Embark

Humans are complicated. We often crave change... as long as we don't have to work to make it happen. How great would it be if we could have that dream job, or perfect mate, or lose that pesky 10 pounds, with a wave of a wand or a sprinkle of pixie dust? Life would be perfect. So much for magical thinking.Change, unless it happens from external sources, is an inside job. Yes, it is so hard, we may whine, but so well worth it if it brings us closer to what we want and honors our values.  Desire plus self-knowledge plus action equals change.Lisa DeAngelis knows a thing or two about change and describes the obstacles we encounter (or put in our own way), the reasons behind our resistance and the rewards we receive when we explore new possibilities.  She shares through research, personal experience and case studies what's involved in change and how it's not as difficult or as easy as it looks.She also tells me when change isn't such a good idea, if the justification is 'all the other kids are doing it'. Join us, then  share your own experience with change.  Thanks for listening.About LisaLisa DeAngelis is a holistic change practitioner, author, teacher, and speaker. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships and helping others live authentically. Her debut book, Embracing the Unknown: Exploring the Pathways to Change offers research, wisdom, and aspirational stories which will empower and support others in learning to navigate change in their own lives. Lisa's own unfolding journey has established her commitment to living with intention and purpose and helping others walk through the meaningful intersections of their lives. An avid traveler, singer and lover of the arts, Lisa lives and works in New York City

Our voiceprint is as unique as our fingerprint, and we understand a little about how we use our physical voice. But how do we use a writer's voice, and what is it anyway?As readers,  we fall in love with certain writers, their word choice,  their attitude,  the memorable characters that populate a work of fiction, or the distinct style of an essayist or non-fiction writer.Whether you want to make your emails more engaging/impactful/entertaining  or if you're attempting to author a distint book of your own, it's essential to develop a voice that connects to the reader or listener.Anne Janzer, brings knowledge, wisdom and humor to this episode.  She has also written The Writer's Voice: Techniques for Tuning your Tone and Style, the fifth book in her Writer's Process Series.We discuss how many writer's feel about their writing and writer's voice, how you can improve and vary the style  in which you communicate,  the musicality of language and the importance of serving the reader. With a little practice and and a sense of play, you can master the art and science of writing voice.Anne Janzer is an award-winning author, armchair cognitive science geek, nonfiction author coach, marketing practitioner, and blogger. She's on a mission to help people spread important ideas through writing.As a professional writer, she has worked with more than one hundred technology companies, writing in the voice of countless brands and corporate executives. She is author of the books Get the Word Out,  Writing to Be Understood,  The Writer's Process, The Workplace Writer's Process, and Subscription Marketing.

With two creative guilds (Writers Guild of America & SAG-AFTRA)  on strike, can we look forward to a repeat of this summer's Barbenhiemer double-bill phenom next summer? How much longer can striking actors and writers face off with big studios?  This strike affects many thousands more: Directors, script supervisors, hair and make-up, location scouts, gaffers, craft services, dialect coaches are just some of the essential members of a film crew.Collin Lieberg is Creative Executive at  Cobalt Knight, a genre production company focused on telling feature, series, and comic book stories about the human condition with touches of social commentary. He develops much of the content that you might view. Yet, these days, in solidarity with WGA and SAG-AFTRA, he's working on personal projects until the strikes are resolved.We talk about the striking creatives, the complications of negotiating with streaming companies and ponder what changes may happen and how that affects the film and TV industry whenever the strikes are settled.  Oh yeah. We also discuss Collin's musical background, and his fascination with the British Invasion of the 1960's.Collin Lieberg is a screenwriter, creative executive, and world traveler. He has spent many years living abroad and feeling out of place, so he writes about outsiders struggling to fit in. He has a background in academia, management, marketing, and retail that all inform his characters and stories.  For the past two years he has run a monthly #VirtualHappyHour (#VHH) Zoom mixer to connect with friends and make new connections. He's working on two TV pilots and is gearing up to write his first novel.Read more here:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terra-mystica-board-game-adaptation-cobalt-knight-1235363278/

You've probably heard the ubiquitous discussion  about AI.  How the bots are coming after your job, and are capable of  even greater nefarious actions.We put the nefarious aside today to address how AI voices are eliminating the need/desire to use human voice actors for many narration projects. So yes, Jack and my conversation is born out of self-interest, some trepidation and curiosity as to where all of this leads.  The development and now widespread  use of AI - for everything from ordering dinner to writing a book to litigating a legal case -  has significant consequences, which we will continue to explore throughout our season.Speaking of significant consequences, Jack and I talk about the SAG-AFTRA theatrical strike,  as well as blockbuster movie openings despite it.  Barbie and Oppenheimer, also known as Barbenheimer, or Oppenbarbie, have moviegoers filling theatre seats in record numbers.  In just three weeks, Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, has broken box office records, taking in over one billion dollars globally. Not bad for a girl : )At the same time, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer's has taken in  500 million dollars. Not too shabby for a three-hour film about the development of the nuclear bomb, another consequential event. See a theme here?We have some fun, and Jack indulges in some shameless (albeit well-deserved)  self-promotion. Thanks for listening.

Feeling overwhelmed? Lonely? Burnt-out and unfulfilled? You're not alone. When the Surgeon General declares a mental health crisis, you know your feelings of anxiety and depression are not outliers.Mental Health Counselor Jon Mattleman provides some calm, as well as some strategies you can use to help you get over some of life's most challenging times and perhaps lift your spirits.We talk about the changing phenomenon of how we choose  - if at all, to show up at work, where to find fulfillment in several overlooked and abandoned professions and how Jon discovered his 'emergency joy' in a quarter of Brigham's chocolate chip ice cream.About Jon MattlemanAcross all of his work, Jon brings warmth, understanding, and patience…plus a healthy dose of humor! In his more than 30 years of experience as a therapist and presenter, clients have felt comforted by his ability to acknowledge that the challenges they face are complex – and often downright exhausting! In acknowledgment of this, his work is grounded in delivering tools that can be implemented immediately. Who has time to wait?More about Jon's work here

Passions. Some people say follow your passions and you'll never work a day in your life. Do what you love and the money will follow. Is that true?  If we don't take the road less traveled, will we regret it, or be ever grateful to the parents who urged us to attend business school or find 'a real job'?Is it possible to follow a more traditional, pragmatic career path and either find passion there?  How important is having a career for an interest we have passion for, especially if we lack talent of said passion? Passions. What are they good for?Which route leads to success - and  happiness - following your passions or being pragmatic? Can those two things coexist?Jack and I will let you know as we discuss our own career paths, the advice we would give our younger selves and wax poetic about a little, old TV show called 'WKRP in Cincinnati'. Welcome to our world. Please share this episode with a friend, mention it on the socials and please subscribe.

Andy Warhol said 'In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.' Seems like everyone will have a book as well. It can raise your profile as a professional, bring your credibility as an expert, get you speaking engagements, and if it's a good book, make you famous.Many non-fiction, business books and memoirs are written by ghostwriters, those unsung heroes of the literary world who take the facts and history of someone's life and experience and transform it into an engaging narrative. Today, on Embark, we delve into this world of story craft with Sherry Granader.As a ghostwriter of over 150 books, with 5 on Amazon's bestseller list, Sherry  is also a certified Sports Nutritionist.  She has ghostwritten books and memoirs for CEOs, business owners, Doctors, Lawyers, Scientists, and Clinical Nutritionists.  In addition to attending Culinary School at the University of Montana, Sherry is also an author of 2 healthy cookbooks, “Eat Right, Feel Good, Lose Weight, Have Fun – You won't be hungry!” and “Soy You Wanna Lose Weight?”  She served as the On-Air Nutritionist for QVC television in the United States and the UK and hosted her weekly “Healthy Living” segments for PBS television. Sherry is passionate about sharing her writing talents with authors to help them express their voices, knowledge, and life experiences to create a book he or she can be proud of. Sherry specializes in non-fiction, memoirs, medical and business books.Is writing a book in your future? Here are Sherry's top 10 reasons to worth with a ghostwriter.1.    Not Getting it Done - The main reason I'd consider engaging a ghostwriter is if you're in a position where you've wanted to write a book for years and just aren't getting it done. If you've realized that it's just not going to happen if you're on your own, then a ghostwriter can turn your idea into a publishable draft.2.    TIME – most of my authors work full time and do not have the time it takes to create a publisher-ready manuscript. A book of 150+ pages takes about 4 months write 3 chapters per month.3.    A Ghostwriter and Bring Your Story to Life - It's still your ideas and knowledge in many cases, and the ghostwriter brings has the writing chops to bring it to life.4.    No ONE has to know – operative word – ghost. There is nothing shady about hiring a ghostwriter. It might seem strange that ghostwriters don't take any credit for their work and you might worry that they'll resent you, but rest assured: contracted ghostwriters are perfectly content with their jobs. 5.    It is a collaborative effort - Ghostwriting collaborations are as rewarding for the ghostwriter as they are for the person hiring them, and they've helped countless people fulfill publishing goals they could previously only dream of.6.    Ghostwriters are chameleons who bring other people's stories to the page in fiction and nonfiction. They are versatile, the chameleons of the writing world, and can effortlessly switch between styles and genres. 7.    Lack the Know-How - No one knows your life story better than you, but you may lack the know-how to tie it all together in a way that is easy to follow and that the average reader will appreciate. Enter the ghostwriter, who can synthesize all your memories and anecdotes into a moving autobiography or entertaining memoir with a little distance from the topic!8.    Ghostwriters ask the right questions – especially when it comes to writing a memoir. Often too close to the topic as the author, the ghostwriter asks the ques

AI Voices. We hear about them every day. And we hear them every day. At the airport. Waiting for a bus or train. On that small console on our kitchen counter or, God forbid, bedside table.Smart assistants make our lives easier: Ask them anything. But the technology also hears a lot. Perhaps a lot that we'd rather keep to ourselves.In this episode, I talk about my own ambivalence about the quickly evolving development of and our growing comfort with AI.  For many of us in the voice over industry, as well as other creative pursuits like graphic design, animation, writing, and professions like law, there's a certain uneasiness with the technology as well. AI: Something to fear or embrace? The technology is here to stay, so it's best to understand it and use it to our best advantage. Professionally speaking, it's a great tool, but I'm going to double down on being human. A few weeks ago, voice actor Ann Lucente and I moderated a panel discussion on AI in Clubhouse.  Listen to the replay here.  Recent Embark guest Kirsten Rourke weighed in on AI, among other things.Find our conversation here. As always, let's keep it human. And thanks for listening.  

She is a TED-talking, eLearning, tech-savvy, belly-dancing, wine-sipping presentation coach, and she's my guest today on Embark.Ongoing Mastery's Kirsten Rourke worked freelance with training vendors for over 20 years, gaining expertise in adjusting to environments on the fly and fixing training programs that weren't working for clients' needs. She's been an e-Learning developer, staff instructional designer, and production manager for a large international team. In addition to being a Certified Technical Trainer, Kirsten has a Master's of Education in Instructional Design.She shifted her business to Rourke Training LLC in January 2022 to bring a focus on performance, engagement, and instructional design to leaders who know they need to adapt to their speaking environment and audience in the moment without stress.  In this episode we discuss the key to engagement, even in the virtual meting, the growing industry of instructional design,  the ubiquitous AI discussion, her stint at Burger King University,  a favorite belly dancing performances and her recommendation for a quaffable spring wine.Thanks for joining the conversation.

"Everything rests on your ability to communicate." Catherine Johns walks - and talks - the talk. I have the  pleasure to share a fantastic conversation where we discuss how to gracefully navigate the dreaded Zoom talk, as well as how to own the stage, even when you are being heckled, er, challenged by an unruly audience member. Hear Catherine's take on how the overthinking speaker gets centered, where to place yourself on stage, and when to move and why a bot will never replace her.About Catherine: Catherine John's guides executives and entrepreneurs to craft a clear compelling message and deliver it with confidence charisma, and maybe a quirk. If you're from the Midwest, you may remember Catherine from Chicago radio as a morning show personality and talk show host. She perfected the art of making information interesting. While she invited interaction and probably develop to some incredible improvisational skills, she has consulted with companies like JP Morgan, Bank of America, and good year to elevate their presentation skills. She provides coaching and training on executive presence, client communication and public speaking, along with special sessions for women on professional presence. Find her book, Show and Shine: Simple Steps to Boost Your Confidence and Charisma on Amazon

Tired of the news cycle? Sick of the constant drip, drip, drip of downbeat information? So are we, so Jack and I decided less news media consumption, more turning up the volume and indulging our passion for listening to music. We couldn't help but watch the State of the Union Address, though.  We wander into political territory, before going to the happy place of sharing favorite bands, and wondering if Rock 'n Roll is still a thing. If it's not, is it time to re-think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  Broaden the tent to encompass all genres? I like that idea. It feels democratic, and  since I embrace all kinds of music, it seems right.We also talk about altered states, aka cosmetic surgery. Many celebrities are doing an about face on their old - er, former - faces, with mixed results. What do you think?Also, in light of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, there is incredible need and ways for your to help. Check your local consulates to donate in-kind items like blankets, tents, jackets, diapers, hats, gloves and other clothing.You can also donate to unicefusa.org or https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org.Thank you. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Reach out at  liz@embarkthepodcast.com.Thanks for listening.

You have two ears and one mouth, so you probably listen twice as much as you talk.Nah, not even close. Most of us, in fact, don't know how to listen. We've never really been taught. Can we learn  how to listen?Glad you asked. We have a listening expert, a PhD in Listening. Okay, she's a PhD in Communications.  Dr. Laura Janusik wasn't always a great listener. She thought she was smarter than whoever was talking, and uncomfortable with lulls in the conversation was a 'filler-inner." Like most of us. She got over it, though and so can we.Our conversation covers text and subtext, what respectful listening is and why you don't need to agree to just listen and understand.Laura Janusik one of the world's leading experts in teaching and training listening is  a dynamic trainer, researcher, speaker, coach, and consultant, She uses her MBA and PhD in Communication to help coaches listen well, hear more, and change lives. Her approach to communication, both oral and written, is practical and other-centered. Past president of the International Listening Association, Laura is published both nationally and internationally. Her research and ideas are cited in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and US News and World Report. Read more here. 

How's your year going? Jack has dubbed the month of January 'the Monday of the year', and it's feeling that way with the crazy shenanigans going on in the House of Representatives, secret documents unearthed in garages and tell-all bios by whiny Royals. Although we not-so-secretly crave a crown of our own. (I'm polishing mine now.)Jack and I do find  silver linings, and cock-eyed optimists that we are, share admiration for Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin and gratitude for his remarkable recovery from cardiac arrest his suffered two weeks ago. It's always a win when we all come together to rally behind someone. We also talk about the power of awe, the wonder we find in nature, people we admire, the miracle of birth. Those things that put our lives and perspective. A reminder we are not the center of the earth but part of something greater than ourselves.All the same, we think y'all are pretty great. Send in your comments, ideas and feedback at  liz@embarkthepodcast.com.Thanks for listening.

Now that most of us are remote, there's a whole lot of writing going on. Emails, social posts, newsletters, web content.  Writing, or at least good writing, is something many of us find difficult.  Erin Lebacqz is here and guides us  to show up as our best selves, on paper(or screen),  at least.We talk about why conciseness and clarity matter, and how how you can convey a respectful, empathetic message to people, regardless of their beliefs, background, educational level and experiences.  Why verbs can be a communicators best friend, and how to use them to best effect.Hear about writing intelligence, which is much like emotional intelligence, but with, you know, written words.  In other words, Erin shares how we can come across and a caring expert who responds to the reader's needs.About Erin: Author and international educator Erin Lebacqz helps you write with clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence. Erin's curriculum and book, High-Value Writing, capture Erin's 25 years of experience working with business and academic writers around the world. Erin's interactive sessions engage learners in purposeful discussions that respect their desire for intellectual growth while also providing practical strategies learners can immediately apply in the workplace. You can learn more about Erin's instructional style through her videos on her YouTube channel: High-Value Writing.Connect with Erin on LinkedIn

The lights! The decorations! The presents! The throw down at the dinner table.Ah, the holidays. They can be joyous occasions to spend with family. Or, they can be emotional landmines, filled with resentment, competition and angry exchanges over a difference of opinion.Before you walk out in a huff -- before dessert hits the table, no less - let's take five, or ten to compose ourselves. Jack and I discuss some of the pitfalls of family get togethers, and hopefully share some ways to prepare yourself to face your nearest and dearest. You might surprise yourself with your self-control, diplomacy and actual love you have for those weirdos you call family.  Let's make nice and make merry.If all else fails, Jack is here for you to provide emotional support and holiday wisdom.Happy Holidays!

Our phones are ubiquitous. I mean, we don't leave home without them. So, let's use them for more real time conversations? My guest, Mary Jane Copps has some answers and also some compelling reasons to reach out and touch someone: Just call them on the phone.Mary Jane, also known as MJ or to her many followers, The Phone Lady has shown hundreds of professionals how to use the phone to ramp up their business. Recently a cohort of her clients experienced mind-boggling close rates of 30 percent.  In this episode, MJ provides compassionate insight on why our conversation (or lack thereof) has become so uncivil. She also  shares how we can listen, even when we really don't understand another person. That giving attention is not only a way to show respect, but show love. Read one of her recent articles HERE.No matter what platform or mode she chooses to communicate: email, phone, in person or text, MJ  delivers a message that is memorable, effective and moves people to action.  

Did your personality change as a result of the Covid pandemic?  According to an October article in the New York Times, possibly. Whether the changes are long-term or permanent remain to be seen, but there's no denying the events of the last almost three years has affected our behaviors.Jack and I talk about what some of those long term changes mean, the high cost of college tuition and what one university is doing about it, the long road to adulthood and why nominees for the  2024 presidential campaign are not set in stone.

Tis the season to be thankful, and Jack Monson and I get there, eventually. In the meantime, we talk about passive-aggressive greetings and faux concern, a new season of Yellowstone,  and a yearning for more humor in advertising and culture.What are we grateful for? Well, Thanksgiving, for one, Mel Brooks,  Nick Kroll and really good pizza. In fact, Jack suggests we add a brand new holiday following this week's feast in  honor of  our favorite doughy treat.

Orrin helps frustrated and overwhelmed entrepreneurs understand how they create their beliefs and emotions, so that they can change them in order to fuel high performance behaviour and massively increase their resultsHis expertise lies in the fields of Personal Development, Faith and Work, Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and Emotional Intelligence.We talk about how the stories we grow up with about ourselves influence our self-perception and sense of agency, what leadership looks like, and how to lead ourselves to influence others.YouTube Orrin Lieuwen LinkedIn Orrin Lieuwen Facebook Lionheart Leadership Instagram @lionheartleadership TikTok @lionheartleadership

Social Joey Radio's Jack Monson and I once again talk about our differences on the political front, but form a united front on our shared disdain of Reality TV.  Our conversation soon leads to a political discussion and how the media magnifies the bad behavior of politicians. As usual, we have different takes on the attack of Paul Pelosi, our preferred midterm elections outcomes and our take on current circumstances as we see it. We agree way too much is spent on getting people elected, and not enough on the people those would-be leaders are supposed to represent. Know someone you disagree with? Start a conversation, get curious and listen. We're with you. Let's embark on what unites us.

There's a lot of talk,  but  what do we have to say? And how does that effect or influence other people?  There are a couple of secrets to really great communication, and we're going to find out a few of them today on Embark. My guest, Tina Bakehouse, is the chief communicator, coach  and TEDx speaker at Tina B. Media. Everyday she dons the invincibility bracelets and protects audiences from boring speeches. Tina believes your communication persuades your audience to either listen or tune out. Which would you prefer?We talk about the five dimensions of story creation,  the dance of conversation and how to listen.  We also trade stories about our memorable surnames.Connect to Tina B. here:Email:  TinaB@TinaBakehouse.comWebsite: https://www.tinabakehouse.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-bakehouse-ma-36581232/ Facebook private group: Uplevel Speaker Style:https://www.facebook.com/groups/927962384724316 

We hear a lot from some people. If you're on social media, perhaps we hear too much.But what about the rest of us? We're mum on many topics, especially those that may be polarizing. Let's be brave, be open and at least start a difficult conversation. We might learn something and even through conflict create a relationship based on mutual respect, if not agreement.Jack Monson and Liz Solar look at political polarization,  labelling other people and reality TV, as well as question who or what might bring us together. 

Is it possible to disagree with someone on politics, party and policy and still be civil? Heck yeah. You can even be friends.  My colleague, Jack Monson and I may not share  opinions on what politicians we support or who is best to solve what's ailing our country, but we do share a love of family, work ethic, a broadcasting background and an irreverent sense of humor. We get each other.We wonder how we can find common ground, when we don't even share a vocabulary about benign things like what we call certain frozen desserts or athletic shoes.Join us as we attempt to get America talking to each other, one conversation at a time.About Jack Monson: Jack is Consigliere and Connector at Eulerity. He's the  CEO and Host at Social Geek Enterprises, Inc, which  produces branded podcasts for the biggest names in marketing and franchising as well as providing consulting and voiceover services. His show, Social Geek Radio is one of Apple's Top 25 Marketing podcasts. 

What do you do when the national dialogue sucks? You start listening. And figure out better ways to communicate. During a long conversation with a friend - and my polar opposite on the political front - we agreed  about our frustration with the general/national dialogue. Or lack thereof.  I mean, here we were, agreeably disagreeing and trying to keep an open mind.  A seed was planted in my mind as how this willingness to get curious, ask questions and try to understand 'the other' could grow into if not a full-fledged movement, at least a clarion call to reach out and try to 'get someone' who's not us!When my husband and I decided to get a puppy in June, we forgot about how much work it takes - and how much sleep we missed. We also didn't realize the amount of conversation and true connection walking around with young Ziggy would provide. It was refreshing, exhilarating to participate in conversations filled with humor, good will and many photos of fur babies.Not a barbed remark or reference to the ongoing political 'situation'. It really was a vacation of thought. An then, an epiphany! Want to make friends? Get a dog! Or find some fun conversation starter to start communicating - really communicating - more. To our nearest and dearest. And to absolutely strangers, who are really friends we haven't met yet!I hear a lot of ‘I don't get them.' They're stupid/crazy/too fragile/woke. You get the drift. We don't seem to get each other. Self-involvement, lack of information or experience, blind adherence to a belief prevents us from seeing things from a different viewpoint. And there are many points of view, many sides to a story.If we don't listen and don't engage, we can't really know what another person thinks? And as good as we are, we're not clairvoyant. So get curious. Start with some questions. Let's listen to understand, if not agree.This season's Embark goes where few conversations go – to the other side. Or to many sides.In any case, if one small Goldendoodle can create this much connection,  then human salvation is within reach. Hop on for a little more conversation and a lot more ‘getting' each other. All aboard?  Let's go.

'The ultimate outsider creates a global community through a passion for writing.' In film or book publishing this sentence would be called a logline,  a brief (usually one-sentence) summary of a television program, film, or book that states the central conflict of the story.Today's guest is Collin Lieberg a screenwriter, creative executive, and world traveler. He has spent many years living abroad and feeling out of place, so he writes about outsiders struggling to fit in. He has a background in academia, management, marketing, and retail that all inform his characters and stories.  Collin is the Creative Executive for Cobalt Knight, a genre production company focused on telling feature, series and comic book stories about the human condition with touches of social commentary. For the past two years he has run a monthly #VirtualHappyHour (#VHH) Zoom mixer to connect with friends and make new connections. Get in touch at collin.lieberg@gmail.com.  

One of the most entertaining writers I've read -- Randy Susan Meyers matches that level of fun in our conversation. We talk about writing what you know truthfully, and why villains are so much fun -- but only in fiction. In real life, not so much.  If you're looking for great summer reads, she has quite a few. You can find them here. Later in the episode, I share what I'm reading this week. Please share your beach reads at liz@embarkthepodcast.com.Randy Susan Meyers is the national bestselling author of Waisted, Accidents of Marriage, The Comfort of Lies, The Murderer's Daughters, and The Widow of Wall Street. Her books have been chosen as Must-Read Books" by the Massachusetts Center for the Book three times, writing "The clear and distinctive voice of Randy Susan Meyers will have you enraptured and wanting more." She teaches writing in Boston and still misses her Brooklyn hometown. Her most recent novel was The Fashion Orphans. 

It's now been over two week's since the mass school shootings at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Nineteen children, two teachers are dead. More people were injured and the response from many of our leaders? Crickets. Questions avoided. Narratives changed, edited and from this vantage point, fictionalized. Worse, when voices are raised to enact common sense gun control reform, they are met with 'now is not the time' or 'let's not politicize this.' How can we remedy what ails our society if we can't even talk about it?Wednesday's emotional hearing on gun violence, followed by the House's passage of the wide-ranging control legislation, even if the Senate does nothing may signal  a sea change. Let's keep talking, reaching out to the other side. Find common ground Nothing changes until hearts and minds are open, receptive and engaged. We can change, hopefully for the better. Civil discourse is a good start.

As a parent, it's difficult to stop thinking about the recent school shootings in Uvalde.Despite stall tactics on gun reform, here we are ten years after Sandy Hook, and additional mass shootings too numerous to mention, and we're in the same place of inaction. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.If politicians don't do the right thing, it's time for us to pick up a moral compass and find a better way. Thanks for listening.  

According to Salesforce, 79% of buyers in the sales process want professionals who perform as trusted advisors. Yet it takes time to build trust. My guest Dr. Nancy Zare talks about how to do just that, sell without being sell-y and the ‘Platinum Rule'. She also outlines the four buying and selling styles.  Once you figure out yours,  you can build rapport quickly and authentically, become a trusted advisor, and increase client acquisition.  About Dr. NancyA psychologist and strategist, Dr. Nancy Zare works with service-based business owners who want to increase sales comfortably and with integrity. She reveals how buyers buy so you can feel poised, converse with confidence, and get new clients. Nancy earned her masters and doctorate from Boston College and is a former professor of social work. She is the author of several books including Compelling Selling, Lead Generation Formulas, and an international best seller, Words That Sell with Style. Her latest book with co-author, Mary Pekas, No Pressure Selling; 15 Proven Formulas for Getting Business Easily is available from Amazon. The audio book will be released shortly.Accredited in sales training and adult learning, Nancy turns education into edutainment. Her secret desire is to go racing on the Autobahn. Be ready to laugh, think, share, and be wowed as she drives home the idea of how to have comfortable sales conversations without being sale-z. In her leisure time, she is a student of spirituality. Nancy lives in south Florida, and enjoys food preparation, swimming, and crafts. She volunteers as a foster family for the Farm Dog Rescue.    

Resiliency.  It gives people the strength needed to process and overcome hardship.  When we lack resilience we get easily overwhelmed, and may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Resilient people tap into their strengths and support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems. Today, Lisa Hurt, the 'Resilience Maverick' tells her own story of moving forward in the face of adversity, and shares several ways we can move forward to a more peaceful, purposeful and content life.Aleasia “Lisa” Hurt  has served over 30 years in the Corporate world, exhilarating the resiliency of others while openhandedly discounting the magnitude of her own. In this vein, she has pursued her personal destiny to implement an Elevation Resiliency Coaching Program™️. Recently selected to the Marquis Who's Who in America and to participate in the Shawn Fair's Leadership Experience Tour, February 2022 Edition, she is branded as the ‘Resiliency Maverick'. Elevation Resiliency Coaching Program™ focuses on Emotional Literacy and Intelligence to achieve Resiliency in the workplace. Her notable program is designated to foster Emotional Intelligent Executives and Stakeholders, using premier- holistic and empathetic focused solutions. Aleasia's divine purpose is to cultivate resilient leaders and employees while simultaneously securing a sustainable culture.In 2005, the empathetic wordsmith launched HURTNPOET LLC professional writing services. Flex Your Voice Content Marketing™️ is a Promotional-Branding paradigm and with her distinct literary craftsmanship, she crafts compelling, seller-poet content for Empowerment Industry Thought-Leaders; Coaches, Podcasters, Consultants, Speakers, Niche Powerhouses.                                                                                                                            Lisa completed her undergrad at Ferrum College, earning a Bachelor degree in Social Work, with a Minor in Sociology. She has also earned Certification in a disciplined Business initiative, The CEO Mindset -Who Owns the Ice House Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative at the local ACC Small Business Center. Her journey includes variant disciplines and levels of Psychotherapy, and she began her passion for Writing at a very young age. Throughout her years of Clinical practice, she continued to pursue her love for poetry and Business Writing.    

Barbara Roche, or 'Coach Roche' develops leaders, inspires confidence and gets people talking. She also adds a booty-shaking dance routine or fun movement break into almost every program she develops.Join us for this smart and savvy conversation about how to see yourself better so you can raise yourself up and forward.About Barbara RocheHer mission is to help more women advance to the C-Suite. And to eradicate death by PowerPoint!She's  a player-coach. When Barbara is not speaking, she's  coaching presenters, leaders and aspiring keynoters. She's coached CEOs, pitch teams, job candidates, and TEDx speakers.A native Bostonian, Barbara is a proud member of Red Sox Nation. She  lives a secret life as a fitness instructor."Time to stop playing small. Step up, speak up, stand out."

What does it mean to have a life well-lived? That's the title of Sky Bergman's documentary, and the theme of today's episode. We discuss resilience,  having a sense of purpose, curiosity and  intergenerational mixing.  At the center of Sky's film are 40 people from ages 75 to over 100, their histories, heartbreaks and personal victories.  Their determination to live generously and fully,  as well as good old-fashioned grit,  are essential ingredients for a rich and vital life.  Sky's grandmother and muse also added  a healthy dose of cooking, regular workouts and dedication to la famiglia.Sky Bergman (she/her) is an accomplished, award-winning photographer and filmmaker. Lives Well Lived  is Sky's directorial debut. Her fine art work is included in permanent collections at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Her commercial work has appeared on book covers for Random House and Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc., and magazine spreads in Smithsonian, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, Reader's Digest, and Archaeology Odyssey.Sky Bergman is Professor Emeritus of Photography and Video and a former Department Chair of the Art & Design Department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. She has two short films about intergenerational connections currently on the film festival circuit and is working on a feature-length film that is a celebration of love.More about Sky  here and here. 

Kavita Ahuja is an Entrepreneur and Founder of Power Purpose Play, a Global Platform dedicated to advancing the personal growth and inner power of women in midlife. She is the Host and Visionary behind the successful Podcast, “The Midlife Reinvention”, a course content creator, an accomplished writer, and a Personal Transformation and Transition Coach. At the age of 52, Kavita, who also holds a major in Biology and an MBA, left an extremely successful corporate pharmaceutical career of almost 25 years, took control of her health, her spirituality, her personal relationships, and found her next true calling. This is to help women find the Power within them to rediscover their Purpose and reinvent themselves, regardless of their age or circumstance. She rediscovered herself after the age of 50, and she knows you can too. Her mission is to help you do just that.“My vision is to give you a glimpse of yourself beyond anything you can imagine. I want you to experience more happiness, more hope for your future, more excitement for your next journey, more confidence in yourself, and a greater understanding of your true purpose and power in this next chapter of your life”

This week, I rant - I mean discuss - our penchant to indiscriminately share too much information,  online and often in real life.  Not that there's anything wrong with it!We  may have become a little too confessional for own good, and sometimes, as one friend pointed out to me. "Did you ever think of something and not say it?"Of course, there is more self-restraint on platforms like LinkedIn, where we try to show up as our most professional selves. Other platforms,  we let those emotional floodgates open, perhaps exposing a little more about us than is necessary. Or healthy.  When is it okay to reveal all  in order to establish connection? Is it ever okay?  Do we overshare to the point of  emotionally sluttiness?I ponder these questions, and opine on chronic filterless exchanges of information.  While  a propensity to overshare is often  all too human,  there are times  'discretion is the better part of valor.'

Thanks for listening to Embark. This week,  author Juliette Fay and I discuss her latest novel Catch Us When We Fall (see synopsis below).  Within the discussion of the book is our conversation about addiction, which has become epidemic, recovery, community, family and baseball. Writers always tell great stories. Stick around for this one.About Juliette: Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of six novels, including Catch Us When We Fall, City of Flickering Light and The Tumbling Turner Sisters, a USA Today bestseller and Costco Pennie's Book Club Pick. Previous novels include The Shortest Way Home, one of Library Journal's Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women's Fiction; Deep Down True, short-listed for the 2011Women's Fiction award by the American Library Association; and Shelter Me, a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Must-Read Book” and an Indie Next pick. Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, and lives in Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at www.juliettefay.com, Facebook Juliette Fay, author, Twitter @juliettefay, and Instagram Juliette_Fay.Synopsis of Catch Us When We Fall On her own since the age of 18, Cass Macklin dated brilliant, troubled Ben McGreavy. They drank their way through their 20s, growing more addicted and less able to hold down jobs as time went on. Now Ben is dead, and Cass is broke, homeless, scared … and pregnant.Determined to raise Ben's baby, Cass has to find a way to stop drinking and build a stable life for her child. She turns to the only person with the means to help her: Ben's brother Scott, third basemen for the Boston Red Sox, a man with a temper and problems of his own. 

'O, how wonderful is the human voice! It is indeed the organ of the soul! - H.W. LongfellowThis week, I  break from Embark's interview format to ruminate on the qualities of the voice.  What do we sound like?  What do our voices say about us? Does it matter?How much of our character, personality or background does our voice reveal? Do we hide behind our voice to conceal things we'd rather not share? Does our voice tell our entire story?Subsequent episodes will discuss how styles of speaking evolve, the rise of AI  and synthesized voices, as well as how kids in one world class city speak in a very different dialect than their parents.Today's episode features a little bit about voice acting and how casting has changed, how broadcasting has homogenized how we speak in the U.S,  and if it's possible to sound taller. 

Who is writing all of those fabulous business books? Often, it's the work of a ghostwriter. Savvy business people - and many fiction writers - long ideas but short on time, enlist the skills,  versatility  and stealth of a ghostwriter to translate their vision and experience into compelling prose. Today's guest,  ghostwriter Emily Crookston,  possesses the shape-shifting ability to capture voice, attitude and vision to make your book read as if you  -- the co-author - actually wrote it.  And the rest of us will never be the wiser. We talk about Emily's shift from the world of academia to her current status of badass muse, how to excel at using LinkedIn, and why it's important  to state who you don't want as clients. So freeing.Emily Crookston is the ghostwriter for rebels, renegades, and mavericks. She helps experts—who are long on ideas, but short on time—write business books. As the Owner and Decider of All Things at the Pocket PhD, Emily and her team collaborate with professionals and brands who are ready to take their LinkedIn networking to the next level. Together they strategize and create content for LinkedIn based on their clients' goals. Emily is also a former philosophy professor, speaker, and podcast guest. When she's not writing intensely, she's most likely practicing yoga intensely. She lives for coffee shops that play great music to write to and desserts topped with *real* whipped cream.Connect with Emily:LinkedIn Want to up your game on LinkedIn. Download Emily's free LinkedIn Cliff Notes.  

How do we live our lives when the heartbreakingly unthinkable happens - the loss of a young husband and father? If you are Zhu Shen and her son Perry, you 'take your broken heart and make it into art.' as the late Carrie Fisher counseled.Today on Embark, we talk about life, loss, the nature of art as both healing mechanism and lasting tribute to our loved ones who have left us. You can watch and support Zhu's films here   for exclusive screening invitations and major updates, and receive FREE link to watch Zhu and Perry's  Oscar-qualified Changyou's Journey:Listeners of Embark can watch exclusive scenes from our documentary feature in late production from now till March 20, 2022 HERE:BiographyDr. Zhu Shen is an award-winning film producer, best known for two Oscar-qualified, critically acclaimed animation shorts she produced: Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest about a young Holocaust survivor, animated by her 11-year-old son Perry Chen in 2011, and Changyou's Journey about her late husband's life, written and directed by Perry Chen in 2018. She is currently writing, directing, and producing her first feature film, a personal documentary, Journey of a Thousand Miles. A 2020 Spring Roy Dean Grant Finalist. A former award-winning biotech executive, author, speaker and China business expert,  Shen's love for movies started when she grew up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and movies were the only available  mass entertainment.  Zhu Shen's work has featured on national and trade media including Fox, Business Week, China Central Television, Pharmaceutical Executive, and the Scientist Magazine. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Colorado, her MBA at Cornell University Johnson School of Management, studied medicine at Peking Union Medical College, and pre-med at Peking University. Social Media Links: LinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterDr. Zhu Shen is an award-winning film producer, best known for two Oscar-qualified, critically acclaimed animation shorts she produced: Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest about a young Holocaust survivor, animated by her 11-year-old son Perry Chen in 2011, and Changyou's Journey about her late husband's life, written and directed by Perry Chen in 2018. She is currently writing, directing, and producing her first feature film, a personal documentary, Journey of a Thousand Miles. A 2020 Spring Roy Dean Grant Finalist. A former award-winning biotech executive, author, speaker and China business expert,  Shen's love for movies started when she grew up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and movies were the only available  mass entertainment.  Zhu Shen's work has featured on national and trade media including Fox, Business Week, China Central Television, Pharmaceutical Executive, and the Scientist Magazine. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Colorado, her MBA at Cornell University Johnson Sch

Think you have what it takes to be a podcast host?  Pod 617's David Yas is here to share his quick wit and sharp insights about venturing out into Pod World. We talk about our shared love of music, his storied career  as a podcast producer, creator and host as well as where he thinks opportunities are. Spoiler alert: there is still a lot of subjects and markets to tap.About David David L. Yas is the Founder and CEO of The Boston Podcast Network. He has been producing podcasts since 2015 and has put his signature on approximately 1,000 episodes as a creative influence, host, editor, and promoter. He is the host of The Boston Podcast, which has logged more than 100,000 downloads.David, a licensed attorney, spent 15 years at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, which he guided to an all-time high in paid circulation and profits. He has served as a commentator providing perspective on legal matters for a wide range of media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, NPR Radio and the Boston Globe. Yas was named Best Humor Columnist by the New England Press Association in 2008. Connect with DavidThe Boston Podcast NetworkInstagramFacebook

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. — Gustave FlaubertAuthor Randy Susan Meyers lives by these words. And she has lived many lives,  from her time as a bartender to her involvement as a social activist and work with victims of domestic violence. Randy Susan is certain her novels are imbued with all the above, as well as her 'journey from obsessing over bad boys to loving a good man.'Randy Susan  is the national bestselling author of Waisted, Accidents of Marriage, The Comfort of Lies, The Murderer's Daughters, and The Widow of Wall Street. Her books have been chosen as Must-Read Books" by the Massachusetts Center for the Book three times, writing "The clear and distinctive voice of Randy Susan Meyers will have you enraptured and wanting more." She teaches writing in Boston and still misses her Brooklyn hometown. Her most recent novel was The Fashion Orphans.Fasten your seatbelts because this will be a fun, free-wheeling conversation about how much of a writer's life appears in their fiction,  fighting to include  women 'of a certain age' in novels and her most controversial book.  (Spoiler Alert: It has nothing to do with sex.) We also talk about Randy's latest work, Fashion Orphans.Connect with RandyFacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Do you have a burning desire to write a book?  Are there ways you want your ideal clients to know a little bit more about you and what you know? If you want to lead better through what you do, we have an episode for you.  And if you aspire to lead and market by writing a book, an affective way to do that is through Author Servantship. Not acquainted. Well, get close and listen up to this conversation with Anne Janzer. Anne Janzer is an award-winning author, armchair cognitive science geek, nonfiction author coach, marketing practitioner, and blogger. She's on a mission to help people spread important ideas through writing.As a professional writer, she has worked with more than one hundred technology companies, writing in the voice of countless brands and corporate executives. She is author of the books Get the Word Out,  Writing to Be Understood,  The Writer's Process, The Workplace Writer's Process, and Subscription Marketing.Her books have won numerous awards, including the Independent Book Publishers IPPY award, the Foreword Indies Book of the Year, Reader's Favorite Gold Medal, and the IndieReader Discovery Award. They have been translated into Japanese, Korean, and Russian language editions.Anne also regularly speaks or hosts online webinars for writing conferences, writer's groups, and corporate marketing teams and writing groups.

Have you ever meet someone  and just knew you were going to become fast friends? I met book and business coach Yvonne DiVita last year, and we instantly connected. Over writing, over ideas, over humor, over everything and nothing.  And of course, we have a passion for podcasting. Hers is called Nurturing Big Ideas: Smart Conversations.Yvonne is a natural-born nurturer, and she puts that skill to great advantage for the person who has a business story to tell. She's a big advocate in telling your story through your own unique lens, through your own unique experience. For the would-be author, she offers guidance and a blueprint to unify their marketing presence and build their writer's platform. More than that, Yvonne's generous heart is as big as her talent.  It's a pleasure to introduce you to her on Embark.We talk about the various paths to publishing, how women can advocate to bring their story to the world, book trailers, the ever-rising popularity of audio books, and how she became woman of the year.The short story:  Yvonne lives in a cave where she hovers over a desk with pen and paper, writing furiously every day. Or maybe that's a house, and a keyboard, and writing with great concentration and passion. Either way, she's writing. When she's not writing, she's reading. When she's not reading, she's working with smart, talented women to coach them on their next powerful book. (or she's walking her dog) It's what she does.The unabridged version:  On a business level, Yvonne brings  20 years of experience in the field of communication, business development offline and online, and marketing using word of mouth and social media. In Windsor Media Enterprises, LLC (WME Books), I worked hand in hand with business professionals coaching them as they composed their ideas into what we called “Book as Business Card”.  I worked with astonishingly talented women, and some remarkable men, telling the stories of who they are beyond the business or public face – and then published their work using print on demand technology. That business introduced me to pet blogging and, with my husband, Tom, my daughter, Chloe, and another pet blogger, I Co-founded an online influencer community called BlogPaws, which hosted national events and became a successful marketing company for pet products and services. In 2015, I was awarded Woman of the Year in Women in the Pet Industry Network. It's an honor I cherish to this day.LinksEmail: yvonne@yvonnedivita.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnedivita/@nurturingbigideas

We claim to embrace the direct approach in communicating who we are, but we hide behind facades. And often a bit of buzzwords and jargon. How do you tell it like it is in your branding, let people know exactly what you do, and still make your message feel fresh, unique and new?We asked Beth Knaus to share her experience helping people write their business stories on Embark. Beth Knaus is a creative content writer, workshop leader and owner of That's A Spade Copywriting Services.  As a writer she's passionate about writing content with and for her clients that honors their originality and nails their voice to the page so they can stand out from the masses, step into the spotlight,  and attract the type of clients they are excited about.Beth is also a Pepperlane networking leader, and an active member at the WeBreathe Wellness Center in Walpole, where she holds creative writing classes.Now partial empty nesters, she lives in Norwood, Ma. with her awesome husband and their chubby spoiled cat. In her free time she likes to read, cook, travel, and laugh. A lot.  Her personal short stories have been published online and in print. FB: https://www.facebook.com/thatsaspade/Insta: www.instagram.com/thats_a_spadeLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/BethKnausWebsite: www.thatsaspade.comEmail: bethknaus@thatsaspade.com  

To speak with Shelli Brunswick is to meet a true believer.  A believer in human goodness, human potential and human capital. She enthuses about the opportunities space exploration provides and how those advances and developments  to benefit us here on earth. More importantly, Shelli advocates for opportunity and  the inclusion of all kinds of people in the space industry, regardless of gender, color, culture, background or educational level. It's always a pleasure to meet a person of Shelli's caliber: Not just smart but wise. Always seeking her personal best, while giving her best to elevate others. Grateful and quick to acknowledge  the opportunities she received and the role models  who guided her journey , she continues to mentor to a new generation of seekers. She lives up to the credo:Advocating for Innovation. Bettering Life on Earth. Thanks for listening to our conversation. Shelli Brunswick, COO of Space Foundation, brings a broad perspective and deep vision of the global space ecosystem: From a distinguished career as a space acquisition and program management leader and congressional liaison for the U.S. Air Force to her current role overseeing Space Foundation's three primary divisions: Center for Innovation and Education, Symposium 365, and Global Alliance.Advocating for space technology innovation, entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion, Shelli collaborates with organizations around the world to connect commercial, government and educational sectors. Shelli was named the 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Role Model of the Year by WomenTech Network.  Shelli plays an active leadership role with United Nations Space4Women, WomenTech Network, Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) Global Women Leaders Committee (GWLC), New York University, Global Policy Insights – Global Policy, Diplomacy and Sustainability (GPODS) Fellowship Program, Global Policy Insights -- Quad Forum, Space Tourism Society Africa, Tod'Aérs, Lifeboat Foundation, Women in Aerospace Foundation, Women's Global Gathering, Manufacturer's Edge, and Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.Follow on LinkedIn Info about Space FoundationSpace Foundation is a non-profit advocate organization founded in 1983, offering a gateway to education, information and collaboration for space exploration and space-inspired industries that define the global space ecosystem.        

"We create these stories in our minds...We operate on these stories and one of the common stories is,  'Oh gosh, what if they don't like me?' But that's usually not true. So I'm always working with people on ' What's the story in your head?  And can you ask yourself, 'Is that story really true?' And when we can do that,  that will often help us say the 'No'."Coach Ellie Lane , LICSW,  business and life coach,  has helped hundreds of  people  build their internal power, confidence, and success; to learn that self-care does not equate with selfishness, that striving for more does not mean striving for perfection, and to discover and live a life by design, not by accident.  She believes walking the tightrope between driving yourself and loving yourself is harder than it looks. Real success doesn't happen as you juggle "all the things." It happens when you stop perpetuating a cycle of over responsibility. Taking courageous steps, setting clear, consistent boundaries, living into your dreams, and seeing and believing in who you truly are can help you build more success.Today on Embark, Coach Ellie and I talk about the difficulty, necessity and power of setting boundaries, what to look for in a coach -- how to know they're the real deal, or at least a good match for you -- and the differences between coaches and therapists.https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-lane-licsw-transformational-coach-b1528479/

"I think [humor] is the highest gift as humans..is being able to laugh and make other people laugh...and let people experience joy, because we don't do joy very well." Arielle Nobile returns for part two of the conversation, filled with her trademark optimism and 'everybody-in-the-pool' sensibility.  Arielle's entire life has been in service to telling and sharing stories so we better understand ourselves and others,  near and far.  This award-winning filmmaker's work includes the 'Belonging in the USA' documentary series, as well as telling family stories through her Legacy Connections Films production company. Arielle and I talk about the through line of humor, and our human need for it, the power of revolutionary listening, her love of improv and training at Second City  as well as her hopes to bring her myriad talents together to write, produce and direct her own works. Get in touchFurther Reading: Medium

"If you exist, you belong."  Filmmaker Arielle Nobile ponders and explores the question of belonging, and has settled on this answer. Still, we continue to ask, 'Where do I belong?' 'Do I belong?' and 'How do we all belong, despite our differences?" We hope today's episode assures and inspires you that in our human family,   despite our missteps, all are welcome here.Our conversation covers revolutionary listening, perhaps the most powerful key to understanding and accepting each other. We can belong to ourselves and stand on our beliefs, and belong to each other, even when we strongly disagree with each other. We also talk about Arielle's recent move from the U.S. to Argentina, and what that means, her journey from in front of the camera to behind it, and how creatives can become bridges to unite disparate - and often, alienated -  groups of people.Arielle and I share our experiences in performing arts,  communication and optimism in humanity during challenging times. Thanks for listening.Arielle is a documentary film maker, who is usually the one asking all the questions. She is the CEO of Legacy Connections  , which was founded in 2005. Arielle's company produces documentary films for families to reflect on their history, truths, shared values and vision for the future.  She received her BFA in Experimental Theatre from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She then studied in an MFA-style year-long directing program at Second City Theatre in Chicago. She taught improv and theatre at Second City and Piven Theatre to adults and children, which makes her uniquely skilled at helping all her subjects relax and be natural on camera. Arielle is the producer/director of the award-winning documentary series Belonging in the USA: Stories from our Neighbors. The first film in the trilogy, The Story of Michael D. McCarty was a 2019 official selection at the Pan African Film Festival, the largest Black film festival in the US. Check-out Arielle's related Belonging in the USA podcast. Arielle was named to The Independent Magazine's List of “10 Filmmakers to Watch” in 2018 for the Belonging in the USA documentary series. In 2012, she won a Hugo Television award for her 6-part public television series, Belonging in Boulder: Unexpected Stories from Your Neighbors.

It's a season of giving, so what better way to wrap up this season of Embark on Your Third Act, then to discuss the gifts we give, and those we receive.  We're not talking sweaters and socks here. Rebecca, Diana and I address those things money can't buy: Our attention, kindness, our love. Maybe we put judgment aside and become a little more magnanimous in how we treat each other. Thing is, we're not always aware of our gifts, so how can we pass those goodies around to others? Let's reflect on that. It's a time of reflection – not just this season, but perhaps this time of life – so think about what you have to give and share it freely, without fanfare and lots of love. There are those times in life when we face adversity, loss, perhaps a fall from grace. Could there be a gift in that?“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” - Mary OliverWe could't say it better, and from our own experience, we discover that a 'bad patch' provided a gift, or we didn't appreciate that in the moment we overlooked a gift that was offered. A reminder to be mindful, and forgive the pun, present.Giving, as they say, is its own reward. It's also good for your health.  The Cleveland Clinic reports when we donate to charity or volunteer, we receive measurable physical and mental health benefits. Studies show people who give of themselves can lower blood pressure and stress levels, minimize depression, gain higher self-esteem, and even live longer. Not to mention an uptick in those feel-good endorphins and dopamine. Likewise, it's important to receive, whether it's guidance, a favor, compliment or help. You are worthy.  Don't deny someone the pleasure of their generosity to you. In the spirit of the season accept kindnesses with gratitude and grace. We appreciate your presence, attention, comments and well-wishes from Embark. Thanks for listening.      

There are some people you just want to hang around. Tai Irwin is one of them. Funny, thoughtful, curious and always respectful, he has been a fixture in Boston radio, and the voice over community. He keeps a hand in broadcasting with a musical retrospective program on WUMB-FM, while he  is a full-time Job Placement specialist at Boston's Pine Street Inn homeless shelter. Check out the shelter's breadth of services, and discover ways to help on their website.Tai and I get silly, talk audio editing injuries, storytelling, the joy of learning and if Pete Townsend was really ever in The Who. Connect with Tai here.Tai Irwin has been in the business of communications since he voiced a line in a motorcycle spot at 16. Taken under wing by WLIR radio on Long Island, this led eventually to the role of Program Director at WAER, Syracuse University's radio station and a degree from the Newhouse School of Communications in 1981. Being in the right place at the right time meant meeting U2 as they established a firm foothold in North America, along with countless other bands. Hired by WQBKam and fm in Albany NY, he was able to wear two hats as dj on the fm side, and talk show host on the am.In 1985 WFNX hired him after a year of courting, and this led to a ten-year stint as “Morning Guy Tai.” This was also the year he began work as an independent voice/over artist, doing commercial and industrial work on radio, tv and internet platforms.Tai took his unique style, smarts and curiosity to Talk Radio at  WRKO as and 96.9FM, and back to music at WROR-FM. He's freelanced across the country with work in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Sirius Satellite.In 2006 he joined the Audio Engineering staff at The New England Institute of Art in Brookline, MA in the role of Senior Career Advisor. During his 11 years in this position he earned a master's degree in Adult Education, and began teaching college- level Communication Theory, American Popular Music, and First Amendment.In 2018 he became part of the Workforce Development team at Pine Street Inn. 

It's hard to find a more enthusiastic, kindhearted and thoughtful person than my guest, Danny Breegi. Intelligent, bold and full of life, Danny brings positivity wherever he goes. Proud of his Boston-based upbringing, he shares the immigrant story, as his family left war-torn Iraq in the 1990's. In fact, Danny was born during the Gulf War on a night he nearly did not survive.He arrived in this world -- two weeks premature and suffering from hypothermia  --  on a cold February night as bombs exploded in Bagdad.  While a dedicated doctor tended to his mother, Danny's father constructed a primitive incubator for his child.  This is a story of family love and devotion, paying it forward,  a sense of mission and a strong faith in the eternal and humankind.  I hope you will be as inspired as I am, and enjoy our conversation on this episode of Embark.In 2013, Danny Breegi and his father Wisam founded Breegi Scientific Inc.,  a socially-conscious innovator engineering safe, affordable, easy-to-use biocontainment solutions.  He is the Director of Global Health.Breegi holds a Master degree at Boston University's School of Public Health with a concentration in global health and medical products. He brings a passion for developing groundbreaking strategies and methods to solve the most prevalent issues in global health as an active participant in community health initiatives locally and internationally. Danny's work in Breegi Scientific reflects these goals by creating comprehensive solutions for today's most at-risk local and international communities by finding the common flaws of health care throughout the global health landscape.​​​About Breegi ScientificBreegi Scientific is on a mission to develop the world's first portable and low cost infant incubator platform with a disposable housing. Their long-term vision is a world where no babies die due to lack of access to neonatal incubators. To ensure they help as many children as possible,  Breegi Scientific has also established a non-profit to provide free Neonatal Intensive Care Incubators to high-risk communities.  Their Incubator is the first multi-functional disposable low- cost Neonatal Intensive Care Incubator. It is a practical user-friendly, efficient, low maintenance, inexpensive, incubator designed to significantly reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity. The device is less than 1% cost, size and weight of the regular hospital incubator. It provides any community with a NICU capability for a healthy start.Connect with Danny Breegi 

While you're rushing to get the turkey in the oven, or face crowded highways and airports  to enjoy someone else's cooking, we welcome Thanksgiving with an episode about gratitude.Emily Otterman has artfully captured not just the images, but the lineage of gratitude in her photo series aptly titled The Gratitude Collection.Emily speaks with Rebecca Moore about her journey into artistry, as well as intergenerational gratitude and how we can all 'pass it forward'. Diana Place and Rebecca join me in a short discussion about the role of gratitude in our lives, and how much more important it's become since 2020, which kicks of our interview. First some notes about our guest.Emily Otterman is an artist who helps people preserve and celebrate what matters most.  She's a firm believer in the power of human connection and kindness.She's been creating art all her life and remembers the happiness she felt when she won a drawing contest in first grade. A believer in lifelong learning, she's been honing her skills for decades and doesn't intend to stop until she's taken her last breath. Her path includes · Owning and operating a studio in Ontario Canada, · Working at a fine art framing company, · Membership coordinator at Craft Ontario in Toronto· Executive Director of the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce· Operating a small bookkeeping business· Being a partner in her husband's financial planning business· Continually being an entrepreneur in her art business