Ashton Gustafson | Let The Music Play

Jonathan Merritt is an award-winning writer on religion, culture, and politics. He currently serves as a contributing writer for The Atlantic and contributing editor for The Week. Jonathan has published more than 3500 articles in respected outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. As a respected voice, he regularly contributes commentary to television, print, and radio news outlets and has been interviewed by ABC World News, NPR, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox News, and CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

Lisa Gungor started loving music and art as a child. After college, she began recording and traveling with the band that eventually turned into the Grammy-nominated musical collective simply known as “Gungor.” Lisa now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two beautiful and wild girls, Amelie and Lucie. She continues to write for Gungor, Planet Moon, and The Liturgists, plus contributes to a handful of other publications.Her first book, The Most Beautiful Thing I've Seen, was released on June 26, 2018.

Called "The Brené Brown of Wonder” by Mind Body Green and a “Millennial Motivator” by Fortune, Amber Rae is an author, artist, and speaker whose work invites you to live your truth, befriend your emotions, and express your gifts. Her writing blends raw, personal storytelling with actionable aha! moments, and has reached over 5 million people in 195 countries. Her public art has spread to more than twenty countries, and she's spoken to and collaborated with brands like Kate Spade, Apple, Amazon, Lululemon, and Unilever. She's been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Fast Company, BBC, ABC World News, Tim Ferriss's blog, and more.Previously, Amber helped launch six best-selling books as Chief Evangelist of Seth Godin's publishing experiment and started an "accelerator for your life" called The Bold Academy. She lives in Brooklyn and around the world with her fiancé, Farhad.

Amos Smith holds a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. He teaches classes on contemporary Christian Mysticism at the Redemptorist Renewal Center and at various churches in Tucson and has been invited to participate in forums at the University of Arizona. His writing has been published in various newspapers and magazines including The Billings Gazette, The Spokesman Review, Friends Journal: Quaker Thought and Life Today, and Chicago Seminary Press.Amos published his first book, Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots with Wipf & Stock Publishers in 2013. The book has been well received and reviewed and is part of the curriculum for the Living School of The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC | Richard Rohr).Amos’ latest book, Be Still and Listen: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life, was published by Paraclete Press on June 12th, 2018.

The Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’.It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission tochoose for us.In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less.By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highestpossible contribution toward

Chris is a serial entrepreneur with more than 13 years of real estate development and investment experience and has developed over $200M in multi-family, student housing, commercial/industrial, and residential & land development projects throughout Fort Worth and the greater DFW Metroplex. Chris is a visionary with a demonstrated talent in looking ahead at what could be and understanding what must be done today to get there. His ability to conceptualize, raise capital, and execute are only a small part of what Chris brings to the table.Chris oversees the vision for the company, Fort’s largest deals, capital relationships, executive level recruiting, strategic partnerships, and chairs the investment committee. Creating meaningful relationships and building a team around a vision and Fort’s goals are the most important qualities that make Chris ready for the job. With a belief that investing time in people is the best investment that can be made, Chris has built a strong network throughout Texas that has he

Mark Nepo moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller," and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." His work is widely accessible and used by many and his books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A bestselling author, he has published twenty books and recorded fourteen audio projects. In 2015, he was given a Life-Achievement Award by AgeNation. And in 2016, he was named by Watkins: Mind Body Spirit as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, and was also chosen as one of OWN's SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. In 2017 Mark became a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health Magazine. Recent work includes More Together Than Alone (Atria, 2018), Things That Join the Sea and the Sky (Sounds True, 2017), a N

The vice president of leadership at LinkedIn claims that the biggest driver of motivation is the chance to serve a larger purpose beyond our careers and ourselves, rather than salary, benefits, bonuses, or other material incentives; companies that are able to successfully focus their people, their teams, and their culture around meaning outperform their competition.Fred Kofman’s approach to leadership has little to do with the standard practices taught in business school and traditional books. Bringing together economics and business theory, communications and conflict resolution, family counseling and mindfulness mediation, Kofman argues in The Meaning Revolution that our most deep-seated, unspoken, and universal anxiety stems from our fear that our life is being wasted–that the end of life will overtake us when our song is still unsung. Kofman claims that transcendental leaders, wherever they are in the hierarchy, are able to put aside their self-interests and help others to feel connected with others on a

Rocky Garza is a people and culture development expert that challenges audiences to consider their motivations, inspirations, and fears. Most describe Rocky’s intimate, reflective approach as truly transformational. He reminds leaders, teams, and organizations that every person is, at their core, just a human. Rocky explores relationship management and humanity through his Personal Identity Mapping service – an examination how and why people do the things that they do. The result is intense clarity and deep learning about the ‘one’ whole person we really are, and the realization that we need to be that same person in every part of our life: as a servant leader, as a respectful partner, as a key teammate, and as a difference maker and engaged member of our families and communities.

Pilot and world champion runner Orville Rogers trained bomber pilots in World War II, flew the B-36 on secret missions during the Korean Conflict, ferried airplanes to remote Baptist missions all over the world, and managed to squeeze in a thirty-one-year career as a pilot with Braniff Airways. After retirement, he and Esther Beth, his wife of sixty-four–plus years, served thirteen months with the Baptist Mission in Tanzania. With her help on the ground, he flew goods and passengers to outposts largely inaccessible by land. Orville took up running at age fifty-one and ran his first marathon six years later. At age ninety, just two weeks after Beth’s passing, he attended his first national meet, where he broke two world records. He holds fifteen world records to date and continues to compete annually. Invariably, he wins. He has two sons, Bill and Rick, and a daughter, Susan, as well as, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Suzanne Stabile is a highly sought-after speaker and teacher, known for her engaging laugh, personal vulnerability, and creative approach to Enneagram instruction. She is the coauthor, with Ian Morgan Cron, of the bestseller The Road Back to You, and she is the creator and host of The Enneagram Journey podcast.Most of us have no idea how others see or process their experiences. And that can make relationships hard, whether with intimate partners, with friends, or in our professional lives. Understanding the motivations and dynamics of these different personality types can be the key that unlocks sometimes mystifying behavior in others—and in ourselves.The Path Between Us, available April 10, 2018, from Suzanne Stabile on the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships will guide readers into deeper insights about themselves, their types, and others' personalities so that they can have healthier, more life-giving relationships. No one is better equipped than Suzanne Stabile to share t

Diana Butler Bass is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture.She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the award-winning author of ten books, including Grounded: Finding God in the World —A Spiritual Revolution (HarperOne, 2015) and Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks will be released by HarperOne on April 3, 2018.She regularly speaks at conferences, consults with religious organizations, leads educational events, and teaches and preaches in a variety of venues in the United States and internationally. Her bylines include The Washington Post, The New York Times Syndicate, and The Huffington Post. She has commented widely on religion, politics, and culture widely in the media including USA TODAY, Time, Newsweek, CBS, CNN, FOX, PBS, NPR, Sirius XM, and CBC.

Ashton talks about his daily tips and techniques for leading and living out a life and career of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.

Michael Steger is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Psychology and Applied Social Psychology programs at Colorado State University. He was recently named as an Extraordinary Professor by North-West University in South Africa. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Macalester College and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Personality Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2005. His graduate work on developing a measure of meaning in life earned him the Best Dissertation Award from the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies. He has continued to research the foundations and benefits of living a meaningful life. In addition, he has published research on factors related to achieving well-being, how people adjust to traumatic life events, and social influences on depression. He is the co-editor of Designing Positive Psychology from Oxford University Press, and Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace from American Psychological Association Press. His research also investigates what makes

Jo Saxton is an author, speaker, leadership coach, church planter and visionary, who empowers women, challenges societal stereotypes and helps people discover who they truly are, by seeing themselves the way God sees them.A sought-after speaker, Jo has spoken at colleges/universities, churches and acclaimed national conferences including: Q, IF: Gathering, Catalyst and faith-based gatherings across the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Notably, Jo Saxton has also been featured at the esteemed National Day of Prayer.

Ty Clark has been creating in multiple genres since he was 4 years old. Ty grew up in a family imbued by culture. His uncle was Conway “Jiggs” Pierson, the world-renowned Sculptor and Raku artist, who impacted his drive and passion for the arts at an early age. He has been exhibiting nationally for over 15 years and in 2010 was named one of America’s Brightest Young Influencers by Catalyst. Other recipients on the list included Blake MyCoskie (TOMS Shoes), Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Scott Harrison (Charity Water), Aaron Cohen (Human Rights Activist), Kyle Korver (NBA), Kohl Crecelius (Krochet Kids), Jon Chu (Director) and Danielle Sturridge (Liverpool EPL).In search of “The Thin Places”, places on earth where the “Divine Presence” is so strong that they serve as portals from this world to the next, Ty has traveled the globe. He has traveled to 5 continents while spending time living, serving, creating and learning in over 20 countries, and cultures around the world. Ty was recently named one of ten contemporary a

Dr. Kelly Flanagan is the author of Loveable: Embracing What Is Truest About You, So You Can Truly Embrace Your Life.

Miles Adcox is the CEO/Owner of Onsite, and Milestones at Onsite (extended care center for emotional trauma & co-dependency). Miles speaks nationally on various topics including Emotional Leadership, Inspiration, Communication, Organizational health, Creative Flow, Family Systems, Trauma, and Emotional Wellness.Miles is a communication, personal growth, and mental health consultant to the music and entertainment industry. He is a featured guest expert on The Dr. Phil Show, and has also been featured on The Doctors, A&E’s Intervention and has been interviewed on codependency, emotional wellness, and family dynamics on several national radio shows. He is a producer of the gripping emotionally transformative documentary in production I’m Done Drowning. Onsite has been featured on 20/20, Good Morning America, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church // Author of Expansive, Enneagram and the Way of Jesus, and Quiet: Hearing God Amidst the Noise // follow on instagram @aj_sherrill

Thad lives in Grand Rapids, MI where he works as a consultant and writes. After spending nearly a decade running sustainable and social businesses, he has shifted focus towards a bigger picture. The conversation is no longer about individual projects or business ideas, but in an ever polarizing society, how do we look at the root causes of systemic issues instead of tirelessly trying to address the symptoms.https://www.thadcummings.com/