Kristen Adams

Videos for Everyday Matters are hosted, filmed and produced by Emmy award-winning producer, writer and director, Kristen Strand Adams. Formerly Diane Sawyer's producer at PrimeTime Live and Good Morning America, Kristen produced network specials on Paul McCartney and Carmen bin Laden, and interviews with President George H.W. Bush, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Paul Newman, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Rob Lowe, Richard Gere, Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger and Luciano Pavarotti.

Kristen won an Emmy in 2001 for Best Interview (with New York City Fire Chief Daniel Nigro), the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University journalism award for her contributions to ABC's coverage of 9/11, and GLAAD's Outstanding Television Journalism award for "Rosie's Story," a two hour special on gay adoption. Before producing for Sawyer, Charlie Gibson, and Robin Roberts at GMA, Adams wrote for Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams at NBC's Nightly News.

Kristen left broadcast news after the birth of her first child in 2003, becoming a freelance producer and raising her two sons, Emmett and Tommy (now 9 and 7 years old). She is a competitive Open Water swimmer and belongs to the Masters team in Westport, CT. She was diagnosed with MS in January 2008.

Michelle Clos

Positive psychology and application of practice outlined in The Happiness Advantage are supported in Everyday Matters by professional life coach, Michelle Clos. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, Michelle was inspired to provide career coaching services to others after going through her own difficult experience of requesting a job accommodation.

Michelle is an Associate Credentialed Coach, a Certified Employee Assistant Professional, and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She takes pride in empowering others living with MS to live their best life and reach their full potential, whether it be transitioning to a new career better suited for the unique skill sets and challenges associated with MS, developing a health and wellness or stress management plan, or creating a work/life balance that addresses the issues related to MS. Michelle lives in Dallas, Texas, with her partner of 13 years and their 7 "furry" children. She works with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's South Central Region to provide coaching services, and in her spare time enjoys running 5ks with her friends and reading non-fiction.

Shawn Achor

Participant learning as part of the Everyday Matters project is based around Shawn Achor's application of positive psychology in his book, The Happiness Advantage. Shawn graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned a Masters from Harvard Divinity School in Christian and Buddhist ethics. He spent over a decade at Harvard where he won numerous distinguished teaching awards for his work; in 2006, Shawn was Head Teaching Fellow for "Positive Psychology", the most popular course at Harvard at the time.

In 2007, Shawn founded Good Think Inc. to share his research with a wider population. When the global economy collapsed in 2008, he was immediately called in as an expert by the world's largest banks to help restart forward progress. Subsequently, Shawn has spoken in 45 countries to a wide variety of audiences: bankers on Wall Street, students in Dubai, and CEOs in Zimbabwe. His research on happiness and human potential has received attention from the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Forbes, CNN and NPR.