he makes of himself." — Peter Gunn 

Episode Summary 

What happens inside the mind of someone who builds entire mythological universes? In this Ship’s Log, Jeanne sits down with Peter Gunn — a U.S. Air Force veteran who served twenty years, a bodybuilder, the lead guitarist of The Angellics, and a poet on a mission to bring epic poetry back from the past. Peter reveals that he writes every st...

“I was taught at a very young age that I could cope with life and deal with almost anything – one step at a time.” – R. Timmerman

Episode Summary 

Rand Timmerman enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 after hearing a radio report in an upstate New York bar — and nine months later found himself in a rice paddy in Vietnam. Decades later, four years into recovery from alcoholism and carrying an artifici...

"The most important promotion you will ever earn is the one no one can give you. It begins the moment you stop waiting to be chosen and start choosing your own growth." 

— John Reaves 

Episode Summary 

John Reaves spent decades doing everything the corporate world told him to do — building the resume, earning the credentials, staying late, and checking every box. And still, something was missing. In this epi...

"Uncertainty and chaos aren't something to avoid — It's where freedom lives, and possibilities multiply." 

— Regina Huber 

Episode Summary 

Regina Huber has lived and worked across five continents — Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, the US, and France — picking up languages, partner dances, and hard-won leadership lessons along the way. In this episode, she sits down with Jeanne Andersen to talk...

"They may not recognize your face. They may not know your name — depending on the day. But they will remember for a long time how you made them feel." — Lisa Skinner 

Episode Summary 

What does it actually mean when a doctor says 'Alzheimer's'? Lisa Skinner has spent 50 years answering that question — first as a teenage granddaughter watching her grandmother describe birds living in her mattress, and later...

"The biggest lie in business is that leaders are born that way."
 - Jim Carlough

Episode Summary

What makes someone a leader? According to Jim Carlough, it isn't talent, title, or personality. It's a skill that must be developed over time. In this candid conversation, Jim reflects on the mistakes that shaped him early in his career and the lessons that eventually led him to identify six principles that have guided his leade...

Education is valuable, but execution is priceless.” - Danny Brassell

EPISODE SUMMARY 

 Danny Brassell has delivered more than 3,500 keynotes across four continents, but he didn't start on a stage. He started in the classroom — teaching inner-city kids to love reading in South Central Los Angeles. In this episode of Ship's Log, Danny and Jeanne trace the unlikely journey from Capitol Hill journalist to kindergart...

"Accounting is the heartbeat of business and the key to personal finance success."  — Albert Butler 

Episode Summary 

Albert Butler is a CPA, MBA, and Resident Partner-in-Charge of a national accounting firm — but the conversation in Ship's Log #24 isn't really about accounting. It's about what happens when you treat your own life like a balance sheet. Albert walks Jeanne through the frameworks he's lived b...

Episode Summary 

In this episode of Project Candor, host Jeanne welcomes Mickey Fitch-Collins, PhD — leadership facilitator, speaker, and host of The Learnit Lounge — for a candid conversation about what it takes to lead with both joy and depth. Mickey's story is anything but linear: she was a professional bass fisherman at 14, a college student leader when 9/11 happened, and someone who turned getting fired into a ...

"It is a true honor and gift to be able to assist those people at that moment, at that very time. I believe in divine timing... that always will stay with me - knowing how important it is to always stay in gratitude whenever a person is vulnerable with you, because they don't have to be." 

Episode Summary 

Kameelah Howard has spent her entire adult life in service to others - as a Child Protective Specialist on the front li...

“Business is worth nothing because I literally have to find another you to be able to do this business. You who wants to buy this to do it? And that was such a massive wake-up call for me.”

Episode Summary 

Louis Swart went to sell his plumbing business and got a wake-up call he’s never forgotten. The broker told him straight: the business was worth nothing. Because everything ran through Louis. If you want to...

Guest Quote

"Have undying faith at all cause and at every junction of your life. Through all hardships are many lessons to learn from."

- Racquel Foster

Episode Summary
Racquel Foster has always moved to her own rhythm. Born in Jamaica and raised on music, she was dancing at four years old and making up songs before she could read. That love of movement and voice grew into a life that spans musical theater, choreography...

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive, and bring himself to believe, he can achieve.” - Joel Salomon

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Project Candor, Jeanne Andersen sits down with Joel Salomon, a former hedge fund manager turned prosperity coach known as the “Money Doctor.” Joel shares his journey from managing hundreds of millions of dollars on Wall Street to helping people transform their re...

Guest Quote

"Instinctual thinking is great when you're on a savanna running from a lion. It's not so great in the 21st century."

— Nick Jain 

Episode Summary

Nick Jain came to this conversation carrying credentials that would make most people nervous — Harvard MBA, top of his class, a decade in private equity, three company turnarounds including one he scaled past $100 million. But what comes through immediately is tha...

“If you don’t stay relevant, you will become irrelevant.” - Freda Brazle

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Project Candor, Jeanne Andersen sits with Dr. Freda Brazle, a global leadership strategist and transformation coach, to explore what truly drives effective leadership. With over 30 years of experience across corporate and nonprofit spaces, Freda shares why mindset, not just strategy, is the key to...

Guest Quote:

“Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.” — Mark Twain

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Project Candor, host Jeanne Andersen sits down with Eric Austin — a lifelong educator with more than 30 years in the classroom across North Carolina and South Carolina. Eric has been named Teacher of the Year and earned multiple Teacher of the Month awards, but the rea...

“Life is too short to work in a soul-sucking, fun-sucking workplace!” - Michael Kerr

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Project Candor, Jeanne Anderson sits with Michael Kerr, international speaker and author of nine books, including Small Moments, Big Outcomes, The Jerk-Free Workplace, and The Human Advantage. Michael has spent more than two decades helping leaders around the world build healthier, more huma...

“True prosperity starts with the individual, expands to the team, and strengthens the entire organization.” - Jason Maraschiello

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Jeanne Andersen sits down with Jason Maraschiello, an award-winning team-building facilitator, corporate coach, and DISC expert, to explore the hidden dynamics that impact team performance. Jason shares his philosophy that true prosperity starts with...

“Survive and Thrive” - Amber Gregory

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Project Candor, Jeanne Andersen sits down with author and advocate Amber Gregory for a deeply honest conversation about trauma, healing, and the power of education in helping families thrive. Amber shares her personal journey of surviving childhood sexual abuse and how writing her book Little Sweetheart became both a healing process and a...