In Episode 051, Jeff Crider describes helping people on medical missions

Today I am interviewing a man who loves to tell stories. He’s a former journalist, turned public relations professional who developed a love for photography along the way. Now in his 60s, he serves as an interpreter during medical missions around the world.

After getting a degree in Spanish and European studies, Jeff Crider considered a career with the U.S. State Department, but opted to go into journalism instead. Over the years, he became an exceptional storyteller with a knack for using words and photography to tell his stories.

With a growing family to support, he moved from journalism to public relations until the dot.com bust forced him into self-employment. But, that opened even more doors for him as well. After a painful divorce, Jeff’s life went in a different direction when he met a couple who organized medical missions around the world to provide much-needed services to desperately-poor people.

I have known Jeff for almost 25 years. As a journalist, he covered the California RV industry while I covered the industry from a national perspective as the editor of several business publications. As a freelance writer, the press releases Jeff wrote were among the best in the industry.

Jeff just loves to write, and he’s very good at telling stories in ways that grab people’s attention and draw them into the story. The photographs he takes are stunning as well. When he combines photos and words, he creates a compelling and memorable narrative.

He is also one of the most adventurous people I know who loves to connect with the outdoors. In fact, it was a connection to nature that helped him recover from the trauma of a personally-devastating divorce. He discovered being in nature was a way to reduce stress and promote creative thinking.

Jeff’s greatest legacy is his commitment to IMAHelps, an organization of medical professionals who volunteer their time to helping people around the world. He said participating in just one medical mission is like doing 1,000 good deeds for people who often have no access to even basic medical care, let alone life-saving and life-changing procedures.

Now in his 60s, Jeff cannot envision retiring because he’s having too much fun doing what he loves to do – writing and helping people in need. People can connect with Jeff by emailing him at criderpublicrelations@gmail.com. He also has a profile on LinkedIn and Facebook.

That’s all I have for this week’s show. If you’d like help in identifying a purpose for your life or to get help planning your next steps, I’m offering a complimentary brainstorming session to members of the Forward From 50 Facebook community. For details, connect with me on Facebook or visit www.forwardfrom50.com.

I’ll have another inspirational interview on the next episode of the Forward From 50 podcast. Thanks for listening. If you like this show, please consider leaving a review wherever you download the episodes.