Minivan Mogul Podcast

Anne Beiler began twisting pretzel in 1987 and grew a single farmer’s market stand into Auntie Anne’s Inc., the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise. However, her professional success was forged after years of darkness, depression, and despair brought on by the death of her nineteen-month-old daughter. Anne’s personal story and entrepreneurial insights have been featured on many television shows, including Secret Millionaire, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Good Morning America. She has been highlighted in numerous publications such as Fortune Magazine and Inc Magazine.  In 2005, Anne sold Auntie Anne’s and authored the business memoir Twist of Faith and her personal memoir The Secret Lies Within.  Today, Anne speaks to audiences worldwide, inspiring people with her authentic stories and life experiences. Her mission is to help women overcome the pain, blame, and shame of their past by sharing their stories.    Website: www.auntieannebeiler.com Social Links: Instagram: @auntieanneb Twitter: @auntieanneb Facebook.com/auntieannebeiler

Fear is an emotion that many people go to extremes to avoid. But what if you could make fear your friend? What if fear is what you need to propel yourself forward to health, wealth, and happiness.  Akshay Nanavati has overcome drug addiction, PTSD from fighting the war in Iraq with the Marines, depression, and alcoholism that pushed him to the brink of suicide. It was through these experiences that Akshay learned to use fear to his advantage. Akshay has used fear to build a global business, run ultramarathons, conduct humanitarian work worldwide, spend seven days in darkness, and explore the most hostile environments on the planet. Combining his life experience with years of research in science and spirituality, he wrote the book "Fearvana: The Revolutionary Science of How to Turn Fear Into Health, Wealth and Happiness." About the book, the Dalai Lama said, "Fearvana inspires us to look beyond our own agonizing experiences and find the positive side of our lives." All the profits from the book are going toward charity.  Akshay is now on a mission to help our entire human family build a positive relationship to suffering to create a life of greater meaning, purpose, and fulfillment and he’s hopped in the virtual minivan to share with us why fear is what we need to achieve our goals and how to start making fear our friend.  https://fearvana.com/  https://www.instagram.com/fearvana  https://www.youtube.com/c/fearvana  

Tommy Choi co-founded the Weinberg Choi Residential team in 2007 with his business partner Josh Weinberg. They celebrated the opening of their own Keller Williams brokerage in January of 2017. The Weinberg Choi Residential team has sold over 1,000 properties and over $500 million dollars in sales volume. They are consistently ranked in the top 10 real estate teams in Chicago, which puts them in the Top 1% of Chicago Association of Realtors' top producers. Tommy also served as the 135th president of the Chicago Association of Realtors and the first Korean-American president in its 135-year history. He also serves as an active member of the Illinois Realtors and was the Chair of the National Association of Realtors’ YPN Advisory Board. In 2021, he will serve as the Vice President of Association Affairs for the National Association of Realtors. @tommyjoochoi  

Erica Lynette Edwards is an accomplished consultant and public speaker who champions change to advance the art of dance. With diversity, equity, and inclusion as the core foundation of her work, she transforms visions into reality. After a rewarding 15-year career as a ballerina at The Joffrey Ballet and five years as the Director of Community Engagement, she founded Cultivating Better Tomorrows. Through this consulting company, Erica reshapes dance communities' dynamics to produce environments where all artists can thrive. Highly skilled in delivering consistent success and effective change, she is passionate about facilitating results-driven conversations and workshops focused on reflection and knowledge building. Her visionary leadership has earned her many honors and opportunities, including speaking on national panels, giving a TEDx talk, and being selected as a member of Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40.” 

Brian Bogert is a passionate human behavior and performance coach, speaker, business strategist, top sales professional and philanthropic leader who believes in helping growth-minded individuals achieve the best version of themselves: their most authentic selves. Brian teaches how to leverage radical authenticity and awareness to create the intentional life you’ve been dreaming of, but have struggled to create. His revolutionary strategy—embrace pain to avoid suffering—has helped individuals and companies break beyond their normal to achieve the success in life and business that they’ve always wanted. If you want to create a life of no limits and gain freedom, Brian and his team will get you there. Social Media Links Website: brianbogert.com Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bogertbrian Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/bogertbrian/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbogert/ Twitter, https://twitter.com/BogertBrian YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmhaMgY8q-tMMCj0rpGg7iw Giveaway: www.nolimitsprelude.com  

If you read Minivan Mogul: A Crash Course in Confidence for Women, then you'll recognize the name Carmen. She's the most quoted person in the book, and she's my fifteen-year-old daughter.  Many readers and followers of Minivan Mogul have asked to hear directly from Carmen. I asked, she agreed, and we hopped out of the real minivan and into the virtual one so you could listen in on our conversation about confidence.  We hope you enjoy the ride!     

Just because something didn't turn out the way you intended the first time, or even the second, third, fourth....or even one-hundredth time, doesn't mean it's a waste. There's good to be found in all you do. There's much more to be learned from what we get wrong vs. what we get 'right'.

The truth is if you're waiting to have it all figured out, you'll wait forever and miss your chance to chase your dream. The truth is you'll find the answers after you start. Your story will come after you start writing, not before. Your words will come after you start speaking and they'll become stronger with time and practice.

If doubt is starting to grab your steering wheel, push it back. Remind yourself that you are the driver of your dreams. You set the course. You drive the miles and commit to seeing the trip through, no matter where it leads.

I'm human. Not perfect. I'm subject to bouts of imperfect planning, mild dehydration, and occasional overindulgence of salty snacks. Isn't it a relief when we can admit those things out loud?

You are a one of kind, never gonna happen again, once-in-a-lifetime person. Take care of yourself, chase your dreams, and do everything to keep moving forward despite your doubts.

I know there's something that you're dying to do. Something you've been dreaming of for a long time, but you're putting it off because you're scared. Start anyway. Start scared and keep going. Push through the awkward. Keep going even when you feel cold and alone. Know that the tears will dry and that you can make it to the end. And when you do reach the end, let me know...I will happy dance in my kitchen for you

Confidence doesn't come from being 100% prepared (100% is perfect, and perfect doesn't exist in human form) Confidence comes from overcoming the obstacles that are inevitable when you set and work toward big goals.

Time is our most precious, most limited resource. Why on earth do we call an entire day a waste when things don't go according to plan?

There's simply not enough room for all the people you're going to need to manage your life well if you only drive a car for one. If you want a life well lived-you're gonna need a whole mess of people crammed in the #minivan with you.

There's no way around the pain that comes with love. There's no detour, expressway, or bypass. There's only one lane that, and that road leads us right through it.

He ran the longest-running, most popular one-man Broadway show. I regularly get stuck in my driveway. So, ya know, it's not like we're twinsies or anything.

It's brave to share your struggles, and it's bold to share your dreams

Sometimes it's easier to be angry at other people than yourself.

Making hard choices makes me stronger. I've been able to do so much of what I've wanted in life by doing so.

The slippery slope of self-care. What does it really mean to take care of yourself? 

Our house is homier, more peaceful, and pleasant without the presence of booze. Or maybe, it's not the house that's more peaceful and pleasant...maybe it's me.

You can't unsee things. You can't un-hear things. And you can pretend to unlearn things, but the information is still there, buried deep inside your brain.

I almost convinced myself that it would be OK. That I could do it, and it wouldn't matter.

Driveway=2  Alex=0 Steep driveway+snow/ice+vehicle treads=slippery disaster. Did that stop me from trying? No, it did not. Take a listen. 

It feels better to be going up than down, doesn't it?

I believe you and I know deep down exactly what we want

"If I don't take my feelings seriously, who will?"

"Do I like who I am when no one is watching?"

Listen to today's episode where I answer the question; "Alex, why do we time travel in our heads?"

I wonder what you're thinking?

Can we chat about meds for a minute? 

Why are things so easy right up until the point they're not?

The price of admission to a better life.

One decision lies between success and regret.

When has booze brought out the best in you? 

Inauguration Day 

Hacks won't fix a heart filled with shame.

Let me tell ya about the messed-up thought I had yesterday.

"When did I learn that alcohol=relaxation, peace, happiness, fun, etc.?"

A road of uncertainty and hope. 

Counting up sober days vs. counting down to drinking days

Therapy stirs up STUFF. Like the black gunk that sits at the bottom of your oil tank that you've gotta clean out from time to time, it's gross.

On Jan 2nd. I decided to write a post about my struggles with boozy beverages in the Minivan Mogul Facebook Group. I committed to a dry Jan., and we'll see where it goes from there.  I've been writing a post every day sharing my thoughts, feelings, and struggles, and the response has been overwhelming. So, I decided to share my words out loud here on the podcast.  You're welcome to hop in for the ride if you like; otherwise, I'm doing this one for me. 

All the weird and awkward feelings. 

Lotta Dann started drinking at age fifteen, trained as a journalist aged eighteen, and has spent twenty-plus years perfecting both skills. She built a successful career as a TV reporter, producer, and director while simultaneously developing a remarkable aptitude for drinking a lot of alcohol—Lotta drank to excess every day for years and years before finally reaching her rock bottom moment.  Mrs. D is the name Lotta gave herself when she began anonymously blogging about her journey to quit drinking in 2011. Her best-selling memoir,  Mrs. D Is Going Without, tells the story of her recovery and how she established an incredible online community of support for those looking to free themselves from alcohol forever. Lotta has published two additional books, Mrs. D Goes Within and the Wine O’Clock Myth, which was just released in the US in Oct.  In this episode of the minivan mogul podcast, Lotta shares her story and tells us exactly what those in the alcohol industry have been trying to hide from us from years. If you’re struggling with alcohol use, please don’t try to do this alone—there are so many resources out there for you, including Lotta’s community and many, many others.  You can learn more about Lotta by visiting her blog, http://livingwithoutalcohol.blogspot.com, and her online community Living Sober https://livingsober.org.nz.  All three of her books can be found on amazon.com. Alcoholics Anonymous  Anonymous Alcohol Helpline  NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 

Do you struggle with the  “My diet starts Monday” mentality,  trying yet another round of weight watchers, Whole 30, an elimination fad, or even the cookie diet (yeah, that's a real thing).  Do you find yourself sneaking into the kitchen to binge on brownies only to want to hide out for the rest of the day?  Do you think, "I'm just gonna eat it all now and never buy it again " just to get the ice cream stash out of the house?  And do you, with each failure, feel worse about yourself and wonder, "Am I gonna be stuck like this forever?"   If so, then this episode is for you. Renae Saager is an emotional eating expert who is passionate about helping women break helps women break free from binge eating so they can create the life they're starving for. Renae knows emotional eating because she’s lived it in all its forms, she’s done the work to recover, and now she uses her expertise to free women of all ages from battling the binge.  Renae takes us through the ride of a lifetime as she explains how she developed and overcame disordered eating and how she can help you do the same.     https://renaesaager.com/ https://www.instagram.com/renaesaager/ https://pswithalex.com/communicate-with-confidence-virtual-training-series-3-2/

Do you want to lose weight, look younger, love your body, and get your family healthier too? Do you struggle with feeling like you’re just too busy to get it done? Does the idea of counting macros, spending endless hours on the treadmill, or doing extreme fad dieting send chills down your spine?  Then this episode is for you. Meet Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, NMD who is the Founder of The Fit Mother Project + Fit Father Project - online health & fitness communities designed exclusively for busy moms & dads who want to lose weight, keep it off, and get healthy - so they can be better fathers, mothers, & enjoy the next 40 years of life. After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Anthony founded both The Fit Father Project and The Fit Mother Project to help other busy moms and dads get and stay permanently healthy for their families. He's helped over 10,000 mothers and fathers lose over 100,000 pounds through the Fit Mother and Fit Father Project programs.  The Fit Mother Project: https://fitmotherproject.com The Fit Father Project: https://www.fitfatherproject.com Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK_RW7ahFJx53C5aY0iYqJg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitmotherproject/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitmotherproject/

You’ve tried all the fixes for your weight. You’ve eaten the bars, lived off the shakes and counted calories until you were blue in the face.  And it didn’t work. At least, not the way you wanted it. You bought into the idea that if you could just lose those last few pounds, get that washboard tummy or fit into a size zero pant, you’d be happy. But you weren’t.  Erica Ballard gets it.  Erica is the owner of Erica Ballard Health and host of the podcast The Lies We’re Fed.  She thought for years that she knew what healthy was. She followed the healthy food trends, picked working out over sleep, and even worked in the health care industry for nearly a decade. But she realized she was wrong. And that realization, well, changed her life and is the basis for her one-on-one coaching which helps women and men live a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. You can learn more about Erica by visiting her website ericaballardhealth.com and by listening to her podcast The Lies We’ve Been Fed on apple podcasts or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.   I also want to take this moment to let you know about the Communicate with Confidence Virtual Training Series I’ve got coming up in Feb. 2021. This is a six-week interactive course for women who are looking to take their communication skills to the next level. If you’ve struggled with feeling confident when you speak, then this course is for you.   

If you are struggling to find the relationship you want. If you’re struggling to decide if you’re in the right relationship or if you just want the relationships you have with your loved ones to be better, then this episode is for you. Get ready to ride shotgun with Dr. Karin as she tells us shares her story and how she helps women find happiness, wherever they are, every day. Dr. Karin Abrell helps women along the journey of discovering themselves and then discovering what they really want in their relationships and how they can deal with the discomfort of having expectations not met. She helps women target their limiting beliefs and thought patterns so they can live the life they want, not just fill the role they think they’re supposed to.  Dr. Karin, a psychology professor, turned self-help author turned podcast host. Part psych nerd, part girl-about-town, she brings academic acumen, and wisdom gleaned from 27 years on the dating scene to her expertise in love and life. She’s the author of Single is the New Black: Don’t Wear White til it’s Right.  You can learn more about Dr. Karin by visiting her website loveandlifemedia.com, and by purchasing her book, Single is the New Balck: Don’t Wear White til its Right world on amazon.com.        

For more than 40 years, Dave served as a local church pastor on the East Coast and the Midwest. He retired as the founding senior pastor of Grace Church in Noblesville, IN, in May of 2020. Now he’s the CEO of Destiny Works, where he helps people and organizations discover their unique destinies.  Dave is the author of A Why to Live For: Where your destiny meets the world's broken places, which exposes 6 Broken Places in the world that need to be healed and identifies the callings that correlate with those broken places. If you’ve struggled with finding your purpose, if you’ve wondered how your pain could be used for the greater good, if you want to know what destiny awaits, then this episode is for you.  You can learn more about Dave by visiting his website destiny-works.com and by purchasing his book A Why to Live for: Where your destiny meets the broken places of the world on amazon.com.