The first professional skateboarder with a prosthetic limb -- Jon Comer joined me Monday at 9:30am pst!

Thanks to Jon Comer for calling into the show this morning!
If you missed our conversation, listen here.

ABOUT JON COMER

“We’d make jokes about it,” says Jon Comer. Not many of us would find losing a foot at the age of seven and having to deal with a prosthesis something to laugh about, but Jon says, “For me it was normal.”

When Jon, a native of Dallas, Texas, was only four, he was hit by a car, which ran over his foot three times (I know, you think that stuff only happens in bad movies—but as they say, “Life is crazier than fiction.”) and eventually the doctors couldn’t do anything but amputate his foot.

“Everyone was really cool about it,” he says, “When I was a kid they didn’t really notice because of the type of prosthesis I had, it was hard to tell.” So, like most other 12-year-olds, Jon jumped on his board and decided to become a pro skateboarder. “It was something I just knew I wanted to do. I pretty much made myself believe that I would be a pro someday,” he says. Practicing every day, eventually Jon achieved what he had set out to do and went pro at 21.

Despite an obvious twist to Jon’s physical build he never felt that he had to do things the hard way or that things were tougher for him. “I don’t think there were any big obstacles for me to overcome, there’s just been a lot of small things along the way,” he says, “I don’t know if it was more difficult for me than everyone else because it’s the only way I’ve ever done it.”

Well, whatever he’s doing, it’s working. Jon, currently lives in Garland, Texas and excited about the rebirth of his career.  He is currently sponsored by Positiv Skateboards, Motivated Proformance, Dakine Bags, and College Park.

But for Jon, being able to ride his skateboard is all he ever wanted to do. “I didn’t want to be a pro because they make lots of money, I wanted to be a pro so I could ride my skateboard and travel to different places,” he says. So far he’s been able to check Japan, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Australia and much of Europe off of his list.

As of 2011, Jon has found a new spark and is going for the 2012 X-Games and will also be competing in the Dew Tour Bowl contest.

And to those who feel life is unfair and nothing is going their way, he says, “Crap happens. Get over it.”

Learn more about Jon Comer.

Actress and Author Dee Wallace joins me Monday on Get the FUNK Out!

Very excited to have actress and author Dee Wallace joining me Monday March 10th at 9am pst! On January, 24th, Dee Wallace made her debute on NBC's GRIMM as Monroe's mother. Episode Link with Dee - online now: http://www.nbc.com/grimm/video/the-wild-hunt/n45504/

In addition, just as Dee Wallace wraps the 30th anniversary of "ET: The Extra Terrestrial," she prepares for the 30th anniversary of her follow up film "Cujo" - A film that would begin to define her role as the "Queen of Fear Films" in such movies as THE HILLS HAVE EYES, THE HOWLING, THE FRIGHTENERS, CRITTERS, HALLOWEEN, THE STEPFORD WIVES, and THE HAUNTED, THE WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO and most recently Rob Zombies' THE LORDS OF SALEM (which has broken all records for previous DVD sales). In addition, Dee has just completed THE ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD with Billy Zane and her own daughter, Gabrielle Stone, which brings Ms. Wallace to well over 200 credits.

Ms. Wallace has released her third book "BRIGHT LIGHT." Bright Light (O-Books) takes readers along on Wallace's emotional, spiritual and professional journey but even as we cheer for her triumphs and grieve for her unbearable losses. She doesn't allow us to sit on the sidelines as merely an observer to her life, but in stead uses her journey as a metaphor for always expanding the lessons she experienced in her own life to a larger wisdom valuable for all of us.

Dee is a true tour de force, working with every kind of co-star from Cujo to Lassie, as well as countless directors including Peter Jackson, Stephen Spielberg, Wes Craven, Joe Dante, Stephen King and Blake Edwards. As one of Hollywood's reigning "scream queens," when asked about how working on so many horror films effects her career as a spiritual healer, she responds “Well, it has certainly made me an expert on fear.”

Amy Purdy: Greeting adversity

Janie Hoffman, CEO and Founder of Mamma Chia joined me at 9:30am pst!

Janie Hoffman, CEO and Founder Of Mamma Chia joined me Monday at 9:30am pst to talk about the up-coming Natural Products Expo West, her latest book, her amazing company Mamma Chia and more!

If you missed our conversation,
listen here!

It started on a small organic farm in rural San Diego, where Mamma Chia (www.mammachia.com) founder and CEO, Janie Hoffman, in her quest to find an ideal diet for her own health, fell in love with the magic of chia. Janie quickly discovered this amazing little seed was providing a powerful vitality boost and was instrumental in addressing some challenging health issues related to longstanding autoimmune disorders.

Janie believes that there are several components to a healthy and joy-filled life and no one thing holds all the answers, but there is no doubt that once she incorporated chia into her daily diet there was a very noticeable increase in her vitality, energy and strength.

Janie became so enchanted with these little seeds that she was literally adding them to everything in her kitchen and giving away chia treats to everyone she knew or crossed paths with, but it was her chia beverages that became the biggest hit with her friends and family.

In the summer of 2009, fueled by her passion for chia and her commitment to be of service to humanity and the planet, Janie founded Mamma Chia — the award-winning, organic, chia-based food and beverage company, and the creator of the first-to-market chia seed beverage.

Prior to starting Mamma Chia, Janie taught meditation and consciousness studies in North America and Asia and currently works to promote conscious business practices and healthy lifestyles. Named 2013 Best Retail Brand by Nutritional Outlook, Mamma Chia is a Certified B Corporation, a member of 1% for the Planet and a founding member of the Slow Money Alliance. Mamma Chia donates one percent of gross sales to support farmers, community groups and organizations that build healthy local food systems.

In April 2014, Janie will release her first book Chia Vitality (Crown/Random House) – a 30-day plan to better health, greater vibrancy, and a more meaningful and purposeful life. The book harnesses the power of chia to boost stamina, lose weight, prevent disease and become healthier.

In addition to her love of chia, Janie and her husband, Lance, enjoy growing Hass avocados and pineapple guavas on their small farm with their two kitties, Spanky and Sparky, and their sweet dog, Yogi.

Matt Paxton, founder of Clutter Cleaner joined me today on Get the FUNK Out!

Matt Paxton
Founder, Clutter Cleaner
joined me on today's show.
If you missed our conversation, listen here!

Matt Paxton is not your typical organizer. When Paxton started Clutter Cleaner in 2006, it was intended to focus on cleaning houses for grieving widows and relocating seniors. But he quickly found himself sought out by extreme hoarders and now he and his crew clean out the messiest homes in America. Paxton is a “regular guy” who understands both hoarding and addiction issues first-hand.

Shortly after college Paxton spent a year gambling at Caesar’s Palace in Lake Tahoe, when he ran up $40,000 in gambling debt that he couldn’t pay. After a run in with his bookie, Paxton admitted his problem and sought help. Paxton and his Clutter Cleaner team have cleaned over 300 hoarded homes and have developed a “no nonsense” style of helping aging seniors and hoarders alike.
Paxton is a featured organizer on A&E’s Hoarders and speaks nationally on hoarding and senior relocation. Paxton’s incredible stories have been highlighted in various publications including the WSJ, Inc., Playboy and Bloomberg Businessweek. Matt has written a book for family members and the general public to better understand hoarding. “The Secret Lives of Hoarders” hits stores May, 2011. He and his wife Sarah live in Richmond, Virginia with their son, Cooper.

Dr. Pam Popper, a naturopath, an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health, and the Executive Director of The Wellness Forum joined me this morning on Get the FUNK Out!

If you missed Dr. Pam Popper on today's show, listen to our conversation here.

Dr. Pam Popper is a naturopath, an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health, and the Executive Director of The Wellness Forum. The company offers educational programs designed to assist individuals in changing their health outcomes through improved diet and lifestyle habits; to assist employers in reducing the costs of health insurance and medical care for employees; and to educate health care professionals about how to use diet and lifestyle for preventing, reversing, and stopping the progression of degenerative disease.

Dr. Popper serves on the Physician's Steering Committee and the President's Board for the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington D.C. Dr. Popper is one of the health care professionals involved in the famed Sacramento Food Bank Project, in which economically disadvantaged people were shown how to reverse their diseases and eliminate medications with diet.

Dr. Popper is part of Dr. T. Colin Campbell's teaching team at eCornell, teaching part of a certification course on plant-based nutrition. She has been featured in many widely distributed documentaries, including Processed People and Making a Killing and appears in a new film, Forks Over Knives, which played in major theaters throughout North America in 2011. She is one of the co-authors of the companion book which was on the New York Times bestseller list for 66 weeks. Her most recent book is Food Over Medicine: The Conversation That Can Save Your Life.

Dr. Popper is also a lobbyist and public policy expert, and continually works toward changing laws that interfere with patients' right to choose their health provider and method of care. She has testified in front of legislative committees on numerous occasions, and has testified twice in front of the USDA's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Dr. Pam Popper is a straight-talking professional who is not afraid to criticize national health organizations, government agencies, medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies, agricultural organizations and manufacturing companies, many of whom have agendas and priorities that interfere with distributing truthful information and promoting public health.

Everyone who is interested in health should hear her speak. For some, their lives may depend on what she has to say!

Find out more about Dr. Popper here.

Denise Winston, Financial Expert and Author of “Money Starts Here! Your Practical Guide to Survive and Thrive in Any Economy”" joined me Monday!

Denise Winston joined me this morning at 9am pst! If you missed our conversation, you can listen here.

Financial Expert and Author of “Money Starts Here! Your Practical Guide to Survive and Thrive in Any Economy”

Website: http://MoneyStartHere.com

Press Kit: http://moneystarthere.com/press-kit/denise-media/

Email: denise@MoneyStartHere.com


Money Start Here was founded in 2009 by Denise Winston in order to improve lives through financial education. Denise Winston has developed materials that cover a wide range of financial topics, all to help people make the most of their money and achieve financial wellness. Money Start Here is based on education, preparation, planning and the relationship that money has with other aspects of life.

Meet Denise

“Financial education is my passion.”

Denise Winston has inspired and empowered millions of people across the nation to take control of their financial lives. She shares her financial advice, banker’s insight, and money- and time-saving tips as an expert on the new cable program Money Made Easy and as a frequent contributor to numerous financial websites, including FoxBusiness.com, BankRate.com, CreditCards.com, and American Express OPEN. She has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal and has regularly appeared on ABC’s Good Morning Kern County and Bright House Network’s Stretching Your Dollar. Her tips have been featured in major publications, including Reader’s Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Money magazine, Consumers Digest, and many more.
Winston is the founder of Money Start Here, a financial education company. Her book, TV appearances, DVDs, seminars, speaking engagements, and other media coverage allow her to connect with audiences in a fun, entertaining, and educational way. A uniquely qualified financial expert, Winston uses easy-to-understand language to cover the basics—simple, relevant, practical solutions for dealing with money in day-to-day life—without get-rich-quick schemes.
In the past few years, Winston has reached more than 100 million people via 150 media outlets, 10,000 college and high school students with lectures and discussions, thousands of corporate employees with seminars, hundreds of women at conferences, and countless American parents, teens, and adults with her DVD and workbook series.
As part of her mission to make a difference, Winston has been involved with the anti-bullying campaign The Great American NO BULL Challenge, Junior Achievement, teen mentoring programs, Angel Flight West, and Great Pyrenees Rescue and therapeutic pet programs, and has served on educational advisory committees and volunteered in classrooms. She lives in Bakersfield, California, with her husband, Doug.

Background

For 25 years, financial expert Denise Winston enjoyed a successful career in the banking industry. During that time she started as a teller and rose through the ranks to become a manager, and eventually a business banker. Her firsthand exposure to the day-to-day financial habits of both consumers and businesses taught Winston how shockingly little people really know about dealing with money.
As a banker, Winston developed a passion for teaching money management and life skills. This inspired her to embark on a new career as a financial expert. Winston used her experience and exposure to her highly educated and financially savvy clients to develop innovative strategies and techniques for teaching people how to handle the many challenges and stages of financial life. In 2008, with America’s economic crisis in full swing, Winston officially launched her personal mission to “change the face of the nation’s financial health… one person at a time.”
A sought-after financial speaker and media guest, Winston combines the wisdom of her 25 years in the banking industry with the streetwise lessons learned from living on her own since the age of 16. She believes that anything is possible—and that the best investment you can make is in yourself.