Respecting the Process Inc.

Sandy Dietrich-Bell has been the Chief Executive Officer of oneROOF since 2006 and has worked in the field of social services since 1999. Sandy is also a therapist specializing in trauma and abuse, a part-time faculty at Conestoga College, and a proud mother and grandmother."I have always been drawn to the field of social services because I really want to make a difference in this world. Having lived-experienced myself, I have always felt that I needed to be part of the solution regarding the issues of youth homelessness, abuse, and societal violence."Her incredible insight on the human condition, especially applied to youth, provides a rare perspective into the lives homeless adolescents. “To me, Respecting the Process means respecting the uniqueness of each person. You might not understand their process, you might not agree with it, but its theirs and if you’re truly here to assist them and to help them, than you walk with them on their journey. You don’t drag them onto your path. We need to start embracing people where they’re at and helping them walk their journey, to fulfill their purpose, instead of trying to instill ours on them. Letting them see that it is the small things. It is the every day experiences that you & I have had that make us who we are today. It’s not one big pivotal thing that happened last Tuesday that has defined you as a human being. It’s a culmination of everything you have experienced and if you start devaluing that, then you devalue your own process and that’s what we need to get around. We have to start reminding people that every experience has a purpose and all things happen for a reason. The result is what we make it.” — Sandy Dietrich-Bell, oneROOF Chief Executive Director

John Whitney from Whitney & Company Realty Limited, Brokerage brings his 30+ years of real estate experience to the table. Also up and coming interior designer Nitika Oberoi speaks on the value of space and why where we physically are is so important. This podcast features up & coming interior design artist from Montreal, Nitika Oberoi. Trailer "For me, there’s a right and a wrong about a lot of things. One of the things I've done all my life is I've tried to stay on the right side of the ledger. So that instead of going off and doing something a little shady or something not so cool, I've always gone down this path of the right thing. I found that served me really well over the years. You never have to cover up the good things and ‘wear them on my sleeve’ as they say. If you put as many hours into doing good stuff as you do into bad stuff, you'd probably be a much better person. I think the whole idea of respecting yourself, the people around you, your clients, and your family is why you should stay on the good side of the ledger and leading your life down that side of it. There aren't as many pitfalls probably. For me that works. I don't have to apologize for anything, I feel pretty good about what I'm doing and if I look back that was probably a pretty good thing for me to follow."John Whitney, Whitney & Company Realty Limited

View fullsize Alexander Marshall is the founder of GB Media, a video communications agency focused on helping brands create more empathetic content through understanding the context of their consumer. Recently he embarked on a new initiative, The GB Collective, a collaborative co-working space for digital creatives based right here in Kitchener-Waterloo. With this new venture he aims to bring together the tech and creative communities and forge opportunities for the two while providing mentorship, classes, networking events and more. "To me Respecting the Process means mindfulness. It's being mindful of what the process is trying to achieve. We are human, we like to compartmentalize things, we liked to create processes - primarily because it makes us feel comfortable about the uncertain. Well, communications is all about uncertainty. It is about creating sparks of energy, creating engagements & getting your audiences excited - you can't process that. You have to look at it more as a blue print. We know we always have to listen. For me the process is making sure that the process doesn't overrule or outrun what you are trying to achieve."Alexander Marshall, George Briggs Media

Alina Serban is a Business Developer for CLEO Collar, one of Communitech's newest start-ups. When she is not skillfully luring investors into joining her intriguing business, she likes philosophizing on life's greatest mysteries.Podcast #20 explores the concept of embracing the moments & just "winging it," while attentively sticking to a well thought out plan. View fullsize "Respecting the Process is acknowledging that life has to take its course & that it might not be what you thought it would be, everything that happens - happens for a reason. Every experience provides a lesson to be learned. You must acknowledge & embrace it & that way enjoy your life on a greater level."Alina Serban, Konectera Inc.

View fullsize Respecting the Process Podcast #19 explores the concept of dedication towards a difficult process for the sake of self improvement.Both guests on this episode have lost over 100 lbs & share their successful perspectives on the incredibly difficult process of weight loss.Sheryl Gesinghaus-Gatzke enlightens with her "Commitment, Consistency & Change" rule & Patricia Reeves tells us how she overcame the weight & is now inspiring others to do the same. View fullsize Photography by Chris Tjoa "I think Respecting the Process is respecting your own process. Not worrying about everybody else's process, or everybody else's journey. It's about respecting yourself, respecting your own journey & not trying to be anyone else. You need to make your own."Patricia Reeves, Woman's Body Image Movement

"Taking a picture of a picture from the past in the present."Internet artist, Taylor Jones came onto the podcast to discuss what Respecting the Process means to the Dear Photograph founder & chief memory curator. We chat about the viral success his website experienced (CBS ranked it as the #1 site in 2011), his photo exhibit in Switzerland & the emotional connection tied to a persons past through photos. View fullsize "The process for Dear Photograph talks all about the past. I don't think we respect our pasts like we should. Every single person in the world has to love looking back on their pasts & seeing what they are doing."Taylor Jones, Dear Photograph

In the spirit of Mental Health Week (an annual national event that takes place during the first week in May to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect & engage with others on all issues relating to mental health) Christine Hillis, a social worker at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario came onto the podcast to discuss what mental disorders are, the damaging effects of negative stigmas & ways to approach this sensitive topic. View fullsize "Respecting the Process to me has a lot to do with self awareness & understanding that for me there is no end point. I understand that where I'm at right now -I'm at a great point in my life - & there is no end point where I am going to feel 100% cured. For me it's that every day management, waking up, checking in with myself, seeing how I am doing & figuring out my life in accordance with my mental health disorder. Understanding that it will always be a part of my life, but the things that I do in order to help work with it actually give me really good mental health. The process for me is understanding that I need to be aware of how I'm doing & alter what I'm doing in terms of how I am feeling. Making sure that I am taking care of myself & doing my own set of coping strategies.Christine 'Red Dynamite' Hillis, Social Worker

Internationally experienced photographer Dave Chidley came onto the Podcast to discuss his career, pursuing passions & the importance of a picture. View fullsize "The process to me is really important. Taking a photograph is recording a piece of history. It's a split second of time that you have chosen to record. It's once in a lifetime & it's gone. I want to take the best possible photo that day to affect as many people as possible. Even if just one person looks at it. That's my role in this process. It's to do my best to record those moments that will have some affect on people."Dave Chidley, Photographer 

The principle of Respecting the Process as explored by a psychologist. Themes expanded on in this episode include; how to begin implementing positive change into your life, making the choice to motivate yourself through difficult challenges & investing oneself into the present situation. View fullsize "For me Respecting the Process in my own life & in all the people I'm blessed enough to meet, is to realize the process is so much bigger than I am. It is our destiny. It is the 100 years - if we are ever that lucky to live on this earth. Whatever we experience, good or bad, is just a day in the life & that we need to pay attention to where we are. When we get stressed out, overwhelmed & are going through a lot of changes, take a step back & realize that there are so many forces at work that are greater than we are - which is the process. When we Respect the Process everything just falls into place. It sounds simple, but you need to just let go of what you don't have control over & be inspired by the process."Dr. Andrea Dinardo, Psychologist

Very thought provoking episode about making conscious decisions within an individuals process & responding to circumstance. This podcast presents the empowering Sara Westbrook! View fullsize "We all go through stuff. Some people go through some crazy stuff & there’s no rhyme or reason. I think that all challenges are relevant; especially in the moment when you are facing them. Respecting the Process means taking it all in & literally being mindful of the moment. Just breathing & saying, “OK, here is where I am at. I am feeling this way, I am overwhelmed, feeling frustrated, feeling joy, excitement,” whatever it is, but just being OK with it. I am human, I am allowed to experience emotions. It’s not OK for me to hurt other people or myself because I am feeling a certain way, but I can be OK! I can make mistakes. I can get up, brush myself off & say, “Today is a new moment." Respecting the Process is all about allowing yourself to make mistakes. Allowing yourself to be human & to know that growth is a process. As long as you have that end result in mind you can make choices to get back on track. Finding things that support you & your process in that minute, well that’s really respecting yourself. If you can surround yourself with that, that would be Respecting the Process for me."Sara Westbrook, Speaker, Singer & Songwriter

What does Respecting the Process mean to this very special guest? Check it out... View fullsize "I think it means being yourself. Always do what you want to do & let nobody change your opinion."Londyn, Elementary School Student

Manager of Aboriginal Services at Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, Myeengun Henry joined the Respecting the Process podcast! He shared a very unique look at the process of attaining mental, emotional, spiritual & physical health. View fullsize "Everybody has a process & we need to be respectful of that. It's a co-relationship of respect towards each other.Myeengun Henry, Original Person

A brief conversation with Kitchener, Ontario's longest tenured mayor.

Personal coach Erika Jolene Gmeindl is featured on the Respecting the Process Podcast this week! She lends her fitness insights & life experiences on topics such as non-judgemental awareness, the illusion of time & why life is too short to have problems. View fullsize "It's living in the now. I see the process as life. Having the discipline to respect the process & 'live in the now,' is really what it is to me. It is being disciplined enough to live in the now & therefore, live in the process and take it for all it's worth."Erica Jolene Gmeindl, Coach/ Trainer

Trainer & strength coach Craig Bongelli is on the next podcast! Conversation includes involvement with his high calibre clients, training as a top 20 strong man in Canada & the food consumption required to maintain (what he calls a light) 285 lbs frame! View fullsize "'Respecing the Process' has a lot to do with understanding what dues have to be paid, in what order & for how long. One of the biggest problems people have with trying to be successful is seeing other peoples success and that's what they admire & focus on. That's not what makes success, it's a finished product. The real life of success is in the gym, or in the training field, or in the process."Craig Bongelli, Strongman & Trainer

Internationally renowned professional speaker and best selling author, Delatorro L. McNeal, II will feature in the next Respecting the Processepisode! He has received the highest international recognition of professional speaking excellence and has been featured on national and worldwide television networks like Fox News, NBC, BET, TBN, Daystar, Oxygen, and The Word Network as well as syndicated radio shows all across North America! View fullsize "To me 'Respecting the Process' means I have to go into this thing honoring and recognizing the fact that I’m not going to change over night, but every day I can make small steps that are going to get me better. Understanding it is a process – a metamorphosis and it's not going to happen today or tomorrow. If I’m willing to take baby steps towards my dream, there’s nothing I cant accomplish." Delatorro McNeal, II, Keynote Speaker

View fullsize Syd “The Jewel” Vanderpool was a champion boxer, ranked number one in the world as a super middleweight in 2004. This podcast explores the process of going from a great boxer to a great leader. "That’s where greatness is created. In the everyday little things. Its not some big moment that happens. In every little moment there is an opportunity to create something bigger and greater. Its putting one foot ahead of the other and eventually you look back and say, “Wow, I just ran a mile."