Act 2: You're On!: Recent Episodes
Kate, Rhonda & Linda
A2YO! A community of changemakers, igniting personal and societal renaissance through inspirational conversations and purpose-driven topics. Are you ready to start a completely new Second Act, or maybe just a side hustle? We are the resource you need. It is our mission to help creatives and independent entrepreneurs eliminate Can't by providing How so you can live your WHY. A2YO! Hosts: Kate Leavey, Rhonda Garvin Conaway, and Linda TigheA2YO! Producer: Cathy Carswell
Whose up for a reinvention story at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, connection, and community? Meet Beverly Klau - educator, facilitator, connector, and mom whose mission in life has been to build inclusive communities allowing individuals to show up with dignity and authenticity.
You’ll learn how this community activist launched multiple programs to build community and packaged up that know-how, creating Verbina, which you’ll want to immediately go download in the app store!
Designed to foster a deep sense of connection and community using technology, Verbina is an easy, accessible app helping families share messages of support to loved ones living with an illness. Tune in for a fabulous conversation about reinvention and invention.
Highlights include:
“...if you have the app on your phone, and you're ready to invite people into a conversation, your next step is to create an invitation. And I have a sample gallery on the app - it's called "Support for Susan." So it really illustrates like, "Oh, how does this work?" - and you see that there is an invitation, a woman who's saying, you know, this is Deb, I'm Susan's friend, Susan's battling cancer. And she invites other people in to send messages of support to her friend, Susan, who is battling cancer. And so Deb has invited others into this conversation. And that's really how the app works. So you have a curator, and they invite others contributors to contribute their video messages of love and support.”
“I couldn't sleep because, like, there was this very loud voice, like a call - like, “You're gonna have to build this - you figured out that there's a need.” I then was like, “All right, I guess I'm gonna start to see what this is all about.” So then I started the process of interviewing developers and going down that path. But to answer your question, I really wanted to replicate the power of holding space that I had been able to do in person. I thought if we could bring that to scale but also make it asynchronous so that people could hold space in a global way and also asynchronously. So I thought, well - let's see if we can make this work.”
For more info about Bev:
Website: https://verbina.app/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VerbinaApp
https://www.jewishboston.com/read/jewish-mom-launches-verbina-a-digital-storytelling-app/
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Got a great idea? Feel like you and your great idea could make a bigger impact on the world? Wonder how to find the courage to create a practical plan and make it happen? Could you do it with four young kids in tow? Well, meet Carolyn Kenney - gym owner, personal trainer, and elementary school teacher - on a mission to help others and herself feel the best within the parameters of reality.
From her personal life philosophy, Carolyn created the 85/15 Health & Fitness Studio - a boutique studio offering personal and small group training in yoga, barre, pi-yo, Zumba, HIIT, and Burn. Learn how Carolyn leads a talented group of instructors to create an incredibly effective and welcoming environment where everyone is welcome, whether you worked out yesterday or you have not broken a sweat in years. A podcast with the blueprint for bringing a dream to reality with the blueprint for living your best life.
Highlights include:
“Most of the time, people ask me sometimes, are you always happy? Well, always no, I don't think that's realistic, but 85% of the time? Absolutely. So I think that when you look at things with optimism, it doesn't mean that you're just a realist. If you kind of think about what actually has to occur to make something happen, it just means that you're trying to figure out how you can actually do what you want to do, instead of just dreaming….”
“So 85/15 is 85% fitness or discipline is the word that I really use and 15% fun. That's really the balance for a healthy lifestyle and so many different aspects of the way that we live.”
“So if you surround yourself, like you mentioned Kate, with a good team - so not only my family, but my instructors have been the same since I opened, which is almost unheard of in a gym. But it's because I found people that I could trust that trusted me - that my members like and then know what they're doing and do a good job. And so, by surrounding myself with all of those people and letting them help me, I've been able to get to where I am. If I really tried to be completely independent about it, I don't think it would have.”
For more information about Carolyn:
Website : 8515healthandfitness.com
Social Media: Facebook.com/8515healthandfitness
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In a conversation that will not only inspire but warm your heart, you get to meet Debbie and Bailey Donovan, the remarkable mother-daughter team behind a charming little but hugely noteworthy boutique called Baylee Bee. These remarkable entrepreneurs have always shared a deep interest in fashion - not couture, per se - but affordable, fun fashion and the duo saw an opportunity in their hometown. After a lot of hard work and planning - they cannonballed into business. The boutique has been a phenomenal success - not only financially but also personally for the twosome. Baylee Been opened in November of 2020 - and despite the pandemic - Baylee Bee has not looked back; in fact, they are in the midst of negotiations about opening up other sites. With an exceptional vibe and a savvy finger on the ever-changing fashion industry, Baylee is one of the few boutiques appropriate for every generation.
Learn how the store has helped Baylee find her voice, providing Debbie with the dream of thriving alongside her daughter, and collaborating on something they love. Settle in for an inspirational reinvention and transformation story.
Highlights Include:
“...if you want really want to do something, you’ve just got to do it. You can't wait; you have got to make it happen. And it's so much work. But…it's so worth it. I mean, we're here, sometimes 12 hours a day, but if you love it - I mean, we love it. So that's great. But…you’ve just got to do it.”
- Debbie
“If you're trying to open a business or just in general, I think being confident in yourself is helpful, also self-talk… I know, that's weird to say. But sometimes, you just have to look yourself in the mirror and say, “Hey, you got it today.” I think that like changes your output on yourself and your outlook…even if something's hard, ask for help communicating…and then just go from there.”
- Baylee
For more information :
Links:
Website : www.bayleebee.com
Facebook: @bayleebeeclothing
Instagram: bayleebeeclothing
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Interested in interior design? Would you like to learn some great design tips that will immediately improve your daily life and spruce up your seasonal decor that won’t break the bank? Want to hear about the design industry with all the knowledge and none of the snoot?
Act 2: You’re On is delighted to introduce Mark Haddad, an award-winning interior designer and President of Interiology Design Co. - a full-service, certified interior design firm based in the greater Boston area.
Known for its unparalleled client experience, innovative design solutions, and impeccable service, Interiology helps clients transform their homes into luxurious, exquisitely executed, inspiring spaces that express their distinctive style and envelop the way they live. The results are custom-tailored interiors that clients are excited to come home to and share with those they love.
Interiology Design Co. launched The Experience Studio in 2019 to put what’s best for clients at the heart of everything they do. The Experience Studio is a meticulously curated collection of the finest furnishings, fixtures, and finishes installed and operational in residential spaces for a uniquely immersive design experience. So whether you are interested in hiring the best Boston has to offer or you are just interested in design, you are in for a wonderful conversation.
Highlights include:
“I worked with a professional coach in 2001, and decided that I had so many years of teaching behind me that I should set goals, that would be a three year learning process. And if I didn't meet those goals, with my experience, I could go back and teach. And about 18 months into that process, I met all the goals and never looked back.”
“ I had already gotten a master's degree, but I was willing to get another one. And the best advice they gave me is they said, I learned more on the job in those three years of going through that process than I would ever get other than the theoretical nature of going back to school.”
“I think it's also being willing to take the chance, because that's that's probably the biggest hurdle is to take that leap. You know, there's risk is there's personal risk based financial risk is professional risk, there's so many risks involved that, that I know, so many people that wouldn't have the gumption to do that. And I think it's being able to have the support system in place, and the personal drive to say, I'm going to take the chance and do that.”
interiology.com
IG: @interiologydesignco
FB: interiologydesignco
TW: interiologyco
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In one of our most compelling podcasts ever, in a conversation chockablock full of hard truths on mental health challenges faced by our armed forces, their families as well as our civilian population, you’ll meet one of our nation’s most decorated leaders and a compassionate, purpose-driven change maker, Brigadier General Jack Hammond.
Do you have a challenging relationship with change? Maybe, you view change as an opportunity for growth. Or, has life forced change out of the challenge in the most unexpected ways? Today we're going to discuss how one organization addresses the profound effects of military service on veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Not only can their unique experiences present a change in their physical health, but often this population faces issues such as post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorder, and family relationship challenges. Today's guest is United States Army Brigadier General retired Jack Hammond. General Hammond is here to help us all learn about the groundbreaking work being done at home base to help heal the trauma.
Brigadier General Jack Hammond is a retired US Army General Officer and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. General Hammond served as the chief executive for Home Base, an innovative partnership between the Boston Red Sox and the Massachusetts General Hospital. It operates the nation's premier center of excellence for the mental health and brain injuries that affect our veterans and their families. General Hammond is a proven combat leader and has led strategic and tactical formations of the US and allied forces in combat and counterterrorism operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Hammond has advised President Obama's commission on military compensation and retirement monetization and presented at his White House veterans and military family mental health conference. He later served as a member of President George W. Bush's health and Task Force and his veteran wellness Alliance. In addition, Hammond served on Secretary Bob MacDonald's My VA Advisory Committee, Governor Mitt Romney's Homeland Security Advisory Council, and Governor Charlie Baker's health care transition team and veteran advisory council General Hammond's military awards and decorations include: the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit medal for combat service, the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal for valor to Valorous Unit awards, a combat action band, General Hammond earned a bachelor's from the University of Massachusetts, a master's from Boston University and completed a national security fellowship at Harvard University.
Highlights Include:
“What we do is we have this episodic point of care, where we basically allow the person to hit the pause button on life and focus for two weeks to get better. ...And so that's what we've done in working through with a group of people to build this out was really leveraging the collective intellect of a broader group - cause one person can have a great idea - but a group of people working on a challenge can come up with a fantastic solution.”
“Fortune does favor the bold as people look to that next transition in their life. It takes courage because the status quo is comfortable. When you make a change, when you make big changes, it's uncomfortable. And that's deeply rooted in our lizard brains; in our amygdala, change is uncertain and uncertainly provokes fear and triggers base responses to avoid it. You have to fight through that. When you believe there's something you want to do, you've got to summon the courage - and build that courage - to move forward with and pursue your dreams.”
Find out more about Home Base at
Homebase.org
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In Part II, Courtney delves into the common misconceptions that keep a kid from thriving. Neuro-divergent kids often get classified as behavioral issues and struggle with the shame of “not trying hard enough”- and there’s plenty of shame and judgment thrown at parents and their parenting. In this episode, Courtney welcomes us to collaborate with our kids and to embrace a more compassionate curiosity for our kids, ourselves and the less traditional and known path. Taking the shame out of our parenting can help our kids journey. In a world leaning into diversity, let’s embrace neuro-diversity and learn more about the virtues of an exceptional brain that might just reveal some super-powers.
“...if a child is dysregulated if They're in there, as they refer to it, their downstairs brain, their lizard brain, there, you can't use logic with them. And so often, as parents, we try to use logic with our kids when they're emotionally dysregulated. And it's just not going to work. So we have to start with getting connected with them first and helping them get to a calm state because when they're in a calm state, they can then at least access their frontal lobes, they can access the executive functions that they do have. And they can think logically. So if kids are in a dysregulated state, we first just have to offer them compassion and CO-regulate, and the CO-regulation requires us to be calm. And so in order to connect, we have to be calm, we have to be patient. And we have to be forgiving in the moment and understand that this is a brain-based disability, this is a brain-based moment in which they are dysregulated. And they can't control it. And they first and foremost need someone to just care enough to say, let's just breathe, let's stay calm.”
“...they have to feel heard, we need to give them a voice to help so that we can understand where they're coming from, they can understand where we're coming from. And then we look for the win-win. And we invite their ideas for solutions. And we keep having that back-and-forth conversation with compassionate curiosity. And we meet remaining calm, which helps them remain calm, and helps them feel validated, because we're naming back to them what we hear, instead of just being directive, we're getting curious and figuring out, because when their brains work differently than ours, our solutions may not work for them. And we may not have thought of solutions that they're going to think of that actually can work as a win-win. Because their brain thinks differently than ours. And they might come up with a solution. And we need to honor and give it a chance to work and see what happens. Because magically, they might be able to actually do something that's a win-win that we hadn't thought of. That was their idea. And so that's sort of the concept.”
For more information about Courtney Edman:
Website: 2TametheShameLinked in: 2TametheShame or Courtney EdmanFacebook: 2tametheshame
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Do you or someone you love struggle with learning differences, behavioral issues, or mental health challenges? We all know the modern world is a complex place societally, environmentally, and politically - so, how are we supposed to navigate this complexity without …say - executive function skills - or when our complex learning differences leave us with self-esteem so low we are tripping over it? Well, if you have ever wondered how to get the help you or a struggling loved one might need, you are tuning in to a fascinating conversation that might reignite a sense of hope.
In this episode, we talk to Courtney Edman because Courtney has been in your shoes. She is not only a coach but also the parent of a neurodivergent young adult son with ADHD anxiety and significant lagging executive function skills. She will explain what it takes to guide you and your child to a place of calm and connection while also giving your family the tools that will lead to understanding and success. She developed some of these skills during her years as a pediatric early intervention physical therapist, serving as the Executive Director of a home-based pulmonary physical therapy practice, and her over 22 years of parenting three young adult children. She is the coach and the solution you've been searching for. No matter your child's age, stage, or diagnosis, Courtney will help to unpack the knowledge and skills to help you, your child, and your family. Courtney believes that kids do well if they can, and so does Act 2 You're On!
Highlights Include:
“I've learned so much about what it takes to be a parent, and to have an incredible relationship with your child after having a very, very challenging relationship with my son that was filled with shame and filled with for me….”
“Mental health is at the forefront of conversations that we're having, and anxiety and learning disabilities aren't necessarily grouped within mental health, but they are invisible disabilities in the same way that mental health challenges are also invisible many times. And they are brain-based. And they are neuro biologically neuro chemically based, right? And it all has to do with the way that the brain is wired. And the way that the brain functions.”
“...the reason I brought up COVID…is because I think it just resulted in a heightened level of anxiety and depression, which then impacts the brain. And these ADHD and autism and dyslexia, dyspraxia, all of these neurodiverse diagnoses are brain-based. And I think that that is the piece that culture, in general, is missing. We know that they're brain-based, and yet we're taking a behavioral modification approach to change the manifestations of these disabilities, and that's not getting at the root of the skills that aren't there.
For more information about Courtney Edman:
Website: 2TametheShameLinked in: 2TametheShame or Courtney EdmanFacebook: 2tametheshame
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Do you compare yourself to others or some ideal and always come up short? Do you see yourself as simultaneously better than and less than others? Do you often beat up on yourself for even the smallest mistake? What is your inner critic costing you? And are you asking these things? Even though maybe outward measures say, you're a success?
These poignant questions come to us by way of Dr. Anita Kite, a leadership and couples coach who has worked with over 350 clients. Her key areas of coaching expertise include navigating uncertainty, managing difficult conversations, giving and receiving feedback, achieving work-life integration, navigating power dynamics, and managing distributed teams. Anita is often driven by her passion for adult and organizational learning, as well as her fascination with humans' unique capacity to continue to evolve, grow and improve Anita believes transformation happens through self-awareness and self-acceptance. In this fun, candid, poignant conversation, you’ll gain insight and practical skills - so dive in.
Highlights include:
“I would say that awareness is the unsung hero of transformation because it seems so non-action-oriented, but it actually provides a great basis from which to work. Its baseline: where am I at?”
“So the deal is to have that self-awareness, as an opening, to have some self-compassion and Self-awareness, and from that place, begin to make some subtle changes, not having that awareness as another way to sort of put yourself down.”
“...the question isn't really what do you want? The question is, what are you willing to do in order to get what you want? That is really the key question. And so, thinking about what is the effort that you're willing to put in the action-oriented effort that you're willing to put in? So transformation, unlike in Hollywood, or in some books, even I guess, is not a flip of a switch? Right? It is a slow, incremental process. But as long as you're making these steps - over time, they will accumulate into something bigger. And ultimately, over time, they will create that bigger shift.”
“...your task is to win the chess game. Given that some of the pieces aren't glued down. You have to be able to win the chess game with the pieces that are glued down. You can't move certain pieces. And when those pieces don't move, and you accept that it opens up another world of possibilities, but the more focused you are on the things that you can't change, the less it is apparent to you what else you can do.”
For more information on Anita Kite:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-kite/
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this podcast honors survivors and victims and seeks to raise awareness. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence published these statistics: in the United States, more than 10 million adults experience domestic violence annually. If each of these adults experienced only one incident of violence, an adult in the US would experience violence every three seconds; one in four women and one in 10 Men experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
From 2016 through 2018, the number of intimate partner violence victimizations in the United States increased by 42%. Domestic violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger systemic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. At the end of this episode, we're going to share some resources with our audience so we all know where to go and what to do if faced with domestic violence.
Lynda Monks is a social worker who works with people, day in and day out, who are affected by domestic violence. She has been a medical advocate at a level two trauma center outside of Philadelphia for the past 20 years. She specializes in working with victims of domestic violence, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Before her work in Pennsylvania, she worked at domestic violence programs in Colorado, California, and Pennsylvania. As an advocate, counselor, and community educator, Lynda, we are so grateful to have you in the app to your own studio.
Highlights include:
“The big picture is, and we do it in the county that I work in, I think you need to teach kids from K to 12 - what a healthy relationship is age appropriately.”
“...make sure you're doing something that feeds you, either spiritually or creatively or whatever. Because there's enough hard stuff out there that we're all going to have to deal with. And we can't rely on other people to give us our nuggets. I don't know. But you got to kind of give it to yourself. And, and I think, bringing it back to kind of the topic that we're talking about when it comes to domestic violence, victims of domestic violence that's taken away from them. Right, that's taken away what they need, but what feeds them all of that stuff? And it kind of erases your spirit a little bit. So making sure that you can feed it, you gave yourself a little time every day to feed it. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, no matter what you're doing, or no matter what your next move is that you have to take care of yourself first.”
“I love being on the front lines, I've never really aspired to kind of going up administratively or anything like that. I think my wheelhouse is working with victims in a crisis. It's kind of where I thrive. So I think I'm gonna stay here for a little while.”
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Ready for one of the most inspiring conversations that will get you thinking about how you can change the world? Interested in understanding how entrepreneurs achieve success? Are you curious about the mindset of those who see and create opportunities in their lives? Do you wonder how our world will reinvent itself to address our climate’s needs and come together as a global society? Today's guest has the answers.
Adam Sulkowski is an associate professor of Law & Sustainability at Babson College. Adam specializes in teaching research and consulting in law, CSR, corporate social responsibility, green business and sustainable development. He has earned tenure twice, won teaching and research awards, published over 50 times and was a Fulbright Scholar. In addition, he ran a business and worked as an attorney, and his book, Extreme Entrepreneurship was the number one best seller on several lists.
Highlights include:
The universal theme is start, don't wait. Nobody that I've met says, oh, yeah, take an extra day to plan. It's not to say don't plan at all. But the point is to start, and there's magic in starting, because by sharing your crazy idea, your crazy plan, somebody will nudge you in the right direction, or give feedback. People will come out of the woodwork wanting to help. It's happened to me, it's happened to others.
“...starting doesn't mean… get in the car and cross into a warzone today. Start means maybe ask and say, “I do intend to do this, so how do I do it? And that's a form of starting that is short of, you know, quitting your job right now, which some of your listeners apparently are thinking about career changes; it doesn't necessarily mean quit everything now, divorce your family and walk away from your kids and jump into this new life, right? It could be iterative steps of here's my crazy idea. How can I do this? In a way that makes sense. And it's still a form of starting - the instinct to begin.”
“...that quote, that we're not scared of ISIS, we're scared that we're not prepping the next generation to think about sustainability, to think about entrepreneurship that was kind of mind blowing. To be this close, as close as I am to this screen right now talking to you, and have the guy who's literally called in airstrikes. He was like the equivalent of national security adviser I think, literally the guy who's paid to obsess about national security and bombs and guns and stuff like that. And when he says, I'm actually more scared that we're not training people to be entrepreneurs. I'm scared about sustainability issues. That was when I turned to my friends who writes about war and terrorism and stuff like that. “
“...how do you authentically get the value out of corporate social responsibility or sustainability, some of the big takeaways to boil it down a few sentences is frame your story, right? And make it authentic and set up measurable milestones towards a big goal. And if it is a good story, and you're making progress, and you can show that you can deliver progress towards a better reality, that is not just something that helps you sleep better at night, it's the killer business tool, it is the ultimate superpower that we humans have is storytelling, people will die, we're watching it, they will voluntarily die or risked their lives at least for a good story. Your job as a business leader, your job as a human right now is to find the stories that matter to you find the stories that checkout because there's plenty of BS stories out there. But find the stories that matter commit to them and be ready to pivot on the way but it's storytelling. That's that's really the power and setting measurable milestones towards a goal that is better than what is today.”
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Do you feel stuck? Is your energy low? Are you in chronic pain? Beyond the reactive approach of Western medicine, are you ready to explore other proven methods that bring with them 1000s of years of evidence and efficacy? Well, meet Orla Callahan who received her master's in acupuncture in 2008 and is licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Medicine she has been practicing in the Metrowest Boston area since 2016.
Orla is also a Qigong instructor and she uses this practice to help her patients and herself with self cultivation and all kinds of health issues deeply wise and contemplative. A session with Orla is purposeful, carefully considered, tailored and healing for the body, mind and spirit. You’ll also enjoy the lilt of her accent as she grew up and lived in Ireland until her twenties.
Highlights include:
“It was a very male oriented world, which has definitely influenced me now and where I want to go with my big picture of my purpose, which is helping women find a level playing field in the world. So anyway, in my work as an engineering consultant, it actually wasn't at full 180 degree turn, I realized, because it was all about solving problems. And really what that meant for me was helping people work together. The heads of different departments would often clash - not speak to each other or whatever, those kinds of problems…. However, there is such an amazing similarity because the work I do now is helping all of the body parts integrate, work together, communicate with each other, so that we are at our optimal level of functioning.”
“This is the ancient Chinese sages, when they were meditating or practicing Qigong, they pretty much downloaded the whole acupuncture system, the meridians. And it is, basically acupuncture is a spiritual practice, which comes from Qigong, which is a more obvious spiritual practice. It's, it's comparable to yoga, I guess, right? Because so many people know what yoga is. Qigong is like the Chinese - I don't want to say it's the Chinese equivalent, but that's a good way to start thinking about. The postures are pretty much all standing postures. And it is really a way of connecting with universal energy to help you, us, all of us heal ourselves. So the reason I love it so much, right is because it's like acupuncture. It's like acupuncture without the needles, which is always like people love that concept, right? But it's even more powerful than acupuncture because you are doing the work you have to do the work is right. So you are doing the work yourself. There's no middleman. It's just you connecting with the universe and stretching out your meridians and getting the Chi from the universe getting the energy from the universe to heal yourself on all these levels, body mind spirit.”
For more information about our guest:
Website: https://orlacallahan.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orla-callahan-1977133/
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We are thrilled to introduce a slightly different type of podcast. This week, we are featuring a new platform for Act 2 Share Our Stage called Spotlight on Success. And, what a way to begin with this energizing, heart-centered conversation with our first Spotlight On Success, highlighting an up-and-comer, Patrick Conaway. A creative entrepreneur, a dreamer and a doer, Patrick is doing something special, new and noteworthy in the creation of Actors Company of Natick, a new non-profit theater company bringing theater with purpose to the Metrowest Boston area. Our podcast is just part of the way we support the recipient of a Spotlight on Success; we foster success by sponsoring an event, giving them assistance with their bio, their advertisements, and a press release. So the A2YO Studio is proud to shine the spotlight on Patrick Conaway.
Patrick Conaway is the Founder and Artistic and Executive Director of ACON. Patrick attended the Heart School in Hartford, Connecticut, where he received his bachelor's of Fine Arts in acting. Patrick continued his acting training at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox Mass, The Drama Studio - London and Ealing unit, United Kingdom - Monash University in Prato, Italy, and the Company One Theater here in Boston, Mass. Once settled in, Patrick acted at many theaters in the Boston area, including: The Central Square Theater, FTLO Theater, The Bostonian Society, The Theater Company of Saugus, the Firehouse Center for the Arts and New York Ensemble to mention a few. Patrick also has worked regionally at the Saratoga Shakespeare Company and The Hartford Stage which reveals a lot about the quality of his craft, because he's always been working, landing gigs, basically - crushing it. Aside from acting. Patrick also lives and works at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Welcome to our first Spotlight On Success, Patrick Conaway,
Highlights include:
“I have been humbled and overwhelmed by people's willingness to come and share their time with me. God, that is something I didn't really fully experience before making this decision to start this company - the honor and value of people's time, truly, being able to give it up and create something and take time out of their lives to help make this happen. And that has been the most humbling experience of my life.”
“I think it's important to, to share your thoughts with others, and to, ultimately, come up with a decision by yourself.”
“This summer, starting on July 22, we're performing: Julius Caesar, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, alternating shows. There'll be 11 performances in total of the two productions until July 31. And throughout that period, if you happen to be in Natick or Natick center on the night of July 27, we will be participating in the Natick Cultural Center's Nick recreations’ Spotlight Concert Series at the Natick Common. Please come check us out on the Natick Green - it will be a lot of fun…. There's a lot more information about that at www.actorscompanyofnatick.com. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We are just building from the ground up. So any support we can get, nothing is too small, we are ready to bring theater with purpose.”
For more information about our Guest:
Website: https://www.actorscompanyofnatick.com/ Tickets: https://www.actorscompanyofnatick.com/tickets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actorscompanyofnatick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actorscompanyofnatick/?hl=en
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Are you someone who has an idea to make something, maybe publishing, composing, designing something? Can you envision this something and is it completely different from what you are trained to do? Well, this is a great podcast for you.
Matt Rufo is from Framingham, Massachusetts, and is the owner and operator of Everything Quality Construction. Matt is also a children's author with three published works and one more soon to be released. Despite the rigors of construction and the time consuming nature of owning a business, Matt has found time to write out often short stories. His wife Tara, an elementary school teacher, pushed him to continue writing. When schools and businesses shut down at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Matt told stories to his four year old daughter and then Freddy the Frog was born…not to mention Amanda the Anteater. Listen in to learn more about this fun loving amphibian and this hardworking and creative businessman who defied his college advisor who told him to give up on writing! Kids and teachers everywhere are so happy he has kept his passion for writing alive and you will be, too.
Enjoy this wonderful reinvention story embedded with great life lessons, persistence, the humility to grow, and homage to family - not to mention Matt’s major principle and how to live a full and fulfilling life.
Highlights:
“I actually had a guidance counselor in college that sat down and told me that UMass Amherst, I don't remember the name, but this person said, you maybe should think about a different major. This really isn't for you. So, it's always been in the back of my mind for everything that I do, where I'm like, “You know what, I don't care if someone says you can't do it.” It just makes me want to go - you know, try to do it more… the whole never give up thing. It doesn't matter if maybe you're not that good at it, you know, you can keep trying harder, keep working at it….”
“Never give up on whatever your dream is. Even if it's something you have, you might not even know anything about what the actual thing is, like a children's book or writing a song or, you know, whatever, it really doesn't matter. You just always have to keep going. You fail, you get up, you fall, you fail -but you get up. It doesn't matter how many times that you fail. And I feel like every millionaire failed like 100 times before they made that if that's your goal, but whatever your dream is, whatever your thing is, you just have to put yourself out there and give 110% and sometimes more than that, too. But always - never give up.”
For more information about Matt:
Website: https://authormattrufo.com/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kidsauthorrufo/
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Arianna Huffington once said, "Fearlessness is the mother of reinvention." Well, she might have been talking about Laura Lakin’s life and career. Laura stands as a model of how reinvention can be embraced and celebrated. This episode features a person who equally embodies bravery in her civilian life and her service as a citizen-soldier. Laura Lakin has served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard for 15 years, and is currently a Captain. Laura has been a Guardsman for most of these years, which means she has also worked a civilian job while upholding her military responsibilities.
Laura has worked for Massachusetts Army National Guard, helping run the state's Resilience Risk Reduction & Suicide Prevention program. She served as commander to the signal company, worked as a veteran's Outreach Coordinator for the Home Base organization out of Boston and shifted into clinical administration over the years, ultimately becoming the Director of Business Administration, and business analytics for the organization. Laura oversaw two significant projects during her time at Home Base, and we're going to talk about those in a little bit. Eight months ago, Laura left Home Base and began her work as a project manager managing at Suffolk Construction. Laura Lakin is a shining example of service, co-leading her veterans group at Suffolk as a member of the First Corps of Cadets Association in Boston, serving on the Red, White and Blue Alliance board for Home Base not to mention a deployment to Afghanistan. Laura holds her Bachelor's in political science and a master's degree in social work. If you are looking for a reinvention and invention and invention story, this is the episode you have been waiting for.
Highlights:
If you are considering changing your career, changing your hobbies, changing where you live, whatever it may be, even if you don't think that everything is perfectly lined up, that you're not perfectly qualified - it's never too late to make that change. It's never too early to make that change. You know, there's never going to be “the” perfect time. So if you find yourself revisiting something over and over again, it's probably a sign that you should make that jump and take that risk. And if you're willing to be open to asking questions, being humble about what you know, and what you don't know, then you'll be successful in whatever you do.
On women in leadership in the military and in business: There's all kinds of gender, you know, stereotypes, and we all know all about them. But for me, some of those are true, I can be a little bit more, wear my heart on my sleeve - a little bit more emotional. When I was leading soldiers in the signal company, I would sometimes be close to tears talking to them, if I was addressing them at the end of the day, or at the end of the drill weekend, because I felt so passionately about them. And I wanted them to see - that to not being afraid to be who you are, whatever that may look like if it's stereotypical or not. And just having a little confidence that, yeah, you might be the only woman at that table. And people will say that you might have only gotten there because you're a woman and you're filling a quota or something. But regardless of what anyone says or thinks, you deserve to be there, and more women deserve to be there. And if that's a role that you want to play, you know, just be yourself and bring confidence every time.
For more information about our guest:
Suffolk: Our veterans, our family: Meet Laura LakinInstagramLinkedIn
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Are you sick of walking around in pain? Maybe your injury has healed, but you still have a nagging sense of discomfort. Yes. Are you a golfer and your game is just off? Are you looking for something to give you a winning edge? Have you had to give up activities you love because those activities no longer feel good in your body? Well, you have tuned into the right podcast because there is a chance not all those activities that you love are gone for good. And we have just the person to address some of the questions you might be having about daily ailments that are limiting your fun and sense of well-being. So, let me tell you a little bit about our guest today.
Dr. Sharon Sharpe is the owner of Achieve Therapeutics. She is a licensed athletic trainer and licensed massage therapist with a doctorate in Biomechanics from BU; it is Sharon's goal to provide care for individuals who have some sort of ongoing or recurring issue that keeps them from doing the activities they enjoy. Sharon has a vast toolkit of hands-on therapies. She has helped people for over 30 years in injury care, and she believes people do not have to live in pain. And, wait until you hear about the groundbreaking work she's doing with golfers. And, here's the thing about Achieve Therapeutics. It provides a new path to wellness and freedom of movement through myofascial release therapy, and other treatments. Their goal is to remove any stress or unnecessary tension and to make you feel relaxed and comfortable and able to resume and excel at the things you love to do.
Highlights include:
“...if you think of like Spider Man's outfit. And because the fascia is all interconnected, so if I grabbed the shoulder of Spider Man's outfit and yank on it, the whole outfit goes that way, not just the shoulder, you can have pain in your shoulder, that's really the result of something that's happening in your hip, or your knee or anywhere. All my treatments are full-body treatments with a focus on the problem area. Sometimes the problem area isn't the problem.”
“ It's just a technique where you hold; you get a body part in a position and you sort of balance it with your hands. And you hold it there, and you just wait. And sometimes it takes forever. Sometimes it's pretty quick, but eventually the tissues will soften. It's kind of a craft, you know, you have to figure out where you need to put it to get it to balance.”
“I have a wide range of ages and activity levels. So I have one young man who is a hardcore, you know, weightlifting; he runs, he does all this stuff. And I have an a woman who's in her 90s, who has a hip problem, and she just wants to be able to walk around her house. And I do treat younger kids, sometimes not very often, but they have to come in with their parents.”
“I'm looking for the cause. I'm looking for, why do you have this problem? Or, why does it keep coming back? And because you get hurt, you stopped doing whatever you were doing, and you feel better. But then as soon as you start doing it again, your pain comes back. So to me, there's a fascial restriction somewhere, - somewhere, that's putting undue stress on whatever it is that's hurting. So I'm looking for that. I'm not necessarily looking solely at your shoulder, if you have shoulder pain, I'm looking at your upper back, I'm looking at your ribs and your neck. And I'm looking at your hips, because it could come from a restriction in any of those places. So I'm, I'm trying to solve that puzzle.”
For more information about our guest, Sharon click on the link below: FacebookWebsite
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Many of our listeners are trying to figure out how to fulfill dreams and “bring a life visions for themselves, launch a business or bring their creative work to light? So, what gets in the way? Well, in this delightful conversation, you will be invited to consider that it is often as simple as Stuff and Clutter, disorganization, a lack of systems that prevent us from realizing our dreams. If this is something you have experienced, you're going to really enjoy our conversation with our guest, Nancy Bagwell, a professional organizer and owner of Ducks in a Row professional organizing services in Huntsville, Alabama.
Nancy studied Family and Child Development at Auburn University and for as long as she can remember, she has found pleasure creating order out of chaos. As the child of an army officer and the wife of a pastor, Nancy changed homes many times, thus providing her with an abundance of opportunities to refine packing, unpacking and organizing skills. Now, Nancy helps residents of North Alabama declutter their homes and regain their control with guidance and compassion. She listens to her clients struggles and guides them through the organizing process in a way that respects both them and their belongings. The result is a space where the occupants can not only relax, but thrive. Whether you struggle with clutter and disorganization or you just love to hear about how to make your life easier, we are thrilled to invite you into our conversation with Nancy, today.
Highlights include:
“But I think we're also seeing a relatively new phenomenon. And I say relatively new, because I think it's really been in the last 20 to 30 years of it being - I don't wanna say epidemic, but pretty typical, for the average American home - to average, middle class, American home, to be filled with clutter. And I've been studying up on that. And the really very interesting part of it has to do with our ability to acquire things more easily than we could in the past. You know, what you think back to our great grandparents, and they might have only had a few treasured possessions, things were not as easy to come by shopping was more of a challenge. Today, click, click, click with our thumbs, and it can be delivered to your home within 24 to 48 hours. It's much easier now, despite inflation, we have a lot more disposable income, that we can purchase things for ourselves. And I think these things coupled together makes us a real consumer driven society. “
“...every family is different. Everybody operates differently. And so I have to learn while working with my clients. How do they operate as a family? How do they operate within their home? How do they use their space, and then help them to use unused spaces better, and also create some new habits for how they just come and go within their home. So for example, if one of the problems is paper clutter, mail comes in, and piles on the kitchen counter, because everybody doesn't pile stuff on their kitchen counter. It's just a drop zone, right? Everything comes in lands. We don't want that to keep happening. So we've set up a place where they pay bills. And all of the new bills go to this one particular place. That's the only place they go. But even before that, you kind of back it up and say Okay, so where which door do you come in when you bring in the mail, front door, side door garage, okay, whatever door you come in, we need to set up a recycling bin and maybe a shredder, and you stop at the door. And everything that's junk mail that's not sensitive, goes straight to recycling, and everything that is sensitive, but you don't need goes straight to the shredder.”
You can find out more about Nancy at : https://www.ducksinarowhsv.com/
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Our guest is a true change maker, small business owner and what he does is something unique and impactful and just plain cool. Chris English is a small business owner, educator, and farmer. He owns and operates Edible Homescapes where he designs and installs customized edible gardens, offers workshops and grows food on his one-acre market garden with a mission to help secure local food systems and improve the health of our society and environment. Chris is a co-founder of the NPO Revive the Roots, which just celebrated its 10 year anniversary. During his time at Revive the Roots, he initiated the Food for Thought program, which resulted in the establishment of two educational gardens at Smithfield Public Schools in Rhode Island. He also managed the community gardens and facilitated community workshops. Chris holds four certifications in permaculture design and was part of the Providence Zen Center Permaculture Project in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
In this fantastic conversation, you’ll get inspired to try your hand at growing your own garden - whether you have a tiny patch on a porch or a big backyard. Chris wants everyone to feel empowered to get back in touch with the earth and to get in on the movement to stop just consuming and maybe get producing. A charming interview, Chris is part farmer, part philosopher.
Highlights include:
“Some people live on second apartments with nothing but a balcony. And some people might have large, sprawling backyards, with forests or water features. So there's a huge amount of diversity in the way that it can take shape. Essentially, the idea is trying to incorporate some kind of edible or productive element into your home scape into your home setting.”
“Environmental destruction, in the name of farming, loss of topsoil shifts the sheer amount of fossil fuels; it's necessary to support our agricultural infrastructure, transportation, synthetics, all those things really are having a huge toll on the environment and significantly contributing to climate change, and just the overall health of the environment. In general, when you shift our practices - to a form that's more localized, and more regenerative in proving environments and ecosystems, rather than drawing them down, you are directly impacting and helping to mitigate climate change, and making a healthier society for everybody. It's immediately affected by it.”
“I have my one small farm, it's about one acre. I'm trying to make that a great example, a great demonstration of what a one-acre kind of miniature homestead could sort of look like - how to make it hyper efficient on the small scale that it is and still viable for the market and profitable. And what I really want to do is start to go more heavily to some agroforestry practices on a larger acreage. So I would love to do tree crops with intermittent grazing animals, I'm keeping my eye out for land and trying to find places that I could rent or create partnerships relationships with to take that experience of regenerative farming to the next scale up and where I'm actually at right now, that seems so thrilling and exciting. But it's hard. It's hard to find land and places where you can really do it.”
To find out about Chris and Edible Homescapes visit:
https://www.ediblehomescapes.com/
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How much of your Act Two is spent taking care of someone else? Your children, your parents, a senior someone, how are you managing this role? Not well? Well, you have come to the right podcast and are about to hear of a book Tanya has written that might ease this challenging journey. How are you taking care of yourself and the many other demands in your life while you're being a caregiver? Today, our next guest is going to join us in the conversation about how to navigate our best lives while taking on that role.
Meet Tanya Straker. She is on a mission as a family caregiver advocate, author and speaker; she wants to change how we think about and support the millions of women and men providing care for family, friends and neighbors. As a family caregiver and life strategist, she wants every family caregiver of a chronically ill adult to have what she had an extraordinary, life-affirming, transformative caregiving experience. For 20 plus years as a coach, trainer and hospital administrator. Tanya has indulged her passion for innovation and helping individuals and teams grow and achieve away from the distractions of her job, she became her own life coach applying all the tools of her profession to better her and her mother's lives. Tanya is also the author of 6 Life Hacks for Family Caregivers: Be your own coach and beat burnout.
Highlights Include:
“And it's really coming to understand and accept that role and be and feel empowered in that role. That's where you, that's how you beat the burnout is, is really aligning the comprehensiveness of that role. And the fact that you've done all these other things in your life, you can do this, right, I got this, you have to get to that point where you realize, yeah, I can do all the things I've done in my life, I can handle this. And I can do it in a way that is energizing for myself and for my care receiver.”
“...what is it that moved me from being exhausted and resentful that I was playing this role that my brothers are living in another state calling me saying you can do this? Okay, fine. I have to do this. Right. So I'm resentful and not feeling that I'm necessarily doing the job well. What moved me to feeling that I was living the best possible life I ever could and helped me deal with the fact that I wasn't bringing in an income. I wasn't contributing to my own retirement, right. My whole entire life trajectory had changed. What are those things? And I said, I need to write a book about it. I need to talk about the mindset that allowed me to have a different experience, because that's what's not being talked about - this incredible, emotionally rich experience.”
“I'm not suggesting in this book that these things don't happen. I'm not suggesting that I didn't ever feel sad. But what I am saying is that by putting wellbeing at the center of everything, no matter what came up, that was what was going to have to ground the day it was going to have to ground the experience it was going to have to ground, my life or else what was I going to say about having left my professional life to be to be doing this right? The message of the book is your life is not on hold. Your life is not on hold.”
For more information on Tanya:
Website: https://www.careyearsacademy.com/user/tanya/Buy her book on Amazon at: 6 Life Hacks for Family Caregivers: Be your own coach and beat burnout.
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Who doesn’t like a success story? Well, Paul Lamar Hunter is the embodiment of our mission you hear in the opening real of Act Two You’re On! He's a changemaker - someone committed to personal and societal growth. And he's just a very inspiring gentleman. Can you imagine facing down the odds of surviving poverty, neglect and trauma and having the wherewithal to become the first person in the history of your family ever to go to college? Could you then become a successful businessman and publish your story and have the courage and willpower and drive to inspire others to do the same?
Paul Lamar Hunter is the 19th of 21 children born to James and Louise Hunter. His childhood experience included poverty, neglect and tragedy. After the deaths of his father and brother, Paul's mother, Louise, focused her energy on the homeless shelter she founded called Love and Charity Shelter. Though this was meant to be a stabilizing influence for her family and a respite for the downtrodden, it was in fact a breeding ground of dysfunction. A determined spirit and an unshakable faith lifted Paul to earn a degree in business administration from upper Iowa University. Father to four adult children, Paul wrote his autobiography entitled, No love, No Charity: The Success of the 19th Child. The book earned attention by Ebony Magazine, and he has appeared on several television shows, including Travis Smiley, Tom Joyner, and Fox and Friends and now he's honoring the Act 2: You’re On studio.
Highlights include:
“I think that parents need to understand that they are parents, and they are not their children’s friends. I saw it in my own family, even as a father myself. You cannot say, "I like this daughter or that son better than this daughter." You can't play favorites. You must have structure. You must have discipline. You must be loving. You must be caring and you must have boundaries as parents.”
“I have to say this, that it was just great men and women that were in my life, you know. I thank God for great pastors, great women that were - you know, instrumental into developing me as a man and also telling me that they believed in me. And when you come from the inner city, there's only one direction you can go. So when I was at upper Iowa University, I knew that I represented the inner city. And I knew there was only one direction I could go. And that was up. And so I really do thank God for good mentors coming into my life.”
“And there's nothing wrong with talking to a psychologist and let them know what type of background that you come from and what you had experienced in your life. So the book was very cathartic for me, because it relieved a lot of pain and a lot of anger. And it worked.”
“I wish I would have known that the end is always better than the beginning. So I want to close with these words, and encourage young people or all people to understand that the end is always better than the beginning. That you are not pitiful. You are powerful. You are extraordinary. You are bright, you are beautiful. You are intelligent. Now, go out and manifest all of your dreams. You can change the world.”
Find more information on Paul at his website: https://www.paullamarhunter.com/ Twitter: @PaulLamarHunter
Facebook: Paul Lamar Hunter
Instagram: PAULLAMARHUNTER
TikTok: PLH19
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In what is one of our most informative and equally inspiring conversations ever,
Dr. Richard Margil generously shares the remarkable work taking chiropractic services way beyond perhaps the common understanding of chiropractic care. What if you could reclaim a sense of well-being, find energy, dispel brain fog and regain clarity of thought? What if you could feel good in your body again, maybe get the whole of you - body, mind, and spirit aligned and working together? Maybe you feel detached from your body? Do you wonder if we all just have to settle that this general malaise, this low energy, overwhelm and societal funk is just how life is now. Well, the good news is, you’ve tuned into a conversation that will immediately teach you concepts of self-care you have never heard before and can put into practice directly after the podcast.
For over three decades, Dr. Rich has forged a highly effective multidisciplinary design for restoring his patients health and well being. Beyond restoring normal functioning to the body. His patients are amazed at the revitalization of their energy, clarity, zest for life and overall health. Dr. Rich's extensive skills include addressing over 2000 signaling pathways in the brain, rebuilding superior gut health and digestion and synthesizing functional approaches for achieving higher states of consciousness and sustained health. Dr. Rich's mission is to passionately deliver a life-changing wellness experience to people of all ages. And this is achieved through very specific chiropractic adjustments, neurological integration, and being inspired to take action for optimal health and well being.
Without exaggeration, this podcast might just save your life.
Highlights include:
“You only have one life that I know. Make it empowering. Make it interesting, learn as much as you can. Grow. And, you know, take it to the next step, whatever that is.”
“I do a lot of work with people who have had concussions. And, by the way, too much negative thinking and you can induce a concussive wave into your own body. So you don't have to get hit by something else. You can hit yourself enough, you can produce your own concussive wave that's really sobering, but I have to treat people.”
“And I hope for most of you out there, the unknown is "Oh, boy!" - and instead of "oh, no!" - yeah, because when it's an "Oh, boy!" and you see it, the adventure that it really is, then the curiosity of life comes never ending, it becomes its own life, wellspring. I'm fortunate in the work that I've done.”
Please visit https://margilhealing.com/ to find out more information about Dr. Richard Margil
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What a fitting and momentous Season One Finale! You will be hard pressed to find a greater orator or a more accomplished author, activist, educator, human or generous podcast guest than Julie Lythcott-Haims. As her website proclaims, “I believe in humans, I'm rooting for all of us to make it. I've come to appreciate that despite our innumerable differences. We all want to be treated with dignity and kindness. We all yearn to know that we matter. We all want to be seen, accepted and loved, simply as we are.” So, if you are also rooting for humanity like Julie, you have tuned in for a simply sensational conversation.
Julie Lythcott-Haims is a New York Times best selling author of How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a popular TED talk, which is phenomenal and worth a listen. Her second book is the critically acclaimed and award winning prose poetry memoir, Real American, which illustrates her experience as a black and biracial person in whitespaces. Her third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a groundbreakingly frank guide to adulthood. Julie holds degrees from Stanford, Harvard Law and California colleges of the arts. She currently serves on the boards of Common Sense Media Black Women's Health imperative narrative magazine and on the board of trustees at California College of Arts. She serves on the advisory boards of llenan. Org, Parents Magazine and Baldwin for the arts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over 30 years, their itinerant young adults and her mother. Julie offers compassion, personal experience and practical strategies for living a more authentic adulthood, as well as inspiration through interviews with dozens of voices from the rich diversity of the human population who have successfully launched their adult lives.
Highlights of our conversation include:
“It is quite likely we're all descended from people who endured worse than this. So these are not the worst of times and we have so much going for us, I think if we could get the climate situation harnessed, and if we could unlearn the hatred we have toward people who are different than us, we could really look out into the next millennia with confidence that we're going to be okay.”
“ I think if I could go back and tell my little lonely nine year old self, or 13 year old self, you know, or 15 year old self like, well, will I ever be asked to the prom - kind of thing. Don't worry, when you get older, you're going to be able to choose where you live. You're going to be known for yourself for what you’ve actually done. "
“Get in touch with that inner voice that wants to be heard by you, that inner voice that will speak back to you, if you say, what would I do next? If it was just up to me? It was just up to me, if they weren't gonna judge me. Or if they would wildly applaud me no matter what I did next. What would I do? Your own self, your spirit will answer you. If it trust that you will listen to it and not squelch it down. Right? Be in conversation with yourself about what this life wants to be, and then summon the guts to take those next steps.”
“The last thing I want to say is to your listeners have been with us for a number of minutes. And I want to invite every listener still with us to ask yourself what came up for you as we talked? Those are clues from your own spirit or soul or mind or gut that that mattered to you. You know, be curious, whatever came up for you in response to this conversation is valid. Be curious about it, take it forward. Understand it.”
You can find more information about Julie:
Website: https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Do you wish you had a better understanding of your body? Would you like to have more energy? Are there some strategies that can help me streamline my understanding of my body and therefore my approach to my health and well being? Well, this is the conversation for you.
In this interview you will meet Garey Simmons, a remarkable person with a deep knowledge of the body and health and a reverence and curiosity about the human spirit and the power of the mind and in regards to our health. Through a series of overseas events, Garey became involved in mission work and traveled to 30 countries, developing a great compassion for the world and a lifelong commitment to his education of eastern medicine, functional medicine and passion for wellness. In the year 2000, having received a diagnosis of high risk factors for heart disease and potential stroke, Garey began studying alternative ways to induce good health and mitigate chronic and inherited diseases.
In our conversation, Gary explains his work with dietary supplements and share that high potency Omega three fish oil is the first step to reclaiming health. He sits on the board and helps part time with operations and marketing MEDS philosophy. MEDS = mind state, exercise, diet, and sleep, which are the four pillars of his work. By attending to these four areas, wellness and vitality can be achieved, reclaimed and proclaimed.
Highlights include:
“Whether you exercise or you don't exercise, or the healthy or you eat junk food, those things are controlled by decisions and belief systems that you've installed. Either you've installed them, or probably more often than not, they have been downloaded. When you were somewhere between the age of the of birth and seven years old. Everything you did from those in those first seven years, you are downloading from the outside world, mainly your parents, hopefully, it was mainly your parents or people at school. And that became your belief system until you reached an age of majority. And you figured out I can make decisions for myself.”
“ Back to the question of how do we become healthier now that we are grown adults, and we can make our own decisions? I think it's good to just check in with yourself as to who you think you really are. And what you think about yourself? Is there a loving relationship between you and you? There's the outside view this, this replication of what's on the inside? But what's your treatment? Would you treat your friend the way you treat yourself? Would you talk to friends the way you talk to yourself?”
“It's kind of a Buddhist concept that what you believe is the creation around you, you project, what you want in life and what comes to you comes from you.”
“When it comes to medicine, of chronic diseases, that we have the four horsemen, right, we've got, we've got heart disease, we've got cancer, we've got diabetes, and we've got neuro degenerative diseases, those for chronic illnesses. Basically, my belief is that they come from lifestyle and diet, even poor diet or poor lifestyle leads to these certain outcomes for people.”
"You cannot count on the medical system to keep you healthy. I mean, the medical system doesn't even get involved until you're really, really sick. You can't you can't see a doctor until you get an appointment, which might be three weeks from now. What are you going to do for yourself in the meantime."
Find more Information about Garey:
Website: www.Optimalhealthbridge.com and www.fullbodyhealing.com
LinkedIn: Garey Simmons
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Have you ever had a great idea for an invention, a business or creation? Maybe you know that you and your friend or a family member have just what it takes to make it happen, but you're not sure what the next step might be? In one of A2YO’s most heartwarming interviews, our charming mother/daughter duo share what's possible when they use their unique skills and talents to team up together and turn a dream into a reality.
Cathy Stenquist and Erica Leigh are the creators of the new picture book Forever Home. Cathy is an award winning writer and recently published her debut picture book Forever Home, a lovely tale of two orphaned kittens, rescued by a shelter and their journey to find their forever family. Cathy was delighted to work closely with her daughter, Erica Leigh, who illustrated Forever Home.
Erica Leigh is a full time artist and musician living in Massachusetts. Her current focus is on children's book illustration and vocal recording work. However, her homegrown business dabbles in a wide variety of other projects like mural painting, graphic design, custom portraiture, commercial songwriting, and performance. She has a degree in songwriting and voice from Berklee College in Boston, but considers herself primarily self taught in art.
Tune in and you will find out how to follow Erica and Cathy and learn more about their creations. We dare you not to fall in love with this dynamic and darling duo.
Highlights include:
“It was such a big project, I think neither of us knew quite how big it was going to be when we started. And that's kind of the beauty of creative projects. Because if you knew how hard it was going to be, you might never start. But we did. And then - once you're in it, you don't want to quit.”
“Honestly, I would not be where I am without that kind of continued support. So I would say look around you, because you may be surprised who is there waiting and wants to support you and believes in you.”
“I wasn't afraid of failure. And I think that's one thing I've learned is that failure sometimes people think is a four letter word and a bad word.”
“Instead of asking "what if" about all the potential failure that might happen, and catastrophizing, the scenario that might lay ahead of you ask, what if in a positive way, for example, what if I take that chance?”
“Sometimes your evolution as a creative person can feel like destruction, like the way that a seed has to kind of break open or the way that a caterpillar has to cocoon up and then come out as a butterfly. Sometimes it can be painful, it can feel like you have no idea what's going to happen when life comes your way. And things get challenging…. You might be that seed, that caterpillar. Be willing to embrace that new identity, that new self that you never imagined….”
Find out more about our guests:
Cathy Stenquist website: https://www.cathystenquist.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CathyStenquist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathystenquist/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.stenquist/
Erica Leigh Website: https://www.ericaleigh.com/
https://www.ericaleighart.com/
Instagram:
@ericaleighmusic
@ericaleighart
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Did you know that your brilliance is not necessarily stuff you're good at? It’s actually the stuff that just lights you - the stuff that lives in those moments when you are living in that brave space of “What would you do if you knew you could never fail.” Well, Kate Beeders is going to help you learn to work out of that space. And, if you feel you cannot access your brilliance, she’s going to help you figure out what limiting belief is holding you back. In our conversation, Kate explains why we don't want to stay in the stories we’ve been telling ourselves, because our subconscious mind thinks that story is protecting us, our subconscious mind is there to keep us safe. Tune in to hear Kate explain how it really doesn't understand what really keeping us safe means. Learn to take control, rewrite the story you have been telling yourself.
Kate Beeders is the Breakthrough Success Coach, helping entrepreneurs and corporate professionals tape into their Zone of Brilliance to accelerate their success. Over the last nine years, Kate has been helping thousands of people move from stuck to successful with her Success Acceleration System. A sought after speaker across North America and a member of the Top International Speaker’s Bureau. She has also authored two best-selling books: The Winning Way and also Go or Don’t Go: The Complete Guide to Accelerating Your Success and Tap into Your Brilliance.
Highlights include:
“One thing I've always learned is that every time you reinvent yourself, it doesn't mean what you did in the past was a mistake. You take the good stuff with you. And also you learn from it.”
“If you're here, you are one of the Knowers. You already recognize that conventional wisdom isn't cutting it. And that's because most of what's taught in professional and personal development is based on transforming the conscious: "think positively," they say - "change your thoughts," they say - as though it's as easy as changing your clothes. Right. But true success, lasting success requires a much deeper recalibration, a subconscious rewiring of your mind that taps into the depths of your innate zone of brilliance. When you do that work - when you step into the mindset of a leader, you unlock a series of breakthroughs that culminate in a new level of income and impact.”
“The most results-oriented way of helping somebody shift out of an old mindset, an old story, is to shift the behavior, because we do things either out of love or out of fear. And our subconscious mind holds all our old stories, our fears, our doubts, our worries are old stories. So things that could have happened to us when we were four years old...however, many years later, we're still holding on to that story.”
You can find out more about Kate at:
https://katebeeders.com/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
For any woman entering the third stage of life….
For anyone who knows and loves a woman entering the third stage of life….
From anyone who has failed and rebuilt, struggled and learned, self-soothed by binging and then healed and helped others….
For anyone who loves a good reinvention story, an empowerment story - boy do we have the podcast for you.
Meet the perceptive, adventurous Kathy Elkind, an Eating Psychology Coach, a Teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion and owner of Elkind Nourishment. Kathy helps women feel their emotions instead of eating their emotions and feel comfortable in their bodies. Adventurous by nature, hear about her travels and reinvention and her encouragement for women to grow into their next great act. In the podcast, Kathy shares her grand adventure of spring of 2018, at the age of 57, Kathy Elkind walked the Grande Randonnée Cinq (GR5) with her husband of 27 years. The 2,286K (1,400-mile) journey started at the North Sea in The Netherlands and continued through Belgium, Luxembourg, and the whole length of France through the Alps to end at the Mediterranean in Nice.
Tune into learn about the Queening ceremony she believes everyone woman deserves to experience. Kathy also candidly shares her experience being dyslexic and the long journeys to understanding this as a strength after wading through years of unhappiness, shame and emotional eating to self-soothe.
Highlights include:
“So many of us also weren't taught how to deal with our difficult emotions in life. And we all have difficult emotions and being vulnerable and learning to hang out with your difficult emotions and not freeze up, or, or reach for cookies and numb.”
“There's sort of the traditional archetype, the princess, the mother, and then the crone. Well, after we've been mothers, nowadays, women are living a lot longer. And, and it doesn't have to be a mother of children, it can be a mother or a career and things. So, we're incorporating all women. But when you get to be 50, and you're going through menopause, you know, you don't want to be Crone, we're not ready for old age yet. Donna Hentz was the first person who I read about this. She stuck in the word queen to add another archetype. And so the idea is that when you get into your 50s, you've lived a long life - and so let's embrace our wisdom and embrace this body that's shifting and changing, and use this wisdom and step into our power.”
“Stay open to the possibilities because you never know where life's gonna take you and just stay open to all the possibilities. And many, many of us have taken mindfulness or done yoga and, and I kind of felt like I had done all of that. But, it wasn't until I went on the walk that I really used it so much.”
More Information about Kathy Elkind:
https://www.elkindnourishment.com/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Do you ever feel like you work so hard, eat right, exercise, do the right thing, and still feel frustrated by the results of your efforts and your appearance? Our guest, Lizabeth Glynn, is an expert in the field of skincare, and in our conversation, Lizabeth shares great news regarding the most cutting edge technology for non expensive...a little bit of extra help you need to feel and look your best.
Lizabeth Glynn has been in the beauty industry since 1982 as a licensed cosmetologist. For the last six years, Lizabeth has concentrated on skin enhancement through non ablative treatments. Lizabeth attended the national Laser Institute and has received certificates in the Quanta, IPL radio frequency and Quanta's lasers. She explains the many modalities she has at her disposal, considered the elite of the aesthetic modalities, handmade in Italy. Lizabeth also discusses how clients discover non invasive, cost-effective ways to get their face, skin and body looking great. A fun conversation, you’ll laugh along with us and come away understanding your options and also getting the 411 on how skin-care is self-care.
Highlights include:
“Most people just need nonablative work. They don't need something so invasive - there's a lot of ablative services out there where you're literally removing your face. Not really necessary in most cases - not unless you've got severe scarring. And so I'm, I'm so comfortable being able to help in this non ablative way. So we're only heating up underneath the skin instead of removing the skin.”
“A few years ago, I would not even go to the mailbox if I didn't have makeup on. And now, I never I never even think about it, I don't need any makeup. And that's really my goal for most of my clients is that they can feel awesome, all the time - never feel like they need to cover themselves up. Because covering up is just, it's just not fair to you. It kind of plays this little game in your head, which is just not okay. Nobody needs that, you know, we want to live a really long life. Just being happy with the way you look is huge.”
“It’s okay to be happy and find what you love and just do it. And don't let anybody be negative about you or something that you really love. But I'm just…I'm so grateful to be alive and to be healthy. And I just love what I do. And I think that that's what just people need to figure out. It's okay to take a risk, I took a huge risk, especially a financial one.”
For more information about Lizabeth:
https://www.newleafsalon.com/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Do you find that you have a hard time balancing the hard work it takes to achieve the business work and income goals while maintaining a healthy body and feeling as vibrant as you want to feel? We often know we need a coach to help us achieve our business and financial goals. But how about an expert to help us achieve our peak health goals? Good news. You’ve come to the right podcast. Meet Irina Serebryakova, a functional medicine nurse practitioner, who integrates traditional allopathic medicine with a variety of holistic modalities. Using superior nutrition and herbs for digestive problems and weight management, Irina utilizes natural hormones for endocrine and hormone balancing joint health, anti aging and disease prevention.
In the podcast, Irina explains why the path to optimal health and harmony can only be achieved by addressing the care of the whole person: digestion, sleeping patterns, immunity, nutrition, toxicity level, hormone status, and lifestyles. Irina demonstrates how the human body has an incredible ability to heal and to regenerate her goal and treating you as a patient is to guide you to give you tools and to empower you in restoring balance and preventing disease. She also gets very frank about menopause and the solution to living a more vibrant life for women experiencing the changes but also for the equivalent experience men will experience as they age.
Highlights include:
“We can upregulate genetics, and you probably all heard about epigenetics. So what's the learn from a new emerging science that every cell in the body, you know, communicates with the environment and this is how we evolve. And this is how we heal or just the opposite, get some symptoms, conditions, illnesses. So, very important to think about what we eat, what we drink, what kind of air we have around us, I guess another term is the quality. So, key word is the quality of everything that we that we eat, that we consume, that we inhale, quality of water, quality of food, quality of relationships, it's very important to sustain in our lives.
“Menopause is a transitional and transformational time for a woman I guide my patients to how to embrace that transition with grace and joy.”
“And so we also need to have a robust detoxification system in order to get rid of all the endocrine disrupting ders, and other toxins, congested liver and lymph often is the culprit for the well being and severe menopausal symptoms. And those symptoms can be hot flashes and anxiety, depression, insomnia, dryness will really be there in the joint, a loss of bone density and the digestive issues to some men, as you mentioned, they also go through the change.”
“The most powerful message I want to deliver. So all the symptoms can be addressed without the antidepressants, without the synthetic hormones, without sleeping pills. And without the status so we can balance the body. Now we can bring the body into that healthy state, we can retrain the system on how to age gracefully, and without any symptoms.”
Find out more about Irina at:
www.YouHolistic.com
You Holistic, Functional Medicine & Longevity Center
https://www.instagram.com/youholistic/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Wondering how to have a bigger impact in your community and in the world? Second guessing yourself, thinking: What do I have to contribute? Well, you’ve come to the right podcast, because there is no better person to unpack the many virtues and the far reach of ROTARY than our guest, Sue Peghiny. Having navigated many transitions and reinventions in her life, from Clock & Watch Repair to receptionist to European Sales Manager to Rotarian leader extraordinaire, Sue speaks convincingly and wholeheartedly about the life changing and world changing contributions of Rotary clubs across the globe.
Sue Peghiny got involved in the Rotary, having spent most of her life never feeling like she was much of a leader. The Rotary was not concerned and gave her a spot and then, realizing Sue’s ability to organize, gave her the opportunity to lead, learn public speaking and to make a significant impact in her community and beyond. In this fun, accessible conversation, hear how this gentle woman is helping to change the world by furthering the mission of this amazing organization and, simultaneously, how Rotary changed who she is and how she moves through the world.
Highlights include:
“If you want to contribute, if you want to network, if you want to meet people, if you want to have an impact, then you can be a Rotarian. “
“I have grown as a person in ways I never would have expected. I feel like my whole life I wanted to be a leader and I could never get there. And the roadie was like, oh, yeah, sure. Be a leader and it puts me up in front of people - like get to talk. It really grew me as a person. It's okay to get something out of volunteering. And the best part of anything I do with Rotary, especially the service projects, the hands on service project is it's always fun. I have never done a hands-on service project that it was fun. So if you want to have fun, you want to meet people and you want to do some good in the world, you should be a Rotarian.”
“In our club, we're right in the middle of a textile recycling program, what we do is once a month, basically, we go out to the back of a mall, and people bring bags and bags and bags and bags and bags of old socks, clothing, rugs, stuffed animals, pocket, book, shoes, all kinds of things. And the goal is to get those things out of a waste stream.”
For more information about Sue and her work with Rotary:
https://www.rotary.org/en
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
We dare you not to fall in love, get inspired and learn something from the remarkable story and telling of Svetlana Sky and her “out of the box” coaching on how to discover your true purpose and sense of self. Svetlana is the creator of the Sky Method - a modality of spiritual psychology which integrates expressive painting. It provides a visual expression from the unconscious mind that was hidden from conscious awareness. This process results in an instantaneous shift which creates a disappearance of fears, limiting beliefs, doubts & barriers.
Svetlana Sky is a creative educator, serial entrepreneur, and author. Svetlana had been a New York restaurateur for 25 years, worked in film industry and a Board-certified Anti-Aging Health Practitioner. Her work is the summary of a decade, practicing internationally with groups and individuals. Svetlana helps men and women seeking more fulfillment, to discover their life mission and overcome their biggest fears to act and live their dreams on purpose. Listen in and find what created this indomitable spirit and fearless approach to living a creative life.
Highlights include:
“Well, looking back, one of the biggest transitions that happened - I had moved from Soviet Union to United States. And that alone, you know, not knowing language and starting from scratch, inspired a lot of things. But mostly, because after living my entire life under so many boundaries and oppression and so many limitations, being able to express myself.”
“Fear doesn't exist. They're the reservations that comes from the intellectual mind that don't belong there. So, it's only inspiration, curiosity, love. So what if you fail? Or, you get really upset when you're building a sand castle, and the wave comes and wash it off? You'll start a new one. It's a joyful experience. So, if you really embark on a journey to experience everything, in its purity, as a creative, as a child, as as a spirit, then fear doesn't belong there. And that's why you try, you fail, and you love it.”
“People carry each other to the victories, and they learn from each other's experience.”
Find more information on our Guest at:
Her website is: https://skymethodworks.com/ Her Facebook is: https://www.facebook.com/SkyMethodWorks/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Welcome to a power house, power voice podcast with Karen Kalafatas (Kal-uh-fay-tis) - singer, writer, changemaker and artist-preneuer living in North Carolina’s Piedmont. As founder of the nationally acclaimed tot-rock group Karen K & the Jitterbugs, Karen has lit up stages across the country and world, and has been featured in multiple media outlets including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post, Broadway World, PBS and CBS New York.
In this candid and open-hearted conversation, we hear the change-making work of this stalwart advocate for equity and inclusion. Karen is Creator and Executive Producer of Kids Really Rock™ - the largest free family music festival in the country, and Co-Founder of Family Music Forward, a collective dedicated to dismantling systemic racism in the family music industry. Karen talks some hard truths, addressing inequity in her business. You also get to hear her gorgeous voice and a stunning snippet of her newest song, February Strong.
Highlights include:
“One of the things I learned from my greatest teachers was of course, just like in writing, being truthful. My very favorite acting teacher, Carol Fox Prescott, her entire philosophy and pedagogy is based on this idea of following your breath and seeking joy. And, of course, that's applicable to all of us in life, right? If we can learn to do that, and follow our breath and seek the joy. What a beautiful life, we'll be privileged enough to lead, right. But, I do try to do that as much as I can and when I sing, and often don't…but I do try.”
“The family music industry is extremely white centered. And so we formed a collective, and we're in the process of officially becoming a nonprofit. We're working with a consultant, who's here in North Carolina. As a matter of fact, we are all over the country from LA and Portland, to Austin to Washington to North Carolina, all the way up to Boston. But, our mission is to amplify and elevate black voices in the family music industry, so that children hear and see themselves reflected in that space and in their space. And so they feel safe families feel safe and celebrated in that space. And it's been incredibly hard and incredibly beautiful work, truly beautiful.”
“Be messy. I would say be messy. And there's a racial bias lens to this too, because this is very much like a white supremacist construct that everything has to be perfect. Be messy, throw some spaghetti against the wall, and see if it sticks. But you don't have to have everything all lined up, go out and play a little bit, and you can figure it out as you go.”
“Especially if you have a creative idea or, as an artist, if you want to launch your art into the world in a way that other people experience it. Perhaps, you want to make money doing it. It's a business so be smart about it. Have a business plan and ask for help. If you don't know how to do it - there are people in your life… Reach out and sit down with and connect with other humans and ask for advice and ask for help wherever you need it. And don't be afraid to do that.”
Find out more about our Guest Karen Kalafatas at
Website: karenkmusic.com
Website: karenkjitterbugs.com
Facebook: Karen K and the Jitterbugs
YouTube :Karen Kalafatas
YouTube: Karen K & the Jitterbugs
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet gifted writer, Meg Ounsworth Steere whose blog is “about taking a deep breath living authentically and bravely and changing the narrative by finding hope and courage.” Meg’s work has been published in HuffPost, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and the journal for planning Education and Research, Sky Island Journal, Maria Shriver’s Sunday paper and on her blog: putyourownoxygenmaskonfirst.com. In this conversation, Meg speaks candidly, vulnerably about being a part of the “sandwich generation” and managing her own Rheumatoid Arthritis while caring for a mother diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer and also raising children.
Meg holds a BA in French Language and Literature and a Master's in Regional Planning, with a focus on community and economic development. The two places that have most influenced her life are Baxter State Park in northern Maine, where she was a park ranger, and the country of Madagascar, where she lived during college. These days, Meg spends her time writing, managing historic preservation projects, planning her next adventure, shuttling her kids to their activities, and volunteering for a variety of nonprofits. One of her nonprofit passions is being part of the US board for the Maya impact school in Guatemala, the first female indigenous-led Secondary School in Central America.
Highlights from the interview include:
“I took some time and worked through the guilt of not being the professional working mom, I thought I was going to be and that image of myself - if I don't earn a wage then I'm not valuable, and not contributing, and so it took a lot of practice to get beyond that.”
“I felt torn between being a sandwich generationer - I had very young kids and my mom was really young when she was diagnosed. And, I felt really stuck, to be honest, between the two and I couldn't give enough to either. And there was nothing left for me.”
“If you don't make room for exercise, now, you'll have to make room for illness later…. I woke up and said, “Today, I'm going to go for a walk and everything else took priority, right and all of a sudden it's five o'clock and it's not going to happen. But if I had a doctor's appointment, I would go. It was on the calendar. So I started scheduling exercise on the calendar, this is for my mental well being at this point. I would walk five minutes, and I just start streaming with tears, like, just so overwhelmed by life and the responsibility and sadness, guilt and grief, like all the feelings. And I just realized I had all these toxic emotional poisons just running through my body with no exit. And that is then fueling, of course, my rheumatoid arthritis.”
“"Every path has a puddle or two."
Find out more information about Meg:
Website: https://putyourownoxygenmaskonfirst.com/ Linked In & FacebookInstagram @megsteere5335; twitter @Misste259
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet one of the premiere photographers in the Boston area and beyond, Stephanie Vegliante, who is known for her timeless and authentically engaging imagery. Stephanie is the owner and creative artist behind Stephanie Vegliante photography. Over the past decade, she has honed the craft of creating a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere to capture her clients in their finest light. Her internationally acclaimed work has taken her from Napa Valley to Hong Kong, with her clientele ranging from n household names to local Bostonians. She works with both film and digital mediums and brings deep technical acumen, a strong point of view, and unwavering poise and professionalism to her impressive body of work.
In our conversation, you’ll learn how Stephanie always had a love for photography, but it was her passion, her unrelenting drive and a willingness to work hard that has earned her a spot at the top of her industry. With candor and humility, Stephanie explained the grind and effort it took to gain technical acumen as a photographer but also the credibility and savvy to be a good businessperson. Stephanie also reveals why she is one of the most sought after wedding photographers from Napa, to Hong Kong, from Paris to Martha’s Vineyard. Do yourself a favor and listen to the podcast as your go to her webpage and drink in her stunning work at www.photographysv.com
Highlights include:
“I would photograph three weddings in three different states for the person I worked for in one weekend. And then I would work all week. I was in my early 20s. So I had no idea how crazy that was. And I was doing it for pennies. I did not make much money. It was just about the hustle.”
“It's really my job to make you feel comfortable. No one feels well…I guess social media stars do…but no one in normal life feels super comfortable with themselves in front of the camera. I really try and bring a fun ambience. I want my clients to feel like themselves during our session. I would much rather have a fun conversation going between us and talk about, you know, their pets, what their life is like, what they like to do, what they enjoy…. So that later on, when they look through their gallery, they're thinking to themselves, “Wow, we look great. That's us actually having fun. Whether it's because of my bad joke, or something else, they're actually enjoying themselves in front of the camera.”
“In every industry, there is some aspect of camaraderie that can really be helpful when you're growing or just to learn more. And I would also say to people go the extra mile. I think no one goes the extra mile anymore. So, just those little things just to let people know that you care about them clients specifically, but just letting them know that you really care. You're really interested and you're invested. I think that really goes a very long way just so people feel cared for and not just like another client along the way.”
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Welcome to Part Two of our Valentine’s special edition with Tone Thyne. You know his work from Disney animation, Wonder Pets, Napkin Man and other universally loved original content. You even know his face as the model for Disney’s Toy Story hero, Woody.
In Part Two, you’ll hear the origin of Tone’s friendship with failure and the emotionally harrowing journey of staving off despair with perseverance and the evolution of will power and personal faith it has taken for this remarkable business man and creator to become Vice President of Creative at FableVision. You will literally hang on his every word as he find his way past NO after NO to find the next YES.
Highlights include:
“Ray Bradbury said, ‘Sometimes you need to jump out the window and grow wings on the way down.’ And I think well, maybe I need to jump out the window and grow wings on the way down.”
“It's interesting, because all of those rejection stories, as Kate said, you know, it’s such a intimate relationship with failure that has really set me up beautifully, for pitching an idea to a network and having them go, “Oh, we already have something that's too similar to that already” or a network to say, “That doesn't really hit our demographic that we're looking for right now.” So, I go back, and try again.”
“How is anybody going to help you get to where you want to go unless you tell them where you want to go?”
“What I aspire to do is to create children's content that helps shape the citizens of tomorrow. I mean, what an amazing, awesome responsibility it is to create children's programming for kids, and help form them into good kind people.”
You can find more information about Tone at:
https://www.fablevision.com You can support our show on Patreon
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Welcome to Valentine’s edition of a special two part Valentine’s podcast with Tone Thyne. You actually know his work from Disney animation, and as the Producer of Wonder Pets, as creator of Napkin Man and other universally loved original content. You even know his face as the model for Disney’s Toy Story hero, Woody. So, here is your chance to get to know the man behind the success. Vice President of Creative at FableVision, an educational media developer and production studio, Tone is a Television Director, Writer, Animator, Producer, Show-runner, and a role model for how to get comfortable with failure, moving past the first NO, the second rejection, the third hurdle and finding the way to YES!
In this engaging conversation, Tone offers a master class on how to put yourself into the path of luck, despite setbacks, door slams and missteps. Tone, above all else, is a charismatic storyteller with love at the center of his life. In Part I: Run to the Roar, Tone shares the challenges of his early career, in what becomes an instructive optimist’s guide to life, career and love. His audacity is both inspiring and somehow accessible. He explains the origin of his friendship with failure and the willpower to keep looking for the next right answer.
Part One highlights include:
“The first assignment was to make a flipbook. And I realized at that very moment that I got to have some sort of a god complex, because when I created this life, I was just completely smitten with the art form. And I thought, wow, I can actually make these little doodles dance and come to life. And I declared animation my major right then and there.”
“It becomes a challenge, you know - like, okay, they said no. I mean, I make a living right now trying to sell original content to the broadcasters. And, there's a million of them out there. When one of them says no, then… that's great. I don't really start until I get a no. And then it's like, okay, Games On. Somebody just said no. Now, how do we get somebody to say yes?”
“I had this teacher in eighth grade, and she used to write these quotes up on the board. Every day, It was our job to come into class and write down into our notebook the quote that she had written up on the board. I don't remember any of them, except one, which was: Run to the Roar. And, and she explained the quotes she says, “When you're afraid of something, don't run away from it run toward it.”
You can find out more about Tone at:
http://fablevision.com/ Please support our show through Patreon
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Welcome to a beautiful conversation with the particularly gifted orator and generous spirit,
Maria DiLorenzo. Maria owns MFD style, a Boston based wardrobe consulting business. She lends her expertise in the intersection of style, psychology and spirituality. Maria's intuitive approach supports clients to find their authentic signature style, and use it to leverage more self loving beliefs.
In this conversation, you’ll learn of Maria’s profound approach to style and wardrobe consultation. Maria shares her own journey and personal story of how we discovered a love for fashion while window-shopping with her mother. Maria also learned the hard but seminal lesson of spirituality and style as she dressed for her father’s funeral. Join us for this delightful conversation and hear about the fun adventure Kate had when she welcomed Maria into her closet.
Some of the highlights you’ll hear will include:
“A huge piece of my work is building that trust and having people feel more at ease and sort of just just Yeah, more accustomed to the experience as opposed to feeling, you know, nervous or anxious.”
“My mom really ignited something in me about the appreciation and sort of the aesthetic of fashion that was never about necessarily consuming or purchasing or having it - it was just about appreciating it for its own beauty. And, I think that was also something that got ignited for me when I started.”
On discovering the intersection of style, psychology and spirituality at her father’s funeral:
“I think I just got that little touch of grace, like you can do this, you can show up and do this really hard thing. And that wardrobe choice which sounds so silly in such a simple thing. It's like the lightbulb went off for me that I could not only could wardrobe choices, help me do this hard thing, but it made me connect with my own self value, and worth and love.”
“...now you're exposing someone to their body, right, and sort of how their relationship is with their body and their interpretation. And in that experience…whether it's internal, it's been external that has been imprinted on them. All the messages come out. And those experiences about how I look, how I feel in this, what people say about me i - there's so much that's wrapped up in our wardrobe choices and how we feel about our bodies and how we interpret that back out to the world.”
“Instead of saying…I have these crow's feet on my eyes, I really should get Botox. Instead saying, your eyes sparkle, you have the most beautiful blue, they look like the ocean. Being able to help reframe how people interpret their bodies. And I'm not here to feed a bunch of BS. It's about helping them really see what I see, and reinterpret that information in a way that they might take it in.”
You can find more information about Maria at:
Website : https://www.mfdstyle.com/
Support our Show through Patreon
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
In one of our most authentic and instructive conversations, you’ll meet Bevin Mugford, a dynamic executive with over 15 years of experience in leading people, training high-performance teams and building a start-up from the ground floor. She is host of a weekly chat series called “Thursday Thrive'' and author of a “Saturday Meditation” blog and an in-demand public speaker. A Mom of 4, Bevin is self-described nerdy researcher and CrossFit junkie.
Bevin graciously shares her most vulnerable moments throughout her life. She makes a point of sharing how she has many times felt sorry for herself, wallowing and wailing - but she also shared how she then found the strength to rebuild and to reinvent herself again. After the trauma of losing her son, Bevin found a way to turn her grief into a way to support others in their journey of loss.
Some highlights include:
“The world is not going to come find you feeling sorry for yourself sitting in the basement, you're not going to get lucky. Lucky can't find you. When you're hiding down in the hole of this living room in the basement. You have to just go out and do something can make your own luck. Yes, people say when they make it, they're like, Oh, it was good timing. And they always put luck in there. But the bottom line is they were doing something to have that luck find them for that timing to be right.”
“Was I lucky? Hell yes, I was - but it's because I took action to allow that luck to find me and that timing to be right. So go out and make your own luck by being out there and literally moving your body and connecting with people.”
“When you engage in a process, are you willing to be cognitively flexible to adjust with new information? So that's key with new information. Now you see how curiosity and creativity come into this incredible dance. Curiosity asked what is happening, what am I learning? What's the pattern and creativity says, and how can I work with and how can I walk forward with this? And how can I grow? How can I learn? How can I invent? How can I iterate? And those two, together to me, are the Cornerstone strengths that inform and drive entrepreneurship, and being a business owner and often a trailblazer as well.”
“For anyone who is connected to me on Instagram, it or Facebook, it has been incredibly important for me to show the authenticity of a loss journey. There are days where you feel super strong when you do things like handstands and headstands, and climb ropes at the CrossFit gym. And I show that and then there are days where you sit on a beach and wail for your child who drowned in the water that you're literally looking at. And I show that and we can hold both. That is the human experience. It's not one or the other”
“Losing my child is the worst thing that happened to me. You also have a worst thing that happened to you. And it's different. But it's the worst thing that you know. And that pain is real. And it's equally as painful to you. Because it's the worst thing that you know. And we need to meet each other in that truth. There is not a worst pain.”
You can learn more about Bevin at:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bevin.mugford/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bevin.mugford/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bevinmugford/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Have you ever been faced with the necessity, the dilemma, the challenge of reinvention? Well, you’ve tuned into the right conversation with Lisa Giallonardo. Soak up the wisdom of this accomplished businesswoman, whose life and career are a study of reinvention.
An orthopedic physical therapist with a sub-specialty in the foot and ankle who works at a locally owned private practice called Preservation Physical Therapy and Wellness in the Boston area, Lisa has over 40 years of experience as a physical therapist with extensive doctoral work in organizational behavior and academic administration at Boston University. She has lectured extensively on clinical, teaching, and administrative topics throughout the United States. Lisa chaired the Musculoskeletal Panel for the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, facilitating a national team of specialists documenting how to treat patients with orthopedic injuries.
Beyond her professional acumen, this conversation highlights Lisa’s ability to balance her career, family, love of intellectual pursuits, and being a community organizer and leader. Boiled down, this lively conversation is a lesson on how to live an invigorating life your love with integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to family and service.
Highlights include:
“I always look at what can I do better? How can I use my skills? What would make me excited? What opportunities are there that, that I should take advantage of?”
“Good preparation, a little self confidence, a deep breath. “
“Every time I did a lecture, on my way home driving home from Boston, I would think, did I do a good job? What would I have done differently? You know, what was I not happy with. And the next time try to change that try to do better next time. And I think that really, really helps when you know what you're good at when you aren't terribly afraid to take a risk. And when you jump in feet first with a smile. I think you can be very successful.”
“Peter Drucker would always look at a situation when he finished it and say, what went well? What did what did? I did? Did what I what happened? Did I expect that to happen? What surprised me? What could I have done better? And then the next time, how will I use what I learned to actually do a better job.”
“As the leader, you don't have to be good at everything, you just have to be smart enough to know what you're not good at….”
You can connect with Lisa Giallonardo:
https://preservationptandwellness.com/
LinkedIn
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Tune in for one of our most intriguing guests. Willard Barth lived a life of rebellion and loss and more loss until a point of transformation leading to a life of gratitude and achievement. Willard’s story not only inspires but empowers the listener to take immediate action. His remarkable journey of resilience and fortitude, forming the foundation for his incredible philosophy of The Anatomy of Transformation, a roadmap to leveling up to your best self.
Known around the world as a Keynote Speaker, Business Consultant and Transformation Expert, Willard is also a #1 Best Selling Author. He is the founder of 4 successful companies including an entertainment company, a marketing company, as well as Willard Barth Enterprises and Co-Founder of The N.A.P. Coaching Academy.Additionally, he is a successful singer/songwriter. His first album “Coming Home” enjoyed International success with the first single “Wind Dancer” reaching #24 on the pop charts overseas. He also performed over 100 times on Broadway with the legendary Les Paul.
Some of the highlights include:
“If you ask a question, you get an answer. If you ask a bad question, you get a bad answer.”
“Change is inevitable. Everything changes, you know, it happens without warning. Everything around us changes. Growth is optional.”
“Sometimes, people say, "Oh, you've gone through so much stuff." And, then, they actually try and play off that they can't transform because their life hasn't been hard.”
“Find other people who have walked the path before you and recognize that they can help you succeed on your journey, because when you try and do it by yourself, you just end up beating your head on a wall.”
You can learn more about Willard at
Website: www.WillardBarth.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willardbarth
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/willardbarth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willardbarth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriorsage
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
In this episode, you will meet a living example of how transformation is possible for all of us and our world when we keep love and service at the forefront of our mission.
Meet Reverend Rodney E. Dailey - an outreach specialist with over twenty years of diverse experience in human service management and youth violence prevention. Rodney's work earned him over 90 awards from local and national organizations and governments, including the 1000th Point of Light Presidential Award from President George HW Bush. The Gang Peace program was later re-awarded by President Barack Obama. In 2015, Rodney published his memoir, Gang Peace to Street Peace, The Untold Story. His commitment to peace – more than just the absence of strife, conflict, and pain, but also the presence of wholeness, purpose, and love. Rev Rodney is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and serves as the Assistant Pastor of New Bethel AME in Lowell, MA.
In a moving, inspiring and fun conversation, we learn Rodney’s personal story of reinvention. A gang member in his youth and exposed to violence, drugs and loss, you’ll hear his long journey to becoming a justice seeker and the roadblocks he surmounted to achieving goals for himself and for society. You’ll also hear some practical advice about how to incorporate service into each of our daily lives. Rodney also reminds us how important it is for people to love themselves so they can love one another fully. Tell us about this idea of love being at the core of your actions.
Here are some of the highlights from a conversation ripe with wisdom:
Gang Outreach: “Once we got past the trust issue, which is a big thing if you're doing any grassroot organizations within any of these communities, the trust issue is big. I know right now there's a lot of pastors walking with police, but it's almost like a brick in the road because the trust for the police is not there yet. It will be one day, but it's not there yet.
We have a lot of individuals that are reaching out in those communities to get people hired, but the people that have already tried to get a job and have lost hope, need training to get back into get up and be to work on time. You know, skills like: don't smoke a blunt before you go to work.
“I'm going to ask for people to help fill the need, because we can't do it by ourselves. And and the issue is, is that it's not about money. It's about the people. And so what we can do is we can join organizations that are that are doing something. I think, Martin every would, he said, everybody can be great. It's gonna be great. I'm going to ask for people to help fill the need, because we can't do it by ourselves. And and the issue is, is that it's not about money. It's about the people. And so what we can do is we can join organizations that are that are doing something. I think Martin said, everybody can be great. It's gonna be great. Because anybody can serve.”
Find more information about the Reverend Rodney Dailey:
The New Bethel Church : https://www.thenewbethel.com/ Gang Peace to Street Peace; The untold story by Rodney Dailey
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet trailblazing thought-leader, Laura Cohen, and learn about the platform she is building to dismantle the toxic diet culture that is plaguing society. A “former” dietitian and professional chef, Laura Cohen’s 2nd act was impressive, building an incredibly successful business with a well known health and wellness company, but it’s her 3rd act that is changing the world.
In 2020, Laura’s teenage daughter was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, forever shifting Laura’s priorities and refocusing her energies. She took a HUGE professional pivot after coming to the gut-wrenching conclusion that she was personally contributing to the enormous societal dilemma of “diet culture.” With that very hard gut check, she re-educated herself because she realized that her entire training and platform was, to put it bluntly, completely wrong. Laura’s 3rd act required a 180 degree pivot and finds Laura today as a proud certified intuitive eating practitioner and a certified eating disorder recovery coach.
In one of our most important episodes, you will learn how Laura lost income, lost friends even as she was gaining certainty that she had stumbled into her life’s true mission. Emotional, honest and incredibly informative, this conversation has the power to save lives.
Highlights include:
“But kind of where the pivotal, where the pivotal change happened was, I had to start looking at myself in the mirror. And I had to start seeing what I was doing.”
“So, I started educating myself and learning about different things. And I will plug this book and this woman for the rest of my life, I read a book called The Anti Diet by Christie Harrison. I read that book…and after like a chapter or two, something happened and I'm undone. I literally couldn't put it down.”
“I literally felt like I was betrayed. I felt like…I don't want to use curse words on this show…I felt like an idiot. I felt like the town liar. And then - I've got a daughter who's battling an eating disorder. And I'm like: Oh My God, I contributed to that society. Like I contributed to diet culture, unbeknownst to me, because I thought I was doing the right thing. And I was part of it.”
“Ironically, intuitive eating was started in 1995, or 96 was the first edition of the book intuitive eating. I read it that year when I was a dietitian at Mass General Hospital. I remember sitting in my office and reading it and going: this makes so much sense.”
“When I walked away from diet culture, and I'd been public about it to a point, I felt peace inside.”
“But I'm proud of the message that I'm putting out there. It’s not even a guilt thing that I have to make up for what I did - it is what it is. That was the past. And I do believe in moving forward, but my past has taught me a lot. But, it just feels so right.”
“I still walk around feeling like I'm wiping the egg off my face. I still, every day, I still go, "You know what, I'm just gonna keep wiping it off. It's okay. It's my humility."
“What I learned on this journey is that it's okay to feel the discomfort and the distress, feelings of distress, they're gonna pass. It's okay to sit with it. But, when your gut tells you something's wrong or right, double check that - and make sure it's not just distress, because it could very well be confusing. Double check your gut, and - if your gut tells you one way or another, follow that gut feeling, but also learn to sit with the distress, because it passes. “
For More Information about Laura:
Blog: https://noweighway.com/ Facebook group: the no weigh way
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet Leo Ryan, a former professional athlete, and a nationally ranked triathlete for thirty years. A successful business man with a noteworthy career in Sustainability, Leo is a renaissance man with a commitment to community, service and personal growth. After sustaining a life-altering knee injury and a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, a trip to Kripalu set him on an unexpected journey toward vocation, a new understanding of his life’s mission and way to change people’s lives.
In this interview, you’ll hear about the exciting work Leo is doing with Energymatters2u…an amalgamation of all his life experiences that has led to his study of shamanism and his work with the Jaguar Path. You’ll hear Leo speak with deep reverence for the Q’ero people of the Andes and how their ancient wisdom is offering the comfort, healing and sense of personal shamanism that can heal past wounds and open up a balanced and happier path for seekers. We know you’ll leave this podcast better for this conversation.
Highlights include:
“There's all different ways of accessing your own truth, your own sense of wholeness, your own expanding entities, all different ways to do that. And, you know, the challenge in our life is to find a way that feels authentic to ourselves and feels true to ourselves. And I guess in my role in bringing forward the shamanic teachings and yogic traditions, my role is just to invite people into the space and find what works for them.”
“In these indigenous traditions, the feminine energy, the ability to create and nurture life is is seen as primal, it's seen as the most important. And some around 500 years ago, there was a shift where physical dominance and a masculine force kind of was seen as the primal energy.”
“For 1000s and 1000s of years, 10,000 years, humans collaborated with plants and animals, brothers and sisters to understand the natural cycles. And somewhere around 500 years ago, we shifted this and took dominion over them. So it's no longer a collaboration"
“Somewhere around 500 years ago, the shift was to this reductionist, mechanistic understanding of a universe. So logical versus intuition.”
“Understanding ourselves and our universe as essentially energy, energy and matter at a physical level, physicists define it as basically the same thing as E equals MC squared. They're the same thing energy and that they're the same thing. And when we're on an energy path, that makes sense for us, and then things are easy.”
“And, you know, I love to watch them launch - watch them say...oh, my goodness - that the spark was lit here and off they go into their own shamanistic journey? And we did that? That lights me up to see that stuff. So, that's my goal.
Find more information about Leo Ryan at:
Website: https://www.energymatters2u.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-ryan-a84ab25/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet Michael Whitehouse is “The Guy Who Knows A Guy” - a connector, mindset coach, and motivational speaker. Over the years, he worked a variety of jobs in sales and other fields, but you’ll learn how COVID gave him the push to finally follow his calling to help people live their best lives. Through his Morning Motivation Podcast, his books, including The Guy Who Knows A Guy, and his coaching, he helps people use three pillars: values, vision, and gratitude to share their greatness with the world.
In this great conversation, Michael explains how he learned to be a more effective networker in a very short amount of time and now teaches others to do the same. Michael also shares the how-to’s of assembling a toolbox of strategies and exercises to help you clarify your values and to specify your goals. He himself has a deep treasure chest of resources from his vast network and he also has a broad business background from which he guides clients in the right direction. As “The Guy Who Knows a Guy,” Michael shares that it's all about connecting with people and finding a way to be of benefit to them. By focusing on what he can give, rather than what he can get, Listen in and hear how Michael has been able to create something quite spectacular in his business and also in his personal life.
Some highlights you will encounter in this podcast:
“It's way less expensive to hire a coach who can tell you 'I think that at the end of the road, you will find an alligator'. You know, instead of walking down the road yourself for six months, and then find the alligator yourself, to have the coach say there's an alligator at the end of that road. I've been down that, I know three other people have been down that and you can walk down it, but you should probably walk down this other road that does not contain an alligator at the end. That is priceless both in time and money.”
“And the biggest thing I've discovered - the through-line - throughout all - is mindset. In so many of the stories, the pivot point is a mindset shift, they change their internal identity that changes how they saw themselves.”
“The seeds of your superpower are often in your greatest weakness.”
“Being clear on what you're looking for. But once you're clear on that, you're like, “Hey, I'm looking for this exact person who can do this thing for me!” You can find them in a week. It's just a matter of letting people know…because someone knows.”
Find more info at
https://www.guywhoknowsaguy.com
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
In this podcast, you’ll meet a game changer. He can actually change people's lives, not only in this soft vessel of the human body they inhabit, but by challenging their core beliefs about what they can do and what they can handle, what dreams they can envision for themselves. If you feel ready to discover more energy, more wellness and some inspiration, then this is the interview for you.
Today, you’ll meet Jeff Butterworth. Jeff Butterworth is the owner of Boston based RX strength training and a CPT, USA Olympic coach whose philosophy is simple, eat right and do work. No fads, no trends, just basic movements barbells and kettlebells RX strength training is located in Somerville, Massachusetts, just 10 minutes from Boston.
In this candid and really inspiring conversation, you’ll hear Jeff’s reinvention story and learn of his 180 degree life shift that inspired him to get healthy and then go questing to help others do the same.
Here are some highlights from our conversation:
“Our approach to fitness RX strength training is that - at its core, the only reason that we have fitness as a verb in general is because we don't do physical labor anymore. We don't have to build our own houses that have trees, we don't have to go clear rocks out of the field, very few of us are farmers.”
“So the best idea you can find is something that you're actually going to enjoy. Because it will keep you coming back, you'll enjoy the process, and you won't dread going into the gym or into your garage or into your backyard, it means greater consistency, a greater overall volume of work.”
“Something that we always have to work with in the fitness community is the balance of giving people what they want, while also infusing into that experience what they need.”
“There is no such thing as failure if you don’t give up.
“Community is everything for us.”
“There's a great proverb, an African proverb: "If you want to go fast, you go alone. And if you want to go far, you go together." And that has always been our approach.”
Contact Jeff Butterworth:
Website: http://www.rxstrengthtraining.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Butterworth.Jeff
Rx Strength Training on Facebook: facebook.com/RxStrengthTraining
Twitter: @RxStrengthTrain @RxBombshell
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Meet Becca Tebon, an inspirational health and wellness leader, eager to share her journey around personal growth and her long path to growing into business mastery. After decoding her own health crisis' and over the span of nearly 40 years, Becca has been on a transformational journey, developing an unstoppable mindset and overcoming congenital diseases — pulmonary, digestive, and skeletal. Becca is a proud, divorced, and single mom of three young women and is devoting her life to empowering women to claim their inner strength as the cornerstone to a happy journey.
In this upbeat and frank conversation, you’ll hear about her transformation but also about the resources she has created to help others get healthy both in body, mind and spirit. Not only does Becca share details about her incredible business, ( a library of over 250 exercises, the “17 minute workout” routines, the powHERbands system, retreats, a plant-based diet book) and her encouraging, non-shame based life and health coaching. Learn how Becca’s work promotes sacred forgiveness of others and ourselves, along with seasoning everything with gratitude, which she believes is the missing piece many overlook while seeking a healthy, happy, and vibrant body and mind.
Some highlights include:
“And I've helped so many people de-clog themselves of the pain in their body, an example is taking the toxins and cleaning out their gut system and their digestive system.”
“I missed 20% of my elementary school year as I always felt like I was not as smart. I had reading problems. I have learning problems. I have dyslexia, I had pimples. I was tall and dorky. You know, I felt so out of place in my body and in my mind growing up. So, it really wasn't even until I got divorced that I started actually putting the pieces together.
“If we just stop and listen and understand who we are, why we're here, the rest of it is kind of fun and easy. It's not easy, but it's definitely fun. And the adventure continues.
Ladies, you have to love yourself. First and foremost, you need to look in the mirror and say I love you. You can say I'm sorry, I did this. It's okay.
So having a now button, having a way to get away from the negative thoughts is a very important tool that you should put into your toolbox. Because we all are programmed to have that shadow effect that negative conversation.
You can find more information about Becca Tebon
Website : https://beccatebon.com/
She is also on facebook, youtube and linkedIn
Special Link from Becca for listening : Guess you liked our show
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Dennis Franks Memorial Scholarship Fund
“Ready-Fire-Aim” - A Legacy of Fortitude and Positivity
This podcast is especially dear to the A2YO podcasting team and community. We offer it in tribute to the big-hearted, success-story, Dennis Franks. We had the good fortune, the GREAT fortune, to sit down with Dennis as one of our first podcast interviews, which will live on as one of our favorite interviews. Knowing that Dennis is a great teacher, a generous role-model, Linda invited her friend to help us cut our teeth. You’ll also hear that we had yet to figure out our sound, that’s how early this was in our process. So, in this great interview, you will meet:
Dennis Franks -former NFL football player Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lion. (You’ll know him as the “white-knuckles-speech” in the movie with the businessman, marketing guru, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You’ll also learn that of all his achievements being a husband and a father and a grandfather were, for him, the markers of his true success.
Dennis played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions for 5 years. He captained the special teams and was named Most Valuable Player that season. Dennis finished his NFL career with the Detroit Lions where he helped build the Lions to a playoff contender! For 40 years, Dennis has been an active participant in the direct sales and network marketing industry where he has proven himself as an exceptional builder and field leader. Dennis was invited to join the Corporate Team for Market America, Inc. in 1993. His unusual talent to work internally and externally in the networking industry makes him a real and valuable asset to Market America’s corporate team. J.R. Ridinger, President of Market America, often refers to Dennis as his Five Star General. He also distinguished himself for his contribution in crafting the original Mall without Walls, The Preferred Customer Program, The Market America University Concept, The TLS Weight Loss Solution and nutraMetrix Health Professional Divisions.
Highlights from this fun, informative and truly inspirational conversation:
I have just failed miserably throughout my life. And it doesn't depress me, it makes me mad. And quite frankly, when I get mad, I'm going to find a solution because you will not keep me down.
Man’s greatest waste is that of his own human potential.
Keep brushing yourself off and getting back up and refuse to stay down. No, that was my biggest thing.
If you have a belief, you have an idea, and you put it together and have a plan, you can do it.
Did you ever get booed by 80,000 people? I did.
The biggest moments, man there, there are so many in my life. One of them is being selected team captain by my peers and playing professional sports. Another one was being able to be a father and then not understanding how beautiful it is to be a grandfather. You know, to have the little Rugrats run around these two, two year old little boys. I've got all three of them here for six weeks with me. You know, I'm getting gray. But it's beautiful.
But people are beautiful. And we all want the same thing.
A champion never loses. They either win or they learn. And that's something that people have to remember.
My philosophy is ready-fire-aim…this is a way you can accelerate success by incorporating the ready fire aim, concept or approach. And that is preparation still has to be made. I'm not saying just go do a wild ass crazy thing out there. I'm saying prepare yourself. But you’ve got to take the shot.
Wealth is a combination of things. Its community. It’s relationships. It’s health.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Welcome to a MASTERCLASS in entrepreneurial savvy, the generosity of a true role model, the wise lessons about de-risking and an invitation to reach out and grab hold of your next great idea. In this episode, we meet creative entrepreneur, David Vogel, and learn about the bruising leaps of faith that flopped and then led to a resilience, enabling amazing 2nd, 3rd and 4th acts. David Vogel shares the successes and missteps. Hear how he found the audacity to leave behind the stable job he had for 15 years, editing national TV commercials, and how this began his entrepreneurial journey. Learn how he developed a mantra of pursuing dreams and creating opportunities.
Brave but not fearless, he closed his business during the pandemic and launched 3 new ones. Currently, he is helping healthcare professionals print money “legally” through Social Proof, his social media marketing agency. David is helping businesses turn past customers into deal closers through his remote video testimonial company, and now is providing families with generational love through Heirloom, his remote legacy video business.
Find more information about David Vogel:
Social Proof Website : https://socialprooflocal.com/
Facebook Social Proof: https://www.facebook.com/SocialProofLocal/
Remote Video Testimonials Website: https://remotevideotestimonials.com/
Facebook Remote Video Testimonials Website: https://www.facebook.com/RemoteVideoTestimonials/
Heirloom Website : https://heirloomdocs.com/
Facebook Heirloom: https://www.facebook.com/heirloomdocs/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Have you ever met a person who is literally changing the world? Saving lives? Want to get inspired and learn how you can help make contributions to that change possible and even learn a few things that might change the trajectory of your life and your health?
Today, we talk to the innovative humanitarian Dr. David Ajibade, Executive Director of Brain and Body Foundation non-profit organization based in both Nigeria and the USA. David graces our stage with his heart-centered mission, providing sustainable healthcare solutions for individuals with brain disorders and life-limiting chronic diseases. We find out how we can help raise awareness and support.
You’ll learn about Dr. David’s journey and how he came to his work, educating the Nigerian public on important health issues, providing innovative, practical, and safe solutions to challenging health conditions, and alleviating the suffering of medically fragile children (especially those diagnosed with severe brain disorders, genetic disorders, and sickle cell disease (SCD). BBF holds free clinics every Friday for children from low-income homes.
During the course of our conversation, we do wonder if this remarkable man ever sleeps, because when not researching, fundraising, offering lectures and interviews, Dr. Ajibade hosts and presents a weekly TV show entitled: Your Health in Your Hands. This innovative show focuses on educating the Nigerian public on health matters of special importance to people of African, specifically Black African origin.
His work in Africa is relevant not only because of his inspiring humanitarianism, but Dr. David also speaks eloquently about the importance of supplements and how we can improve our own personal health.
More information on Dr. David Ajibade:
Brain and Body Foundation
LinkedIn
Facebook : @DrDavidAjibade
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Frustrated with your life? Wondering how you can make small shifts, maybe big shifts to live the life you have always wanted, the life you deserve.Great news. You have stumbled upon the very conversation to get you started.
Meet Sam Liebowitz, otherwise known as The Conscious Consultant who is an expert in elevating human potential and empowerment.
Sam is a facilitator, mentor, speaker, healer, serial entrepreneur and author of the #1 best-selling empowerment book, Everyday Awakening. #1 Bestseller in 3 different categories! He has been in business since 1993 and has owned several successful businesses and is the embodiment of brave reinvention. His current ventures include Talking Alternative Broadcasting, and Double Diamond Wellness in Manhattan.
His book, Everyday Awakening is a must read!! With a subtitle like “You are more POWERFUL than you know” rest assured, this is the book you need on your bedside table. In his gentle and profound way, Sam weaves in the Hindu chakra energy fields with practical and profound wisdom on elevating your life. Bite size chapters of practical wisdom make Sam’s healing approach to life accessible.
Today, you’ll hear Sam expand on some of these important thoughts:
If you're not doing something you're passionate about, if you're not doing something that really strikes a deep chord in your heart, I would recommend don't do it. Keep searching until you do find the thing that strikes that chord for you.
Stop, slow down. And before you're about to go into an interview, a meeting, to work on something to create something, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. Inhale and exhale. And when we focus on our breath, you know what happens...we're not focusing on anything else
Throughout my life, the thing I've learned most is that the elegant solutions are usually the simplest and most effective.
If you want to be creative, and you want to come up with something new, you want inspiration, that's when you engage spirit. That means just kind of sitting being quiet...that’s when we have a tendency to come up with new ideas and new ways of solving problems. And sometimes it's taking a short nap, right?
It's the story we make around pain that causes the suffering. Like if we just stub our toe, and we don't make a big story about it, it hurts but we're not suffering that much.
It's when we don't feel safe with ourselves. We're not present. We're constantly distracting ourselves because we don't want to just spend a little time with ourselves.
We're not broken and we don't need to be fixed...doesn’t mean we don’t need support
Life is lived in the dash...on our tombstone between our birth-date and our death-date. If we actually take care of ourselves, take time off, and relax, we actually come back more productive
Make a little bit more effort to do a little more self care, and life will pay you rewards many dividends many times over.
Find more information about Sam Leibowitz at these links:
The Conscious Consultant
Talk Radio NY
Facebook
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Peter Alderman is a published author and award-winning retired teacher who models reinvention. In our conversation, Peter shares his writer’s journey from children’s author to novelist. Hear how his book, Train Tracks, took him and his readers on a new venture. Then, discover how he brings his written works to life while remaining a champion for others.
Tune in to learn:
The resources and inspiration Peter Alderman used to launch each of his published books.
How retirement can be a chapter of creation, community, and productivity.
What it means to be self-published and how to make it happen.
"My philosophy is adversity is a stepping stone to success.” -Peter Alderman
Peter Alderman Good Reads
Support our show: https://www.patreon.com/a2yo
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
What if a workshop could save your life? Imagine embracing your imperfections and life challenges and suddenly understanding them as invitation to grow?
Meet Lisa Lieberman-Wang, #1 Best Selling Author & Emotional Breakthrough Expert who after a workshop with the great Tony Robbins, did the work: faced her demons, invested in her healing and her education, growing her business and herself into a gargantuan success story.
Creator of the neuroscience Neuro Associative Programming (NAP), Lisa helps thousands overcome lifelong emotional challenges in a short period. With a career spanning over 20 years Lisa has personally helped thousands achieve their dreams - both personal and professional. An incredibly successful business & life strategist, Lisa helps to create multiple six and seven figure businesses.
Today, you’ll hear Lisa’s challenging life story and how she faced down her emotional challenges, became one of Tony Robbins favorite trainers, and inspired over 125,000 entrepreneurs (and counting) to improve their wellness, develop their leadership skills, and discover sales & marketing strategies to grow themselves/their business/their minds. In this dynamic conversation, Lisa explains HOW she moved past her CAN’T of limiting beliefs and invested in educating and healing herself and now is living her WHY: helping people to heal and to think and act more strategically.
You’ll hear Lisa explain:
- The importance of taking imperfect action
- Not thinking of a mistake as a mistake when it’s probably a blessing in disguise
- Investing in yourself, your healing and your education
- Realizing entrepreneurship is actually about serving other people
We are so honored to learn from this generous conversation with a speaker who has been seen by millions on TV… ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW, & TEDx.
Find more information about Lisa Lieberman-Wang at : www.lisaliebermanwang.com , Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram , and YouTube
Support our show: https://www.patreon.com/a2yo
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What the world needs from us to improve housing, health, and education across the globe.
Michael Cipoletti is executive director at FNEInternational and works to enact sustainable projects domestically and abroad. Michael shares first-hand accounts of his experiences collaborating in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peruvian communities. Learn the strategic approaches being used to create positive change in the developing world and how you can include service and stewardship in your Act II.
You will hear from Michael:
• How his career path shifted from for-profit to non-profit.
• What it means to Facilitate, Network and Empower in developing countries.
• Why poverty is a problem for everyone and what we can do to be part of the solution.
So basically, we're looking to give people opportunities to find ways to improve their lives and break cycles of poverty. ~ Michael Cipolettihttps://fneinternational.org/
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Reader, Author, Star Wars Nerd...are only a few of the monikers to describe one of our most fascinating guests, Erin Dionne!
Beloved and recommended by librarians everywhere, Erin offers one of A2YO’s most generous conversations, full of practical advice not only on writing a book but committing and actualizing your particular dream. This captivating mother of two and professor of literature is a gifted and prolific writer - seven books for young readers, a recent picture book (Balletball), and a hot off the press, her first nonfiction book on writing called: Bad Choices Make Good Stories. Treat yourself to this interview and her books, which are found wherever books are sold.
Why not take that 15 minutes to sit down and put your ideas on paper or put fingers to the keyboard and let it fly, see what comes out for you. As long as you are willing to try. You can do it, you know, the words mount up, you know, 15 minutes at a time. And that's all that you really need.
Accept that fear is real but confront it. Face it. Don’t let it stop you. If we give in, we never get to take our thing all the way to fruition, right as far as we can take it.
And it might mean that you need to slow down a little bit to confront that fear. You might not be able to shake it but then you can just welcome your fear to come along for the ride. But you know, it's got to sit in the backseat. I can’t let it win or I’ll never do anything.
Be consistent. Every dream deserves your time and your commitment.
Take those 15 minutes and use them in whatever capacity, whatever undertaking. Whether you're drawing and you want to work on your drawing skills, sketch for 15 minutes. If you want to be a better singer, do warm-ups and scales. Have a business idea, plan your business for 15 minutes a day. You need to invest in yourself in order to make that dream happen.
http://www.erindionne.com
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Go from dreaming to doing by dismantling self-doubt and getting clarity on your own purpose. Laurie Seymour is a number one bestselling author, host of the Wisdom Talk Radio Podcast, executive coach, international trainer, and speaker. Laurie Seymour brings together years of psychotherapy, training, practice, and technical solution engineering to teach you how to reliably connect with your energetic creative intelligence, dissolving old patterns of difficulties, struggle, and self-sabotage. Laurie shares how you can fast-track your vision from idea to manifestation.
You will hear from Laurie:
How using creative intelligence helps you align with your true purpose.
Connecting to your own “inner compass” is the key to actualizing your goals.
What is essential to take your vision into action.
"Knowing our purpose is what gives life to an idea." Laurie Seymour
LEADERS, CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURS, VISIONARIES: FAST-TRACK YOUR INSPIRED IDEA TO REALITY.
https://thebacainstitute.com/
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Let one of Boston's premier chefs invite you to discover your passion and express yourself in a positive, creative way to avoid burnout and to love your life every day.
Chef David Blessing has been a professional chef for over 30+ years in all aspects of the culinary profession including luxury hotels, catering, independent restaurants, private clubs, and foodservice. Chef is currently Vice President of Culinary Arts and Development for Longwood Venues and Destinations and recently started his own business, DB Culinary Provisions. Committed to family, health, wellness, and staying vibrant at the cutting edge of his industry, Dave shares personal stories, a few culinary tips, and his own recipe for happiness.
For the inspiration, motivation, and information you need to launch your next great act, subscribe to A2SOS ~ The Well https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/3mnq7YV/TheWell
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Who would like to hear the exact recipe for taking a passion and rolling it into a successful and delicious 2nd act?
Well, you are in for a tasty treat - because our guest today is the diversely talented Debbie Butters the owner of Coco Butters Cookies - http://www.cocobutterscookies.com
We can say from our extensive research these are the most delicious, and gorgeous hand-crafted cookies, and this scrappy little cookie company is exactly what you need to know about and hire for your next event! With a name like Butters...you better believe these cookies are delicious and this dynamic woman serves up one of our tastiest interviews yet!
A teaspoon of eloquence, a heap of wisdom, and more than a dash of funny, Debbie Butters role models how to live your dreams. A former Patriots cheerleader and a fitness competitor, teacher, mom, cookie mogul, who after 18 years at home raising 5 wild and wonderful kids has launched a great next act, creating Coco Butter Cookies - a custom cookie decorating business!
Debbie has found the recipe that balances being an entrepreneur and building her own empire with still being fully present to her kids.
“Don’t wait. Jump in with both feet and in a year’s time, you’ll be closer to your goal or learned from your mistakes. Just jump in. Figure out as you go.” Debbie Butters
Subscribe to our Newsletter for more information and inspiration for YOUR next great act!
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With a Good idea, Commitment, and a “Team Awesome” you, too, can create the change our world needs.
Alanna Mallon serves as vice mayor in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. As a second-term Cambridge city councilor, she founded the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program, and the K to 12 Strategic Lead at Food For Free, a Cambridge-based nonprofit that increases access to fresh healthy food to feed insecure residents in the greater Boston area. Alanna is dedicated to ending hunger and addressing the invisible needs in her community.
You will hear from Alanna:
- How she learned about food insecurity and hunger in her community and the actions she took to create solutions.
- You don’t have to decide to be a leader to create something in your community. Find the thing that you are passionate about and tackle it.
- Not every piece of advice and feedback offered to you has to be accepted. You can say thank you for your advice and move on.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People will feel inspired and show up for one another.
" My job is actually all the invisible relational work to bring people together to put forward policy and make sure that you have that coalition of folks that are going to help you do it. It's painstaking, it's painful. And it's invisible. But it is what moves the needle forward. “Alanna Mallon"
A2SOS - The Well - a weekly newsletter with the inspiration, motivation and information you need to launch your next great act!
Click to subscribe!
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/3mnq7YV/TheWell
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How a Success Circle will create the Momentum you have been missing to Live Your Big Why, with Joseph Varghese.
Meet Neuro Strategist and Peak Performance Coach Joseph Varghese. Joseph founded Success Circles https://www.successcircles.com to support people in making bigger impacts in their lives.
Tune in to Learn:
• How Joseph’s interest in personal and professional development grew into a community for entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams with the necessary support we all need for success.
• How creating a Success Circle and connecting with others offers better feedback, creates more accountability so we can make each day better than the one before.
• Why approaching life with your team, and as a game, can lead to a shift in dynamics and we can all rise-up together on a path to greater happiness and fulfillment
“The more we can play, the more we can embrace more wonder, more magic, perhaps in that, in that day and in the game in front of us.”-Joseph Varghese
http://www.a2yo.com
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/3mnq7YV/TheWell
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
With Movement, Breath and taking Responsibility you too will be able to say, “My Body Works”
Ellie Calhoun hails from Natick, Massachusetts, and is a licensed massage therapist, advanced Rossiter practitioner and instructor, a Core Movement Integration practitioner, and Neurokinetic therapy practitioner who thrives on the continual study of anatomy, movement, and breathing, which manifests in her cutting-edge techniques. Ellie is dedicated to empowering the commitment to daily movement by educating people about their bodies.
You will hear from Ellie:
• Your body is your responsibility, if you can’t answer why you are doing something or why you are taking something, you need to take control and start asking more questions.
• Most of the time stopping pain and fixing your body starts with retraining your brain to eliminate dysfunctional patterns of behavior
• How you can manage damaging cortisol spikes created by stress, by visualizing yourself as a Zebra ~ come on Friends that alone is worth a listen!
"Where you are now is where you should be, and it is going to be okay. Challenges will come. I feel lucky for the challenges I have. I can walk, move, talk. Go deep - it's in there. It's in yourself. You've got what it takes and it's going to be okay., Ellie Calhoun
https://www.mybodyworksnatick.com/
https://a2yo.com
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There is limited use of explicit language in this Podcast.
Karen Mangiacotti is an outspoken comedian, writer, artist, teacher, speaker, podcaster, Mom of seven children, an adventurous thinker, one of the funniest women you will ever encounter.
On page 3 of Karen’s book, she defines her Close to the Bone title as “a remark or piece of writing that makes people uncomfortable because it deals with subjects which they prefer not to be discussed.” And what motivates her by explaining, “Uncomfortable is hard – but here is the thing, kids: it is often the only way through to the other side of understanding and compassion.”
You will hear from Karen:
• How Mindful Thinking and Asking for What You Want will allow you to live an empowered life.
• How we have no time for Shame
• Why sorry is rarely appropriate
• The Key to Sanity in your Life is to recognize when “That's not mine!”
“I’m going to protect my spirit and I’m going to remember when That’s not mine.”-Karen Mangiacotti
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/a2yo)
Increase Clarity, Confidence, and Creativity by Living Life from the Top of The Mind, with Bill Crawford, PH.D.
Dr. Crawford is a licensed psychologist, author of 8 books, and organizational consultant. Over the past 30 years, he has created over 3500 presentations for organizations such as Sprint, Shell, The American Medical Association, Vistage, and many others both nationally and internationally. His two PBS specials on stress and communication have been seen by over 15 million people, and he has been quoted as an expert in publications such as The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Investor’s Business Daily, The Chicago Tribune, and Working Mother just to name a few.
Highlights of our conversation with Dr. Bill Crawford:
· Change how you react to stress, by moving information to the Top of the Mind.
· To live your higher purpose you need to be asking yourself the right questions.
· Knowing who are is the key to be confident in what you do.
***Never tie your peace of mind to another person's state of mind. Bill Crawford, Ph.D.
For Weekly Podcast Updates and the inspiration, motivation, and information you need to launch your next great act, click on the link below to subscribe to our Newsletter, The Well.***https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/3mnq7YV/TheWell
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