The Forward

PGA pro golfer Rickie Fowler is currently ranked among the top ten in the world. The California native stopped by The Forward studio to discuss the current state of golf, pursuing his first major win, influence on the youth of golf and his US Olympic experience.

Darden Smith is a singer songwriter who resides in Austin, TX. Smith has made music for over 30 years and just released his 15th album titled, Everything.   Smith’s career evolved in unexpected directions when he began to explore the creative potential in what he calls “writing songs with people that don’t write songs.” Collaborations with homeless youth to HIV affected villagers in South Africa led to the founding of his latest project Songwriting with:Soldiers, a program that brings professional songwriters together with wounded veterans to write songs about combat and the return home. Smith opens up about how much he gets out of these retreats and talks through a recent session. Smith also performs a song written with a soldier as well as a track of his new record. 

Rip Esselstyn is a health activist, plant based diet supporter, former firefighter and triathlete. He is widely known for writing the books: The Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat and for appearing in the 2011 documentary Forks Over Knives. Rip stopped by the Forward Podcast studio to talk: the health benefits of plant based diets, being hired by Whole Foods, and his new book The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet: Eat Plants, Lose Weight, Save Your Health.

Timothy Showalter is the first guest in the Forward Podcast new studio. The leader of Strand of Oaks talked about being fearless versus reckless, working as a school teacher and what he learned opening up for the likes of My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams and Jason Isbell. Tim also broke in the new studio by playing three songs including a cover of Used Cars by Bruce Springsteen.

Eddie Wilson is the owner of Threadgill’s restaurant and founder of the legendary music venue: The Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. During it existence, the Armadillo held such legendary acts as ACDC, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Zappa, Van Morrison and helped give birth to Austin’s music renaissance. Eddie hosted Lance at the restaurant where they caught up on everything from: owning a music venue, Willie Nelson, hosting music royalty, starting an advertising agency at a music venue and much more.

Michael Franti is an American Rapper, musician, poet, spoken word artist and singer-songwriter. He is the creator and lead vocalist of his current independent project, Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. Michael stopped by to catch up with Lance and talk: reconnecting with family, his non profit: "Do it For Love, " and opening for the likes of U2 and the Foo Fighters.

Jimmie Johnson is a California born professional stock car racing driver and seven-time champion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His seven wins tie him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships of all time. In 2006 Jimmie and his wife Chandra started the Jimmie Johnson Foundation dedicated to helping children, families, and communities in need. Jimmie and Lance caught up on: getting started in racing, how racing has changed with the digital age, fielding fan questions, and more.

Simon Illa is an American music writer/producer/vocal arranger from Paris, Illinois. He was voted by Blender Magazine as Philadelphia’s Hottest producer in 2008. As a child, Simon was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta otherwise known as “Brittle Bone Disease.” He stopped by Jesse Itzler’s house to catch up with Lance on O.I., breaking into the music industry, inspiring people and more.

Jesse Itzler is an entrepreneur, author, endurance athlete, former rapper, and one of the owners of the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association. Jesse co-founded Marquis Jet and is a partner in Zico Coconut Water. Lance stopped by Jesse’s house in Atlanta to talk: hip-hop dinners, being an NBA owner, living with a Navy Seal, and more.

Tanya Streeter is a British-Caymanian-American best known as a world champion free diver. Tanya was inducted into the Women Diver's Hall of Fame in March 2000 and for a time held the overall "no limits" freediving record (greater than the men's record) with a depth of 525 feet (160 m) that is still the women's world record. Tanya stopped by Lance’s to talk: the sport of free driving, "A Plastic Ocean” the documentary and overcoming physical and mental barriers.

George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, and Dylan Casey are former professional cyclists who raced for various professional teams during their cycling careers. All three went on to great successes in their post cycling careers. The guys got together with Lance for an epic 24 hour mountain bike ride in the Sonoran Desert known as 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. All four guys sat down in the trailer pre-race for a quick catchup.

Chris Bell is an American director best known for his critically acclaimed documentaries “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” and “Trophy Kids.” Chris stopped by Lance’s to talk: making documentaries, the prescription drug problem in America and overcoming addiction.

John Paul DeJoria is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist best known as a co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company. Over the years, he has founded and/or funded numerous for-profit and nonprofit entities. John Paul sat down with Lance to talk: politics, being homeless, the story of Patrón, philanthropic efforts and more.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. He has garnered much notoriety for his appearances on The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the late night circuit and more. Neil stopped by Lance’s to talk: the new generation’s take on science, the future of NASA, science in schools and much more.

Shep Gordon is an American talent manager, Hollywood film agent and producer. He is best known as the manager of Alice Cooper as well as other celebrities and musicians including: Anne Murray, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross. Gordon is credited with being one of the originators of the celebrity chef movement. He is featured in the documentary directed by Mike Myers entitled: Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. Lance caught up with Shep at his home in Hawaii to talk: how he got into the management business, the Mike Myers documentary, the Dali Lama and more.

Bob Schneider is a Michigan born, Austin based musician and former lead-singer of Ugly Americans. He has released over a dozen albums during his career. He sat down with Lance in Austin to play a few songs and talk: surviving a plane crash, growing up overseas, overcoming addiction and more.

Bob Parsons is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of GoDaddy, a publicly traded Internet domain registrar and web hosting company. With more than 61 million domain names under management, it is the world's largest ICANN-accredited registrar. He is a former United State Marine who was wounded on duty during the Vietnam War. Bob and Lance met up in Hawaii and talked about building a new business, serving in the military, getting into the golf business and more.

Art Acevedo is the current police chief of Houston, Texas. Before his time in Houston he served as the police chief of Austin, Texas. He was the first Hispanic to the lead the Austin Police Department in its history. Born in Cuba, Acevedo was 4 years old when he migrated to the United States with his family in 1968. He grew up in California and earned his Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in Public Administration from the University of La Verne in California. Acevedo began his career in law enforcement as field patrol officer in East Los Angeles with the California Highway Patrol in 1986. Chief Acevedo stopped by Lance’s to catch up on everything from the state of policing in America, body cameras and the highs and lows of being a police chief.

Lance recaps 2016 including: the podcast, New Zealand and more. He also gives a little preview of 2017 including: continuing the fight against cancer, what’s in store for the podcast, and what WEDU means. Thanks for tuning in this year get ready for a new episode coming next week.

Rahm Emanuel is an American politician and current Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. In 1993, he joined the Clinton administration, where he served as the assistant to the president for political affairs and as the senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy. From 2003 to 2009 he served in the U.S. House of Representatives where he was the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2005 to 2007 and the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, from 2007 to 2009. After the 2008 presidential election, President Barack Obama appointed Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff. Rahm stopped by Lance’s to talk politics, family, fitness and more.