Welcome to another inspiring episode of It's a Rap with Rap, where host Ron Rappaport brings you stories of overcomers and insights for better living. In this episode, we meet Gina Economopoulos, an extraordinary woman whose life is a testament to resilience and redemption. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Gina's journey is one marked by o…

Meet Jennifer Lee, a survivor of dating abuse, armed robbery, abduction and stalking. Jen is the author of her memoir "Why I Survived", a podcaster of her show titled "I Need Blue" and is a speaker before local groups nonprofits and national organizations to fulfill her passion and purpose to help trauma survivors feel that they belong, are loved, …

Host Ron Rapaport has the privilege of interviewing 15-year-old Cole Baughman, the unofficial 16th man on the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team and an overcomer of a rare genetic disorder Stickler Syndrome that affects connective tissues. Cole and his mother and father join Cole and Ron to tell us about the signs and symptoms of Stickl…

In this inspiring episode of 'It's a Wrap with Wrap,' host Ron Rapaport welcomes Lonnie Bedwell, a blind extreme adventure athlete and motivational speaker. Lonnie shares his incredible journey from losing his eyesight in a hunting accident to becoming a renowned blind extreme sports athlete. He discusses overcoming personal challenges to achieve t…

Andrew Matthews, is an esteemed author whose works on happiness and resilience have touched millions. Discover the lessons from his life and writings that teach us about embracing challenges and cultivating a joyful mindset. Whether you're facing career hurdles or personal trials, Andrew offers wisdom on seeing the positive and turning setbacks int…

Join host Ron Rapaport in this compelling episode of "It's A Rap With Rap" where he talks to Marcia Moran, author of "Stroke Forward," about her transformative journey to recovery after suffering a major stroke. Marcia shares her insights on the importance of persistence, self-advocacy, and exploring holistic therapies. Delve into Marcia’s personal…

Join us for an inspiring episode of "It's a Wrap with Wrap," where host Ron Rapaport welcomes Zach Tidwell, a blind Marine Corps veteran from Denver, Colorado. Known for his lighthearted approach to life's toughest challenges, Zach shares his incredible story of survival and transformation. After a failed suicide attempt that left him blind, Zach h…

In this enlightening episode of "It's a Wrap with Wrap," host Ron Rapaport invites Bailey Parnell, a world-renowned speaker and entrepreneur from Toronto, Canada, to explore the pervasive influence of social media on our mental health and digital well-being. Known for her pioneering efforts in digital wellness, Bailey shares her insights on how our…

In this exciting episode of "It's a Wrap with Wrap," host Ron Rapaport explores the adventurous life and career of guest Brian Hite, PhD, a renowned stuntman, psychologist, and consultant. Brian, with over 100 film and TV credits to his name, shares his journey into stunt work and how it merged with his passion for sports performance psychology. Li…

In this compelling episode of It's a Wrap with Wrap, host Ron Rappaport welcomes Dr. Fidele Sabahizi, a remarkable individual who has overcome incredible challenges to achieve the American dream. Growing up in a small African village and surviving an ethnically motivated massacre in a UN refugee camp, Fidele's journey is nothing short of inspiratio…

Join host Ron Rapaport as he sits down with Danny Covey, the remarkable author of Star Tissue and survivor of eight heart surgeries, including four open-heart procedures. In this gripping episode, Danny shares his incredible journey of overcoming adversity and how he transformed profound challenges into a life of purpose and inspiration. From the t…

Join host Ron Rapoport and his distinguished guest, Dr. Jan Schwartz, in this enlightening episode of 'It's A Rap with Rap.' Dr. Schwartz, a renowned expert in criminology and forensic behavioral science, shares her incredible journey from teaching young children to unraveling complex criminal patterns. She reveals how her unique insights into ment…

Join host Ron Rapaport in an enlightening conversation with Dr. Laura Gabayan, a renowned expert in emergency medicine and the author of "Common Wisdom: Eight Scientific Elements of a Meaningful Life." Dr. Gabayan shares her personal journey and breakthrough research on the essence of wisdom, elaborating on eight critical elements that define it—re…

For Doug Brinker, stories of survival run deep. At the early ages of 8 and 10 he nearly lost his life. Later in life Doug almost lost his life due to two suicide attempts. Doug is a disabled Iraq veteran who now offers hope to those suffering and is a positive light to crisis recovery. He discusses with Ron the issues surrounding Veteran suicide, h…

Meet Maria Pendolino an internationally recognized award-winning voice actor. Her signature voice print has been heard across commercials, documentaries, video games and more. Maria has lent her voice to campaigns for global brands such as Comcast/Xfinity, Dannon, American Express, Panera and more. She talks to Ron about her life's work dealing wit…

Ron interviews Dr. Joan Ifland who is a processed food addiction specialist. She has broken a lot of ground in the realm of food addiction having released a number of influential books and studies and she is currently working on evidence-based training for health care professionals. In this episode, Dr Ifland brings to light the shady reality of wh…

Ron talks with Sandy Kirkham who is a voice and advocate in the area of clergy sexual abuse. She was sexually abused at age16 by her youth pastor in the Protestant church. He was 30, married and had two children. His abuse lasted five years until his actions were discovered. He was given a going away party and moved to the next church and Sandy was…

Meet charismatic Maureen Manley whose determination and resilience first came to international attention as a world class cyclist. A member of the U.S. cycling team, she won a national championship, set a national record and won a silver medal at the 1990 world championships. At the height of her career, her dreams came to an abrupt halt. While rac…

Ron talks with Dr. G Rex Kruhly the founder of Depth Healing. Dr G consults, heals and nurtures clients from all over the globe online using the Quantum Field. Over the decades he has become a master of that ability. For eight years he has studied the Quantum Field as it relates to the mind and the subconscious, spirit, past lives, disease and pain…

Meet Elena Nicole, a certified holistic health, and life mindset coach. Elena specializes in helping people lose weight and get healthier realistically and sustainably while feeling more empowered, confident and in control of their health and life. She has learned from her experience the reasons for overeating. She lost more than 30 pounds while ga…

Meet Alain Pellitier who travels across Canada using a diary to explain bullying to students. He goes through emotion to reach reason. Alain uses his method to reach thousands of young people and teachers every year. Alain brings emotions to life so strongly that it is not uncommon to see young people in tears listening to him. As a driving force f…

Meet James Dorsey from Victoria B.C. Canada, author of "Delinquent: A True Story about Homelessness, Foster Care and Addiction" who at age 12 was placed in foster care against his will. Rather than enter into foster care he chose to run away and live on the streets. He tells his story to Ron how he became enmeshed in the harsh culture of street lif…

Meet Blair Sorrel, author of "A Schizoid at Smith" who talks about a little-known condition she has called Schizoid Personality Disorder and describes the daily challenges associated with living with the condition. Her book and her public appearances are bringing a spotlight to this condition and is a testament to Blair overcoming the challenges of…

Meet Austrian-California multimedia artist Michaell Magrutsche, also an awareness and creativity educator, speaker, podcaster and author of his book "The Smart of Art". Michaell tells us how he coped with and overcame various problems in his life and will educate us about mankind and how we might realize our human potential. Sponsors; Hero Soap Com…

Meet Rachel Shur who was a carefree 26-year-old woman living in Ventura County California who in an instant went to suddenly someone who had to make the most profound and complex legal, moral, medical and practical decisions humanly possible. Not only did she not know the answers, often she didn't even know the questions. She talks to Ron about her…

Ron talks with Dan MacQueen who at age 28 was leading an active, healthy lifestyle. In 2014 life threw him a curve ball. He started getting terrible headaches and blinding vision which led to two emergency brain surgeries. What he found along the way will surprise you. He tells us about his recovery and what he did to return to normal and achieve a…

Meet Leah Goldstein, internationally sought after speaker, author of her book "No Limits", world champion kickboxer at age 17, national cycling champion, winner of the 2021 Race Across America (RAAM) and nine-year veteran of the Israeli Defense Force in which she served as the first female elite commando instructor as well as a special forces intel…

Meet Jeanne Retief who hold a PhD in International criminal and humanitarian law, has presented on key human rights issues worldwide and consulted for 15 years in that field. After struggling all her life with anxiety, at age 35 she experienced a health and soul crisis and was diagnosed with panic disorder. She tells us how she made difficult decis…

Meet Linn Rivers. Linn teaches people a different way of living and being in this world. She is a functional health and wellness expert and educator. She teaches people all over the world how to take their health into their own hands, mind, body and spirit. You will learn so much listening to this episode pertaining to neuro linguistic programming,…

Ron interviews award winning author, speaker and podcaster Lizbeth Meredith who recounts her struggle to bring home her internationally abducted daughters from Greece to Alaska. Her amazing story reminds us that if you seek help and do not quit, anything is possible. Video broadcast available on our You Tube channel ITS A WRAP WITH RAP -THE PODCAST…

Ron talks with Kristof Morrow, award winning journalist, an author, U.S. Navy Veteran and Tourette's Syndrome overcomer. Kris discusses the challenges he has to face daily dealing with an extreme case of Tourette's and other adversities he has had to overcome. You will find his story very inspiring and learn a lot about Tourette's. Sponsors: Life I…

Meet Dr Susan Partovi, recognized internationally as a leader in homeless and street medicine. She practices in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles, California which contains the highest concentration of homeless in the United States. Dr Partovi is one of the founders of H.E.A.L (Health Care, Empowerment, Advocacy and Learning), a non-profit that …

Ron talks with Max Friedman, author of "Painful Joy", memoir writer and second-generation Holocaust survivor. Max shares with us how his mother and father survived the horror of the Holocaust spending several years being imprisoned in concentration camps. Max will explain to us the difficulty of living in a family where both parents were haunted by…

Ron talks to Risa August, an artist, writer, world traveler, certified Gestalt practioner, endurance athlete, and a Acromegaly patient and survivor. In 2011 Risa noticed something was wrong with her body, she began to grow and get larger despite being on a strict regimented diet and competing in endurance events such as cycling, triathlons and moun…

Meet Dr Charley Ferrer, world renowned clinical sexologist and sex therapist. She is an award-winning author of several books on relationships, sexuality, self-empowerment and breast cancer. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and thyroid cancer in 2017, she became frustrated with the lack of information and treatment options provided to patients.…

Meet Dan Clouser, author, podcast host, speaker, coaching trainer and consultant. In 2019 after founding and running a non-profit youth sports organization for 30 years working with kids and teaching them leadership skills and life lessons through sports, he felt a calling from God to leave his comfort zone. He started a new journey with his wife a…

Meet Tim West who is legally blind and lost all his skin at age 4 due to Stevens- Johnsons Syndrome. Tim stands tall, he is a disability and mental health advocate who fights for those who feel they cannot. Listen and get a sense of what living with a disability is like from someone who tells it like it is. Sponsors: Hero Soap Company-Click link be…

Ron talks with Eric Christiansen, an acclaimed documentarian and seven-time Southwestern Region Emmy Award recipient whose films focus on the impact of trauma on individuals, families and communities. A trauma survivor himself, having lost his home in the Santa Barbara, California Painted Cave Fire disaster, he understands trauma and the resilience…

Ron talks with Leslie Hope Holthoff, a mom by the age of sixteen. Leslie tells us of her experiences in turning a life destined for failure into a life of abundance which inspired her to help others using herself created Hope to Happiness method. Leslie has authored the book "Not Mary, Not Roe" the survival story of a reluctant teen mom which is a …

Meet Kim Sorrelle, author of the best seller "Love Is", serial entrepreneur, director of a humanitarian organization, activist, mother and lover of all people. In 2009 while battling breast cancer, her husband Steve received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis four months after her diagnosis. Her first book "Cry Until You Laugh" chronicles that journey. …

Meet Michelle Shekhinah who was married for many years and was a stay-at-home mom with two special needs children. In 2015 she realized her husband was addicted to drugs. In this time, she had experienced financial, emotional and sexual abuse from him, which turned into him sex trafficking her. Michelle spent many nights crying on the floor, until …

Meet Tyler Wittkofsky, multi-genre author, poet, mental health and travel blogger, podcaster, winning marketing and communications professional who grew up homeless and abused by his father for the first ten years of his life. Tyler was constantly made to feel like a lesser person which led the way to quite a few mental health disorders that stem f…

Ron talks with author Susan Gold who wrote "Toxic Family, Transforming Childhood Trauma into Adult Freedom " and used her intuitive callings to leave her toxic family situation and eventually meet the demons of her upbringing that were continuing to repeat in her life. Professionally Susan became known for attracting celebrity talent to brands in N…

Meet former U.S. Marine King Randall from Albany Georgia. King was alarmed by the high level of crime in his hometown. The young offenders were mostly black males as young as 11 years old. This inspired him to be the change the community needed and to be the role model these young men were missing in their lives. King founded the X for Boys Program…

Ron talks with author Mike Aronson about his book "Whatever" which contains over 30 years of documentation of what he has witnessed in his life such as a painting, a statue, wall art, quotes, positive thoughts, poems, rants and more. Mike became obsessed with the word WHATEVER and it was his dream to write a book with all the stuff he had collected…

Meet Tina Petrova award winning film maker, motivational speaker and author. When not teaching or making films, Tina is an advocate on the issue of chronic pain as she is also a chronic pain survivor and thriver. Tina has released a feature length documentary titled "Pain Warriors" about the pain epidemic in North America and discusses with us this…

Ron interviews Greg Carpenter founder of Blue Sky CBD and Dr Eric Dorninger research and development director of Blue Sky to answer all his questions about CBD . CBD is explained for the listener, it's sourcing, properties, effects on the body, its uses, legal issues, and the benefits for the consumer. Blue Sky is a small company in Colorado that f…

Ron talks with four-time paralympic basketball wheelchair medalist and hall of famer Mike Schlappi who was accidentally shot in the chest at age 14 and left two-thirds paralyzed. Mike inspires others through his experiences and discusses his philosophy of overcoming adversity, and his challenge to individuals to succeed despite difficult circumstan…

Meet Tom Exler, born with a rare birth defect called Bladder Exstrophy (BE) meaning his bladder was turned inaide out. Tom didn't ask to have a stoma but he is living proof that challenges in life doesn't have to stop anyone from what they want to do. Sponsors: Home Doctor Practical Guide https://3e24fn-0x2-k1z9b1gq42z1w7m.hop.clickbank.net Rare Pa…

Ron talks with iconic fashion designer Diane Gilman who started her career in the 1960'a dressing rock stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, Jim Morrison and the list goes on. Diane introduced washable silk to the U.S. market earning her fortune and fame in the department store industry. She reinvented herself as the …