The Reaching Higher Podcast

In this special crossover episode, Aaron trades his usual hosting chair for the guest seat alongside "Joyosity" author Jenn Whitmer — and the two are interviewed by none other than bestselling author and Non-Obvious Company founder Rohit Bhargava. What unfolds is a rich, candid conversation about two books, two missions, and one shared conviction: that humanity — joy, purpose, belonging, and genuine human connection — is the most powerful differentiator in an age of accelerating technology.What We CoverJoy at work isn't soft — it's strategic. Jenn makes the case that joy doesn't belong on the sidelines of business; it belongs at the center. She draws from occupational psychology research to show that when leaders prioritize joy — defined by three markers: feeling fortunate in your work, a sense of connection and belonging, and a sense of purpose — they unlock exactly the business results that number-crunchers care about.The cultural myth of "earning" joy. Why do so many people feel they don't deserve joy at work? Jenn traces it back to deep-seated Western cultural stories around productivity and worthiness. Her framework — the Joy Ratio — argues we should spend 35% of our time in joyful work and no more than 10% in toil, and that toil, not work itself, is joy's true opposite.Why Aaron left "AI" out of his book title. Aaron shares the deliberate thinking behind Wired for Purpose — why he chose to anchor his message in humanity rather than technology, even as a longtime early adopter, and what the physiological evidence says about calm under pressure, gratitude, and giving before you get.Purpose in an age of tribalism. Aaron discusses why it's especially hard to find purpose right now — personally, professionally, and politically — and why he believes it starts with self-happiness before it can radiate outward to others.Remote work and the joy of belonging. Can hybrid and remote teams still cultivate genuine connection? Jenn says yes — but only with intentionality. Companies that do it best, she notes, find ways to gather people physically at least once a year, even at small scale.Community building as a competitive advantage. Rohit reflects on Aaron's long track record of investing in communities — and Aaron unpacks the philosophy behind it, including how 50 one-on-one conversations with someone in need ultimately built a thriving, reciprocal community around his work.What they'd change about their books. Both authors get refreshingly honest: Aaron reflects on a healthcare chapter that went more technical than he'd have liked, and Jenn admits she may have included too many "how to do it" options — a teacher's instinct she couldn't quite suppress.The power of storytelling. The conversation closes on why stories are the engine of every great business book — from Jenn opening Joyosity on the couch the day she was fired, to Aaron's belief that the business books that last are the ones that feel like something more.Links & Resources📘 Wired for Purpose by Aaron Strout — https://getwiredforpurpose.com📘 Joyosity by Jenn Whitmer — https://jennwhitmer.com/books | Amazon -- https://www.amazon.com/Joyosity-Art-Cultivating-Joy-Work/dp/1646872851📘 Non-Obvious Thinking by Rohit Bhargava — https://nonobvious.com🎙 The Non-Obvious Show (Rohit's podcast) — https://nonobvious.com/podcast/🎙 The Joyosity Podcast (Jenn's podcast) — https://jennwhitmer.com/joyosity-podcast🔗 Ted Rubin (mentioned by Aaron) — https://tedrubin.com

Aaron and Justin cover a remarkable amount of ground, from Justin's early days as a clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown (where he and Aaron first crossed paths) to his decision to quit a stable law professorship and launch the California Innocence Project in 1999. Justin explains what compelled him to visit a young woman on death row in Illinois who claimed innocence — and how that single visit changed the trajectory of his life.They dig into the Brian Banks case — the 17-year-old who took a plea deal for a crime he didn't commit — and how that story became a Hollywood film with Greg Kinnear playing Justin. The conversation turns to why media (movies, podcasts, docu-series) has been essential to shifting public understanding of wrongful conviction, and how the innocence movement has grown from a handful of organizations worldwide to 66 projects in the U.S. alone.Justin shares candidly about the emotional cost of this work — the wins that feel incredible and the losses that stack up — and the self-care practices that have kept him going: daily exercise, a lifelong vegetarian diet, HGTV, and a 270-year-old stone cottage in northern England.Show Links:Justin on Instagram and TikTok: @JustinOBrooksJustin's book website: https://youmightgotoprison.comCalifornia Innocence Project: https://californiainnocenceproject.orgLatin America innocence resource site: https://:innocente.orgNew book (pre-order on Amazon): Collateral Damage by Justin Brooks and Zach Brooks: https://www.amazon.com/Collateral-Damage-Sacrificing-Liberty-Criminal/dp/0520413776

Chef Christine Ha — MasterChef Season 3 winner, New York Times bestselling cookbook author, restaurateur, and disability advocate — joins Aaron Strout for a deeply moving and inspiring conversation. Christine shares how losing her mother at 14, gradually losing her sight to neuromyelitis optica, and competing on the world's biggest cooking stage all shaped the chef, author, and advocate she is today. From the kitchen of her Houston gastropub, the Blind Goat, to the halls of the United Nations, Christine's message is clear: resilience, purposeful living, and celebrating small victories are the keys to a fulfilling life.Killer Quotes:"I think [losing my vision] just really taught me the resilience of our human bodies and our minds if we really have a will — we will find a way to achieve whatever goals we have, regardless of whatever challenges that may come our way.""Learn to celebrate the small victories. When I lost my vision, I went from making an entire Thanksgiving meal to barely being able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But week by week, I kept at it — and eventually I realized how much progress I'd actually made.""People with various abilities or disabilities can live very purposeful, fulfilling lives and meet their goals and achieve their vision, so long as there's a network of support."Show Links:The Blind Goat Restaurant (Houston): https://www.theblindgoat.com Christine Ha on Instagram (@TheBlindCook): https://www.instagram.com/theblindcook Helen Keller International (donate via Christine's Instagram link): https://www.hki.org Easter Seals Southern California: https://www.easterseals.com/southerncal Kids Meals Houston: https://www.kidsmealsinc.org No Barriers USA: https://www.nobarriersusa.org Bonus — Queen Live at Live Aid (referenced by Aaron): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbvyNnw8GQo

In this deeply moving episode, host Aaron Strout sits down with Luke Mickelson, founder of nonprofit "Sleep in Heavenly Peace" (SHP) — the organization behind the powerful mission: "No kid sleeps on the floor in our town."What started in Luke's Idaho garage after discovering local children sleeping on piles of clothes has grown into a global movement with over 400 chapters across the US and four countries, delivering hundreds of thousands of beds to children in need.Luke shares his journey from farm kid to purpose-driven leader, and his grounding philosophy: *humans helping humans. A true masterclass in service leadership — have tissues ready.🔗 Show Links:* Sleep in Heavenly Peace – https://www.shpbeds.org* Mike Rowe's (of "Dirty Jobs" fame) "Returning the Favor" episode featuring Luke and Sleep in Heavenly Peace – https://fb.watch/Gx7hUfR8wi/* SHP on CNN Heroes – https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/28/us/cnnheroes-luke-mickelson-sleep-in-heavenly-peace

What does it take to go from a terminal diagnosis to transforming an entire industry? In this episode, we sit down with Kathy Giusti — two-time cancer survivor, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), Harvard Business School faculty member, and author of Fatal to Fearless — to talk about adopting a CEO mindset when navigating a cancer diagnosis, breaking down silos in healthcare, and why curing cancer is as much a business problem as a scientific one. Kathy also walks us through her 12-step guide for patients at every stage of their journey.Show Links:* Kathy's website & 12-step guide: https://kathygiusti.com* Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation: https://multiplemyeloma.org* Fatal to Fearless (book): https://www.kathygiusti.com/book

Today’s guest is someone who truly embodies what it means to reach higher—Chef Aaron Sanchez. I met Chef Aaron Sanchez about 15 years ago at his friend's restaurant in New Orleans. My family and I had discovered him on the Food Network's show, Chopped back in 2009 and he was one of our favorites.Over the years, we kept in touch and he was gracious enough to be a guest on my previous What2Know (which morphed into the Real Chemistry pod). I was reminded of what a talented, humble but still competitive chef he was on HBO/Max's Wildcard Kitchen this year and couldn't resist reaching out to see if he'd join me once again on the Reaching Higher Podcast.During our engaging conversation, he talks about starting life as a mischievous kid who found structure and purpose in the kitchen and his journey to becoming one of the most respected voices in food today.Chef Aaron’s journey is rooted in mentorship, humility, and heart. Inspired early on by his mother, his grandmother and the legendary Chef Paul Prudhomme, Aaron learned that cooking isn’t just about flavor—it’s about discipline, culture, and life lessons. In addition to Chopped, you may have also seen him on shows like MasterChef, Next Iron Chef, Heat Seekers, Chef vs City, and Taco Trip. Most importantly we dive into his founding of the Chef Aaron Sanchez Impact Fund, how he picks his candidates and why he sees mentoring them as so critically important.Show links* Impact Fund: https://www.aaronsanchezimpactfund.com/* Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChefAaronSanchez/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefaaronsanchez* Hiking My Feelings: https://hikingmyfeelings.org/

In this episode, Aaron Strout sits down with Alaina Percival, co‑founder of Women Who Code to explore her journey from global brand management at companies like Puma and Versace to building one of the world’s most influential communities for women in tech.During the conversation, Alaina shares how teaching herself to code sparked a mission that ultimately supported women across 147 countries before Women Who Code transitioned operations amid 2023–2024 tech layoffs. Now a venture partner at Valor Ventures, she discusses investing in B2B AI and SaaS startups across the U.S. South, the coming wealth transfer to women, and how AI will reshape—not erase—jobs. The conversation closes with reflections on focus, leadership, and embracing reinvention.Show Links* Women Who Code: https://www.womenwhocode.com* Valor Ventures: https://www.valor.vc

This week I did a thing. I launched a book I've been working on for the last 10 months. Hell, you might say I've been working on it for the last 30+ years. It's a codification of all the things I've learned over the course of my life, starting with my parents and marching up to my last boss, mentor and good friend, Jim Weiss.Since both the book: Wired for Purpose and the Reaching Higher Podcast overlap in terms of their goals, I thought what better way to cross streams than to let this week's podcast be about the book. And rather than me telling the story, I did what any smart marketer would do and I uploaded the manuscript to Google's Notebook LM and turned it into a 20 minute podcast. I think Notebook LM did a bang up job. Let me know what you think?Show LinksBuy the book (paperback/Kindle) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSH4QV4Y/ref=zg_bsnr_g_2679_d_sccl_20/000-0000000-0000000 Learn more about the book: https://getwiredforpurpose.com Book blog (plan is to post weekly): https://getwiredforpurpose.com/blog/

In this episode of Reaching Higher, host Aaron Strout sits down with Dr. James McKowen, a clinical psychologist and addiction specialist at Mass General, to explore the evolving mental health challenges facing today’s youth. Dr. McKowen shares his unconventional journey from marine biology to youth addiction research, shaped by personal loss and deep scientific curiosity. Together, they unpack the misunderstood realities of youth addiction, the rise of cannabis dependency, and how climate anxiety is reshaping an entire generation’s emotional landscape. The conversation offers practical tools, hopeful insights, and a compassionate roadmap for supporting teens in an increasingly complex world.Show links:* Climate | Health | Resilience: https://www.climatehealthresilience.com/* Change is Simple: https://www.changeissimple.org/* Gardeners Question Time podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardeners-question-time/id325945259* Alice Coltrane: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0oKYiTD5CdNbrofRvM1dIr?autoplay_ok=1