One in four pregnancies ends in loss, yet so many parents still feel like they have to carry it quietly. We’re joined by Corey Brunet from Maddie’s Footprints to name what so many families are living through and to explain what real support looks like when grief shows up in both emotional and practical ways. If you’ve ever wondered what to say, how to help, or where parents can find a safe place to land, this conversation offers clarity and heart.

Corey shares the story behind Maddie’s Footprints and the legacy of Madeline Noel McGrew, whose family turned heartbreak into 17 years of service in Lafayette and beyond. We talk about miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and anticipatory grief after a life-ending diagnosis, plus why it helps to be around people who understand the specific questions that come with this kind of mourning. Corey also breaks down the organization’s impact, including the thousands of families served and the importance of keeping support local across Acadiana and Greater Baton Rouge.

We also get concrete about resources: financial assistance for burial or cremation, grief counseling with a licensed social worker, support groups, an annual grief retreat, and community gatherings for moms and dads. Then we look ahead to the Maddie’s Footprints 5K and one-mile fun run on October 3rd, a day designed to honor babies by name through music, tribute signs, and moments of shared remembrance that feel like celebration and healing at once.

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Some people hold big titles and still refuse to make leadership about themselves. That’s exactly what makes this conversation with Fumi Rita so powerful, practical, and honestly refreshing. Fumi is the executive director of LAGCO in Lafayette and the current president of the Junior League of Lafayette, yet she keeps coming back to one idea: progress happens when you listen, collaborate, and stay focused on people.

We talk about how her background shapes that mindset, from being born in Russia and raised in Portugal to building a life in Louisiana after coming to Lafayette for school in 1999. From there, we dig into what LAGCO actually does, how the organization adjusted after COVID, and why the energy industry conversation now includes solar, wind, and even nuclear alongside oil and gas. We also explore the push and pull of economic development, including excitement about growth and the responsibility to protect Louisiana’s natural resources.

Then we shift to community impact through the Junior League of Lafayette, including the diaper bank, new focus areas like opioids, and how the League looks for root solutions, not just quick fixes. You’ll also get a clear preview of Tinsel and Treasures at the Cajun Dome (September 24 to 26), from preferred shopping to family moments and Ladies’ Night, plus how the fundraiser supports programs that stay right here in Lafayette.

If you care about nonprofit leadership, women’s leadership, STEM education, and building a healthier community, hit play, subscribe, and share this with someone who believes service still matters. If you enjoyed it, leave a review and tell us what local need you want to see tackled next.

He left Louisiana with a dream, showed up in New York with about $900, and refused to quit even when the “plan” looked ridiculous from the outside. That stubbornness turned into a working acting career, years on major sets, and a front-row education in how success really works when the cameras are off. We talk with actor John Valdetero about the grit behind the glamour and the moments that shape a life more than any credit ever could.

John walks us through the early identity that formed him, the hunger of the New York grind, and the surprising Europe chapter filled with commercial work, travel, and lessons in flexibility. From there, the conversation lands in Hollywood, including the long arc of Coach and the instant that stopped time for him: standing on stage with Tim Conway and being transported back to childhood nights watching comedy with his mom. We also dig into what “old Hollywood” sold versus what his generation had to earn, plus why he never let himself believe he had fully arrived.

Some of the most powerful stories are personal: sharing a truth with John Lithgow that changed how Lithgow spoke about Footloose for decades, a jaw-dropping World War II family connection that resurfaces on a soundstage, and the emotional cost of taking on a dark role meant to protect kids online. John also opens up about leaving LA to come home, raising his kids with real roots, and maintaining posture and purpose after an above-the-knee amputation.

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