Experience Junkies: Recent Episodes
Deanna Nwosu
Welcome to Experience Junkies!
On this show, I highlight together meeting and event professionals, global travelers, jet-setters, and more to relive the moments we never want to forget. More importantly, we’ll attempt, as best we can, to transport listeners to transformational points in our lives, sharing our observations and emotions behind these stories. By diving into the indelible impact these experiences have had on us, we decode small takeaways about how to be better humans than we were yesterday.
I am joined by Rachel Sheerin, an award-winning keynote speaker and emcee in today's episode. Rachel’s rocked stages for titans of the industry across the world at annual conferences, summits, and events. She has been passionate about blending positive energy and authentic engagement in her events.
As we dived deeper into the conversation, we talked about her passion for traveling. She also talks about the best place in the world and how traveling can change someone’s perspective in life. Aside from this, she also talks about how to perform at your best even if you don’t fit in the mold and how to cultivate one’s path to success.
This episode is packed with many quotable quotes that will surely help you have a positive outlook in life and would really motivate you to resonate this positive energy with others.
Tune in to this light and insightful episode.
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You can listen to Rachel’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Rachel!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Do you embody yourself? Well, if not yet, then this episode is for you!
In today’s episode, I am joined by Amber Fortier, an intuitive business and life coach. She helps entrepreneurs own their magic, make more money, and succeed in their businesses. Amber has been passionate about assisting people in activating their gifts and igniting their passion for making it a profitable career.
As we dive deeper into the conversation, we tackle a myriad of topics ranging from her experiences in traveling at a very young age to the importance of aligning your actions to your mission and vision. Amber shared a lot of quotable quotes in this episode that will surely encourage you to embody yourself.
Tune in to this exciting episode and hear how you can embody yourself.
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You can listen to Amber’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Amber!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Normally behind the “host microphone”, today’s guest is none other than Reena Friedman Watts. She is the host of the podcast “Better Call Daddy” and the owner of Megawatt Productions. Reena has also worked on several reality TV shows such as The Jerry Springer Show.
Throughout our conversation, Renna talks about the truth about how she became successful in the production and media industry. We tackled a myriad of other topics ranging from her humble beginnings in the industry to how she coaches entrepreneurs to find their first clients. This episode is chock-full of stories and relatable learnings from Reena’s storied career working in the entertainment industry.
Tune in to this insightful episode and hear precisely the most outstanding value Reena learned in the entertainment industry.
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You can listen to Reena’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Reena!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
“Adventure is about taking risks and doing it anyway.”
In today’s episode, I am joined by Stacy Newman Weldon, the CEO of Adventure Wednesdays, a solution to better yourself. A few years ago, Stacey found herself at a crossroads when she was fired just a few months after starting her new job. This made her shift her attitude in life.
As we dive deeper into the conversation, we talk about the truth about how she was able to bring back happiness in her life through the adventures she had experienced. She shared many of her experiences when she attended the Burning Man desert art fest, which was the initial step to embracing the new phase of her life. Aside from this, she also emphasized why and how women should expand their horizons in life.
Tune in to this exciting episode and know why you should embrace the highs and lows of adventures.
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You can also find Stacey on her website and the LinkedIn
You can listen to Stacey’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests, and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Stacey!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
In today’s episode, I am joined by Anca Trifan, who is the founder, creator, and CEO of Tree-Fan Events- a woman-owned boutique technical event planning and production agency that provides strategy, technology, and gear to host a successful virtual or hybrid event. Anca has worked in event productions for almost twenty years and has extensive experience in event planning.
As we dived deeper into our conversation, Anca shared what she has learned in conducting successful hybrid and virtual events. In this episode, she also shared how the drastic changes in her life brought her to the successful path she has today. Aside from this, she shared a lot of gems that will surely help you succeed, such as the importance of setting healthy boundaries and how to keep your drive and passion burning in work without feeling exhausted.
Tune in to this insightful episode and hear exactly how you can cultivate your success despite the changes happening around you.
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You can also find Anca on her website and Youtube channel
Check out Anca’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests, and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Anca!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
This week, I am joined by Marisa Wheeling Cielsuk, a Transformative Leadership and Executive coach for women. As a lover of the outdoors, Marisa is no stranger to challenges. She faced her profound fear of heights and submitted to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, which eventually helped her to find joy and purpose in her life.
As we dived deeper into the conversation, Marisa shared her journey on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and how it helped her create a new perspective and purpose in life. In this episode, Marisa emphasizes the value and learnings you can get in embracing your journey and how your successes or failures in life don’t define you. She also gave insights about climbing our regular summits and the value of being content in the valley.
In this reflective episode, listeners will understand why we need to celebrate the small wins in our lives every day.
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You can listen to Marisa’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Marisa!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
In today’s episode, I am joined by John Pistotti who has managed complex events logistics at hotels, universities, convention centers, and outdoor venues. His humble beginnings in the field of hospitality started when he joined the banquets team at the Playboy Mansion. This has led him to many experiences as a technical director which serve as his learning curve to attain the success that he has. John has been passionate about helping with powerful experiences and events.
As we dive deeper into our conversation, John shares how small growth can lead you to success and we also discussed the importance of knowing what your audience truly needs when creating successful experiences and events. In this episode, John also breaks down the full value proposition of digital, virtual, and hybrid events. He gave a lot of insight in this episode which will surely make you realize how to appreciate each step along your career and experience creation journey.
Tune in to this jam-packed episode and hear exactly how “small steps” can lead to “big milestones”.
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You can listen to John’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Paige!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Brett Musco is a Boston-based project manager, triathlete, and long-distance runner who sat down with me to share his story. He began his endurance sports journey in 2017, completing a 1.8 mile open water swim, and has been continuing to seek new adventures ever since, including his first Ironman in 2021.
As we dive into our conversation, Brett shares how he began his triathlete journey and what are the factors that drive him to pursue triathlon. He will also share how having a supportive family and community can help someone be successful in triathlon. Brett shared a lot of gems from this episode that will challenge you to go out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to do better.
Tune in to this powerful episode and learn how we can possibly challenge ourselves to push past our perceived limitations and enjoy the journey to becoming our best selves.
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You can also find Brett on his Website
You can listen to Brett’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
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Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Heidi!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Travel and tourism can enrich the lives of anyone - if you’re purposeful about your journeys and interactions with the people you encounter.
In today’s episode, I am joined by Paige McClanahan, a travel journalist and podcast host of the “Better Travel Podcast.” She has lived in five countries on two different continents since she left the United States in 2008. Paige has been passionate about inspiring people to travel ever since.
As we dive deeper into our conversation, Paige shares what she learned as a travel journalist and what it means to travel “better”. In this episode, Paige gave a glimpse of what life is like for locals in high tourism zones, the good the bad…and everything else. She also gave insights on how we can travel in a way that will leave a positive impact on the world.
Tune in to this fantastic episode and hear what exactly “better travel” is and why it’s important today.
Follow Paige on Instagram and Twitter
You can also find Paige on her website and the Better Travel podcast.
You can listen to Paige's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests, and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Paige!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
There is no innovation without pushing past fear.
Today, I am joined by Heidi Legein, the founder and the chief executive Guru at the Mice Guru. She is the creator of “The Digital Trip” - a virtual and immersive destination showcase series; and the “Digital Disruptor” an innovative, and transformative hybrid event concept. She is known for her strong will of going beyond the boundaries.
As we dive into the conversation, Heidi and I talk about many important topics ranging from creating amazing experiences to innovating in the workspace. This episode is mainly about not being afraid of innovating and failure, for it can make us a winner in the end. Heidi gives us a mini motivational speech in this episode which will surely help you innovate and feel like a winner every single day.
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You can listen to Heidi's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests, and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Heidi!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Career breaks have been such a taboo subject for so many years and today you’ll know why it’s a beautiful thing.
In this episode, I’m joined by Katrina McGhee who is a career break and sabbatical coach and expert. She helps individuals create the break of their dreams even when it feels impossible. The main goal of Katrina is to provide a pathway to creating a life you celebrate, rather than “tolerate”.
As we dive into the conversation, Katrina shares what she learned from stepping away from corporate America and how it changed her life. There are countless quotable moments in this episode that will surely help you re-evaluate your life goals. She talks about a myriad of topics from financial freedom to letting your desire be bigger than your fear.
Tune in to this amazing episode and hear how Katrina changed her life by choosing herself.
Follow Katrina McGhee on LinkedIn and Facebook
You can also find Katrina at https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/
You can listen to Katrina’s song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Katrina’s experience!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Today, I am joined by Liz Lathan who is the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Haute Companies which is comprised of strategic marketers, problem solvers, brand stewards, innovators and many more. Liz oversees marketing for all of Haute brands.
Liz joined me today to talk about what “Haute” is all about and what it means to be a “Hautie”. In this conversation, listeners will get a glimpse of how they tackle creating experience strategy for campaigns, conferences and other activations. Liz also talked about their groundbreaking research on “Return on Emotion” and the 5 key emotions that you need to evoke for your clients in order to drive revenue.
Tune in this insightful episode and learn from Liz as you build your event strategy.
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You can also find Liz at http://eventphilosopher.blogspot.com/
You can listen to Liz's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Join the Experience Junkies Discord to talk directly to Deanna, show guests and other listeners!
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Liz!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Buckle up for some interesting conversations in Season 2 of the Experience Junkies Podcast, coming April 2022!
I capped off 2022 with a two week family vacation - spending Christmas in Europe! During this experience, with a group that spanned ages 9 to 67, so many thoughts ran through my head. So this solo episode is a bit different, as I provided my top ten takeaways I've learned through intergenerational travel.
Reflecting back on this trip reminds me of the song "Love Train" by The O'Jays. You can listen on the show's spotify playlist.
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Listen in to my chat with Anne Nevel to talk about a fun event she created for female entrepreneurs and leaders with a child-like spin!
Anne is currently the Vice President, Industry Education for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA). Prior to joining HDA, she was responsible for the oversight of the education and certification programs for various associations. A graduate of Florida State University, she is passionate about learning and connecting people for the purpose of sharing and growth, which drives her personal pursuits. These pursuits include volunteering with multiple non-profits and creating a safe space for entrepreneurial women to connect, learn, share, and grow – The Sleepover.
Check out more information on The Sleepover.
You can also find Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn.
You can listen to Anne's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from the sleepover!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Experience Junkies Oasis is a safe space for us to process our experiences and the emotions they elicit. After each full podcast episode, we'll stop by the Oasis to debrief what we've learned.
The theme of Season 1 Episode 5 was - SHIFT.
Take 90 seconds to affirm SHIFT in your life with me!
Watch episode five on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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Music by John Yasutis
Sabrina Meyers is the ultimate Global Citizen - she's lived in four countries, speaks a handful of languages and loves to travel. It only makes sense that her career has centered on events and hospitality! Listen to our conversation as Sabrina shares her career experiences, global travel and what she wishes to share with the world about the events and hospitality industries!
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You can listen to Sabrina's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Sabrina's journey!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Experience Junkies Oasis is a safe space for us to process our experiences and the emotions they elicit. After each full podcast episode, we'll stop by the Oasis to debrief what we've learned.
The theme of Season 1 Episode 4 was - RESPECT.
Take 90 seconds to affirm RESPECT in your life with me!
Watch episode four on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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Music by John Yasutis
Today we sit down with Jen Salerno from The Room Block Podcast. Jen is a 20 year hospitality veteran but also an avid traveler both for work and play.
Listen is as Jen tells us about the epic trip she took with her husband to Europe and the takeaway lesson she learned about being respectful of other's homes, when away from her own.
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You can also find Jen on Instagram and LinkedIn.
You can listen to Jen's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Jen's trip to Italy!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Experience Junkies Oasis is a safe space for us to process our experiences and the emotions they elicit. After each full podcast episode, we'll stop by the Oasis to debrief what we've learned.
The theme of Season 1 Episode 3 was - CURIOSITY.
Take 90 seconds to affirm CURIOSITY in your life with me!
Watch episode three on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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Music by CaganCelik
On Episode 3 I caught up with my childhood friend Cynthia Harris, who is a multi-faceted moderator with over 15 years of experience in consumer insights and commercial innovation. A culture-obsessed moderator with a depth of experience from both the client-side (former P&G, McCormick) and as an independent moderator, Cynthia brings her breadth of experiences to each research occasion.
She is an active member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), Insights Association and WiRE. Cynthia holds both an MBA (Marketing & Strategy) and a BA (Strategic Communications) from The Ohio State University.
Join our discussion as we explore how she found a "Duality of Energy and Peace" in South Africa and how travel has inspired her to leave a legacy of curiosity.
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You can listen to Cynthia's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Cynthia's remote year and more!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Experience Junkies Oasis is a safe space for us to process our experiences and the emotions they elicit. After each full podcast episode, we'll stop by the Oasis to debrief what we've learned.
The theme of Season 1 Episode 2 was - MAGIC.
Take 90 seconds to affirm MAGIC in your life with me!
Watch episode one on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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Music by John Yasutis
On Episode 2 I am joined by the lovely Ashley Lawson, who serves as the Vice President of Business Partnerships at Achieve Incentives & Meetings, a global meetings and travel incentive planning firm based in the Midwest. As the first of the third-generation at the family-owned company, a passion for building meaningful travel experiences is in her blood. Prior to joining the firm, Ashley spent a decade in Washington, DC focused on ending veteran homelessness in the Nation's Capital. There, she led Miriam’s Kitchen’s fundraising events and strategic partnerships with fortune 100 companies.
Most recently, Ashley has become the meetings industry’s “Safe Travel Ambassador.” She has been living in a new country each month and experiencing first-hand how the world is responding to the pandemic and preparing for the return of travel and events. Engaging in more than 100 site visits in South and Central America, the Caribbean and Africa, Ashley gains critical insights and shares them with meetings professionals worldwide. With so many lessons learned as a Safe Travel Ambassador, she was eager to equip the events industry with the right tools for our safe return. She started a blog highlighting how event planners could navigate ever-changing international rules, shared the best practices she had experience in safety protocols, and provided step-by-step guidance to prepare event planners on how to lead safe events.
Join our discussion as we dissect her safe travel ambassador experience while creating some "Backyard Magic" along the way.
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You can listen to Ashley's song selection on the show's Spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos from Ashley's year of travel!
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Intro music by John Yasutis
Experience Junkies Oasis is a safe space for us to process our experiences and the emotions they elicit. After each full podcast episode, we'll stop by the Oasis to debrief what we've learned.
The theme of Season 1 Episode 1 was - FREEDOM.
Take 90 seconds to affirm FREEDOM in your life with me!
Watch episode one on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Mérida and Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Listen in as I discuss a trip that started as a girls' trip and ended as a solo work retreat.
Reflecting back on this trip reminds me of the song "Happy" by Pharrell. You can listen on the show's spotify playlist.
Watch the visual episode on YouTube to see photos and video from the experience.
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