Peaceful Hugs Podcast
Uplifting Stories of Faith, Kindness, and Connection
Join Mark and Lorelei for fun, laughter, and heartfelt conversations with remarkable guests from business, church, politics, and sports. They explore themes of service, second chances, community, faith, and more. With perspectives shaped by different generations, genders, and faith traditions, each episode offers a fresh reminder that doing good begins with empathy, compassion, and courage.
Upcoming Guests
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Best selling author and speaker, talks about his life-changing books, conferences, and other resources drawn from decades of experience as a counselor, social worker, advocate, pastor, spouse, parent, grandparent, and leader. He is the President and Co-Founder of Loving on Purpose, a ministry to families and communities worldwide centered around helping people build, strengthen, and heal their vital relationships. Danny is also the author of four books: Culture of Honor, Loving our Kids on Purpose, Powerful and Free and the top selling Keep Your Love On.
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Fresh off his interview on the acclaimed 60 Minutes news show on CBS. James H. Canty III is a Detroit-born FIDE Master, entrepreneur, streamer, and World Champion ChessBoxer who joins us to talk about his life experiences. James learned chess at age eight from his father and joined his school's chess club, where he met his first coach, Harold Steen. Canty became a national master at 17 after winning the first Harold Steen Memorial Cup. He reached his peak FIDE rating of 2353 in 2015 and his peak USCF rating of 2317 in 2019. In September 2025, he became the Super Heavyweight Chessboxing World Champion by defeating Evgenii Isaev in the final round of the 7th World Chessboxing Championships in Loznica, Serbia. Canty is also a coach and content creator for Chess.com.
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Affectionately known as “Pastor B” in the city of Denver, he saw hope where others saw defeat and desperation. Over the next decade, he worked with gang members, ex-offenders, and inmates. Realizing that real change also starts with youth and families, he established the Denver Dream Center in 2014 to bring wrap-around services, pro-social events, and crisis intervention services to share love and effective support with those who need it most. The Dream Center rescues people, rebuilds lives, and restores dreams.
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Since 1966, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been present on campuses (junior high, high school, and college levels) in all 50 states, and globally in approximately 140 countries around the world.
David has been on the FCA for over six years in the Denver area and is excited to share his story about making disciples through FCA's methods of engaging, equipping, and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same.
About the Hosts
Mark Z.
At 58, Mark Z sits squarely between the Boomers and Gen X — and he’s got the stories to back it up. He’s the founder of Peaceful Hugs, a seasoned business executive, and an entrepreneur whose life reads more like a novel than a résumé. From a turbulent youth and a headline-making robbery, to a failed marriage, the loss of his fiancée, a fight with cancer, adoption, raising kids, profound spiritual experiences, and building multiple businesses, Mark brings an uncommon depth to conversations about life and faith — all shaped by travels across the globe and to every U.S. state but two.
With degrees in communications and business — and now pursuing entry for his Master’s in Theology, Justice, and Public Life at Princeton Theological Seminary — Mark offers thoughtful, hard-earned wisdom on relationships, parenting, education, business, and even politics.
Lorelie Thorne
Lorelei Cromer is a nonprofit leader and adventurer at heart. A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in journalism, she brings a fresh Millennial perspective to her work and the world around her. As the Director of Operations for UnbridledACTS, she has spent the past six years building programs that serve diverse communities and offer hope to individuals in need.
Her purpose is simple: to “stop for the one” by recognizing each person’s intrinsic value and cultivating a sense of belonging. With experience as a missionary and time spent living abroad, Lorelei carries a global perspective into everything she does.
When she’s not advocating for at-risk communities, you’ll find her exploring the world with her husband and three dogs, diving into a good book, chasing new learning adventures, or savoring the crisp serenity of Colorado mornings.
Check back for podcast episodes. Coming soon!