Michael Thompson is an award-winning author and illustrator from Northern Virginia. He began his career at thirteen with the publication of his action-packed Chicken Boy series. His debut YA portal fantasy novel, World of the Orb, earned international acclaim in the Feathered Quill Book Awards alongside his sea adventure novel, Winslow Hoffner’s Incredible Encounters.
Michael continues to produce immersive stories across multiple genres while sharing the theme of plunging ordinary characters into extraordinary situations, with emphases on adventure, humor, and heart.
If you want to see life as an opportunity, meet Michael!
Episode 38, To Hear Grandpa’s Voice, July 23, 2024
In this episode, Michael Thompson discusses his writing path which began at the age of 13. Learn how one teacher’s attempt to devalue his doodling led to his creative mentor.
I pop into my local Barnes and Noble bookstore several times a month just to feel surrounded by books. When my trip happens to be on a weekend, I often come across local authors signing their books. A few weeks ago, I met Michael Thompson who told me, “Oh, I just sold the last copy of my book.”
I congratulated him and, in our conversation, discovered that he has quite the writing story to tell and invited him to be on my podcast. I think you’ll delight in his journey as an author which began at age 13!
Some of our fierce topics today:
[02:07] Becoming a full-time author is kind of a scary decision. It’s not exactly a traditional job and you wear a lot of hats.
[03:54] I was always creating from a very, very young age, and I was always drawing in class and creating all kinds of different characters. Epic battles were filling the margins of my notebooks. I couldn’t help myself. And some of my teachers didn’t like that.
[04:36] It was at summer school that I met the greatest teacher that I’d ever had, Mr. A. He said, ‘we’re going to make our own comic book”. And that was the first assignment. My mom contacted the principal and had me transferred into his class for the fourth grade. And it was there that I created Chicken Boy, my first ever character.
[07:48] I loved reading my stories with my grandfather, and he had a great voice. And I always really enjoyed writing something just so I could hear him read it to me in his voice.
[00:08:57] My grandpa passed away when I was in the middle of college. And the book hadn’t come out yet. And I had just kind of a placeholder name for the currency. It was like, you know, kind of like your classic gold doubloon type looking thing. And I just called them pieces and I didn’t know what to call them yet, but I wanted something unique. When it came time to do those final polishing up edits. I still needed a name for the currency. And I found a stack of my grandfather’s edits and in his handwriting, he had circled that placeholder and I think he meant to write silver or something, but he abbreviated it SIV, S I V. So I named the little treasure pieces Siv.
[33:05] I love the research process of these books. I call it the real-world tether. Each story has this root in reality or in real-world legends. So if you happen to search any of the creatures that Winslow sees on his voyages, you’ll be, really excited to see it’s like a whole bunch of old newspaper articles detailing other people’s alleged encounters with those same myths.
Boston-Born and Maine-raised, Christian Dorr worked his dad’s commercial blueberry farm until joining the US Navy, which took him to exotic places as well as naval combat in Desert Storm aboard an aircraft carrier in 1991. After the Navy, Chris worked on a commercial scallop dragger off the coast of Maine. Chris claims to be the fastest scallop shucker on the East Coast, but substance abuse and a troubled marriage forced changes in Chris’ life. He accepted Christian principles in 1995 and listens to God’s direction to this day. As a field service engineer for Intel, Chris traveled to Japan, Korea, Ireland, Israel and many more. Today, Chris supports and shares Toby’s vision to end wrongful and indiscriminate imprisonment imposed by an archaic law known as Felony Murder.
Episode 37, The Keel and the Anchor, July 9, 2024
My guest today is my husband. Christian Dorr. While listeners may find it interesting to hear his perspective on my story, he has a powerful story of his own! When I got out of prison, I had no intentions of ever getting married again. I was done with men, done with all the whole mess. I was just going to live my own little quiet life and then in walks Christian Dorr. And it became apparent that living a quiet life wasn’t in the cards for me. Chris is my biggest fan.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[03:08] It seems like every part of my story has always been with one foot out the door, whatever the next door was, my future was always, a confusing arc. There was no way to predict where my next step was going to take me.
[12:13] I took some nosedives along the way, got mixed up in drugs and alcohol for several years, and it destroyed a lot of my character and my will to live, and it just was very, very difficult. It took me a long time, maybe 20 years to recover from just a couple of years of severe drug abuse.
[13:23] God stepped in at a point where I was so desperate, 38 cents in my pocket, about ready to die and didn’t care if I did. And he changed everything. That story is one that it would take another few episodes of our podcast to explain, but ultimately God healed me nearly overnight. I had a job within a couple of days. And I worked for the next 10 to 15 years just to try to get my sanity back and try to understand what happened in those couple of years that I was down.
[22:13] I don’t remember where I read it somewhere about an old man, he fears no one. And sort of lives his life day to day with his heart on his sleeve, he just is more genuine and will say whatever is on his mind, because there’s nothing to lose, because when you get to be old, when you get really old, you get to a point where you start realizing that every minute of every day is just, it’s all borrowed time.
[00:52:36] John Manard was everything I would expect him to be. And of course, I knew so much about him. I talked to him on the phone, and I read his entire courtroom transcript from his original sentence, and I obviously had a lot of insight from my wife, who happened to be an ex-lover, kind of, escape artist friend of his. I knew a lot and he lived up to all of what I expected. He was charming and handsome and polite and he shook my hand and he showed respect and there was a respect that both of us shared and I think that it’s sort of one of those things, to receive respect, you have to show it. what I needed him to know and you to know is that I’m not afraid of it. I’m not afraid of John Maynard, and I’m not afraid of a relationship that you guys had years ago, and I’m not afraid of your history and the event and you going on the run together for a 12-day vacation in the stylish hills of Tennessee and all that. There’s nothing to be afraid of here. It’s just something that happened in the past and I wanted him to know that I could be in a room with him and show him respect and dignity without also being fearful that my wife is still in love with him. I like John Maynard. I liked his personality. It was closure for all of us.
Karen Grant is a Life Empowerment Coach, with Master’ Degrees in Conflict Management and Business Administration. After retiring from her management position as a Registered Nurse Karen began pursuing her passion, working with women. Nicknamed the Encourager that is what you will often find her doing. Karen loves to encourage women to know who they are and what they are capable of becoming. Karen believes in sharing her faith with others. Karen enjoys walking and training for 5K and 10K races with her two adult children. In 2024 she plans on running her first half-marathon.
Episode 36, The Blessing of Uphill Journeys, June 25, 2024
William, my oldest son is 33 years old. He’s autistic, blind, and non-verbal. I decided to do a marathon and when I told William, he wanted to participate. My daughter joined in and it became a family affair. We had to push William in a wheelchair because he’s blind and it would be too difficult to lead him. Most of the race seemed to be uphill. But we finished!
Some of our fierce topics today:
[04:25] It was as if God had said “I’m going to send you some earth angels to come alongside you”. There were at least eight to twelve people who helped us up those hills. Pushed William up the hill. And one woman’s name was Grace and she stayed with us the whole race.
[06:24] My daughter and a few of the people that she had met, cause she’s a socialite. So she met plenty of people going up that Hill. And she sent help my way, “if you see a woman in a yellow sweatshirt, that’s my mom.”
[08:05] And let me tell you something that was the best experience of that entire walk with all these different people. There was no competition because you got to understand that when you’re doing a race, you’re also getting timed. So everyone forgot about their time and helped us. I could do nothing but thank the Lord and just realize how much he is in my life.
[00:11:35] Discovering at 18 months old that William was autistic took me by surprise, and it took my husband by surprise. And, um, the one thing I really loved about our, our marriage and he’s passed away. He just was a little cutie. And they said, you know, he’s nonverbal. He’s autistic. And I thought, okay. All right. Well, let’s just go from here. And so we did all the things that every, uh, parent does when they find out they have a special needs child. But William’s the one that led me. He, he really, he’s the one that really showed me what he was willing to do and what he was not willing to do.
[00:14:40] Don’t feel sorry for me. I think you have to look at how someone responds. I got a loving son.
Many people have been through hard times in life, and each one is an opportunity for growth and transformation. Not only can we become stronger through hard times, but our tough experiences can help us find ways to encourage those around us.
Bathsheba Tolbert is passionate about helping people heal and grow through vulnerability. She has her own story of overcoming adversity and helping countless others to embrace their broken sides and find strength in their vulnerability. Bathsheba is also a musician, singer, and mental health advocate with an extensive following who started singing professionally on national television at 21.
Bathsheba discusses the following:
- What is vulnerability and why is it important?
- The benefits of embracing our vulnerability and how it can help us us encourage others
- How to overcome the fear of vulnerability
Episode 35, Finding Strength in Vulnerability, June 11, 2024
Bathsheba Tolbert encourages women through inspiration, motivation and in building a sisterhood community!
Born the year before the major earthquake in California her dad said, “you should have told us you were coming. You were shaking everything up. You’ve been shaking everything up ever since.”
Some of our fierce topics today:
[00:05:03] Step back out of the emotion of it, of the devastation and say, how can I grow from this? Because I don’t want to be bitter. I don’t want to destroy me. I don’t want to be the victim in this, even though in a sense I, we were, but how can I grow from it?
[00:05:32] I believe vulnerability is a growing block. It’s a block that you need in your life in order to step into who you are. You can’t really become Bathsheba, Toby. You can’t become that person unless you allow yourself to see where you’re at, how that affected you, and be able to step into your next step of purpose.
[00:08:11] The things, the bad, horrible catastrophes in our lives, are here to help others. I mean, that’s the only way I can be and, and see that because if I don’t see it that way, the things that happen, I’m like, I would be the most. dreadful, bitter person, you know, you wouldn’t even want to look at me cause it’s just not worth all of that. I think it makes us grow into the beautiful people that we are. Scarred, flawed.
[00:11:22] I started journaling. I started writing them. What am I feeling? Why am I feeling it really delving in? What was that trigger for me? And the more I wrote, then I began to speak it, Oh, okay, this is why I am behaving this way, because. All of these other things, I became more aware and it’s scary. Honestly, that first time of writing down those thoughts, I cried every single night.
[00:26:43] Before I tell you who’s Bathsheba, I’ll say this. I was born the year right before the major earthquake in California. And a month later I was born and my dad said, you should have told us you were coming. You were shaking everything up. You’ve been shaking everything up ever since.
Cathy Harvey’s adult daughter Anna was riding her bike home from college. Only 2 miles from home, she was on gravel biking against traffic, when a driver got distracted and hit her almost head on. Anna’s daughters were 7 and 10 years old. It was Anna’s birthday. She was 4 classes away from finishing her college degree.
Her face went through the passenger side windshield. Some accounts say she died instantly, another said 15 minutes. A woman stopped and held her hand while she died. A truck driver stopped and said he was a first responder, and told the woman could leave if she liked, he’d take over. He warned her this would be hard. The woman stayed.
Anna’s family did not retaliate with hatred or revenge. They forgave the driver and even became friends with the driver’s entire family, sharing vacations and holidays together.
At the time this episode is released, it will be 11 years since the accident.
Cathy journaled most of the journey. Together, Cathy and the driver’s mother have been speaking about this experience to groups all over the country.
Cathy is working on a memoir. Cathy’s website is titled from Cathy’s Heart
Purpose. forgiveness. friendship. hope.
Episode 34, Making Room for Love in the Justice System, May 28, 2024
And so she (our daughter Anna who was nearly her college graduation) signed off her Facebook that morning with four words, “getting near the end.” That eveningthere was a knock on the door and two men dressed in black were standing there. It was the coroner and a deputy sheriff. That was their uniform. I didn’t know who they were. I thought they were police. I thought they were fundraising…
Some of our fierce topics today:
[11:32] Your daughter was riding her bike on Highway 45 and was hit by a car and killed.
[14:13] And I thought about the girls. They got on the bus this morning with a mom and they got off without one.
[20:31] We forgive him.
[23:48] But then we had the funeral, and then the next day,it’s like the dust settles. Everybody goes home, and it’s quiet, and the company went home, and Stephen’s in the basement working on the computer, and I heard that still small voice say, call the mom. Call her right now and tell her it’s okay to have a happy mother’s day.
[ 00:36:05] We just had so much compassion for them because the Saturday after Anna was killed, my husband and I had a conversation and we concluded that they had the harder burden to bear. Their son killed a single mom of two little girls. [ 00:47:37] And (the judge) said, “Your attorneys have explained to me the meeting and the letters you wrote. And in all my years on the bench, I have never heard of forgiveness. You have restored my enthusiasm for my job.”
Judy is a life educator, family coach, and keynote speaker who has written more than 20 books, hundreds of articles and speaks internationally on family, parenting and relationship issues, including communication, encouragement, and end of life. She also focuses on personal issues like anxiety, depression, confidence, and self-esteem and works with many small and large organizations–from Head Start to child care resource centers.
Judy is a certified Pet Grief Coach who takes pride in her work with Animal Human Connection. She has written extensively on the topic of grieving and offers guidance, counseling, and communal sharing for many grief clients.
Artichoke Press is not Judy’s only self-starter project. Judy has owned and managed numerous small businesses. She and her husband Dwain, alongside their six children and foster kids, worked family businesses in order to teach them Responsibility, Respect & Resiliency.
Episode 33, One Little Pearl, May 14, 2024
Judy has written more than 20 books, and hundreds of articles and speaks internationally on family, parenting, and relationship issues, including communication, encouragement, and end-of-life.
The symbol of the artichoke has great meaning for Judy in her teaching and writing. As she works with families, she sees that frequently only the outer edges are exposed, which can be prickly and sometimes bitter to the taste. But, as you expose the artichoke – and people – to warmth, caring, and time, gradually the leaves begin to open and expose the real treasure–the heart.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[05:30] My main passion has always been gathering stories. One of the things we found with the Montana storykeepers is that when we allowed someone to tell their story, an end-of-life story, their pain went down. Their transition was so much easier, and I do think that people don’t fear death, they fear being forgotten.
[07:37] My book is not how to write a memoir, but why you should and helping you narrow down into that particular pearl on a strand pearls. So you don’t get overwhelmed by the whole necklace.
[11:34] So my favorite color is red, and it’s very powerful and a little story … When my mom was in a hospice unit, assisted living, I would wear bright red lipstick and I would always kiss her on her forehead. So, every CNA, every doctor, every cleaner that came in thought, “Oh, she is well loved. Somebody’s in here. I better take good care of her.”
[15:43] I was walking to the mailbox with my 15-year-old, he’s now 40. And he started telling me something and I said, “Andy, stop. I have listened to problems all day long. Go for a walk”. And he touched my arm, which in our family is a signal. ‘This is important to me’. He said, “Who do you want me to tell my problems to?” And I went in the next day and quit.
Charli is a Clarity Coach & Meditation Teacher as well as a survivor of sex trafficking, homelessness, child abuse, and domestic violence. Charli is also an adoptee and suicide survivor living with cPTSD, anxiety, chronic illness & ADHD and teaches people about designing a life where they can thrive no matter their trauma, capacity, and background.”
Episode 32, Focusing on the Next Best Step, April 30, 2024
And the point is, you can do it. You have more strength than you think you do. You can go through these tough situations. You move through that adversity, and you move through those struggles. And you keep going.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[04:58] At 13, I came home from school one day and my mom had put all of my stuff in garbage bags on the porch and locked the house and told me I didn’t live there anymore.
[06:39] Books were my salvation.
[07:49 I was in so many unsafe situations, but I could make someone laugh.
[10:11] There’s great value in putting yourself in situations where you’re not the smartest person in the room.
[20:09] It’s that I had it all figured out, it’s that I just focused on the next right step, just the next right step…
Susan Godwin is a fervent educator, writer, and freelance artist whose world has always been steeped in books, from Harold and the Purple Crayon; she couldn’t resist drawing on her bedroom wall, no matter how many reprimands; to her first job as a library book mender in her Shaker Heights High School basement to teaching English at the prestigious University School of Nashville. A former Oxford scholar, Godwin has received writing awards from the University of Michigan, Middle Tennessee State University, and Bread Loaf School of English. Though writing is her true passion, she is also a visual artist working primarily in oils and pastels. Her home is outside of Nashville, in Dickson, TN, on the banks of a winding Tennessee river, in a hayloft renovated by her sweet, sexy husband, Tony; with help from their rotty, Roady!
Episode 31, The Age of Invisibility, April 16, 2024
And the point is, you can do it. You have more strength than you think you do. You can go through these tough situations. You move through that adversity, and you move through those struggles. And you keep going.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[03:28] it shouldn’t be called breaking up, because that implies a quick break. It’s more like a taffy pull.
[04:50] I discovered a female court of writers in the late 17th century.
[09:31] Crazy David was my boyfriend who faked his own death and then showed up at my house in the middle of the night a couple weeks later.
[13:22] I was cocktail waitressing in LA at the world-famous Palomino Club and I waited on Manuel (designer to the stars) and we fell in love and got married and had a baby.
[17:19] But If felt it I didn’t leave him I would get cancer and die – it was such a toxic unhealthy moment.
Pat Black-Gould, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and an award-winning children’s book author, fiction author, and playwright. Her children’s book The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey, tells the story of a hidden child of the Holocaust. The book is the recipient of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, the Northern Lights Book Award, and the Vinnie Ream Award. Pat is currently turning her book into a stage performance featuring dance and music composed specifically for her work. Pat and co-author Steve Hardiman will publish their first novel in 2024. All The Broken Angels is a coming-of-age story set during the Vietnam War era.
As a psychologist, Pat has worked on an inpatient Deaf unit and, along with co-author Dr. Neil Glickman, published in the field of mental health and Cultural Deafness. Pat has also worked as a neuropsychologist and a forensic psychologist in an inpatient forensic unit and at a men’s state correctional prison, working primarily with maximum security level inmates.
Episode 30, Stories That Matter, April 2, 2024
And the point is, you can do it. You have more strength than you think you do. You can go through these tough situations. You move through that adversity, and you move through those struggles. And you keep going.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[09:19] The Paperclip project, is a teacher’s desire to show her students just how big a number is.
[11:43] Turning a children’s book into a ballet performance…
[13:04] Creating a staged production with a dramatic reading of the book, an artistic collage, music and dance. [14:42] Pat discusses her work as a prison psychologist and discusses the problems faced by those who never had a mentor figure to look up to.
I came to realize that most women in prison are not dangerous. What characterizes them more than anything else is their heartache. Instead of frightening me, they seemed lost, with tragic lives.
I knew nothing of the fellowship that exists in prison. Women inmates seek relationships, and thrive on it.
It is this prison community that sustains women who do time. It is this community that taught me to value the prisoner’s lives, to like and respect them, and to understand that they are more than news stories tucked away on a back page in our local papers.
While it is true that prison is a repressive environment, the one who offers hope in the classroom has the potential to effect change.
The women of Framingham sought a way out, and their struggles gave them dignity.
I could hear their voices… speaking out of the darkness.
Episode 29, I Could Hear Their Voices Speaking Out of the Darkness, March 19, 2024
The women of Framingham (Prison) sought a way out and their struggles gave them dignity. I could hear their voices speaking out of the darkness.
Some of our fierce topics today:
[02:49] I began working with people in prison and, it changed me, it turned me into a prison activist and it turned me into a writer.
[04:41] If my students tackled Shakespeare, a writer they thought beyond reach, they would also be learning to take on what was most difficult in life.
[30:25] My new book is called Mother Love and it’s a book of short stories about ten different women whose child killed someone.
[38:27] Poetry comes to you when you need to say something that comes so deep from the heart that you can’t say it unless you do it in a poem.
Episode 28, I Am Enough, February 27, 2024
After giving 10 years of her life to the Florida Department of Corrections, Tanaine Jenkins has dedicated her voice to shining a light on the Second Sentence that Returning Citizens face once they are released from confinement. Tanaine is the best-selling author of From Prison to President: 7 Ways to Succeed in Your Second Chance, the President of Everything I Am LLC, the CEO of The Loc’d Line, a member of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Policy Council, and a 2022 TEDx Jacksonville speaker. She has also been featured in Forbes, on the CW Channel and PBS. Through her company, Everything I Am, Tanaine has helped hundreds of returning citizens and justice involved individuals find their ‘Why’ and learn the power of self-forgiveness.
Episode 27, Filling a Niche, February 20, 2024
Hannah Rumsey talks with those who have experienced the death of friends, grief experts, and more, to normalize the complex grief of losing a friend in a world that often doesn’t understand. “I lost a dear friend several years ago. Now, my goal is to create a loving community of people who know what it’s like to grieve a friend. It’s a specific, unique type of loss, and I think it’s important that we come together and talk about it. If you’re grieving or missing a friend, I’m here for you. I understand.”
Episode 26, Together We Can, February 6, 2024
Natasha Dasher is on a life mission to help Returning Citizens realize their true potential in themselves. After graduating from Delaware State University with a Bachelor in Business Administration she has over 20 years of experience starting and growing small businesses. It wasn’t until the tale of her two worlds collided that her true purpose of advocacy for Returning Citizens came to light. As an appointed Commissioner for Returning Citizens and Re-entry Affairs, the Co-Chair of the DC Democratic Caucus for Returning Citizens, a mother of one daughter, and the grandmother of three, a fourth-generation Washingtonian she has helped many children, women and men see their true potential through business development, operational strategist and being a true community advocate.
Episode 25, The Importance of Contradiction, January 23, 2024
I have long been a fan of Jeannette Walls. Her memoir Glass Castle gave me permission to tell my own crazy story. Today, I’m lucky enough to live within an hour’s drive of Jeannette and so I’ve been able to connect with her at several book events. A few months ago, Jeannette posted on Facebook a photo of her with a young college student, and shared the story that many years ago Jeannette was speaking at a college when a girl came up to her for a photo and shared that she wanted to be an author also. Today, that woman, Brittany Means, just published an amazing memoir. Jeannette reached out to me and said, “Toby, I think Brittany could be one of your fierce women!” I immediately scheduled her interview. Of course, I also bought the memoir – and you should too! Another powerful life story by a talented woman author!
Episode 24, Find Your Calling, December 26, 2023
Gina Hanna founded Beauty for Ashes Ministry with her husband Derk in 2009. Their vision was to drastically reduce recidivism in prisons across the United States by providing a biblically based Christ-centered program for prisoners and ex-offenders. Her vision for the ministry came from her own personal struggle with drug addiction which led to her incarceration in 1998. Through her journey to true freedom and healing, she discovered her life’s mission and now uses her story to help and encourage. Beauty for Ashes provides programming in prisons in Missouri and Kansas as well as operates a residential recovery center for women, Shielded by Faith Recovery.
Episode 23, Discovering Self, December 12, 2023
Join us as Kimberly Braun shares her extraordinary life journey with us. Kimberly discusses her challenging decision to join a monastery at the age of 24, becoming a cloistered nun, and the emotional difficulty of leaving the monastery after ten and a half years.
She recounts a profound spiritual experience that led her to question her vows, ultimately receiving permission from the Pope to leave. Kimberly also reflects on the transition back to the secular world, the overwhelming noise and technological changes, and the emotional challenges of reintegrating with her family.
Together, we will learn about the transformative power of healing.
Episode 22, Thriving Beyond Cancer, November 28, 2023
In this episode of Fierce Conversations with Toby, we explore the beauty and possibility of life AFTER a stage 4 Cancer diagnosis.
Tekquiree prays her story empowers someone to thrive beyond any obstacle, setback, or health challenge. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer when 36 weeks pregnant in October of 2016.
“I am still here today and became cancer-free four months after my diagnosis and after my 3rd treatment because I’ve been able to hear and do what God told me to do. And now, through my non-profit, Thrive Beyond Cancer, I am showing people who have been diagnosed with cancer, they can do it too.”
Tekquire says her cancer journey was not been a smooth road. Being diagnosed with cancer was not only her biggest challenge, but dealing with her thoughts around death consumed her. “Am I going to live or die? Will I be around to see my son grow up? The challenge was getting out of a really dark space where I became the victim of my circumstances. I realized that wasn’t helping me, it was killing me. I had to start living.“
Episode 21, The Ultimate Gift, November 14, 2023
In this episode of “Fierce Conversations with Toby,” we dive deep into the world of veterans’ support with guests Geoff and Laura Spetter, both military veterans with compelling stories and a shared commitment to making a difference. Geoff reflects on his journey from being a forward observer for field artillery to transitioning into the IT world, and how it led him to co-host “The Veterans Show” on WCBM. Laura shares her passion for helping veterans navigate the complexities of the VA system. Together, they emphasize the significance of building a strong veteran community, bridging gaps in healthcare and employment opportunities, and inspiring individuals to join their mission of support. This heartfelt and informative conversation offers valuable insights into the challenges veterans face and the power of collaboration and compassion in improving their lives.
Toby Dorr, our host and creator, is married to a Navy veteran, the step-mother of another Navy veteran, and the sister to a Marines and Army veteran. Happy Veteran’s Day and thank you all for your service. “Fierce Conversations with Toby” proudly supports our veterans.
Episode 20, Crossing Cultural Boundaries, October 31, 2023
Long before she could speak another language or have a sophisticated discussion on “cross-cultural relations,” Leslie Powell, an African American child from Connecticut, was fascinated by the glimpses of other worlds surrounding her.
She studied Latin and Spanish in school, traveled to Italy, Spain, and Mexico in her secondary and post-secondary years, and embarked on a career as a language instructor of Spanish and English as a Second Language. While pursuing a Ph. D. in foreign language and culture education at The Ohio State University (1987), she met her future husband Mahmoud, a doctoral student in agronomy and gentleman from Iran who would eventually redirect her path from “established Spanish professor in America” to “adventurer in the Middle East.” Look for her upcoming memoir of her cross-cultural adventures coming soon!
Episode 19, Creating a Healthy Community, October 17, 2023
Because of her sincere love and concern for women and their care, Marla is currently serving as a mentor with Catholic Charities in their Welcome Home Reentry Program. As a mentor, she works with women who were previously incarcerated. Additionally, through her Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Ministry, Marla educates young girls about puberty.
Episode 18, Keep Going! October 3, 2023,
Amanda Plasse had her college years interrupted with an eating disorder that caused her to leave school and focus on her mental health. After several unsuccessful programs and treatments, she finally found a method that worked for her.
She decided to share her story to help other young women out there who are struggling. Her message to them all is Keep Going!
Episode 17, Beacon of Hope, September 19, 2023
Lisa Nordike, who is portrayed by the name George in my memoir, served 8 years, ten months and sixteen days in federal prison, where she was one of my cell mates.
After her release from prison, Lisa took in a dozen teenage foster children who were homeless or whose parents were in prison. She adopted one of them, but they all still call her mom.
If she can change the lives of twelve troubled teenagers, what’s stopping you from changing the world?
Episode 16, Healing Your Inner Child, September 5, 2023
Moira Dadd, international bestselling author of the memoir Cherishing Me: Letters to a Motherless Child and today’s guest on Fierce Conversations with Toby.
Content Warning: This episode discusses the healing journey of Moira Dadd after experiencing childhood abandonment, stays in multiple orphanages, and the death of her mother by suicide. While this podcast is intended to facilitate healing and hold space for all, some listeners may be troubled by the subject matter.
Episode 15, Defining Fierce Conversations, August 15, 2023
Sometimes you can be significant by being insignificant…
We all have it within us to make a difference.
You don’t have to be wealthy. You don’t have to be famous. You don’t have to have a title.” – Toby Dorr, host of and the interviewee on today’s episode of @fierceconversationswithtoby
Special behind-the-scenes episode! Join Toby Dorr, host of Fierce Conversations with Toby, and Mark Packard, producer of Fierce Conversations with Toby, as they dive deep into the inspiring stories that make their podcast shine. Discover what drives their passions and ignites their guests’ stories.
Let’s uncover the heart behind the mic!
Episode 14, Life After Loss: Picking up the Pieces,
Love can be messy. Loss can be hard. Life can be raw. The creek has become my happy place. Each piece of cracked glass I find I am reminded of my Morrison, my love for her, and her love for me. The jagged edges remind me of the pain and the loss of her life before I even got to meet her face-to-face. But when the pieces are put together with other broken pieces a beautiful creation comes to life. These creations bring light to the darkness and is a gentle reminder of the peace that overflows into joy, as the story of our family continues to unfold.
Episode 13 Living Louder,
Episode 13 features Portia Louder, who shares her story of triumph against the odds. Her memoir is called Living Louder and she is an advocate for incarcerated women. Portia is working on her second book Born to Be Brave. You won’t look at your world in the same way. Learn how you have the power to envision a new life.
Episode 12, Cultivating a Support Network
Today’s episode features my author pod sisters. Randomly assigned in a conference more than two years ago, we have cultivated a true sisterhood which we have each relied on in different moments to lift us up. In addition, we encourage and push each other towards our individual goals of publishing our memoirs.
Meet Wendy, Kathryn, Lisa, Leslie, Marilynn and get to know me a little bit deeper. Enjoy!
Episode 11, The Art of Living and Loving
In today’s episode, we will embrace the art of living and loving through letting go.
Our guest today is Kathryn Boxill, a living out-loud enthusiast, foodie, Howard University Bison, and radio producer/host. Kathryn encourages us all to Live our SOULfull Purpose with an abundance of love, grace, courage & FUN!
Episode 10, Diversify My Hustle
Frederick Johnson, the founder of Diversify U, is a program director and mental health therapist with 25 years of experience providing services for youth, families, veterans, and persons experiencing homelessness. Throughout his career, Fred has always been drawn to innovating creative methods and programs focused on serving historically excluded and low SES populations. Diversify U is a capacity-building firm specializing in program development and culturally sensitive curriculum encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and creative alternatives. It also provides timely and affordable school counseling services to students in need, with the goal of increasing academics, mental health, and the overall well-being of the students.
Episode 9, Perspective is My Superpower
Carly Fahey-Dima, Communication and Culture Manager at GracePoint Publishing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, shares her parents’ dysfunctional divorce which led to jail time, but Carly refused her circumstances, choosing instead to lean on a wiser perspective to guide her behavior. Let Carly’s story inspire you.
Episode 8, The World Through Music
Lisa S. Plasse is the owner, director, flute, and voice teacher of From The Top Music Studio in Midland Park, NJ which offers instrumental and vocal lessons. Lisa composed, directed, arranged, and played the flute in the theme song for Fierce Conversations with Toby.
Lisa has produced and directed many musicals, theater productions, and workshops. She is also a member of the International Association of Women and has appeared as a speaker in their Fireside Chat Series. Most recently, Lisa was inducted as an Honorary Member of the Eta Delta Chapter, Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority, Incorporated through Howard University.
Episode 7, Doing Things That Scare You
“If a movie was made about your life, who would play the lead role?” This classic conversation-starter question was actually answered for Toby Dorr who was portrayed by Catherine Bell in the @Lifetime movie Jailbreak Lovers. Since Jailbreak Lovers was created from public news stories and without consultation from Toby, the cast was not allowed to speak with Toby during the filming and production. Join Toby and Catherine as they talk about what it felt like for Toby to have someone showcase the story of the biggest turning point in her life in a movie… and not have any control over what was said.
Episode 6, They Wanted Justice
Our guests today spent 30+ years behind bars, for a crime they were not involved in. “The men – boys, mostly, when it all began – were just guys from the 8th and H NE neighborhood in D.C. They had limited education and experience and resources… But each of them had a core of basic honesty. Under immense pressure, day after day after day, that core never cracked. They were offered leniency in exchange for statements of guilt… But they hadn’t done the crime, so they wouldn’t say otherwise. They did not want mercy. They wanted justice. They got neither. Yet they endured. They never sold their integrity for their freedom.” Hear their story!
Episode 5, When Innocence is not Enough
“What’s at stake when prosecutors conceal evidence—and what we can do about it.” – From the description of the book When Innocence Is Not Enough: Hidden Evidence and the Failed Promise of the Brady Rule, written by today’s guest, Thomas L. Dybdahl. Through stories of real criminal cases in which justice wasn’t served, Tom’s book and the discussions in this interview may outrage you. I hope it does. Let’s take our anger and our outrage and use it together to change our broken justice system.
Episode 4, Uncovering Grief’s Beauty
Wendy’s conservative values are tempered by a smattering of scandal which wrenched her from the Mennonite community at six years old. She grew up secular and went on to hold a job, get married and raise 4 children, but life is a roller-coaster. Her precious five-year-old son died instantly when his plane, piloted by his father, crashed in the woods. Wendy chooses the beauty in the flaws and the perfection in her mistakes.
Episode 3, Making a Difference
Carla loves others by speaking for the voiceless and advocating for the powerless. She also counsels legislators about the true impact of policy on incarcerated women. Carla works as a Re-Entry Coordinator in the DC area and also volunteers for two other prison-related organizations. Learn how you can also make a difference in the world!
Episode 2, Bearing Witness
Laura Collins is an Emmy award winning investigative journalist who is often invited to sit down with people who have survived unthinkable horrors and other families and loved ones who have not. She is grateful for their trust, to have been invited into their lives, and for the opportunity to have borne witness to the strength of the human spirit as well as its depths. Join us to learn how Laura balances the power of journalism with the fulfillment of life while bearing witness to these monumental events.
Episode 1, You Might Go To Prison
Globally accredited, Justin Brooks, the Director and Co-Founder of the California Innocence Project and others throughout Latin America, helped dozens of innocent people through broken justice systems to exoneration. Academy Award-nominated actor, Greg Kinnear, portrays Brooks in the feature film, Brian Banks. Justin’s new book, You Might Go To Prison Even Though You’re Innocent is an eye-opener. This inside look at our ‘justice’ system might just change your life.
Trailer
Welcome to Fierce Conversations with Toby, where we tackle those hard conversations with love and inspiration. Join us in making a difference and changing the world! The life you change just might be yours. In the telling of our hard stories, we offer each other more opportunities to heal and grow. None of us is ever our worst mistake.
