Chapter Be Podcast

This is the final episode of Season Three, and we are closing out the season with some reflections and thoughts. The theme of the Season Three was change – highlighting different stories of change and how people navigate change within their life. Some were forced to make a change, others knew a change was inevitable, some embraced change from a young age, and yet others actively made the choice to make a change. The bigger message being – LIFE IS CHANGE. If you resist it, all you do is cause yourself more issues and angst. I do not believe that you can identify, embrace and accept that change if you are not willing to listen. Willing to listen to those around you. Willing to listen to your environment. Willing to listen to yourself. Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and Listen by David Guetta ft. John Legend

Michelle Poler was working on her Masters in Branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City when she was given the assignment of a 100-day project. She ultimately decided to face a different fear each day in an effort to overcome being a rather fearful person. Her 100 Days Without Fear project would lead her to a whole new career. Michelle now travels the world speaking about what she learned about fear during those 100 days in order to share with others how they can overcome their fears in order to live the life they want to lead. Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and Rather Be by Clean Bandit

Eddy Bowles was a Broadway dancer who found himself contemplating what would be next in his career – always knowing that professional dance as a career tends to have an expiration date. Dance was his passion, but he also recognized that it was not something that you can financially live off of forever. When he met his future husband, David, in Denver, CO while on a tour of Mary Poppins, he decided he was ready to make a change. He left New York, moved to Denver and opened his own custom framing business. In this episode we talk about what it means to transition out of a career that you are passionate about, the importance of self-confidence and being comfortable with yourself and how vital it is to ask for help when making a change!  Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and Be Alright by Ariana Grande

Janis Wilson Hughes struggled for 11 years to find fulfillment working in chemical engineering, until she made the decision to leave the corporate world entirely to pursue her passion for clay. She is now a fulltime ceramic artist and owner of Evolution Stoneware Pottery. We dive into how you navigate a change, when you discover that your dream has changed and why self love is so important throughout the process. Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and She's Got To Be by Amy Ray

Chris Guillebeau is an entrepreneur, author and speaker who has committed his life to living unconventionally and encouraging others to do the same. He has written four books, visited every country in the world by the age of 35, and created the World Domination Summit. He learned early in his life that he worked best being self-employed and hustled to make it a reality – like all good entrepreneurs. Yet, the other part of Chris's story is that he was a high school dropout and juvenile delinquent. Making him living proof that change is possible and we can chose how we want to BE. Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and That I Would Be Good by Alanis Morissette

Saira Rao is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of In This Together Media, a book packager of children’s fiction with greater diversity in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, and experience. She was a television news producer turned lawyer turned author – who as a mother recognized the complete lack of diversity in children's literature and programing. So, she set out to change this by starting a company that creates compelling stories for underserved markets, where readers see themselves in the stories they are reading. She changed her life so that she could make a change!    Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness, by Dave Preston and Tried to Be True by Indigo Girls

Lisa Congdon is a fine artist, illustrator and author of seven books, but she did not begin her professional life as an artist. It was not until her thirties, when she went to an art class with her brother, that Lisa discovered her love for painting and drawing. Before that, she worked in the education field – first as a teacher and then as a director at an education non-profit. In 2007, at the age of 40, she made the decision to leave her job to focus on becoming a professional artist full time. With her late start on the creative career path, she is often referred to as a late bloomer. Lisa stands as an example that taking the time to bloom into what you want to be – and being okay with the fact that the change may be slow – is indeed all worth it.   Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston and Be Like This by JD Samson & MEN

Bobby Lefebre is an award-winning spoken word artist, actor, and social worker. He is a walking example that we do not have to pick one passion to follow in life - and, in fact, we can live a life that honors all of our passions. Bobby recognized from an early age that he had many interests and that putting his answer to "What do you do?" into one box was not for him. Bobby's BE story is one that shows that it is possible to live the life you want to live, on your own terms.    Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston Be Intro by Common

Kayla Fruchtman was on a track to become a professor, when she made the decision to leave grad school, move across country and start her life anew. Her path lead her to non-profit work, which eventually allowed her the space to be an intrapreneur and launch The Her Initiative - a community of women who are providing access to clean water and health & hygiene education to women and children throughout the world.   Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston There Will Be Time by Mumford and Sons

Doug Reiser did not want to grow old as a tired and bored attorney in Seattle, so he made a change & moved to Asheville, NC to start Burial Beer Co. with his wife and a friend. Three years later they are opening up a second location! We discuss how he went from being a lawyer with a beer hobby to a brewery owner with a law hobby in order to live his authentic life of being.   Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston Be Above It by Tame Impala

Nora McInerny Purmort, at the age of 31, lost her husband and father to cancer – and had a miscarriage – all within two months time. We talk about how she dealt with a change that she did not ask for by starting her non profit, Still Kickin' and writing her memoir – It's Okay to Laugh, Crying is Cool Too. Features: Chapter Be's theme song, Happiness by Dave Preston Let it Be by The Beatles

The Chapter Be Podcast is back for SEASON 3! This first episode features an introduction to the new season as well as an interview with Dave Preston - the composer of Chapter Be's NEW theme song, Happiness.  Just as seasons change – so do people, and Season 3 of the podcast has an overall theme of CHANGE. Sometimes change is what happens to us, sometimes it is a choice we make, sometimes we know it is inevitable – and even though we know it is coming, we have to brace for what that all means.

Season 2 Finale!  As Season 2 of the Chapter Be Podcast comes to a close, I find myself really wanting to take some time to reflect - more specifically, reflect on the importance of reflection! We rarely take the time to look back at what we have accomplished and use those learnings as a way to drive our next steps. Good teaching always allows space for the learner to reflect on the information they have just consumed, and it is equally important that we do this with our own lives... Features an excerpt from an Oscar interview with Brie Larson AND Things Will Never Be the Same Again by JJ

Judy Joo is the Chef Patron of Jinjuu restaurant in London and Hong Kong. She worked as an institutional fixed income derivatives saleswoman for Goldman Sachs and then Morgan Stanley, when she decided that she needed a change and wanted to be doing something that she was more passionate about. So, she left the trading floor to pursue her interest in being a chef - enrolling in The French Culinary Institute in New York City. Her career in the culinary arts would take her to working on the media side of the culinary industry which eventually led her to being the first female Iron Chef in the UK and the host of her own cooking show, Korean Food Made Simple. In this episode, we discuss what skills she took with her from the finance world to restaurant kitchens, the importance of being kind to everyone you meet - no matter who they are, and how you find time to just be when you have a packed schedule and two restaurants to run!  Features Be Good to Yourself by Journey

Bridgette Di Ferdinando was an organizational psychologist and change management consultant who decided to make a change by focusing her energies on food advocacy and nutrition. She is one of the co-founders of the Bondi Food Collective in Sydney, Australia and is currently working on her BA in nutritional medicine with her ultimate goal being to become a nutritionist and dietician. She set out to get her degree at the same time she became a new mother and a year before her 40th birthday. In today's episode we talk about her decision to leave the corporate world, how she has dealt with the people who have not understood her life decisions and what it is like to go back to school later in life in order to move further down the path she has built for herself.  Featuring "Be Thankful for What You've Got" by Massive Attack

Michelle Lee Weldon is the founder and creator of Vibrant Medicine - a business that encourages you to "let a vibrant life be your medicine." It offers services that provide mindfulness and meditation coaching, yoga therapy, Neurosculpting meditation coaching and body centered psychotherapy. Michelle always new that she wanted to meld science and spirituality, but she allowed her various life experiences to direct the path that she has built for herself. She began as a school psychologist, but came to discover that it was limiting and not inclusive enough for her whole being - so she focused on opening her own practice. We talk about the lessons learned along the way, what Neurosculpting is and the importance of infusing a daily meditation practice into your life if you are hoping to make any sort of change.  Features Neil Diamond's Be from his Jonathan Livingston Seagull album. 

Haneen Badri is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of February. Haneen is a senior in high school in Denver, CO, who, after experiencing a major act of discrimination in middle school, found herself questioning her identity and very being. With the help of some mentors and caring adults, as well as her own determination, she overcame this self-hate. She is now an outspoken advocate for being yourself and embracing your differences. Outside of school, she leads the Colorado Muslim Society Girls Youth Group and is the youth representative for Young Sudanese.  Features Be Somebody by Kings of Leon

Today's episode is a short feature - focusing on the correlation between the scientific method, the creative process and the entrepreneurial experience. Features excerpts from past Chapter Be interviewees Danny Harris, Kathy Lee and Ian Trask.  Featuring Weird Science by Oingo Boingo 

Danny Harris is the founder and creator of People's District, a website that shares the stories of Washington, D.C.'s residents, and StorySocial, a creative design firm that helps tell better stories and create stronger communities. Danny is also the co-founder of Feastly, a startup that connects diners with chefs by offering unique food experiences, and is currently working as the Program Director for the Knight Foundation in San Jose, CA. Danny worked in the policy world before venturing out as an entrepreneur and storyteller. His intention was not to make a career change when he created People's District, but instead was looking for a way that he could personally connect with the people in his city and have a better understanding of his community. We discuss the personal transformation that launched this new life venture, the work of taking an idea to action and the importance in connection with those in your community who might not be just like you.  Features Aretha Franklin's cover of Let it Be

Douglas Tsoi is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of January and the founder of Portland Underground Grad School. Douglas was laid off from his job - a job he very much enjoyed - a little over a year ago. After this happened he eventually made the decision to take the next year off - focusing on all of the ideas he had been holding on to for years - giving himself, and his ideas, the time and space to try them out. It was going to be a year of doing and experimenting - seeing what worked and what didn't work. We talk about some of his experiments, the lessons learned along the way and how the year of experimentation has changed him as a person.  Features Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Ella Fitzgerald

Niki Koubourlis is the founder of Bold Betties Outfitters, a company that brings women together with what they need to get them out of their comfort zone and into the outdoors through both local Meetups and an eCommerce site where women can rent adventure, travel and outdoor apparel and gear. Niki created Bold Betties when she moved to Denver and was seeking ways to be adventurous and bold. Her move to Denver was part of an effort to be the driver of her own life and move out of a place of feeling stuck. It was during this time that she ultimately decided to leave her successful career in real estate and focus full-time on making Bold Betties a business. We discuss the abundance she has gained in making this leap, the power of being bold and how outdoor adventure assists her as an entrepreneur.  Features To Be With You by Mr. Big

Astrid Kersten and Mariella van Mackelenbergh are two of the eight people who found and/or run TRUST Amsterdam - a lunchroom and meeting space in Amsterdam, Netherlands, TRUST is a heart to heart business and works to challenge the way business as usual is done. They actively work to apply the purpose of "Be Happy for no Reason," and as they state on their website, "Businesses are a powerful agent of change. TRUST is about being the change we want to seeing the world." Their lunchroom follows the policy of "Come as you are. Pay as you feel," and the eight of them share money and don't have fixed salaries. We talk about their personal stories to creating or becoming a part of TRUST, and how they live by the principles and walk the walk that is TRUST.  Features What I Am! by Will.I.Am

Lindsey Stone is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of December. Lindsey was one of the co-founders of Clean Getaway Soap Company, which she started with her husband, Mikel. Yet, after seven years in business, they made the decision to retire it - even though it was what many would deem a success. Lindsey writes about this decision in her piece, Begin Again, as well as how quitting one thing just allows room for something else to blossom.  Features Things Will Never Be the Same Again by jj

Robin Cox is the founder and creator of Citinerary, an international network of passionate citizens who share stories via an online content platform and meet visitors through local meet-ups and events. Citinerary is currently in seven cities - Amsterdam, Bucharest, Madrid, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oslo and Rotterdam - and is expanding into more cities each month. Robin and I met in his studio in Amsterdam to discuss how Citinerary came to be along with his own journey from being in marketing & advertising to starting his own business. We talk about how Citinerary is working to either create or break perceptions about the cities they work with, how the world is in need of more real connections and the importance in giving yourself the freedom to experiment and make mistakes.  Features Wanna Be Startin' Something by Michael Jackson

Kate and Paul McCann are the creators of Inner Wanderlust, a site that is documenting their journey of bootstrapping 12 startups in 12 months. They began in January of 2015, after quitting their high paying corporate jobs in order to live a more simple and satisfying life. Currently, they have created 10 startups while traveling through 23 countries. They are driven by the values of experiences over things, time over money, giving back, social entrepreneurship and being location independent. Since they were entering their 12th and final month, I wanted to talk to them about their decision to spend a year on this Bootstrap 12 Challenge, as well as what they have learned along the way.  Features Better Together by Jack Johnson

Anthony "Champ" Kelly is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of November, and he is the Director of Pro Scouting and Personnel for the Chicago Bears. Champ writes about how being a weirdo and being different has helped him throughout his life accomplish the things that he wants to do - and sometimes it might not be exactly what he wanted, but by allowing space for the weirdness it gets him somewhere he could not have even imagined.  Featuring "We Just Won't Be Defeated" by The Go! Team

Jung Park is the founder of Metroboom, a men's style consulting and branding firm in Denver, Colorado. Jung discusses hist journey to creating MetroBoom after leaving a design firm where he face a "concrete ceiling," and how he ended up as an entrepreneur almost by accident after winning a business planning competition during his MBA program. We talk about the hustle of being an entrepreneur and how you have to be aware that suffering will inevitably be a part of your path, but, how in the end, it is worth it.  Featuring "Let it Be," originally by the Beatles; this rendition, Nick Cave 

You hear the phrase, "Be Yourself," and you are either left feeling inspired or just incredibly frustrate. Without context, this phrase can be rather cliche and empty. If you are in a moment of confusion or uncertainty, "Be Yourself," can just leave you asking - what does that even mean. Four stories from The BE Stories project discuss what "Be Yourself" means to them.  Featuring "Be Yourself" by Morcheeba 

Jacqueline (Jackie) Ros is the CEO and Founder of Revolar, a Denver startup that is making small wearable technology that is aiming to change the way people think about safety. Jackie was a teacher in Aurora, while at the same time building up a tech company. She didn't have a background in technology, but the idea was born out of a personal story and a passion to keep our loved ones safe in a smart, modern way. In today's episode we talk about building a company while working a full time demanding job, how being a teacher taught her how to be a CEO and what it is like being a female entrepreneur in the tech world.  Features Rather Be by Clean Bandit

Pause, Please - Time for a Detour This short episode details my decision to take a break from Chapter Be for a few months. My hope is that by stepping awya from teh site and all that goes with the day-to-day operations of it, I will be able to see more clearly what my next steps should be. I have become so wrapped up in the daily posts, interviews and logistics of making a weekly podcast, that I fear I have lost sight of my bigger mission and goals. It is not a goodbye or a full-stop, just a pause to take some time to breathe new life into Chapter Be and think about ways to expand, grow and change.  Featuring excerpts from Seth Godin's "Startup School" and "Never Be Daunted" by Jaymay

Michelle Roark is an Olympic freestyle skier turned business entrepreneur. Michelle joined the US Ski Team at the age of 16 and skied competitively for 16 years! She overcame 7 knee surgeries and continued to compete even while she earned her degree in chemical engineering from the School of Mines. She is a decorated skier who has directly applied what she learned on the mountain to her 3 businesses - Phia Lab, Voila Salon and Freestyle Group. We met at her salon (hence teh background noise!), and we talked about her days as a competitive skier, her outlook on what obstacles teach you in life and her passion for how science affects society.  Featuring - "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin 

Evan Skladany is the founder of Trés Correct Productions in Brooklyn, NY. Evan worked at a marketing research company when we was let go due to the fall of the economy in 2008. He took it as a sign to pursue his life-long interest in writing and got a side job waiting tables in order to ensure that he had the time to dedicate to the craft. In August 2013, Evan ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to help fund his independent comedy web series, Donnie Holland.  The series is currently in post-production, and if all goes as planned 7 short episodes will be released in summer 2015. In this episode we talk about what it means to take a leap of faith, how, when you first get started, you have to be okay with putting out work that might be less than perfect and the importance of knowing yourself and being clear and honest about it, instead of chasing what you think you are supposed to like or be.  Featuring Be Thankful for What You Got by William DeVaughn

Paul Kim is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of June, and his written piece is "Be Opportunity." Paul developed and teaches design thinking based social studies courses at Colorado Academy in Denver, CO. He has taught for 25 years, and co-founded Dot-to-Dot Children's Books with some of his former students. In this episode we discuss how the idea of "be opportunity" has affected him professionally and personally.  Featuring, "Born to Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez

Bonnie Coberly is a certified health counselor and the founder of Healthy Bites in Washington, D.C. Bonnie became a health coach after going through some health issues in her early twenties - experiencing a chronic health issue made her want to help other people find a healthier way of living. Her clients eventually nudged her to start Healthy Bites - a company that plans your weekly menu and delivers the freshly prepared dishes right to your door. Two years into the business, Healthy Bites ran into some trouble. In this episode we talk about how Bonnie worked through that, got to the other side and ultimately made the decision to partner with another local company, Power Supply, so that she could exit the business.  Features, "You Let Me Be" by Melissa Ferrick & Ani DiFranco

Paul Laurie is one of the founders of Walking Tree Travel and the creator of Silver Spork Social in Denver, CO. Paul was exposed to travel from a young age and it infused in him both a sense of adventure and an appreciation for what you gain when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. Walking Tree Travel encourages young people to expand their thoughts through travel, while Silve Spork Social is all about getting adults to seek adventure in their own backyard. Paul thrives on living a life of his own cration, and in this episode we talk about how he created both of his companies, what he's learned through the process and the importance of listening to your heart instead of other people's perceptions.  Featuring Be by Common

Sasha McDowell is the creator and founder of Epicycle - an organization whose mission is to support parents pursuing flexible, meaningful work, so they can devote ample time to their families and maintain engaging, challenging careers. Unlike some people who leave a job that they do not like and become an entrepreneur as a result, Sasha loved the work she was doing before starting her company. The journey began when she became a new mother and had to think about her time away from home and in the office in a whole new way. While looking for a new job, she struggled to find meaningful and challenging work that would also allow her the flexibility to be with her daughter. Meeting other parents that felt the same way, Sasha saw a real need and one that she had the skillset to address.  Featuring - "Let It Be" by Joan Baez

Today's episode features Ali DeJohn, the creator and founder of The Makerie - a creative retreat that was started in Boulder, CO. The goal of the retreats is to offer a place to find quiet, be inspired, learn and create. Ali's background is in events and marketing, but after taking a few years off to have children she found that she was craving having something of her own. Something that would help her to connect back to herself. This path led her to create The Makerie - so that she could bring what she was looking for to her community. It launched in 2010 and since then she has had to learn how to balance the teeter-totter of family and business, while continuing to grown an idea that she whole-heartedly believes in - which is creating a space for other people to tap into their own creative being.  Featuring "Could You Be Loved" by Bob Marley 

Kim Nemeth is the creator and owner of Woven by Hand - a small artisan business focused on handwoven wearables using traditional weaving patterns, but with a focus on textures and color schemes that are chic and modern. Kim first discovered weaving when she was working as an AmeriCorps member in Walla Walla, Washington. Her career would take her onto other non-profit organizations before she decided to reach herself how to weave and ultimately make it her livelihood. We talk about her story to becoming a weaver, some of the difficulties along the way and the importance of being patient in the process of creating your own path.  Featuring "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" by The White Stripes

Carol Renz Blake is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of May in honor of Mother's Day. She writes and talks about the importance of being invested - in life, as a mother and in yourself. We talk about how risk and trust play into the role of being a mother and how her life has been shaped by the risks she has taken and by trusting in herself. Being a mother is hard, and there is so much pressure to be the best, but the more we talk about it and be honest, the more we break down unrealistic expectations.  Featuring: I'll be There by Jackson 5

Karen Clark Cole is the creator and founder of Girls Can Do - an event series that hosts events around teh country where girls come to engage, connect and share experiences with amazing women speakers who are pursuing their dreams. The goal is to inspire a generation of possibility thinkers. Once could definitely define Karen as a possibility thinker, as Girls Can Do is her 2nd business. When not working on Girls Can Do she is running Blink, a tech company in Seattle, WA. We talk about how Girls Can Do came to be, how Karen balances running two companies and how she finds moments to just be in between it all. [Featuring "Don't Be Shy, by Pearl Jam]

Joanna Waterfall is teh creator of The Yellow Conference - a community of creative women who come together under one simple vision: to use their skills, talents and resources for good. Joanna created the conference out of her own need to hear other women's stories who were creating their own companies in order to both do good in teh world and follow their own path in life. Joanna's professional career is in graphic design, but her goal is to be able to focus on The Yellow Conference full time. We talk about her goals for growing the conference into an online platform via a Kickstarter, her struggles and doubts along the way and how she has built a community of support around her.  Features: Bill Wither's "Let It Be"

Aaron and Claire Van Holland created M.F.E.O. (We are Made for Each Other) - a Los Angeles based husband and wife studio specializing in locally crafted furniture, lighting and housewares made from reclaimed and sustainable materials. They built their business together with Aaron leaving an advertising job to focus on M.F.E.O. fill time. Claire continues to work her 9-5 job in digital media while they grow the company, with the hope that eventually she will be able to transition to working soley for M.F.E.O. Aaron and Claire discuss not have a formal background in furniture design, what it is like to build a handmade business in the LA area, the importance of working as a team, and the highs and lows throughout.  This is Aaron & Claire's Chapter Be story!  Featuring How They Want Me to Be by Best Coast

Ian Trask is a scientist turned artist who left his job working in a research lab in Salt Lake City to be an artist in Brooklyn, NY. He made the shift in 2007 and worked in a framing store while he took the time to play and experiment with his artwork - refining his artistic voice and making connections within the art communit in NYC. Most of his work is made with discarded manufactured goods, and his sculptures "transform materials of waste and commerical byproducts into refined aesthetic objects through a procedure of reinterpreting a material's value and usefulness." On this episode we talk about the process of realizing when something isn't what you thought it was going to be and how you can take steps to change it.  This is Ian's Chapter Be story!  Featuring: This Must Be the Place by the Talking Heads

Erica Wheeler is an award-winning songwriter and a sense-of-place speaker, educator and advocate. Her performance and educational programs help to enrich lives, engage communities, inspire stewardship, and evoke a sense of place and belonging that is deeply needed in our world today, In addtion to public programs, she specializes in working with parks, conservation organizations, educators and others whose work involves connecting people and place. Today we talk about what it means to connect to our space around us, how we need to listen to our hearts in order to do that and how Erica created a path that allowed her to do this special work that she loves so much. This is Erica's Chapter Be story!  Featuring the song "To Deep Water" by Erica Wheeler

Kory DeAngelo is Chapter Be's guest blogger for the month of March and is a registered dietitian who is passionate about whole foods nutrition and mind-body health. She has a practice, Wholeheart Nutrition, in Seattle, WA and specializes in providing expert nutrition counseling to help clients enhance their physical and emotional health. Her guest post is about being OPEN, and on the podcast short we discuss how being open has effected both her personal and professional life as well as steps we can all take to be more open.  Featured Song: "Into the Great Wide Open" by Tom Petty

Kathy Lee is the founder and owner of Modern Gingham Preserves in Denver, CO. Kathy was a neuroscientist before she became a professional jam & marmalade maker. She spent years working hard to earn her PhD and almost enrolled in nursing school before ultimately following her passion for preserving local fruit, getting her hands dirty in the kitchen and creating original and unique jam recipes. In this episode we talk about everything from the similarities between being a scientist and a jam maker to the fact that there are few "terminal decisions" in life. This is Kathy's Chapter Be story!  Featuring Tomorrow is Gonna Be Better by Josh Radin

Michelle Welsch - a social worker turned entrepreneur - quit her life in New York City and moved to Nepal to work on various projects that support leadership and educational opportunities within the country. What started as a fundrasing project evolved into her conseptualzing, fundraising and building the Learning House - a combination coffee house and tutoring center that provices a vibrant environment to foster educational growth and community in the region. We talk about the cultural differences between teh US and Nepal and how they have led to Michelle living a life that is more focused on gratitude and simply being.  Featured song: Be Lucky by the Who

Today's episode features Cynthia Morris, an author, illustrator, speaker and coach who - in short - has chosen to live a life of creativity. She created a business out of supporting others who want to do the same. She ahs taken big leaps of faith in her life in hopes that it wil show people - I'm doing something brave adn so can you! Cynthia's business, Original Impulse, is based in Denver, CO and she offers both boutique coaching and workshops that aim to help others live their true creative life. She's published a novel and is currently working on illustration projects - proving that you don't have to pick just one thing to focus on in your creative life.  Episode features "Let it Be" by Jennifer Hudson, featuring The Roots

Leslie Clay Nowlin is a small business owner who opened up a boutique, Fab'rik, in Littleton, Colorado. Fab'rik is a women's clothing store that started in Atlanta, Georgia where Leslie is originally from. Leslie worked in hospitality and then sales, and she was a customer at Fab'rik. She love the concept of the store and the personal relationships that she built with the stylists, so when she made the decision to seek out a way to be her own boss, owning a Fab'rik store rose to the top. Leslie always knew that working for herself and owning her own business was something that she wanted to do, and today we talk about her journey to figuring out what that would be and how she would do it. 

Erica Hartnick is the founder of the website Yoga Trade. Erica grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Nevada City, CA, and she realized pretty quickly after graduating from college that an office environment was not the right fit for her. She took to the mountains and from that point forward dedicated her life to one that included being in the outdoors and traveling. She has spent years teaching snowboarding, yoga and surfing between the States, Central America and Asia, and during this time, two things became very clear to her: there was a real need for an easier way to find teaching opportunities and for employers to locate interested instructors. It was out of this observation that Yoga Trade was born. Erica has spent much of her life creating her own path and is now working to help others do the same.  Features Let it Be by The Beatles   

Brad Allen grew up in a religious cult and from a young age knew he was gay. He was out to his family, but he lived by the belief that being gay was something that he could change. He eventually went to work in a church after getting his Masters in Divinity and loved his work there until he was fired. His firing led him to finally embrace being gay, which resulted in him being ostracized from the community he had built around him. This ultimately resulted in him becoming suicidal. Today we will talk about how he grew from this darkest moment in his life, the changes he made because of it, how it led him to his current role as an Education Specialist at Urban Peak in Denver, CO work with homeless youth, and how it gave him the power to live his compete and authentic life.  Featuring I Believe from The Book of Mormon musical