Episode 35: How’s It Going? Checking in with our first six guests
At the first year mark of The Latest Version, I am checking in with my first six guests. These women shared their stories when I didn’t have a finished product yet to share with them. They took a chance with me, sharing their stories about their life journeys and their plans for the future, and I am so grateful to them. Their experiences this past year will sound familiar to many of you. Some are making progress, while others have family issues that may have put their plans on temporary hold, but no one’s giving up.
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Danielle Butin started Afya Foundation, a nonprofit in Yonkers, NY that collects unused medical supplies from hospitals that would otherwise go to landfill. Afya receives these supplies in their warehouse, sorts and repacks, then ships them to hospitals around the world, often in response to natural disasters. Today, Afya Foundation’s purpose could not be more vital, as they send off supplies to Ukraine. If you want to donate to Afya, please go to www.afyafoundation.org
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Lucy Filppu is a long-time English teacher at Palo Alto High School in California. Last year We talked about her work at a high performing school district. Lucy shared with us that she was working with a writers group to start on a novel. She also has an entrepreneurial side, as several years ago she started writing boot camp for students entering high school. So how’s it going? Lucy shared with me that she has a sick family member who is her priority right now. Many of us have shared a simiar experience and we send her and her family much love.
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Christina McMurray wrote and published a book, “Live, Laugh, Fly,” about her son Scott’s battle with a rare pediatric cancer and death at 22. In truth, the book was a bigger examination of a marriage that hit some rocks but, contrary to expectations, came back stronger than ever when Scott’s illness hit. A big part of Chris’s story are the coincidences and “signs” her family have noticed since Scott’s passing, and her confidence that he continues to be a part of their lives. Chris and husband Gene are doing well, and even have a podcast of their own! Chris’s book, “Live, Laugh, Fly” can be found on Amazon.
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Lela Cocoros Goldstein’s life after retirement from a busy corporate and consulting career took an interesting turn. Last year she told me about her discovery of the art of collage. I didn’t know much about collage, other than to think, “wow, that looks like fun.” And my other thought was, “Lela is really good at that!” My question to her last year was, “How far are you going to take this?” She is still growing as a collage artist and is exploring teaching collage. You can view her work on her Latest Version episode page,
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Betsy Chappell shows how you can take an interest or a sideline – in this case gardening – and turn it into a business by focusing on a niche. In Betsy’s case, the niche is container gardening, enhancing the outdoor spaces of her clients’ homes in Lexington, Kentucky with beautiful potted plant arrangements. A year later, her business, Blooms Designs is, well, blooming. She is finding new ways to market her business and is building it up with a particular goal in mind. You can see her Instagram feed at Blooms.Designs.
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Finally, my first interview last year was with Lara Lavi – an old friend who had a promising career as an Americana singer songwriter, but put a lot of that aside to concentrate on her law practice and, more recently, to help manage the career of her very talented son, Cameron Lavi-Jones and his band, King Youngblood. When we talked last year, Lara had just released a single, a cover of Joni Mitchell’s The River, with plans to release an album of her own work. When I caught up with Lara earlier this month, she was going to perform live in Seattle for the first time in many moons, sharing the stage with her son’s band. She was generous enough to record greetings on the street outside the venue and shared this original song. Please check out King Youngblood’s very active Instagram feed
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So, dear listener, this brings us to the end of The Latest Version. The Latest Version was never meant to be my final version. I’m taking a break and will be back with a rebranded show, called Project: Reinvention with Betsy Bush. This new podcast will take a wider view of reinvention with a wider range of guests. The Latest Version’s feed will be updated, so you won’t have to go looking for it. Just stay tuned. Thanks to everyone at Gotham Podcast Studios, especially Raul Hernandez, my producer throughout this past year, Brianna Peters, and Autumn Foster.
