Simply Make It Count

All Grace ever wanted was the normal things in life:  A happy marriage, a big house, and a loving family.  She never imagined her life would turn out so differently. The submissive Christian life she was asked to live left her totally dominated by her abrasive husband.  She and her children were systematically crushed, and their will to thrive was snuffed out at every turn.  She had no idea how to handle the insults and abuse from her husband or the isolation from her family.  She never thought she'd lose her faith in God or plunge into such depths of despair. This heart-wrenching story of living every day with a narcissist educates readers on the serious nature of abuse.  Taking a journey through emotional pain may mean taking the most uncomfortable path to lead your life to the most beautiful situation starting today.   Madison R. Carter represents all those who experience emotional pain across different cultures, religions, ages, men and women, in every corner of the world who struggle with finding their way out of the darkness.  She wrote this true story because she wants to shed a light on the darkness and secrecy of abuse and bring hope and light to those who are feeling trapped, hopeless, and have lost their way. For more information and to order a copy of her book, visit her website:  www.madisonrcarter.com  You can also find her on Facebook as Madison Carter, Author of Stop Making Me Cry.

My friend Crystal is one who does extraordinary things often. Though I'm used to this behavior from her I was more in awe than usual when I learned she donated one of her kidneys to a complete stranger. Well, the recipient was a stranger at the time. Now the two share a beautiful friendship. One that almost didn't happen! This podcast interview with Crystal almost didn't happen, too. Listen to this episode to find out why! :) For more information about organ donation, contact your local hospital and they will connect you with the resources you need. Thanks for listening and until we meet again, Simply Make It Count.

I'm staying at a local Airbnb home tonight. Yes, you read that right - local! Although it's just one of my days off of work, it feels like a mini vacation. I brought a few small projects to tackle and doing at least one podcast episode was one of those things. Yes, you read that right - at least one episode.  I may just feel ambitious enough to do another!  It's amazing what a little bit of time away from home can do for the soul.  Even if it's just one night.  :)

Mark LaMaster is back!  He was the first guest - and was featured in the first episode of the Simply Make It Count podcast sharing about his first book, Friday Night Lights for Fathers and Sons.  When I heard he'd written a second, similar book for Fathers and Daughters I knew I had to have him back on the show.  As a daughter who has struggled my whole life to relate to my dad, this conversation with Mark felt especially needed and relevant to families today. I'm so glad we took the time to talk.  Mark LaMaster is the founder of Uplifting Dads who strives to ensure that each and every dad has the access to positive, encouraging, and faith-filled resources about how to be the best parent they can be.  Uplifting Dads exists in order to build a sense of community among like-minded fathers who want to learn from, strengthen, and support one another in a space free of judgment or criticism. Mark is a dad of two teenagers, a husband, an author, a speaker, and a dad coach whose mission is to offer a place of encouragement and inspiration for men to become the father they've always dreamed of being. You can connect with Mark through his website, www.UpliftingDads.com or via email, Mark@UpliftingDads.com Mark's fatherhood books are available at Amazon.com Mark would also like to offer a FREE 30-Day Devotional for Dads!

Seems like I'm always saying this:  "Long time, no podcast!"  Well, this time, it really has been a long time - at least since I seemed to be on track with getting a more regular podcast schedule going and then POOF - nothing for over three months! If you've missed me and/or have been wondering what happened or if I'm OK, this is the episode for you.   Spoiler alert ---  I still won't be getting back to a regular schedule yet so I wanted to warn you. I just don't want you to be disappointed. ;) Have an amazing April! Hopefully I'll be back soon. :)

I really enjoyed this conversation with my friend Tanisha Williams. I invited her to the show because of her recent vlogging project, "90 Days of Encouragement" but as it turns out we talked about much more than that! I hope you enjoy our conversation, too. :) Tanisha Williams' Passion is teaching. She has taught elementary and high school for twenty years. Tanisha received a M.A. in English Education from Columbia University. As a veteran master teacher, Tanisha has spoken at educational workshops and mentored novice teachers. As an author, certified coach, speaker, and trainer, Tanisha helps others build their self-esteem to embody their full potential in Christ so they will know their value, identity, and purpose to accomplish their dreams. She has spoken at various churches and women's groups where her topics include abundant living, God's love, and freedom in Christ. Tanisha lives in New Jersey with her two "crazy" cats. She loves to travel and is proud of her ability to quote movie lines in daily conversation. You can follow her on Instagram here: @tanisharwilliams  

Well, I failed my December challenge by day 4! That might just be a record of some sort. After a coaching call with my business coach I got discouraged and stopped creating the very things I feel strongly led to create. I've questioned for several of our calls now if I should just quit the process since I haven't felt a good connection with him for a while now. I even question if I should have hired him in the first place. But I'm pretty sure it was a wise move at the time. He's gotten me to the place of believing that what I want to do with my life actually is possible. I was incredibly stuck when I first met him. Now I have hope that things can improve.  But was that all I needed him for? And could my time be better spent doing things my way for a while again? Or am I supposed to stick it out - even though I hate how I feel, going into - and after - every call? It's funny that I'm talking this in depth about it all here but a few calls ago he mentioned a certain attitude I "should have" about a situation I started telling him about. I said, "I already feel that way. I mentioned it in my last podcast episode" to which he replied, "I don't listen to your podcast." Although he said he doesn't listen to anyone's podcast (though I know he does listen to the "big, popular" business oriented ones) it made me question our relationship then as well because when we first started our calls he said he didn't think I should be doing a podcast. Hmm. I know that every episode isn't the best quality and that I haven't had the amount of guests on yet that I'd prefer, but I do believe that this podcast is something I need to be doing at this time in my life. Will I continue my December challenge? I don't know. But I'd like to try. Will I continue with the rest of my prepaid coaching calls? Well, that I just don't know yet. Will I continue "making stuff"? Yes. Yes I will. Because as an artist, I must. It's part of who I am. And knowing that helps me survive another day. Thank you for listening to my show - and for reading this! You are awesome. Until we meet again, Simply Make It Count.  

It's possible to have too much of a good thing. In today's episode I talk about a solution to that "problem".

I went to church today - which is something I haven't done for a few months now. And before then, my church attendance has been quite sporadic. Although I've gone to church all of my life, I've gotten out of the habit of going. And now that I'm out of the habit, it's tough to get back into it. This episode comes from pure exhaustion. It's way past my bedtime but I wanted to make sure I got today's episode up now because I can't guarantee I'll be getting up early enough to do it before work. (Now there's a habit I should probably get into! Getting up early. I get up with just enough time to get ready and hit the road! But that's a topic for another day...) Anyway, hopefully you get something beneficial out of this one. Thanks so much for listening and until we meet again - after I've gotten some sleep, of course - Simply Make It Count. :) Good night.........

Have you ever started a big project and as you got closer to completing it, you felt like giving up? Well, I certainly have! Actually, I'm feeling like giving up on a project right now. But I know I don't want to give up. I'll be so disappointed if I do. In today's episode I share one of my favorite quotes on this topic. Hopefully, if you're like me and you feel like giving up on a big project as well, this quote will help you stay on track to accomplishing your goal. Thanks for listening. :) Until we meet again, Simply Make It Count!

Did you set any goals at the start of the year that you still haven't accomplished? It's "only" December 1st so it's not too late to get back on track. But today I talk about the best way to go about it. Find some accountability partners! (Or at least just one.) There's nothing like a group of like-minded individuals to help you get things done. Not that they're doing them "for" you - because they've got their own goals to meet - but because they care about you and want to encourage you to succeed. The fun part is, you get to be their cheerleader as well. Accountability goes both ways and the results are awesome!

It's been a month - hopefully you haven't given up on the show yet. In this episode I share why it's been so long since my last one and that I'm thinking I should try and do another daily podcast challenge like I did in October so it doesn't happen again! Thanks for listening. May you find some "magic" in my words. :)

My October has been a challenging month when it comes to travel and car issues! As I reflect on the decision I made yesterday to spend more on repairs than the car is worth, it got me thinking about what and in whom we place value, and the investments we choose to make - or not make - to keep them in our lives.

Wow! I knew God had a good reason for keeping me from getting home today by way of car troubles but I had no idea it would be for this! I just figured maybe I would have gotten in an accident or something had I stayed on the road. Although in the title I call ours a "chance encounter" I believe it's much more than that. As I have stepped out in faith to produce this podcast, I've seen some pretty awesome things happen and have truly met some very extraordinary people! Richard Rhett and his wife Juli, who wasn't available for the interview (Hi Juli! Sorry I missed you!), are the owners of Sierra Madre, a camping gear company with a mission. Not only are they passionate about creating quality products but they use a portion of every sale to provide clean water for communities around the world. For more information visit their website: www.sierramadre.camp  

Penny Haynes will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was at the lowest point in my life, Penny was writing blogs on her website and posts in her private Facebook group for Christian women who deal with depression and anxiety issues. I believe it is so much more than a coincidence that she lives on my way home from Atlanta! I am certain that God orchestrated our meeting today and that those who need to hear our conversation, will. At the start of this episode, I apologize for the sound quality. As I mention there, we met in a loud restaurant and although I was able to cut out most of the background noise I couldn't eliminate it all. I hope that you will still listen to our conversation and maybe even pass it on to someone you know. Penny shares God's message of hope and healing in our world where millions struggle with depression. For more information and to connect with Penny, visit her website: http://pennyhaynes.com  

I just met Kathi this weekend at Sam Crowley's live event in Atlanta and wow! She is a remarkable woman! When some issues with her eyes revealed that she had Graves Disease, she looked into holistic healing methods and ended up going on a retreat in Jamaica which changed her outlook on life. She now works with the retreat coordinator, a friend of hers, and seeks to share the blessings it brought her with others who need healing as well.  For information about Acu-Na Wellness Retreats & Events, visit www.acu-naevents.com You can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acunaretreats  

Another short one today - but keeping the habit going! My October challenge is almost done. I'm planning to continue with a regular schedule though so I hope you keep listening. Some great interviews are in the queue! :)

In this episode, I share my conversation with "Jmar". (Listen for her explanation of her name!) Jmar is an inspirational and energetic fitness expert, yet she makes it fun. I don't know about you but -- fitness and fun don't seem like they belong in the same sentence! Jmar has spent the last 20 years as a personal trainer and she uses her wisdom to help encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle. Check out her daily videos on Instagram - @jmarfit  

It's your choice.

A soft spoken episode tonight as I'm still at my dad's house and people are trying to sleep! I had a little issue with my car today and I was more concerned than usual because I'm 500 miles away from home and need to drive another nearly 400 away tomorrow! Listen to this episode for my thoughts on how things turned out.

This one's another short one. I just talk a little about my continued travel which includes a visit to my dad's house. Our relationship hasn't always been the best. But I decided that since neither of us are getting any younger, it was probably a good idea to try and stop by - especially since I had a couple of "free" days between my conferences this month. I'll let you know how it went after I leave. ;)

Bamidele and I got to chat for a short few minutes before she had to board a plane and head home after a full and amazing weekend at the Igniting Souls Conference. I'm so glad we had the chance to sit down and start the conversation! We are planning to talk again soon so you can hear more of her story. If you'd like to know more now, you can visit her website and/or follow her on Instagram: http://www.inspiredtosoar.co.uk @inspiredtosoar    

I needed a place to stay for one night, spur of the moment, and who had an available room for me? Why, Kathy Binner, of course! Not only does Kathy own a B&B, but she has some other business prowess as well which she shares about in today's episode. Kathy and I just now had a little fun trying Facebook live for the first time. What a riot! As I mention on the show, this is my first time meeting her face to face and I already feel like we've known each other forever. :) If you'd like to know more about her as a Passive Income Coach visit her website at: www.kathybinner.com  

I met Jim Henry at dinner tonight. I learned he is the author of a book called "After Diagnosis: LIFE" so I asked if he wanted to help me out on today's episode since time was getting short and I still had to pack and hit the road for the third leg of my two week journey.  I asked: Would he be interested in saying a little something for my podcast episode.  Having only just met me, he amazingly agreed!  After dinner we found a quiet place to record and here is what he shared. Stay tuned for Part 2!  We'll plan on next month. :) If you can't wait and want to know more about Jim visit The Life Givers Network at www.tlgn.org

Back in 2015 I took part in a mastermind based on the book Day Job to Dream Job by Kary Oberbrunner. Now, two years later at the Igniting Souls Conference, a few of my fellow masterminders and I sat down to talk about our experience. What a fun discussion we had! I hope you enjoy listening and if you are at a place in your life where you feel like you are in a "prison" of some sort, that you will find encouragement and hope for your future.  Although the 12 month Shawshank Mastermind program is not available at this time, there is a similar resource called Dream Job Bootcamp. To learn more about my guests you can visit their websites: Laura Harris - www.lightandanchor.com Estelle Gibson - www.estellegibson.com Martyn Wood - www.deeperpathcoaching.com *Spoiler alert. If you have not yet seen the movie The Shawshank Redemption be warned. We mention some details from the film. #ignitingsouls17  

How should you respond when you receive bad customer service? Listen for a good answer!

Explanation for two episodes in one included in recording so I'm not going to tell you here. I've got a friend to go enjoy my day with! 

Thoughts for the day include a quote about motivation and habits, an explanation of why recent episodes have been super short, a huge thank you for listening and a promise of better things to come!

Don't beat yourself up over unmet goals. It's okay. If it's something you really want to do, just set a new goal and try again! Simple as that. :)

If I didn't need to get a little more rest before work, I'd have added more to this episode today where we begin think a little bit about the importance of sleep and the danger of getting into sleep deficit. I kept this one short and sweet just like I have the past few days but I know I want to delve deeper into this topic in the future. Stay tuned. In the meantime, get your rest!

Another short one. I'm really liking these. They feel a lot more doable under my current circumstances. I'll share more about them later this month. :)  In the meantime, Simply Make It Count.

I have, by default, proven that "work expands to the time you give it". I planned to have a project done a week and a half ago but then realized it wasn't "due" until next week -- so, naturally, I allowed myself extra time to complete it.  Needless to say, I should have stuck to the original deadline.  Lesson learned.  (I hope.)  :)

Shortest episode yet!

Here's a short story I wrote a few years back. Goes to show that if I, a nonfiction writer, can write fiction, then you can do pretty much anything you set your mind to as well!

I tried something new for my podcast today. Actually I tried a few new things. One of them being walking and talking. It's kind of therapeutic - if you are walking alone and talking --- and recording. In episode 2 I tell my story of an experience I had with a homeless man a few years ago and how that encounter changed my life. But back then, I didn't understand what was going on with me. Now, with a bit more hindsight, I share more of my story... Thanks for listening! 

On today's show I talk with Brandon Handley of Fatherhood For the Rest of Us fame. He shares some intimate details about his past and why it's so important to him to be the best father he can be. We had a great conversation which I hope you enjoy! For more information on what Brandon is doing, to listen to his podcast or just to check out his Fatherhood For the Rest of Us merchandise, visit his website: www.fatherhoodfortherestofus.com

Just a little humor for the day! And yes, these are all true...

I'm not giving up!  It's only day 4 and I'm exhausted but - I'm not giving up!

Today I had a chat with Ozzy Eyre, an ordinary guy who has been doing very extraordinary things these days. Ozzy learned the hard way how to create videos - from scratch, with minimal funds, knowledge and technical vocabulary. It took some time but now that he's an expert in the field (my words, not his) he's been gracious to create a guide for those of us who would like to learn how to make great videos as well.  Ozzy hasn't always been in this line of work. In this episode, Ozzy shares from his heart the story of getting from "the job he hated" to this job he now loves. When he isn't working on creating videos, animated or otherwise, you might find him out for a walk with his dog, Jack and his cell phone, vocally sharing more of his wisdom on his podcast, "When's My Time?" For more information about Ozzy and his valuable resources, check out the links below. Full link for the course - https://elitevideoacademy.com/evc101 or you can just visit https://elitevideoacademy.com for information about the academy. Visit https://whensmytime.com to learn more about Ozzy and his podcast.  His show can also be found on iTunes and Stitcher.

Since it's my October podcast-a-day challenge and it's super late in my day (yawn), the show notes for this one will be short.  I can't think of anything else to add that you won't hear if you listen. :)

This is not the topic I planned in advance for day one of my October Podcast-episode-a-day challenge. Sometimes you just have to go with how you're feeling in the moment. My intent for the challenge was - still is - to record and upload without editing the content. I couldn't do that here. My heart was heavy as I talked on this topic - forgiveness - and there were a lot of long pauses, especially at the beginning when I first sat down to talk. Thank you for listening.

So, last episode I "promised" I'd get more episodes up in September. I thought about it several times this month but now have waited until the last day to produce one. As you'll hear, I decided not to do a bunch of editing like I normally do. I unintentionally lied, though, when I said it would be edit-free. I did chop out my "Is this thing on? Testing, 1, 2, 3..." and I had to edit in my intro and outtro (is that even a word?) music.  Other than that, it's just me. Raw and uncut. And before I go into this subject further, I'll stop typing. I just came up with a good topic for tomorrow! Hope you stay tuned for my little October challenge! :)

Long time, no podcast.  Apologies!  There's nothing like a little struggle in life to keep you from doing what you want to do. Ironically, the episode I wrestled with most is the one geared toward helping with that! Episodes 3 and 4 were recorded on the same day. I thought I had struggles and here Eric deals with chronic pain - and he had to do a double interview in one day! I don't know why I've had such difficulty with this one except that maybe it's because Eric's message is one that needs to be heard. Maybe it could even save a life! I know all too well the effects of Resitance - the opposition that prevents us from taking action. But I'm learning how to resist that resistance. Slowly but surely, I'm learning. Please bear with me. I'm just an ordinary person trying to do extraordinary things. :) Eric's book is called The Raging Sloth - An Upside-Down Blueprint to Bust Your Limits, Build Your Purpose, and Balance Your Life. To learn more about Eric and his resources visit his websites www.ericpeaton.com & www.TheRagingSloth.com

Eric Eaton is the co-founder of Knights of Heroes Foundation in Colorado. Knights of Heroes empowers children who have lost their fathers during military service by providing positive adult mentorship, character development, and lasting friendships forged during an annual wilderness adventure camp. You can be a part of this amazing adventure by supporting the Knights of Heroes Foundation. Learn more by visiting www.knightsofheroes.org

Not good at making a long story short, this episode runs about an hour and twenty minutes. In this episode I tell about my encounter with a homeless man in 2014 and how that experience made an impact on my life. Still a little confused as to why this happened to me, I've decided to Simply Make It Count by sharing my story and giving some guidelines that will help other ordinary people do extraordinary things, too.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me," is a phrase kids in my day grew up hearing. But any time we were ever called an undesirable name it did hurt. The words we say hold a lot of power. Our words can build others up or tear them down. In this episode I share a little about words and the impact they have on ourselves and those around us.

Mark LaMaster is the author of Friday Night Lights for Fathers and Sons and the founder of Playoff Parenting, LLC. He is also the Chief Dad Developer at Playoff Parenting University, an online coaching program that helps dads transform their relationships with their children. Mark believes that EVERY parent has the potential to be the best parent for each of their children. He is dedicated to helping good parents become GREAT Parents by equipping, encouraging and empowering them to become the best parents possible. Through his book, coaching programs and speaking engagements, Mark has helped many parents to pursue the parent/child relationships they have always dreamed of. Update: Mark is also featured in Episode 47 where we talk about his second book Friday Night Lights for Fathers and Daughters. His main website has changed from MarkLaMaster.com to www.UpliftingDads.com and his contact email is now Mark@UpliftingDads.com The website and contact info mentioned in this episode still work. If anything changes I'll try and make sure I edit the audio. Both of his books can be found at Amazon.com