My guest, Eric Christianson, is the author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story, but the dream of writing this book didn’t begin with him. It belonged to his beloved wife, Joyce.

When Joyce was just five years old, an experience involvingher family and the Sims family planted a seed in her heart. She knew their remarkable friendship was a story the world needed to hear. But chronic health challenges prevented Joyce from completing that dream.

Then, near the end of her life, she entrusted it to Eric. Sheasked him to finish the book. And he said yes.

What followed became more than fulfilling a promise. Itbecame Eric’s own journey through love, grief, faith, purpose, and the difficult process of learning that life can still hold joy after tremendous loss.

South Bend to Spring Valley is ultimately a story about human connection and the extraordinary things that can happen when ordinary people choose friendship over division. But Eric’s story behind the story reminds us of something equally powerful: sometimes the dream we are called to pursue isn’t ours. Sometimes love hands us the torch and asks us tokeep running.

Eric is the author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story, a poignant memoir of two American families—one Black, the other white—who forged a faith-based fellowship that defied the social norms of the 1960s and, in so doing, provided a blueprint for racial harmony still relevant today. Eric has written teleplays, screenplays, and shorts, and also tutors SAT and ACT math and writing prep.

https://www.southbendtospringvalley.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@erogg57

https://www.facebook.com/eric.christianson.520/

https://x.com/JEDC56

https://www.instagram.com/echristianson57

https://www.tiktok.com/@erictheauthor7

https://www.pinterest.com/erogg57/

Welcome to the Quixotic Heights Podcast, where we share stories of people who challenge convention, embrace the impossible, and remind us that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is take back control of our own narrative.

Today’s guest knows the digital world from the inside out.

Heather Henderson is an author, speaker, and former Big Tech insider who spent a decade working inside companies including Google and Uber. She saw firsthand how technology competes for our attention, influences our habits, and quietly shapes the choices we make every day.

Now, she’s turning that insider knowledge into a powerful invitation to live more intentionally.

In her book, Reclaim: How to Stop Scrolling Through Your Life and Start Living It, Heather explores why so many of us feel overstimulated, distracted, and disconnected—and what happens when we begin reclaiming one of our most precious resources: our attention.

Today, we’re going beyond screen time and asking ourselves: Who—or what—is deciding how we spend our lives?

Heather Henderson is the author of “Reclaim: How to Stop Scrolling Through Your Life and Start Living It.” A former Big Tech insider, university recruiter, and longtime advocate for emerging professionals, she helps people understand how technology shapes their attention, and how they can reclaim the ability to choose what matters most.

A first-generation college graduate who grew up on a college campus, Henderson began her career as an academic advisor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She later spent more than a decade recruiting talent for Visa, Accenture, Google, and Uber, including the engineers who helped build many of the digital products people use every day. Her work gave her a rare perspective on both sides of the screen: the people designing technology and the people adapting their lives to it. Over time, she saw a growing pattern among ambitious students and professionals: achievement accompanied by distraction, exhaustion, and disconnection.

In “Reclaim,” Henderson challenges the idea that individuals are failing because they cannot simply put down their phones. Instead, she asks readers to consider a more revealing question: Did I choose this, or was it chosen for me?

Through her writing and speaking, she explores attention, digital habits, presence, and the quiet ways technology influences human behavior. Henderson speaks at universities, conferences, and organizations across North America, helping audiences build healthier relationships with technology and thrive in the attention economy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner and Boston Terrier, Ziggy. Meet her on her website: iamheatherh.com

https://www.instagram.com/iam.heatherh/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamheatherh

https://www.pinterest.com/livinglifefulfilled/

What happens when you take a filmmaker, a die-hardSeattle Seahawks fan, a camera, and a whole lot of 12th Man energy? You get NorbCam!

Welcome to the Quixotic Heights Podcast, where we celebrate the dreamers, the doers, and the people crazy enough to believe that passion can become purpose.

Today, I’m talking with Norb Caoili—better known as NorbCam—a filmmaker, content creator, family man, proud Filipino American, and one of the most recognizable members of the Seahawks faithful.

In 2013, Norb combined two things he loved—filmmaking andfootball—and turned his game-day reactions into something much bigger. Since then, NorbCam has grown to include reaction videos, music videos, comedy sketches, creative filmmaking, and a community of fans who have followed himthrough the victories, the heartbreaks, and all those moments when being a Seahawks fan tests your blood pressure!

His passion and commitment to community earned him thehonor of being named the 2023 Seattle Seahawks Fan of the Year, and in 2026, he was recognized as an Empowered Filipinos Most Inspirational honoree.

But today, we’re going beyond the camera and beyond thefootball field. We’re talking about family, Filipino heritage,creativity, giving back, chasing dreams, and what happens when something you started simply because you loved it becomes a platform that inspires others.

So put on your blue and green, raise that 12 flag, and get ready.

Norb Caoili was born in Auburn, Washington, to Bert and Ciony Caoili and raised in Kent, where his love for the Seahawks began back in 1979. A talented musician from an early age, he learned to play songs by ear and went on to perform as a lead singer and keyboardist in multiple bands from 1987 to 2013, playing in casinos, festivals, and private events. He also recorded and released two albums under the name MBD: Music By Dezign and later composed a score for National Geographic.

In 1996, Norb founded Quantum Productions, writing, directing, editing, and composing for films, commercials, and videos. His biggest film project, the Lionsgate-released feature Frayed, showcased his range as a writer, director, editor, and composer. In 2025, he edited the Hulu documentary, “Mouth of the Wolf: Amanda Knox Returns to Italy.”

Seahawks fans know him as NorbCam from his YouTube channel featuring fan reactions, comedy sketches, music, and analysis that has been spotlighted on ESPN, NFL Network, and an Apple Music Super Bowl commercial. His passion for the team also led him to create the nonprofit Fanz 4 Good, helping families and cancer patients in need. In 2017, he was inducted into the Pro Football Ultimate Fan Association, and in 2023, he was named Seahawks Fan of the Year.

Through music, filmmaking, and Seahawks fandom, Norb continues to celebrate his Filipino-American heritage while inspiring and entertaining fans worldwide.

norbcam.com, @norbcam on YouTube, IG, TIkTok, X, Facebook

Welcome to the Quixotic Heights Podcast, where wecelebrate the dreamers, the doers, and the courageous people who refuse to let the word impossible have the final say.

Today’s story is quite literally about a second chance inlife. At just 13 years old, Heather Freligh experienced suddencardiac arrest. In a matter of moments, an ordinary day became a fight for her life—and for her dad, Derek, a parent’s unimaginable nightmare.

Today, through 7HF, Heather and Derek advocate for hearthealth, CPR awareness, AED readiness, and youth empowerment. Their work has reached schools, heart-health organizations, communities, and lawmakers,including advocacy surrounding California’s Heather Freligh Act.

Together, they’re developing My HeartLink by 7HF, whilealso working on the Heather’s Heart Treasures book series—finding new ways to educate, empower, and potentially save lives.

This conversation is about more than surviving cardiac arrest. It’s about what happens when the world keeps telling you “no,” and somewhere inside yourself, you find the courage to keep saying yes.

For a chance to win free merch, follow @be7hankful, @quillhawkpublishing, and @quixoticheightspodcast, and tell us in the comments what you loved about the episode.
We'll select one winner at the end of September 2026 to receive a limited-edition @lululemon 7HF sweatshirt, pin, and sticker from The Heather Freligh Heart Foundation.

https://www.heatherfrelighheart.org, IG: @be7hankful, LinkedIn: Heather Freligh, Facebook: Heather Freligh

Welcome to the Quixotic Heights Podcast, where we celebrate bold journeys, extraordinary people, and the stories that inspire us to rethink what's possible.

Today's guest transformed an unexpected setback into a global mission. Whitney Pollard—known to many as Whitney Da'Gail and Ngọc Hân—once led teams of more than 100 people in the manufacturing industry after earning her MBA from the University of Michigan. Then a layoff changed everything.

What began as a year of travel led to a life-changing decision aboard a cruise in Vietnam's breathtaking Ha Long Bay: instead of going home, Whitney chose to stay. That leap of faith launched an entirely new chapter—one filled with content creation, world travel, entrepreneurship, and the pursuit of helping people find genuine connection.

Since then, Whitney has traveled to more than 40 countries, built a thriving online community of over 30,000 people, hosted events that have brought together people from around the globe, and founded Homii, a startup dedicated to helping people build authentic community wherever lifetakes them. She's also writing her upcoming book, Beyond the Dream, sharing the lessons she's learned about purpose, reinvention, and finding home in unexpected places.

⁠https://www.instagram.com/whitneydagail/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/homiiglobal⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@whitneydagail⁠

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitney.dagail⁠

⁠https://www.homiiglobal.com/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/homii-global/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/whitney.pollard.90⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581346742532⁠

Whitney Pollard is an entrepreneur, storyteller, and contentcreator from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, currently living in Vietnam. She is the founder and CEO of Homii Global, a community platform building the infrastructure for real-world connection.

A former engineer and Fortune 500 operations leader, Whitney spent nearly a decade leading teams in corporate America before earning her MBA from the University of Michigan and eventually choosing a different path. Shehas traveled to more than 40 countries and lived in three, building a global perspective on leadership, culture, identity, and community.

She is currently writing her first book, Beyond the Dream, which chronicles her journey from Baton Rouge to corporate America to building a startup in Vietnam, while exploring the beliefs we inherit about success, identity, ambition, and the American Dream, and what happens when we give ourselves permission to question them.

Through her content, Whitney blends storytelling, education,cultural commentary, and humor to challenge assumptions, connect people across cultures, and encourage others to think more expansively about how they want to live.

Tamara Dragseth is an avid reader, lifelong learner, and what many would call a true Renaissance woman. From spinning wool, knitting, sewing, gardening, and cooking from scratch to managing investments, repairing homes, and painting, Tamara embodies a level of practical wisdom that seems increasingly rare in today's world.

A former claims adjuster for Safeco, she spent years honing her financial expertise while raising her son. Through discipline, determination, and a commitment to living below her means, she built a life of financial independence without sacrificing the things that mattered most.

Today, Tamara enjoys retirement alongside her husband, biking to local farmers' markets, traveling, embracing simple pleasures, and sharing her love of books through beta reading, book reviews, and content editing for Quill Hawk Publishing.

In this episode, we'll explore the lessons she's learned about money, motherhood, resilience, self-sufficiency, and finding joy in life's everyday moments.

Tamara discovered reading in second grade because of the Scholastic book program provided through school. She purchased the book "HEIDI," fell deeply in love with the book and reading, and she has never surfaced for air.

It should be admitted that Tamara MAY be a compulsive reader, as she has been known to read FISHING REGULATIONS if nothing else is at hand. She typically reads two to three books a week!

Not only is she an avid reader, but she is also a pioneer woman who is an expert gardener, cook, and knitter. She spins her own wool and makes everything from scratch in the kitchen. She rides horses, builds her own tack room, and bales hay. She is a woman of many talents, including financial management and investment. Miss Jane of all trades! Tamara loves to travel and makes a living being curious. Oh, and let's not forget to mention she bakes pies and sourdough bread!

https://tamaradragsethqhp.wixsite.com/bookreviews

https://www.facebook.com/tamara.dragseth

Welcome to Quixotic Heights, the podcast where dreamers become doers, setbacks become stepping stones, and extraordinary people remind us that the most meaningful journeys often begin with one courageous decision.

I'm your host, Amy M. Le—award-winning author, founder andCEO of Quill Hawk Publishing, and storyteller who believes every voice has the power to inspire, heal, and change the world.

Today's guest is someone whose story proves that determination is often louder than talent. In 1996, while many people were following a traditional career path, Charlotte Chiew opened the Yellow Pages and began calling everytheatre company in Singapore. She wasn't asking for fame or fortune—she simply wanted a chance to learn. She even offered to clean toilets for free if it meant she could be part of the theatre.

Born into a traditional Asian family where the expectation was clear—study hard, find a stable job, get married, buy a home, and live a predictable life—Charlotte chose a different script. Despite being told to pursue a "normal" career, she followed the calling of an artist. That courageous decision led her into theatre, storytelling, and eventually to a career as an accomplished audiobook narrator, where she brings stories to life through the power of her voice.

Today, we'll explore what it means to choose passion over expectation, how rejection can become your greatest teacher, the artistry behind audiobook narration, and why finding your authentic voice is one of life's greatest adventures.

To learn more, visit https://charlottechiew.com/

https://seevp.org/ (volunteer narration for those whohaven't landed a project)

https://learningally.org/ (resource for dyslexic children)

Charlotte Chiew is an audiobook narrator with a special interest in figuring out audiobook sales and distribution strategies with Indie authors.

An Asian-American & British-South-East-Asian voice, she’s bubbly, uplifting, spunky - your favourite summer mocktail, with an unexpected ginger shot!

Charlotte was born in Singapore, grew up all over the world, left her heart in Paris, and is finally finding her feet in London after almost 10 years. A professional film, TV & Stage actor with an IMDB page, her favourite stories to narrate are YA sweet romance with no spice! Close contenders are YA Fantasy, where characters grow while struggling through epic journeys, and Christian literature that fuels her heart for Jesus.

If you can’t find her in the recording booth, she’s probably pruning flowers somewhere in the garden, (artificially) bouldering (in a gym), or gone on a bike ride with her husband.

Sometimes, she can be found in a corner competing with her teenagers at snarky comments and eye-rolling. (She often wins, but they tend to gang up and deny her that superiority.)

Today's guest proves that our greatest challenges can become the very foundation of our greatest gifts.

Ava Wood grew up with a learning disability and often found herself escaping into worlds of her own imagination. What began as a way to quiet loneliness and make sense of life's challenges eventually became a lifelong passion for storytelling. Today, she describes herself as "an insomniacwho writes to calm the voices," reminding us that creativity often blooms from the places where we least expect it.

Originally from the wide-open landscapes of Texas and now calling Florida home, Ava has built a life filled with family, imagination, and artistry.

Alongside writing compelling stories, she designs book covers and logos, creates intricate 3-D prints, and isn't afraid to sing whenever inspiration strikes.

In today's conversation, we'll explore how growing up with a learning disability shaped her creative mind, why imagination became her refuge, how sleepless nights fuel her storytelling, and what she's learned about resilience, family, and finding purpose through writing.

Whether you're a writer, an entrepreneur, a creative, or someone who's ever wondered if your differences could become your greatest strength, this conversation is for you.

https://www.instagram.com/btfl7/

https://www.facebook.com/authoravawood