Meet Mediocrity: Recent Episodes
Mediocre Mitch
A wellness podcast and online community. Ordinary people helping ordinary people be their extraordinary selves - encouraging healthy diet, fitness and minds; to put one foot in front of the other; and to KEEP ON TRYING!
Remember... meeting mediocrity is NOT striving for mediocrity or settling for mediocrity... it's recognizing that we are all mediocre sometimes and the key is to use that mediocre moment as a springboard to greater things, and not to give up on ourselves!
My conversation with yours truly: After 5 seasons and 105 podcast episodes, I took this episode to reflect on all of the guests I've had, things I've learned, habits I've created and awareness I've gathered. The Meet Mediocrity podcast is not done, but it's time for a break to enjoy the summer of 2022, to focus on some other passions like outdoor photography, cycling, swimming, golf and hiking. It's also time to get my creative juices flowing around what I'd like to do with the podcast next!
Enjoy this great wrap-up episode and stay tuned for what's next.
In the meantime, check out my personal photography Instagram page where you can enjoy many great landscape, wildlife and even some streetscape photos - @mitchmomentsphotos
My conversation with Carly Johnston: One day, Carly found herself having a panic attack. Not just your ordinary moment of stress. A serious, long lasting panic attack!! Being a problem solver and a take charge person, Carly sought to understand what was happening to herself. She read, she studied, she spoke to people and she healed.
Soon after, Carly started an Instagram page (@healingtheanxiousmind) designed to help others. She gained many followers, heard many stories and helped many people. Then, Carly started medical school in Canada where she is currently starting her 3rd year and preparing to become an OB/GYN - with a focus on perinatal mental health.
Now, Carly has her own website - https://www.healingtheanxiousmind.com/ - designed to share resources, blog posts and so much more! Check out the website and listen for a great conversation!
My conversation with Nikki Wilson: Pregnancy, birthing, a newborn baby! These are "supposed" to be some of the most exciting and wonderful times in parents' lives. Sadly, that is often not the case. And, even more sadly, it is often taboo for parents to express the trauma they experience associated with these times and to receive much needed support.
Nikki Wilson is the CEO of Make Birth Better is a UK-based not for profit organization. Make Birth Better is a collective of experts who bring together lived experience and extensive professional knowledge of birth trauma to support parents, health care professionals and newborns - making their birth experiences better and to support traumatic experiences as they invariably arise.
Nikki is kind enough to both share her personal story with us and to describe the services Make Birth Better provide.
Learn more at the website - www.makebirthbetter.org
and on Instagram - @birthbetter
My conversation with Rob Wilson: Food waste is a huge global challenge. Did you know that the most wasted food on the planet is bread? Rob Wilson, the "Chief Toaster" and CEO of Toast Ale sought to tackle this challenge by founding Toast Ale - a UK-based craft brewery that brews beer from leftover bread that would otherwise go to waste.
Since its inception in 2016, Toast Ale has saved millions of pounds of bread from being wasted by brewing it into delicious beer and ale. In fact, Rob even open sources his beer recipes - encouraging others to brew their own beer and to share their innovative recipes. The goal is to put himself out of business by solving the world's bread waste crisis.
Although I'm not sure that will ever happen, it's a lofty aspiration and Rob Wilson is a highly aspirational (and inspirational) person.
Learn more about Rob and Toast Ale on their website https://www.toastale.com/ and their Instagram page @toastale
My conversation with Hayley Curtis: Six years ago, Hayley had hit rock bottom. She had been suffering from severe mental health issues and finally hit her breaking point. She had fallen apart and lost touch with her own identity and her life priorities.
Hayley used journalling - starting with a small goal of writing a few sentences every day. Soon enough, journaling became a discipline of love and it helped her rebuild her identity and her mental health one day at a time.
Now, Hayley helps others with journaling basics, writing prompts and coaching - allowing others to use journaling to improve their well-being and their lives.
Find out more about Hayley at her website - https://www.soulfulljournaling.com/ and her Instagram @soulfull.journaling
My conversation with my son, Jake Schuckman: This is the 100th episode of the Meet Mediocrity podcast and I invited my son Jake to join me as today's guest. Not only is Jake one of my top 15 or 20 favorite people in the world (just kidding Jake!), but Jake and I share a passion for pursuing hobbies. In this episode, Jake and I discuss the hobbies we enjoy, how hobbies enhance our lives, and how we decide when to move from one hobby to another.
Our conversation also veers into work and careers - and the role hobbies play in both balancing out and enhancing our work lives. This is especially important to our health and wellness in a post-COVID world.
Thank you Jake for joining me on this milestone episode and for a fun, informative conversation!
My conversation with Ashley Wray: Ashley is the founder of Mala Collective, a company that supports meditation practices with classes, training and products all designed specifically for meditation. Ashley founded Mala Collective over a decade ago when, on a trip to Bali, fell in love with Mala beads, which help count breaths and keep one's focus during meditation.
Now, Mala Collective creates and sells meditation beads, necklaces, cushions and more - all designed to enhance meditation practices. Her products are deeply rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions and are made using all natural materials.
Ashley's own meditation journey and how she shares it with her customers is both impressive and inspiring.
Learn more about Ashley Wray and Mala Collective at her website - https://www.malacollective.com/
And, on Instagram - @malacollective
My conversation with Dr. Whitney Roban: Dr. Roban is a Family, Educational and Corporate Sleep Specialist. She is also the founder of Solve Our Sleep. Whitney's mission is to provide the education and support families, students, teachers and employees to both survive and to thrive with better sleeping.
Whitney is a published author, she has a private sleep practice, she provides educational sleep consulting and corporate sleep programs. Her approach isn't magic and is not about taking medications. It provides fun, useful and practical skills for helping her followers become better sleepers. And, as she says, "even a good sleeper can become a great sleeper!"
Not only do we discuss Whitney's personal journey into sleep consulting, but she provides some very useful tips we can put into practice immediately!
Find out more about Dr. Whitney Roban at www.solveoursleep.com and follow her on Instagram @solveoursleep
My conversation with Sindhu Satish Manepalli - “Things have a way of working themselves out if we just remain positive.” “I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it.” “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” We've all heard and read quotes like this. But, is there anything more to these than just positive words?
Sindu Satish Manepalli is a life coach who teaches manifestation, helping you achieve the results you want to achieve, through the Law of Attraction. The law of attraction is a philosophy suggesting that positive thoughts bring positive results into a person's life, while negative thoughts bring negative outcomes. It is based on the belief that thoughts are a form of energy and that positive energy attracts success in all areas of life, including health, finances, and relationships.
In my conversation with Sindhu, we discuss how Sindhu coaches her clients and we explore ways that I can do a better job of using manifestation to make the things I want in my life to happen more readily.
Find out more about Sindhu on her Instagram pages - @lifecoachingwithsin and @fiftyshadesofsin; and on her website - https://fiftyshadesofsin.me/
My conversation with Liz Chelak: Liz is 30 years young, yet she has lived a very full life. She is a recovering addict, she is an entrepreneur, she has tragically lost loved ones, she has founded a nonprofit organization and she provides amazing support and help to people in need.
Liz's fiance was Sam Risso. Sam was an amazing person who helped addicts and people suffering from mental illness. When Sam suddenly and tragically passed away, Liz started the Sam Risso Foundation to carry on his legacy. The Sam Risso Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources, guidance, and support to those dealing with substance use, mental illness and homelessness.
They are focused on providing resources for detox, treatment, halfway housing, and therapy. They provide peer support and guidance to those in the beginning stages of their recovery journey.
Liz is a truly special person. Listen to this story of her journey.
Find Liz on Instagram - @lizchelak
Find the Sam Risso Foundation on Instagram - @samrissofoundation
Find our more about the foundation on their website - https://samrissofoundation.org/
My conversation with Danielle North: I am incredibly excited to welcome back Danielle for a second visit to the podcast. Danielle reached out to me a few weeks ago to share some exciting news with me. She had been studying sound healing and was now certified to be a sound healer. Honestly, I had not heard of sound healing. I was certainly aware that certain sounds and music could have therapeutic qualities, but I had no direct experience with sound healing.
In this episode, Danielle and I start by reviewing the company she founded, PAUSE. We talk about how PAUSE and the Pause Method can help people recover from and avoid burnout. Given the stressors in today's society. PAUSE is incredibly timely. After sharing her personal burnout story and reviewing how she created PAUSE, Danielle shares her further exploration from PAUSE into sound healing. I must admit that I was skeptical that sounds and musical vibrations could provide physical healing. Danielle shared her story and her journey into sound healing and described the impact it has had on her. To take matters further, after we recorded our podcast, Danielle conducted a sound healing session on me. In my intro and wrap-up to this podcast, I describe my personal experience with sound healing - and, teaser alert, it was really great.
Find out more about Danielle, her books, her retreats and her coaching on her website - https://www.pauseglobal.com/
My conversation with Jimmy Wightman: Jimmy was looking for ways to get a better night sleep, ways to reduce stress and ways to be more mindful when he found meditation. Actually, he found a teacher in the ancient tradition of Vedic meditation which involves the chanting of a mantra while meditating to help achieve an inner peace. Some people have heard of Transcendental Meditation (TM) which is similar. TM originated from Vedic so Jimmy's study was from the original Vedic teachings.
Jimmy soon found that practicing meditation helped significantly reduce his stress, helped him sleep better and to find inner peace. Now Jimmy is a meditation instructor with online courses and books. You can find out more about Jimmy, his meditation style and approach on his website - https://www.delvedeep.com/ and on his Instagram page - @that_meditation_guy
My conversation with Billy Omeltchenko: I've known Billy for over 20 years and I've always admired him greatly. Billy is an accomplished athlete - a star multi-sport athlete in high school, a Division One basketball at Princeton in the 1970s and a short stint playing professional basketball. To me, it isn't Billy's athletic skills that I admire, it's his commitment to our children through youth sports.
My children and literally thousands of other children have benefitted from Billy's selfless service as a coach, coordinator and commissioner of youth sports programs. Billy is level-headed and thoughtful. His approach is to make sure that children of all skill levels, their coaches and their parents have enjoyable and fulfilling youth sports experiences. It is not lost on Billy that it is the adults that often get in the way of those good experiences by being too intense and too vocal. Billy's down to earth approach has helped put children and the adults in positions to be successful - success being defined as having fun, making friends and learning some useful life lessons along the way.
My conversation with Georgie Corke Nieman - Georgie is the founder of Happi Head Co., providing life and leadership coaching and support for small business owners - predominantly women. Georgie’s special skill is helping people discover (or re-discover) their inner creativity. Georgie believes that everyone has a creative side. Finding and appreciating our creativity supports our wellbeing, our wellbeing supports our ability to achieve our greatest potential, and it is that potential that allows us to create amazing projects, businesses and lives!
Georgie’s personal journey is similar to that of many of her clients. Getting caught up in an aspirational, overachieving, corporate work cycle prevented Georgie and many of her clients from enjoying their journey and chasing opportunities that align with their inner values and interests. As Georgie says, “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Georgie helps her clients realize that the journey is the fun part - and not to allow a narrow focus on goals spoil the fun part!
Follow Georgie:
- Website - https://www.happiheadco.com/
- Instagram - @happiheadco
My conversation with Laetitia Vitaud: I was so happy when Laetitia reached out to me in late 2021 on LinkedIn to share her thoughts about an article we both reacted to about personal time off. Our conversation started with a laugh about how very differently Americans and Europeans view their holidays, their vacations. After a little back and forth, we decided to have a live video chat, and that video chat led to this - our second podcast episode together.
Laetitia is a human resources expert with a deep perspective regarding the future of work. She is a writer, an author, a consultant and a podcaster. Having a discussion with Laetitia is very fulfilling for me because I have to stay on my toes and I always learn something!
On this, our second podcast episode together (Season 3, Episode 6 was our first one), Laetitia and I explore how different cultures view work and view personal time. We then explore how COVID has altered these views across different cultures. The bottom line is that workers are re-evaluating the role work plays in their lives and employers are re-evaluating how to attract and keep workers so their businesses can thrive in this new world.
Laetitia and I recorded this episode a few months ago - before the COVID Omicron variant had even surfaced. In fact, the term "Great Resignation" was only just starting to be used then we recorded this. However, the content of this episode is as, or even more relevant today than it was a few months ago. As you listen, I suggest that you consider your work life, and what you can do to make your work life fit within your life's priorities in this new world.
Check out more about Laetitia on her website - https://laetitiavitaud.com/
My conversation with The Holly Maree: Holly is a human design specialist and a spiritual teacher. She is also a manifestor. Many of us don’t understand what these things are, but they sound intriguing.
As a manifestor, Holly is an initiator, a first mover, an innovator and a motivator. Until Holly studied “Human Design”, she didn’t understand why she was so incredibly energized by start-up and then demoralized by the ongoing, controlled, repetitive tasks that are required once start-up is complete. Holly experienced this when she took over a cafe that was in bankruptcy. For Holly, the start-up, rebound and build up of the cafe was thrilling, the day-to-day running of the cafe once it was successfully out of bankruptcy was not thrilling for her at all.
In the context of “Human Design” manifestors make up 8-9% of the human population. Once Holly began to understand who she was and why she was a manifestor, she was able to fully appreciate herself and her world. Ultimately she started a consultancy with a podcast and training guides for manifestors - www.thehollymaree.com
My conversation with Taren Gesell: Taren Gesell is the “athlete formerly known as Triathlon Taren.” For those of you who know Triathlon Taren you might be saying “wait, what?” Taren is an incredibly accomplished age group triathlete and an incredibly well known YouTuber, Podcaster and social media personality. However, just as Taren was peaking as an age group triathlete, his body and his internal systems began to break down. As Taren began to research his condition, he quickly learned that it was not uncommon for endurance athletes to suffer such breakdowns. Now, this does not mean that fitness and wellness are not achievable. What it means is that diversity of training - including cardio, strength, stretching and conditioning - is required to achieve fitness and wellness. This diversity of training can also be the backbone of a more healthy approach to triathlon training. With that, Taren has introduced MOTTIV by Taren - an approach and a process that helps athletes find and create a training program that works well for them and helps them achieve their best level of fitness. Check out more about Taren and MOTTIV on his website and YouTube channel:
Website - https://mymottiv.com/ YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/TriathlonTaren
My conversation with Kai Cox: In this, the second appearance on the podcast by Kai, we explore "spiritual healing" in a plain, open conversation. Just prior to recording our conversation, Kai performed a "reading" for me. I found it to be both helpful and enlightening.
In this episode, we discuss the reading, we discuss how Kai approaches being a medium, and I "translate" Kai's explanation into a plain spoken explanation that I can get my head around.
The conclusion? The punchline? Done well, having a reading done by a skilled medium can be incredibly helpful. I found it to be therapeutic and insightful.
Check out more about Kai on her website https://www.awakeninnatehealing.com/
She can also be found on Instagram and Facebook
My conversation with Devan Bailey: Finding a career coach isn't hard. Google "career coach" or search "career coach" on Facebook or Instagram. Literally THOUSANDS of options will hit your screen instantaneously. Devan is different. Devan comes at personal and career development from a very relatable starting point and he has developed an approach that is amplified by his energy and charisma.
Devan is a coach, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He teaches ambitious leaders how to create a mission-driven life that allows them to feel fulfilled. Devan went from being an international businessman with burnout, enduring a nervous breakdown, to a happy, fulfilled person running his own business. Devan developed and teaches the principles he learned from his own experiences.
Devan is also the writer and creator of several high-impact books and courses such as How To Escape From Prison, Secrets of the Emotional Ninja, Powerful By Design, and Living Without Limits.
You can find more about Devan on his social media pages and his website - https://www.shapingreality.com/
My conversation with Yogi Bryan: Bryan Holub, better known as Yogi Bryan, is a hypnotist, yoga instructor, meme maker, podcast host, and meditation guide. His Relax with Yogi Bryan Meditation podcast has over 800,000 downloads. And, it all started from creating an Instagram page to make fun of yoga!
Speaking with Bryan you can see why he is a real life practical joker who became a yoga Instructor and meditation guide. He is a down to earth person with a practical personality and a calming voice. Bryan's approach to yoga and meditation is simple... by not taking it quite so seriously we can more easily see and enjoy the benefits they can both bring into our lives.
Bryan can be found at YogiBryan.com, on Spotify and on YouTube.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
Episode 10 of Season 4 is my season finale. In this episode I review the themes that came across during this season, summarize them and wrap it all up. One thing is clear, the way I built my career is NOT the only way to build a career. There are many formulas and approaches. The key is to listen, observe and consider which approaches work for each of us. And, perhaps even more importantly, is to recognize that careers are not a series of successes and failures - they are a series of learning experiences. By seeing those experiences as they are - opportunities to learn, grow and improve - we give ourselves the greatest chance of enjoying long, fulfilling and... SUCCESSFUL careers!
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
In Episode 9 of Season 4 I explore team building - how to motivate your team and build their skills. Every good career is built on the backs of great team members. We simple cannot do it all ourselves. That has been incredibly true in my career. Yes, having mentors and coaches is important, but having teammates to help you carry the load is perhaps even more important! That's why, at a very early stage in our careers, it makes good sense to nurture your teammates. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, capitalize on their strengths and help fortify their weaknesses. In this episode we explore some very simple tips for creating great teammates and great teams at work.
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
In Episode 8 of Season 4 I explore the art of carrying on conversations and networking in the business world. Personally, I am perceived and am actually a social person who interacts very well with others. But even for me, I often dread business functions, conferences, meetings, lunches and dinners where I know I will need to be "switched on" with those I'm interacting with. In this episode I explore a few tricks and tips that have helped make those networking situations more manageable, productive and even FUN!
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
In Episode 7 of Season 4 I explore business negotiations and dispute resolutions. To me, there are a few very simple, yet incredibly important things to remember when faced with a negotiation or dispute. First, both sides have different points of view on what the outcome should be. Second, understand what the other side wants as deeply as possible allows you to understand what the acceptable range of outcomes could be for the other party. Third, understand what you want the outcome to be so you can understand whether there is overlap between what you want and what they want. Finally, have a discussion and do what YOU want to do. You might be disappointed that there wasn't enough common ground to reach an agreement with the other party. You might reach an agreement that isn't EXACTLY what you want. But, ultimately, you control the situation when you understand their side, understand your side and take action that works for you. Sounds so simple, but it's not. Emotions and lack of empathy for the other party often get in the way.
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
In Episode 6 of Season 4 I share my thoughts about business writing. Admittedly, I am a rare combination of a college English major and a business person. That makes me incredibly focused on making my business writing clear and articulate - and I'm quite picky about those who are less clear. I'm even more of a stickler for people who use poor grammar or punctuation! In this episode I explore tips and tricks for writing effective emails, memos and presentation materials. I also share some tips and tricks left for us by Steve Jobs... that I still use today.
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”. I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
In Episode 5 of Season 4 I reflect on some of the best (and the very worst) presentations I have made - both to small groups and some very large groups. In sharing some stories and some tips and tricks, I hope I can help those of you who HATE MAKING PRESENTATIONS (and I think that is the majority of people), fear presentations less and to make more effective presentations when you have to make them.
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”.
Episode 4 of Season 4 explores "selling". Selling does not have to mean "used car selling". In fact, I believe we are always selling in one manner or another. Personally, I love selling and it has become the favorite part of my job. I believe selling (especially products and services) involves mastering the science of understanding your buyer. Who are they? What makes them tick? Not just professionally, but personally. And, what can you say and do to get them to buy from you? In fact, if you're really good, you can sell them exactly what they want to buy - you can even have them co-develop your solution and then buy "their solution" from you! In this episode, I explore some selling experiences and discuss how you can apply certain selling principles to your life!
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”.
Episode 3 of Season 4 explores the concept of "it's not what you know, it's who you know." Many people view this as a birthright. If you a born into the right family or circumstance, then you know the people you need to know to be successful in your career. True, but only to an extent. Great business relationships are built over time, and if you take the time to build great business relationships, then the "who you know" is completely within your control. In this episode, I explore the attributes of great business relationships and how to build them.
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a ‘mini-season’ entitled “Career Learnings”.
Episode 2 is our Season 4 introduction episode where I tell a few stories about my various job searches - starting when graduating from university, continuing when I left my first job and even when the job search I went on at the same time I was hoping for a big promotion. I hope and believe my job search experiences are relatable and have tidbits we can all learn from!
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
After Season 3, I did a lot of reflection and took in a lot of feedback about how to approach Season 4 of the Meet Mediocrity podcast. The result is a 'mini-season' entitled "Career Learnings". I expect this season to be 8-10 episodes in length.
Episode 1 is our Season 4 introduction episode where I describe the background behind Season 4 and tell a few short stories about the start of my career, the lack of clarity I had early in my career, my career evolution and the things I wish I knew when I started my career!
My personal disclaimer: Stories and views are my own; and names and facts are altered to protect confidentiality.
My Conversation with Connor MacPhail:My son Connor is a recent college graduate. Like most young adults who have recently graduated college, graduating college in 2021 means spending a big chunk of your college experience during the COVID pandemic.
Connor is my son and I’m proud of him. Beyond being proud, I also admire how he handled his college experience during COVID and I admire how he is approaching his first summer post-college graduation. In this episode, Connor discusses how he and his friends made the very most of their college days after COVID started.
We also explore how Connor is approaching his post-college days - enjoying life, working at several part-time jobs, and considering full-time job options to start later in the year. The part-time summer jobs Connor has taken up are jobs that connect with his personal passions and are jobs that he can continue on a part-time, or even a full-time basis down the road as he figures out the direction he wants to go in.
In other words, Connor doesn’t have it all figured out, but he’s good with that. In fact, we are both good with that! And, interestingly, he and I know many people who seem to have their entire lives figured out, but then life gets in the way and the best laid plans…. well, we all know that story!
My conversation with Yours Truly (ME!): Taking a closer look at the career path I’ve taken and the journey that I’ve been on provided me, and will hopefully provide you, some inspiration. Not because it’s overly dramatic, but because it amplifies some messages all of us have heard at one time or another about successful careers.
“Find a job you love!” ... “Never give up on yourself!” ... “Failure plus perseverance can lead to success!” … “Dream it and you can become it!” … I’m sure you know many other famous career related quotes.
My career has had more than its fair share of twists, turns, failures, restarts, and yes … successes! I hope that sharing my story will give others a little bit of encouragement to enjoy the journey, to not allow failure to discourage perserservance, to find a job they love, and to have fun along the way!
Visit the Meet Mediocrity website: www.meetmediocrity.com
Visit the Meet Mediocrity YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFIQU1mNw6kfX_QcQ0Fp3gQ
My conversation with Danielle North: It sounds so simple, but the execution is definitely not simple. Pausing. Pausing with a purpose to reduce stress, assess your situation and act with purpose. Danielle North is the founder of PAUSE, a methodology she created to help people be their best selves. Danielle describes PAUSE in five steps. The steps are easy to understand, they seem elementary, but there is substance and science behind the process.
Danielle describes her personal journey leading to pause including undiagnosed mental illness and the lack of a proper support network. Danielle's personal journey led her to the right tools and team to help her grow and thrive. From that perspective, Danielle created PAUSE. She is an author, a retreat organizer and a one-on-one coach. Find out all about Danielle, her books, her programs and her approach on www.pauseglobal.com
My conversation with Alastair Deards… Alastair was a hard working accountant in Kent, a county in southeastern England. Like many of us, Alastair had a life changing moment that drove him to look beyond his chosen career to find a deeper purpose and meaning in his life.
For Alastair, this happened when a family member of his was suffering from mental illness and attempted suicide. Thankfully, Alastair’s family member is receiving the love, care and support they need and Alastair has found a meaningful passion - forming the organization Mental Health Change (www.mentalhealthchange.com).
Mental Health Change is driving to set up a helpline with a memorable three-digit emergency number that provides early intervention support to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones. This is not meant to be a suicide prevention crisis service. This is meant to be an early intervention service providing a helpline, identifying resources and arranging for quick introductions to qualified therapists.
Alastair also talks about how finding this incredibly meaningful project has impacted his life, raised his motivation and enhanced his personal overall wellness.
Find out more about Alastair on his LinkedIn profile and on his website - http://www.mentalhealthchange.com/
My conversation with Alix Arroyo: I am always excited when I have my niece Alixandra Arroyo as a guest on our podcast. This is Alix’s fifth appearance and continues her streak of being a guest on each of my three Meet Mediocrity podcast seasons to date.
In addition to being a great and fun person, and one of my favorite people in the world, Alix is an experienced human resources professional. On this episode, Alix and I explore some career advice that is especially relevant for employees of companies of all sizes. We explore promotions, pay raises, expectations and personal development.
This episode comes on the heels of several recent Meet Mediocrity YouTube VLOG episodes where I discuss provide some short and hopefully helpful career advice tips. Check those out on YouTube (@Meet Mediocrity) and “subscribe”.
My conversation with Liz Sweigart: On this, the last Friday in May (Mental Health Awareness Month), I am honored and thankful to have an open conversation about mental health with Liz Sweigart. Speaking about mental health, discussing our own mental illnesses, sharing our inner demons, admitting our personal challenges… are things that most people don’t do. And, it’s that lack of sharing and that lack of open acknowledgement that give mental health a taboo reputation - and causes so many people suffer in silence.
The Liz Sweigart I have known for years is a highly intellectual, highly educated, professionally successful, witty, funny and caring woman whom I greatly admire. In fact, she is one of those people in my life whom I would stop everything to share a cup of coffee with, any day. What I didn’t know until recently is that Liz also lives with major depressive disorder, a chronic condition that periodically left Liz in a dark place.
About two years ago, Liz’s major depressive disorder put her in a particularly dark place. One that, in her own words, she “could not yoga herself out of”. Liz had feelings of deep malaise, apathy, and even suicide. Thank goodness, Liz found the strength and the voice to get help.
Two years later, Liz is in a much better place. She searched for and created a network of medical caregivers, therapists, family, friends and loved ones that support her. She has supplemented her lifestyle with healthy activities that include running, yoga, blogging and yes, even working. Liz is also speaking about it. She openly shares her story and encourages others to share their stories. She also shares messages of hope and optimism for herself and for others suffering from mental illness.
Mental illness is not a stigma. Mental health is not a given. We, as human beings, owe it to ourselves and to each other to speak about it, to care and to support each other.
My conversation with Kim Fisher: Anyone who is a self-proclaimed trainer, joy analyst, longevity mentor and positivity angel must be a very special person. THAT, is Kim Fisher. Kim is an accomplished personal trainer and health advocate - having spent almost 40 years in the industry. Kim’s story isn’t only one about fitness and training, it’s about Kim’s personal evolution and transformation.
Today, Kim is the “Diva Over Fifty”. Kim coaches women one-on-one and in small groups to be their very best selves. Her program is highlighted by groups of women over the age of 50 that Kim calls her Ageless Tribe. These groups work with Kim and with each other to make small steps to improve their lives in the areas of diet, fitness, spirituality and social wellbeing. They have individual calls with Kim, group calls with each other and they all have access to Kim’s DivaOverFifty smartphone fitness app.
Kim’s program and success is impressive, but her personal and business pivot from a fitness trainer to a group wellness coordinator with a very impressive social media following is even more impressive. Just like Kim professes to her “tribe” about thriving in their 50s and beyond, Kim’s career is also thriving, more than ever, in her 50s. It’s NEVER TOO LATE!!
Check out Kim:
Her website: https://divaoverfifty.com/
On Instagram: @divaoverfifty
On Facebook: @divaoverfifty
My conversation with Savannah Dupin: Imagine wanting and needing to lose a lot of weight. Imagine starting an incredibly strict diet and fitness regime and sticking to it almost perfectly. Imagine losing 100 pounds and reaching your ideal goal weight. And, then imagine still being unhappy. That was Savannah Dupin. On one hand, this is an incredibly sad and frustrating story. For Savannah Dupin, it was an awakening.
Today Savannah is now a holistic health practitioner, founding her company Healing Health Solutions. Savannah was able to combine her weight loss experience and her education in sociology (focusing on women studies) to create an approach that focused on weight loss, health and wellness in a balanced way. Savannah’s client’s focus on their diet and fitness, but also on their self esteem and positive body image.
Savannah has found her niche and she is making an incredible impact on the women she coaches.
Find Savannah on LinkedIn and on Instagram (@sav_ilise)
My conversation with Joy Cook: Joy is the founder of Inspiring Joy Inc where she is a life strategist and success coach. “Joy”, in this case, has a double meaning - Joy Cook’s first name and “Journey of You”. The amazing thing about Joy is that her first and most influential coachee was… HERSELF!
Joy’s journey and her success is a product of a lifetime of experiences, learning and growth. Joy was a young mother and a single mother, but she never stopped hustling. She is an accountant, and still does some work as an accountant. However, through Joy’s own journey, she never stopped observing, exploring, learning and cultivating her passion for coaching.
The wonderful thing about Joy’s story is that she is now at the inflection point that many entrepreneurs find themselves. She is a certified and accomplished life strategist and success coach today, but has not yet left the “golden handcuffs” of her accounting job to become a full-time coach. This is a relatable dilemma for many people pursuing their passion.
Given Joy’s track record - we can all expect that “leap to full-time coaching to happen very soon and for Joy to be very successful!
Please check out Joy at:
Her website: https://www.inspiringjoyinc.com/home
Her Instagram: @inspiringjoyinc
Her Facebook: @inspiringjoyinc
My conversation with Lili Kazemi: Lili is a highly educated, highly accomplished busy executive. She also has had her share of personal hardships, including being in an abusive relationship. It was fitness, going to the gym, and participating in group exercise classes that helped Lili get through and get past that relationship and onto a better path for her life.
Through fitness, Lili found a healing community and that community ultimately motivated her to launch her passion project. Her blog and her fitness tips and tricks can be found on DAO Fit Life (https://daofitlife.com/). DAO being the Chinese word for “path” and also being Lili’s acronym for Decide-Act-Outlook. Lili’s blog posts and her upcoming book appeal to everyone, but especially to busy executives who want to be fit, but need a simple plan to accomplish that.
Lili has a knack for helping people make fitness fit into their lives. Again, check out Lili on her website - https://daofitlife.com/
My conversation with Rob Dill: Rob is a regular, unassuming guy. He is a long-time biology teacher at a community college in New Jersey and he was introduced to me for the podcast by a mutual friend. When I was first introduced to Rob, I was told that he has done triathlons and he would be a good podcast guest. Rob has accomplished so much more than that - and he’s incredibly humble about it.
Rob has done more than 10 ironman triathlons, over 30 marathons, ultra races on trails… and he has done the New York City Marathon 23 straight years! The New York City Road Runners Club, the organization that runs the New York City Marathon honors runners who have run the race in 15 or more straight years - calling that group “streakers”. That makes Rob a “streaker” - and, that DOES NOT mean he runs the race with no clothes on!
The best thing about Rob is that he is incredibly humble and he tells great stories about the races he has participated in. He also provides some incredibly sensible and relatable advice for beginners - how to get started, how to build up endurance and strength, and how to do it without injuring yourself.
My conversation with Jennifer DiStefano, Kris Amplo and Bryan Kuhl: A four person conversation on the Meet Mediocrity Podcast! And, an incredibly special and powerful conversation at that. Jen DiStefano is the widow of Matthew (Dezi) DiStefano - an incredibly strong, inspirational, special man who lost his battle to cancer in January 2020. Kris and Bryan are long time friends of Matthew and now they help lead the DezyStrong Foundation, an organization founded by Matthew while he was battling cancer.
Today, the DezyStrong Foundation helps cancer patients and their families with financial support to help take a little pressure off of a high pressure situation.
Matthew was an accomplished athlete, a high school teacher and perhaps one of the most successful varsity volleyball coaches in Long Island history. In his athletic endeavors, Matthew became an inspiration and a role model to so many young women and men he came in contact with. After his cancer diagnosis Matthew’s energy and contagious enthusiasm grew, where most other people’s would wane. Matthew’s motto “I GET TO” resonates with anyone! Whether it’s going to work, going to the gym, getting out of bed in the morning, eating healthy… anything at all - you don’t HAVE TO, you GET TO.
Every day we walk the planet Earth should be viewed as a great day. That’s what DeziStrong is all about, and that’s what Meet Mediocrity is all about too!
Check out the DeziStrong Foundation (and buy yourself and your friends some DeziStrong apparel) at - https://www.dezystrong.org/
Follow the DeziStrong Foundation on Instagram at - @DeziStrongFoundation
My conversation with Emily Oliver: Emily found herself in a corporate job that paid a good salary, great benefits, paid vacation and more. Yet, she was unhappy and unfulfilled. She wanted more.
With that, Emily went against those people who thought she should not give up the stability and opportunity of a "good job". She became trained and certified. Emily is now a Certified Happiness and Goals Coach. He company is called Goals Garden. Like a garden, our minds germinate ideas that require nurturing in order to grow. And, when environmental facts impact the growth of our minds, we need to adapt and adjust to keep the growth on track. The human mind and garden analogy is alive and well with Emily and her coaching approach.
Today, Emily is empowering individuals with solution-oriented methods to enhance well-being, relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ADD/ADHD. All of which allows them to experience more purpose, pleasure, and pride.
Check out Emily at:
Her website: https://goalsgarden.com/
Her Instagram: @goals_garden
Her Facebook: @goalsgarden
My conversation with Kaileen Cox: Kai is the founder and owner of Awaken Innate Healing. When you enter Kai’s website (www.awakeninnatehealing.com) you encounter a quote: “We all have the power to heal our mind, body and spirit innately. It’s time to awaken those powers.” This quote sums up Kai in a nutshell.
Kai is an intuitive healer. She is a licensed massage therapist, she is a medium and she uses the Bio-Touch healing method. Kai is able to see spirits and energies and has honed her intuition to be able to communicate with them to help people heal on a spiritual and mental level.
I found Kai to be fascinating and authentic. Check out Kai:
Her website: www.awakeninnatehealing.com
Her Instagram: @awaken.innate.healing
Her Facebook: @awakeninnatehealing
Bio-Touch Healing: www.justtouch.com
My conversation with Callie Wylie: Callie is the founder, owner and CEO of Glowponent, a high-performance coaching approach that focuses on wellness, nutrition, relationships and more. The thing that struck me the most about Callie is that she is dynamic, energetic, authentic and relatable. She readily admits her own human struggles and puts herself out there as an example of someone who has tried, failed, and not given up on herself.
In our conversation, Callie describes some of her missteps and how she continues to persevere. Even at her most trying moments, she constantly reminded herself, "I won't give up on this dream". This mindset and approach is what put her in a position to overcome some of her business and personal challenges to become a successful coach, podcaster and social media personality.
You can find Callie:
At her website: www.glowponent.com
On instagram: @theglowponentmethod
Her podcast: The Glowponent Podcast
My conversation with Valerie Baudais-Baconnet: Valerie went to school for journalism, but found that journalism wasn't for her and communication WAS for her! What Valerie did learn from journalism is to approach communication with an inquiring mind - always asking why. And then.... asking why again!
By bringing this inquiring mindset to communication, Valerie helps her clients explore the messages they want to deliver, stand in the shoes of their intended audience, and deliver communications that resonate the way her clients want them to resonate. This standing in the other person's shoes is what Valerie and I hope will bring on what I termed "the golden age of communication". Understanding and relating better to one another when speaking, when writing, when interacting on social media could maybe bring people and our society closer together and create that "golden age".
Valerie also places a strong emphasis on listening. Pay close attention to those quiet people. They are the ones who are listening, doing, thinking and learning - things that are hard to do when you are speaking!
Check out Valerie's Val&Co website: http://valandco.eu/
Check out Val&Co on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/val&co/
My (second!) conversation with Pam Sherman: Pam is the self proclaimed Perfect Balance Guru with a following of health and wellness clients she calls "the tribe". When Pam and I spoke the first time (Season 2, Episode 2), Pam told us about the journey that led her to becoming a trainer, a wellness instructor, an author and a motivational speaker.
On this episode, Pam and I explore the small things we can do to improve our overall wellness. As Pam describes, you don't need to sweat to make healthy improvements. Pam also shares challenges she has faced with maintaining her own weight and fitness and how she overcame those challenges.
Pam is amazingly positive, energetic and informative. Her pragmatic approach to fitness and diet make her easy to relate to and easy to learn from. Pam is regularly featured in newspapers, magazines and on television. She has also authored 7 books about healthy living, nutrition and fitness. Check Pam out at:
Her website: https://www.theperfectbalance.guru/
Her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+perfect+balance
Her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/perfectbalanceguru/
My conversation with Melanie Perkins: Last week we met Max Perkins, a native of Nantucket, Massachusetts a beautiful tourist destination located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. Max has the good fortune of living where he loves and making a career doing jobs that he loves. I call this Happy Place Living!
Max's wife Melanie grew up in suburban Connecticut, a far cry from living at a tourist destination like Nantucket. Melanie was living in the Boston area and practicing nursing full-time when she met and married Max. This lifestyle grew increasingly stressful, especially in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
When Max and Melanie decided to move to Nantucket, they made a decision to make their happy place their home. That move also gave Melanie an opportunity to re-evaluate her work-life balance. Melanie is now a thriving entrepreneur. And, while she still takes occasional nursing shifts at the local hospital, she spends most of her time nurturing the two businesses she launched in 2020. Fleurish Nantucket is a florist business and Glistn Nantucket is a mobile wellness and beauty business. In launching these businesses and living on the beautiful island of Nantucket, Melanie has found the perfect way to make her happy place her home.
Find out more about Melanie's businesses on her websites and on social media:
Her florist business: https://www.fleurishnantucket.com/ AND @fleurishnantucket on Instagram and Facebook
Her mobile wellness and beauty business: https://www.glistnnantucket.com/ AND @glistnnantucket on Instagram and Facebook
My conversation with Max Perkins: This podcast introduces a Meet Mediocrity series on “finding your happy place”. This podcast episode is part one of two episodes that can be listened to together or separately. You can also check out the Meet Mediocrity YouTube channel to watch our VLOG #5 about “finding your happy place”
This week’s and next week’s podcast episodes feature Max and Melanie Perkins. An amazing couple that come from very different backgrounds who agreed as a couple on Max’s “home town”, Nantucket, Massachusetts as their “happy place”. Both Max and Mel have evolved their careers and their lives to make the most of living in a very seasonal and beautiful community.
In this episode, we meet Max, an impressive and versatile businessperson who was born and raised on the island of Nantucket. He is a residential real estate broker who has sold property on Nantucket and in the greater Boston area. He is a licensed USCG maritime captain who helps run his family's local business, Shearwater Excursions. He is a trained soccer and ice hockey official and he is an ice hockey coach.
Max has truly found a way to blend his love of Nantucket, his entrepreneurial mindset and his personal passions to create a thriving life at his happy place!
You can find more about Max at:
- His real estate website - https://www.raveis.com/maxperkins/
- His charter boat website - https://shearwaterexcursions.com/
- His Instagram page - @maxperkins_realestate
My conversation with Laetitia Vitaud: An acclaimed expert on "the future of work", and a self-proclaimed feminist, Laetitia shares her observations and insights about how women and families have addressed their careers, their finances, their families and their futures in light of the current pandemic.
She approaches this conversation with an interesting perspective - as women and families react to immediate needs, they are potentially putting their future financial needs and personal growth at risk. And, by reacting quickly, they are potentially upsetting an ecosystem that relies on people helping people become their very best selves.
In today's conversation we address some common reactions to the pandemic and we also explore the future of work as the pandemic progresses and ultimately subsides. This episode is sure to leave you with plenty of food for thought as you ponder your next steps in today's world.
Laetitia is a well known writer, book author and speaker.
Find Laetitia at:
Her website - https://laetitiavitaud.com/
Her blog/newsletter (which I LOVE) - https://laetitiaatwork.substack.com/
Her podcast - https://buildingbridges.substack.com/
My conversation with LeAnn Smith: What is Vibrant Life Source all about? LeAnn Smith is the founder and Chief Vibrancy Officer of Vibrant Life Source - a health and wellness coaching approach that brings a combination of physical wellness, mental wellness and nutritional wellness to her clients.
LeAnn left corporate America, her salary, her benefits and her paid vacation to pursue her dream, creating a company that provides a full range of wellness related services to her clients. And, of course, her journey was not linear and it is not over - not by a long shot.
LeAnn brings a combination of fitness, yoga, meditation and nutritional knowledge, but she is also incredibly positive, creative and inspirational. Her advice and approach is practical and relatable.
Check out LeAnn on multiple platforms. Like me, you'll find her to be someone you want to spend time with, get to know better and learn from!
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Website: www.vibrantlifesource.com
Email: leann@vibrantlifesource.com
Facebook: @vibrantlifesource
Instagram:@vibrantlifesourcellc
YouTube Channel: @vibrantlifesource
My conversation with Jean-Christophe (JC) Baudais - How did this French man end up going to school in America, have a successful career in the corporate world in Europe, start his own business and business app that helps people better manage business challenges, AND become a member of my extended family? Today's conversation marks the one year anniversary of the FIRST EPISODE of the Meet Mediocrity podcast and I couldn't have asked to share that special day with a more special person than Jean-Christophe Baudais. On today's episode, JC describes his company (and application) iNOIB, how it helps business people be more productive. The principles behind iNOIB are practical and, in many ways, apply to circumstances well beyond the business world. Want to learn more about iNOIB? Check out the website.... www.inoib.com You can also follow iNOIB on Facebook.... @inoiber
My conversation with Kim Ades: Kim is the founder and president of Frame of Mind Coaching, a leadership coaching firm serving clients across the world. Kim is a self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur" who brings her unique and relatable style to leaders and achievers who need help reaching their goals.
According to Kim, she doesn't care what the goal is, it can be any goal. Her focus is on the mindset, behaviors and activities that are preventing her clients from achieving their goals. Kim has created her own unique coaching approach that leverages client journaling and on-line journal interaction between client and coach.
You can find all about Kim Ades and Frame of Mind Coaching on:
- LinkedIn - "Frame of Mind Coaching"
- Instagram - @FrameOfMindCoaching
- Facebook - @FOMCoaching
- AND... at their website - www.frameofmindcoaching.com
My conversation with yours truly (ME): I recently read "The Book of Joy", by Douglas Abrams, a nonfiction New York Times bestseller in 2016. This book chronicles a one week visit between the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu - both of whom won the Nobel Peace Price in the 1980s.
During this one week visit, these two spiritual and insightful men explore how we human-beings can find lasting happiness. I recently found myself asking friends, mentors and myself whether why we (and I) weren't more happy. Even given the current global pandemic, I felt like I had a lot to be grateful for and a lot of reasons to be happier than I felt inside. This book, with a little help from some conversations I had with some insightful friends, gave me some perspective and some useful hints.
We can find some simple guidance in the biblical verse, "love your neighbor as yourself". Truly loving ourselves is a simple concept with many layers of complex depth. But, if we can find that love for ourselves, and then apply that love, that empathy, that understanding of our neighbors, we would all find much more joy... and the world would be a much better place.
I listened carefully to President Biden's inauguration speech where he implored all Americans, and indeed all human beings to see each other with compassion. To walk in each others' shoes. This is the same concept.
I found "The Book of Joy" to be an uplifting and thought provoking book and an easy read in trying times. I know that I have found a little more joy in my heart since reading it and applying its concepts.
My conversation with Kelly Czerpak: Kelly's business BodyTalk Health Coaching first caught my attention on Instagram. Her positive messages struck me as much more than just "catchy positivity". Her insights are practical and insightful. And, when I reached out to Kelly, I was impressed by her holistic approach to wellness.
Kelly was an active, multi-sport athlete. She pushed herself hard and she had success. She also felt it. Despite being young and "in shape", Kelly felt her body breaking down. Aches, pains and injuries became constant and Kelly became attuned to the fact that we only have one body to live in and we need to take great care of it. That is where Kelly's journey began.
Since then, Kelly has done deep exploration - reading, meditating, experimenting, learning and ultimately becoming a certified health coach. Her one-on-one coaching style is thoughtful and collaborative. Learn more about Kelly on Instagram and in her Instagram bio at BodyTalk Heath Coaching or @healthcoach_Kelly. You can also read her holistic mind-body wellness write-ups on SubStack.
My conversation with Barbara Schuckman (MY MOTHER!): This episode marks the season finale of the Meet Mediocrity podcast, season 2. It also marks the 50th episode in total. Such a special milestone episode warrants a very special guest - my mother, Barbara Schuckman.
Mom's story is really inspirational. To me, her son, she inspires me in many ways. However, the story we chose to focus on is Mom's lifelong love of art. Mom was an artist before she even knew it. As a little girl her teachers, friends and parents were all amazed a her artistic abilities. However, Mom grew up at a time when is was incredibly rare for a young woman to be encouraged to pursue her passion and become an artist. Fortunately, as my mother dealt with the distractions that life threw at her (including having me!), she never lost sight of her love for art and she included artistic activities in many aspects of her life.
Then, 43 years ago, she started her business, Miniatures By Barb. This business, which continues to thrive, features miniatures for collectible dollhouses. Every single piece is designed, created and made by my mother! And, since dollhouse collecting and decorating is a perfect "stay-at-home" activity, it is undergoing an amazing renaissance during COVID.
To learn more about Barbara Schuckman and Miniatures by Barb, visit her website - https://miniatures-by-barb.com/shop/
My conversation with Constance Korol: Constance has had a major impact on my life. She introduced me to triathlon, she coached me for two years as I went from my first “sprint-length” triathlon to my first “half Ironman” triathlon. She introduced me to Bikram hot yoga, She introduced me to Reiki. The truth is, Constance opened up my way of thinking - really allowing me to embrace a more holistic view of myself and of life.
Constance has been on quite a life journey herself. In our conversation she describes childhood experiences that helped shape her life. She tell us about how she became a two time Ironman triathlete - that’s 140.6 miles IN ONE DAY! She shares her evolution from runner, to triathlete, to Ironman, to yoga instructor and to becoming a Reiki master... and so much more! It is Constance’s holistic approach to life that makes her and her company, Meta 180, well suited to provide insights as to how we can learn from the challenges of 2020 and open ourselves up for the opportunities that 2021 can bring.
As Constance says, “Start 2021 by earning a PhD in YOU”
Constance can be found at:
Her website: www.meta180.com
Her Instagram: @metaoneeighty
Her Facebook: @meta180
My conversation with Matt Simpson: Matt and his wife Jess went on a big adventure. It was their first significant vacation abroad. They visited Thailand. What happened there can only be described as a life changing adventure. And, that adventure triggered a strong desire for more travel. In fact, Matt and Jess wanted all travel, all the time.
So, they made a plan... and the plan was a decade in the making. But Matt and Jess achieved their goal and they are traveling the world - living their dream. They have great stories and there are great life lessons to be learned about living the life you want to live.
Matt and Jess appeared recently on the very popular HGTV series House Hunters International. You can learn more about Matt and Jess and their adventures on Jess's website - www.lighttraveling.org
You can also follow Matt's cycling exploits on his website - www.cycletrentino.com
You can also catch their House Hunters International episode on reruns. It is not yet on the HGTV website, but it is Season 155, Episode 1 of that TV series!
My conversation with Selena Velez-Iaquinta: There are countless diet plans, fitness plans, wellness approaches out there. What's the best plan for you? According to Selena, it starts with a close look at your DNA.
Selena Velez-Iaquinta is a certified genetics-based program designer. The process she follows starts with a cheek swab and laboratory testing. Not to find your long lost relatives, but to determine how you and your genetic make-up best interact with nutrition, fitness, cardio-vascular training and so much more. Everyone's DNA is unique to them. Everyone is different. Based on your genetic lab results, Selena creates a plan that is customized for you - and more importantly, she coaches and teaches you along the way to make your customized plan part of your life - forever.
And, Selena's challenge to us... try her plan out for 2 weeks. You will feel such a difference in yourself, your cognition, your energy, your sleep patterns and your overall wellness that you will never want to stop.
Selena can be contacted at:
- Her website: selenaveleziaquinta.issacertifiedtrainer.com
- Her Instagram page: @functional_fitness_by_selena
- Her email address: maxfitresults@gmail.com
My conversation with me (again): I decided to issue my "being thankful and grateful" episode after Thanksgiving in order to avoid the glut of other thankful posts coming out just prior to Thanksgiving. I also gave my priority to spending time with my lovely wife, Magnificent Meredith, and my four sons! Now that Thanksgiving is past us, time to get back to releasing podcasts!
In this episode, I go through my personal DIET / FITNESS / MINDSET report card for 2020. Given the incredibly challenging circumstances we have all faced in 2020, I am quite happy with my self-assessment. I also take a look at building on 2020 as we approach year end and spring into 2021.
My conversation with ME, Mediocre Mitch: I was prompted to do a solo podcast after receiving a text message with a meme from a friend of mine that said “Mediocrity is the Enemy of Greatness”. Of course, I completely disagree with this.
On this episode I tell you a story about Janet. Janet is truly a mediocre runner - based on her running time, and as compared to her expectations for herself, she is definitely mediocre. Janet’s story proves, in my opinion, that mediocrity does not need to be a bad thing.
I also explore how greatness can be the enemy of wellness. How greatness can stand in the way of finding happiness and joyfulness in our lives.
It's ok to be mediocre at something, it's just not ok to allow mediocrity to cause you to give up on yourself.
My conversation with Taren Gesell (aka - Triathlon Taren): For me, when I ventured into triathlons, Triathlon Taren quickly became my “go-to” information source. His YouTube videos, his Triathlon Taren podcast and his social media posts (@TriathlonTaren) reflected a down to earth, practical and informative approach to triathlons for amateurs.
This podcast conversation is not a “how to do a triathlon” conversation. Rather, Taren and I discuss real life challenges relating to starting and maintaining fitness; the pros and cons of setting and striving for specific goals; the mindset for starting and growing an internet-based business; and some tips for making wellness a lifetime event.
You can find so much more about Triathlon Taren by just typing his name on Google or YouTube or Facebook or Instagram… or check out Triathlon Taren here:
YouTube Channel - Triathlon Taren YouTube Channel
Triathlon Taren Website - Triathlon Taren - Get To Your Start Line Confident
Triathlon Taren Triathlon Training Plan Platform - Team Trainiac : Triathlon Training Plan Platform
My conversation with Anne Elmendorf: After an enormously successful career in real estate, including serving as CEO of a property management firm, Anne has embarked on the next chapter of her career - providing executive and leadership coaching.
In our conversation, we discuss the benefits of coaching and how coaching differs from traditional and medical based forms of therapy. What Anne and I fully agree on, is that business managers and executives have their share of mediocre moments, challenges, demands. And, they don’t often have qualified, sensible, trained coaches to support them. With a coach, executives get someone who can help them set goals, bounce issues off of, and achieve personal development. Anne is an exceptional coach.
Anne is certified as a coach by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Her coaching firm is called Morgan Steward. More information about Anne and her coaching can be found at her website - www.morgansteward.com
My conversation with Kaeya Majmundar: Kaeya is an inspiring, impressive, intelligent and high-energy entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Swaypay. In short summary, Swaypay is a payment method that lets shoppers convert their social influence into currency for online purchases - effectively removing the middleman between eCommerce and social influencers, even minor social influencers.
I became inspired by Kaeya long before she founded Swaypay. In 2015, when Kaeya was 19 years old, she appeared on Shark Tank, pitching her product - BZ Box. Kaeya was put through the ringer by Mark Cuban, Mr. Wonderful (Kevin O’Leary) and by Barbara Corcoran before she landed a deal with Lori Greiner - just as it looked like there was no deal to be had.
Kaeya displayed what I termed “poised desperation” on Shark Tank and she continues to demonstrate her poise and drive as she continues to impress the world as a rising business worman.
Check out Kaeya’s Shark Tank appearance on YouTube - Shark Tank Bzbox Indian Girl Amazing packaging Product
Check out Swaypay at - Swaypay - Pay For Products Online With Social Media Posts
My conversation with Matt Puzycki: Matt loves writing and has always loved writing. He has been writing stories and screenplays since he was in high school. But, like many of us, Matt has had his doubts about his ability to write a book that he could make public and publish.
After years of getting rave reviews from friends and family, Matt finally put himself out there and published his first book, "Forming the Javelin" just a few months ago. Now Matt is already writing another book for publishing.
For so many of us, we wish our passion was our career, but we have fears. Fears of failure, fears of rejection, fears of risk taking. Matt is bravely pursuing his passion. Yes, today Matt has a separate "day job" that pays the bills, but with perseverance and dedication, Matt has a great chance of turning his passion into his "day job" in the not too distant future.
Check out Matt's book, "Forming the Javelin", on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Forming-Javelin-Matthew-Puzycki-ebook/dp/B08J6TN6Z4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=forming+the+javelin&qid=1603394775&sr=8-1
My conversation with Terri Hulse: Making a right turn and being the hero in your own story.... what does this mean? By making the right turn and putting yourself out there, even in the face of potential embarrassment or rejection, can change your life - and the lives of others. Terri Hulse is an incredibly successful professional and a successful person, in part, because she lives her life this way. I try to do it, but I’ve seen her take it to a different level. Our mutual sharing of stories brings this to life. Literally! Terri and I explore the value of doing the right thing. By putting yourself out there you can make your life more fulfilling, you can create a profound impact on others, you can find silver linings and you can be the hero in your own story.
My conversation with Anderson Bluu: Anderson Bluu is an up and coming artist and sneaker designer, and his story of perseverance is truly inspiring.
Anderson had his share of mediocre moments - he struggled as a student, he had entrepreneurial ventures that did not work out as planned, he had a serious knee injury that seriously set him back and he lost his father at an already challenging time in his life. But Anderson Bluu never gave up on himself.
He took over his father's business out of respect to his father and his father's employees. At the same time, he continued to pursue his dream of making a living doing what he loved - being an artist.
NOW, Anderson is a well known artist and sneaker designer - creating sold out sneaker designs on ASICS and Converse shoes for Foot Locker. His art can be found on his website - www.bluudreams.com and you can find him on Instagram at @anderson_bluu.
My conversation with... ME: It's been a while, but I decided to do a solo podcast. A combination of good advice from my son Max and a topic that was burning in my mind led to my doing this. There's a story I have told dozens of time at work about the time I bought my Mustang GT convertible - a car I loved, but I no longer own. I told the story because it was a great example of how to and how not to sell a car... and frankly, how to sell just about anything. Relate to your customer, understand their needs, get to know them - and then you can sell TO THEM.
In this episode, I apply that story to how we relate to... EACH OTHER. If we could all do more talking, listening and understanding each other - and less name calling, stereotyping and not listening - the toxicity that exists in an already challenging world would be greatly reduced. I tried to tackle this topic with some fun stories and everyday examples. Hopefully it resonates with at least one person. Because even one person can make the world a better place!
My conversation with Kevin Lauretti: Kevin has more than enough golfing talent to have a career in the golf industry - as either a player, a club professional, an equipment sales person, a coach… but Kevin chose a different path - and frankly, the path Kevin chose positioned him to have a successful career, to have successful work-life balance and to enjoy his passion in a meaningful way.
Kevin decided that the best thing for him was not to make a career out of golf, but to make golf a part of his everyday life as a hobby. Kevin admits that golf is part of his life pretty much every day. Squeezing in 9 holes after work, hitting balls on the range, chipping balls in the yard, putting in his living room, talking to his golfing buddies, playing a friendly competition on the weekend… golf helps Kevin decompress, clear his mind and connect with friends. By choosing to enjoy golf as a hobby rather than as a profession, Kevin is actually getting the most from an activity he loves... it's a lifetime companion.
Great choice Kevin!
My conversation with Greta Lovenheim: Greta Lovenheim had a pivotal moment in her life a little over 2 years ago. She was urgently hospitalized over a random, crazy situation. While recovering, she had her epiphany.
And now, over 250 pounds lighter, Greta is living a brand new life. Greta’s approach to weight loss and wellness were definitive and disciplined. She leveraged a combination of intermittent fasting, a ketogenic diet and more movement to change her life.
Neither Greta nor I are advocating that her way is the best way or the only way to lose weight. It worked for Greta and that's the most important thing for Greta. For the rest of us, understanding ourselves, finding what we need to make us feel like better versions of ourselves, finding things that will encourage that - and adopting practices we can stick with are the keys to our own individual wellness.
Greta mentioned three reference materials in our conversation:
BBC Documentary - “Eat, Fast & Live Longer” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihhj_VSKiTs
Dr. Jason Fung Book - “The Obesity Code”
Benjamin Bikman PhD Book - “Why We Get Sick”
My conversation with Desire Martin del Campo:It started over a decade ago when Desiree wanted to lose a few pounds. First she started dieting, then she started running a tiny, little bit, and then...
Since then, Desiree has run 4 marathons, she has run a half marathon in ALL 50 STATES, she is stuck on 99 total half marathons (as races get cancelled during COVID), and she is set on tackling half marathons on all 7 continents! Desiree is a running machine... but the best part is that she simply does not take it all too seriously! She runs at her pace, she makes every trip an adventure, and she takes time to enjoy the journey.
Desiree also enjoys diverse work experiences - blending her analytical side and her artistic side to create a work life that exercises her entire brain.
Desiree is energetic, positive, fun and is a great storyteller. ENJOY!
My conversation with Merrit Hartblay: Merrit is a therapist, social worker, chemical dependency counselor and he's now an author. But before all of this happened, Merrit was an addict.
Merrit Hartblay spent much of his childhood surrounded by heavy drinkers. He took those bad habits into his adult life and built on them. Then, when his employer went bankrupt, those bad habits became truly destructive.
Merrit share's his amazing journey from addiction to recover with us on this podcast episode and in his recent book, "Lost Innocence: My Journey from Addiction to Recovery". This episode and this book are captivating and inspiring. Find Merrit's book on Amazon at the link below:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Innocence-Journey-Addiction-Recovery/dp/B08FP5V2JZ
My THIRD conversation with Alix Arroyo:This is Part 3 of a 3 part mini-series! In this final part of the Alix and Mitch three part miniseries, we continued our conversation around staying well and staying social while maintaining safe, social distancing.
Alix and I shared Netflix and book recommendations. We also enjoyed discussing how we are doing our very best to meet and exceed our personal challenges of staying connected with friends, family and work colleagues during COVID.
Thank you SO VERY MUCH Alix, for recording three full episodes of the Meet Mediocrity podcast with me!
My SECOND Conversation with Alix Arroyo: This is "Part Two" of a Three Episode Miniseries! In this episode, Alix and I explore how to focus on diet and mental wellness while being mostly at home and maintaining safe social distancing.
We touch on diet… trying to avoid cooking and eating as an activity or an event….
We touch on keeping our minds sharp with activities. Binging Netflix is fun, but books, puzzles and games are mindful activities that keep our minds in shape.....
My casual conversation with Alix touches on so many issues that are being commonly tackled today as so many people look to cope, survive, improve and thrive - in order to come out of this current pandemic as even better versions of themselves.
My Conversation with Alix Arroyo: This is "Part One" of a Three Episode Miniseries! My niece Alix is a “do-er”. She does stuff! And, because she does stuff, she experiences stuff… and she experiences life. She loves group fitness classes - invite her to virtually any group exercise class and she’ll give it a try. She also loves doing non-fitness activities too - trying ethnic restaurants, taking trips, visiting new places, trying new activities - Alix’s perspective is that you gotta try it, because it could very well end up being an amazing experience. And if it isn’t - well then it’s a learning experience. Nelson Mandela once said: “I never lose. Either I win or learn.’ That, my friends, is how Alix lives her life.
Alix and I set out to discuss how she and I were trying to make the most out of life while living in a socially distant and socially responsible manner during our current global pandemic. How can you experience life, do group exercise, experience a supportive community, try new recipes, stay in a good headspace all while staying home - and while your favorite spots are not open? Alix and I started discussing wellness in a socially distant world and we soon found out that we had three episodes worth of material! We cover fitness, diet, staying connected and mental wellness and more in our mini-series.
Here's Part One of our Three Episode Miniseries!
My conversation with Eddie Johnson: Eddie is a relatable person… he has gone through many, intense personal challenges, he picked himself up and he moved forward. Eddie recognizes the stress people are under - and not just due to COVID-19. Society and life itself creates stress and people create stress for themselves too. Eddie then helps people understand their inner strengths and principles and values in an easy to identify manner, so they can begin making positive changes in themselves. As Eddie says, it starts by finding your "authentic self".
Eddie does NOT believe your changes need to be wholesale overhauls, they can be little changes that will ultimately be building blocks towards creating a better, overall approach to wellness and life. The key is to take a look at your personal experiences, learn from them, and build from there.
Eddie’s business is called E4 Inspiring Motivations. His business website is www.EddieLJohnson.com.
He has written a book called “Passing the Test of Faith”. He has a FREE introductory 4 week Zoom course called “Play Big - Get in the Game with Purpose”. The website to register for this FREE course is www.makingnextlevelmoves.com.
He has a more advanced 6 week course called “Next Level Success”. AND, Eddie is a motivational speaker - giving keynote speeches that people really connect with.
Check it all out at www.EddieLJohnson.com!
My Conversation with Alan Bergman: Alan is an amazing and interesting person. First and foremost, Alan shares his story about the newest chapter of his professional life. He describes how he took a deep look within, embraced things that bring him personal satisfaction and came up with a new, rewarding business.
It's Alan’s love of journalism, writing and photography that led him to create his new business, Life Stories Preserved - details of which can be found at www.LifeStoriesPreserved.net. Alan describes how he helps people create autobiographies, biographies and memoirs - capturing the stories of friends and loved ones for future generations.
Additionally, Alan is a highly accomplished sea kayaker. Kayaking is an amazing form of exercise, but also kayaking feeds into our overall wellness because of the peace and tranquility you can find being on the water in a kayak. Alan shares his love of kayaking and some very useful kayaking tips and tricks that are applicable to both beginners and experienced kayakers. Alan has a blog post that describes his passion for kayaking... check it out at: www.wildmeadowpaddlesports.com/why-paddle/
My conversation with Tim Stansel: Tim has always struggled with his weight. He’s what I would call an upper and downer - someone whose weight fluctuates in increasingly drastic ways. The amazing thing about Tim though is he is a very athletic person. He is an avid cyclist and someone who enjoys outdoor activities. What happened to Tim is a fairly common story - work, family and life created time demands and stress. Time demands and stress create less time for being active and more cravings for food... and usually not the best food!
Tim reached a point along his journey where he said "enough is enough". He took control of his life through diet and also through vertical gastric sleeve surgery. Today, Tim is over 130 pounds lighter and he is an even better version of his old self. Tim is happier and more active and his family and friends are thrilled.
Tim's story in inspiring because Tim is someone who lost control of his health, but he did not give up on himself. Ultimately, Tim was strong enough to do what he needed to do to gain control again.
My conversation with Pam Sherman... the founder of The Perfect Balance. Pam has been in the health and wellness industry for over 20 years. As you might expect, Pam has a ton of positive energy. She also has some very practical health and wellness tips and approaches that make it all seem very achievable. No gimmicks, no shortcuts, no unrealistic promises. Instead, Pam offers a sensible and logical approach to diet and fitness that really can be applied to anyone, at any point in their life.
And, Pam herself is a prime example of someone who embraced her own life events and evolved into a stronger, better, more balanced person. Everything about Pam, and her Perfect Balance Tribe can be found on her website theperfectbalance.guru.
My conversation with Jennifer Mannion: Jennifer Mannion is a multi talented culinary guru. She is a recipe developer, a culinary instructor, a caterer and much much more.
I personally met Jennifer when she was referred to Magnificent Meredith and me as an in-home caterer. Jennfer was introduced to us as someone who was very adept at co-creating the perfect menu for your special event or party at home and then bringing the entire catered event to your kitchen. And, Jennifer is very accommodating to all dietary needs - gluten free, dairy free, nut allergies, vegan, keto - you name it, she can create recipes with YOUR needs in mind. I can attest to this. Jennifer has created and catered amazing gluten free, dairy free parties for us and each of them were huge successes.
Now, Jennifer is getting into a really great business, luxury travel planning. Combining destination planning with meal planning and amazing wellness activities - Jennifer can work with you to create the perfect customized itinerary. You can find Jennifer at her website privyfare.com.
My conversation with my four sons: I dreamed about creating a health and wellness podcast and community for quite some time. And, yes, I wanted to do it for selfish reasons - Selfish reason #1, Wellness Motivation. My plan was and continues to be to cultivate a community of people focusing on our health and wellness - sharing ideas, sharing insights and sharing motivation. Of course for my audience, but selfishly, for me too! Selfish reason #2, Creative Energy. I love creating content. Identifying people I want to have conversations with, facilitating those conversations, creating a podcast story, editing the recordings, publicizing the speakers - it’s all so much fun for me. Engaging on social media, writing blog posts, producing videos are also fun for me. The creative outlet has been incredibly rewarding - and therapeutic too!
To pull this off I needed support, and that support has come from my family. My wife, Magnificent Meredith is a little “microphone shy”, but she has been an amazing advisor and sounding board for me. Another key source of support for me has been my children - Max, Jake, Aaron and Connor. They are all in their 20s and they all understand the social media marketing world much better than I do. So, whether it’s been advice on how to choose effective hashtags, to attracting followers, to suggesting guests, to designing my logo, to participating in my wacky Meet Mediocrity events, to creating my theme music - my boys have been incredibly supportive. So today, on our Season One Finale of the Meet Mediocrity podcast, I’ve invited my sons to join me and share a little bit about what’s up with them, their lives and their personal health, wellness and betterment journeys.
My Conversation with Bonnie Heyman: Bonnie's journey to becoming a highly accomplished pilates instructor - an instructor who teaches other instructors - is quite an amazing journey. Bonnie’s story began when she started taking both dance and piano lessons at the age of 6. That combination of dance and music was obviously a natural combination for Bonnie. To this day, when she hears music, she instantly begins choreographing accompanying dance routines in her head. In fact, she sometimes relates pilates to a modern form of dance.
Bonnie’s story of perseverance, dedication and strength is inspiring. Her messages of “just keep moving” and “it’s never too late to start” are messages we can all relate to.
Bonnie can be contacted for pilates instruction through her social media pages or by email at BONNIEMAY052@aol.com.
My Conversation with Zoe Rastegar: Many people who help people downsize, organize and relocate approach their businesses as transactional.
“How can I help you get rid of stuff efficiently?"
“How can I help you sell and make a little money from things you no longer need?”
“How can I help you get your closets and desks cleared of unnecessary things?”
All of this is important, but what makes Zoe’s approach special is that she adds an intense human-touch to these activities. The effort she makes to really understand her clients as people, to understand their long term goals and their personal objectives is critical - because Zoe aligns the relocation and downsizing support she provides to her clients with their overall health and wellness.
And, it’s not just about downsizing senior citizens from their family homes to assisted living facilities. More and more people - millennials, empty nesters and people reconsidering their lives during COVID-19 - are looking to DO MORE AND ACCUMULATE LESS. Zoe’s business, Life Simplified Pro (LifeSimplifiedPro.com) can help us get there!
My Conversation with Matt Grace and Robert Nolan: Matt Grace and Robert Nolan have been playing volleyball together for a very long time. They played youth volleyball on club teams, on elite travel teams, for their high school and for their chosen college, the State University of New York at New Paltz. They won a lot of matches together… they even helped SUNY New Paltz win the NCAA Division 3 Men’s Volleyball Championship in 2019. So, you can imagine their disappointment when the defense of their championship and their senior year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today’s discussion describes how they handled the news of their season ending when they first heard it, how they’ve spent the past few months since the abrupt end to their season, and you’ll hear about their plans for next year. It’s all very impressive!
My Conversation with Dr. Dan Schaefer: Dr. Dan Schaefer is a business strategies and strategic consultant who helps his clients achieve their very best results - whether it is selling work, leading businesses, winning games or achieving personal records. I always chuckle when Dr. Dan says that he sells mistakes. What he means is that he helps his clients identify their likely mistakes before they make them and then he helps them avoid those mistakes. He does that through a systematic approach. Dr. Dan’s strategies include planning backward, positive visualizations and self-hypnosis. His clients include corporate executives, entrepreneurs, amateur athletes and professional athletes.
The thing I love about Dan? He is incredibly accessible. He specifically encourages anyone interested in working with him to visit his website - DanSchaeferPhD.com or call or text him directly on 1-(917)880-6758.
If you want to learn more about Dan's strategies and approaches to creating successful outcomes, check out his book "CLICK! The Competitive Edge for Business, Sports and Entertainment".
My conversation with Leo Palazzuoli:Leo is also an athlete I admire immensely. His accomplishments and his work ethic from an athletic standpoint are far from ordinary. He has run sub-3 hour marathons, he’s run ultra distance races including 100 mile trail runs in the Alps! In fact, Leo regularly runs a marathon on the weekend just for fun. The amazing thing though is that Leo is in his 40s and only started running 6 years ago! And in those 6 years, Leo has logged over 17,000 (at least according to Strava)!
Leo shares some great stories about his athletic adventures and he also shares some helpful tidbits that any of us can apply to any of our wellness goals.
My conversation with Hilary Topper: Hilary Topper is the owner and CEO of HJMT Public Relations, an award winning PR and social media marketing firm. She is an adjunct professor of media studies and public relations at Hofstra University. She is an author. Her newest book, "Branding in a Digital World: How to Take an Integrated Marketing Approach to Building a Business", is available on Amazon and wherever you buy or download your favorite books.
Hilary is also a triathlete. Hilary has a blog called “A Triathlete’s Diary” and she sponsors her own triathlon team called WeR Triathletes - she’s even a certified triathlon coach!!
She’s a podcaster, hosting “Hilary Topper On Air”. She has a lifestyle blog entitled “New York Lifestyle Blog”.
I can go on and on, but here’s the bottom line - Hilary is awesome. She is approaching the trying times in which we live in a manner I relate to. She is high energy, she’s positive, she’s continuously looking to improve herself and she is eagerly helping others improve themselves as well!!
My conversation with Bianca Velez: Bianca is a pilates instructor who is spiritual and is truly at one with nature. She not only teaches pilates, but she hosts nature retreats in Western New York where guests practice pilates, yoga, meditation, hiking and holistic fulfillment. She studied classic pilates as originated by Mr. Joseph Pilates. She is also an avid outdoorsperson who does hiking, fishing, skiing and foraging for local herbs and medicinal plants.
Bianca has given pilates instruction to both me and my wife, Magnificent Meredith. What I have always enjoyed most about Bianca is just speaking with her about overall wellness. I find Bianca to be fascinating in how she ties pilates, meditation and outdoor living into a recipe for holistic wellness.
Learn more about Bianca on this podcast and on her website - FindTheMidline.com
My conversation with Tom Hines: Tom Hines is an athlete. Not a professional athlete, but what I’d call a “lifetime athlete”. He was an athlete in high school and he’s an athlete at the age of 60. I assume Tom will be an athlete for as long as he walks the Earth!
This conversation is rooted in athletics, but surfaces life lessons. Lessons about seeking challenges, accepting results, and following your heart. Choosing your wellness activities and changing those wellness activities as your motivations change is completely good… as long as you are moving forward and becoming a better version of yourself.
My conversation with Tildet Varon: Some of us are looking at this unique moment in our lives, living through the great pandemic of 2020, as an opportunity to reinvent, restore, refresh, restart ourselves. It's like having New Years resolutions with extra time to really get those resolutions off on the right track. Here's the challenge - finding the right resolutions. Finding resolutions that connect with our inner beings, our inner values, our souls. Finding THOSE resolutions is a challenge - but when you find those resolutions and the true "WHY" behind those resolutions, you are well on your way towards achieving meaningful, positive changes.
In this episode, Tildet Varon, an Inner Mastery Specialist, shares her insights as to what we can all do, especially during these unique times, to find our true "WHY". Tildet is incredibly caring, insightful, patient and positive. Her company is called "Growing with Truth" and the name speaks for itself. As we understand what truly drives us, we can truly grown.
My conversation with Paul Dauber: Paul Dauber is a work colleague, a mentor, a teammate and a good friend. He's a very accomplished endurance athlete - having finished dozens of half marathons, marathons and triathlons of various distances. Because of Paul's enormous resume of races and because of his background in marketing in sales, he has a bunch of great stories... and he's a great storyteller!
This conversation uses endurance races as the backdrop to some very good life-lessons any of us can apply to setting and achieving our goals. And, perhaps the most important lesson is the lesson of being true to yourself.
As you'll hear, sometimes setting a goal, starting your activity and moving towards your goal - even if not explicitly meeting your goal - should be considered a HUGE SUCCESS. In many ways, this is what we mean when we use the phase "meeting mediocrity". It's not about striving for mediocrity. It's about accepting that mediocrity is sometimes part of the process on the path towards something even greater!
My conversation with my good friend Kelley:Kelley is my go-to person for so many things - restaurant recommendations, book recommendations, movie recommendations, contractor recommendations, and so much more! Kelley is a self described "good researcher" and "life concierge". She often fills that life concierge role for me.
Kelley and I discuss her reasons for choosing a compassionate, plant based diet. Kelley is very passionate about her choices and very articulate about how she approaches her diet. HOWEVER, Kelley is also pragmatic about how she approaches her choices and she is very accepting of other people's choices.
After discussing diet, Kelley and I ventured into some book recommendations for our consideration.
My conversation with Kelley was recorded about two weeks prior to the COVID-19 pandemic surfacing, but the conversation is still fun, relevent and timely.
As we are now getting quite used to living in COVID-19 world - we are also getting exposed to more stress - especially as we see people we know and people we love get sick. In this episode, Mediocre Mitch contemplates what we can do to be the best versions of ourselves in the midst of uncertain times. It's a relatively short episode with some food for thought for all of us.
My conversation with Renee Weiss Weingarten: Renee is the founder and administrator of Renee's Reading Club Facebook group. What started as a small group of Renee's friends looking for a good book recommendation has now become a respectful, friendly, nurturing, caring, informative community with over 11,000 members! During my conversation with Renee, we discuss how Renee's Reading Club got started, how it has evolved and her hopes for the group in the future. We also discuss important ways that reading books positively influences our lives, especially during stressful times. And, of course, Renee gives us a few good book recommendations - recommendations that are particularly fitting for our current world events.
My conversation with Jeffrey Kaufman: When I'm facing challenging times, I enjoy interacting with positive, pragmatic and sensible people. Those are the people that keep me grounded, give me good ideas and help me manage my stress. JEFFREY KAUFMAN is very high on my list of great people to speak with when I'm in need of good advice.
Jeff and I were work colleagues first. We worked very closely together for many years until he retired from our Firm and moved into various consulting roles. Quickly after becoming work colleagues Jeff and I became good friends - and that friendship continues to this day.
In this conversation, Jeff gives us three approaches he is taking (and we can all take) to deal with today's challenges. Importantly, these messages don't just apply to the challenges we all face in today's world, they are timeless. Jeff is a great storyteller, so this conversation is not just a "to do list" - it's a fun conversation with good stories we can all relate to!!
My conversation with Tommy Herbert: Mediocre Mitch's lifelong friend Tommy was a star swimmer in high school. He added running into his repertoire and eventually triathlons. But Tommy doesn't just look at his time and finishing place. He's competitive for sure, but he also values putting forth his best effort regardless of the result, and he also values overall experiences. When asked why he has only competed in one full Ironman length triathlon despite clearly being capable of doing more, he responded that the experience he had was so amazing it would be virtually impossible to top it!
Tommy's fitness does not only revolve around racing - he's an all around outdoors person. He appreciates challenging hikes, paddling kayaks and being at the beach. He is also an experienced physical therapist with a wide range of experiences with injuries, illnesses and setbacks that impact people's physical well being.
Tommy's well rounded experiences provide him with valuable and pragmatic insights and perspectives. This is both an informative and FUN conversation.
My conversation with Dan Flanzig:Dan is a minor (very minor) celebrity among bicycle riders in the New York Metropolitan area because of his personal injury law practice that specializes in representing injured cyclists - making Dan the "New York Bike Lawyer"! Don't worry though, this podcast is NOT about bicycle law!
This podcast is about a lifelong wellness journey. For Dan it started at a moment in college after finishing a platter of 13 hamburgers. At that moment he said "I'm tired of being a fatty"! We all have moments like that, but our wellness paths are never a straight line. Life always seems to get in the way. Dan's key to success is one that Mediocre Mitch has also subscribed to - JUST KEEP GOING! Keep trying new things and never give up on yourself.
Given today's COVID-19 global crisis, this conversation is a nice diversion and a nice reminder of what a successful (and human) wellness journey looks like. All aboard!!
Mediocre Mitch takes us on a walk with his dogs Molly and Maggie... while walking his dogs, Mitch reflects on the anxiety caused by the current Corona virus crisis and how good wellness habits (and a strong, encouraging community) can help us get through it - and hopefully get through it in a stronger place than we are today.
As we all know, this is a quickly evolving situation, but at this very present moment in time Mediocre Mitch (and hopefully most of you) are tapping into his toolbox of good habits to stay healthy - both physically and emotionally.
My conversation with Jennifer Prensky: Being able to transform yourself and then help others transform themselves is truly inspirational. Over the past two years, Jennifer lost weight, gained fitness, gained confidence and became way more comfortable in her own skin. THEN, Jennifer became a certified Optavia health coach where she uses her own journey and her training to inspire and help others. I've seen Jennifer at work. She is nurturing, knowledgeable and empathetic. Her clients benefit from that to become better versions of themselves. To top things off, Jennifer is a single mom. Her transformation has helped her become a more active and engaged mother. Both she and her son are benefiting from the transformation!!
My conversation with my good friend Scott: Scott hates when I say this, but he's a "regular guy". By that, I mean he's a person that many of us can relate to - tough job, business travel, family obligations - a lot going on. It would be easy for Scott to put his wellness on the back burner - and there were many years when he did. Then the transformation began - slow and steady, layering one good habit on top of the other and having patience with himself. Over time, Scott collected a set of healthy habits he enjoyed. And, because he enjoyed them, he could maintain them. Today, Scott is many years into his transformation and his maintenance. In our conversation he shares a lot of useful tips that work for him - tips we can all consider making part of our wellness mindset.
My conversation with niece Alix: When Mitch met his wife ("Magnificent Meredith") 9 years ago, he was introduced to an entire family of great and fun people... including his niece Alix!
Alix is someone with a great, positive outlook on life and on wellness. She will try pretty much any group exercise class - at least once! And, actually, she'll try almost any activity at least once. Alix's "FOMO" (fear of missing out) has actually become one of her greatest attributes. Her willingness to DO and to TRY has contributed to her overall wellbeing and well roundedness.
Today's conversation with Alix is a fun and inspiring look at fitness, diet, mental wellbeing and life overall.
My conversation with Dr. Jennifer Byrnes: Mitch's FIRST PODCAST GUEST CONVERSATION - and it's a bonus episode!
Wellness is not just about diet and fitness, it's about having an agile, sharp and somewhat peaceful mind. One part of creating that healthy mind can be using mindful meditation to help regulate stress.
Dr. Bynes is personal friends with Mediocre Mitch. They met by sharing a love of cycling and their rides often become places where they discuss healthy minds, using mindfulness, and bringing mindfulness to their everyday lives - including the use of mindfulness to be better cyclists! Listen to Mitch and Jen discuss mindfulness and how to make mindful meditation practice part of YOUR everyday life.
Setting your health and wellness goals can be more challenging than it seems. Make them too easy and you aren't accomplishing much. Make them too hard and you risk failure and retreat. In this episode Mediocre Mitch shares his wellness goals, accomplishments and failures over the past few years and explores how those experiences shape his outlook for 2020.
We also explore similarities between Mitch's experiences and common experiences many of us have dealt with - seeking to make 2020 a successful wellness year for all of us!
We also introduce Mitch's good friend and wellness mentor Constance, Founder and Owner of @Meta180. We hope to have Constance join us as a guest on future episodes!
Meet Mediocrity = Ordinary people helping ordinary people be their extraordinary selves!!
We are often reminded that life is short. The recent, untimely death of Kobe Bryant and others on that ill-fated helicopter flight just a few weeks ago is an example. In this episode, Mediocre Mitch takes a look at the lives of three people who were very close to him and who passed away over the past few months. Their examples, even in the face of old age and sickness provide lessons we all can learn from. We're not always at our best, but we can be our best selves in those "mediocre moments".
In this, our premier episode of Meet Mediocrity, we'll explore how I came up with the name "Meet Mediocrity". In this episode I will introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my personal wellness journey. I'll try to tie my challenges into what I believe is our common challenge - embracing our own wellness journeys, accepting who we are and creating better versions of ourselves. Meeting Mediocrity is about putting one foot in front of the other and KEEP TRYING!
Introducing Meet Mediocrity! A community of wellness and encouragement.
Get started by listening to this trailer to....
- Learn how we came up with the name Meet Mediocrity and what it means
- Learn about what you can expect from our podcast and the community we are creating
- Meet your host, Mediocre Mitch, and hear a little bit about his wellness journey