Episode 20: Darrin Fletcher

Chris Schlichting makes people laugh for a living. Both on stage and in a high school classroom. However, sitting in a hospital for three months with one of this newborn twins clinging to life was anything but funny. In this episode I talk with Chris about bombing on stage, awkward talks with his father-in-law, and the one joke his wife won’t let him tell anymore. Described as “hilarious” by his mom and “not good at sports” by his dad, Chris Shlichting takes pride in his immature and lovable comedic style. He travels the country making people laugh, and has been heard on the Bob & Tom radio show (amongst other places). Chris’ act covers hard hitting issues like squirrels, sandwiches, and his twin boys.

Newly married and making $800 a month in the minor leagues, Darrin Fletcher began to question the only thing he had ever known: baseball. After a miserable season, it was a seemingly chance encounter with the legendary Tommy Lasorda and Sandy Koufax that led Darrin to the big leagues and, eventually, to the All-Star Game. After three years as a standout catcher for the University of Illinois, Darrin Fletcher was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, launching a 16 year professional baseball career. Darrin spent time with the Dodgers, Phillies, and Blue Jays, but he may best be known for his 1994 All-Star season as a member of the Montreal Expos. Today, Fletcher is a member of the University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, is retired, and lives with his family in Central Illinois.

Growing up as an orphan in Zambia, Talia (Hayward) Melton had no money, no opportunity and—of course—no parents. Bi-racial and bullied, her early years were difficult at best. But times have changed. Talia has a beautiful family of her own, limitless opportunities and enough money to make breathtaking art out of it. Talia Hayward is a Zambian born artist with an instantly recognizable style. Growing up as an orphan in a third world country had its challenges, including often being deprived of the basic means to create art. It’s ironic then that, today, Talia’s mosaics are literally made of money…containing extremely fine detail achieved through painstaking effort and thousands and thousands of coins. Talia also appeared on Big Brother Africa 7 and runs the non-profit Thankful Thinking with her husband Brett.

Super Bowls, Final Fours, the Olympics. Each is just another day at the office for Chris Widlic. And while he gets into them all for free, earning the right to work the world’s greatest sporting venues didn’t come cheap. This TV sportscaster has seen a lot. He has done a lot. And early on, it cost him a lot. Now, with more than 30 years in the business, Chris not only has a job he loves...but has it in a city he loves and with a family who loves it all too. Chris Widlic is an award-winning TV broadcaster who has spent the last 16 years covering the Indianapolis market. After 12 years at WCIA-TV in Champaign, Illinois, Chris moved to WISH-TV in December 2003, before joining CBS 4 in 2017 (both in Indy). His work includes Super Bowls, Final Fours, the Olympics, and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Chris has followed Butler, IU, Purdue, Notre Dame and Valparaiso.

As the guy in charge of mixing the soundtrack at professional sporting events, downtown clubs and corporate events, DJ Step has his fingers firmly on the pulse of today’s culture. He gets paid to be the life of the party but, for awhile, Step’s life was much more pity than it was party. Thankfully, family and friends stepped up to pull the aspiring DJ through the lowest of lows, ultimately catapulting him to his dream gig…and to being named one of NPR’s “Five Chicago DJs to Watch in 2019. From rocking mainstream clubs like Studio Paris in the heart of the Chicago to leading the music direction for the city’s professional soccer team, the Fire, DJ Step turned his love for creating mix tapes at 16-years-old into a full-time career. So much so that Step has been named by NPR to their list of Five Chicago DJs to watch in 2019.

Her job is to connect artists with audiences and audiences with artists…and Leigh Holt has done it incredibly well. Just ask Oprah and Lauren Daigle and more than a handful of others so powerful she can’t publicly talk about them. But beneath Leigh’s breathtaking success lies an ever-present fear of failure. And when it comes to raising her two boys, Leigh finds herself a little fearful too. But the beauty comes in persevering, in rising above the fear, and in moving forward—both in business and at home. Leigh Holt is the Founder and President of Maddjett, a company which helps clients advance their brands, products and events. Maddjett has a long list of notable clients and projects including Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour, Hunter Hayes, Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend, Harper Collins Christian Publishers, Sony Music Nashville and more.

Coming from a family of 17 psychotherapists—and with the last name Livingston—there was no question that Glenn Livingston would be a doctor. And while the weight of his highly-stressful career, painful divorce and near bankruptcy could have easily done him in, it was Glenn’s battle with his actual weight that nearly did it instead. Thankfully, a career helping people, consulting big food and big pharma companies, and pouring himself into addiction recovery organizations led Glenn to discovering the secret to his success…and to the success of many thousands of other food addicts. Battling his own food demons became a lifetime helping others battle theirs. A psychologist, author and former multi-million dollar consultant to the health food industry, Glenn Livingston is living proof that a lifetime of food addiction and bingeing can be overcome. After losing more than 100 pounds himself, Glenn turned to helping others do the same. His book, “Never Binge Again” has nearly 700,000 copies in distribution.

A scholarship with his dream school turned into a nightmare with another. As one of the best high school players in America, Brett Melton was determined to turn four years at his dream university into a lucrative NBA career. But after an injury, a transfer, and a coach’s unethical behavior Brett realized: when it comes to basketball, the difference between professional and amateur is often just a few unfair (and unexpected) bounces of the ball. Now that his basketball playing days are over, Brett is focused on his family (a wife, three-year-old, and newborn twins) and giving back to those in his community and around the world. In high school, Brett Melton was the #1 shooter in the country, leading to scholarship offers from many top-tier basketball programs…including his hometown school, the University of Illinois. After two years with the Fighting Illini, Brett transferred to the University of San Diego and later played professionally in Mexico. Brett now runs his own insurance agency, basketball clinics, and the non-profit "Thankful Thinking" with his wife Talia.

He was one of the best punters in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. But Hunter Smith learned that fame and fortune and football don’t fulfill him. In fact, just two years into his professional career he realized on the outside he had everything, but on the inside he felt nothing. Hunter left football in 2010—after being let go from the Washington Redskins—and started a career in music. Growing up in Texas, singing and playing the guitar was nearly as ingrained in him as football was, and now Hunter has found that writing and performing allow him to “focus on the stuff that lasts.” A Super Bowl Champion punter and holder, Hunter Smith spent 12 years in the NFL, including a decade with the Indianapolis Colts. After leaving football in 2010, Hunter launched a music career which now records and tours under the name The Hunter Smith Band. Hunter, his wife and their kids live on a farm in Zionsville, Indiana.

She was known for being smart and musical and athletic…but it was what people didn’t know about Angela Schaffner that truly defined her. At least for awhile. As an author and psychologist, Angela now spends her days helping people work through their issues, but she first had to learn how to deal with her own. Dr. Angela Schaffner is an author and licensed psychologist and eating disorders specialist with over 18 years of experience providing therapy. Her latest book is called “Revealed: What the Bible Can Teach You About Yourself.” Angela is also a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and she lives in the Atlanta area with her husband, Dusty, and her three sons.