The Envisioner's Journey: Recent Episodes
Sherylle Bates
A discussion-based show that seeks to explore the vast and diverse ways in which we envision our future through the lenses of individual experiences, professional perspectives, and other topics. Whether you're overwhelmed with the prospect of taking a leap into the unknown or simply struggling to discover your "vision," our host, Sherylle, and her esteemed lineup of experienced guests will help you see what you've been missing this entire time. Remember, if you can imagine it, it's possible — and if it's been nagging at you, it's important. Manifesting your vision in reality just requires patience, effort, and understanding that everything happens at an appointed time. As you join us on our journey to explore envisioning and shaping the future, you will learn that your mindset dictates your reality. So instead of waiting for life to live itself, make transformation a daily experience. Once your mindset aligns with your vision, you'll be unstoppable!
The Living The Dream Summit is a Special series we produced late in 2022. The event was designed to provide our audience with insight into how a few noteworthy guests have achieved their dream lives. The first guest we've decided to showcase is Tony Kitchens, an Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Author, & Speaker.
His advice covers his path to becoming a respected entrepreneur and thought leader in business strategy.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- Why you should find a mentor.
- How to find a mentor.
- How to truly value your vision and embrace your nagging.
- Why not trusting your instincts often results in mistakes.
In this episode, we are joined by Cindy Villanueva, a memoirist and inspirational writer with a passion for helping women achieve lives of strength and joy. Cindy's background as a seventh-degree black belt master instructor and the founder and principal of Knockout
Marketing Strategies has given her specialized insight into what it means to walk through your life with a mindful disposition!
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- How to change the way you think about things intentionally, regardless of the circumstances.
- The benefits of responding rather than reacting.
- How martial arts can be a beneficial practice for developing mindfulness.
- Why "fighting mad" nearly always leads to missed opportunities.
More About Cindy VillanuevaCindy Villanueva is a memoirist and inspirational writer with a passion for helping women achieve lives of strength and joy. Cindy is a seventh-degree black belt master instructor and the owner of Ernie Reyes World Martial Arts in Austin, Texas, and is the founder and principal of Knockout
Marketing Strategies, a boutique agency specializing in personal and corporate brand strategy, organizational culture, speaker coaching, and leadership.
She is a senior adjunct professor at Concordia University Texas, where she received her MBA. For her “day job,” she is head of communications and brand at Redacted, a cybersecurity firm.
Cindy has four adult children and two grandchildren. She is the author of Don’t Fight Mad: A Black Belt’s Quest to Recapture Joy. Lately, she has shifted her writing to contemporary romance and is now at work on her second novel.
By now, you’ve likely learned that the most impactful experiences we face in our personal and professional lives are not always in line with our expectations. Often, we’re confronted with unique challenges that stand to take us entirely off of our expected paths. Our guest, Donald James, offers a unique perspective on this phenomenon.
As a 35-year career veteran of NASA, it’s surprising to learn that Donlad had no intention of becoming a member of this prestigious organization. Yet, upon being accepted into an internship program with NASA, he gracefully embraced the unexpected but overwhelmingly rewarding challenge of pursuing a lifelong career with the world’s leading space flight program.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- How to change your approach based on what challenges you encounter.
- The value that “manners” can offer in personal and professional interactions.
- The benefits of committing to an unknown path, even if it involves challenging yourself.
- How to expand your experience beyond what you are currently aware of.
- What it means to live a life with infinite possibilities.
Lisa David Olson is a speaker, author, and business humorist who joined us on The Envisioner’s Journey to discuss how humor saved her life. She also teaches us about the concept of “yes, and” then explains how daring oneself daily can be incredibly beneficial as we progress through our lives. If you’ve been hesitant to try new things, this conversation will help you understand how to start making choices instead of making excuses.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- How to use humor to navigate life more effectively.
- What it means to “dare yourself daily.”
- How to include humor in your legacy.
- How to use the tools of comedy to reconnect with people in your life.
- The best way to silence the negative inner voice that distracts you from making progress.
Quotes to Remember
Lisa: “What are you doing that’s different today? What are your thoughts? Are they forward? Are they negative? If they’re negative, are they about others? Because it’s really about yourself when you do that. To me, it’s about [considering] the what if in life.” [13:05 - 13:25]
Lisa: “Choose who you’re with. Choose who you’re surrounding yourself with… I don’t want to attract sympathy and pity. I want to attract support, joy, and laughter.” [24:45 - 25:10]
More About Lisa David Olson
Lisa David Olson is a humorist speaker, author, podcaster and performer who shares how humor saved her life. Her interactive style and ‘improv for real life' message demonstrate how humor is healthy and is a cohesive human connector. Ask about her project in bravery!
There are a couple of presentations often requested:
:: The Magnitude of Asking One Question
Awaken a wonder in celebrating curiosity, learning usable improv tips for real life, and connecting with anyone (anyone!) with One Question.
:: Can Humor Save Your Life?
A message of surviving childhood trauma, choices instead of excuses, and connecting through humor. Olson’s two decades of improvisation and performing are pivotal to coaching workplace teams or in a play shop for adults.
Get your creativity in motion! What if? Why not?
Rediscover exploration, laughter, and daring ourselves daily!
'Laughs On Wry' is a memoir of short stories capped off with thoughts to ponder.
The creativity journal is "What Ifs and Why Nots". Podcast: Stranger Connections: celebrating weird life stories and quirky careers (and pranks). Olson's comedy album of actual telemarketer calls is Phun on the Phone (iTunes).
Her two TEDx talks were released in 2021.
This episode shares the story of Stephanie Blake, a business strategist & coach who helps service providers & coaches create businesses that allow them to live life on their own terms. We often have control over various aspects of our lives, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we are living life on our terms. Stephanie’s experiences show us how taking hold of what’s nagging at us can position us to create a life defined by our needs, rather than the circumstances that surround us.
- What it means to live life on your terms.
- How drive and motivation differs based on one’s background and past experiences.
- How doing “inner work” can enhance your capacity to strive toward your goals.
- The benefits of acknowledging the vast possibilities available to us.
- How discomfort can be leveraged to push you toward a new version of yourself.
Quotes to Remember
Stephanie: “I know that it all comes back to dealing with the things that were holding me back. And recognizing that I could be a better version of myself, not only for my family but for my business, my clients, [and] my audience. [19:25-19:40]”
Stephanie: “If I didn’t lean into what I love to do, which is help other people more than anything… I wouldn’t have been able to help 100s of people over the past couple of years [to] better their own lives.” [22:30 - 22:50]
Guest Bio
Stephanie Blake is a business strategist & coach who helps service providers & coaches create businesses that allow them to work <20 hours/week & live life on THEIR terms.
She helps them simplify, streamline and scale their businesses to reach 6+ figures while keeping them in the CEO seat and working less than 20 hours/week.
Over the past 6 years, she's helped hundreds of women start and scale their own businesses to reach their unique freedom goals.
Today we have a detailed conversation with Dr. Leslie Bosch, a developmental psychologist with more than 15 years of experience guiding individuals through personal transformation. Much of the discussion focuses on the formation and evolution of personal identities and the ways your “identity” defines your overall experience.
What You Will Learn In This Episode
- What it means to “self actualize.”
- How to embrace your identity.
- How to transform your identity.
- The impact societal pressures have on individual identities.
- What it takes to overcome doubt when you don’t believe in yourself.
- The relationship between competence and confidence.
Quotes to Remember
Dr. Bosch: "We want to be able to individuate… So what this really means is that I have to come to know myself better. I have come to understand what I’m capable of. We have our limits and our talents… Even if we have certain limitations and we aren’t super talented at something, that doesn’t mean that we can’t work hard and cultivate that skill… We can begin that process if we’re excited enough about it." [12:30 - 13:10]
Dr. Bosch: “We have to understand both. We have to understand how the world works, and we have to understand how we work. Then we have to try to strike that compromise between what I want to give and what we need. Then we find that perfect exchange between the two identities working, the buyer and seller if you will.” [19:00 - 19:30]
Guest Bio:
Dr. Leslie helps high-achieving men and women thrive despite challenges. Her customized program helps clients focus on skills such as self-care, stress management, mental agility, letting go of things that no longer serve them, fueling their efforts with positive emotions, and self-kindness. As a developmental psychologist with more than 15 years of experience in transformation, Dr. Leslie has helped hundreds of people achieve new levels of vibrancy, happiness, and success.
Resources:
https://boschintegrativewellness.com
https://boschintegrativewellness.com/spirituality/identity-crisis
https://www.facebook.com/BoschIntegrativeWellness
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-bosch-phd
Today’s conversation with Brian Cendejas, a sports journalist and hospitality professional illuminates the possibilities made available by following your nagging at an early age. Often, young people are intimidated by the prospect of pursuing their dream job, but Brian’s story of starting his sports journalism career at the early age of 16 offers great motivation to those of us who may feel we just can’t get started!
What You Will Learn In This Episode
- How Brian Cendejas got started with sports journalism at an early age.
- The benefits of following your nagging early rather than waiting.
- The history of The Bee, where Brian currently works.
- The value of building relationships with mentors who have expertise in your field.
Quotes to Remember
The way I look at it, it’s interchangeable. There is no official plan A or plan B or plan C, we have a backup for everything, and I can interchange it if anything doesn't work out. [17:00 - 17:20]
Mentorship is everything! [5:30 - 5:35]
Brian Cendejas:
Born and raised in Danville, VA. Sports Photographer and Sports Writer.
Danville Otterbots Team Photographer.
Freelance Sportswriter and sports photojournalist for the Danville Register & Bee, Martinsville Bulletin, and occasional help with Gazette-Virginian.
Team photographer for the Danville Otterbots and Front Desk Agent at the Bee Hotel.
In the second part of our conversation with Elliott Lyons, we explore the groundbreaking tools he has featured in The EnVision App. Daily exercises are available in the app, ranging from awareness-boosting activities to goal-setting training. If you are looking to learn more about what daily visualization practice looks like, Elliott’s expertise will prove invaluable to you.
What You Will Learn In This Episode
- What the EnVision App is meant to achieve.
- How our definitions of “imagination” often vary.
- How to leverage your imagination effectively.
- The value of consistency in envisioning your ideal future.
- How to find the things you seek in life.
Quotes to Remember
I want to be really clear… imagination is not what we think about as kids… when we talk about using your imagination, it’s not just making stuff up… it’s using specific mental techiques which are part of imagination to effect the mind and help us with mindsets… but also to see what’s possible. [11:25 - 11:55]
We have a concept that is 1% better… it essentially means if we are improving by 1% each day, that allows us to get exponential results! [18:25 - 18:40]
Elliott Lyons:
IG: @theenvisionapp
Website: https://envision.app/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-lyons-a407802a/
In this inaugural episode of The Envisioner’s Journey, our host, Sherylle Bates, is speaking with Elliot Lyons, founder of the “Envision” mobile app. This first part of their two-part discussion covers Elliot’s entry into the world of envisioning and visualization. Through his initial exploration of these concepts and practices, he built a foundation of skills that he now shares with others through Envision.
Through this conversation, we get a strong baseline for what it means to envision and what envisioning can do to help shape someone’s overall experience.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- The practical importance of visualization.
- How you can get people to see what is possible.
- How to open yourself up to new possibilities.
- Which visualization techniques are best for someone new to the practice.
- The best method for achieving high-level goals that you have visualized.
Quotes to Remember
“Everything that has ever been conceived and created by humans started in the imagination” [18:35-18:45]
What amazes me is how many people can’t see past their current situation…They couldn’t imagine anything was possible…they stayed in what I call survival mode… what I love about your app is that it helps with that. [17:50 - 18:05]
ResourcesElliot Lyons:
IG: @theenvisionapp
Website: https://envision.app/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-lyons-a407802a/
We don’t know how each story of our lives will turn out. Fortunately, we have the power to shape our stories by making choices. Though, we often get in the way of our own thinking and create roadblocks that slow us down.
Today’s guest, Michelle Clark, a facilitator, and improv coach, believes that improv is a great tool that can be used to get out of our own way. In her discussion with the host, Sherylle Bates, she describes her process of using improv techniques to help her clients think through decisions that lead to lasting life transformation.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- How to get out of your own way.
- How to step into different characters to gain new perspectives.
- The power of asking “what if?”
- How to accept reality but still continue looking for possibilities
- How to hold space that others can “fill in.”
- Some improv games that can be played to help you change your perspective.
Quotes to Remember
“Drop your agenda… if we can see it in our mind's eye, we can have it… very often, we try and control that agenda toward getting it… that’s what gets in the way… we are not in control… when we attempt to be in control, and we fail, we start giving ourselves a hard time… it’s because we are stuck to an agenda we have in our own heads.”
[13:50 - 14:15]
"A new identity means I have to shed some part of my current identity, probably that I’m very attached to by now. But those parts of me may not benefit me going forward, so there is a shedding that is required." [24:00 - 24:20]