Inspiration is Just a Podcast Away
Photo Courtesy of “Crazy Amazing Humans”
Science has shown that, “Thinking positive, happy, hopeful and optimistic thoughts decreases Cortisol [the body’s stress hormone] and produces Serotonin [the body’s natural anti-depressant], which creates a sense of well-being. This helps the brain function at peak capacity.”
The Mental Health Foundation’s book, “Doing Good Does You Good” says, “It’s often said that ‘it’s better to give than receive’, but this is actually backed up by research ‘While it’s easy to feel too busy or stressed to help others... evidence shows that doing good for others is actually beneficial for your mental health and well being. It can help reduce stress, improve mood, self-esteem, longevity and happiness. From volunteering, to random acts of kindness, your good works can help others and yourself.’”
With these facts in mind and an awareness that many people are feeling discouraged and helpless during these uncertain times, the longtime friends and bandmates, Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim say, “[we] felt compelled to create and co-host a podcast that would share the inspiring stories of everyday humans doing crazy amazing things... people who utilize their time, talent and resources to give back, pay it forward and just make a really positive difference.”
This resulted in the “Crazy Amazing Humans” (CAH) podcast, which now consists of seven episodes on YouTube and several other platforms. In the introductory episode, Getting to Know You, Carlson and Denim immediately connect with their audience in a sincere and transparent way. They have an innate ability to create a personal relationship with their listeners and viewers.
It is clear that they themselves are crazy amazing humans who effectively dedicate their skills, talents, and empathetic gifts while drawing from real-life experiences to create a sincere interaction with their podcast guests, bringing inspiration to their audience.
Carlson and Denim are both accomplished professional musicians, singers, and songwriters. Each podcast episode has its own individual song performed by them. Both have strong ties to the Santa Monica community and are involved in several non-profit organizations. Carlson has lived in Santa Monica for over thirty years. She and her family are host to the well-known Santa Monica Halloween House, which is visited, free-of-charge, by an estimated 15,000 people every October.
The CAH podcast episodes, one through seven, span a wide range of guests. From a teenage paralympic track champion who founded a sports organization; to a behind-the-scenes look at the award winning documentary, “The Heart of Nuba” which follows an American doctor working in a war-torn region of Sudan; to an Oceanscape photographer dedicated to raising “blue consciousness.”
Every episode ends with inviting listeners to connect and be heard by emailing comments, questions, or sharing their own Crazy Amazing Humans story or experience. Carlson says, “Our mission is to find stories of people from all walks of life who are choosing to write their own narratives by becoming a part of solutions. We celebrate choices that make the world a better place, we do so in a way that shows that all of us have this capacity... We want to inspire people and make them feel not alone. We all have our stories and our challenges. We focus on everyday people, not people who are unattainable.”
Regarding his own experience in living a life that uplifts and inspires others, Denim says, “If you go through rough times you look for people who may be going through rough times too...[and] say, I get it, let's talk, how can I help?”
Carlson says, “we are on a mission to inspire and remind you that you are Crazy Amazing.
It is as simple as saying, ‘yes’ and responding to the needs that are right in front of us. Remember that every little kindness has the potential to create Crazy Amazing Human experiences.” The podcast can be found at crazyamazinghumans.com.
