Journey to Gratitude with Walker Vreeland
Walker Vreeland is an award-winning monologist and radio personality, actor, singer, voice over artist and producer of In the Balance. In this final episode of the year, Susan invites Walker to sit in the interview chair for a conversation about gratitude. Starting with his ‘out of the blue’ cancer diagnosis last year, subsequent surgery, and recovery he takes us backward in time - through a major breakup and mental breakdown in his 20’s - all of which gave him the opportunity to create a grateful spirit. With humor and open-heartedness, he shares the gifts of a journey that taught him to make peace with what life hands him, to practice gratitude for what’s inside, to cultivate self-compassion. His parting insight for us as 2017 comes to a close: “We are all flailing through the universe - no one is in control of anything - look at your own life and use it as a template because everything you need to know you’ve already lived, and if haven’t, you will.”
Meet This Episode's Guest
“I think in order to practice gratitude in the world, one of the first steps is to make your peace…with yourself and what life has handed you.”
Walker Vreeland
Walker Vreeland is an award-winning monologist and radio personality, producer, writer, actor, singer and voice over artist. As a radio personality, he is best known for having hosted The Afternoon Show on 102.5 WBAZ-FM on Long Island, and as the creator and host of the successful podcast Interview with the Artist where he has interviewed such stars as Cyndi Lauper, Joy Behar, Betty Buckley, David Brenner, Sally Struthers, James Frey, Paula Poundstone, Cheech Marin, Sandra Bernhard and Jane Krakowski. He’s also been heard on 92.9 & 96.9 WEHM on Long Island, 103.9 WFAS in Westchester, NY, 96.7 ‘The Coast’ in Norwalk, CT and WEBE 108 in Bridgeport, CT.
As an actor and singer, Walker has worked extensively in theater, film and television. Off-Broadway credits include: FROM SHIP TO SHAPE (2017 United Solo Awards for Best One-Man Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Milton Justice). Other New York theater credits include: Little Women (with Deborah Gibson & Elaine Stritch), Erostratus, Just So Stories (Theaterworks USA), and the award-winning musical revue Our Life & Times (Winner of 1999 MAC and Bistro Awards). Regional Theater Credits: FROM SHIP TO SHAPE (Bay Street Theatre), Arthur in Arthur’s Christmas (The Vineyard Playhouse), Have a Nice Day (Theater Barn), Zombie Prom (Theater Barn). Touring: Just So Stories, Phantom of the Opera, A Christmas Carol.
He’s been seen on MTV, VH1, CBS Daytime (Guiding Light) and his films include: Sex Farce, Thinking Out Loud, and A Beautiful Mind. He is a graduate of Walnut Hill School for the Arts, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and Connecticut School of Broadcasting. Walker was voted #1 Personality in the Hamptons of 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Platinum Award) by Dan's Papers.