Boldly Spoken

This is a quick episode to thank everyone for listening in on Season Two.  I loved hearing everyone’s stories and am excited for the promise of 2021. I just wanted to let everyone know we’ll be taking a hiatus from November 2 until February of next year.  I’ve loved every minute of this show and hope to continue it in one form or the other but I’m taking a few months off to focus on my family and friends and to re-configure my personal activism at a more grassroots level.  I’m recording this prior to the US election and no matter what happens I promise to keep fighting the good fight, sharing women’s stories that need to be told, and celebrating the bold, brave and badass women all around me.  I’m dedicating this season to my friend Lydia, who in the last few months has been braver and stronger than I could ever imagine. And since we both love  another bold brave and badass woman, Madonna, here’s a favorite video of ours : Take A Bow from the album, Bedtime Stories. Madonna - Take A Bow (Official Music Video) Until next time, GO BOLDLY!

Our last special episode on philanthropy is in honor of Veterans Day. Over 2 million  American Veterans suffer from PTSD and we lose over 20 A DAY from suicide.  That number is staggering and so I’m willing to do whatever I can to help those who have given so much for our freedoms.   And that’s why I wanted to interview today’s guest Deb Jeanette. Deb is the President of the Board of Directors of Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) and mom of a marine helicopter pilot.  Deb took a leap of faith and left the comfort of corporate life to teach yoga for veterans full time, and so we talk about her path to helping our underserved veterans in the mental health space, providing them tools for mindful resilience, overcoming PTSD and integrating back into civilian life. We also talk about how important it is to have peer to peer support in the veteran community, how VYP works with the VA and individual donors, and how they have helped thousands of veterans to undo the underlying nervous system dysfunctions that underlie most stress-related conditions. We also get into the unique needs of creating a safe space to serve the unique brotherhood of the military community and where she is seeing a tremendous positive with veterans teaching veterans and showing how trauma-informed yoga has changed their lives.  We also talk about the five self-regulation tools that VYP teaches that can be utilized by anyone who has experienced trauma in their lives, and their specific VYP methodology for training trauma informed yoga teachers and healthcare workers. Lastly, Deb shares some powerful experiences of veterans who have participated in the program. Please check out the links below for more information and ways you can help. Additional Resources: The 7th Annual Veterans Yoga Project Gratitude Week November 6-16th How to Get Involved: VYP Gratitude Week — Veterans Yoga Project Special Free Workshops Nov 15-16th in support of Gratitude Week: VGW 2020 Wellness Series — Veterans Yoga Project Streaming Online Live Class Schedule:  Live streaming online yoga classes for veterans Free VYP Practice Library Practice Library How to Contact Deb : deb@veteransyogaproject.org Guest Bio: Deb is honored to serve as President of the Board of Directors of Veterans Yoga Project & the Regional Director for New York. Her focus is to develop partnerships and cultivate community outreach as an integral part of her work to support veterans, their families and our communities.   Charity Highlight: Veterans Yoga Project Veterans Yoga Project Veterans Yoga Project is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of military veterans. Working in partnership with veterans, active-duty military personnel, student veterans’ organizations, and other non-profit organizations, VYP-trained instructors teach over 100 free yoga classes each week for veterans and their families. By providing support to all veterans, whether they are currently struggling with severe symptoms, or they are focused on increasing resilience and giving back to others, Veterans Yoga Project is doing its part to serve those who have served.  

Sindee Lee, SL for short, is a self-described farm girl from Canada turned serial entrepreneur. We talked about how she got her entrepreneurial spirit from her grandfather growing up on the farm, and how she discovered her passion for business building at a very early age with her first lemonade stand.  Then we talked about how you discern the difference between failing and pivoting as feedback versus failure, as well as defining who you are by experiencing people who you are not, including her experiences bumping against the status quo in the oil and gas industry. After that we get into her big pivot and how she used her “can-do” spirit and experiences as a pet foster mom, as well as her passion for animals, to inspire her to create Profits For Pets, a platform that allows animal charities to focus on helping animals versus fundraising.  And lastly, she shared her five rules for living her life out loud. As SL puts it, “it never occurred to me that I couldn’t do it” and I hope this episode inspires you to feel the same way. Guest Bio:SL (Sindee Lee) Gillespie got her first taste of entrepreneurial success when she set up a lemonade stand right next to the Tourist Information booth on the major highway that ran through the rural community where she lived. By the second day she was offering homemade lemonade, a bowl of sugar for those with a super sweet tooth to make their drink the same and baked goods.  From a very young age she recognized – literally – that even the lemons in life can turn into something good! She has had success as a restaurateur, selling transmission line hardware to Provincial Power Utilities in Canada and introducing a new technology to the oil and gas industry in the US.  She is now living 'happily ever after' with the love of her life business, Profits for Pets, that she recently launched which allows her to channel all her years of business building, mentoring and passion for helping animals into one place.   Additional Resources:Profits for Pets – Putting the Fun in Fundraising! Insta: Profitsforpets Charity Highlight:The Humane Society of The United States | The Humane Society of the United States We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals.Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing and other cruel industries. We rescue and care for thousands of animals every year through our Animal Rescue Team’s work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society.  Our rescue and direct care work responds to today’s cruelties; our education, legislative and policy work prevents tomorrow’s.

We are starting off our Philanthropy month with Lucy Wallace, The Founder of Dance to Be Free.  As a life-long dancer and student of psychology, Lucy got the idea to start teaching dance to the women’s prison population in Denver in  the Spring of 2015 and was teaching inside by July 2015.  We talked about the genesis of her idea and how, when she began, we was the only non-faith based volunteer group in the women’s prison system and how her experiences led her to expand her program after only 6 months to not only teach, but to teach inmates to become teachers themselves under the guise of offender-led programming.  We talked about remembering the humanity in the women behind bars and her mission to help women heal from trauma through body-based healing.  We also got into some personal and poignant examples of some of the women she has helped heal from both personal and ancestral trauma, finding their worthiness and innate leadership skills and empowering them to pay it forward in the prison community and beyond. As Lucy puts so well, “ It’s about catharsis and regaining control, not calories.” We also talk about the challenges of starting and running a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, the collective encouragement she has received both inside and outside the prison system, and how her self care is “coming back to the magic” of working with the women inside. Lastly we touch upon how she is attempting to expand her focus into jails such as the infamous Rikers Island facility in New York City.   Additional Resources:“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.”- RUMI Sia - Never Give Up (from the Lion Soundtrack) [Lyric Video] Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.: 9781556432330 Dance To Be Free was on CNN! Lord of The Dance by The Dubliners https://youtu.be/OjPGSFDy8wo Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix https://g.co/kgs/jCTtdB “6 in 10 women are in federal prison for nonviolent drug crimes. For every woman who has committed murder, there are 99 drug offenders.” – Amos Irwin Chief of Staff at the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation   Guest Bio:Since Lucy was 8 years old, she has been dancing. In 2010 she bought a Boulder based dance studio after receiving her master’s degree in Psychology. Her psychology background led to the birth of Dance To Be Free due to the therapeutic and cathartic quality of her teaching style. As one student shared: “Wallace is a gifted and compassionate teacher whose style is vocal and impassioned, raunchy and raw, while simultaneously elegant and fluid. To be in one of her classes (I have attended classes at the studio) is to be both vulnerable and strong, to have fun and push oneself physically, to feel what one feels, and to move about it. Imagine how powerful that could be for incarcerated women.” Jane Perle Lucy has been invited to speak at several speaking engagements including Emerging Women and the first ever live streamed Tedx Talk at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. Her work is spreading and catching on throughout the prison industrial complex. Charity Highlight:  Dance to Be Free Dance To Be Free: Home Our mission is to radically improve the lives of incarcerated women through the healing power of dance. We use “Cathartic Choreography” to train our students to teach each other – allowing them to sustain the program themselves. We have seen this technique help our students deal with physical and mental illness, including PTSD and complex trauma.  Our “Offender led ” programming gives our students confidence. That sense of accomplishment flourishes as our students learn to not only express themselves through dance, but to free others to do the same. Throughout this transformative experience, we teach the nuts and bolts of choreography, timing and flow, and just as importantly we facilitate journaling and sharing exercises that nurture introspection and self-awareness that inmates often need.

Hi everyone! I wanted to share this special anniversary episode where I talk about what the podcast has meant for my life this year, some lessons learned and more.  I also wanted to share some of my thoughts on mental health, especially in 2020, removing the stigma of asking for help and a call to action for everyone to check on their “ strong friends” as the first week in October is mental health awareness week.   And as always, we remember to shout out our charity highlight of the week,  The Save the Children Coronavirus  Response Fund.   Additional Resources:Get Involved  Mental Health Awareness Week Mental Illness Awareness Week Finding Help Charity Highlight:  Coronavirus Response Fund - Save the Children From the beginning, Save the Children has been on the ground protecting children and families from COVID-19. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of children in the U.S. and around the world are protected. More than 1 billion children are now out of school. Child poverty is rising. Refugees living in over-crowded camps and those living in conflict will be hit the hardest. We desperately need your help to address the immediate and long-term threats of COVID-19. We must act now to protect a generation. I hope you are as excited for Season 2 as I am and am looking forward to connecting with each and every one of you, so follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mountolympusgrp/, and send me your ideas and feedback and if you like the podcast, please share it with your friends and subscribe. And stay tuned for our #20BoldWomen campaign coming out in January!

*Note, this was recorded in February prior to COVID-19 becoming a  pandemic* Marina is a badass breast cancer survivor, turned health coach, turned technology disruptor and wellness squad developer, wife, mom and founder of the platform YourCoach.Health.  We start off with the discussion of how her intuition led her to discovering she had breast cancer at 37 and how after treatment her physical body was healed but she was broken mentally and emotionally.  Then we talk about her path  to “ hack her body” and figuring out what she truly needed to get back to the person she was before,  and regaining a sense of  control of something when everything else was spinning out of control.   We also talk about re-learning to listen to our intuition, and how we sometimes, with good intentions, train it out of children who grow into adults that use what I call, “The 4 Fs” to mask, self-medicate  and numb what is really going on inside. Lastly we talk about how all of this brought her to her journey to not only become a health and wellness coach,  but also to create a practice management solution for coaches where they can better serve their clients holistically, and connect with other coaches of complementing niche specialties when the need arises.   In her own words,  Marina is “starting her own f*cking revolution”, working on growing the platform globally,  and making it accessible to all socio-economic groups around the world.   Guest Bio:Marina is the Chief Executive Officer at YourCoach Health. Marina started her career as a developer at Lockheed Martin, followed by several entrepreneurial ventures. After moving to Amsterdam, being diagnosed with cancer and battling the disease, her passion turned to helping other women feel in control and beautiful through the process by starting the Future of Health Foundation. Carrying that forward she has been hacking her body and became a health coach realizing that holistic approach to lasting lifestyle changes and human behavior modification are key to feeling healthy & happy.   Additional Resources:Your Coach.Health Health coach practice management solution Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/fightinginstyle/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OiTlh4o13M Charity Highlight: The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network  Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – Research, Patient Support, Resources Founded in 1999, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is dedicated to fighting the world’s toughest cancer. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy.

This is a lovely and soothing conversation with Ali, as one can expect from a natural-born healer. But, as you’ll learn, her life has been a series of rebirths, growth and changes as she transitioned from corporate work as an architect to coming into her true calling. As she puts it, she traveled through the underworld to figure out her values, purpose and true self to reclaim the person she was meant to be. Now she guides women to do the same;  specifically around the transitions of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. We get into how the illness of the loved one was a catalyst to her calling, and why now, so many women have the space, safety and freedom to come into their big, bold, and brave selves because we’ve stopped asking for permission. And lastly, we get into how she teaches people to tap into their inner physician and facilitate trauma-informed healing. Guest Bio:Alison Yanni, LMT is a Healer, Speaker, and Writer dedicated to illuminating full expression so that others honor their Divinity. Her private practice, Wisdom of the Body, combines Craniosacral Therapy, Spiritual Coaching, Education, and Medical Intuitive practices to create breakthroughs in health and healing with a focus on major life transitions, fertility, obstetrics, postpartum, and pediatrics. She is currently writing a book on Womb Wisdom which is a collection of knowledge gathered from over a decade in women’s health and channeling from the Divine about lineage release and the deeper wisdom and connection that lies in the womb space. - Website: www.WisdomoftheBody.org - Social Media: IG @wisdom_of_the_body   Charity Highlight: Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyThe LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.LLS is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. Compared to other blood cancer nonprofits, LLS is the largest funder of cutting-edge research to advance cures. We have invested nearly $1.3 billion in research. We are leaders in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine. This research saves lives. These revolutionary new treatments originally discovered through blood cancer research are now being tested in clinical trials for other cancers.  Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Donate Today!

In this episode I was so excited to connect with Jenn and  hear her story about how she started Old Chicks Know Shit at the age of 50 after coming to a major crossroad in life with when she was hit with a quadruple whammy of a divorce, an empty nest, losing her lucrative job as a corporate executive and a stress related illness that literally knocked her to the ground. We talk about how she re-started her life from scratch, and how it inspired her to start helping women to do the same and remember that life is still amazing at 50 and that finding your soul’s satisfaction happens one step at a time. Her work inspires women to remember that they have so much knowledge and wisdom that the world needs, encourages them to step into their power and reclaim their maven status and show themselves and the generations behind them what is possible.   Additional Resources:Old Chicks Know Sh*t: ABOUT Jennifer Arthurton (@oldchicksknowshit) • Instagram photos and videos Old Chicks Know Sh*t with Jennifer Arthurton   Guest Bio:Jennifer Arthurton is a writer podcaster, coach and leader of a community called Old Chicks Know Sh*t which provides inspiration and support to women navigating the often-confusing chapter of mid-life. Having made her own significant midlife course corrections, Jennifer is a passionate advocate of the inherent power and knowledge that women possess at a time when they often feel overlooked and doubt themselves most. Jennifer regularly appears as a guest on blogs and podcasts targeted to the mid-life segment and as a motivational speaker for women’s conferences and events. Also, with a background as a marketing strategist Jennifer educates brands and helps them tap into the influential and lucrative midlife demographic. Her work can be seen at www.oldchicksknowshit.com as well as Instagram and facebook by the same name. Charity Highlight: Join Kiva's Global COVID-19 Response | Kiva We envision a financially inclusive world where all people hold the power to improve their lives.  More than 1.7 billion people around the world are unbanked and can’t access the financial services they need. Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 in San Francisco, with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.  100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans.

Hi everyone! I wanted to share this special episode where I talk about why philanthropy is such a big part of this podcast and why it’s my mission to bring as much time, talent and treasure to people and places doing good in the world. We talk about the ripple effect of giving, and even the tenets of positive psychology which prove that giving truly is better than receiving.  And as always, we remember to shout out our charity highlight of the week,  The Save the Children Coronavirus  Response Fund.   Coronavirus Response Fund - Save the Children From the beginning, Save the Children has been on the ground protecting children and families from COVID-19. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of children in the U.S. and around the world are protected. More than 1 billion children are now out of school. Child poverty is rising. Refugees living in over-crowded camps and those living in conflict will be hit the hardest. We desperately need your help to address the immediate and long-term threats of COVID-19. We must act now to protect a generation.

Hi everyone! I wanted to share this special episode where I talk about some of my experiences traveling around the US on a solo road trip this Summer.   I go into specifics on some of my how-tos from booking travel flexibly and mandatory supplies to eating clean and staying safe on the road.  And I go into my observations on the people, places and experiences traveling from Florida to Montana to New Jersey and back. This episode is short and sweet and I hope you enjoy my mini-travelog! I hope you are as excited for Season 2 as I am and am looking forward to connecting with each and every one of you, so follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mountolympusgrp/, and send me your ideas and feedback and if you like the podcast, please share it with your friends and subscribe. And stay tuned for our #20BoldWomen campaign coming out in October!

Welcome to Season 2! I’m so excited for this season and the bold, brave and badass women I’ve gotten to meet, interview and learn from. In this episode we talk about some upcoming highlights of this Season and what I’ve been up to this Summer when I decided to take a big leap of faith, sell all my things and move to Europe, only to be banned due to COVID-19!  I get into how dreams deferred aren’t dreams denied, how  I’ve learned to find peace while pivoting, and finally learning a big life lesson for heard-headed “A” types like me, that is OK for life to be easy for a while even while the rest of the world is in chaos.    I hope you are as excited for Season 2 as I am and am looking forward to connecting with each and every one of you, so follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mountolympusgrp/, and send me your ideas and feedback and if you like the podcast, please share it with your friends and subscribe. And stay tuned for our #20BoldWomen campaign coming out in October!   Additional Resources:For more information on Elizabeth DiAlto and “ Less Control More Magic” find her on Instagram Institute For Embodied Living (@elizabethdialto) • Instagram photos and videos    or go to Untame Yourself or check out The Institute for EMBODIED Living . In the month of October she’ll be offering a special series on that subject so go check it out! My amazing realtors Lori & Marcy  in Miami  Gimmeshelter@compass.com  https://www.instagram.com/gimmesheltercompass/   Charity Highlight of the Week: Save The Children Coronavirus Response Fund Coronavirus Response Fund - Save the Children

This series was born out of a Zoom catch up call with 3 of my long time friends. We were catching up and having a conversation on some of the things going on in Summer 2020 with the BLM movement, riots, counter protests and more.  And when we were talking about our perspectives I decided that I should #passthemic and give my friends Staceye and Michelle the opportunity to give their perspectives as women of color not only dealing with what’s going on today, but historically.  Obviously this is a lot to jam into one episode so we’ve broken the conversation up into pieces because it was more important to  give voices to different perspectives than being expedient.  Sad but true, while these episodes address things going on in 2020 it’s unfortunately a timeless problem in America.  So buckle up, and be prepared for some brutally honest viewpoints filled with a lot of laughter  **THIS IS DEFINITELY A NSFW & KIDS EPISODE****  In part two we continue the conversation on the possibilities of redemption, and the difference between forgiving versus excusing, the potential for enlightenment and the different standards white people and POC are held to every day and in the legal, political and professional arenas. We also got into the deviant, nihilistic nature of racism and how it’s ingrained in both white and black children from an early age, how to be a better ally and lastly their views on how we start leveling the playing field going forward. We also got into ignorant sh*t well-meaning people say about Bill Cosby and stereotypes about black people. Stay tuned for the last installment in the series… where we tackle the” defund the police” movement and more. Guest Bios: Michelle CarrArtist, Agriculturalist, Agitator, Michelle Carr is an Education Management professional working in the non-profit industry. Michelle has been active in neighborhood outreach and engagement for over a decade. She is dedicated to family, friends, and the goal of tech-savvy autonomy for all. Staceye JamesStaceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay!  Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health. Charity Highlight: Green Worker Cooperatives   Green Worker Cooperatives Our Mission GREEN WORKER COOPERATIVES IS BASED IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND SERVES IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.  WE BUILD, GROW, AND SUSTAIN WORKER-OWNED GREEN BUSINESSES TO CREATE A STRONG, LOCAL, AND DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY ROOTED IN RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY. Our Vision WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE ENJOY AND ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.  WORKING COOPERATIVELY, WE HAVE EQUITABLE POWER, WEALTH, AND RESOURCES.  WE NURTURE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE EARTH.

This episode was born out of a Zoom catch up call with 3 of my long time friends. We were catching up and having a conversation on some of the things going on in Summer 2020 with the BLM movement, riots, counter protests and more.  And when we were talking about our perspectives I decided that I should #passthemic and give my friends Staceye and Michelle the opportunity to give their perspectives as women of color not only dealing with what’s going on today, but historically.  Obviously this is a lot to jam into one episode so we’ve broken the conversation up into pieces because it was more important to  give voices to different perspectives than being expedient.  Sad but true, while these episodes address things going on in 2020 it’s unfortunately a timeless problem in America.  So buckle up, and be prepared for some brutally honest viewpoints filled with a lot of laughter  **THIS IS DEFINITELY A NSFW & KIDS EPISODE****  In part one we get into the American phenomenon of  defining people as black or white as well as  the treatment of non-Anglo Saxon immigrants to the US contrasted with the treatment of people of color, the collective consciousness of “white guilt” in the US and  its ancestral ties to slavery as well as its legacy of hate . Then we get into the insanity and ignorance of the rising neo-nazi movement in the US and the symbolism of the confederate flag and the role of social media in protests/riots/false facts/inciting violence etc. We also touched upon how the rise of multi-ethnic children in the world is causing elevated consciousness and awareness of historical racism and its lasting problems( which we will dig into deeper on the next episode)  and the fear of raising brown children in these turbulent times.  Lastly we got into freedom of speech versus the freedom of consequences of your speech and the limits on claiming ignorance in 2020.   Guest Bios: Michelle CarrArtist, Agriculturalist, Agitator, Michelle Carr is an Education Management professional working in the non-profit industry. Michelle has been active in neighborhood outreach and engagement for over a decade. She is dedicated to family, friends, and the goal of tech-savvy autonomy for all. Staceye JamesStaceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay!  Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health.   Charity Highlight:Green Worker Cooperatives   Green Worker Cooperatives Our Mission GREEN WORKER COOPERATIVES IS BASED IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND SERVES IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.  WE BUILD, GROW, AND SUSTAIN WORKER-OWNED GREEN BUSINESSES TO CREATE A STRONG, LOCAL, AND DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY ROOTED IN RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY. Our Vision WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE ENJOY AND ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.  WORKING COOPERATIVELY, WE HAVE EQUITABLE POWER, WEALTH, AND RESOURCES.  WE NURTURE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE EARTH.

In this episode we talk with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Staceye James, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and double pneumonia in March of this year. We get into how you need to advocate for yourself like your life depends on it,how having a big mouth can save your life and the lives of others and resources for people navigating the US healthcare system on their own.  We also talk about some funny stuff that kept her focused on living during the long days fighting the virus alone in her apartment, coming to terms with your own mortality and how sometimes you just need to tell the Grim Reaper, “ Not today bitch!” Guest Bio:Staceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay!  Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health. Additional Resources:Long after a Covid-19 infection, mental and neurological effects smolder Kaiser Bridge Program: https://charitablehealth.kaiserpermanente.org/georgia/ Charity Highlight:Shelter for Women & Children My Sister’s House, a 264-bed facility located at 921 Howell Mill Road, offers overnight shelter and residential discipleship programs for homeless women, as well as for women with children.“I’ll never forget our first night at My Sister’s House,” says Heidi, a young single mom. “I finally felt at peace. It was a place for us to be safe at night, where I wouldn’t have to worry about how we will eat or sleep. It felt like family.”That family feel starts with a loving, safe and secure environment where a woman’s and her children’s basic needs are met. My Sister’s House also provides counselors, referrals to job training programs, and help in finding housing, medical, and legal resources. And we have a fully developed childcare facility staffed with teachers and behavioral specialists.

I wanted to start off Season 2 with a bang and I couldn’t call this show Boldly Spoken if I didn’t address a lot of what I’ve been seeing over the last year in regards to the stifling of the First Amendment and our deepening ideological divides here in the US.  I reflect on where I see our country headed, where we are forgetting about history, and share my thoughts on what we should do to move forward.  Even before I was in law school the First Amendment was my favorite, and as the host of a show called Boldly Spoken you probably could have guessed that, and I invite you to listen to this episode with an open heart and mind all the way through.  I may lose or gain some listeners and that’s OK with me. What’s more important is walking the walk and using my voice even when it’s not popular or fun to do so. And I’ll continue to use my voice and this platform until someone makes me stop. But in the meanwhile..  I want to help create subcultures and communities that are encouraging of open debate.  And I will be bringing more people of diverse backgrounds, thoughts and viewpoints to the show. I hope they make us all learn and grow. I don’t ask or expect you to agree with me or them and to be honest, I hope you don't. I hope you challenge me back to learn and grow and hope we grow our audience to be one of those communities where we can exchange ideas. And if not, that’s OK with me. Cancel away. I'll keep talking anyway. That's the great thing of liberty. You gotta use it, or you lose it.  Additional Resources:A woke coup at the New York Times In defence of Bari Weiss - spiked Op-Ed: Those who exercise free speech should also defend it — even when it's offensive Opinion | Do Progressives Have a Free Speech Problem?  A Letter on Justice and Open Debate  The Harper's 'letter' proves we need to have a serious talk about free speech  https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-Red-Scare#ref613189   Organization Highlight: https://www.allsides.com/about   AllSides strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other. Our balanced news coverage, media bias ratings, civil dialogue opportunities, and technology platform are available for everyone and can be integrated by schools, nonprofits, media companies, and more. AllSides frees people from filter bubbles so they can better understand the world — and each other. To do that, AllSides provides: Balanced, unbiased news to combat media bias, fake news, manipulation, and hidden agendas Media bias ratings to help us easily identify different perspectives Issues and perspectives across the political spectrum so we can decide what we think for ourselves Civil dialogue to find common ground School programs to help the next generation learn media literacy, respectful dialogue, and critical thinking    

Hi all! I can’t believe we’ve already come to a close on our first season.  I’ve been so blessed to get to share so many inspiring stories and each one holds a special place in my heart.  I’m really looking forward to re-listening to them while I head off on my adventures this Summer and I hope you are too!  I’m a firm believer in taking time off to rest, recharge and reboot and this Summer is no exception and so  I’m heading off to parts unknown for a Summer filled with solo adventures and meetups with friends around the world, and potentially a new home base. So stay tuned and  get ready for a Season 2 filled with exciting talks with women from around the world as we expand our horizons globally.  We’re also cooking up some format changes and potential guest hosts so it’s a really exciting creative incubation period for the show. I also wanted to give a special shout out to two of my friends and mentors in the podcasting world, Terri Cole and Elizabeth DiAlto, you both inspired me to use my voice to be bigger, bolder and braver than I could have ever imagined, and my lovely editor Caroline Hull at Wild Home Podcasting for keeping me sane, answering all my questions and making it sound like I (halfway) know what I’m doing.  So please check out links to their podcasts below for more information and to send some good vibes their way. And for our friends, family  and listeners, thank you so much for your support and your patience through our growth spurts, wonky audio glitches and tapping into what you want and need to hear. It means more than you’ll ever know. And, as always, remember.. heads up, heels on, ever going boldly. XO Additional Resources:The Terri Cole Show: Podcast Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto: PODCAST Wild Home Podcasting: Wild Home Podcast — Wild Home Podcasting | Podcast Editing and Launch Services Charity spotlight:Save The Children, Coronavirus Response Fund Donate to Global Action Fund From the beginning, Save the Children has been on the ground protecting children and families from COVID-19. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of children in the U.S. and around the world are protected. More than 1 billion children are now out of school. Child poverty is rising. Refugees living in over-crowded camps and those living in conflict will be hit the hardest. We desperately need your help to address the immediate and long-term threats of COVID-19. We must act now to protect a generation.

This was a lovely conversation with Hannah Beadle, one of my favorite people from across the pond! We talked about what it was like growing up a three sport athlete competing at the highest levels in the UK starting from when she was very young,  how sports were her happy place growing up, and most importantly how she dealt with bullying and those that wanted to see her give up.  Hannah never gave up and refused to make the world make her be small and instead built upon that determination,  and now,  she has taken her lifelong love of sport and took the leap to become a business owner this past year.  We talked about how she got the confidence to figure it out along the way at such a young age and she really had amazing advice for both young athletes and entrepreneurs.  And lastly, we got into the Wildfitness whole body approach to doing what we are designed to do as humans,  and some of her quick tips for connecting with our inherent wildness without ever leaving your hometown or making big changes in your day.  This is a PG friendly episode that I encourage all of you to listen to with the girls and young women in your life that you love! Guest Bio:With a background in high level sports and over a decade of coaching experience Hannah has grown up in the health and fitness industry.  After coaching with them for the last five years, Hannah is now the proud new owner and CEO of Wildfitness Ltd., a transformative fitness holidays company that runs on the extremely simple yet incredibly powerful philosophy of listening to your body and mind and responding to your instinctual needs to move naturally, for deep relaxation and for unprocessed food. “For me Wildfitness is not just a philosophy but a natural, sustainable, fundamentally human and truly transformational way of life. My drive and passion lies in the fact that every day on a retreat I have the platform to help, inspire and motivate people from all walks of life and am able to witness a true change in the lives of everyone that experiences Wildfitness." When she isn’t teaching Hannah likes nothing more than hiking or adventuring in the great outdoors with friends, playing any sport she can get her hands on and even participating in the odd pub quiz.   Additional Resources:Wildfitness: Home IG:Wildfitness Retreats (@wildfitnessofficial) YouTube: Wildfitness Forest School Association | What is Forest School? | Forest Schools Charity Highlight:Go Wild with US UK:  Nature reconnection | Go Wild With Us UK | England Go Wild With Us has a mission to try and reconnect people with nature and their own wildness. We believe that everyone needs regular contact with nature and the outdoors, and both research and personal experience tells us that being outdoors and spending time in nature is absolutely essential for good mental health and physical well being.  Let's restore the balance of our over-stimulated and technology heavy lifestyles a little, by reconnecting with nature through fun.  Go on! Go Wild With Us! :)

This is a great, fun conversation with my Comadre, Gelsandra “Gelly” Guzman. Born into an entrepreneurial family, she leveraged her innate drive and adaptability to make multiple pivots along her career path while learning along the way. We got into the challenges women run into trying to fit into expected images forced upon them versus encouraging individualism and creativity and how she leveraged listening to other people’s stories as a way to hone in on what lights her up.  We talk about her battles with postpartum depression and putting herself back together after each pregnancy and how she bet on herself like there was no Plan B it to leave her full time job to launch her business full time.  She talks about how she’s used her obstacles to  propel her to create and run a successful multi-platform business while being a wife and mom to two kids.  Gelly makes great recommendations for other busy moms and women who are looking to make a change and encountering challenges along the way. She is bold and driven and so motivating that you can’t help from feeling supercharged after listening to her story and if you don’t one, she is definitely the “ Hell Yeah!” person you need in your life. Gelly will light a fire in your heart and spirit, and I can’t think of a better way to start your week! Additional Resources:Posh Palma Website Pre-Launch: Subscribe here to get insider access to the launch of Pash Palma Boutique coming May 2020!   https://poshpalmastyles.com/a/pre-launch Postpartum Depression Hotline: Help for Moms Las Comadres ClubEmail Info :hello@lascomadres.club.Website:https://www.lascomadres.club/ About Las Comadres: In Latin American and Hispanic culture, mothers and godmothers call each other “comadre” but  it’s also a term of endearment close female friends use with one another. Our vision is that every woman is empowered to be who she really is so that she can be free. This is a community welcome to all self-identifying women. Comadres trust each other with the most important pieces of their lives. Las Comadres℠ is an invitation for us to be guardians of each others' dreams and successesIt’s a community of women entrepreneurs reclaiming sisterhood, and uplifting one another up in life and in business and is opening its doors to the online community starting May 4th, 2020!     Guest Bio: Gelsandra was born in “Little Rhody” , graduated from FIT in NYC with a Fashion Merchandising Degree and has over 10 years of experience in Buying, Merchandising and Marketing. She’s a self described wifey, mommy of 2 and trend-setting fashion stylist ready to help women feel good in their skin and empowered with confidence and style! Website: https://www.poshpalma.com/ IG: poshpalmaxgelly Email: gelsandraguzman@poshpalma.com Charity Highlight:  Fundación Pasos de Victoria Innovadores  Their mission is to provide children in the Dominican Republic with meals, clothing and other necessities of daily life.   Please reach out to Gabriel Montesino on Instagram for more information IG: thefinancialdiplomat 

This episode was recorded about a week ago and about a month since the Coronavirus pandemic really impacted our local community in South Florida. I wanted to share Janine’s story with you all right away once I heard it, so you could hear an uplifting story of connection, community and gratitude.  Even with being faced with losing the two incomes in her household, Janine was able to create space for creativity and tap into the  abundance mindset she had cultivated over the last year.  And by doing so she figured out an innovative way to give back to the South Florida community which has then led to additional abundance in her life.   With so many people wanting to give back at this time without the income to do so, we hope that this episode will inspire you to think outside of the box, shift towards using your time and talent creatively, and to be confident that what you give you’ll get back tenfold.  Guest Bio:Janine Stone is a Miami based portrait and event photographer who has been capturing South Florida families and events for over 20 years. Janine prides herself in capturing life's most precious moments creatively and artistically to create timeless keepsake her clients will have for many years to come. Janine found a way to use her art to create connection among the community even as they are forced to stay separate at home. She created Portrait of our Neighborhood sessions, which fully benefit Feeding South Florida, the largest, most efficient food bank serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. She has raised over $4500  in only one month of shoots in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and surrounding neighborhoods. Additional Resources:Portrait of Our Neighborhood project link: https://www.janinestonephotography.com/portfolio/portraitofourneighborhood/ Website:www.janinestonephotography.com Social Media: Insta @janinestonephoto, @janinestoneofficial Twitter @janinestone Las Comadres https://www.lascomadres.club/ Charity Highlight: Feeding South Floridahttps://feedingsouthflorida.org/ Feeding South Florida is the largest, most efficient food bank serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. More than 98% of all donations are put back into the community and is South Florida’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving 25% of the state’s food insecure population. Through innovative direct-service programs and a network of nonprofit partner agencies, Feeding South Florida distributed nearly 62 million pounds (51.5 million meals) of food last fiscal year to over 706,000 individuals – 236,000 of whom are children and 100,000 are older adults.

Today’s show starts with a familiar immigrant kid story but very early on pivots to the quest for being happy. Masha talks about how she had to walk through the perfect storm of multiple crises of career, illness and the end of her relationship to drive her to change her life and walk away from the addiction of thriving on chaos that most of us have today.  We talk about how she has never been afraid to pivot and drew upon her inherent resourcefulness to become successful in business several times over, but most importantly we talk about how she drew upon those skills and planning for the unknown to help her not only overcome a cancer diagnosis but also led her to become an innovative leader in the cannabis industry. Masha shares with us great resources on the cannabis industry, how she is working tirelessly to remove the stigma around it, and even has provided special links for free information on products and discount codes but has also selflessly offered to help anyone who wants resume help or coaching to enter the cannabis industry. This episode is a bit longer than usual but worth every minute! ADDITIONAL  RESOURCES:Dr Joe Dispenza: https://drjoedispenza.com/Extract Collective: https://www.extractcollective.co/ Full spectrum HEMP PRODUCTS https://globaladvancedbotanicals.com/  | 10% off discount ExtractCollective Hemp and CBD Analytical Testing https://acslabcannabis.com/blog/   EMAIL: mbelinson@acslabcannabis.com For tutorials on how to read a COA, coaching on launching a new HEMP/CBD product  PAY IT FORWARD:  Masha has offered to provide  resume reviews and career coaching for those interested in getting into the Cannabis industry. Please reach out at: masha@extractcollective.co Guest Bio:Masha Belinson’s roots were planted in the soil of technology and grew through a passion for building businesses in ever-changing markets. For the last 15+ years Ms. Belinson has resolved major challenges for Fortune 500 companies in the areas of Omnichannel Marketing, eCommerce, Application Development, Compliance, Talent Acquisition, Resource Planning and Brand Activations. In the last 12 months, Masha built one of Florida’s most successful cannabis educational organizations with the support from the state’s licensed cannabis brands: Trulieve, Surterra, Curaleaf, Medmen, Alt/Med(Muv), Grow Healthy and VidaCann/Tikun Olam. Extract Collective’s mission is to speak the truth; unite like-minded business leaders, medical professionals, and curious citizens to break through the stigma and promote conscious market growth.  Today Ms. Belinson spends a majority of her time working in-house with ACS Laboratory; corporate development, strategic partnerships, content strategy and education.  As a cancer survivor and medical cannabis patient, Masha is driven to master complex regulations and change the narrative about cannabis through curated content, proper patient navigation and brand experiences.  Charity Highlight:Lotus House Shelter – where hope blossoms Our mission is to improve the lives of homeless women, youth and children by providing sanctuary, support, education, tools and resources that empower them to improve the quality of their lives on every level, achieve greater self sufficiency, and build safe, secure lives. In their dreams come true, we enrich our community with the fruit of their potential realized.To support our mission, we also advocate on behalf of homeless women, youth and children to raise awareness of their special needs; inspire innovative, holistic solutions that truly break the cycle of childhood abuse, domestic violence and homelessness; and advance research and enlightened social policies for greater understanding, social inclusion and resources for homeless women and children. Our vision is that every homeless woman, youth and child will have the opportunity to heal, learn and grow, build the foundation for a brighter future, and blossom into who they are truly meant to be.

Hi all. Here’s another quick solo episode to help you all process what’s going on around the world right now. This is my five step guide to managing and leading others during times of crisis using the principles of emotional intelligence. You can use these at home with your family, at work or anywhere in your community now. It’s a practical guide to going along and getting along in a world otherwise gone haywire.  Feel free to try them out and see what resonates for you, and hopefully, if you ever have to utilize them again, you can take this forward. But for now let’s all try to go through this time together, more connected, more empathetic and more loving. And, as always, remember.. This too shall pass. Heads up, heels on, ever going boldly. XO   Charity spotlight: Save The Children, Coronavirus Response Fund Donate to Global Action Fund From the beginning, Save the Children has been on the ground protecting children and families from COVID-19. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of children in the U.S. and around the world are protected. More than 1 billion children are now out of school. Child poverty is rising. Refugees living in over-crowded camps and those living in conflict will be hit the hardest. We desperately need your help to address the immediate and long-term threats of COVID-19. We must act now to protect a generation.

NOTE: this episode was recorded in January way before this virus broke out. I hope this injects some positivity and joy into your day. Music is the passion we can all get into right now and this interview with Lolo reminds you that music transcends boundaries, illness and any sort of calamity we come across.  And right now it’s really important to check out our small local businesses online so please check out Sweat online for merch and gift cards to be used at a later date as well as their membership drive on withfriends.com ( Links below). Lolo always knew she wanted to be involved in music. In her words, her wide, weird and wonderful love of music started early on, paving the way for her, at age 16, to not take no for an answer, and get her first job at the Virgin megastore and this persistence, planning and passion  were the key to setting her on her course to become a multiple-stream entrepreneur. She opened Sweat Records at the age of 21 by the community and for the community, and hasn’t looked back since.  We also talked about the rich global arts community in Miami and how important local record shops are to both tourism and the local community as she celebrates the 15th anniversary of Sweat Records, how music is the great connector across cultures and continents, and how she built her start-up support squad by banding together with fellow music lovers. Then we got into how she branched out into DJ-ing and now to actually producing music.  Lastly we got into some great takeaways and practical tips on how she optimizes her time while being a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur and how, in her words, if a 21 year old stoner can start a successful business, anyone can. Additional Resources: Sweat Records  http://sweatrecordsmiami.com/ Merch https://shop.sweatrecordsmiami.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sweatrecords/ https://www.instagram.com/loloreskin/ Sweat Records Membership Drive : https://withfriends.co/sweat_records/join Hot Wheels- roller rink https://superwheelsmiami.com/ III Points https://www.iiipoints.com/ New Tropic https://thenewtropic.com/ New Times https://www.miaminewtimes.com/ Prism Creative Group: Culture Crusaders https://prismcreativegroup.com/ Guest Bio:Lauren “Lolo” Reskin is the founder/owner of Miami record store & community space Sweat Records (est. 2005). Deeply involved in the local cultural scene in Miami, Lolo is also a music programmer at boutique background music firm Soundry and serves as a Governor on the Florida Chapter Board of the Recording Academy. In 2018 Sweat launched an in-house label (Sweat Records Records) to release beautiful pieces of vinyl. For info and upcoming events visit sweatrecordsmiami.com and follow her on social media at @loloreskin   Charity Highlight: miamigirlsrockcamp.org Miami Girls Rock Camp is a week-long summer day camp program for girls and non-binary youth aged 8 to 17. It uses music and performance as a platform to promote self-esteem, community, and creative expression for girls and non-binary youth in Miami. The program offers instrument instruction, songwriting/band practice, live performances by visiting artists/DJs, and workshops, culminating in a showcase concert. 

Hi all. As promised here is my 2nd in the series for managing this volatile time. This is a quick episode with my tips for managing your money during volatility. A bit of background, yes I was an attorney for several years and studied finance, but I received the biggest chunk of personal financial education during the years that I worked as a licensed financial advisor for middle class families. Some of these tips may seem obvious and some are aimed at keeping you calm. But most importantly I’d like us to try and shift away from a fear-based mentality when thinking & talking about money during this time and take advantage of this downtime to utilize some best practices that you should keep, or put in place for the long haul.  No one’s situation is the same so I tried to paint in broad brushstrokes and if you have the resources and ability to connect with a financial professional please do so, it’s important to think about your financial and your physical health at this time. If not, these tips are a good start and here are some additional trusted resources as we navigate through this turbulent time. We’ll resume our regular schedule of guests the week of March 30th and until then, keep being the bold, brave badasses you are! Additional Resources: Budgeting & Planning: https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/budget-and-planning/money-planning-tips https://www.mint.com/ Corona Virus Finances:https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/personal-finance/corona-virus-finances Smart Ways to Use Credit Cards During Corona Virus:https://www.cnbc.com/select/using-credit-cards-during-coronavirus/ iFund Women Library of Class Recordings:https://www.coaching.ifundwomen.com/ifundwomen-workshop-library-class-recordings?fbclid=IwAR1TG1vYkmm4_PVScHpVC8tE8KXHIRMKqTETsbxLhzyw9vRZbjB9pM9913A 450 Ivy League Courses You Can Take for Free:https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/ Free Online Courses With Coursera:https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=free Start Side Hustling on Fiverr:https://www.fiverr.com/start_selling Charity spotlight:God’s Love We Deliverhttps://www.glwd.org/ The mission of God’s Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. We also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to our clients, families, care providers and other service organizations.

Hi all. Given what’s going on around the world right now I wanted to deviate from our regularly scheduled format to give you a few quick episodes to help you get through this time with a little more ease and extra tools in your toolkit. This first, super quick, solo episode is one that I wanted to record right away since a lot of people are being asked to work from home now due to the Coronavirus.  And while we all may be stressed for different reasons, working from home doesn’t have to be one of them. This episode is short and sweet and has mental, physical and technological tips to make this transition easier for everyone. And remember.. This too shall pass. Heads up, heels on, ever going boldly. XO Next up on the 23rd I’ll talk to you about how to manage your money in times of volatility.    Charity spotlight: God’s Love We Deliverhttps://www.glwd.org/ The mission of God’s Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. We also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to our clients, families, care providers and other service organizations.

A self-described tiny blonde from Florida, Helen Perry’s spirit is anything but tiny.   She is a veteran, nurse, humanitarian and hero and I was so honored to have her on the show.  Her friend’s injury in Iraq was the catalyst for her to go into nursing and join the Army, where she  was on active duty for five years and was surrounded by the very specific trauma of war. These experiences drove her to become a trauma nerd specializing in war-zone care.  However, in a split second her life changed when her husband, who was also on active duty in the Marines, was injured, and suffered traumatic brain injury. This led to her finding herself  ‘on the other side of the bed’ and navigating the challenges of being a full time caregiver while being a dual-military career family, as well as the additional challenges faced with being a woman in active service and a veteran in general.  Then we transition into her work with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, helping military caregivers for which she was honored as one of their “ Hidden Heroes”. Helen then describes her need to “take back her life” and the things she was passionate about at that time, which led to her involvement with GRM, and being back in global hotspots helping the neediest around us with lifesaving medical and humanitarian care. Her passion and drive to make it work, as well as her “why” of giving up a six figure salary to work with underserved communities,  even with her family obligations, is both inspiring and thought-provoking. We also got into how you can do your diligence to find out great organizations to donate your time, talent or treasure and get involved at whatever level you can, and the simple joy of rolling up your sleeves and getting shit done.    Lastly she breaks down the difference between refugees and migrants and why dangerously blurring the distinction is causing irreparable harm to people and our national refugee program on a scale she has never seen before.   Additional Resources: Instagram: @global.response www.facebook.com/globalresponsemanagement  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-perry-892883104/ Hidden Hero Story from The Elizabeth Dole Foundation: an Elizabeth Dole Foundation fellow (https://youtu.be/Ts7ZnS1HmXA) https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/ Guest Bio:Helen is first and foremost a military caregiver.  She served on active duty as a nurse in the Army for 5 years but then her husband got wounded in 2014 after he came under attack in Afghanistan and then later on developed life threatening seizures. As a result of this, she transferred to the reserves to become his primary caregiver due to his traumatic brain injuries and has worked to navigate benefits for him and others since then. But that didn’t stop Helen.  In 2017, she went to Mosul, Iraq as a humanitarian with Global Response Management and then worked her way up from the bottom ever since. She is a self described tiny blonde girl from Florida who just a few weeks ago left 6 figure salary to volunteer full time with the organization and to hopefully continue building it into the life saving organization she knows it can be. She’s now serving as the Executive Director and leader for the work they are doing less than 500 ft from our Border in Matamoros, Mexico, where over 750 asylum seekers are in desperate need of medical care.  Helen is GRM’s Operations Director with certifications as an ACNP-BC, MSN, RN, CCRN, and CEN.    Charity Highlight: Global Response Managementhttps://www.global-response.org/what-we-do Global Response Management (GRM) is an international medical NGO registered in the United States as a 501(c)(3) organization. We exist to bring emergency pre-hospital care and training to those living in or displaced from conflict zones, with a focus on underserved areas and the Middle East, operating in high-risk areas where others cannot. Our network of experienced medical personnel is dedicated to working with and training local populations in trauma and pre-hospital care based on TCCC principals to increase survivability in low-resource-high-risk areas. By working with medical professionals from a variety of backgrounds, we bring a diverse team to populations in critical need. In Matamoros, they have no food. No water. No bathrooms. And no access to basic medical care or hygiene. We saw chicken pox. Babies with chronic eye infections. Rashes. Respiratory infections. Pregnant women with no prenatal care. And malnutrition. It was heart wrenching. And now we need your help. We’re mounting a response to help those who need it most.

This episode is being recorded the day after Harvey Weinstein was finally convicted for some of his crimes and a few days after the last debate where I almost threw my shoe at the tv listening to some of the bullshit being spewn at me regarding non-disclosure agreements in the workplace.  But I decided to blast some Beyoncé, shake it off and get my ass back to work. SO...caveat to this episode: WHATEVER I AM ABOUT TO DISCUSS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. I WILL NOT BE REFERRING TO SPECIFIC CASES UNLESS THE FACTS AND THE RULINGS AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION IS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. I talked about the use of NDAs,  the perception of whistleblowers at large organizations and the practice of silencing employees under duress. The intention of protecting corporate branding versus employees and I disect Mr. Bloomberg’s argument that these are consensual agreements signed by two adult parties that both want to keep the facts to themselves as self-serving at best, and more accurately dishonest and condescending I broke down the legalese on the creation and proper uses of NDAs and then advanced my own theories on when they should be used and when they should be banned, and I covered some recent good news of organizations working to end the use of NDAs, companies moving in that direction and even Mr. Bloomberg’s white flag wave on the issue.    Call To Action: I want your feedback on this week’s episode and how you’re feeling the solo’s versus interview format. I’m also going to be on the road traveling through Europe from May- July so we may drop down to  2 episodes per month during that time , and you may get a sprinkle in of tales from my solo travels working and living in Europe. So shoot me an email at boldlyspoken@mtolympusperformancegroup.com and let me know what you think, I’m from the Casucci school of tough love so bring it on! And until next time… go boldly!   Additional Resources: A little Beyoncé to get motivated :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmMU_iwe6U https://msmagazine.com/2020/02/21/activists-and-house-lawmakers-are-demanding-that-women-workers-be-heard/ https://beheardact.org/learn-more/ https://liftourvoices.org/   Charity LInk: The National Organization for Women  www.now.org As the grassroots arm of the women’s movement, the National Organization for Women is dedicated to its multi-issue and multi-strategy approach to women’s rights, and is the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States. NOW has hundreds of chapters and hundreds of thousands of members and activists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since our founding in 1966, NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.

This week we got to connect to Karen Guggenheim, Co-Founder of the World Happiness Summit, now in its 4th year in Miami, Florida.  Karen’s own passion for choosing happiness is rooted in personal tragedy. Seven years ago she lost her husband of twenty-one years and decided that she could choose to be a victim and let one event define her life or choose to be happy. She chose the latter, guided by her intention to have a life full of purpose and meaning.  This act set her on a course to re-invent her life and connect with others studying the science of happiness. For the last four years she has brought the world's leaders in science, psychology and wellness together, creating a ripple effect around the world by giving people tools to develop their happiness by implementing practices in their day to day lives. In this episode, we talked about her path, the science of happiness,  how important wellness in the workplace is, and how her foundation is helping to bring these practices to a wider audience including successful programs in schools and corporate settings. We also talked about steps everyone can take every day to increase happiness in their own lives, and how truly transformative change comes from the rather simple concept of consistency.  Lastly, we talked about the life changing aspect of choosing to be happy, and how growing your “happiness muscle” is both teachable and learnable, and vital for long term wellbeing.   Additional Resources:https://www.worldhappiness.com/   Guest Bio:Karen Guggenheim is Founder of the WOHASU Foundation, and Co-Founder of the World Happiness Summit®. Stepping into this role is an evolution of her extensive career arc, which includes editorial board work with The Miami Herald, strategic communications and integrated marketing expertise with C-Level executives as well as worldwide brands and a personal passion for making a happier world through helping create endeavors that teach happiness practices one person at a time. Under her leadership, WOHASU was awarded with the “Key of the City of Miami” by the Miami Mayor and the members of the Miami City Commission, and inaugurated the first World Happiness Summit in Miami in March 2017. Karen leads the efforts to unite the innovative gathering of government policy makers and leaders, forward-thinking economists, leading academics and entrepreneurs in an unprecedented format around the data-driven science of happiness. It is Karen’s goal to champion the WOHASU mission to invest in and support initiatives like the World Happiness Summit as well as make a happier world through such endeavors. She is also visiting professor in the Executive Master in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Lisbon, and is a regular speaker at the Horasis Global Meeting in Portugal. She was also invited by the Colombian government to speak at the Optimism at Work Conference in Bogota, Colombia, and at Sustainable Brand’s New Metrics Conference in Philadelphia. Karen has been a guest in several leading happiness podcasts where she has shared her passion about the global happiness movement. Karen holds a Master in Communication from the University of Miami and an MBA from Georgetown University.   Charity Spotlight: Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walks https://www.vitalvoices.org/global-mentoring-walks/   Through the Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk, mentors and mentees come together to walk in their communities, sharing challenges and solutions and forming supportive bonds that foster growth, confidence and leadership. This global movement began with one women’s effort to share her knowledge and experience with aspiring women leaders. Geraldine Laybourne, Founder and former CEO of Oxygen Media, responded to requests for advice from young women by inviting them to meet her for a morning walk. It became a routine for Laybourne, and an invaluable opportunity for women who wanted to learn from her experience and perspective. A longtime friend of and board member for Vital Voices, Laybourne introduced the concept to leaders of our Global Leadership Network, who in 2008 took the idea to their home countries and coordinated the first annual Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walks. Since then, more than 550 Walks have been coordinated in over 80 countries around the world.

So talking to one of your best friends in the world makes for a different type of interview. We laughed,we cried,we cursed ( A F**KING LOT) but hopefully you leave this one with a smile and light and love ( and I am no GOOP.. I don’t use those words lightly).   We started off talking about her background of being raised by a single mom who emigrated to the US from El Salvador with limited English and how that forced her to grow up very early and  the strength and “never give up” mentality she developed from her experiences. Then we fast forward to Sept 11, 2001, when she and her husband’s lives changed forever, but her indomitable spirit led to her commitment to thriving and living in NYC and making a good life for her, her husband and 3 boys.  Then we come full circle to 17 years later when in the Fall of 2018 she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer from the enduring impact of the chemicals & trauma. We get into why it’s so important to listen to your body like your life depends on it and be your own advocate even when doctors think you’re crazy, and how remembering that she was born to fight allowed her to quickly make the pivot from victim to thriving mentality. That mindset, along with her support squad tribe and lifestyle changes, has been the key to her wellness this past year, and we talked about how she actually feels better now than she did before.   So she wanted to share some words of wisdom and Jedi mind tricks for people living with disease, as well as their loved ones, and resources for people affected with illnesses related to Sept 11th.   Books & Resources How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease  by Dr Michael Greger Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips by Kris Carr September 11 Victim Compensation Fund:https://www.vcf.gov/ SongEsta Loca by The Latin Agehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiAOPqrbtp8   Guest Bio:Lydia Castillo-Galloza is one of my all time BFF’s. We’ve known each other since we are 16, and everyone who meets her is changed my her, especially me. She’s worked in operations for real estate in NYC for some of the largest and most recognized firms for the last 20 years. She’s also a tiny but mighty powerhouse…. mom, wife, sister, friend, cat mom and non-stop dancing house-music head. She grew up in The Bronx raised by a single mom who emigrated from El Salvador, and has been Boldly Spoken ever since. You can reach Lydia on Instagram at @lydsleo_319 Charity Highlight:  St Jude Children’s Research Project Www. Stjude.org The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.

This was a fun one filled with a lot of laugher .  This lady right here - she’s got the special sauce!  She got out of an abusive relationship, found her purpose empowering women financially and how that has led to to true financial abundance in her life. . We talked about how she has generated over $16 million in revenue for her clients and  developed an almost 7 figure business in less than five years, and her reflections on running a successful women-only company and the everyday freedom of entrepeneurialship. Her steps from employee to employer in alignment with her soul, and her mission to make business and money-making  easy, effortless and fun. We also talked about why sometimes it’s important to break the rules to find fulfillment and how being a bit “delusional” is healthy and necessary to succeed. And lastly, how shining your light and being yourself shows others the art of the possible. Additional Resources: http://jenniferspivak.com/ www.facebook.com/jennspivak https://www.forbes.com/sites/karineldor/2019/10/30/conversion-queen-jennifer-spivak-shares-the-biggest-myth-about-facebook-ads-and-how-she-gets-clients-7x-return-on-ad-spend/#17d8b4fe71b9 https://amandafrances.com/blog/ https://www.personalgrowthcourses.net/stories/williamson.ourdeepestfear.invitation Charity Link: http://www.freefrom.org/  

Hey everyone- due to unforeseen circumstances, this week’s solo episode as intended, is cancelled. I always want to put out a quality episode and when it’s time for my solo episodes I want to make sure they are from the heart and are thought through. One of the things you’ll get to know about me is that I’d rather do something 100% than half ass it.  And this week I just didn’t have the mental and emotional bandwidth to get the job done. And I guess part of growing up and growing as a person is saying.. that’s OK. That if I’m honest with my friends, family and listeners it will be OK. And I don’t have to hold it all together for everyone and everything all the time ( PS.. thanks again @BREAK METHOD). As I’m recording this, Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 7 other people died two days ago in a tragic accident. I bring that up not to shit stir, or emotionally mine for empathy, but because it made me take a step back and remind myself that today is not guaranteed and so if I need a fucking week off to take care of me and hug the people I love,  I’m gonna do it and not bury myself in Catholic guilt or feel lazy. So this week I just needed to fly my Dad in, hug my animals, and call it a wrap. And yes, I acknowledge the privilege I have to be able to do that so I JUST FUCKING DID IT. But asking for help has always been my kryptonite ( notice Wonder Woman doesn’t even HAVE KRYPTONITE.. point to ponder but I digress). And I’ll share an excerpt of a speech I was supposed to give two years ago…so here goes: “I'm here to tell you a bit about my story and the worst day of my life… You see, in 2013, the violence with my then husband had escalated, to the point where, one night, I woke up to the sound of a gun being cocked and pointed at me, and all I could do was pray for my life. But even though at that point I was almost a partner at my firm, I had a law degree, a very supportive family, I was the breadwinner, and in case you haven't figured it out.. a  white, straight, US citizen, I was still terrified, and too scared to tell anyone.   So I stayed….and didn't sleep, and lived every day in fear.   The worst day of my life was the day that I had lost hope, the day that I couldn't even think anymore, the day that I had to go to my father, at the age of 38, and tell him that I didn't know what to do, and that I needed his help. You see I was the person who fixed things for everyone: for my friends, my family and for my clients, but somehow I couldn't fix this. To me, at that point, I almost would have rather died then tell people what was going on. I was crippled by fear and shame.  And so the day that I had to ask for help was the worst day of my life, not because I was worried that my father wouldn't help me, quite the opposite,  but because the shame was all encompassing, and I felt inside like it was all my fault.  ” FAST FORWARD to 2020… life changes, we grow, and yet again I was in a position to need help. And this time.. I did it. And continue to do so. So if anyone out there is going through anything, I feel you. I see you and I get how hard it is to ask for help. But I’m gonna keep flexing my receptive muscle. And just fucking be brave enough to keep asking. To that end, here’s what I need from all of you listening: I have a bunch of solo episode topics in my brain lined up and waiting to come out, and I‘m sure I’ll have more after the break, but this show is about YOU, not me. SO.. I NEED YOUR HELP.     I’m gonna list a few topics and I want to hear from you.. about which one you want me to cover on the next solo episode coming out March 2nd.   I’m going to add voting buttons on our page at or you can just email us at boldlyspoken@mtolympusperformancegroup , mtolympusperformancegroup.com/podcast.com or reach me on insta @mtolympusgrp . But most importantly, I want to hear from you, so even if you have another suggestion feel free to drop me a line:   So without further a do here’s what’s kicking around in my brain: “ Who Does She Think She Is?”: How To Be Bold & Brag ( and that’s a good thing) Why NDA’s NEED TO GTFOH.   (NDAs are Non- Disclosure Agreements.. AKA the legal world’s silencer). How Busy People Can Start Getting Involved In Their Local Community  Every Superhero Has an Origin Story:  Understanding Your Backstory and Finding Your Superpower So let me know what’s important to you, what you want to hear about, and anything else. This time it’s your turn to ask me for help. So drop me a line at boldlyspoken@mtolympusperformancegroup , mtolympusperformancegroup.com/podcast.com or reach me on insta @mtolympusgrp. This week’s charity highlight is The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption- helping to find forever families for kids in foster care.  It’s near and dear to my heart because while I was not in foster care by the grace of God,  My Dad, My Super-Hero, My Super-Dad… adopted me at age 30 and has been the best and only true parent I have.   And he’s sitting right now in my living room and would be totally embarrassed hearing this. I LOVE YOU BIG GUY.   https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/   Next week we’ll be back with Jennifer Spivak, Featured in Forbes and the Queen of Facebook Ads. And until next time.. be bold, be brave, be badasses but most importantly, BE YOU.

In this episode we talked about how Lydia found her “ purpose work”  to help veterans with PTSD through listening to her heart cry in the aftermath of war and her own divorce. We also talked about the processes of healing from trauma and how  empathy for her friends turned into a career path. We got into how she keeps naysayers at bay and is kicking ass going through training in the Air Force Reserve while being in her mid-30s and a mom by using her fears and her age to her advantage. She also gave us some tips on focusing on the present and morning rituals that she’s learned from her military training.  Lastly we talked about the ripple effect of finding your own purpose work and changing the course of everyone’s life around you. Lydia's blog : http://lydeec.blogspot.com/ Additional Resources: https://www.teamrwb.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-roehl-71455b4a/ https://www.dierks.com/ https://www.twentyonepilots.com/ Charity Highlight:   https://greatnonprofits.org/org/veterans-airlift-command#r_id-447999--user_id-567208

Kathleen is a Conscious Connected Breathwork therapist nicknamed The Jedi of Calm and Queen of Serene. And after this episode you’ll understand why. Our talk began where it usually does, at the beginning. Back in the day Kathleen was on the hamster wheel of unhappiness & complacency and filled the void by faking the funk  bouncing from job to job, lack of income, piss poor relationships, etc. She knew she needed something more and started with a “bazillion” workshops and still felt lost. And when her soul was ready to finally heal she took a breathwork class. And after prayer and an injury allowed her to take time off, and a fateful visit to jury duty, her life changed forever and has taught breathwork ever since, from maximum security prisoners to C suite executives, cancer patients to tv stars. We got into what breathwork actually is, both the science and spiritual bases, and how its been so life changing for so many people especially given that 99% of us are walking around thirsty for air everyday running around in flight or flight and dealing with trauma. I got into a bit of how it helped me in many ways and they way I like to describe it as meditation on steroids, and how it reaches every organ in our bodies on the cellular level.  Lastly, we ended on how she has worked with high powered executive woman to help them resolve symptoms of illness and stress overload all too prevalent in corporate America today. And ----as a BONUS--- she  gifted our listeners with a live mini breathwork session at the 31 min mark AND AS A SPECIAL BONUS.. Has gifted our listeners with a free 30 minute session with her! BONUS GIFT :  https://kathleenbooker.lpages.co/breathwork-session-boldly-spoken-podcast-16jan2020/  I love this lady, and you will too!   Guest Bio: Kathleen Booker is an effervescent native New Yorker. Her energy is infectious. Kathleen is passionate about Conscious Connected Breathwork therapy and knows first-hand the energy, healing, peace, and joy it creates in one’s life. As a certified and insured Breathwork Coach, she has worked with many masters in the field of Conscious Connected Breathwork therapy. For over 10+ years, Kathleen has used her Breath coaching and intuitive skills to support individuals in clearly identifying areas in need of growth, healing and focused goal creation. Kathleen’s instinctive sense of what will motivate and empower her clients is the impetus for their transformation. Photo Credit:@InnaShnayder How to Contact Kathleen: IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamkathleenbooker/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.booker.969 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-booker-1bbb7/ Email: Kathleen@KathleenBooker.net www.KathleenBooker.net   Additional Resources: A Course in Miracles- https://acim.org/acim/ Chaka Khan I’m Every Woman https://open.spotify.com/track/1oFiPGBafH9Woo9AMwgBSl Lolita Holloway- Everybody Everybody https://open.spotify.com/track/7aqab3VQOMuUNNLI7pL8EJ   Charity Highlight: Caring Kind: The Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiving https://caringkindnyc.org/   CaringKind is your trusted community resource for Alzheimer’s and dementia care in New York City. We provide free comprehensive services that include a vast network of family caregiver support groups, education seminars, training programs, social work services and a wanderer’s safety program. And, it doesn’t stop there. We collaborate with leading institutions and advocate for research and care, and our Helpline is available for you day and night.

Note:  ***Trigger warning regarding disturbing content about 28-31 minute mark and 37-47  discussing sexual assault and rape.** Please listen using your own discretion. This episode took some unexpected twists and turns but whether you agree with her or not, Coco is 100% BOLDLY SPOKEN. In this episode we talked about how she “shamelessly put herself out there” and networked her way to assisting in various hotspots around the world and got involved internationally with major world events. How a classical artist & former computer science major’s life was changed through study abroad and applying soft  “sales” skills and tenacity to get her into positions where she could help with various crises around the world. We also discussed how doing good for others drives personal happiness (a term I coined “ survival of the fittest by survival of the community”). Then we dove into some of her experiences with Global Outreach Doctors and the challenges faced with global humanitarian work surrounding feasibility & ethics including issues with encountering gender-based violence and its impact on communities.  Lastly we got into a pretty deep & serious conversation about her experiences working with military and healthcare colleagues as a woman, and the dangers women face when traveling abroad solo and what she does to protect herself and prepare for the unknown both mentally and physically.   Additional Resources: Contact for mentoring in the NGO/Medical space:coco@globaloutreachdoctors.org Solo Female Traveler Warning: Shawanew “Teshw” Tamiru- Lives in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia .3/.5 pilot pens for self defense  http://pilotpen.us/categories/gel-ink-pens/ Charity Link:https://www.globaloutreachdoctors.org/   Guest Bio: Coco is Nationally Registered Paramedic who has worked globally since 2013, when she moved to Jordan on the Boren scholarship, and subsequently, the Fulbright scholarship to conduct academic research on ISIS and Syrian refugees. During that time, she began volunteering medically at the refugee camps, and since then has worked all around the world: community outreach initiatives in Sierra Leone during the height of the Ebola crisis in 2014, Nepal earthquake response in 2015, humanitarian aid during the Haiti government shutdown in 2016, and in Syrian refugee camps in Greece that same year. She’s worked in Ghana, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Syria and the Russian-Ukraine border and also provided medical services to Iraqi Special Forces in their battles to retake Mosul and Tel Afar from ISIS. This past year she led humanitarian and medical assessment trips to the remote mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia, as well as the under-resourced regions of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. She’s  a NAEMT TCCC instructor, and holds a TC-P with the International Board of Specialty Certification and is currently deployed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, providing healthcare in a clinic on base. Aside from medicine, she holds an MBA from George Washington University, and an MA in International Security from Georgetown University. She applies those degrees at her day job working as a management consultant for Deloitte, helping the government find unique solutions to their challenges in organization and talent structures.

Every year around my birthday, people always start talking about New Year's resolutions and I've always thought they were useless and set people up for failure and disappointment. Many years of studying psychology and various other modalities later I understood why. So I decided to do this episode to explain why.. and how to really set and achieve goals that work for you.  We get into the process of identifying types of goals, your personal motivation, and the strategies you should use depending on those goals and motivators.  I also talked about the perils of positive thinking, using tools like mental contrasting and  implementation intentions,  and the 4 "C"s of cultivating confidence.   Additional Resources: BREAK method  https://breakmethod.com/ Succeed  By Heidi Grant Halvorson PhD https://www.heidigrantphd.com/books/succeed   Charity Link: Vieques Humane Society-Let’s find Tiger a good home. He’s about 3, 45 lbs,  loves belly rubs, chasing butterflies and playing in the sand and was friendly with the cats in the shelter. https://viequeshumanesociety.org/     Email to share a story boldyspoken@mtolympusperformancegroup.com Shoot me an IG message at Boldly_Spoken_MTO on challenges you’re dealing with and things you want to learn more about in 2020 or feedback on this episode and more.        

In this week's episode we talk about the intersection of culture and confidence especially how Sheena is working to change the perception of Asian women. Sheena is a podcaster, author and entrepreneur and we talk about everything from "embracing the suck" of entrepreneurship to why it's her mission to help women find the confidence to succeed.  Speaker Bio & Resources: Sheena Yap Chan is a blogger, podcaster, self confidence consultant, author and speaker whose sole purpose, drive and passion is to help women live a better life. She currently inspires women everyday through her podcast called The Tao of Self Confidence where she interviews various women about their inner journey to self confidence. Speaker Link: https://thetaoofselfconfidence.com/ Charity Highlight: https://voiceofthefree.networkforgood.com/ Music Recommendation: Qveen Herby

Lauren Baptiste is a former financial services consultant turned Executive Wellness Coach. After working 10+ years in corporate and experiencing the effects of burnout first-hand, Lauren was inspired to build Acheloa Wellness, a wellness firm to empower women, individuals and organizations to overcome stress and learn how to thrive. Lauren is learned in Ayurveda, yoga, reiki, hormonal health and other healing arts to find balanced health and happiness.   In this episode we talked about how yoga was a “gateway drug” to her path to become a healer, the application of the 5000 year old science of Ayurveda in the modern age, how to listen to the language of your body and how your genes play a role in tapping into the best version of yourself. We also talked about the most common imbalances modern women face and how to begin the process to re-balance.  We also got into her process of launching her business after watching women burn out in the corporate world, first as a side hustle and now as a full time solo-preneur.  Additional Resources: Email: Lauren@AcheloaWellness.com Website: AcheloaWellness.com Instagram: @acheloawellness or https://www.instagram.com/acheloawellness/ Abhyanga link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HQLsfZh5js   Charity Highlight: National Multiple Sclerosis Society https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate  

I truly loved this conversation with Emily. While there are so many ways it could have gone, we really focused on her lifetime of service, starting from forming a group in high school to volunteer before college to following her call to serve in the shadow of September 11th.  We get into how service changes your for the better, our gratitude for the great social experiment that is the United States, and our thankfulness to the veterans that keep us safe. Then we got into the value of the “ village” as a support team and how that led to the creation of GORUCK, their sports fitness company that has become a global movement, and how she is showing women the safe way to travel boldly and bravely around the world.  And most importantly, how she is working to empower women and girls to become fearfully ignorant in a responsible way and to take a gamble on themselves. Additional Resources: https://www.goruck.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VCRuckers/ Charity Highlight:  https://www.travismanion.org

This is a short and sweet solo episode I did in honor of Thanksgiving and the diverse tribe of women that have been by my side over the years. I talk a bit about shattering the Queen Bee/Viper Den stereotype, the joy of diversity of thought, learning forgiveness and the power of teamwork. But most importantly how understanding and accepting that no one person can be your everything but when we combine forces, we are unstoppable. This episode is dedicated to my friends from NY, Miami, Charlotte and California. Who  created a family for me when at times I felt like I didn’t have one. Who inspire me, kick my ass when I need it and most of all love me, warts and all.  I wouldn’t be who I am without you. Thank you for helping me find my voice again, and encouraging me to share it with anyone who’s listening. Charity Highlight: www.stjude.org

Courtney’s experience as a victim of domestic violence is an all too common one, but the steps she’s taken afterward, to use her experience as a catalyst for change in her community, is unique. We talked about taking that first step to get into shelter and the long journey from institutional dependency to thriving and get into how DV is one of the primary causes driving up homelessness in the US and what she and her company are doing about it.  We also talked about how important it is to celebrate the small wins on the path to leadership and why its so important to stop relying on institutional crutches and move away from a poverty mindset.   Additional Resources: www.courtneysantana.com www.sanctuaryishere.com www.thehotline.org   Charity Link: www.survive2thrivefoundation.org

So excited to bring you Felecia Hatcher. She's a White House Award Winner, Imposter Syndrome slayer, mom, coach & entrepreneur.  We talk about thriving when the world tells us we won't make it, taking up space unapologetically, and how being of service to your community feeds your soul.  This interview had me laugh, cry but most importantly smile. Its definitely worth a double listen for all the gold inside.  Felecia’s motto is hustle until you need no introduction and she certainly has done that and more!   For more information: https://www.feleciahatcher.com/ http://www.codefevermiami.com/

Mary Lopez went from a stay at home mom blindsided by divorce to a successful pharmaceutical representative and now  in her late 50's has taken on a new challenge as  the CEO of DIRMA Skincare. You'll hear about identifying transferable skills, why taking leaps in your 40's and 50's keeps you vibrant and how honoring your worth is the most important thing you can do for yourself.    

Whether you’re making a change personally or professionally, our stories of inspiration and empowerment will help you be the change you want to see in the world and get you where you want to be, and beyond. We'll be featuring diverse stories of women doing bold, brave and badass things whether by taking a giant leap or just getting up and putting one foot in front of the other.  We'll hit on topics to inspire you to dream, achieve and GO BOLDLY!    Charity Highlight:  www.lotushouse.org