PODCAST · society
Crazy Good Turns
by Joyful Noise Productions
We tell inspiring stories about people who do amazing things for others.
Episodes
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Lyz Glick Best: Remembering Jeremy Glick and Flight 93
Lyz Glick Best was married to Jeremy Glick, one of the passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. That morning, from her parents' farmhouse in the Catskills, Lyz spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Jeremy. They stayed calm. They assessed…
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Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee: 'In COVID's Wake' Takes a Non-Partisan Look at the Pandemic's Origins and Response
Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee are both professors of politics at Princeton. Together they wrote "In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us" (Princeton University Press), named one of the best books of 2025 by The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and The Economist, and featured on The New...
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Project D.R.E.W.: Where Veterans Tell Their Stories
Project D.R.E.W. brings together veterans and songwriters to turn their stories of service into songs. The nonprofit was founded by Marilyn Zeidner, Mike Winnen and Brian Ferguson in honor of Captain Drew Ferguson, an Army Green Beret and Special Forces team leader who carried a guitar with him…
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Lindy Wood: Westonwood Ranch Gives Young Adults with Autism a Bridge Over the 'Services Cliff'
Lindy Wood is the founder of Westonwood Ranch, a 10-acre working farm in the Florida Panhandle. When her son Weston was diagnosed with autism fifteen years ago, she realized a terrifying "services cliff" awaited him—and millions of others—the moment they transitioned into adulthood. Rather than...
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Luke Mickelson of Sleep in Heavenly Peace: The Kids Without Beds
Luke Mickelson is the founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to building and delivering beds to children who don't have one. What started as a family project in an Idaho garage has grown into a global organization with nearly 400 chapters and more than 300,000 beds delivered to...
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Bill Gurley: Legendary VC Rethinks Career Advice in 'Running Down a Dream'
Bill Gurley is a venture capitalist known for early investments in Uber, Grubhub, Zillow and many others. Gurley joins us to discuss "Running Down a Dream," his new book — which is full of career advice that is as surprising as it is useful. In this episode, we discuss: The Power of Mentorship…
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Nicole Johnson & Tom Horton: FOXG1 Research Foundation Stares Down The Impossible
She's the mom of a child with a rare condition, and she wouldn't take "no" for an answer from doctors. He walked 500 miles for his granddaughter, who has the same condition. Together, they're helping a foundation develop a gene therapy treatment faster and cheaper than the big pharma giants.…
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Walter Martin Radio: Learn To Love Music More and Confuse the Algorithms
Walter Martin spent decades making and playing music, most famously with the indie rock bands Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Walkmen. Recently, he's started a new crazy good turn, helping people like you and me rediscover the joy of music through his Walter Martin Radio Hour show and Substack. In…
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Goodwill CEO Steve Preston: Giving Goods – and People – a Second Chance
Frank Blake sits down with Goodwill Industries CEO Steve Preston and truck driver Michael West to discuss the organization's "second chance" mission. From running adult high schools in prisons to providing career paths for those overcoming addiction and incarceration, this is the story of how a...
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Inspired Generosity Awards 2025: The Winners Are…
Crazy Good Turns received more than 500 nominations from listeners like you seeking to recognize organizations that are helping others. In this show, we reveal five winners selected to receive a $10,000 grant. They are: The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation: Founded by a man who was wrongly imprisoned...
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Hostage Rescues! Daring Jailbreaks! Bryan Stern of Grey Bull Rescue
Grey Bull Rescue helps innocent Americans who are stranded, imprisoned, or otherwise trapped in dangerous situations around the globe. BRYAN STERN founded Grey Bull in August 2021, during the fall of Afghanistan. Since that time, Grey Bull has helped rescue more than 8,000 Americans in 800...
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CaringBridge: The Website That Saves Lives
It's a story about the best of the internet. A place 100 million people visit every year and post 1,600 positive messages every hour. It's CaringBridge. And the support and connection it makes possible can be truly life-saving. "Definitely I wouldn't be here without it, I think," says Jill…
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Brock Holt and Caitlin Fink: How the Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox Hit a Home Run for Fighting Cancer
Brock Holt is a World Series winner and former Red Sox player. Caitlin Fink is the VP of the team's official charity, the Jimmy Fund. They join us to share how the longest-running partnership between a sports team and a charity has improved the lives of cancer patients around the globe. We invite...
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Ken's Krew: 'The Perfect Thing' for Neurodiverse Young Adults Needing A Job
Ken's Krew creates opportunity and hope for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities by helping them find fulfilling jobs — usually inside of a Home Depot store. In this episode, also you'll hear from Executive Director Suzy Goldberger, who shares how the organization has helped nearly 1,000...
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Derek Sivers: Lessons from Making (and Giving Away) a Fortune
Derek Sivers is one of the most interesting thinkers of our time. He's been a professional touring musician, a circus performer, and a successful entrepreneur who sold his company for millions – and then gave away his proceeds from the sale. Since selling the company, Derek has become a speaker,...
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Hal Donaldson: The 'Secret Sauce' Behind Convoy of Hope, One of the World's Biggest Charities
Hal Donaldson has a goal to feed a million children every day. And his organization, Convoy of Hope, is on pace to make it happen. In this episode, Hal joins us to discuss how he overcame tragedy early in life to found one of the world's biggest charities. He'll share what it's like to come...
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Drs. Natasha Bray and Douglas Nolan: Fighting the National Doctor Shortage and Creating New Opportunities for Native Americans at the Nation's First-Ever Tribally Affiliated Medical School
Just 5 years ago, Oklahoma State University and the Cherokee Nation launched a first-of-its-kind medical school. The College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation is the first and only medical college to be founded on tribal land and linked to a native tribe. The school made history when...
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Amy Ard: Motherhood Beyond Bars Helps Incarcerated Moms and Their Innocent Babies
Each year, thousands of women give birth while in jail or prison. What happens to them, and their babies? Amy Ard had been working as a doula (a caregiver for labor and delivery) for decades when she saw a prisoner who was in the hospital to give birth. Amy also saw a set of handcuffs hanging…
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Allie Amoroso and ROSE Women's Foundation: The Path Out of Poverty
Alle Amoroso is the founder of ROSE Women's Foundation, which helps impoverished women in Kenya learn how to launch and run small businesses. To date, the organization has launched more than 3,500 businesses — and lifted thousands of people out of poverty. Allie shares: The awakening that led her...
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Tom Bodett, Voice of Motel 6 and Founder of HatchSpace: The Antidote to a Divided World
Tom is the spokesperson behind Motel 6's TV and radio spots and their famous tagline: "We'll leave the light on for you." His latest idea, HatchSpace, might be exactly what our world needs right now. After all, Tom is more than a great baritone. He's lived a fascinating life — and now he's giving...
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Shirley Leung: The Secret to Beating Burnout (From Someone Who's Been There)
Leung is an award-winning business columnist and associate editor of the Boston Globe, as well as host of a Globe Opinion podcast called "Say More." She's also a working mom who struggled to keep up with work and home-schooling her kids during the pandemic. Her motivation and abilities suffered...
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The $55K Giveaway: Supporting Joshua's Heart, Teens4Teens Help, Heart of Mary House Nashville, Pine Ridge Reconciliation Center and more.
Crazy Good Turns listeners like you sent in more than 120 nominations of organizations that are helping others. In this show, we profile four of those organizations who were selected to receive a $10,000 grant. They are: Heart of Mary House, a hospice in the Nashville area that specifically…
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Luther Lockwood and the McColl-Lockwood Lab: A Family's Love Leads to a Medical Breakthrough
When Luther's daughter, Jane Lockwood, was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy. Luther and his family resolved to do something about it. During the two decades since, they founded the McColl-Lockwood Laboratory and dedicated enormous resources…
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Dan Senor: Bringing Clarity to the Fog of War
We mark 1 year since the October 7 attacks by speaking with Dan Senor. Dan is the host of 'Call Me Back,' a podcast that is home to some of the most thoughtful and thorough reporting on the multi-front war Israel now faces. Dan's work provides a valuable service to all of us – especially to…
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Jenn Drummond, Mom of 7 and World Record Mountaineer
Jenn is the first woman to climb the "seven second summits," or the second-highest mountain peaks on all seven continents – which are arguably even tougher to climb than the tallest ones, for reasons which will surprise you. She is also a successful businesswoman, a mother of seven children, and...
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Justin Miller of Untold: How a College Trip Became a Life-Saving Mission
Alongside two African pastors, Justin founded Untold - a nonprofit that helps support the physical, spiritual, and mental health of those affected by AIDS and HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa. During the past 17 years, their organization has helped more than 40,000 people let go of their stigma...
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Nellie Bowles: The Courage to Engage Controversial Topics with an Open Mind
In her new book "Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History," Bowles documents how she risked her career – and her friendships – by continuing to ask questions after being told not to. As a reporter for the New York Times, Nellie tackled some of the most controversial...
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'Coupon Mom' Stephanie Nelson: On Faith, Hard Work and Helping Others
Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom struggling to make ends meet. Then her skill with coupons made her a national sensation. After helping millions save money, Nelson is paying it forward with a book, "Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential," which aims to guide people with big...
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Seth Godin: Doing What Matters. Quitting What Doesn't, and Creating Possibility for Others
Godin is a renowned entrepreneur and author of more than 20 books – including one that helped our host, Frank Blake, turn around Home Depot during his time as CEO. Frank starts the show by sharing an all-important passage from that book, and then kicks off a wide-ranging discussion around...
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Travis Ellis & Shepherd's Men: Why We Ran 1,300 Miles (And Won't Stop)
Travis Ellis joins Crazy Good Turns to talk about his fundraising efforts for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Those efforts include a 684-mile run from Atlanta to Washington D.C. and then a journey twice as long from Boston back to their home down south. Follow us on...
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Walter Kirn, Writer Behind the Hollywood Blockbuster "Up in the Air," has a Crazy Idea to Bring America Together. Could it Work?
Walter Kirn is the bestselling author of "Up in the Air," which became a smash hit movie starring George Clooney. Now Kirn is taking a risk on a longshot business that views America as one giant small town. And that's just the beginning. In addition to his writing, Kirn is a non-partisan…
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Dan Heath, Best-Selling Author, Shares Lessons from 'Made To Stick' and Explores the Deeper Meaning of Everyday Jobs
Dan and his brother Chip are the authors of several best-selling business books, including one that was highly influential for Frank Blake during his time as CEO of The Home Depot. Dan joins Frank to talk about the legacy of his first big book, "Made to Stick," and his new passion project, a...
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Anne Trubek, Founder of Belt Publishing: Sharing Good Books and Good Ideas, Elevating Voices that Might Otherwise Go Unheard, and Staying Afloat as a Small Press
Trubek is an author, publisher and entrepreneur who's been the driving force being an independent book publisher since 2012. She blogs about her experiences on Substack at notesfromasmallpress.substack.com. We'll discuss: Why publishing is "slow motion gambling," and how she manages to stay…
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The Crazy Good Turns $10,000 Award Finalists: Meet Hearts & Hooves, Just Keep Smiling and Joshua's Place
We asked listeners to tell us about groups and individuals making a difference in their communities. The response was incredible. We heard so many amazing stories about everyday heroes doing powerful work. It was no easy task, but we eventually narrowed the list for our award down to three...
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Shane Parrish of Farnam Street on Making Better Choices, Positioning Yourself for Success and Discovering Superpowers
How to let go of ego and emotion and make the right choice, in seemingly small moments that matter far more than you think.
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Holly Penalver of Indigo Volunteers: Hearing the Call to Serve Others, Creating a Better Way to Volunteer Abroad
Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, an organization that pairs people who wish to help with humanitarian projects needing assistance. Since the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, Indigo has placed thousands of volunteers in camps across Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and more. Holly says…
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Kimi Culp: Learning the Generosity of Resilience, Leaving Behind Oprah and Network TV, and Finding Your Personal Mission
Kimi was a successful television producer working with the biggest networks, like CNN, NBC and Oprah. But a mountaintop revelation led her to leave it all behind. Today she's the voice behind what might be the world's first "one for one" charitable podcast. Her show features people who've…
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Amy O'Dell of Jacob's Ladder: Turning Obstacles into Joy and Hope for Kids
In a conversation made possible by listeners like you, Amy shares the story of how medical experts wrote off her son Jacob – but she refused to accept it. Instead, she gave up everything to help him. And along the way, she developed a method that's not only helped Jacob thrive, it today helps...
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Bob Goff: How to Live an Undistracted Life
In this unpredictable and fun conversation, Goff – who's a best-selling author and philanthropist – answers questions from you, our listeners. Along the way he explains how "air distracts him" and what he's learned to do fix that. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram @bobgoff. We discuss: Bob's...
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Kim Scott: On Radical Candor and Ruinous Empathy
Scott, a management expert who's led teams at Google and coached high-profile CEOs, shares a groundbreaking framework for delivering better feedback to others. Follow her on Twitter @kimballscott We'll discuss: How people in different generations can offer more candid and effective feedback to…
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The Return on Generosity, with Shannon Cassidy
A high-profile executive coach, author and podcaster explains why generosity is a state of mind, and how you can shape a more generous life through observation and practice.
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Ryan Backmann: Helping Those Left Behind By "True Crime" Mysteries
His father's murder went unsolved. But Backmann did not give up. Today his organization, Project: Cold Case, assists families and keeps memories alive.
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Nancy Gianni and Adrienne Mulligan: The Magic of GiGi's Playhouse
Gianni founded GiGi's Playhouse a year after her daughter was born with Down Syndrome.
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Laurie Zaleski of Funny Farm: Lessons from Rescuing 600+ Animals
What's it like to live with nearly a dozen dogs, 200 cats and an 800-pound rescue pig named Wilbur? Glad you asked.
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Senator Rob Portman On Finding Agreement and Fighting Addiction (With Neil Tilow, CEO of Talbert House)
Portman earned respect in Washington by working across the aisle to get things done. Tilow's organization supports families and communities in the fight against drug addiction. Together, they discuss a difficult issue.
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Heroes of 2022: Life-Saving Rescues and Other Great Stories
Meet six people who did something extraordinary in the past year.
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Jason Feifer: Overcoming Change, Turning Loss Into Gain, and Learning to Recognize Overconfidence
Writer and podcaster Jason Feifer transforms what he's learned into steps you can use to navigate through crises and change.
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The $50 Thank You Campaign Returns
We're bringing back a recognition program where you can send a Thank You with a $50 Gift Card to someone you feel deserves to be celebrated. Learn more.
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Matt Zeller, Janis Shinwari, and The Afghan Underground Railroad Fight to Save Thousands of U.S. Allies From the Wrath of the Taliban
A year after the fall of Afghanistan, thousands of U.S. allies are still trying to escape the Taliban and certain death. Meet the Americans fighting to save them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Crazy Good Turns have?
Crazy Good Turns currently has 147 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Crazy Good Turns about?
We tell inspiring stories about people who do amazing things for others.
How often does Crazy Good Turns release new episodes?
Crazy Good Turns publishes regularly with 147 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Crazy Good Turns?
You can listen to Crazy Good Turns on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Crazy Good Turns?
Crazy Good Turns is created and hosted by Joyful Noise Productions.
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