01. From St. Nick to Santa: The Gospel of Santa Claus
02. Interview Hollywood’s ‘Go-to’ Santa
03. Follow Santa’s Sleigh on Your Phone
04. Help! Winter Break Fun for Everyone
05. Nobody Needs a Holiday Mishap – Holiday Safety 101
06. What Color is Your Holiday Stress?
07. Don’t Let Family Drama Ruin Your Holiday Zen
08. The Power of Yes and No for Happier Holidays
09. Can We Relax Now? This Guest Says ‘No!’
10. The Nursing Shortage is Here … What Can We Do about It?
11. Boost Your Immun-a-Tea to Get Through the Holidays
12. Fight Fibromyalgia and Feel Better in 2021
13. Will the Supreme Court Take IVF Away?
14. Interview the Luckiest Man Alive
15. Skol! How to Choose Holiday Wine
1.==> From St. Nick to Santa: The Gospel of Santa Claus
Everyone is familiar with Santa Claus, with his big belly, white beard, pink cheeks and omnipresent sack of toys for children. Most people know that the inspiration for Santa was Saint Nicholas, a priest and bishop who lived in the third century A.D., but few know much about the real man in the red suit. Wayne Van Der Wal, a school psychologist and practicing Christian, wants to change that. Invite him on your show and hear how St. Nicholas overcame childhood tragedy, felt called by God to take a vow of poverty, endured horrific persecution for his religious faith, and went on to become one of the most beloved, generous, loving, and famous figures in human history. The author of the historical novel “The Gospel of Santa Claus” will fascinate your audience as he shares details of St. Nicholas’ extraordinary life and what Santa Claus has in common with St. Nick. He’ll also explain how writing the book changed the way he and his family celebrate Christmas each year and how anyone can have the best Christmas season ever, even on a limited budget. Contact Wayne Van Der Wal at (775) 338-4300; wav66@yahoo.com
2. ==> Interview Hollywood’s ‘Go-to’ Santa
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to put on the famous red suit and stand in for Santa Claus? Santa Ed is a professional Santa who also runs The Santa Claus Conservatory, a Santa Claus school. He’ll explain the ways “Santas for Hire” have adapted this year (think Zoom calls, virtual parties and plexiglass) and how kids and their parents responded. He’ll also share some of the craziest Santa requests he’s gotten and explain how he got into the profession and how he now trains others for the job. Santa Ed is Hollywood’s “go-to” Santa Claus and has appeared in many TV shows, commercials and movies. The Santa Claus Conservatory has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Money magazine, VOX, and many others. Contact Santa Ed at (424) 343-9555 (call or text); Santa@SantaEd.com
3. ==> Follow Santa’s Sleigh on Your Phone
This Thursday, St. Nick is scheduled to load his sleigh with gifts, harness his reindeer and take to the skies for his annual journey across the globe, and there’s one government agency that will be following his every move … and you can too! The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the government agency that tracks everything that flies in and around North America in defense of our homeland, will track Santa Claus just as they have each year since 1955. Book an interview with a Santa Tracker to hear the unlikely story of how this modern tradition began with a child’s accidental phone call, why the agency continues to provide Santa’s flight updates more than 50 years later, and how the process has evolved to include social media and flight apps that allow you to track Santa on your phone! The folks at NORAD can provide video b-roll and graphics and arrange general interviews with a Santa Tracker or tailor the interview for your specific region. You can even book live inflight interviews for December 24. Contact NORAD Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889; NTSMedia@outlook.com
4. ==> Help! Winter Break Fun for Everyone
What can parents do with their kids during winter break this year with persistent COVID-19 recreational challenges? Digital education expert and author Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., can share activities for families, whether they’ve got toddlers, teens or both! Ideas include having kids help plan, organize and execute the holiday baking and cooking, writing letters to seniors, military personnel and lonely community members and making gifts for family and those in need. She’ll also share tips on clever ways to include everyone and reinforce specific skills at different ages. Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California. Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
5.==> Nobody Needs a Holiday Mishap – Holiday Safety 101
Nothing can ruin the holidays more than a trip to the emergency room or a visit from your local firefighters. Whether it’s an oven fire as you’re preparing dinner, a relative falling in your driveway, or a pet choking on a Christmas ornament, the holidays are filled with opportunities for accidents and mishaps. Former chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Hon. Nancy Steorts will reveal the biggest threats during the holidays and share ways to make sure your family enjoys the season without anyone having to call 911. Nancy Steorts is the author of several books including “Your Home Safe Home” and “Safe Living in a Dangerous World.” Contact her at (703) 790-5116; (240) 401-7782 (cell); nancysteorts@cox.net
6. ==> What Color is Your Holiday Stress?
Holidays are joyful but they can also be very stressful! Let Barry Shore explain why holiday stress comes in different shades and how you can identify what color yours is. For example, are you experiencing black stress — the kind in which you feel there is no way out — or red, grey, purple or blue stress? Shore will reveal what each color means and what you can do to destress. He can also share why stress kills and joy heals and offer 11 strategies for living in joy. Barry can also talk about his own inspirational story of finding his life purpose after a little-known disease he didn’t even know he had suddenly left him a quadriplegic. Today he can walk haltingly with the aid of a six-foot walking wand, has been able to swim over 7,000 miles, and revels in his role as Ambassador of Joy to the World. He hosts The Joy of Living radio program and podcast and has been featured in or appeared on O Magazine, Fox, NBC, ABC, and Forbes. Contact him at (310) 770-4685; barry@barryshore.com
7. ==> Don’t Let Family Drama Ruin Your Holiday Zen
The holidays can be stressful under the best of circumstances, but this has been a crazy year and families are dealing with more than ever. Invite Arnoux Goran, author, speaker, and the world’s No. 1 expert in personal transformation, to reveal proven techniques to keep your cool and prevent family drama from getting out of hand. He’ll discuss common triggers that set people off and how to remain calm when family members try to push your buttons. Goran has developed a method to reprogram yourself that was studied by the University of California, Irvine, and proven to be 100% effective. His latest program is HowToAttractYourSoulmate.com. Goran has been featured on radio and television nationwide. Contact him at (878) 203-8231; AGoran@rtirguests.com
8. ==> The Power of Yes and No for Happier Holidays
Want to have a happier holiday season but don’t know where to start? Want to get a head-start on your New Year’s resolutions? Just like every other move you make in your life, you have Just 2 Choices, says author, speaker and radio guest Rico Racosky. Rico can help individuals navigate the holiday season and New Year’s resolutions so they can reach their goals by using simple yes or no answers. Figuring out your life just got way easier. Rico’s book is “Just 2 Choices.” Contact Rico at (730) 572-1321; Rracosky@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Can We Relax Now? This Guest Says ‘No!’
Americans’ anxiety around the election was palpable. After it was finally called after days of counting ballots, it was as if the country finally exhaled and spontaneous celebrations erupted across the country and even around the globe. Joe Biden has called for this to become a moment of national healing, but Sankarshan Das says that’s unlikely to happen. “This election will not heal our country. There are deep, deep wounds which Joe Biden is incapable of healing.” Invite the spiritual master to discuss what’s broken in our society, what we need to heal, and whether any politician can provide it. Sankarshan Das is the author of the upcoming book “Conquer Your Mind and Deliver the World: Empowering You to Awaken Your Divine Consciousness and Create Global Happiness.” He is also a singer-songwriter who once appeared onstage between Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. His song, “The Peace Formula,” has been praised by Barack Obama. Contact him at (512) 643-6740; sdas@rtirguests.com
10. ==> The Nursing Shortage is Here … What Can We Do about It?
Thanks in no small degree to the pandemic, burnout, and an older workforce, rural areas and small hospitals are scrambling for nurses with some ERs operating with fewer nurses than they should. How can we help prevent these nursing shortages which are likely to worsen as our aging population needs more care? You’ll want to explore this timely topic and the nursing experience with all its implications by interviewing Nancy Congleton. In addition to offering solutions to help today’s nurses and ultimately everyone they serve, she will reveal the unexpected realities of the nursing profession, five relationship dynamics that nurses face, legal issues, and the concerns everyone should have when nurses feel so unprepared and overworked that they leave. An outspoken registered nurse known as Nurse Nancy, Nancy has worked in the NICU, ER, and case management. She’s the author of “Autopsy of the NP: Dissecting the Nursing Profession Piece By Piece.” Contact Nancy Congleton at (918) 992-4616; NCongleton@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Boost Your Immun-a-Tea to Get Through the Holidays
Since the coronavirus outbreak began, everyone has been talking about immunity. How can your body be healthier to ward-off disease? Can we be wiser in what we eat and drink during the holidays? What’s the best natural way to bring about strength, energy, healthier skin and ultimately longer life? For the answers, listen to Tilak Sikva, an expert in nutrition and health research and the inventor of CilanTea, which helps people of all ages find their ideal path to a healthier life. Ask him: What makes cilantro an unexpected health food? What’s the best way to take advantage of its benefits? Which commonly imbibed beverages should we watch out for, since they decrease immunity, especially in difficult times? Contact Tilak Silva at (310) 421-4680, tsilva@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Fight Fibromyalgia and Feel Better in 2021
Leah McCullough, affectionately known as The Fibro Lady, appreciates that she no longer deals with life-impacting pain, fatigue and depression. Now an international wellness speaker and author, she’s on a mission to help other pain sufferers cope, manage, and even recover from fibromyalgia. Invite this informative and vivacious speaker to discuss secrets to an upbeat mood, boundless energy, achieving a great night’s sleep, and also timely topics such as the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on chronic pain patients, as well as medical cannabis. Leah is the author of “Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery and Eat to Energize.” Her free online program is “How to Reduce and Even Eliminate Fibromyalgia Pain.” Contact Leah at (859) 279-0413; LMcCullough@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Will the Supreme Court Take IVF Away?
Expect controversy when Nate Birt discusses in vitro fertilization (IVF) and whether it could become a casualty when the new conservative Supreme Court addresses reproductive rights. Birt, the father of a toddler who began life as another couple’s embryo, can discuss what Roe v Wade has to do with IVF, whether this is more than a pro-life issue, and what may happen if parents are denied the chance to give birth to or adopt a baby if IVF is no longer allowed. Nate Birt is the author of “Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption.” Contact Nate Birt at (417) 221-9045; NBirt@rtirguests.com
14. ==> Interview the Luckiest Man Alive
By any stretch of the imagination, Charles Gardner is a lucky man. He’s been on overtime for nine years so far after having survived a six-week coma, 13 strokes, major organ failure, a near-death experience and his family’s pulling the plug on him. All of those circumstances occurred as a result of one awful bout with the flu. But everything happens for a reason, and Charlie is certain that his purpose includes telling other people about the miracles he has experienced and serving as an example of how to appreciate the life you have even if it isn’t the one you expected. Charlie tells his inspiring story in his book “Always Remember This Moment.” Ask him: What happened during his near-death experience? What were some of the miracles he experienced? How did his daughter’s love bring him back from the dead? Contact Charles Gardner at (650) 995-5626; charlesgardner@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Skol! How to Choose Holiday Wine
It’s been an unconventional year and the holidays are sure to be the same. No matter whom you’re with or what you are eating, there will likely be some adult beverages involved and Jim Laughren, CWE, can help your listeners figure out the perfect wine for the occasion, whether they’re looking for a comforting favorite, something out of the ordinary or a bargain too good to pass up. He can also suggest creative gift ideas for the wine lovers on your shopping list like special glasses and accessories, wine club memberships and more. An encyclopedia of wine knowledge, Jim is the author of two short new eBooks, “The 15-Minute Guide to Red Wine” and “The 15-Minute Guide to White Wine.” He has appeared on radio and TV around the country and is also the award-winning author of “50 Ways to Love Wine More” and “A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine.” Contact Jim Laughren at (954) 317-9623; JLaughren@rtirguests.com