Blue Sky

Educators John Holdridge and Lowell Libby join Bill Burke to talk about the Can We? Project, a Maine-based initiative launched in 2018 that teaches high school students the mindset and skills needed for constructive dialogue across political, social, and cultural divides. Through full-day retreats held in schools across Maine (and now New Hampshire), students learn to move past their first instinct to react and their second instinct to rationalize, and instead reach what one student memorably called her "third thought" — genuine understanding. John and Lowell share the origin story of the project, how it's expanded into events like Can We Connect? (which brings 250+ students together at the Augusta Civic Center), and how students themselves are taking the work into their own hands—organizing intergenerational dialogues, community conversations, and even a nationwide online class built around the question, "Is American democracy on fire?" It's a hopeful, practical look at how young people are relearning face-to-face conversation in a digital, polarized world. Chapters: 00:00 Intro to John Holdridge and Lowell Libby and the Can We? Project 02:00 The origin story: a student's concept of the "third thought" 06:00 How the Can We? Project works — full-day retreats, student-chosen topics, and ground rules for dialogue 10:00 Why college students said high school conversations didn't carry over — the gap that sparked the project 14:00 The "big sort," bowling alone, and how Americans have self-segregated into like-minded communities 18:00 Students leading their own intergenerational dialogues — including a town hall on U.S. foreign policy 23:00 Can We Connect? — bringing 250+ students from across Maine together for a day of youth-led dialogue 27:00 Breaking down assumptions: the "ladder of inference" and the gun control conversation between rural and urban teens 32:00 The mindset of curiosity, care, and courage — and "swimming toward the shark" 36:00 School smartphone policies and how phone-free retreats change how students connect 40:00 A nationwide online class asking, "Is American democracy on fire?" — and what happened on election night 45:00 Closing thoughts on optimism, democracy, and the next generation

Sam Demma had his sights set on a professional soccer career from age five — training in Italy at 13, playing for one of Canada's top club teams by 17 — until three major knee injuries and a torn labrum ended that dream in his final year of high school. What came next is the subject of this conversation: how Demma rebuilt his sense of purpose, first through small volunteer garbage cleanups with a friend, then through public speaking, and eventually through writing. Just shy of his 27th birthday and about to publish his third book, Return on Goodwill, Sam has delivered close to 800 talks across four continents. In this episode, he shares the stories behind his books — Empty Your Backpack, born from a conversation with a bullied student, and Be Someone's Taco, inspired by a pandemic-era gesture that brought a friend to tears — and unpacks the idea at the heart of his new work: that doing good with no expectation of return has a way of coming back around. The conversation also covers: The mentor (a high school teacher) and the "small consistent actions" lesson that changed Demma's trajectory Why closing the loop — telling people the impact they had on you — matters more than we think The practice of "assuming positive intent" and how it protects your energy day to day How Stephen Covey's circles of concern, influence, and control connect to Demma's philosophy Building a speaking career from scratch: years of cold outreach, a mentor who changed his approach to business, and the slow climb to hundreds of events a year Chapters: 00:00 Sam Demma's Journey: From Soccer to Success 05:07 Finding Purpose After Athletic Setbacks 11:11 The Power of Intentional Appreciation 16:05 Empty Your Backpack: Letting Go 20:49 Be Someone's Taco: Acts of Kindness 27:04 Return on Goodwill: A Life Philosophy 32:09 Practical Tips for an Optimistic Life

Comedian, speaker, and humor coach Mike Goodwin joins Bill Burke for this special summer encore presentation of a classic Blue Sky episode. Mike shares how a difficult, sometimes volatile childhood in Camden, South Carolina sparked his lifelong instinct to use humor to ease tension - a skill that carried him through four years in the U.S. Army, a career in higher education and college counseling, and eventually onto stages with America's Got Talent, Dry Bar Comedy, Lifetime, BET, and Amazon Prime. Known for his clean, expectation-defying comedy (not a single curse word, but plenty of big laughs), Mike opens up about why he chose to keep his act family-friendly, how he tackles sensitive topics like race with honesty instead of division, and how he built a second career as a keynote speaker blending humor with leadership insight. He closes with his signature "comedian's mindset" — the ABC method (Awareness, Breathe, Curiosity) — a practical tool for navigating stressful moments both on stage and in everyday life. Bill and Mike discuss: Childhood in Camden, SC - Growing up in a financially stressed, sometimes volatile household and discovering early that making his mother laugh could ease tension at home Military service - Joining the Army at 18, an unexpected ROTC rank bump, and how cracking jokes during lights-out got him in trouble with his drill sergeant Career in education - From student affairs at the University of South Carolina to college counseling at a private school, and how standup started alongside that career Getting his start in comedy - Breaking into standup through his church, thanks to a veteran comedian who gave him a choice: hand over the material, or get on stage and keep the money himself Why he keeps his act clean - His faith, family, and personal values behind choosing "clean" comedy over vulgar material, and why he sees clean comedy as harder, not easier Tackling race and identity through humor - How he approaches sensitive topics like race on stage with honesty and generosity rather than division (including his "police repellent" bit) Defying expectations on stage - Being a "walking contradiction" — a big, athletic, bespectacled guy who looks more like a professor than a comedian The pivot to keynote speaking - How a chance conversation with a conference organizer led him to develop his "Leadership and Laughter" keynote, and the trial-and-error of blending humor with substantive content Humor as a leadership tool - Why comedy is "neutral," and how leaders can use appropriate humor to build connection instead of division in the workplace The comedian's mindset (ABC method) - Awareness, Breathe, Curiosity - a practical framework for handling stressful or unexpected moments, on stage and in everyday life Reflections on America and optimism - Closing thoughts on the ongoing pursuit of happiness and striving toward a better version of the country Chapters: 00:00 Intro to Mike Goodwin — comedian, speaker, and humor coach 02:30 Growing up in Camden, SC — using humor to cope with a volatile household 07:00 Joining the Army at 18 and how comedy caused (and solved) trouble in basic training 11:30 From student affairs to college counseling, the unexpected path to comedy 14:00 How Mike got his start doing standup — at church 17:00 Why Mike chose clean comedy over "blue" material 20:00 Tackling race and identity on stage: The "police repellent" bit 26:00 Being a "walking contradiction" — the big, athletic guy who looks like a professor 29:00 From standup to keynote speaking: The "Leadership and Laughter" talk 34:00 Why humor is neutral and how leaders can use it to unify, not divide 40:00 The comedian's mindset: Awareness, Breathe, Curiosity (the ABC method) 45:00 Where to find Mike Goodwin and catch a live show

In this Blue Sky conversation, host Bill Burke sits down with Melissa Connelly, CEO of OneGoal, a national organization working to ensure every young person can pursue education beyond high school. Melissa's path to this work started long before her career in education. Raised by a single mother on the south and southwest sides of Chicago, she missed more than 60 days of school in eighth grade and landed in her high school's truancy program, a labeling experience that nearly derailed her future. That changed when a school social worker, Ms. Jeter, taught her how to advocate for herself and get back on track. Melissa shares the highs and lows that followed, including a heartbreaking moment arriving in New York for her freshman year at NYU without enough cash for a cab, and the winding five year, five school path she eventually took to earn her degree. Today, Melissa channels that experience into OneGoal, which partners with more than 300 schools to support around 14,000 students a year, and now trains school districts directly to build advising into their core curriculum rather than treating it as an afterthought. She and Bill discuss: Why the average student receives just 38 minutes of college advising in high school OneGoal's "momentum theory" and why getting a student enrolled isn't enough, they need support through their first year of college too The idea of "occupational identity" and helping students connect who they are to what they want to contribute to the world Parenting her own two teenagers through the college process, and what her son's experience taught her about how rarely students are truly seen in school Why she believes nonprofits should be working to put themselves out of business The concept of "triggers and glimmers," and why she chooses to look for the bright spots even on hard days Melissa's story is a powerful reminder that one caring adult can change the entire trajectory of a young person's life, and that optimism, even when it's called "hokey," is a discipline worth practicing. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Blue Sky 02:22 Melissa's Early Life and Adversity 08:31 Navigating Higher Education Barriers 13:21 The Mission of OneGoal 21:02 Scaling and Systemic Change 26:01 Ensuring Momentum After High School 33:17 Humanizing the Educational Experience 36:47 Parenting and Educational Policy 46:25 Finding Glimmers and Looking Forward

Ted Johnson's life reads like several careers stitched into one: raised in a mostly white Raleigh suburb while attending a Black church several times a week, a Hampton University graduate, a 20-year Navy officer who became a White House Fellow under President Obama and later a speechwriter for two chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Somewhere along the way, he became a writer — now a Washington Post columnist and author of two books, most recently If We Are Brave: Essays from Black Americana. In this conversation, Ted joins host Bill Burke to talk about: Growing up between two worlds — a white suburb and a Black church — and how that shaped his early sense of identity Why he chose an HBCU (Hampton University), and how a chance encounter led him into the Navy His path from ship duty in the Arabian Gulf to the NSA, the Naval War College, a White House Fellowship, and ultimately speechwriting for the Joint Chiefs How the killing of Trayvon Martin redirected his career from cybersecurity toward writing about race and democracy Why he sees racism as fundamentally a failure of the state, not a failure between individuals — and what that reframe means for how we talk about accountability His candid take on the shifting language around DEI, affirmative action, and "the soft bigotry of low expectations" What the military taught him about integration - and its surprisingly short "half-life" once people leave that environment The story behind his name — Theodore Roosevelt Johnson III — and what it reveals about three generations of hope in his family His new book, If We Are Brave, and his work leading New America's US@250 initiative ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Ted Johnson 03:06 Upbringing and Path to Service 08:02 A Twenty-Year Naval Career 12:13 Writing About Racism and Optimism 17:34 The Idea of America 22:07 DEI and Structural Reform 28:07 Generational Wealth and Founders 34:21 If We Are Brave 42:10 New America and 250th Anniversary