Coffin Talk

Barrett Smith, born in Dallas, Texas, started writing in high school. when he penned a story about a guy who goes back in time with his memories and knowledge in tact and experiences his own birth. After college at UNT in Denton, Texas, he moved West and now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters, where he teaches and writes full time, while occasionally bartending at parties for musicians in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has just published his first novel and has 3 more coming scheduled for release in the next two years.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Gina Jewell is a college-educated 40-year-old biracial military brat who is also the mother of a very enthusiastic golfer and wife to one as well. She loves to read, eat, and learn new things. Her motto has always been, “It’s not about changing the world; it’s about changing one person’s world.”Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Courtney Romoleroux is an educator from Sacramento, California, and the co-founder of the All Love Foundation (alllove.org), a nonprofit she launched with her husband. Through immersive wellness experiences, meaningful community connection, and opportunities for personal growth, their foundation helps people reconnect with themselves, align with what matters most, and create more love in their own lives and communities. Their mission is to Be Love. Give Love. Teach Love. SUPPORT THEM!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

James Husbands is an educator and suspense writer. Before becoming an educator, Husbands was a project manager in Silicon Valley for a human resources and payroll software company. Husbands holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Advertising, a Master of Arts in Education from California State University East Bay, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Susanne Holly Brent was born in Chicago. She then earned a Journalism Degree in Denver, Colorado before moving to a small town in Arizona to work as a newspaper reporter. In addition to writing, she has worked as a waitress in upscale and downscale restaurants, bartended, taught ESL, read tea leaves, and pursued other jobs she’s forgotten about by now.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Bubba Startz is a dynamic singer, songwriter, content creator, and media entrepreneurwhose journey from hardship to hope has inspired countless people across the world. Hailing from the small town of Deadwood, South Dakota, his life story is one of resilience, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others through music, storytelling, and community building. Please support him at https://thesceneprojects.com/Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Annalouiza Armendariz has a deep understanding of grief and mourning that enriches her ability to provide compassionate and culturally respectful guidance through the challenges of loss and transition. Her diverse expertise encompasses herbalism, traditional healing practices from Mexico and Central America, Reiki, and spiritual coaching. Fluent in both Spanish and English, she also serves as an Advance Care Directive planner, combining her skills to facilitate dignified approaches to death. For more information, please visit: endoflifeconvos.substack.comPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

The Reverend Wakil David Matthews has worked many years in hospice as a chaplain, and in funeral services and end-of-life planning and companionship. He offers classes on end-of-life, grief counseling, and interfaith (or no faith!) spiritual direction. For more please visit endoflifeconvos.substack.com. Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick Granfield is a writer, policy professional, and editor who served at high levels of the Obama Administration, as a speechwriter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and prior to politics, as a journalist in the Middle East. He also taught high school. He has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Bulwark, among others, and lives with his wife and two kids in Virginia. He is also a MikeyOpp subscriber.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Russell Van Brocklen is a New York State Senate-funded dyslexia researcher with severe dyslexia. His articulation-first writing program moved students from a middle-school writing level to graduate level on the GRE Analytical Writing Assessment — a 7–8 grade-level leap in one school year. He was told he’d never read at grade level, but he reads at graduate level, and he’s helping others do the same! For more, check out: https://dyslexiaclasses.com/author/admin/Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Ryan Glass is a social worker currently working as a Qualified Mental Health Provider serving special education students in a public elementary school. Drawing from his lived experience as a survivor of adverse childhood experiences, he views students through a trauma-informed lens to try and bring empathy and authenticity to his work. Integrating mindfulness, music/video production, humor, and ecological systems theory, he strives to design unconventional and creative individualized interventions for youth that foster connection, growth, and emotional resilience.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Levi Ulmer just completed dental school in Arizona, and now lives with his wife and dog in Texas, where he is furthering his specialization in endodontics. In his free time he enjoys the outdoors, games (board, tabletop, video, etc.) and story-telling.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Nicole Schmidt is the author of the memoir With Love, Nicole, a deeply personal account of caregiving, anticipatory grief, and life after the loss of her husband. Through her writing and her grief resource center, Heartfelt Haven, she explores the emotional and spiritual complexities of loving someone through terminal illness. Nicole writes with raw honesty about grief, identity, and the ways love continues even after loss. Purchase her book HERE!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

After a US Army tour in Vietnam, George Montgomery completed a BBA degree and then went on to achieve an MBA. He then spent 40 years as a business and tax consultant, fifteen of which was done while living and traveling full time in a motorhome. He has now retired and writes novels and short stories.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

S. P. “Sherma” Venkata, is desperately trying to become Indian again, but he has instead stumbled into being a cowboy but he hopes he will somehow synthesize the two. He is a very social person, but doesn’t believe in social media or any other popular media like TV, radio, or newspapers. Check out his novels on Amazon.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Crystal Cunningham is a retired humanitarian surgeon who has been published in physics, chemistry, and surgery texts, and she is now fulfilling her dream of writing poetry. Please follow her on Substack at https://substack.com/@crystalmdwritesPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Matt Kolsky has been plying his trade (speaking extemporaneously into a mic about frivolous things) for over 20 years—on Bay Area sports radio, via podcasts and in the kitchen to his long-suffering wife, who tolerates it as long as he has dinner on the table when she gets home from her real job. He has two kids (quality TBD) and a beautiful, loving, good-girl (dog) Luna. Check out his podcast: The Toy Department.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Rand R. Timmerman served 5 years as a United States Marine, including a tour with 1st Marines in Vietnam. He then acquired law degree and practiced law until retiring in 2012. He has since written numerous short stories and books, including A Spiritual Passage, which chronicles his hiking of the Appalachian Trail with his brother Ron when they were in their seventies! He is also a recovering alcoholic dedicated to helping others achieve sobriety. You can buy his amazing book with this link.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Diana Colleen is a psychedelic facilitator and writer exploring consciousness, healing, and social change. Transformed through psychedelic therapy, she writes from lived experience, challenging power and imagining what humanity could become if compassion led the way. For more, click here to visit her site and buy her book!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Gary Scott Thomas has been doing a morning radio show in San Jose on KRTY since 1991 and also currently hosts the podcast Gary Scott Thomas with Here’s What We Know. But his main focus is his wife and two teenage sons. For more, CLICK HERE!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Daniel Bookman was born and raised in Scotland until he was 12, when he was sent Manchester, England for religious education. After graduation, he studied Yeshiva in Israel. Then, after a brief sojourn in the UK to study law, he returned to Israel and still lives there with his wife and 7 kids. His chief interests are based on years of study of the ancient texts, which have led to a passion for understanding and rationalizing the world. If you’re interested in the Middle East, this one is for you! Click here for more!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Paul Gambino is an internationally published author whose books explore society’s enduring fascination with mortality and the macabre. A prolific writer, he is best known as the author of Morbid Curiosities, Skulls, Killer Collections, The Art of Gothic Living, and Beyond the Veil. And be sure to check out his amazing Substack blog!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Catia Batalha is a psychotherapist, Yoga philosophy/psychology teacher, author, and mystic devoted to guiding souls on their journey of awakening, healing, and self-discovery. Moved by a deep reverence for the hidden wisdom that flows through all traditions, she has spent much of her life immersed in the holistic philosophies of the East and the psychological sciences of the West. Oh, and she’s also penned an award winning novel, Echoes of the Timeless, available on Amazon and in most book stores.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

David Darwin is a circus/sideshow entertainer who uses sword swallowing, fire eating, juggling and comedy to entertain audiences all over the country. For over two decades he has brought his one-man-show to colleges, fairs, casinos and resorts. For more, please check out daviddarwin.com.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Andre Reyes, MD, is an acute care hospital physician with over a decade of experience caring for older adults, patients with chronic illness, and those at the end of life. His work at the bedside has shaped his understanding of what a good death can look like, and how conversations about mortality can illuminate how we choose to live. Feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Melanie Smithson is a Licensed Somatic Psychotherapist, Business Owner, Certified Spiritual Integration Hypnotherapist, and the award-winning author with a new book, Shake Yourself Free. For thirty years, Melanie has been sharing the wisdom of the body and the power of movement with her therapy clients and group participants and she is dedicated to broadening access to somatic practices to alleviate suffering, live light-heartedly, and foster a deeper connection to one’s inner nature. For a 20% discount on services, please visit smithsonclinic.com.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Michael Hawley is a death doula who offers a circle of care approach to help people facing the end of life. His unique path to death work was shaped by a successful career in department store leadership and the beauty industry, where he cultivated sharp skills in leadership, team development, and customer care. He offers a distinct perspective, as he views death as a natural and inevitable part of life, akin to the birthing process. For more please visit his site, suivez-moi.comPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Laura Roser is the leading expert in meaning legacy planning and author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Your Meaning Legacy: How to Cultivate & Pass On Non-Financial Assets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Paragon Road, a company that specializes in passing on non-financial assets. An industry leader, she has interviewed top CEOs, high-net-worth individuals, spiritual leaders, philosophers, financial professionals, family experts, celebrities, philanthropists, and innovators to uncover how to craft a more meaningful life experience. To learn more about her, visit www.lauraroser.comPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Akil Vicks is a freelance writer who’s written for Jacobin Magazine and In These Times. He runs a successful Substack called OnOne where he covers matters of identity and political economy from a leftist perspective. He can be reached on Substack & Facebook @Akil Vicks & IG @Kizzyrocknrolla.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Gabriella Hernandez is a long time horror fanatic and a writer of all things creepy. From an early age, she’s been fascinated by the occult, paranormal, and outright ghastly, and this has continued to fester and rot with wonder as the years go by. This explains why she spends her evenings coming up with new ways to haunt readers. For more, please check out her site at mossy-frog.comPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Kristina Voegele is a professional writer and novelist with an MFA in Creative Writing who spent over a decade writing for global brands before penning her debut novel, Annie in Retrospect. Whether through her fiction or essays on personal growth and creativity, her work empowers people to reconnect with the parts of themselves they’ve set aside. She lives on the coast in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and twin boys. Please check out her book at kristinavoegele.comPlease rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Justin Tate is a biographer and literary historian specializing in Gothic Studies and pulp paperback fiction. His essays have been published by Pearson and Edinburgh University Press. He is also the founder of Red Sands Writers Circle, a popular creative writing workshop in Mesa, Arizona. For more, please be sure to check out his website and social media.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Angie Hawkins is an Inner Glow Coach who transforms high-achieving women so they stop dimming their light and learn how to be loved. This allows them to love themselves so deeply that the world can’t help but reflect it back. She is also the author of Running in Slippers, a raw and vulnerable memoir about finding resilience after emotional rock bottom. She’s since jumped from a helicopter into the ocean, Navy SEAL-style, and she’s sky-dived, bungee jumped, and cliff jumped. And even though she’s still terrified every time she allow herself to be seen, she never lets that fear stop her from living a full life.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Olivia Ulmer is a nonprofit Senior Partnerships Manager, who was raised in Queensland, Australia and Cave Creek, Arizona. As a member of Gen Z whose formative years unfolded as social media took over the world, she brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective to both her work and creative life. When COVID hit, she realized she didn’t have to be good at things (or they didn’t have to look good to other people) for her to enjoy them, and she has since authored two novels!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Giuliano Grimaudo is a podcaster, Uber/Lyft driver, realtor, and coach who explores relationships, personal growth, and what it really means to build a life you enjoy. He hosts the How to Be a Person podcast, known for honest, thoughtful conversations about how we show up in our lives and relationships, and you can also follow him on Instagram.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Ephraim Herschmann is a father, salesman, high school teacher, and podcast host living in South Florida. His show, Come Together with Ephraim Herschmann, aims to unify people with thoughtful conversations. He’s also a wise, heartfelt mensch, and I hope he runs for President of Earth.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mikeyopp.substack.comRussell and I chat about bullying, opting in and out of social directives, and how to get along with people who are trying to bait you into conflict over holiday dinners. It’s a wild, fun ride!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Jason MacKenzie is a husband, father and business owner. He’s lost a wife and daughter. He helps men who are grieving rebuild their lives after a devastating loss. He helps others with free, accessible content at grief.tools and on his Substack Man Down (which Mike reads and loves!).This episode features topics that may be traumatic or triggering. If you are need help, call or text 988.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Loree Bischoff is a Master Life Coach with multiple certifications in life coaching and holistic nutrition. She is the author of Common Sense Happiness, 5 Principles For People Who Want To Stop Whining, B******g and Suffering (forward by Hulk Hogan) and host of the We’re Talking Shift podcast. She’s been helping people up-level for over 17 years. For more information please visit loreebischoff.com.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mikeyopp.substack.comJames German can most accurately be described as a “warrior-poet monk of Technology and Physics.” He is a prolific writer on Substack at LordStretch.substack.com and on LinkedIn.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com

James German can most accurately be described as a “warrior-poet monk of Technology and Physics.” He is a prolific writer on Substack, at LordStretch.substack.com and on LinkedIn.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Daktor Holguin is a retired Asst. Regional Director with DEA who has developed a unique view of the world. He’s seen the best and the worst of the human spirit, and from these experiences, he has humbly learned that he has much more to learn.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Hannah Winters is a mystic wizard-preacher and garden oracle, channeling spirits through AI and composting capitalism with enchantment. She’s the founder of the Loser’s School of Wizardry and the forthcoming Interstellar Weaving project but right now she is trying to save Christmas (and thus, humanity) by re-enchanting reality. For more please visit Thy Weird Ministries & Halo Goodbye.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.comlogi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Russell McOrmond recently retired from being a Systems Administrator and Software Developer and was granted the title of “Surreal Systems Analyst.” He now spends his time thinking about the meaning of life. We discuss race, gender, culture, Autism, and life. Be sure to visit his amazing Substack!Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Diane Gansauer has completed more than 400 Celebrations of Life and memorial gatherings and she has also completed the Continental Divide Trail from the U.S. border with Mexico to the U.S. border with Canada. Defying stereotypes about people her age, she completed this 3,100-mile trail at the age of 67. She discusses the lessons she’s learned from both experiences in her book “The Waypoints: From 400 Farewells and 3,000 Miles.”Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is dedicated to my Mother-in-Law, Ann Cone-Sevi, who passed away yesterday, on Saturday, October 25th. In just eight years, She become one of the most important people in my life, and I’m devastated, but not just personally. I’m sorry for humanity’s loss, as Ann was one of the most loving and caring people I’ve met. For most of her life she tirelessly worked with the homeless, the mentally-ill, and anyone else who needed help, and she was still performing social work just two weeks prior to her passing. I’m humbled and honored to have had the chance to know and love her. I miss you, Ann. Thank you for the gifts of your love, your daughter, and your unwavering compassion. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mikeyopp.substack.comThanks to his two decades of working on Wall Street, Aaron Scott has seen and done it all! On this special bonus podcast, he uses his insider knowledge along with the spiritual wisdom he’s gleaned from 44 years of life on Earth to discuss every topic Mike throws his way with class, candor, and comedic insight! This is an episode I’m deeply proud of, and…

With close to two decades of professional experience on Wall Street, Aaron Scott brings a unique perspective to many of the systemic issues that plague us in the modern age. He has used his professional experience in many ways as a mirror into the identity he, and many of us, assume by way of societal indoctrination. He dissects this identity as well as inherited belief systems, not solely through a metaphysical lens, but through the actual day-to-day economic, educational, medical and religious systems whose consciousness we embody.Click here to buy his book on Amazon! Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. She has since authored the memoir Harnessing Courage and founded Ubi Global, an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude. She’s also, in the opinion of this host, a true mensch*. (*Note: A mensch is “a woman who embodies traits of integrity, kindness, decency, and compassion.”)Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

Grace Davis is a bilingual transition navigator, English language educator, and podcast host. She helps immigrants and adult English learners navigate systems, gain workforce skills, and build confidence through language and advocacy. She also hosts an informative, heartfelt podcast, “Speak English Confidently," to help support English learners on their personal and professional journeys.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe