This episode brings home many of the topics we discussed over the past two seasons. Conflict consultant and award-winning author Michael McRay has traveled to Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland, and Africa studying conflict and resolution. These experiences inspired Michael to build his own company, Becoming Restoried, which uses the power of story to make meaning, heal harm, and repair relationships. Michael takes us around the world, sharing his personal interviews with people who were...

It’s been an eventful month in Northern Ireland. I was fortunate to be in Belfast as the region celebrated 25 years with the Good Friday peace agreement. The politics in Northern Ireland today are far from perfect, but sectarian violence has decreased significantly with about 164 security-related deaths in the past 25 years. This is a dramatic shift from the 3,500 deaths during the 30-year span of the Troubles. Northern Ireland is still deeply divided, but despite their differences, many...

Hi everyone! I’m so glad you're joining us this month. The conversation you’re about to hear is a follow up on our last episode, Finding Common Ground Despite our Differences.  Have you ever talked with someone who continued to spread information that just isn’t true? I definitely have, and it can be frustrating, especially when it happens on social media. My frustration reached a peak in 2020 when we were locked down and only communicating online. I searched high and low for ways to...

It’s a New Year, and if you’re like me, you’re probably one of the millions of people around the world with new goals in mind for 2023. This likely includes how to create meaningful relationships and keep them, even if there are some differences with those we hold dear. On this month's special video podcast, we’re taking a deep dive into how we can work through these differences with someone who does this daily. Sylvia Gordon is Head of Programme at the Corrymeela community, which resides on...

We’re joining you again from the Sonic Arts Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, and we are thrilled to welcome Belfast-born journalist, author, and co-founder of the Oh Yeah music centre, Stuart Bailie. Stuart is also editor of Dig With It magazine. In our last episode, we talked about conflict, politics, and peace through the Troubles, and in this episode, we will dive more specifically into music’s role through the 30-year conflict. Stuart explains in his book Trouble Songs, “...music...

I’m so thrilled to join you this month from Queen's University, Belfast. I spent two weeks in Northern Ireland learning more about the history, the people, and the politics. There's so much to take in and it's truly such a beautiful and resilient place. As I sit across the pond and watch U.S. divisions dominate headlines, family conversations, and social media feeds, I'm grateful to learn more about a region that has one of the most prominent peace deals in modern political...

Welcome to Season Two of Grounded on Purpose! This season, we’re leaving the states and taking the pod across the pond to Northern Ireland, a place where common ground felt almost impossible just a few decades ago during the 30-year conflict known as "the Troubles."  This season's guests will guide us through the history and introduce us to the music that helped end the Troubles.  We'll also journey together to a sacred place called Corrymeela on Northern Ireland's coast. This peace and...

It was so nice practicing what I've preached and taking a little pause this summer, but I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – getting back into the groove can be a little rough! We are ending Season One with author and professor Bonnie Smith Whitehouse. This interview is sure to inspire and help you get back on your feet. Bonnie explains how rituals like walking and finding time to capture your creativity can work wonders for the seasons we’re in. We also dive deep into her new book Seasons of...

If you’ve been following the pod, you likely remember Episode 3 with music journalist and author Marissa Moss talking about her book, “Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be.” Marissa’s book was just released to the world for everyone to read, and it’s getting a lot of attention. Marissa graciously allowed me to read an excerpt of choice from the book on today's episode, and I can't wait for you to hear it. You can order "Her Country"...

This episode is a little different than the past few, and I want to warn you, I do share some stories that will pull at your heart. Although it may be harder to listen to, I believe it’s vital for all of us to hear. We need to tune into hard topics instead of tuning out.  Throughout the past 20 years, I've talked with hundreds of mass shooting survivors and victims’ families. I’m forever changed by long conversations with the parents of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, victims’ families...

Psychologist and Vanderbilt University Associate Professor Lisa Fazio's ground-breaking research on how our brains work when we encounter misinformation and disinformation is vital for us all to hear. As a social media researcher, what draws me most to Lisa’s work is the data she uncovers and the fairly simple solutions we can all practice to combat misinformation and disinformation online. In our latest episode, Lisa breaks down the truth behind "fake news," why we fall for fallacies, and...

Dr. Darren Linvill is a professor at Clemson University and is also an author, researcher, and expert on social media disinformation and political discourse. He explains the latest Russian disinformation campaigns and how they have grown since he began hunting online Russian trolls in 2017. Dr. Linvill also gives tips on how we all can stop the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda online. This episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/P41aoHY-NDc

We are just over a month into the new year, and this means you may be one of the 80% who have already broken New Year’s resolutions. I’m here to tell you, it’s all going to be okay. And you don’t just have to take it from me – I have an amazing health and wellness expert who is going to break it all down and tell us why it’s okay if you abandon those lofty New Year’s goals. I first met today’s guest when I started teaching as a full-time professor. I was at an orientation, and a woman named...

I'm so excited for today’s episode with award-winning journalist and author, Marissa R. Moss. Marissa’s new book “Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be” will be released in May. In her book, Marissa tells the “inside story of the last twenty years of country music through the lens of Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton, and Kacey Musgraves―their peers and inspirations, their paths to stardom, and their battles against a deeply embedded boys’...

Marissa Moss sits down for an exclusive preview of her new book “Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be." In her book, Marissa tells the “inside story of the last twenty years of country music through the lens of Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton, and Kacey Musgraves―their peers and inspirations, their paths to stardom, and their battles against a deeply embedded boys’ club, as well as their efforts to transform the genre into a more inclusive...

In this special bonus episode of Grounded on Purpose, you'll hear from 13-year-old Grace Hamilton who battled cancer as a toddler and has so much purpose at such a young age.  You may remember Belmont University Professor Amy Hodges Hamilton from our previous episode sharing about her work with writing through loss and trauma, and her unforgettable experiences with Dr. Maya Angelou. Amy explained how Dr. Angelou helped her get through one of the most difficult periods of her life, when...

I’m so honored to have Dr. Amy Hodges-Hamilton join me today. Amy is a Professor of English at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, whose research and teaching interests center on personal writing, feminist theory, and healing and the arts. She also served as the founding director of Vanderbilt University's Writing Studio, which she still supports today. Amy’s work has shattered many glass ceilings and has helped break stigmas about our mental health, specifically on the issue of loss and...

What makes a good life? Some think it’s wisdom. Others put more value on wealth. Somewhere on the list is also happiness and health. So how can we achieve this quest for “a good life” if we all define it so differently? Professor Mary Ellen Pethel teaches a class called “A Good Life” at Belmont University in Nashville, TN and sits down with us for a mini-master class to help answer this age-old question. Mary Ellen is an author, historian, digital humanist, academic entrepreneur, and creator...

*New episodes coming in November 2021! Show notes: I’m Jennifer Duck, a two-time Emmy award winning producer, a college professor, doctoral student, DIY designer, dog mom of three, and a mom of two little humans who are the greatest gifts of my life. Oh, and new addition to the list -- podcast host! But behind all these shiny titles, life is quite crazy. You can find me at the local elementary flying in for after-school pick-up like a tornado -- laptop cords coming out of my bag, top...