Forging Fortune

You can move mountains when you show up, and when you speak up. And there is no one better to talk about this than this week's guest, Jennifer Wilkov.Jennifer is the founder of Speak Up Women Community, a community cultivating women's self-expression and empowerment. The Speak Up Women Community connects women with the common goal of speaking up to make change where change is necessary. This community offers support in so many ways: get your quarterly curated subscription gift box, join the book club, learn from JEN Talks, and network at and attend our Speak Up Women events.Find it all at www.speakupwomen.comThe next Speak Up Women conference will be held on April 1, 2023. Click here to register now!Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more! And if you are an innovative business leader who wants to make business easier so you can improve your customers' lives faster, check out our sponsor at www.nibls.org.

Jonathan Schlossberg is an award-winning marketer, business strategist, professional actor, and dad of four. Co-founder of guud marketing, he grows businesses with fun strategies so their clients make more money and have more time for what matters.Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook,  or Instagram.And to download all the free tools mentioned in this episode, or for  more information on how to work with Jonathan and Sascha at Guud Marketing, click here to check out their website!Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more! And if you are an innovative business leader who wants to make business easier so you can improve your customers' lives faster, check out our sponsor at www.nibls.org.

With the thrill New Year's Resolution season flickering out, and an incoming wave of economic insecurity looming, it won't be long before the internet is completely inundated with a wash of extraordinary promises.Messages like "10 days to your first $10K month" might sound exciting, and even reasonable when propped up on the right credentials. And with a great pitch, a shit ton of work, and the right connections, you might even be able to secure ten thousand dollars in a few days. With enough of a runway, that is. But, before you throw thousands of dollars away for that "step-by-step process," I hope you'll listen to this. In this episode, I'm joined by Christina Courtright Jenkins, who has come on to share what she's learned from over 15 years of helping people get what they want in life and business - not with a "step-by-step process," but with a tried and true framework for helping you discover how to solve problems, make powerful asks, and set your own course in the world. This episode could save you thousands of dollars, and months of wasted time.To learn more about Christina, find her at:https://www.embodyyouressencebrand.comhttps://www.instagram.com/embody_your_essence_brand/https://www.facebook.com/christina.c.jenkins/https://www.tiktok.com/@christinacjenkinsListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more! And if you are an innovative business leader who wants to make business easier so you can improve your customers' lives faster, check out our sponsor at www.nibls.org.

It's Black History month and, for many reasons, it can be the hardest month of the year for Black professionals. This week's guest, SharRon Jamison, is an author, a minister, and a liberation coach leveraging her decades-long experience in corporate America to help other women over forty liberate their true self after lifetimes of abusive expectations. And she has some ideas about how to create a more supportive professional world for those traditionally marginalized that you will not hear anywhere else. To learn more about SharRon and her work, you'll find her website at https://sharronjamison.com/.Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher YouTube and more! And if you are an innovative business leader who wants to make business easier so you can improve your customers' lives faster, check out our sponsor at www.nibls.org.

What if the shaking in your voice is powerful?What if the tears in your eyes are powerful?We've all heard some rendition of the age-old claim that you have to sound like a man to sound powerful.Well, Samara believes it's time we change what power sounds like.In this episode of the 2K Days Podcast, Samara shares her experience helping those who have been silenced learn to speak out for their beliefs in the most impactful, engaging ways. And how her experiences shaped the content of her new book, Permission to speak.Samara Bay is a sought-after speech coach, author, speaker and thought leader whose coaching clients include top actors in Hollywood, C-suite execs and thought leaders, candidates for U.S. Congress, and celebrities presenting at award shows and at the UN. Her debut book, Permission to Speak (Crown, Penguin Random House), has already topped the bestseller charts for Women & Business.Click here to order your copy of Permission to Speak now!https://smile.amazon.com/Permission-S...Hang out with Samara online athttps://www.samarabay.com/https://www.instagram.com/samarabay/https://www.linkedin.com/in/samarabay/

Love this episode? Leave a review!Which would you rather do: trudge every day through the toxicity of systemic patriarchy? Or embrace connection, creativity, and a new meaning of success through play?This weeks guest, Jeff Harry, is the founder of Rediscover Your Play, where he combines positive psychology and play to heal workplaces, help teams build psychological safety and help dismantle the patriarchy by embracing a play-oriented approach to work.  In this episode, Jeff tells all about his experiences consulting some of the largest companies in history, and how he's using play to change the world. More resources from Jeff:Christmas In The Trenches - Stopping A World War For A Day With PlayCamp ResetAn organization dismantling patriarchy through playGet Bored To Fight PatriarchyBrene Brown - Foreboding JoyGoogle 20% RuleSteven Johnson - You'll Find The Future Where People Are Having The Most FunJeff Harry - A Play Experiment To Remind You Who You AreHow To Reshape The Future of Work By Dismantling Toxic Masculinity - We Are RosieAnd of course, to stay up-to-date on the latest conversations happening inside the 2K Days Project, head over to www.2kdaysproject.com to join our mailing list. See you soon!

For brilliant business leaders building a better world, the stars are on our side this year!In this episode, business astrologer and avid change maker Leslie Tagorda shares her most in-depth analysis of what is in store astrologically for 2023.Use this information to align your initiatives to the energy of the cosmos as you plan your launches and growth for this year. And, just for you, Leslie has gathered all of this year's business astrology forecast in a free, downloadable pdf right here. 

Glow up preview!I started my podcast last year as I was picking up the pieces from a total identity crisis. And I absolutely could not believe the incredible impact it had on people, or the heart warming feedback I got.This year, I'm taking it up a notch with a new look, and deeper focus on the tips and tools impact entrepreneurs are using right now to generate revenue and radical change.For even more tools and free resources, head over to www.2kdaysproject.com.

I'm reaching out to you feeling…very complete. I feel complete because this is the last episode of the first season of Forging Fortune. Because it is the culmination of a lifetime of work and wandering around, wringing my hands trying to figure out how I can help. I've started so many things. But this one, if only for a year, I saw it through. And it's made a difference. Hundreds of downloads and hundreds of letters prove this podcast is making a difference. So, for the month of December, I'm going to honor my natural cycle and take the time to rest and introspect. But I am going into this period of rest feeling complete.On January 11 of this year, the very beginning of this year, I was buried under the weight of years and years - decades - of overwork, exhaustion, and self-denial. I didn't know who I was anymore, and I wasn't able to keep doing what I was doing. It was a dark time. So, to be not even a full year beyond that point, looking into a future that can't be anything but bright, fulfilling, and powerfully impactful, I am so very grateful, invigorated, and childishly excited. As you look into your future, and our future, and make plans and demands, just remember that possible is a limiting belief. When you share your big ideas, your big vision, people will be intimidated. They'll be intimidated because they don't want things to change. Or they'll be intimidated because they've already given up the fight and your commitment says something about them that they don't want to hear.So they'll tell you it's impossible. But it isn't true. And your job is not to figure out whether or not realizing your vision is possible. Your job is to stay the course, to stay committed, and figure out how it's possible. “Possible” is a limiting belief.If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project at www.2kdaysproject.com.I am so grateful for you. See you next year! Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 20 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs.You can probably relate to this, how I've spent most of my life in a constant state of energy expenditure. Everything was performative - education, work, keeping my home. And no matter how much I worked, produced, and provided, it was never enough. But it was the only thing I was praised for, my superhuman aptitude for productivity. So I kept doing it. Because that praise was the closest I had to affirmation. Abilities are important, of course. But ultimately in a prolific exploitation society, your abilities are markers of worth and just another point of value stratification. When you can't perform, or you aren't sufficiently “able” you're left out. That's ability; what you produce because you can. The other, what you create because you are, that's the expression of your gifts. Discovering this, the concept of Energy Exchange, and the Energy Exchange Zone has changed my life and that is what I am going to share with you today.If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project at www.2kdaysproject.com.Until next time, just remember, because you have the courage to challenge what's possible, for that I am so grateful for you.  Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 19 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs.I am Mina and I am energized by what I see happening before my very eyes. Change. Rapid, meaningful, unprecedented change. I'm seeing visionaries stop wasting time asking for what they want. They're not wasting their time and energy fighting systems that are designed to run off of their frustration. For many of them, it's the first time they've ever seen how powerful they truly are. And it's just the very beginning. I'm on a mission. I want to leave a legacy of equity, I want to leave a model for bettering every inorganic system, and making that possible for anyone. On today's episode, I give you the steps to turn your most impossible ideas into a tangible vision that can power your business and your mission forward. Turning your intangible ideas into an inspiring vision is the first big leap on the path toward building a business that can become a systemic alternative. It's how I and dozens of your peers are changing the world not in generations, but in DAYS. About 2000 days, to be exact. If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project at www.2kdaysproject.com.Until next time, just remember, because you have the courage to challenge what's possible,  I am so grateful for you. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

“Possible is a limiting belief”Welcome to Episode 18 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs.If you keep showing up here week after week, there can only be one reason: You're someone who wants to build a business that matters. Well, this episode will not disappoint. Over years of research and working as a business development strategist for entrepreneurs all over the world, I've figured out exactly what it takes to turn your big idea and desire for massive systemic impact into a business with the power to make it real.There are six stages to developing a business with the capacity to become a systemic alternative. It starts with an idea, then refinement into a vision and developing a system that will bring your vision to life. Next is growth which occurs in 2 parts: notoriety and density. At this point, you have a self-sustaining systemic alternative with proven viability and a built-in base. Changing the world is a big job, but remember, you are not alone on this mission. If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project. We're an international community of impact entrepreneurs changing the world by building companies that matter. Come see how it works at www.2kdaysproject.com.Until next time, please remember that I am truly grateful for you. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 17 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs from around the world. I am so grateful to welcome my dear friend Meghan O'Malley into our timely discussion of what it means to “human” in our world today. Her expansive background from psychotherapy to hip hop dance is a true testament to her commitment to living a life not only on her terms but also from a place where she allows magic to move through her and into the world. Meghan is an amazing soul, and I know that our conversation on what it means to “human differently” is sure to resonate. A special thank you to Meghan for her time and for simply being herself. Connect with Meghan:Website: Meghan O'Malley CoachingInstagram: @meganomalleycoachingPodcast: Magical Humaning Podcast Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 16 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs from around the world. Today's episode is all about shattering. Shattering the glass ceilings, the old ideals of our world, and creating anew. Today I am truly honored and downright giddy to welcome Samara Bay, dialect coach, podcast host, and author to the podcast. Join us for an earth-shattering conversation about voice as a form of social justice. Warning: This episode is straight FIRE and will activate you and your voice in new and exciting ways. I cannot wait to have Samara back onto the podcast and want to extend a special thank you to her for all that she is and the gifts she continues to bring. Reminder: If you would like to submit a question for the next conversation, visit the Forging Fortune podcast website and leave a comment.Meet Samara BaySamara has a BA from Princeton in English & Theater, an MFA from Brown in Acting, and has taught at Pace University in Manhattan, Stella Adler Acting School in Hollywood, and through the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, which holds workshops all around the country. In addition to coaching television & film, she has prepared clients for Broadway & LA theater, UN speeches, televised award show presentations, academic talks, tech pitches, and political ads. In addition to her iHeartRadio podcast, Permission to Speak, her book by the same title is set to launch in February 2023 Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and Penguin UK.Connect with Samara:Website: LA Dialect CoachTwitter: @SamarabayInstagram: Samara BayPodcast: Permission to SpeakPre-Order Samara's book: Permission to Speak: How to Change What Power Sounds Like, Starting with YouListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 15 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for liberators, leaders, and impact entrepreneurs.Today is a very special episode as I welcome Shira Leibowitz, Author of Haven of Hope and Founder of both Revabilities and Discovery Village. Shira is a lifelong educator who is creating an entire movement based on collaborative impact.  Having opened and operated a daycare facility during the Pandemic in one of the nation's hot spots, Shira discovered firsthand that resilience and creativity could thrive in any environment. Join us as we explore education, wellness, play, and justice in our world today. A special thank you to Shira for her dedication to breaking down the barriers and constructs of education.Meet Dr. Shira LeibowitzA dynamic educator, author, and entrepreneur, Shira is the CEO and founder of both Revabilities and Discovery Village. Revabilities is a Professional Learning Academy helping educational business owners and directors bring their vision for learning to life so they can increase their income and improve the lives of their students. Discovery Village is a premier project and play-based childcare center and preschool located in Tarrytown, NY. Shira is co-author of The Coach Approach To School Leadership: Leading Teachers to Higher Levels of Effectiveness. Her upcoming book, published in Summer 2022, is titled Havens of Hope: Ideas for Redesigning Education From The COVID-19 Pandemic.Shira holds a Ph.D. in Education and is an experienced school leader who served for 20 years as a principal of nursery through eighth-grade independent schools in the greater New York City area. She is a faculty member in the doctoral program of education at Northeastern University; co-author of The Coach Approach to School Leadership: Leading Teachers to Higher Levels of Effectiveness; a national faculty member for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development; and a leader of professional development for educators. Shira has been working with childcare centers regionally and nationally on how to navigate the health, financial, and educational challenges facing early childhood centers in the age of COVID-19. Throughout it, educational programs have not only navigated through but have become dramatically better. At Revabilities, Shira shares the insights and inspiration that sparked their success.Connect with Shira:Website: Discovery Village Daycare and PreschoolLinkedIn: Shira LeibowitzTwitter: Shira Leibowitz Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 14 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for leaders, liberators, and impact entrepreneurs.if you know me, you know that my life's mission is to change the world. I want to leave a world where all our institutional shortcomings are relegated to college-level history courses. And the first gains in that mission, I want to see realized in 2000 days. That's what the 2K Days Project mission incubator for impact entrepreneurs is all about; that's what everything I do is all about. And I realized that the most important thing I can do to serve that mission is to make sure you know what it takes to realize visionary change. Because a lot of what we think about changing the world - it's not true. We've built relief-based charity initiatives that do more to serve toxic capitalism than they could ever serve the populations in need. We bypass completely fixable problems like for-profit war, for-profit sick care, and productivity education that sacrifices children's wellness in the hope that they'll someday turn a profit for one of the major industrial complexes. All of these, we perpetuate in spite of ourselves, in spite of our actions, because what we believe about actualizing systemic social change just isn't true.And now things are completely out of control. For a long time, years, I'd gape incredulously and wonder, “are we ever going to learn from our past?” But I'm no longer willing to let that be enough. Because if there's one thing I know - if there's one sermon I preach more than any other it's this: Things can't change until there's an alternative. So, in this episode, I'm going to dispel 4 pervasive myths about change holding you back. Now, I intentionally made this episode pretty short so that you can come back to it as often as you need to. As you're faced with decisions for your business, decisions around how you will change the world, come back to this episode. Listen again so that you don't limit yourself by falling for one of these traps. The only thing better than an episode like this to come back to, is being part of an inspiring community that can support, encourage, and inspire you when you need them most.If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project. We're an international community of impact entrepreneurs changing the world by building companies that matter. Come see how it works at www.2kdaysproject.com.Until next time, please remember that I am so grateful for you. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 13 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.Today I am excited to welcome Oliver Siegel, Founder of Enolve.io. Evolve is the world's only problem solution directory and gives users the access and opportunity to find existing solutions to known problems, or develop new solutions to unknown problems using an easy 4-step method. Our conversation dives into the history of problem and solution and how to go from a politically charged dictator approach to community democratized ideation. Oliver has the heart of a true moderator and can take his innate ability to neutrally hear multiple sides of a problem and work with everyone to determine a solution. Join us in this intriguing conversation on how upbringing, entrepreneurship, and a passion for changing the world can come together. A special thank you to Oliver for his passion for problem solving and solutions. Meet OliverOliver is a German-American inventor with a background in Film making, Computer Science, Exercise Science, and Behavior Modification. He has lived in 5 different cultural regions in 3 countries, his interests include Psychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality. Through his company Enolve, Oliver is looking to market a patent-pending information-communication technology that aims to find a solution for every problem.Connect with Oliver:Website: EnolveInstagram: Evolve.ioFacebook: Oliver SiegelLinkedIn: Oliver SiegelTikTok: Evolve.ioYouTube: Oliver SiegelListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 12 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum. Today I am reaching out to you feeling like I might be on the right track. As a matter of fact, I know I'm on the right track because some people are feeling very liberated by my work here on this podcast, and very supported by the community inside the 2K Days Project initiative. And some people are very upset. Since launching this podcast earlier this year, not a day has gone by that I haven't received feedback. There are two types of messages I receive every day: the first, and the majority say that the podcast is changing the way they approach life and business; while the second is typically anger from someone who doesn't like the idea of stepping away from approved channels to make significant social change. Through the 2K Days Project, and through this podcast, liberators, leaders, and impact entrepreneurs from around the world are coming together to use business to build, test, and optimize systems that can become alternatives to today's failing institutions. We're doing it. And that's scaring the shit out of comfortable people. When they see us walk away, they get angry. When they see us rest instead of hustle, they get frustrated. When they see us start to redefine wealth as having more time, more experiences, more connection, they get worried. When they see our businesses thrive, and the systems that assure their power getting tested for the first time in history, they get scared. And when they see us coming together to teach and mentor each other, but buy from each other and cheer each other on, healing centuries of generational trauma and emotional separation - they really lose their shit. “They,” those who are served by the way things are right now. Those whose idea of change is becoming the new power at the top of a hierarchy they want to control, not abolish. It is absolutely typical for people who feel challenged by your impact to lash out at you directly. I talked about this in detail in Episode 3, “Are you On the Menu.” You'll get three typical responses from your opposition: belittling, pleading, and threats. All three are perfectly human, stemming from an unhealthy adaptation of the same basic need for a sense of personal security. For their sake and your own, the best thing you can do is ignore them. Because the only other thing that will help them calm down and find peace is time.The title of this episode is “How to Claim Success on Your Own Terms.” The first step to doing that, to claiming success on your own terms, is to define the terms. What does success look like for you? Now go even deeper, the power to meaningfully define success for yourself and your business is your ability to define your desires. Not just what you want. Not just what you're working toward. But what you deeply, essentially desire. Becoming an expert on your essential desires can be a pretty intense process depending on how out of touch you are with yourself. But the most important thing you can do is challenge your “shoulds.” When you think about what you should and shouldn't do, ask yourself and be critical: is that me talking? Chase your shoulds all the way down to their roots. If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, or if you're thinking about becoming one, and you want to be sure you're building a business that matters, come join us in the 2K Days Project. We're an international community of impact entrepreneurs changing the world by building companies that matter. Come see how it works at www.2kdaysproject.com.Until next time…

Welcome to Episode 11 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.Today I am so excited to speak with Christina C. Jenkins, Founder of Embody Your Essence Branding. Our conversation is a powerful one as we delve into what it means to Embody Your Essence so much that it becomes your personal brand. We also talk about the power of intuition and tapping into your Essence Compass to determine your intuitive center. Christina is a true master and lives, transforms, and thrives through the framework that is her work. This conversation is bold, this conversation is steeped in essence, this conversation is necessary. A special thank you to Christina for her passion and dedication to the realm of Essence branding.Meet ChristinaChristina Courtright Jenkins is the creator of Embody Your Essence Brand. She specializes in uncovering your personal brand, aligning you from the inside out.  Christina helps you use your own uniqueness to stand out in a crowded market space! Her credentials include: International speaker, soon to be published author, Reiki Master, Feng Shui Practitioner, Medicine Woman, business and life coach, and many other certifications. She holds a Master's Degree from HEC Paris in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and was a semifinalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year! She began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 5 and has never stopped! Christina has helped hundreds of people, teams, and organizations uncover their Essence Brand, resulting in greater visibility, clarity, confidence and clients! Connect with Christina:Website: Embody Your Essence BrandInstagram: Embody_Your_Essence_BrandFaceBook: Embody Your Essence BrandTikTok: Christina.C.JenkinsPodcast: Essence Reveal PodcastListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 10 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.I recently read an article about how infants rely on their caretakers' facial expressions and tone to orient themselves in the world. From our earliest moments, we search for validation from the outside world - clues that we are on the right track, doing the right things, that we're safe. All of us, especially change-makers, have to be careful about where we get that validation; how we satisfy that very basic, nearly universal need. Because on the shadow side of fulfilling that need, we can succumb to anything from self-sabotage to participating in our own exploitation and that of others. As you delve deeper and deeper into what makes you tick; as you start to uncover the truth of your unique gifts and desires, it can feel like opening an unfamiliar box. You won't find your natal gifts sitting on a shelf, neatly labeled. You'll find them as you go to unpack a learned behavior that doesn't feel good, something like overworking. This process is painful. It's isolating. And those are all feelings you have to learn to process without responding to. There are people who will demand that you choose between them and yourself. And you'll have to let them go. You will have to believe, for the first time in your life, that you are what's best for you, even if that means you're alone. If you choose to face a moment of spaciousness, and let your fullest self expand into all the corners of how your relate to the world, that space will be filled with people who wouldn't change you if they could. They will relate to you, they will create with you, and they will validate you through their awe at you. As you endeavor to call your own community, remember that this space is here for you. Long after you've built your own place, this space will also be here for you. This is where you will find the validation you deserve, where you are appreciated and where I can remind you that I have faith in your power and purpose. Join the email list for encouragement and proven reminders of just how powerful you are; write to me at hello@minaraver.com. And, if you ever doubt yourself or what you're creating, just remember, I am so grateful for you. See you soon.ResourcesWhat is a Solutionary? Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 9 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.Today we welcome the amazing and wealth of knowledge that is DJ Nicholson, Founder and CEO at Inclusiveology. Our conversation today is centered around inclusive education and how to much sure there are space, resources, and support for all students to truly succeed. DJ's vast education experience and true commitment to a better, more just, and more inclusive world made this conversation one to remember. A special thank you to DJ for her knowledge, expertise, and work in the inclusive education space. Meet DJDJ is an educator, instructional trainer and speaker with a life-long passion for integrating children with varying abilities into generalized education. Throughout the course of her career, she has supported students, teachers and school leadership in inclusive practices to create equity and achievement for every child whatever their disability.  After 26 years in public education, she retired early to progress her life's mission to include every child in learning as the Founder and Director of Inclusiveology, an educational program that fully supports inclusive practices.  Inclusiveology was developed to ensure that every child has access to the tools they need to be successful, and members of the school community understand "how" and "why" (not just "what") supports and strategies are necessary to make inclusive practices successful. Connect with DJ:Website: InclusiveologyBlog: Inclusiveology BlogInstagram: InclusiveologyFacebook: InclusiveologyLinkedIn: DJ Nicholson, InclusiveologyListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 8 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.Recently I made the decision to make an investment in myself. Now that the date draws near, I am struggling to make peace with this decision. And it's not because I don't think I deserve it but after a series of unfortunate events where I trusted perceived mastery more than my intuition, I'm just a little less confident about making financial decisions. I'm sure you've been there too.Actually, I know you've been there. The things you go through in life, especially those you haven't had a chance to reconcile, are the things that make you vulnerable both in your personal and business life.Marketing and sales gurus aren't the least bit shy about exploiting “pain points.” They pour countless hours and dollars into understanding those experiences so they can speak to those pains in a compelling way. Even if the source of your pain is completely unrelated to their product, they know your experiences transfer to other aspects of your life and tap into that aggressively. In the gap between our pain and your insecurity, is where our worst financial decisions are made. And that's exactly where most of the “most successful” try to wedge their message.So, what can you do? How can you secure yourself without becoming jaded? Get in there! That gap, the space between your pain and your insecurity, is also the space where you can achieve the most growth, the kind of growth that can evolve into transformation if you approach it with courage, curiosity, and integrity. In the same year that I accumulated excuses for self-doubt, I attracted even more proof that I can trust myself to pivot and correct quickly even when I make mistakes. And really, that's going to take me further than never making mistakes at all. Don't you think? If you have been activated by this podcast, please tell me about your experience at hello@minaraver.com.Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 7 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.I am so excited to engage with Nina Everflow in a timely and important dialogue around the decolonization of Wellness and Collaboration. Our conversation was so rich with intellect and personal experience. I can guarantee you'll want to listen to it at least twice. A special thank you to Nina for her time and continuous honoring of the spaces that she holds in addition to the work she brings to the world.Meet Nina Nina Everflow is a life-long activist of joyous rebellion. Her passion for personal transformation guides her unique approach to developing and delivering learning environments inclusive of diverse people, places, and platforms.Her content design agency, Everflow Consulting, helps purpose-driven business leaders and online educators develop clear, compelling, and results-oriented content through an inclusive lens. Serving industry disruptors around the world, Everflow Consulting's course content and development offerings explore new applications of diversity in methodology, power, and voice for holistic growth, online.A plant lover, musical theater enthusiast, and seeker of the softest vegan cookie, Nina lives on the unceded land of the Monacan (MON-ACAN), now known as the farmlands of south-central Virginia, U.S., with her multi-racial family. Connect with Nina:Website: Nina EverflowTwitter: EverflowNinaInstagram: Nina.Everflow Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 6 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.I have a question for you: What Kind of World Could We Live In If We Focus On Change for 2000 Days? This is the truth: a dedicated community, an actionable plan, and a clear, meaningful timeframe, is all we need to change everything. We have worked so hard for change. Visionaries, activists, for-purpose and justice entrepreneurs: We have tried everything! We've tried organizing. We've tried protesting. We've tried supporting candidates for political office and even being politicians ourselves. We've been teachers, we've been ministers, we've been shouting our commitments to change everywhere from podium, to rooftop, to picket line. We've begun to wonder if change is even possible, if hope is warranted. I'm here to tell you, it is. Change is not only possible, it is inevitable and together, we can direct what happens, when it happens, and how it serves us. The greatest minds in science predict that we still need another 100 years to reach our potential as an energy-neutral civilization. Climate Change says we have to do it in 20 so I have created the 2000 Days Project to change our current world as we know it and it starts with one question: “What statistic am I trying to change?” In 2000 days, the world will look completely different. Will you be joining me? For more information on the 2000 Days Project please visit www.2kdaysproject.com. I would love to have you as a Co-Creator or Steward. Still have questions? I am only an email away at mina@forgingfortune.com. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 5 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.In today's episode, I am truly honored to welcome and speak with Rev. Leela Sinha, creator of Intensives Institute. Join us as we explore Leela's life's work around Intensives and Expansives and how they lead, interact, and co-create in the world. A special thank you to Leela for zir contribution and time with us.Meet LeelaLeela Sinha is a speaker, writer, consultant, podcaster, but mostly a visionary who can't shut up.  Ze is also an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who works from a theology of pleasure. Ze believes that we all have an obligation to help save the world, and we don't have to be idealists or nonprofits to do it.  What we need is power--but we need to use it well. Ze is also the host of the podcast PowerPivot which can be found on all listening platforms.Connect with Leela:Website: The Intensives InstituteTwitter: LeelaSinhaThe Podcast: PowerPivot Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 4 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.Remember Flik, the ant protagonist in the movie A Bug's Life? I'm still a little embarrassed by how deeply I identify with him - the awkward outcast inventor who really wanted to make life easier for everyone, but couldn't. Just the way he bumps up gracelessly against the boundaries of the system he and his fellow ants are trapped in invalidates his inventions. So of course neither they nor he, can find acceptance, much less appreciation. In the movie, Flik created a new tool to make it faster and easier to harvest grain so they can meet the quota of the grasshopper rulers. Flik's invention causes a big problem when it knocks over the pile of grain collected for the grasshoppers and they have to start all over and meet the quota or be wiped out. Flik starts coming up with ideas and is immediately shut down by the Queen because as far as she is concerned, his ideas are what got them in trouble to begin with. Meanwhile, the grasshoppers are partying in their summer spot with more than enough of everything - pure luxury. Most of them don't want to leave, but the leader makes it clear that they must return and gather their grain. But why? The lead grasshopper says “You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one and if they ever figure that out there goes our way of life! It's not about food, it's about keeping those ants in line” Powerful. At least it can be. But how? How can we make the numbers, the power, relevant especially when we're trying to create change?In the last episode, we explored what it means to make change from inside the system. The reality is you can't. You can't change the world or even any minute aspect of the way things are today from inside the systems responsible for making it and keeping it the way it is. So then, how do we make real social change? That is what today's episode is all about.I invite you to reach out to me via email at hello@minaraver.com. I want to hear from you. To get updates on episodes, tools, and events, visit www.forgingfortune.com to join the email community. And, if you have been inspired by the podcast, please share it with someone you know. This is more than a podcast - it's a movement. ResourcesContract As Promise by Dr. Charles FriedListen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 3 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.I will never forget the moment I gave up on “order.” I am, unfortunately, no stranger to traumatizing experiences. I grew up unwanted, abused, despised by my own family. I sustained myself on faith in the American Dream. I really believed that working hard, staying out of trouble, and getting a good education would lead to happiness, fulfillment, prosperity. I believed it and lived it with all my heart. So, when I did break away from poverty - when I got that Big Ten degree, bought the house of my dreams, built my business up to provide a six-figure income, the first thing I wanted to do was jam a wedge in the slamming door of opportunity so others had a chance to get through. So, I volunteered to run for office. They immediately fell in love with the power of my story. Headlines read “From Homeless to House: High School DropOut Turned Successful Entrepreneur Seeks Office to Preserve the American Dream.” And they loved the response. They even loved my slogan: “Nobody left behind.” Until they realized I was serious. When the campaign ended, I was disappointed, exhausted, and really feeling desperate. Back on the sidelines, I kept fighting for what I believed in - nobody left behind. We either move forward together or stay desperate together. And, no matter what I said, what evidence I presented, what ideas or opportunities I exposed, the consensus never changed - some social and humanitarian issues were expendable…even if they didn't need to be. But I kept trying and fighting until one day the quiet part was spoken out loud. “You'd have a lot of power here if you'd just calm down.” That's when I realized that those of us with hearts and minds for change aren't being called to the table to share in shaping the future. We're being called to the table because we - and the change we champion - are on the menu. And that is where we are starting today. Talking about what it means to be called to the proverbial table. This could get messy.I invite you to reach out to me via email at hello@minaraver.com. I want to hear from you. To get updates on episodes, tools, and events, visit www.forgingfortune.com to join the email community. And, if you have been inspired by the podcast, please share it with someone you know. This is more than a podcast - it's a movement. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Episode 2 of Forging Fortune, an inspirational podcast for visionaries, activists, and future-focused entrepreneurs anywhere between the poles on the life experience spectrum.I have never been so consistently sympathetic with a character as I've been with Jack Skellington. Have you seen Tim Burton's, The Nightmare Before Christmas? Jack, the undead hero of Halloween Town, becomes tired of living in his Zone of Excellence (as author Gay Hendricks would describe it) and begins to search for something more. He finds Christmas Town, gathers countless artifacts, and hauls them home to share with his people and study. Unsatisfied with their lukewarm reception, Jack locks himself in his tower laboratory to study his artifacts, shunning sleep, food, and helplessly chanting, “what does it mean, what does it mean?!”As visionaries, seekers, people who strive for meaning and purpose, we've all been guilty of blinding ourselves with exhaustion in our desire to understand, “what does it mean.” And, when it comes to making change, when it comes to your life's purpose at a time like this, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, fulfilling your calling feels good. Why does it matter? Because you matter, because the whole, full you is the best you. The good news is, you get to fulfill your potential and fully express yourself because it's good for you.The bad news is when it comes to why it matters to everyone else when you wonder if anything you do is going to have the effect you hope for, the bad news is, you don't get to know. Creating change means materializing the unknown. And, in most cases, you don't get to know how impactful your work will be. And that's ok! Because while impact, while change is the hope, it doesn't have to be the only goal. Joy is a form of activism. Rest is a form of activism. Wholeness, integrity, being are all forms of activism worthy in their own right. So when the trouble of the bad news begins to weigh too heavily, refer to the good news: mastering your potential, fulfilling your purpose, challenging the “impossible” matters because it's you, it's who you are, and you matter.You'll have no trouble gathering proof of impact as you follow your callings and touch the lives of others through your work. And, I will tell you this - when you let your being be enough of a reason to live life to its fullest, something else amazing happens. Distractions start to fade away. The need for validation begins to wane, and that makes you less vulnerable to misdirection. It makes you stronger, more capable, more likely to succeed against all odds. This episode is packed with personal insights and realizations so I encourage you to go back and listen as many times as you need - it's a tool for you. I also invite you to reach out to me via email at hello@minaraver.com. I want to hear from you. To get updates on episodes, tools, and events, visit www.forgingfortune.com to join the email community. And, if you have been inspired by the podcast, please share it with someone you know. This is more than a podcast - it's a movement. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to the Circle…This is the very first episode of Forging Fortune. To say that I'm glad you're here would be quite an understatement. Elated, is more like it. Because I know that you're not just here, you were drawn here - that you have an incredible role to fulfill in this pivotal time, that you can feel it, and that gives me hope.Tune into this first episode as I share about my home, my family, my recurring dream, and my bigger why. I have created this podcast to be a source of activation. When I think of you listening to this now, I think of Spock, Kirk, and Scotty watching you through a portal saying, “There it is, the moment that changed history.”And so, in this circle, we fan the flames of our passion and desire until they glow hot enough to melt our intangible dreams into their manageable components - so that we may easily make them a reality. From one episode, you will learn how to master and wield your fears, so that you can overcome the objections of the present and create the regenerative systems of the not-at-all distant future. You are the answer we seek. You have the power and the responsibility to hone your intentions to co-create with destiny. You will learn how to forge your fortune - our fortune - in every sense of the word. This is just the beginning.To get updates on episodes, tools, and events, visit www.forgingfortune.com to join the email community. And, if you have been inspired by the podcast, please share it with someone you know. This is more than a podcast - it's a movement. Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherand more!

Welcome to Forging Fortune. I'm your initiator, Mina Raver, visionary, activist, entrepreneur, and I am on a mission to activate and inspire people like you, people who have the power to change the world right now. I invite you to join the circle. In the circle, we fan the flames of our passions and desires until they flow hot enough to melt our dreams into manageable, achievable components. We wield the hammer of our fears by the handle of their meaning. As co-creators with destiny, please join me and expert guests specializing in everything from science to spirits as we explore the universe in search of reflections of ourselves to gain a deeper understanding of who we are, how we work, and what we are truly capable of.You have what it takes. Let me show you.