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15 million American adults have social anxiety—roughly 7% of the entire population. More than two-thirds of those adults showed their first symptoms during their childhood years. And yet, it often takes up to ten years to seek help. In her memoir, OUT OF MY SHELL, therapist Natasha Daniels brings her own social anxiety into the open, on her journey to find healing through self-acceptance. Natasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist who has published six other books including How to Parent your Anxious Toddler, It’s Brave to Be Kind, and Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids.

A 2024 Goldman Sachs survey found that 77% of small businesses were concerned about their ability to access capital. In addition, in 2023, a majority of small business owners had to tap into their personal funds or use cash reserves to maintain operations. The Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) is trying to alleviate some of those concerns for small business owners by offering low-interest loans, tailor made for small and mid-sized businesses operating in, or moving to, The Bronx. Our guests are Rob Walsh, President of The Bronx Economic Development Corporation, and Britney Moss, Founder of Cupcake Me!, a client of BXEDC. For more, visit BXEDC.org and cupcakemenyc.com.

As we near election day and early voting continues, we discuss the six ballot proposals for New York City voters with Eric Friedman, of NYC Votes, an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the independent city agency that ensures local elections are fair, inclusive, and open. For more, including detailed info about each proposal, visit nycvotes.org.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're joined by Dr. Patrick Borgen, Chair, Surgery and Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Maimonides Medical Center. After working at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. Borgen came to Maimonides to work with patients from under-resourced communities. Maimonides Health is Brooklyn’s largest healthcare system, serving over 320,000 patients each year through the system’s three hospitals, with 7,000+ employees, 1,800+ physicians, and more than 80 community-based practices and outpatient centers. Patients with advanced breast cancer treated at Maimonides lived longer than the national average. For more, visit maimo.org.

At a time when it feels like you can visit anywhere in the world with a mouse click, the new book ATLAS OBSCURA: WILD LIFE finds a way to reinvigorate a sense of wonder about the natural world. With hundreds of entries -- gorgeous images, first person interviews, and engaging details, ATLAS OBSCURA: WILD LIFE covers every continent—from the deepest fathoms of the ocean, and into the heart of our densest cities. Our guest is CARA GIAIMO, co-Author of Atlas Obscura, with JOSHUA FOER. A former staff writer at Atlas Obscura, Cara now covers our fellow species for the New York Times, The Plant, The Drift, and elsewhere. For more, visit atlasobscura.com.

John Capobianco is President of the Long Island Chrysanthemum Society, host of the 69th Annual Long Island Chrysanthemum Show Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3 in Farmingdale, Long Island. John has a wealth of knowledge about mums and bonsai, as he’s also active with the Bonsai Society of Greater New York, and taught the art of bonsai at the New York Botanical Gardens for 20 years. For more, visit http://www.limums.org and bsgny.com.

Every fall, Hungerthon is annual radio tradition, organized by Why Hunger to educate listeners across the U.S. and raise critical funds to end hunger in America. WhyHunger’s Amplified concert kicks off Hungerthon 2024 on Tuesday, October 15 at Irving Plaza. Our guest Jenique Jones, Executive Director of Why Hunger, talks about addressing the root causes of hunger and how to support the ongoing work for food justice. For more, visit WhyHunger.org.

November 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis. And while the current hostage situation in the Middle East also continues, a new book about one of history's most harrowing hostage situations and rescue attempts could not be more timely. Our guest is Ben Macintyre, author of THE SIEGE, an unprecedented account of The Six-Day Hostage Crisis In London, in 1980, and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World.

Like other cities, New York City has a growing crisis of homelessness, and a systemic challenge of using housing vouchers to secure housing. Our guest is Laura Lazarus, co-founder of Anthos | Home, which works to make every step of the voucher process easier for both future tenants participating landlords. For more, visit anthoshome.org.

In his new book, SOMETHING IN THE WOODS LOVES YOU, Jarod K. Anderson explores the inherent ways nature can help fight mental illness. Jarod K. Anderson is a writer, poet, and creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast - a scripted show about real adoration for fictional wildlife. He has built a large audience of social media followers and podcast listeners with his vibrant appreciations of nature. For more, visit jarodkanderson.com.

The Limón Dance Company celebrates it’s 78th season appearing at the Joyce Theater, November 5-10. Our guest is Artistic Director Adante Puleio, for a chat about the historic programs Limón Dance Company will bring to the Joyce, and making modern dance relevant. Tickets are now on sale for performances at joyce.org. For more about the Limon Dance Company, visit Limon.nyc.

Making mistakes has always been a part of growing up, but how do parents help their kids navigate childhood and adolescence when social media has the potential to magnify those mistakes? Our guest is public health expert Julianna Miner, author of Raising a Screen-Smart Kid: Embrace the Good and Avoid the Bad in the Digital Age. Julianna Miner is an adjunct professor of global and community health at George Mason University, creator of the popular parenting blog Rants from Mommyland.

While navigating the tricky path of inevitable life changes (job loss, relationships, grief, the future), it can be a struggle to find simple clarity. So how can you manage the chaos and find your authentic self in the middle of it all? Our guest is Susan Hensley, author, transformational coach & speaker, with a tool to help you tap into your own innate wisdom and creativity: Her new book is ART FOR YOUR SANITY: How Art Journaling Can Help you Manage Chaos and Unleash Joy. For more, visit susan-hensley.com.

Although few of us like to think about getting older, advance care planning (ACP) is an essential but often neglected aspect of healthcare. Making sure we’re prepared for the inevitable can be tremendously helpful to both our health care providers and our families. Our guest is Dr. Fred Mirachi, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of MIDEO Health, a video advance care planning platform. For more, mideohealth.com.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, an introduction to LxNY: Latinx Arts Consortium of New York. Formed in 2020, LxNY is a collaborative peer network of over 40 Latinx-serving cultural organizations, dedicated to knowledge exchange, resource-sharing, and collective action towards systemic change. Our guests Andrea Gordillo of The Clemente Center and Charles Rice Gonzalez, of BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, are members who represent founding organizations of LxNY. For more, visit theclementecenter.org, baadbronx.org, and lxnyarts.org.

Polycystic Kidney Disease is a genetic condition you may not have heard of, but it affects over 600,000 people in the U.S. and is one of the leading causes of kidney failure. Our guest is Richard Kellner, who founded The PKD Outreach Foundation, after his wife passed away, and who has been working with over 100 families across the country and currently has 10 families who have had or are expecting PKD-free babies. For more, visit pkdo.org.

Works & Process is a 40-year old non-profit, championing under-recognized performing artists cultures during their creative process, by providing funded residences, support and a platform for performances at venues including the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan West, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Previewing the Fall 2024 season is Duke Dang, Works & Process Executive Director. For more, visit worksandprocess.org.

At New York City Charter Schools, while 90% of students are Black, LatinX or Asian, only 10% of these schools were founded or are led by people of color. How might leadership reflective of the student body make for a different learning experience? Our guest is Rafiq Kalam Id-Din II, Esq., Founder & Managing Partner of Ember Charter Schools in Brooklyn. For more, visit embercs.org.

HOW TO CALM YOUR MIND by Chris Bailey is full of tangible takeaways to overcome anxiety and live a fuller, more balanced life. Chris Bailey is an author and lecturer who explores the science behind living a deeper, more intentional life. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject for media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, HuffPost, New York magazine, and Harvard Business Review.

Dr. Jocelynne Rainey is President and CEO of Brooklyn Org, making local philanthropy more accessible, democratic, and community driven. Each year, Brooklyn Org partners with area residents to invest more than $5 million in high-impact nonprofits advancing racial justice at every level across the borough. Our conversation tackles the racial disparity between leadership and the workforce in the human services sector. For more, visit Brooklyn.org.