Ready Living Podcast Ep. 45: How Red Flag Laws Can Protect Survivors Before Gun Violence Occurs

In 2024, around 44,000 people died of gun-related injuries in the United States, which includes both homicides and suicides. Spencer Cantrell, JD, co-lead of the National ERPO Resource Center at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions within Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, is working to reduce that number.

In this Ready Living Podcast episode, she explains how extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), often called red flag laws, are civil legal tools that can help protect people from gun violence by intervening before tragedy occurs.

ERPOs enable a petitioner to ask a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone who is making threats or engaging in threatening behavior, and to bar that person from legally obtaining firearms for the duration of the order.

Twenty-two states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands currently have ERPO laws on the books, covering more than half of the country’s population.

Spencer walks through the ERPO process, from the initial filing to the final hearing where all parties have the opportunity to present evidence. She addresses how due process is included at every stage and the factors courts consider when deciding whether to grant or deny an ERPO.

She also explains how ERPOs can work in conjunction with traditional domestic violence protection orders. ERPOs focus solely on firearms, while domestic violence protection orders carry broader relief. Knowing what each tool does and when to use them can make a critical difference for survivors seeking safety.

This episode is essential listening for survivors, advocates, attorneys, and anyone who wants to understand how the law can step in to protect people at risk.

The interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Ready Living Podcast Ep. 27: Sustainable Luxury Travel Experiences That Change Lives

What if your next vacation isn’t just a source of adventure or relaxation, but an opportunity to truly impact others’ lives as well? Christopher Hill, founder of Hands Up Holidays and Impact Destinations, aims to help his guests do just that.

In this Ready Living Podcast episode, he shares how a trip to South Africa over twenty years ago changed the trajectory of his life from working as a successful London investment banker to becoming an entrepreneur pioneering luxury travel with purpose. 

Rolling up his sleeves alongside local residents to help build a home for a family in a Cape Town township opened his eyes to the possibility of blending philanthropy with leisure. This sparked his desire to empower others to give back in impactful, authentic ways while simultaneously enjoying the beauty of luxury travel. 

His philanthropy volunteering model ensures each trip is fully personalized, designed to match travelers’ interests, ages, and philanthropic goals. Guests can engage in a variety of activities such as helping build eco-friendly stoves that protect people from burns and respiratory illness, participating in rhinoceros relocations, teaching in classrooms, and supporting coral reef restoration.  

Families in particular have embraced these vacations, finding them powerful ways to instill values such as gratitude, empathy, and humility in their children. As he explains, children who help release baby turtles in Mexico or assist in building accessible bathrooms in Bali return home with life lessons that textbooks can’t teach.

Looking ahead, he sees growing demand for sustainable and meaningful travel experiences, arguing that  luxury is not at odds with giving back. He envisions a future where luxury travel empowers guests to become part of something bigger than themselves.

The interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.