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Finding FURever Homes For Dejected Dogs Is Katie’s Heart
Katie Goodpaster is one of those people whose heart is beyond measure when it comes to dogs. In fact, we had to reschedule our first get together because she had gotten an emergency call from Kentucky about a dog in dire need of immediate medical attention and she had to get it to a veterinarian right away. How fortunate that dog is to have guardian angel like Katie looking after him, and doing all she can to give him a better, fulfilled life.
Katie first got involved with the HART of Cincinnati Animal Rescue in 2009, and has since grown her role into a full-time volunteer position as the coordinator for the dog side of the organization. She does this while also attending to her own three dogs and the numerous fosters that have come to stay with them over the years.
HART is an all-volunteer, foster-home based nonprofit, that typically finds forever homes for some 500 to 600 dogs and puppies each year. (By the way, they are always looking for new foster parents. If you are interested, please reach out to HART).
Let’s learn more about Katie.
Lisa: It is obvious your passion runs deep for this work. Where does that come from?
Katie: Ever since a little kid, I loved animals. It’s funny because we were not a big animal family so I have no idea where that I came from. I think I was probably adopted.
Lisa: I’d love to hear about your first dog.
Katie: When I was 14 we got a golden retriever. I got my very first dog when I was 25 and living in an apartment. Wags was a white shepherd and she was THE best dog. Her owners had ditched her at the vet’s office because they had gotten a puppy and she did not get along with it. As soon as I met her, I fell in love.
Wags was so laid back. I was told I couldn’t have her around other dogs of off-leash because she had horrible recall. Within two months, I had her around other dogs and she did fantastic, no matter the age. She also did have fantastic recall, never chewed anything, and had no accidents in the house. She always wanted to cuddle, and was always there as a quiet presence. Somehow Wags knew if I was upset. She was my traveling companion who would listen to me when I had a bad day at work.
Lisa: And now you have 3 dogs.
Katie: I do. Next to Wags, Maverick (my shepherd/mastiff mix) is one of my best dogs. I also have a shih tzu/yorkie mix named Princess and a ten year old jack russell/rat Terrier named Roo. Maverick has taught me so much about patience. He lets our foster puppies lay all over him. They all gravitate toward him, going to him when they are scared. Princess is very loving and bouncy, and wants to constantly lick something. She loves everyone. Roo is great with people but she is getting kind of old and grouchy and wants her space. She is always curled up at my back in bed.
Lisa: What is the most rewarding part of being part of HART?
Katie: Often you get a dog that comes in that is timid, shy, scared and has no idea of what is going on. All he wants to do is cower and hide behind a table, behind Maverick. As you spend more time with him, and he begins to trust, he blossoms into this fantastic dog that is social, friendly, enjoying life, outside playing and running, and taking treats. Then you adopt him into a home that will love him….that is what this is all about. The most rewarding part of my volunteer work is finding a dejected dog, and watching it learn to trust and blossom, and go to a forever home.
Lisa: Please share one of your important life lessons.
Katie: When I was 17, my mom was killed in an auto accident and it taught me that life is indeed short. You are never guaranteed to have a tomorrow or even the next couple of minutes, and so we need to do your best to live every day like it is your last one. Do what makes you happy. Eat the foods you want. Stop worrying about the diet or what size you need to fit into, and live life like there is no tomorrow.
Michael Inspires Storytelling
If you have ever gone to a TEDxCincinnati event, you may be familiar with the art and work of Michael Davis without even realizing it. Michael is one of the coaches working with some of the speakers to deliver powerful messages. And audiences typically leave those shows impacted in meaningful ways.
His ability to help others craft and strengthen their stories has been tested well beyond Cincinnati. Michael has also successfully coached competitors of the World Championship of Public Speaking; and he is a
A certified World Class Speaking Coach, Michael speaks, coaches people, and offers free speaking tips through his company, Speaking CPR. I know him as one of the founders of my Toast of the Town Toastmasters Club. I can tell you, when he presents, you want to be there to here him. We just recently had a rare opportunity to offer a workshop by him on storytelling and it inspired me to learn more about this man who makes a living helping others sound their best.
I was actually surprised to learn that his passion for this work comes from his own personal growth, a journey that has taken him from a shy child to a financial planner who gave workshops that ‘were really awful’ (in his own words). In fact, “they were so bad that my boss sat me down and said, ‘you better get better or else.’”
Talk about motivation!
Michael soon found Toastmasters…and the rest is, well, how a journey can stray way off course only to point you in the direction you were always meant to go.
Lisa: How long did it take you to build your speaking and communication skills?
Michael: It did not happen overnight. It was about ten years.
I remember the one day in a Toastmasters meeting that I learned a valuable lesson, out of desperation. No one showed up that day and so I was asked to speak. I wasn’t prepared which was completely out of my comfort zone. When I finished, I sat down and berated myself. But fellow member Chris Nachtrab, a Toastmaster regional champion and international semi-finalist, told me that he has never seen me more authentic. He told me to keep doing what I was doing. It was an eye opener.
Lisa: What do you tell people who are fearful about speaking?
Michael: I tell them you just have got to get up and speak. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will be with it. It is normal to be nervous. We are wired to be afraid of speaking. You are alone in front of an audience with all these eyes you. Some researchers believe we feel we are in attack when on stage. But the audience WANTS you to do well.
I hear this often, ‘I want to get up and be perfect.’ I tell them no. It is about connection, not perfection. I wanted that for a long time. People have told me I looked polished, but then I realized after my speech, that it is about being real. You will make mistakes. Learn from it and get better.
Lisa: What do you enjoy most about the coaching?
Michael: I love seeing people who were in the same place I was years ago, who get it. They say, ‘ok, I can do this. I can deliver a message in a way that impacts people.’ They say, ‘you won’t believe how I impacted people.’
That is the greatest feeling. To me, the benefit of becoming a speaker is growing your confidence, being comfortable in your own skin. You can be better known in your field and create opportunities for advancement. You can definitely make more money. It is a great time saver too, especially for sales people when you can present your message, story and pitch before a group of prospects.
Lisa: What is a piece of advice you have for others when it comes to speaking?
Michael: The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare. Something will go wrong, but when you know your speech you can step away from it. You know you know your presentation.
Lisa: What is one of your life lessons that experience has taught you?
Michael: I’ve come to realize that when I go up in front of an audience, and I don’t get my point across, that I haven’t failed. I see it now as a learning lesson. It is not permanent. You try again.
In 2002, I met Darren Lacroix, then the reigning World Champion of Public Speaking, and thought, ‘that is a guy I’d like to emulate.’ I asked him if he would coach me and his answer was, ‘well, I might.’ I replied, ‘What do you mean?’, and his answer was that I need to read a book called Stand-Up Comedy. Then I remembered a story from his speech. He was a young comedian and his mentor pulled him aside. His mentor told him, ‘I will always give you a slot to open for me but if you ever turn me down, you will lose that spot.’
After reading the book I asked Darren what was next. He was surprised I was the only person who read the it. He wanted to see that I was serious. My lesson from that is that when the test comes up to open a door, even though it might not be what you are looking for it, walk through the door and take the test, and trust that something good will happen on the other side.
Darren and I are close friends today, and I am one of the coaches for his Stage Time University on public speaking.
Lisa: What is something people may not know about you?
Michael: I am an Indy car fanatic and once rode an Indy car 150 mph on the race track. I’ve been to Indy 39 times….
and I am not ashamed to admit is that an 8 pound chihuahua runs my life.
Sweet Cheeks Is Megan’s Calling
Pregnant with her second child, feeling blessed with the path her life had taken her to that point, Megan Fischer was sitting at her work cubicle when she took a quick break to check her Facebook feed. It was that split moment that changed her passion and career forever.
A random article had caught her attention. It spoke of one of the least talked about obstacles in the path out of poverty for families…the desperate need for diapers. Such a staple for young parents, Megan – like so many of us – just assumed diapers were covered by government assistance…but they aren’t. And, without diapers, kids can’t go to day care which means mom and dad can’t go to work. Kids are not ready for preschool. They are not developing to their fullest potential.
“I was cloth diapering my son and pregnant with my daughter at the time,” Megan remembered. “I couldn’t imagine what those parents must be experiencing, and I know the poverty rate in Cincinnati is astronomical. What do you do? How do you feel worth as a parent if you can’t provide that basic need for your child? I just sat there and cried.”
She researched diaper banks in our region, only to find none. And then, the soon-to-be mother of two tried to push the topic out of her mind. She was busy enough with her family, a full-time job, part-time jobs, and volunteer work. She was successful at that for about a year.
“Finally, I realized there was not already a diaper bank in Greater Cincinnati because it was supposed to be me,” she said.
Megan had no idea how to go about starting a nonprofit so she went to the Secretary of State website and read about it. She enlisted her friend, Mike, to help with her logo, social media and tagline (among other things). Several other friends stepped up too. And soon the group was launched.
Sweet Cheeks officially incorporated in October, 2015. By April, 2016, their first diapers were out the door. And, in 2017, Megan left her full-time job to be a full-time director of the new nonprofit. These days Sweet Cheeks is distributing some 100,000 diapers through 34 partner agencies.
“Without us, people would keep a diaper for several days, cut out the middle, stuff a diaper with paper towels, or even let their baby go without. And we are only meeting about 13% of the need in Greater Cincinnati. We have a wait list of 36 agencies who need our diapers. We need to continue to grow…and we are,” Megan said.
When I asked Megan about her greatest satisfaction from this work, she told me, “We are helping people and meeting a need that wasn’t met before. And we are able to use diapers as an incentive for other social programs. Just having diapers may not change a life but those diapers are tied to services at other nonprofits that can teach people to be great parents, give them confidence, get them out of poverty. Sometimes our diapers may be the only reason those parents keep coming back to that social service agency. I didn’t have a nonprofit background before this so it is very challenging but I love the strategies behind growing Sweet Cheeks.”
If you’d like to help, Sweet Cheeks is in need of more than 200 hours of volunteer time weekly to get things out the door. They also are always in need of diapers and monetary donations. Because of their buying power, they can purchase two to three times the amount you and I can for the money, so monetary donations are more important. Please reach out to them if you’d like to get involved.
During Rhonda Moore’s Tenure, Pro Seniors Is Nationally Recognized
After dedicating the past 17 years at the helm of a team of educators and fighters for the rights and quality of life for seniors, Rhonda Moore is preparing for her next chapter – a well deserved retirement. During her tenure, Pro Seniors has grown to become a nationally recognized advocate for older Ohians; and I thought, I couldn’t let her leave without a tribute and thank you to her for tireless leadership.
Rhonda has been honored by the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation with the 2015 Denis J. Murphy Award for her outstanding leadership and 
advocacy for Ohio’s seniors and by the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio with the 2017 Outstanding Professional in Aging Award.
If you are not familiar with Pro Seniors, you should be because all of us at some point in our lives will be impacted by their work. The nonprofit is dedicated to empowering and protecting older people through the myriad of legal issues that come up as we age. It gives free legal advice to anyone 60 or over, and its ombudsman program offers client-focused advocacy to protect the rights of those in long-term term care facilities.
Rhonda and her team have been instrumental in starting and expanding numerous services. In 2001, she partnered with Elder Law of Michigan to offer the Pension Rights Program, which now has two attorneys dedicated to pension rights and to date, has recovered over $49,000,000 in retirement benefits. In 2014, the Pro Seniors’ hotline was recognized by the Center for Elder Rights Advocacy as the most efficient hotline in the country, and continues as one of the most productive, handling 6,503 clients for just $41.19 a call. In 2002, Rhonda secured another federal grant to fund Senior Medicare Patrol, a statewide program that teaches seniors how to avoid Medicare fraud and identity theft.
She is a passionate and tireless leader who makes things happen through collaboration and determination.. She brought top leaders in Ohio aging organizations and legal aids to together to collectively strengthen legal services for older adults. And, during her tenure, Pro Seniors pursued justice in two federal class actions that improved the financial security of Ohio veterans and low-income seniors.
With so many accomplishments, one in particular that makes her smile is the creation of the organization’s annual Seniors who Rock Awards event that highlights three or four honorees each year.. “That came about from seeing the prevalence of how ageism is depicted in the media, usually pretty negative. We wanted to put a spotlight on the good that seniors contribute to society and how many are still very vibrant and active,” Rhonda told me.
“I’ve been very privileged to be a part of Pro Seniors for the last eighteen years and play a role in securing access to justice for Ohio seniors. My role is a supporting role, however, and it’s really the fine advocates on Pro Seniors’ staff who carry out our mission. Our lawyers – as well as our ombudsman, SMP advocates and administrative staff – really do change lives,” she said. “Our economy has gone through tough times, We lost a lot of funding while seniors have more needs. I’m proud that we were able to keep our services in place and build other sources of revenue to serve them. We’ve added programs. Done thoughtfully and focused on protecting seniors’ legal rights. We’ve expanded our services and maintained.”
Before joining ProSeniors, Rhonda’s career included 14 years in private practice, first at Frost & Jacobs and then at Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP, concentrating in the areas of estate planning and estate administration.
Christine Buttress, who worked with Moore at Graydon Head and has been a long-time board member at Pro Seniors, spoke about her colleague, “I know Moore as a person of the highest integrity and commitment to her values. She is an established leader in the aging network in Southwestern Ohio and contributes daily to helping seniors resolve their legal and long-term care issues.”
Caitlin Is a Mercenary For Food Experience
If you are ever in need of being uplifted, I recommend you stop by the CWC Restaurant or Station Family + BBQ, both in Wyoming, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati) and ask if Caitlin Steininger is around. (Caitlin is always at CWC on Sundays and at one of the restaurants on Fridays and Saturdays.)
Caitlin is the C in Cooking with Caitlin, and it is pretty difficult to NOT be in a happy mood in her presence. Actually in the presence of any of the partners of CWC – Caitlin, her sister Kelly Trush, or best friend Molly Ross (partners of the Station Family +BBQ Restaurant are Caitlin, Kelly and 
Karen Klaus) – you would be hard pressed to feel anything BUT happy.
It is the what I have always known about them since our first meeting more than ten years ago. Back then the two sisters and best friend were forging new space in social media and the region as pioneers in community building…through food. Cooking with Caitlin took Greater Cincinnati by storm with their recipes, cooking demonstrations, radio talk show, website, columns in the local media, Foodies Night Out Twitter chats, and events. They were (and still are) EVERYWHERE. Caitlin even most recently appeared on Bravo TV’s Top Chef reality competition show.
And, in their true fashion, their restaurdants are just as much fun with games to play at Station Family +BBQ and weekly Third Thursday at CWC where $25 gets you a 9-course meal.
I love being around Caitlin and her team, even talking with Caitlin on the phone for this post made my day. She has this infectious energy that spreads effortlessly. It is no wonder they have built such a huge success.
I had to learn about the woman behind this powerhouse.
I bet you’d be surprise to know, the whole Cooking With Caitlin business happened in the spur of the moment, by taking a leap and jumping over the cliff. No, it was not something they spent years dreaming about, planning, researching. The concept was born in 2007, the day after Kelly and Molly attended a cooking class that Caitlin was teaching as a means for promoting the market where she was working at the time. So impressed, the next morning Kelly and Molly (without Caitlin’s knowledge) purchased the domain www.cookingwithcaitlin.com.
With Caitlin the chef, Kelly the amazing wordsmith, and Kelly the business savvy professional, they just knew they had a curiosity for things and an entrepreneurial spirit that came from Kelly and Caitlin’s parents. They had no blueprint. No plan. Just an undying passion for food and joy and people.
“We pride ourselves in creating conversations around food but not experts because everyone’s mother is a great cook,” Caitlin told me. “Kelly always described us as mercenaries for experience. We very rarely say no to an opportunity. We can’t wait to feed you!.”
Lisa: Tell me about some of the fun experiences CWC has given you.
Caitlin: A high school friend of Kelly’s boss once hired us to go to Italy and cook meals for them for a week. That was my first time abroad. We got to explore while we were there. That was amazing. And of course, opening the restaurants. I feel like I am exactly where I was meant to be. I love being a part of creating people’s memories with food.
Lisa: What has been the scariest part of being an entrepreneur?
Caitlin: Everything is scary when you build a brand without a blueprint. You have goals but you don’t know how to accomplish them. I thrive on butterflies though because that means I care. All of us have children. That balance has been a great challenge but I don’t regret any part of it because my kids have seen my hard work to create something from nothing. My kids have been to every grocery store in this area. They know the difference between Swiss and Gruyere.
Lisa: As close as you are with your parents, how do they feel about your career?
Caitlin: They were not excited when I told them I wanted to go to culinary school because they knew it was a hard life, but I have worked hard to prove to them that this is what I want to do. Now they are so proud of both of us for doing what we love. They are regulars at the restaurants. Every Saturday night is their date night at CWC Restaurant. Mom makes all the flower arrangements and Dad has made himself in charge of keeping it clean. We have a large staff at Station so Mom and Dad just come and enjoy themselves there. If they see our cars out front, they will stop in.
Lisa: You are known for changing your dishes frequently. Talk to me about that.
Caitlin: I have never owned chaffing dishes because that is where good dishes go to die. Every three months we change the menu at CWC. Station Family +BBQ has only been open for a couple months and we just changed its menu. And I still do not own a chaffing dish.
Lisa: What makes you smile every day?
Caitlin:. I am lucky because food is love and it makes everyone happy; and I get to talk about it all day long. The best parts of my childhood were around the dinner table so it is an important part of my growing up.
