Some people follow the path they planned. Others take the one they were meant for.
Mike Lebsock was supposed to be a doctor. Instead, he became something rarer: a teacher who changes not just what you know, but how you see the world.
By tapping into his own story—and the stories buried in America’s past—he’s turned classrooms into conversations and students into thinkers. And along the way, he’s helped educators rediscover why they teach in the first place.
This isn’t just about history. It’s about curiosity. It’s about connection. It’s about the power of a teacher who reminds us that the right story, at the right time, can change everything.
Huzzah... and welcome, Mike Lebsock.
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He’s not a politician. Not an influencer. Not a name you’ll see trending.
But Matt Elliott has been quietly changing the world for 20 years.
In this episode, we meet the man who lit the spark behind civic leader Sarah Teti (Ep. 30), and never stopped building bridges.
Raised in the small town of Newport in upstate New York and shaped by the wild beauty of the Adirondacks, Matt saw early on how environmental damage didn’t just touch the land -- it touched lives.
So he did something radical: he kept showing up. First as a student organizer. Then as a deep-woods surveyor. Now as a lobbyist who listens more than he lectures.
Matt doesn't seek attention. He seeks impact. And in this conversation, he shares what he's learned about finding common ground in divided rooms, how small towns shape big convictions, and what to do when you want to make a difference -- but don’t think you have the time, the talent, or the title.
Because as Matt proves, sometimes the greatest leaders are the ones who walk in quietly, build something lasting, and leave it better than they found it.More on The Great Unfamous:
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The 10 Lies We Carry: Brian F. Martin on Breaking the Silence Around Childhood Domestic Violence
What if 1 in 8 people are carrying invisible scars from something they don’t even know they experienced?
This week on The Great Unfamous, I sit down with Brian F. Martin, someone who’s not only survived an invisible epidemic, but is devoted to helping others name it, understand it, and rise above it.
It’s called Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV).
1 in 8 people are affected. Most have no idea.
Brian's book, Invincible, names the 10 lies CDV teaches us:
That we’re not good enough.
That we’re to blame.
That we’ll always be broken.
That love, confidence, and calm are for someone else.
But here’s the good news: those lies aren’t permanent. They’re not true.
They’re just stories — stories that can be rewritten.
In this conversation, Brian and I unpack what it means to reclaim your narrative, how a 30-second self-screening tool could be the spark of a turning point, and why shining a light on the hard stuff is the beginning of healing.
For you. For someone you love.
For the part of you that knows there’s more.
It’s about awareness.
And action.
Listen in. It matters.
More on CDV
# Take the free 30-second CDV screening
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In this episode of The Great Unfamous, host Jim Thompson sits down with Sarah Teti — a singer, songwriter, civic leader, and newly named Citizen of the Year — to explore how small acts, offered with heart, can grow into something extraordinary.
Sarah shares the surprising story behind her rise from quiet community volunteer to the driving force behind a food pantry that now serves thousands. Along the way, she reflects on how music, empathy, and a fierce sense of dignity for others have helped her build not just programs — but community, hope, and change.
From her earliest songs to her mission work in Malawi, Sarah’s story is a reminder that real purpose doesn’t arrive all at once — it’s discovered, one choice, one act, one song at a time.
If you've ever wondered whether small actions can truly make a difference, this conversation might help.
More on Sarah Teti’s Music:
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It’s not easy to catch lightning in a bottle, but Dr. Bill Monroe did it and spent the rest of his career trying to repeat it in numerous forms.
Before leading one of the most respected honors colleges in the country at the University of Houston, Dr. Monroe did something even rarer—he created intellectual electricity at McMurry College.
Over lunch, tennis courts and pickup basketball games, he helped build a space where young minds spoke boldly, thought deeply, and disagreed with respect. It wasn’t a syllabus—it was a spark.
That spark lit the fire in countless students, including silver-tongued storyteller Mark Williams, who we met in Episode 26. In this episode, we find out from Dr. Monroe what it takes to assemble a group of people who push, listen, take down and lift up their colleagues, plus the Great Unfamous figures who shaped him.
It’s a conversation about legacy without trophies, just changed lives -- lots of tactical guidance here.
Contact Dr. Bill Monroe @
Williamfmonroe@gmail.com
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In this episode we meet, Khoa Le, an artist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker whose true medium is possibility. From directing films to launching companies, winning awards, and redefining how independent creators get promoted and paid, Khoa’s journey is one of relentless innovation.
Khoa overcame early hardships to attend Juilliard and Rutgers, building multiple seven-figure businesses, including Kvibe Studios, Live Picture Studios, and Sutudu Media—a platform reimagining opportunities for independent artists. His filmmaking credits include biopics on Walt Disney, Jeff Bezos, Jose Feliciano, and his latest feature film, “Christmas Cowboy,” debuted on Amazon Prime last November.
But beyond his impressive résumé, Khoa is a mentor, leader, and advocate for creators everywhere. His mission? To inspire others to make their own dreams come true.
Join us as we dive into Khoa’s journey, the lessons he’s learned, and the people who helped shape his path.
More on Khoa Le:
Instagram: @khoalefilms
Facebook: facebook.com/kvibe
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This episode we meet the legendary Brimstone -- a serial entertainment entrepreneur -- who’s made a global name for himself as a professional wrestler, radio host, podcaster, actor, author, musician, philanthropist, food critic, comic book and video game creator ... sheesh!
He’s widely known as host of the award-winning, and highly rated Grindhouse Radio podcast that reaches -- not a typo -- 3.5 to 4 million people per week. He’s launched his own gourmet sauces, seasonings, jerky, cologne, vinyl toys, coffee, candy, mustard and more. And he’s been the face or voice of national brands like Kikkoman, 7 Eleven, Wendy’s and Red Roof Inn.
But what a lot of people don’t know about Brimstone is his soft spot for the underdog -- his community service includes helping entrepreneurs as a SCORE business mentor, supporting the Stan Lee Foundation, Rockers, Actors and Athletes against Driving Drunk and the Sweetbriar Nature Center on Long Island.
So meet the intimidating man with the heart of gold -- and find out how he built this personal media brand -- what he’s learned from it -- and who impacted him along the way.
More on Brimstone:
Website: therealbrimstone.com
Instagram: @therealbrimstone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brimstone/
X: https://x.com/entrancetohell
Snail mail: Brimstone, P.O. 803, Levittown, New York 11756
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Welcome back to The Great Unfamous -- we’ve been on hiatus for the last year, but we’re back in 2025, and we fire it back up with a guest I’ve tried to land for almost three years.
Mark Williams taught me lessons about the breathtaking beauty of Durango, Colorado, how to fly fish and how you take on David-and-Goliath battles and win.
Mark's a world-renowned fly fishing expert, author of more than 20 books, a sports writer, an award-winning alternative school teacher, a cancer survivor, a public speaker, an entrepreneur and more.
But his best skill is his ability to storytell -- with a razor sharp wit and silver-tongue Texas drawl, he gets away with a lot because he's a cross between Odysseus and The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Meet the man with a knack for tricking people into believing in themselves and learn how he acquired this talent on this episode of The Great Unfamous.
MARK WILLIAMS BIO
Mark D. Williams is an educator, consultant, speaker and author. Williams has fished all over the world and is the author of the popular fishing/travel book, So Many Fish, So
Little Time: 1001 of the World’s Greatest Backcountry Honeyholes, Trout Rivers, Blue Ribbon Waters, Bass Lakes, and Saltwater Hot Spots from Harper Collins. Williams has written 22 books and most recently, co-wrote two books with wife Amy Becker Williams:
Weather Disasters (Skyhorse Pub.) and 50 Top Things to Do in the Enchanted Circle Northern New Mexico (West Winds Press.) Williams writes about travel, sports, outdoors, backpacking, camping, weather, gig businesses and more.
Williams recently completed his first crime-mystery novel, The Hollow Men, first of the Guy Harwin series (Longmire meets True Detective/Seven.) He is currently finishing the second novel in the series, Purgatory. He has two other novels ready for review: The Bedside Diaries, and The Bomba Shack. He has two western novels in a series but only discovered this past year that nobody is buying westerns anymore.
Williams has written hundreds of articles for numerous national magazines and newspapers including Dallas Morning News, SPORT Magazine, ESPN, ESPNoutdoors.com, Texas Sporting Journal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Baseball Digest, Texas Rangers' Program, Beckett, Cowboys and Indians, Southwest Fly Fishing, Texas Sportsman, Texas Outdoors, Texas Fish and Game, Backpacker, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Flyfishing and Flytying Journal, Bass Pro Shop, Orvis News, Rocky Mountain Game and Fish and more. He is the author of two apps: Freshwater Flyfishing Tips from the Pros, and Sports Most Memorable Sound Bites (both Sutro Media.)
Williams has written: Freshwater Flyfishing Tips from the Pros, Fireside / Simon & Schuster; Trout Fishing Sourcebook, Menasha Ridge Press; The Backpacking Angler, Menasha Ridge Press; Flyfishing Southwestern Colorado, Wayfinder Press; Knots for Flyfishers, Menasha Ridge Press, Colorado Fly Fishing: Where to Eat, Sleep and Fish (Johnson Books) and The Bedside Diaries (Kindle) and with Stonefly Press, Learning to Fly Fish for Trout, and 49 Trout Streams Southern Colorado, University of New Mexico Press, to name a few. Owns several businesses including antiques, and online bookstores.
Williams was an award-winning teacher at North Heights Alternative School in Amarillo, Texas. Williams taught Social Studies and Multimedia, grades 9-12. Williams began teaching at age 40 after a career as a sportswriter and business owner. In 2013, Williams was runner-up finalist for the Brock International Prize in Education. His students produced award-winning documentaries, PSAs, books, articles, magazines, songs and albums, commercials, student-run bookstores, coffee-shops, other businesses and more. In 2013, he successfully guided the 1st high school in America to create a professional app for iTunes and Android.
Represented by David H Smith, Inkwell Mgt, NYC
If you like underdogs and cheesecake -- you’re in for a treat. Greg Franklin's story is a cross between "Rudy" and Will Smith’s "The Pursuit of Happyness".
Featured in the book “Don’t Keep Your Day Job” by Cathy Heller, Greg described an annoying voice in his head that just wouldn’t go away. It pestered, persisted, and repeated the same thing over and over: “You’re gonna make cheesecakes?”
So Greg Franklin did just that …
These Are Greg's Lessons:
4:07 -- Overcoming No
5:38 -- The Voice He Couldn't Ignore
18:17 -- 3 Years to Perfect the Recipe
21:51 -- Fired on National Cheesecake Day
25:31 -- Life of the Cheesecake Ninja
27:30 -- Myth of "I'm not good at"
30:28 -- 5 Things I Learned
31:00 -- Cathy Heller's book, podcast
36:56 -- The Amazing Saul Blinkoff
37:42 -- My Wife's Patience
39:14 -- Finding Positivity
40:30 -- How, When To Take The Risk
42:30 -- Finding The Cheesecake Ninja
How to Find Greg Franklin:
@thecheesecakeninja
facebook.com/thecheesecakeninja
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For the record, when it comes to spirits and the paranormal, I wouldn’t call myself a believer or non-believer, but ever since a strange encounter in The Gettysburg Hotel in 1999, I’d call myself curious … Enough that my wife and I now take ghosts tours in most of the cities we visit -- which is how I met Brian Bloxsom. Brian was by far the best. His captivating tour was a window into the history, haunts and people of Asheville, North Carolina. And when I learned about his career as a 6th grade teacher and football coach at Rugby Middle School, plus his recovery from a motorcycle accident that required 17 surgeries -- I knew this was a person with lessons to share.
These Are Brian's Lessons:
5:44 -- 5 Lost Hours
11:23" -- What the hell is he doing in my house?"
16:19 -- Seeking acknowledgement
22:00 -- Opening Doors, Knocking Pipes, Cigar Smoke
27:06 -- A Gettysburg Ghost Story
33:18 -- Non-normal passions
38:03 -- Lessons in regret
42:52 -- Greatest influence
49:08 -- Don't leave it untried
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We talk a lot about givers on this podcast. Nancy Vinsel typifies the classic giver with a mother mentality -- sacrifice, grit and positivity. She's overcome cancer twice, run a marathon, and earned a law degree at the age of 50. Listen and learn what it takes to evolve from a mother at 20 to an attorney at 50 and why age, motherhood and cancer could not stop her once she discovered her true strength.
These Are Nancy's Lessons:
3:45 -- Motherhood at 20
9:52 -- Benefits of nerd humor
11:29 -- 5 Things I Learned
12:30 -- "I'm not a great runner but I don't give up."
25:16 -- Protect your positivity
27:25 -- A moonlight message
29:49 -- Second cancer: "I am one fortunate woman"
34:01 -- "You've got to deal with it, you can't just put on a happy face."
33:54 -- "I've always thought of myself as a cork caught in waterfalls."
36:10 -- What does it mean to be a strong person?
39:45 -- Advice for those who think it's too late.
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In this mini-episode, we go off the leash a bit. That's because the guest is not a person, but a book. We unpack James Clear’s "Atomic Habits" in great detail via my attempt to build just one habit over 66 days. We dive into the real stories about ...
I hope you enjoy it.
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You probably don’t know many lawyers like Ashley Herd. She’s funnier than most. She’s bold and kind. She proves that empathy in the workplace matters via the inside joke. As a lawyer, Ashley is widely regarded as an expert in employment law and human resources having led legal teams and HR departments for notable organizations like McKinsey, KFC, Cumulus Media and Modern Luxury. But how she shares that experience with people is the story. She offers her down-to-earth wisdom for free on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn with a wink and nod that teaches employees and managers how to build trust and avoid conflict by stressing the value of empathy.
These are Ashley's Lessons:
4:05 -- Origin of Luke
7:57 -- Power of Standup Comedy
15:44 -- My Breaking Point
20:50 -- Before You Quit, Do This
26:01 -- Field Hockey From a Book
30:10 -- 5 Things I Learned
34:22 -- How to Find Silver Linings
37:35 -- Walk Your Dog in the Pouring Rain
41:57 -- My Biggest Influence
49:01 -- "I Can't Do That"
Ashley's Amateur Standup Debut
IG, TIkTok, Facebook, YouTube
@managermethod
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Fred Garry has a lot to share because he’s an explorer. He’s traveled the world and lived in central Africa; he’s a voracious reader with a love for banned books, he’s a writer who’s authored a dozen titles, he’s an aspiring chef, a trail guide, an audiophile, a pop-culture fan.
But most of all, Fred is a seeker.
I think of Fred Garry as a kung fu master -- you know, the Bruce Lee “Enter the Dragon” type, the one who speaks in metaphors, opens doors with skilled hands and an enlightened mind. For me, Fred inspires two things I value a great deal … one is calm, the other is hopefulness -- hopefulness that not only are things going to be OK, but that I can play a part in making them that way.
Meet the man who dedicated himself to helping people live their best life and find out who helped him … get so darn good at it.
These Are Fred's Lessons:
4:25 -- I read books
6:24 -- Lucky 214
10:28 -- "We thought we knew you"
12:13 -- A boy and a soccer ball
13:56 -- The struggle with envy
18:41 -- Africa undid everything
22:10 -- A dream of sleeping in a bed
25:31 -- Spitting in the tube
31:00 -- Photo of a jockey
32:55 -- 5 things I learned
34:31 -- My hiking partner
36:03 -- The only reason we do stuff
38:12 -- How to steam crabs
39:50 -- How to find beauty in yourself
40:10 -- How to find freedom
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In this episode, we meet Tania Yuki, a woman who reinvented social measurement back in the day with her company Shareablee in 2013 and now again as the CMO of comScore. But she's no garden variety take-no-prisoner founder or C-suite executive. If you dig deeply you'll learn she’s best known as a storyteller, a mentor and a role model who takes a stake in the success of others. She lifts others up and helps people find their own answers. So let’s meet the brightest voice in media and find out how she came to be that way.
These are Tania's lessons:
3:29 -- Tania's punch-in-the-mouth question
7:48 -- Solve problems by relating to people
12:44 -- When I have no idea
17:51 -- What I learned from cat Iggy
20:54 -- What I learned from surfing
21:38 -- What I learned from Covid
23:21 -- What I learned from my new son Ben
25:15 -- My leadership style, Wimlink
29:55 -- What if I'm not taken seriously
32:35 -- Dealing with untrue thoughts
35:11 -- My biggest influence
36:57 -- My film on my parents' unlikely pairing
41:40 -- Advice for outliers
42:32 -- Getting to what's next
Nominate your own Great Unfamous
IG: @gr8unfamous
Twitter: @gr8unfamous
YouTube: Best of The Great Unfamous
This year-end episode is a highlight reel of the wit and wisdom uncovered in 2022 via interviews with The Great Unfamous. It’s a rapid-fire recap of the different ways you can start walking a better path in 2023. We uncovered lessons, stories, ideas and even a few tearful revelations that showed how everyday wisdom is right under our noses, everyday.
We met a wiseman from Bangladesh, a Chile river guide, a Hollywood movie maker, a Texas carnival owner and host of other neighborhood legends with insights to share. I’ve picked my favorites to share with you because there’s no better way to start the new year than to pause and consider what we learned … and then apply it to the year ahead.
So let’s find out what these inspirational influences had to share and unpack the wisdom of The Great Unfamous.
These are their lessons:
1. Givers Need To Refuel -- 3:40
2. Solve Disputes Like A Wiseman -- 5:08
3. Don’t Give Someone The Keys To Your Happiness -- 8:20
4. The Courage To Bet It All -- 11:33
5. Shine The Light On Others -- 16:09
6. How To Recover From Loss -- 17:07
7. No Time To Feel Sorry For Yourself -- 18:16
8. Feed Your Head The Right Stuff -- 19:43
9. How To Jump Into An Unmade Bed -- 20:40
10. The Trick To Negative Feedback -- 23:15
11. Wait ... I’m Supposed To Be In Italy! -- 26:05
Nominate your own Great Unfamous
IG: @gr8unfamous
Twitter: @gr8unfamous
In this episode we'll meet a man who I became aware via his wife's LinkedIn post that hit a nerve. It prompted more than 400 comments because it told the story of an entrepreneur who built a window washing business by putting himself out there. But it also spoke to how hurtful people can be with thoughtless comments.
Now I’d never met Tommy Hunter, but after that post, I wanted to learn more about him, so I followed his Instagram account and discovered something I’d never seen before -- and that is the art of window washing.
So let’s meet the man who created a business (@hunterwindowwash) that’s earned over 10,000 fans … and then let’s discover who helped him most along the way.
These are Tommy's Lessons:
2:31 -- Instagram + art of window washing
5:48 -- Good and bad side of feedback
7:08 -- How it all started
9:30 -- "I don't have a care in the world"
11:56 -- One rude comment + a viral moment
12:35 -- My perspective on negative feedback
14:35 -- College football tales
16:17 -- One Rockstar and a 40-yard pass
17:49 -- "Dude, dude you'll be OK"
19:05 -- One of the darkest times of my life
20:27 -- Have faith in something
20:56 -- My dad was always there
24:37 -- What I would change
25:30 -- What I wouldn't change
26:01 -- Getting after it
26:34 -- One small change
Nominate your own Great Unfamous
IG: @gr8unfamous
Twitter: @gr8unfamous
Welcome back to the Part 2 interview with Selwyn Seyfu Hinds -- a master creator who developed everything from magazines, to books, to comics, to TV series. If you haven't listened to Part I, do that first otherwise you’ll miss amazing stories like his near-death escape from The Starlite ballroom.
Selwyn's credits are too long to list, but one of his greatest accomplishments was guiding a young, now a legendary journalist Datwon Thomas, during his early years.
He was the right person,
at the right place,
at the right time,
with the right advice.
In this episode we relive Selwyn’s defining moments, what he learned from those and how you can apply those to your own life.
These Are Selwyn's Lessons:
3:27 Jump into an unmade bed
6:06 Know your value
8:28 Research your value
10:20 Magic of turning 50
18:10 Rejection is not failure
20:15 A long lost pep talk
22:50 "Can you meet me at KFC?"
24:45 Why I couldn't give up
25:10 A town of "no's"
27:20 The day HBO fired me
32:26 "We fall down but we get up"
33:45 Asking for, accepting help
35:25 Maybe I suck?
37:12 Stephen King, sci-fi, comics
44:07 "Lone Wolf and Cub"
46:33 My journey to Vertigo
48:31 "Voodo Child's" return
51:58 What I'd change
53:30 Be the god of your own universe
Nominate your own Great Unfamous
IG: @gr8unfamous
Twitter: @gr8unfamous
Selwyn Seyfu Hinds describes himself as a storyteller who believes success is a group effort. So when Datwon Thomas recalled his most influential mentor, it was Hinds who came to mind because he took an interest in the aspiring journalist when he needed it most.
He was a force Datwon admired for creating magazines, books, comics, scripts that moved people.
He was a big brother who shared the life lessons a young Black man in Brooklyn needed.
He was a sage that Datwon called … a flashlight who revealed the things he could not see.
Hinds is a Guyana-born journalist who chronicled the rise of Hip Hop in the '90s as the editor-in-chief of its bible, The Source and later in his memoir “Gunshots In My Cookup”. Selwyn graduated Princeton and went on to become an American screenwriter, comic book creator and film producer -- just a few of his credits include Jordan Peele’s reboot of "The Twilight Zone" and executive producer of Hulu’s new series “Washington Black” due out in 2023.
So let’s meet the man who changed Datwon’s life by being “a really, really good person who stayed on me, but gave me space”.
These are Selwyn's Lessons:
3:07 How do you describe yourself?
6:45 Re-inventing Selwyn the Storyteller
8:07 From Guyana to Brooklyn to Miami
11:13 Princeton and Protests circa 1989
13:02 I got to college and lost my mind
14:03 Times Square, joining the Army
15:50 I wouldn't let any change break me
21:04 My dad was comfortable in all circles
24:01 My brush with death
32:14 It's a miracle we got out of there
38:48 Words of wisdom for Datwon
40:55 "Remember who you are"
44:30 Story behind "Washington Black"
51:05 The big pitch: Hulu, FX and Fox
54:20 "They bought it in the room"
Nominate your own Great Unfamous
IG: @gr8unfamous
Twitter: @gr8unfamous