The Third Place

The vitriol in American politics was a problem long before Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the 2020 election. Affective political polarization (not only disagreement on issues but personal contempt and distrust) has been growing between us for at least 25 years, and today there is evidence to suggest that we are now as polarized as we have been since the Civil War. Americans no longer see their political opponents as simply wrong or misguided. They see them as enemies who must be defeated at all costs. Braver Angels was formed shortly after the 2016 election because they do not accept this division. They reject the normalizing of this extreme polarization and our work is about building civic trust in the USA, healing the wounds between left and right. We welcome Beverly and David to The Third Place to learn how we can begin to see ourselves as fellow Americans once again. ******* Braver Angels was inspired by the words of Abraham Lincoln, who not only called on Americans to summon the “better angels” of our nature — but called on us to find the courage needed to pursue a more perfect union, “with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right.” To meet the current moment, at this time of national crisis, we need more than civility. We need to challenge ourselves to work together when we disagree. We need bravery. braverangels.org ******* The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Food is such a beautiful representation of cultures from around the world. It can provide that safe "Third Place" where we can all come to the table to learn about each other and see all of the things we have in common with one another. Today, we welcome Chef Jamie Hunt to give us a behind the scenes glimpse of what it's like to be a private celebrity chef and how those experiences allow her to get to know other people as well as celebrate our many cultures through food.

In order to break the cycle of a pornography addiction, one of the most important things is to find someone who you can be vulnerable with, and who can hold you accountable. So many people struggle with pornography in isolation, and they are afraid to tell others about their struggles in part because the addiction can also be a source of shame. Just the ability to tell a single person and realize that you're not a bad person if you have an addiction can be a huge weight off of people's shoulders. We need to talk about pornography in safe places more, because hearing other people talk about it without shame is healing and helpful. Listen in as Jeremy continues sharing his story about how he was able to break free and become a light for others.

Many addictions have similar roots: behaviors or substances that help create temporary moments of pleasure to help us avoid real world pains and traumas. In this first part of our interview, Jeremy shares how his personal addiction to pornography led to an existential moment of crisis, helping him to realize that his path was not leading towards his happiness; rather, his habit of pornography was contributing towards being unhappy and unfulfilled. Join us as Jeremy shares his next steps in these moments to pursue Buddhist philosophies towards happiness. This pursuit with mindful practices helped him to see fundamentally why he was struggling with many addictive behaviors and gave him the tools needed to truly break destructive habits.

For many students in college, skills learned are based in theory and can sometimes lack practical application that real world experiences can teach. Helping students find valuable internships is a great way to bridge the gap. Kristina's personal experiences of higher education as well as passions for coaching others led her to her work at Pathmatch, helping to equip students with practical skills through intern programs in businesses around the country.

Every Adoption and Infertility journey is unique. They each come with their own special circumstances, pains, traumas and moments of joy. Stories of adoption also include the precious life of another human being, yearning to be loved, to be known and to be a part of a family. In this second half of our interview with Jesse and Doug, we go deeper into their experiences with adoption and foster care. Their story includes a beautiful and pivotal realization that it's not about bringing children into your family's story. Rather, you are brought into theirs. ******* Jesse and Doug are the founders of Uniquely Knitted - an organization dedicated to healing the traumas of infertility and ending the isolation associated with struggling to grow your family. https://uniquelyknitted.or ( https://uniquelyknitted.org/ ) g/ ******* The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Adoption doesn't heal infertility. They are in fact a separate series of painful and beautiful, difficult and emotional moments that 1 in 8 couples have to work through as the plan for a family. After Jesse and Doug were married, they immediately began to make plans for having the large family they had always wanted. But after five years of trying to conceive, they discovered that they each have serious infertility issues. Going through a variety of infertility treatments over several years, it became obvious, they were not going to be able to conceive a child. For Jesse and Doug, their story of infertility led them to the journey of adoption. What they did not anticipate was the moments of trauma caused by infertility still came through as they navigated through the adoption process. We begin hearing their story in this first part of their interview. ******* Jesse and Doug are the founders of Uniquely Knitted - an organization dedicated to healing the traumas of infertility and ending the isolation associated with struggling to grow your family. https://uniquelyknitted.or ( https://uniquelyknitted.org/ ) g/ ******* The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

It's not everyday you find yourself hiding for your life when the cartel starts firing at your hotel room while on vacation. Alison Rothman, of the Embodied and Awake Podcast, has endured many traumas in her life, including this near death experience. All of the micro traumas that led up to this moment required her to do somatic and mindfulness work that would in turn allow her to resource those tools even at the most traumatizing of moments. *********** Be sure to check out Alison's work at Embodied and Awake ( http://www.embodymylife.com ) ! *********** The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Dr. Zee lives by her own mother's motto that, “We are more similar than we are different. Our differences make us unique, but they do not separate us.” As a mother of two, we explore how we can have diverse and inclusive conversations with our children, helping them grow to become global citizens. *********** Be sure to check out "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPfI8zBWub4 ) wherever you listen to music! *********** The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Gratitude is available to us all, and creating habits that build our gratitude should be a part of our daily routines - just like brushing our teeth! This week's guest, Pamelyn Rocco share's how her life's negative experiences and the practices of gratitude helped her gain new focus and perspectives. She has just published a children's book, "Gratitude the Great" so that kids can begin learning about these great habits at an early age. *********** The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Whether we realize it or not, negotiation is a part of our everyday lives. Mediator, arbitrator, and attorney Erin Gleason Alvarez has been teaching negotiation theory and practice for over 15 years. She is the CEO of Take Charge Negotiations LLC, which she founded to transform negotiation into a dialogue grounded in mindfulness and positivity. Her online membership community - Compass by Take Charge Negotiations® - provides members with a space to learn, practice, and share their journey towards more collaborative and rewarding negotiation experiences and outcomes. *********** The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ) is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

In recognition of National Infertility Awareness Week (April 18-24), we wanted to bring in a different perspective of working through Infertility. What we have learned is that everyone's family planning journey is very unique. Many's stories end with much joy, but also, so many stories are extremely difficult to live through. And, unless you have struggled with infertility or with a pregnancy loss, you don't realize how common it is and how uncommon it can be to welcome a healthy baby home. Thankfully, today's guest Ali Prato (host of the podcast Infertile AF) has helped create community around infertility, giving people a way to talk through and share their pain with others. This support system is a beautiful representation of The Third Place, allowing space for dialogue around one of our least talked about topics. *********** The Third Place Podcast ( https://thirdplacepodcast.com/ ).is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid. We *“go there”* on things such as… * How anger is beautiful * How to find presence amidst chaos * How to have difficult conversations * How to be an ally * How to live with grief The Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue. *We've forgotten how to talk to each other…* Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue. For additional resources and if you're interested in supporting the work of The Third Place Podcast, check out our Patreon page ( https://www.patreon.com/thirdplacepodcast ).

Many people dream of having kids and raising a family. Imagine the pain and shock when all of a sudden, that story becomes very difficult or simply impossible. Grief surrounds, and as with many painful experiences, those surrounding us often don't know what to say when they are trying to offer support. ***This is a sensitive topic*** especially if you or someone you love struggles with infertility. Today's story ends with the birth of a child, but we and today's guest Nathalie acknowledge not all stories end in the same way. We hope that as Nathalie shares with us her experiences of processing her and her husband's emotions through their path of infertility, you can find a community of support or be a community of support for someone going through this painful journey.

The topic of Green and Renewable energy can clearly be an uncomfortable conversation with anyone who's livelihood is formed around fossil fuels. Not to mention, fossil fuels has been instrumental in all of our lifestyles. But it is also a much larger umbrella for many of our most uncomfortable conversations including global warming, economic and racial inequality, and how to transition different types of work and labor. Our guest today is the founder of Quioveo Energy, Leo Alicante. Growing up on an island in West Africa, Leo witnessed how both the smallest changes in weather patterns and the influx of extractive energy industries deeply impacted his island people and their way of life. Access to energy on the island was unreliable at best and often would take advantage of the most vulnerable. Quioveo's vision, rooted in Leo's journey, is of a vibrant future, fueled by sustainable, affordable and accessible energy for all.

What happens when a successful entrepreneur is faced with crisis? And that crisis is a global pandemic... You anticipate a critical need, launch a new crowdfunding campaign, and make magic happen. One common myth of entrepreneurship is that it's all on one amazing individual to carry others and bring an idea to life. The reality is quite the opposite! Entrepreneurship at its finest looks like casting vision, creating a team and empowering everyone's unique and collective gifts. Today we hear the inspiring story of how Angela Engel, founder of The Collective Book Studio, tapped into her innate spirit as an entrepreneur and engaged her network to launch a campaign for building lifesaving PPE for her community at the start of COVID-19.

If you've ever been told "you're too sensitive," you're probably immediately hearing that as a negative comment. But being a highly sensitive person is actually an innate and highly unique trait, and as HSP expert Julie Bjelland points out, it is not a disorder, but rather a trait that has helped us to evolve. People with this trait have specially developed abilities that helped them be good at finding food, mates, and a safe place for the tribe to live. Nearly 20% of our population is considered Highly Sensitive, and in our conversation, we learn how to understand the experience of an HSP (highly sensitive person) so that we may tap into the gifts of sensitivity.

Rather than publish our normal episode, we wanted to take a moment to pause, grieve and honor the victims of this past week's mass shootings. We are all heartbroken, angry, confused and left feeling helpless... We hold these emotions with you in this space.

We need to continue to talk about racial healing and keep asking questions like, why we are here today, what we can be doing to move towards equality, and how do we heal the deep wounds and pain that we've caused one another? We invite André Brown of racialjustus.com into The Third Place to talk through this hard topic, what his emotions were last year when he heard the horrific news of George Floyd's and Brianna Taylor's murders, and his guidance on how our society can begin to heal and move forward.

The Third Place is about creating space to have hard conversations. However, part of what is necessary for creating the element of safety required to even begin to discuss these difficult topics is first ensuring that our basic needs are met. The ability to engage in difficult conversations is also a sign privilege. If you're hungry and worried about where your next meal will come from for you and your family, then you simply do not have the capacity to think about greater issues. You just need food. So, what are our basic needs? And, how can we do the work of first helping meet those needs before we try to engage in dialogue?

Over this past year, tensions with many of our relationships have been stretched, and this is especially true within many of our families. Today we invite Dee Marie of Calming Kids to talk about bringing the mindful practices of yoga into the family as a way to strengthen our bonds and to bring peace within ourselves and to others. CalmingKids.org https://www.youtube.com/c/CalmingkidsyogaOrg

What is The Third Place Podcast?

We could not be more excited about the interviews that are coming up in the coming months! There are so many amazing stories to share, experts in social sciences, and just beautiful people - all who have embraced the idea of The Third Place as a safe place for uncomfortable and hard conversations. One of the many questions that has come up from our listeners and our new friends is, "Where did the concept of The Third Place come from and how did you, Mary and David, meet?" So, this episode is the story of where it all began :)

So many of us are hoping we are entering a season of UNITY. We have been through several difficult seasons and in their wake, we find ourselves not only divided as a country, but also among family and friends. So now what? How do we move forward? Is unity just an idea that will forever be out of reach, or can we actually move towards each other? In this episode, Mary and David discuss how CURIOSITY and HUMILITY play major roles in how we approach conversations centered around rebuilding and reconnecting.

Last week's episode covered the history of Myers Briggs and the first two letters of the powerful, personality categorization tool. Today's episode wraps up the two remaining letters of "preferences." Feeling versus Thinking and Perceiving versus Judging.

The Myers Briggs personality assessment began over a century ago from a mother-daughter duo as their way of bringing Carl Jung's work to life. Today, it is know as one of the most scientifically based assessments. What is it's history and how can learning how we perceive the world help us to have deeper conversations? Learn how to decipher between the first two letters of the "preferences." Extroverted versus Introverted and Sensing versus Intuitive.

Have you ever been told that you need to change in order to succeed? These external voices can come from childhood or in your career, and our own voice is either silenced or awakened. For those who dare to be different in a sea of sameness, Sunny Bonnell joins us and offers insights on how to navigate your own notorious personality traits which can lead to incredible breakthroughs and triumphs in business and in life.

You've heard it before… “New Year, New You!” We say screw that and instead suggest “New Year, Know You!” In this spirit, we kick off our January series on ways to truly get to know yourself. Our goal with dedicating a month to this content is to give everyone permission to first befriend themselves again as we are ever-evolving and changing beings. It is likely that the last year exposed parts of ourselves we had either never met, forgotten about, or rarely acknowledged. Whatever your experience, there is no time like the present to meet yourself again. Over the coming weeks we will take deep dives into a variety of concepts, assessments, and tools that can support you in reintroducing yourself to yourself. Because when we are grounded in a sense of authentically knowing ourselves we can show up for ourselves and others more fully. It is our hope that from here, we can then move into tough, sticky topics that require us to be rooted in healthy and productive core truths about ourselves.

We launched a podcast! Throughout this first year, we received a number of messages from listeners letting us know how different episodes had spoken to them. As 2020 comes to a close, we take a moment to share these personal accounts with you. Our hope is that our episodes and interviews continue to challenge us to expand our perspectives, equip us with practical tools for better dialogue, and to teach us how to take care of ourselves. Listen in as we share the best of this past season!

2020 has been such a hard year for everyone. But also, one thing we've learned through this series and what you'll hear today is that in grief, there is hope. Grief can bring us meaning. Grief can help bring clarity. And while grief is hard - so, so hard, it can also give us celebration. We also finish with our last interview on grief with founder of moveTHRU, Emily Bingham. Emily is a fitness professional, mother of two, and widow as of March 2019, when her husband passed away from Uveal Melanoma.

A psychotherapist for over 16 years, Gina Moffa, LCSW, has an active private practice on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where she specializes in the many faces of grief and loss, trauma, as well as anxiety and depression that accompanies change. Gina also focuses on helping people to navigate uncertain, complicated life transitions, (even welcome changes come with their fair share of challenges!), and most recently, she is writing a book on healing grief- your way.

Join us as we welcome two powerful guests, Gabrielle Birkner and Marisa Renee Lee, in our first interview to unpack the heavy topic of grief. Both of them candidly share their stories of loss and how it has impacted the way they lead their lives and their work today. This episode is a breath of fresh air for those who have suffered deep loss this past year, or ever.

As 2020 comes to a close, we take a moment to pause and grieve. So many of us have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost relationships, and lost basic human connections of hugs and simply hanging out with friends. How can we embrace our grief? Can it be a gift? What are the stages of grief and what does walking through the stages look like in this difficult year? We begin this conversation as one of four parts as we have four amazing grief experts joining us in the next three episodes.

Listen in as we interview Monica Scalf! She is the Creator of Crazy Grateful, an online gathering place for people who want to look on the bright side of life. You can learn more at crazygrateful.com, or on instagram @crazygrateful.

As we enter into Thanksgiving, how do we approach the feelings of Gratitude in what has been a very difficult year?

Listen in as we "feel all the feels" of our current moment in time. Whether your candidates won or lost, the reality is that it's been a heightened emotional time and only one thing is clear... there is a lot of work ahead to create the space for the hard conversations we need from one another. So, we give pause to feel... and as we do, we feel inspired to push deeper into the Third Place... to create those safe spaces and to keep "going there" into dialogue that is uncomfortable. And while we know it will be difficult, these are the conversations that also give us HOPE.

As we publish this episode on Election Day 2020, we recognize that there is a lot of tension for everyone - and pretty much about all things!! We wanted to acknowledge the tension, but also ground ourselves, and talk through life's greatest truth - LOVE. How can we view love as the basis for learning, growing, and really figuring out how to be in society with each other?

This is our corresponding interview following our episode, "Politics is a GOOD Word." Join us as we interview David Burstein, founder of Run for America and Generation18 - two organizations dedicated to improving American politics. We'll take a behind the scenes look at politics in America and in Washington today. We'll also talk through what gives us hope in this contentious moment in our politics today.

We just days away from Election Day, and we are in a hyper season of US vs THEM thinking. Is this really how politics is supposed to be??? Is there a better way? - to disagree, to wrestle with big issues, to live all together as Americans?? How can we embrace the messy, middle grey as a place of hope and healing as we walk through this season? CAN we have healthy disagreements with family and friends? How can we simply just get through the coming weeks?

The second of our two corresponding interviews following our episode, "Not IF But WHEN - Being Prepared for Difficult Conversations." Join us as we interview Sonam Kline, a professor of Cyber Psychology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology as we take a clinical look at how our body responds during conflict.

Mary and David reflect on the last two years of the Third Place Podcast and share what has been emerging in part because of this work.Our society is in a moment where we need the principles of the Third Place now more than ever. As we wrestle with this difficult season, the question remains, how can we create safe places for ourselves and for others by offering postures of humility, curiosity, and offering generous perspectives.Our hope is that you have learned to embodied the third place into your everyday lives and you feel equipped to offer a new depth and safety in all of your relationships. And as always, be well!*******Learn more about Mary's next chapter of work here:https://www.ellementcollective.com/David's next chapter can be found here:https://socialenterprise.us/*******The Third Place Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid.We “go there” on things such as…How anger is beautifulHow to find presence amidst chaosHow to have difficult conversationsHow to be an allyHow to live with griefThe Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue.We've forgotten how to talk to each other… Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-third-place/donations

The first of two corresponding interviews following our episode, "Not IF But WHEN - Being Prepared for Difficult Conversations." We are honored to have Sara and Misasha from the Dear White Women podcast join us as we unpack difficult conversations with empathy and compassion.

Lani is a well known coffee-writer and global food industry consultant, and has has published best-selling coffee books in the USA, Finland, Sweden, China, Korea, Thailand and the UK. In her work, she has written about the history of what a third place is through the lens of the coffee shop. She has over a decade of experience in every corner of the food industry (and every corner of the world), including serving as a barista in London.This interview is a lot of fun and shows how important third places are in our lives. After talking with Lani, we would even say that to fully live this human experience is to include finding your own Third Place.*******www.lanikingston.comIn addition to writing books about coffee, Lani has written culinary articles for a range of print magazines and newspapers; set-up and managed London's largest bean-to-bar chocolate factory; headed up a cooking school run entirely with ‘food waste'; worked as one of Chef Dan Barber's senior managers at his World 50 Best Restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Upstate New York; judged food and coffee for the UK's prestigious annual Great Taste Awards; set up food brands and retail stores in Singapore; and traveled and researched food production and preparation all around the world.With over a decade of experience in every corner of the industry (and every corner of the world), Lani saw first hand where food businesses were most in need of support. In response, she started a global food and beverage support agency, Four Seasons of Food, offering on-call, highly experienced and affordable staff for the movers and shakers of the food world.What Lani loves most about her work is that she never stops exploring and learning. Throughout her career, she's been lucky enough to bake pies in English bakeries, learn about hunting reindeer from Fäviken's gunsmith, tap maple trees in Wisconsin, mill flour in an 1800's Lincolnshire windmill, cook Peranakan cakes with Singaporean grandmothers, eat rattlesnake in the Arizona desert, forage for wild food at River Cottage, spend Swedish Midsummer on a potato farm, venture deep under the streets of London to harvest herbs from disused Air Raid bunkers, harvest cacao with local farmers in the hills of Kerala, India – and much more!*******The Third Place Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners into the hard conversations that we have a tendency to avoid.We “go there” on things such as…How anger is beautifulHow to find presence amidst chaosHow to have difficult conversationsHow to be an allyHow to live with griefThe Third Place is a safe place where curiosity is encouraged, differences are welcomed, and empathy is embraced through healthy dialogue.We've forgotten how to talk to each other… Life has become polarized and dualistic - you're either with me or against me. To embrace the complex human experience is to see the world through other's eyes. The Third Place podcast helps with the disconnect. This looks like less conflict and tension and more like a peaceful existence with others. The Third Place podcast restores the art of dialogue.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-third-place/donations

We find ourselves in a world textured with heightened emotions. From COVID, to race and gender issues and to our current political climate, we more often find ourselves in challenging, emotionally charged situations. Often, in these difficult moments, our emotions go straight to a fight or flight response, which only adds fuel to! So why does our mind work this way? Understanding why and how our minds respond to heightened emotions will help us to put small actions in place to be prepared for tense conversations that are bound to happen. Because, it's not IF they happen, but WHEN. And when they do, how can we prepare our responses and truly use difficult and charged conversations to deepen our relationships and find the grey, messy middle of the THIRD PLACE?

Interview that follows Ep 11! Please welcome our friend Kirsten Moorefield, co-founder of Cloverleaf.me as we further unpack the topic of Personality Assessments!

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” - Eckhart Tolle As we think about being the change we want to see in the world, we have come to realize that it first begins with an understanding of who we really are. And who we are is VERY complex! Personality assessments can be great tools to better understand how we think, process information, interact with others, and identify what motivates us. There is no perfect test, but they can be great tools to begin to unpack how we see the world and ultimately how we can change, adapt and better the relationships around us.

Interview that follows Ep 9! Please welcome our friend and PR guru Sabina Hitchen as we further unpack the topic of Fear and Insecurity!

We've all heard it… that inner voice… “Who am I to do this? I'm not an expert! I'm not good enough!” From starting a business, to parenting, to putting art into the world; whatever it may be, it's all creating something that others will see (and judge). While it's easy to assume that the most “successful” people have never heard that voice or they already mastered how to quiet it, trust us when we say, everyone hears it… And it's a voice that will show up again and again. So what do we do with this voice? How do we push through and persevere? Can we silence it? Better yet, can we befriend this voice? In this episode, we talk through how to unpack our fears and insecurities so that they don't keep us from bringing our unique gifts to the world.

Anger, often viewed as a negative emotion, is a response that comes from within. Oftentimes, we are misled to think that anger is something that happens to us, not something that happens within us. In “Beautifully Angry” we invite you in to explore how anger can be a powerful energy that we can tap into, and how it can transform into something so powerful and beautiful, and to truly be used as a catalyst for change.

Is anyone NOT in chaos right now??? All of us, even those of us that are doing well, are in the midst of so much uncertainty. In this episode, we will recognize the chaos, and talk through different tools and techniques to find quiet in the noise, many of which can be small micro moments.

The idea of finding common ground from a variety of perspectives is a foundational idea of "a THIRD place." However, not all truths are found here. Especially as we are wrestling with addressing racism in our country, it is clear that many ideas and truths are in fact found in the black and white. If LOVE and HATE are on opposite ends of a spectrum, our guide towards healing is not found in the middle ground. Leading with LOVE, which is on the far edge, is where we will find our true path. ----- Here is the link ( https://hbr.org/2016/03/how-to-disagree-with-someone-more-powerful-than-you?deliveryName=DM82892&utm_campaign=engagment5_suboffer_version20170802_t3&utm_content=touch3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tgr_newregistrants ) to the Harvard Business Review article Mary mentioned!

In our episode, The Wheel of Life, we talked about dreaming what the future could be with all of the aspects of your life. Now, we talk through how to set goals to achieve those dreams.