Inspirational Chronicles

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Jim Kokocki began his career as unassuming computer programmer who, like many of us, was terrified to speak in public. He had so many great ideas but could never express them at the opportune time… until he found Toastmasters, which would help him to become an entrepreneur, key note speaker, Director of Business and most notably, the President of Toastmasters International. This is his story… Breakdown: Toastmasters Journey [at 2 min] | Situational Leadership: Assessing Task Maturity of Your Followers [9 min] | Qualities of an Entrepreneur [19 min] | Speaking Topics and Importance of Storytelling [24 min] | Speaking with Passion [33 min to end]

Bashir Ahmed is a very humble, intelligent and truly kind-hearted individual. The type of man that always does things right and would go out of his way to help you without hesitation. Yet on the inside, there is a much deeper and even darker side; the side of a man once persecuted, captured and tortured by his own government… the side of a man who was forced to flee the very nation he called home, leaving behind his entire family and friends. This is his story, this is that side… Breakdown: Sudanese Government Corruption [at 4 min] | Protesting the Dams [7 min]| TAKEN [14 min] | Release and Escape to the U.S. [42 min to end]

NEW SEGMENT summarizing extremely compelling books such as Outliers, a #1 Bestseller that captures the stories of what makes ordinary people accomplish great feats. You’ll be surprised to find out what Gladwell actually concludes… Breakdown: Intro to the 3 Main Takeaways [at 1min] | No Such Thing as Self-Made [2.5min]| The 10,000 Hour Opportunity [6 min] | Cultural Legacy [10 min to end]

Dale Blagrove is a man of many talents; professionally he is a Senior IT Management Executive, a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and the founder/creator of “Grow with Gratitude.” Dale came on the podcast to share his life altering journey of expressing gratitude rather than chasing happiness. This is his story… Breakdown: Chasing Happiness [at 4min] | Exercising Gratitude [9min]| Sharing Gratitude with the World [23 min] | Lessons Learned as a Toastmaster [30 min to end] To purchase and/or follow Dale’s “Grow with Gratitude” Journal, visit: facebook.com/31daysjournal

Most of society today has shifted toward defining success as inner peace and happiness, but what's holding us back? Why do we lose sight of this so easily? Find out why we get lost in achieving our own happiness while going through unavoidable life transitions on our path toward success. Breakdown: Defining Success [at 1min] | Getting through Life Transitions [13 min to end]

From the humble streets of the Bronx to world traveling and internationally known salsa dancer, Carlos “Zafire” Hernandez never imagined he could turn his passion into a successful career. With an endless drive to continually work hard and improve, Carlos is now paid to travel, teach and perform from LA to Tokyo and everywhere in between. This is his story…

The very first episode of the Inspirational Chronicles Podcast titled "The American Dream." Enjoy and share with friends!