Hidden Stories with Jeremy Fulkerson

On Hidden Stories we've shared stories of every day people and it doesn't get more "every day" for me than my brother. The conversations I've shared with my brother over the years have had a major impact on my own development. Siblings are a lifelong experiment in nature versus nurture. They can be a gift to each other. With time and perspective the stories you share with your sibling only get more interesting and insightful. Our conversation in this episode covers a lot of what this...

It is tough and perhaps unfair to label Elliott Royal as just one thing. She's a community leader, empathetic advocate, a thoughtful communicator on topics such as public health and wellness, community access to healthy food, gentrification, government representation, transportation, and so much more. Elliott is SouthEast Community Service Area Liaison with Housing and Neighborhood Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. So much of this podcast is about mindset and being your best each day...

We're exploring entrepreneurship from all angles today with the team from Enderly Coffee in Charlotte, North Carolina. Roaster, rapper, landscaping wizard Marquell Pettiford joins us to discuss how he lifted himself up out of a bleak future through hard work and young entrepreneurship. His mentor, Tony Santoro, owner of Enderly Coffee, discusses why he took a chance on Marquell and why his business and life philosophy is all about treating people like people. Enderly Coffee is not your...

We love to believe that we give people second chances and we forgive and we convince ourselves they'll learn from these mistakes and be better for it in the long run. But in reality, does that actually happen? Who is accountable to what and what do we really want as a society? My guests today are Karen Kovach and Katrina Eickard, two people that know the modern prison system we've built better than most. Katrina tells us her story of generational trauma and tragic personal choices that led...

The struggle of our military servicemen returning home to civilian life is well documented. Dealing with the trauma of war is only the beginning. Veterans also have to deal with transitioning to civilian life that might not be looking for the same skills that made them an amazing soldier. So many of us want to help veterans but don't understand how. My guest today, Steven Cole, is here to discuss the myriad of ways we can make an impact on the lives of those who risked theirs to give us the...

Today's guest is a business leader, a speaker, author, and a man who speaks to the power of mindset and overcoming challenges. Weldon Long's story is one of redemption. While he notes his greatest adversity is self inflicted, Weldon long took control of his life while sitting in a prison cell. He shares this story on stages all over the world, but we dive deep into his life and what specific formative life events shaped his decisions, both good and bad that led him to where he is today....

Today's guest personifies the word "leadership." Jose Costa has been a Marketing Manager and VP of some of the biggest food brands in the world, a President at Maaco and the CEO at GrandVision, the largest optical retailer in the world. But Jose doesn't operate like a typical CEO. He doesn't have an office. He sits out with his team. He doesn't use his official title. Whenever anyone asks him he simply says, "I'm in operations." Humility runs at the core of his leadership philosophy. Jose...

Today's guest is licensed marriage and family therapist Carmella Whitehead. Carmella's hidden story is literally life changing but her everyday work is just as compelling and full of lessons in happiness, marriage, and parenting and how those begin with a confident sense of understanding yourself. We were not afraid to get into sensitive topics that run through the very heart of her work with couples. Including issues that men face holding onto frustrations and pain, how that affects them...

The life of a doctor is tough, challenging and stressful. Yet, if you are chasing your passion, it is also very rewarding. In today's episode, Jeremy gets a first-hand perspective from his friend and neighbor, Dr. Steve Riggs, a urological oncologist at the Levine Cancer Institute. Their conversation starts broadly with what defines a great doctor and finishes with a dive into the opioid epidemic sweeping our country and what he's doing in his practice to help slow it down. From changing...

Sometimes when your normal gameplan isn't working, you have to change the game itself. Whether you are a parent who takes an active role as a coach or support member of your child's activity or someone who simply cheers from the sideline, every action you take can have a big impact. Think of all the life lessons and values that we want to instill in our kids that can be learned from sports: leadership, teamwork, communication, honor, competitiveness, ethics, respect, loyalty, coachability,...

Where does the future of medicine lie? Certainly technology will play a role in determining the answer to that question but so will more natural, alternative and holistic approaches as we all search for what it means to develop and maintain a healthy life. Today's guest, Caspar Szulc, Co-Founder of Innovative Medicine, left a lucrative career in finance to change the way people heal through "integrative medicine." Integrative medicine is essentially a blend of conventional and alternative...

Our guest today, Jaclyn Shearer, is living her dream and helping people every day. Jaclyn is a meteorologist at WSOC, the number one rated news station in Charlotte, North Carolina and a self-proclaimed weather geek. Jaclyn is an active member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and of the National Weather Association (NWA) and sits on two NWA committees. She's here today to geek out with me about weather trends, patterns, hurricanes, why it's raining SO MUCH, the Farmer's Almanac...

Over the course of the podcast we've had a handful of guests where cancer has played a major role in their hidden story. One of the common themes that we continue to hear over and over again from our guests is that they were told to "be an advocate for themselves." Today we explore what that phrase actually means and how it can potentially change the prognosis for someone with a threatening disease. We'll be discussing nutrition, physical therapy, personal training, massage therapy, and how...

Exercise can be challenging. It can be difficult to get off the couch somedays. But for my guest today, and millions of others, the challenges of physical fitness extend beyond the will to tie up the shoelaces. Sherri Thompson is a Navy veteran, glass ceiling breaker, turned athlete and advocate for the visually impaired. An accident while serving her country led to the loss of her sight but not her passion for staying active. Sherri guides us through her daily challenges as a visually...

Today we're discussing the F-Word...in entrepreneurship, "franchising." Sometimes it can feel like a four letter word without the proper mindset. So says our guest today, Dru Carpenito. He is a consultant on franchising and has a ton of insight into a business venture that can be full of great promise and great pitfalls. We have an open conversation about the challenges and benefits to owning a franchise and he gives you tips on which franchises opportunities you aren't thinking about that...

Grief. Loss. None of us are spared from these feelings and yet, they are some of the least talked about. We're constantly barraged with images of senseless violence and pain everyday on television and media, the results of which, reaches down into our community and the communities of others. It's a real struggle for many of us that have ever connected with someone who is going through loss. We want to say the perfect thing but it is hard and, at the cost of that perfection, we end up...

Having a new outlook and looking at struggles through a different lens can offer the results and solutions you haven't thought of. This is what happened with today's guest, Garrett Tichy, who hated living in Charlotte when he moved here 10 years ago. Then he decided that he could be the one to make a difference in this town. With a passion for connecting people, he found success opening a cool co-working space, Hygge Co-working. But it wasn't with out struggles and trying to find balance...

This episode is very special and very personal to my family. My family has a genetic kidney disorder known as polycystic kidney disease - it basically squeezes the life and function out of your kidneys over your lifetime. Without properly functioning kidneys, the waste and toxins in your blood end up poisoning your body and there's no cure, so you are left with two options, dialysis or a kidney transplant. Today I'm talking to my Aunt Kenne, who was struggling with the disease, and to her...

When I started this podcast, I knew I wanted to have a guest like Andrew Au on the show. Andrew is expecting his first child any day now. Andrew brings that excitement of being a first time parent that I know some of us with older kids would benefit from hearing. It is a reminder of the thrill, nerves, naivety, and joy of having your first child. You'll enjoy hearing what Andrew has researched about the birthing process and you will learn about the vlog (video log) he has set up that you...

John Spence is one of, if not the most well read business mind in the world today. His thoughts on business, relationship building, management, leadership and a variety of other subjects are in-depth and on the money. John was named by the American Management Association as one of America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch along with Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. As a consultant and coach to organizations worldwide, from startups to the Fortune 10, John is dedicated...