American Achievers

Episodes

1. 55

   Season 4, Episode 12: Franc D’Ambrosio

   Part 2 of 2: Franc D’Ambrosio talks about the sacrifices he made to chase his dreams, including routinely choosing between food and shelter, how dyslexia affected his career, how playing the Phantom changed his life, and the critical skill he learned from Barry Manilow.

   Dec 23, 2024

   55m
2. 54

   Season 4, Episode 11: Franc D’Ambrosio

   Part 1 of 2: Franc D’Ambrosio talks about walking away from the security of his family’s bakery business to pursue a career as a singer and actor, the intense desire that drove him, landing the part of Anthony Corleone in THE GODFATHER PART III, and how he almost turned down the stage role that...

   Dec 16, 2024

   56m
3. 53

   Season 4, Episode 10: Ulice Payne, Jr.

   Lawyer and former Major League Baseball executive Ulice Payne, Jr. talks about the formative values of his childhood in western Pennsylvania, landing a basketball scholarship to Marquette, where he played on the 1977 NCAA championship team, and the moment of heartbreak that opened the door to his...

   Dec 9, 2024

   36m
4. 52

   Season 4, Episode 9: Jodie Markell

   Actress and director Jodie Markell, who recently starred in the satirical play LENI’S LAST LAMENT, talks about the moment when she first realized that performing stirred something deep in her soul and why she was driven to turn a long-forgotten Tennessee Williams screenplay into the independent...

   Dec 2, 2024

   1h 11m
5. 51

   Season 4, Episode 8: Randall Atcheson

   Concert pianist Randall Atcheson talks about the talent that propelled him from small-town Alabama churches to Julliard and performance halls on five continents, how he keeps pushing himself to excel and connect with audiences, and the near-death experience that changed his life.

   Nov 25, 2024

   1h 25m
6. 50

   Season 4, Episode 7: Bob Lilly

   Part 2 of 2: Bob Lilly talks about the mindset he brought to the field as a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, how it felt to become the first honoree at Texas Stadium’s Ring of Honor, and the gift that launched him on a different sort of adventure.

   Nov 18, 2024

   43m
7. 49

   Season 4, Episode 6: Bob Lilly

   Part 1 of 2: Bob Lilly talks about learning from his father’s tenacity, the devastating drought that forced his family to leave Texas, how his life pivoted on landing a football scholarship to TCU, and becoming the first draft choice of the expansion Dallas Cowboys.

   Nov 11, 2024

   54m
8. 48

   Season 4, Episode 5: Richard Jadick

   Urologist Richard Jadick talks about the tragedy that rocked his upstate New York family, the television show that inspired his medical career, how he became the most decorated doctor of the Iraq War, and the battlefield memories that still haunt him.

   Nov 4, 2024

   1h 01m
9. 47

   Season 4, Episode 4: Bob Tiffin

   Bob Tiffin talks about the lessons he learned around his father’s home supply store, the leap he took to launch Tiffin Motorhomes, how he built the family operation into a leading RV manufacturer, and the power of a very big check.

   Oct 28, 2024

   56m
10. 46

    Season 4, Episode 3: Eileen Collins

    Part 2 of 2: Eileen Collins talks about the pressure she felt to measure up at NASA, becoming the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle, how traveling to space affected her, and the tragic day when Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, killing seven of her colleagues.

    Oct 21, 2024

    1h 18m
11. 45

    Season 4, Episode 2: Eileen Collins

    Part 1 of 2: Eileen Collins talks about her youthful fascination with flight, the stuttering that dented her confidence, negotiating the road from community-college math major to barrier-shattering U.S. Air Force pilot, and achieving her dream of becoming an astronaut.

    Oct 14, 2024

    56m
12. 44

    Season 4, Episode 1: Bill Hardgrave

    Bill Hardgrave talks about becoming the first person in his family to graduate from high school, using basketball to earn a college education, and how technology powered his unlikely journey into higher education—culminating with his appointment as president of the University of Memphis.

    Oct 7, 2024

    1h 09m
13. 43

    Season 3, Episode 14: Gabe Kallos

    Gabe Kallos talks about the rise of antisemitism in his native Hungary and how it affected how he saw himself, somehow avoiding the gas chambers as a teenage slave laborer at the Auschwitz concentration camp, emigrating to the United States, and carving out a good life as a Southern California...

    Oct 9, 2023

    50m
14. 42

    Season 3, Episode 13: Paul Coffman

    Paul Coffman talks about being shaped by the values of a small Kansas farming community, walking onto the football team at Kansas State, where he eventually earned a scholarship and a starting position, and negotiating the arduous road from undrafted free agent to Pro Bowl tight end for the Green...

    Oct 2, 2023

    56m
15. 41

    Season 3, Episode 12: Norman Gaddis

    Part 2 of 2: Norman Gaddis talks about the day he was captured by the North Vietnamese, the torture he endured, how he survived 2,124 days at the infamous prison camp known as the Hanoi Hilton, and the joy he felt when he reunited with his family and resumed his Air Force career.

    Sep 25, 2023

    47m
16. 40

    Season 3, Episode 11: Norman Gaddis

    Part 1 of 2: Retired Air Force General Norman Gaddis talks about the moment of initiative during World War II that changed his life, flying escorts in the Berlin Airlift, volunteering for duty as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, and the fateful day when his F-4 was blasted out of the sky.

    Sep 18, 2023

    1h 00m
17. 39

    Season 3, Episode 10: Robert Finnigan

    Silicon Valley pioneer Robert Finnigan talks about losing his mother at age eight, gravitating to the then-nascent field of electronics after World War II, and betting his future on the commercial viability of the revolutionary quadrupole mass spectrometer.

    Sep 11, 2023

    1h 03m
18. 38

    Season 3, Episode 9: Carol Bates Brown

    Carol Bates Brown talks about being affected by the radicalization of her college campus in the late 1960s, how she and a friend developed the popular bracelet that brought attention to the issue of Vietnam War POWs and MIAs, and how the cause took control of her life.

    Sep 4, 2023

    1h 05m
19. 37

    Season 3, Episode 8: Randy Cross

    CBS Sports football analyst Randy Cross talks about the impact of his father’s alcoholism, why his ambition to be a professional football player developed slowly, what he learned about chasing success from Bill Walsh, and how he leveraged his three Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers to...

    Aug 28, 2023

    50m
20. 36

    Season 3, Episode 7: Susie Scott Krabacher

    Part 2 of 2: Susie Scott Krabacher talks about struggling to find her way after PLAYBOY, meeting the love of her life, dealing with the lingering effects of her abuse, and the purpose she has found in leading a charity dedicated to nurturing and protecting Haiti's most vulnerable children.

    Aug 21, 2023

    49m
21. 35

    Season 3, Episode 6: Susie Scott Krabacher

    Part 1 of 2: Susie Scott Krabacher talks about the abuse she suffered as a child, a promise she made to God, her rocket ride to fame as a PLAYBOY centerfold, confronting the dark side of that world, and the marriage to a conman that eventually left her homeless.

    Aug 14, 2023

    48m
22. 34

    Season 3, Episode 5: Michael Cleveland

    Grammy-winning Bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland talks about battling against the limitations of blindness and hearing loss, a youthful encounter with Bill Monroe, the drinking that once dominated his life, and how he keeps pushing himself artistically.

    Aug 7, 2023

    1h 02m
23. 33

    Season 3, Episode 4: Art Dunning

    Art Dunning talks about the love of learning that animated his youth in the segregated South and eventually led to a successful career in academia, the defining choice he faced while serving in the U.S. Air Force, and the fateful decision he made to help integrate the all-white University of...

    Jul 31, 2023

    59m
24. 32

    Season 3, Episode 3: Joe Kittinger

    Part 2 of 2: Joe Kittinger talks about reuniting with Dr. John Paul Stapp for Project Excelsior, jumping out of his balloon from a record altitude of 102,800 feet, being tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and working with the Red Bull team to help Felix Baumgartner shatter his 52-year-old...

    Jul 24, 2023

    1h 02m
25. 31

    Season 3, Episode 2: Joe Kittinger

    Part 1 of 2: Fighter pilot and test pilot Joe Kittinger talks about the sense of independence and adventure instilled in him by his parents, the yearn to fly that led him into the U.S. Air Force in the early days of jets, his life-altering introduction to Dr. John Paul Stapp, and his pioneering...

    Jul 17, 2023

    30m
26. 30

    Season 3, Episode 1: Dave Kindred

    Sports columnist Dave Kindred talks about the enduring influence of small-town Midwestern values, the impact of a childhood gift, the memorable day he shared a bed with Muhammad Ali, and the late-in-life assignment that has given him purpose and fulfillment.

    Jul 10, 2023

    1h 30m
27. 29

    Season 2, Episode 18: Dick Rutan

    Part 2 of 2: Dick Rutan talks about the obstacles he and his brother Burt faced in building the Rutan Voyager and how, over the course of a nine-day journey in 1986, battling through mechanical problems, violent weather and gathering fatigue, he and Jeana Yeager established an aviation milestone...

    Nov 21, 2022

    52m
28. 28

    Season 2, Episode 17: Dick Rutan

    Part 1 of 2: Dick Rutan talks about the airplane ride that changed his life, the admonition from his mother that altered his view of the world, the need for adventure that led him to become a decorated fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and the origins of his historic flight around the world.

    Nov 14, 2022

    1h 05m
29. 27

    Season 2, Episode 16: Tito Echiburu

    Chilean-born banker Tito Echiburu talks about escaping an abusive father and political instability to chase success in the United States, the importance of goal-setting, drive and assimilation, and how he leveraged a tennis scholarship and a life-altering telegram to find happiness in a small...

    Nov 7, 2022

    1h 17m
30. 26

    Season 2, Episode 15: Michael O’Neill

    Part 2 of 2: Michael O'Neill talks about his breakout performance as a Secret Service agent on THE WEST WING, the one part he lost that still bothers him, the most gut-wrenching role of his career, the importance of tenacity, and how some characters have burrowed deep into his soul.

    Oct 31, 2022

    49m
31. 25

    Season 2, Episode 14: Michael O’Neill

    Part 1 of 2: Television and film actor Michael O'Neill, best known for SEABISCUIT, THE WEST WING, and GREY'S ANATOMY, talks about the unlikely phone call that led him to Hollywood, the lessons he learned from an aging star, and how he conquered a debilitating weakness.

    Oct 24, 2022

    45m
32. 24

    Season 2, Episode 13: Archie Griffin

    Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of college football's Heisman Trophy, talks about the powerful example set by his father, his first meeting with coach Woody Hayes, his humbling first carry at Ohio State, and what he learned from his disappointing NFL career.

    Oct 17, 2022

    1h 12m
33. 23

    Season 2, Episode 12: Gina Locklear

    Gina Locklear, the owner of the Zkano sock company, talks about why she quit her real estate job to return to her devastated hometown and how she has been tested by the various challenges of building a consumer brand in an industry buffeted by globalization.

    Oct 10, 2022

    42m
34. 22

    Season 2, Episode 11: Robert Swan

    Part 2 of 2: Robert Swan talks about the bittersweet climax of his South Pole expedition and his treacherous journey to the North Pole, the alcohol problem that pushed him to the edge, how Jacques Cousteau inspired him to pursue a 50-year mission, why he emigrated to the United States, and what…

    more
    Oct 3, 2022

    44m
35. 21

    Season 2, Episode 10: Robert Swan

    Part 1 of 2: Robert Swan talks about the boyhood fascination with Robert Falcon Scott that grew into a burning ambition to follow in the doomed explorer's footsteps and how he overcame various obstacles to become the first person to walk to both the north and south poles.

    Sep 26, 2022

    56m
36. 20

    Season 2, Episode 9: Tom Johnson

    Tom Johnson, the former president of CNN and publisher of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, talks about the life-altering impact of one man's act of faith, the drive that propelled him to become one of the most powerful figures in American media—and the price he has paid for his raging ambition.

    Sep 19, 2022

    1h 33m
37. 19

    Season 2, Episode 8: Flora Hyacinth

    Chiropractor Flora Hyacinth talks about growing up poor in a Caribbean fishing village, dreaming of a better life, the athletic scholarship that brought her to the United States, the memorable day she set a world record in the triple jump, and the injury she sustained while training for the...

    Sep 12, 2022

    34m
38. 18

    Season 2, Episode 7: Homer Hickam

    Former NASA engineer Homer Hickam talks about growing up in West Virginia coal country, his complicated relationship with his father, the influence of a special teacher, and the inspirational story that resulted in the best-selling memoir ROCKET BOYS and the popular film OCTOBER SKY.

    Sep 5, 2022

    1h 13m
39. 17

    Season 2, Episode 6: Jeff Miller

    Jeff Miller, who owns a dry cleaning business in Hendersonville, North Carolina, talks about the World War II veterans, including his father, who imbued his upbringing with patriotism and a sense of community, and the fateful spark that led him to co-found the Honor Flight Network.

    Aug 29, 2022

    1h 10m
40. 16

    Season 2, Episode 5: Bill Rasmussen

    Part 2 of 2: Bill Rasmussen talks about the skepticism he and his partners faced in selling a 24-hour sports channel to cable operators, rights holders and advertisers, and the various financial, technological and logistical hurdles they overcame while founding a media brand that would...

    Aug 22, 2022

    52m
41. 15

    Season 2, Episode 4: Bill Rasmussen

    Part 1 of 2: Bill Rasmussen talks about his formative years as a local broadcaster, being fired from his front-office job with hockey's New England Whalers, and how, working with his son, Scott, and insurance agent Ed Eagan, he began to develop the revolutionary idea that became the cable channel...

    Aug 15, 2022

    46m
42. 14

    Season 2, Episode 3: Joe Galloway

    In an interview conducted two years before his death in 2021, war correspondent Joe Galloway talks about the pivotal event that led him to a life in journalism, covering the Kansas murder case immortalized by Truman Capote, the landmark Vietnam War battle that profoundly marked him, producing the...

    Aug 8, 2022

    1h 12m
43. 13

    Season 2, Episode 2: Spencer Tillman

    Fox Sports football analyst Spencer Tillman talks about the missionary mother who shaped his view of the world, the lessons he learned while playing football for Oklahoma and in the NFL, the keys to his long career in broadcasting, and the motivational power of rejection and pressure.

    Aug 1, 2022

    1h 21m
44. 12

    Season 2, Episode 1: Steve Justice

    Steve Justice, the former director of advanced systems development for Lockheed Martin's fabled Skunk Works, who recently came out of retirement to join Virgin Galactic, talks about the aircraft that captured his imagination, what he learned from his biggest failure, and the power of dreams,...

    Jul 25, 2022

    55m
45. 11

    Season 1, Episode 23: Chee-Yun

    Classical violinist Chee-Yun talks about the sibling rivalry that enabled her musical development in South Korea, how moving to America and studying at Julliard motivated her, the family crisis that kickstarted her professional career, and the special instrument with an intriguing heritage that...

    Jun 6, 2022

    58m
46. 10

    Season 1, Episode 22: Ben Gilbert

    Ben Gilbert, one of the founders of Moe's Original Bar B Que, talks about why he quit his job to pursue his dream, the importance of a strong work ethic, and the lessons he has learned from turning one Colorado restaurant into a growing chain with locations in 14 states.

    May 30, 2022

    1h 03m
47. 9

    Season 1, Episode 21: Steve Bartkowski

    Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski talks about being selected number one overall in the 1975 NFL Draft, why he began to second-guess his decision to choose football over baseball, how losing his starting job changed him, why a 1980 playoff loss to the Cowboys still haunts him…

    more
    May 23, 2022

    54m
48. 8

    Season 1, Episode 20: Adam Wright

    Grammy-nominated songwriter Adam Wright talks about his early musical influences, the impact of his family legacy, the art of writing a country song, and how it feels to hear his work interpreted by artists including Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson.

    May 16, 2022

    1h 13m
49. 7

    Season 1, Episode 19: Charles Bolden Jr.

    Part 2 of 2: Charles Bolden Jr. talks about the mentor who encouraged him to apply for the astronaut program, how his four Space Shuttle missions affected his perspective, the problematic deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, and his seven-year tenure as NASA Administrator.

    May 9, 2022

    45m
50. 6

    Season 1, Episode 18: Charles Bolden Jr.

    Part 1 of 2: Retired General Charles Bolden Jr. talks about navigating around a cultural roadblock to win an appointment to the Naval Academy, the influence of his educator parents, and the lessons he learned as a Marine aviator and test pilot on the way to outer space.

    May 2, 2022

    37m