Podcasts about for claire

Claire works in social policy, her love of people and social equality sparked her interest in unusual climate work - starting a climate playgroup. What is a climate playgroup? For Claire, it's a way for her community to explore what a good future life might look like. She was also inspired and supported by the group to take the nerve-wracking step of speaking to the national media on climate. She was surprised how she felt after taking that leap! After her toddler was born, Claire grappled with climate grief but she is managing to take it from something that paralysed her to something that drives her, hear how she transformed her grief. This episode is in partnership with Australian Parents 4 Climate Action. Subscribe to Now What Now to hear more stories on parents and carers figuring out how to act on climate while navigating their work and family life. Podcast Links Little Climate Heroes Playgroup on Instagram.   An article Milkwood Permaculture wrote about Claire's husband, which also mentions the Playgroup.  Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Spokesperson program Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Meet your local group Recommended links from Claire Milkwood Permaculture's ‘Permaculture Living Course', which really informed our thinking on the playgroup, and has some great practical strategies for how to live  more sustainably.  Work that Reconnects site - I found a beautiful eco grief course through this site 2040 movie - obvious I know Joanna Macy on Active Hope - I've slowly been making my way through Coming Back to Life Outrage and Optimism - This episode is a great listen on how powerful the Aus 2022 election was  Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'

The eviction ban is ending - people like Rebecca now fear they'll be homeless within months...Our callers warn their local TD's - we'll remember how you voted last night!.. For Claire, her search for a house is over and she could just cry with relief & lots more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we hear from Claire. Her journey to finding hospitality was by process of elimination. By trying everything - working construction, on a boat, english teacher, pubs, etc. She then did her MBA in hospitality and went into asset management and investment. It was her attitude and not her lack of 'traditional' hotel experience that helped land her first role after graduation. We talked about her time in Vietnam as an english teacher taught her to 'feel the fear and do it anyways' a quote that she still gains experience today. We both shared our experiences of how this fear grips us and the gremlin often tells us to shut up. But it is working through this fear, where the good stuff lies at the other end. It is about creating new neural pathways until it becomes natural. Technical skills vs Interpersonal skills - which do you need to grow your career? What qualities do leaders have? For Claire, everyone inspires her in different ways.

It was the year in which, despite everything, CoinGeek managed to bring BSVers together in Zurich and New York for two magnificent three day conferences. Both online and in person, they showcased the vibrancy of entrepreneurship around BSV, featuring a host of new projects like Peersend, Haste and Project Babbage, while also digging into its history with blockchain pioneers Stuart Haber and Scott Stornetta and cryptography guru Ian Grigg. Then, of course, there was that trial: the seemingly endless drama in a Miami courtroom in which Dr Craig Wright successfully defended himself against accusations of fraud from the brother of his late friend and colleague Dave Kleiman.And it was the year in which the world learnt, to its bafflement, about blockchain technology through the extraordinary prices being paid for NFTs. So how to sum it all up, from the perspective of the 48 editions of CoinGeek Conversations that were aired in 2021? In the final show of the year Charles Miller was joined by the two founders of the Women of BSV group, Diddy Wheldon and Ruth Heasman and his reporter colleague, Claire Celdran. Their choice of highlights led to discussion that included Terranode, Ira Kleiman's emailing habits, Craig Wright's audiobooks and those ubiquitous NFTs.  On that subject, Ruth Heasman was happy to trumpet the advantages of BSV: “comparing the differences between BSV and other blockchains, there's really no one else doing it the way that BSV is doing it at the moment,” she said. “The fees mean, on Ethereum, that generally artists, unless they sell an awful lot or at a very high price, then they're not making any money from their artwork. But on BSV of course, transaction fees are often less than a cent, or certainly less than a few dollars anyway.”Claire Celdran picked a clip that told us something about Craig Wright which had nothing to do with Bitcoin. He was talking about his huge consumption of audio books, sometimes through the night. For Claire, it was a welcome insight into his personality: “he has a certain charm about him because he's smart. And from what I've learnt in the many interviews that I've seen of Craig is that he loves to learn. He's had this never-ending journey, picking on all these courses from different universities. So that's something I admire about him.”It was the potential of Terranode that Diddy Wheldon wanted to highlight, choosing a clip from the Zurich conference in which nChain's CTO Steve Shadders performed a live demo of scaling on the BSV blockchain, which Diddy believed, “proves the point of the scaling debate.” Indeed, Steve's demo showed 50,000 transactions per second, with the promise of at least double that being possible.As for the prospects for 2022, Ruth Heasman confessed she was up for more of the same: “more intrigue. I love it, it's like being part of a soap opera almost, following Bitcoin. But it's fascinating. It's ever changing. It's exciting. And I just couldn't imagine not being in the middle of it. I really couldn't. I love it.”Happy 2022 from CoinGeek Conversations!

In this episode we talk to Claire Cunningham and Jorge Crecis about choreographic approaches. The life of a choreographer is a complex one and on this podcast the reliance artists have on portfolio careers has come up in conversation a number of times. So we invited two inspirational and entrepreneurial choreographers to come and talk to us who have both branched out into a myriad of directions and in doing so forged their own unique aesthetic, process and mindset. We begin by discussing the breadth of careers both Claire and Jorge have enjoyed and as part of that discussion find out a bit more about the things that make them tick, how they get ideas and most importantly how they record and remember them given that dance is sometimes a hard thing to pin down. Jorge and Claire then talk about aesthetic and how that has, for both of them, become a by-product of a much deeper process of the making journey. We reflect upon Jorge's work and whether or not that stretches people to their limits and he makes the ever so valid point that whilst it does, it does so within a container of safety. This is echoed by Claire who also looks imaginatively at her own body and her ‘four feet' (referring to her body and crutches) and the way in which she works with those crutches in a process of care and careful attention. Both have, coincidently, made works called 12 (Twelve) and so we use those works to delve deeper into the processes used in making them. For Claire this was a rare opportunity to work with other dancers, rather than as solo work, and she shares the thoughtful ways in which she approached the making of that work with both disabled and non-disabled dancers. Interestingly we discover that they both use play, rules and problem solving to create structures within which to make the works they make. Looking beyond the making process, we then explore other areas of the dance landscape that they inhabit… we talk about Claire's Choreography of Care symposium planned for next year and Jorge's methodology Towards Vivencia which supports dancers to stay at peak performance which can now be accessed online. Finally we touch upon the big ideas that move them, the imprint they want to leave on the world and the questions they have of it. Talking Moves is a Greenwich Dance production Presented by Melanie Precious Production by Carmel Smith, Lucy White and Melanie Precious Recording date: Thursday 29 April 2021

Hello! Welcome to Honest to Gob, the podcast for fun where two friends who met via Zoom in the pandemic come together to get honest about all the things that life throws at us.In this pre-recorded series, we will be exploring the truth around many topics including money, death, diets, social media, mental health and more.We also want to bring you something extra special as a gift so every 4th episode will feature a meditation provided by Claire Morton, one half of Honest to Gob and exceptional meditation and yoga teacher. Please do not listen to meditations when driving!In this first pilot episode, we wanted to set the scene on both Gemma and Claire. How we met? What we stand for? Who we are? What honesty means to us and why is it so important.We are two women in or approaching our 40s and we wish we knew this stuff two decades ago. It would've made our lives so much easier if we could've realized the joy in dropping the mask and living as our authentic selves straight away. We want to share what we have learned through our journeys of personal development to help other people live life unfiltered.For more information on Honest to Gob please follow us on Instagram @honesttogobpodFor Gemma @gemmadeeray www.gemmaray.com For Claire @the_purposepusher www.thepurpose-pusher.comProduction @Liverpoolpodcaststudios www.liverpoolpodcaststudios.comIf you'd like to see the video footage of this podcast episode, find us on YouTube here.

Claire is a versatile attorney who provides her clients a wide range of options for resolving their disputes. She is an experienced litigator who can be fierce in the courtroom, but she is also a trained collaborative lawyer and family law mediator who can devise creative solutions and amicably settle even the toughest of cases. No two divorces are the same, and Claire possesses the skills necessary to provide the right solution for each unique situation. Not only does Claire assist her clients in dissolving their marriages, but she also encourages them to be future focused. She believes divorce offers clients a unique opportunity to build a positive future for themselves, complete with financial and emotional security. To this end, she provides her clients with the tools necessary to help them construct a solid foundation on which to navigate their new lives. For Claire’s clients, divorce can be a spring board to reinventing themselves. Claire’s passion for helping others extends beyond her legal practice. She is a dedicated philanthropist and is actively involved in several non-profit organizations throughout the Charlotte community.   Today we’re chatting about:  How Claire got into her specific path for divorces. What a Becoming Divorce is. How complicated it is to have a divorce, and move forward.   Connect with Claire:  Website: https://clairesamuelslaw.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairejsamuels/ https://www.facebook.com/clairesamuelslaw/ Get a copy of Jen’s book, “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: A Divorce Coach’s Guide to Staying Married” here.  Join the Facebook Group and leave a question for a future episode: https://www.facebook.com/groups/doingdivorcerightpodcast This season of Doing Divorce Right is sponsored by FAYR  (https://www.fayr.com/) and Soberlink (https://www.soberlink.com/)! Check out these great parenting tools!

This year has been a year of transitions. Big and small, noticeable or not. Everyone has had to deal with them and they can be hard. Both of us have been dealing with some pretty big transitions in our lives. For Cheryl it’s been buying a new home, selling the current home, and moving! For Claire it’s that her boyfriend is moving to a new city. Cheryl’s transition has been going on for months (if not years), while for Claire it’s only been a few weeks. Transition can be tough so in this episode we sat down to discuss how we’re dealing with ours and break it down into 3 simple steps to help you get through the transitions in your life.These 3 steps will help you to process what you’re feeling and going through, take care of yourself, and stay balanced even when things feel completely out of whack. If you’re dealing with big transitions or just the transitions 2020 is throwing your way every day, then this episode is for you!

"OOO... whatever that means in a pandemic," the auto reply read. I had been emailing with someone who enabled this message in the middle of a Tuesday, letting people know that even though she couldn't get away, she was away from her inbox, at the very least. "Sorry for the delay, I was actually taking PTO," another recent email began, the surprise of "actually" tangible through the screen. As the summer slips away, those who are privileged to be working from home may want to get their vacation days in, even if they're not quite going on vacation. But what does taking time off in a pandemic look like? Is closing your laptop equivalent to opening a beach umbrella in the summer of 2020? Not all workers are able to take time off in pandemic, but if you're able to, it's important to take advantage. According to a survey conducted in July by Met Life, an insurance company, over 66% of workers have reported symptoms that fit the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of burnout — feeling exhaustion, distance or negative emotions about work, and reduced productivity. Stepping away from the job for a few days, or even a few hours, can be restorative, according to therapist Caroline Given, L.C.S.W. "While I focus a great deal on how to take steps in your daily working life to minimize burnout, I also emphasize the importance of vacations as a necessary component of treatment, especially now," she tells Bustle. "Vacations are an investment in your ability to continue to do sustainable quality work instead of collapsing from exhaustion," Given says. According to Amy Jane Griffiths, Ph.D, N.C.S.P., a licensed psychologist and professor at Chapman University, "people are frequently not aware of their mental and physical health needs if they are constantly plugged in and plugging away at work," especially if your office culture previously saw working from home as a kind of vacation. Angela, 30, a local news reporter in Colorado, says she felt burnt out at the start of summer, and decided to take a couple of days off for the first time since Christmas. "I drove to a mountain town with my sister. We stayed in a condo Airbnb and did outdoor activities only — it was lovely," she tells Bustle. "It definitely helped restore my ability to feel positive and motivated," she adds. As for actually unplugging, Angela says "disconnecting from the news and deleting Twitter" helped create a scenario where she was more refreshed and focused when she plugged back into work mode. Melissa, 33, is a lawyer who says she's unintentionally taken on more work since the pandemic due to blurred boundaries. "This week is allegedly my vacation, but I've already been online 50 times today," she tells Bustle. "My original plan was to do no work, but people keep emailing like 'I know you're out but can you just do this one thing' and I don't know how to say no," she says. Her amended plan is to log online for an hour each morning and then try to disconnect. "I went to the dentist and grocery shopping, that was my excitement for the day. If I can just veg out on the couch for a few days, I'll be fine." For Claire, 32, an independent consultant who has always worked at home, it's becoming increasingly difficult to rationalize taking time off, especially with everyone else in her life is stuck at home, too. "I want to take a trip and experience a change of scenery, but everything feels very exhausting," she says. Trying to plan a trip started to feel like work, so she decided to just stay home and online. What's more, she's concerned about her safety. "I'm terrified of getting COVID because I'm self-employed, and if I don't work I don't get paid." Instead, before the summer is over, Claire plans to find one day to set up an out of office message and turn off her alarm clock. Then, she'll indulge in a drawn-out take-out, wine, and chill session in the evening — with her laptop as far away as possible. If you *are* in a position to travel, the WHO asks that you take precautions, like considering the COVID status at your destination and checking yourself regularly for coronavirus symptoms And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asks travelers to ensure that they've tested negative and quarantined properly before traveling to a location that has a low infection rate. While people have been camping and taking road trips for months already, it's important to continue to practice proper COVID-19 camping practices like opting for camp sites that are not at capacity, keeping a six foot, masked distance, even on trails, and getting all of your supplies before you hit the road to minimize the amount of shopping and stops necessary. For people who can't physically get away, behaving like you're in a faraway locale will still make you feel like you're OOO. "A vacation should be a disruption from your ordinary life and a separation from work," Given says. Creating this separation will require some firm boundaries. "There is definitely a temptation to revert to typical habits in your same space, so you have to be vigilant of that ahead of time and prepare accordingly," she says. "This might mean setting up strict no-contact boundaries and auto-replies with colleagues and being very clear about what an actual emergency/urgent message is." Griffiths suggests creating a strict vacation schedule that you honor at all costs, featuring activities like "go on a walk" and "do yoga" and "close your laptop." Even if your WFH routine is relatively comfortable as-is, do one thing differently to make it feel like a vacation. "I tell my clients to look closely at the components that make up a typical satisfying vacation where they would be traveling: a change of scenery, interacting with nature, doing different activities, wearing different clothes, eating different food, mentally checking out from social media and news, sleeping in — identifying activities that can provide a similar emotional experience is the key," Given says. Sleep in the guest room if you have one, or even the other side of the bed. Order dinner if you usually cook. Wear clothes that you'd pack for a vacation. Shake up your schedule. Do anything that makes this time different. But most importantly, actually take the initiative to time off — even if it's just a mental health day.

Claire shares powerfully about her own journey of sexual shadow integration and healing, and sheds light on the importance of allowing, accepting and bringing home those parts of ourselves that have broken off, or become fragmented, through trauma that we experience, often early on in life. We also discuss erotic blueprints and the victim-rescuer-perpetrator triangle. For Claire's gift, Sexual Self Loving Video Series for Women, click here: https://shaktishiva.academy/product/sexual-self-loving-video-series-women/To join the Sexual Shadow Integration course at a special 10% discount, use these codes: EMMI - For one-time payment options (including those with one on one support from the faculty)EMMI(2) - For 10 x monthly instalment payment options (including those with one on one support from the faculty)For more info: Sexual-shadow-work-and-integrationTo connect with me, Claire and other like-minded Soul Sisters and Brothers, join us in this private, safe and non-judgemental Facebook group; https://web.facebook.com/groups/SacredFemininePowerPodcastTo see more of Emmi's work, see https://www.femininerevered.com

Taking a vacation to Japan is overwhelming. Sharing travel picks is overwhelming. Shopping online consignment is overwhelming. But you know what? We went ahead and tackled it all here, and we’re pretty proud of ourselves, thanks.   The linkage: For Claire, true RealReal browsing is all about the app. But there is, of course, also a (slightly less addictive) website. Another online consignment shop to check out: Luxury Garage Sale. Why not set sale alerts for your go-to brands on ShopStyle, too?  Our six Tokyo picks! A Yomiuri Giants baseball game, the Yanaka neighborhood for wandering around, Gyoza Ro for dumplings, Mikawa Zezankyo for an outrageous tempura dinner (that you can book on OpenTable), Hakusan Porcelain for truly stunning ceramics, and Kappabashi Shopping District for the restaurant-supply shops (including Kamata knife shop) that will have you thinking about buying another suitcase. What we loved in Kyoto! Kyoto International Manga Museum for an anime deep-dive (which turned Claire onto the Nana series), Kyomachiya Hotel Shiki Juraku, the Kitano Tenmangu shrine monthly flea market (on the 25th of the month), the 550-year-old soba restaurant Owariya (aside: Try Cocoron in NYC, too), and Shoraian Tofu Restaurant for lunch in the bamboo forest. A cheat rec (in a good way): the *art island* Naoshima and the Benesse House Museum, where you can also stay. Try the very buzzy Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum—and get 20% off with the code ATHINGORTWO20. YAY.    Produced by Dear Media

I once read a blog post that stated an interesting fact. The number of professional athletes in the U.S. is equal to the number of positions in venture capital. Needless to say, positions are scarce in the VC industry and they are highly sought after. For Claire, she was determined to land a position in venture capital after getting her MBA at Wharton. She devoted months of her time sitting in coffee shops researching and learning the industry, while creating a recruiting plan, cold emailing VC firms, and offering her research to investors in hopes of landing an open position. Well - Her determination paid off when she joined Corigin Ventures and she recently joined Highland to help the firm built out its New York office. Highland has a long history of success as a leading VC firm and their track record speaks for itself to the tune of 46 IPOs and 127 acquisitions. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * How living in Kenya for six months influenced her career. * Her experience working in investment banking during the economic crisis. * How dedication and commitment through cold emailing landed Claire a position in the VC industry. * All the details on Highland Capital Partners and what she is targeting for investments. * How to get investors to respond to cold email pitches. * What first-time founders can expect during the process of raising capital. * And more! If you like the show, please remember to subscribe and review us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Kellie and Claire kick off part one of a three part series on taking back control over things for which they DO have some agency as one year ends and a new one is about to begin. In Move More they discuss their personal evolution of exercise; they uncover their past and present motivations for staying active; and they sift through all of the varying reasons why physical fitness is one vital piece of the overall wellness puzzle in their lives.Advice Not Given:Kellie starts off our discussion with the idea of the tension of the importance of exercise mixed with figuring out how we fit it into our busy lives. Movement helps with physical and mental health and yet it is difficult to make this a priority. How does the “fitness culture” help define our standard? What are our motivations? Kellie and Claire each share their own fitness journeys from childhood to adolescence through young adulthood to present day. Claire shares that since having kids she has struggled to find consistency to workout in one specific way. She has piecemealed together her fitness strategy. Kellie asks her what is it that motivates her to exercise anyway. For Claire it is for fresh air, a break out of the house, and a mental break; after 40 she’s been motivated by flexibility and mobility. Kellie says she is still searching for what her motivation is. When she was younger it was social. During her Crossfit years she enjoyed seeing progress and being able to eat what she wants to eat. Now she dreads her exercise but she does it for her quality of life.Claire offers that it feels incredibly indulgent to her as a mom to escape for two hours a day, 5-6 days a week to go exercise; to her it feels like an abandonment of her responsibilities. To her it feels like a luxury, but sees how Ryan, her husband does it. “You make time for what is important.” Kellie asks if Claire has ever run a marathon. She hasn’t run one but she did complete the Transmountain Half as a walker. Kellie shares about the Nine Enders study that relates people tend to sign up to do something physically ambitious when they are nearing the end of a decade. Kellie once ran the Army 10 Miler. She wonders if that’s why we have chosen this topic at the end of 2019.Kellie shares about how she feels self-conscious exercising with Andrew, her husband because of his elite level of fitness. They have had to disentangle themselves because of how he tries to coach her. Claire shares about a breakdown at the gym with Ryan about a year ago; there was a realization that they had moved so far apart in their physical fitness. Claire asks “As we age how are we looking a more gentle care for ourselves and how this is a motivator: peace, reprieve, and how do we figure out what kinds of exercise help get us to that destination. What am I searching for and how do I get there?” Kellie says the first step is to do a landscape analysis. What is available to you? What are the different modalities that you have access to at home, away from home? Figure what it is you are looking for. Movement is the baseline. Other than that is it community? Solitude? Headspace? Then figure out where those two things align. Kellie and Claire go down the rabbit trail of Cross fit culture and community. Kellie shares about a recent CrossfitSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/milspogurus)

Method to the Madness host Lisa Kiefer speaks with CALSTAR Yoga program faculty Saraswathi Devi and Claire Lavery about their innovative adaptive yoga class on the UC Berkeley campus that teaches students how to help members of the public with disabilities.TranscriptLisa Kiefer: [00:00:27] You're listening to Method to the Madness. A bi weekly public affairs show on K A L X Berkeley celebrating Bay Area innovators. I'm your host, Lisa Kiefer. And today, I'm speaking with faculty members of CalStar Yoga, a program that helps people with disabilities practice yoga.Claire Lavery: [00:00:51] I'm Claire Lavery.Saraswathi Devi: [00:00:53] And I'm Saraswathi Devi.Lisa Kiefer: [00:00:54] Welcome to the program. And you're both on the faculty of Cal Yoga.Saraswathi Devi: [00:00:58] I guess you could put it that way.Lisa Kiefer: [00:00:59] OK. Well, why don't you tell us about your program?Saraswathi Devi: [00:01:02] Well, we call it CalStar Yoga and at their recreational sports facility, the RSF, there is a little program called CalStar, which serves people who live with different kinds of disabilities and it's open to the public. So our part of that is an adaptive yoga class.Claire Lavery: [00:01:19] The class has been going on since 1996,.Lisa Kiefer: [00:01:22] Since 1996. Is it for just students or.Claire Lavery: [00:01:26] It's open to anyone with a disability in the community or in on campus, on staff, on faculty and any member of the gym or outside the community?, campus community can also join?Lisa Kiefer: [00:01:39] I thought it might be useful for our listeners to know how you define yoga and how you define disabilities.Saraswathi Devi: [00:01:47] Yoga is an ancient practice and it's a lot about body and mind health. It comes from an ancient root, yog, meaning to join. So it's all about balance of body and mind and the quiet aspects of the self and the more assertive aspects of the self. It has a lot to do with exercise, which is how most people in America know it. But it also has to do with mind training, with making your intellect more sharp and your emotions more clear and peaceful. And some people pursue it as a spiritual practice as well.Lisa Kiefer: [00:02:22] And could you define disabilities for this class?Claire Lavery: [00:02:25] We define it as someone who is living with some kind of an ongoing condition that limits their presence, their ability to move in the world. Most of our participants have physical disabilities. We don't work too often with people with intellectual disabilities.Lisa Kiefer: [00:02:44] Are you speaking of autism?Claire Lavery: [00:02:46] Right.Lisa Kiefer: [00:02:46] So you don't service.Claire Lavery: [00:02:48] We've had students with those kinds of disabilities in the class, but they've definitely been in the minority. And it's much more about the people who are living with more physical limitations, people with multiple sclerosis, people with cerebral palsy, people with post stroke syndrome, injury, trauma. So we've had quite a wide range of different kinds of disabilities represented in our class. And people with multiple disabilities are, have been long term members as well.Lisa Kiefer: [00:03:14] I didn't know that this existed, honestly, and I want to know how it got founded. What was the reason behind it? Were you there at the beginning? Well, Saraswathi is the one to tell you.Saraswathi Devi: [00:03:24] Well, I've been practicing and teaching since the mid 70s. And as the years went on in the beginning, in the early days, we just had everybody in class. We would have kids and seniors and people who were injured or disabled. Everybody would just be glommed together.Lisa Kiefer: [00:03:42] On campus?Saraswathi Devi: [00:03:42] No, in the community in Berkeley. I was trained by and served very closely a yoga master from India who lived here part of the year. But then as the years went on, we found ourselves specializing. So I began to teach pre and post-natal yoga and children of all ages and seniors and adults at different levels. And then I found myself partly because I have some of my own disabilities. I found myself very attracted to the whole subject, observing a person who was not typically abled and so found myself to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and other places and began to develop a practice that seemed to be really helping people. And that gradually led me to UC Berkeley, where I was hired. Well, at first at the Hearst Gym and then down at the RSF. Lisa Kiefer: [00:04:28] Did they hear about you and hire you or did you know approach them?Saraswathi Devi: [00:04:31] They did. It's a kind of long, convoluted story. But there was a really forward looking woman working in the RSF who hired me. And what I have tried to do is in serving a person who is living with a profound disability or multiple disabilities, we're trying to offer them a practice that they would never otherwise have access to. So we're taking yoga to a place that you wouldn't imagine it could go, so somebody might not be able to speak or move outside of a power wheelchair, whose body might be contorted or who might be having a lot of involuntary movement and and meeting the whole person. So sometimes a person on the street will see somebody living with a disability and they'll either discount them or not have proper regard and respect for the humanity of that person. They just see a bunch of equipment on a wheelchair. But anybody who comes over the threshold into our class is automatically recognized for their rich humanity and just loved and respected instantly. So what I tried to do is take other disciplines that I recognize as another form of yoga in a way and sort of a broad way of thinking. So I'd like to add massage and acupressure and range of motion and sometimes even using free weights.Lisa Kiefer: [00:05:50] Do you use water?Saraswathi Devi: [00:05:51] No, we're not. I would...Lisa Kiefer: [00:05:53] There are pools here and I thought maybe...Saraswathi Devi: [00:05:53] True. Well, I love aqua yoga and if we had a way of somehow having a pool, we would do it for sure. But we lift people out of their wheelchairs who are not ambulatory. They'll be four or five or six of us carrying a person. Proper word is transfer out of the wheelchair onto the floor and then people who are much more mobile who will arrive in class with mobility aids like a cane or a walker, or even walking on their own in a maybe halting way. They're also in the class, so it's a broad range.Lisa Kiefer: [00:06:28] I can imagine that you've encountered some really beautiful transformations for people who have never experienced this before.Saraswathi Devi: [00:06:36] It's a lot of hard work, but it's a joyful experience for all of us. For the students themselves. For Claire, for me, for our volunteers and for our young undergrads who help us every semester.Lisa Kiefer: [00:06:48] And how many undergrads help you?Claire Lavery: [00:06:50] Well, we have a range. We often have up to 60 or 70 students. They enroll in an undergraduate course that gives them two credits. It's a DeCal course. So they come and help us every week.Lisa Kiefer: [00:07:03] And they learn how?Claire Lavery: [00:07:04] We train them. We supervise them. We keep an eye on them and they blossom. They do wonders. Many of them arrive without any experience. Many of them arrive thinking that they're going to be doing yoga. And we tell them right away that's not the case. But some of them decide that's not for them. Some of them despite their fears or trepidation, stay with us. And just are wonderful helpers.Lisa Kiefer: [00:07:29] Are any of these students disabled that come to you?Claire Lavery: [00:07:31] Yes, some of them are. We've had many students who didn't tell us right away that they had a disability and some are significantly disabled, but would gradually feel safe enough to reveal that. And sometimes they found that they couldn't do the kind of heavy lifting or harder work that we asked them to do. And we are fine with having them help in whatever way they can.Lisa Kiefer: [00:07:54] It seems like they would have the most empathy and understanding of where that person might be.[00:07:59] Sometimes that's true.Lisa Kiefer: [00:08:01] Not always, but.Claire Lavery: [00:08:02] Not always. And many of the students who come have a family member with a disability or an aging family member or have had an injury and and can apply that emotional information to the work that they're doing with the students.Lisa Kiefer: [00:08:14] And how many of your students are Berkeley students and how many are community members generally?Saraswathi Devi: [00:08:21] At the moment, we don't even have one Berkeley student, but we've often had maybe four, three, four or five, maybe a professor or two. But actually the better part of the student population is from the surrounding area.Lisa Kiefer: [00:08:35] Do you do this every semester?Saraswathi Devi: [00:08:36] We do it all year round and we have a summer session.Lisa Kiefer: [00:08:39] OK. Claire, how did you get involved in this?Claire Lavery: [00:08:43] Well, I had started teaching yoga in the mainstream yoga classes here at Cal and had been doing that just for a couple of years. And the same wonderful woman who hired Saraswathi knew me and said, you know, there's this great class that you might like to help with. They're always looking for volunteers.Lisa Kiefer: [00:08:59] Is she still around?Saraswathi Devi: [00:09:00] NO,Suzanne McQuade, she retired. We miss her terribly. Claire Lavery: [00:09:06] Unfortunately, she's not there, but we're trying to keep it going. And she steered me to help out with this class. So I showed up as a volunteer. And I just kind of stayed. I learned a lot.Lisa Kiefer: [00:09:19] It seems so innovative. Do you know of any other programs, anywhere else that are like this or is this unique?Saraswathi Devi: [00:09:25] For a lot of years, we thought we were the only place in the country or maybe beyond. And we're starting to see others somewhat similar programs sprouting up, but we still haven't found anything that that goes as far as we go. And the reason why I say this, once we have the opening of class where we're sitting in concentric circles and doing a little bit of breathing or light meditation, then we will transfer people onto the floor. And then we essentially divide ourselves up into two groups where Claire works with the people who are more ambulatory during that part of the class. And I work with people who are less mobile and. So with the people who are more mobile, they'll be two usually two people serving each of the students and they'll be on the floor. They'll be sitting up. They'll be standing against a wall using chairs and yoga blocks and people's hands and arms and legs to help hold them with good alignment in yoga postures. And that actually draws up the strength and balance and alignment from within the person's body. It's not just an artificial hole. On my side of the room, we're moving people on the floor and forward and backward bending movements and yoga postures that look pretty conventional. But there might be two or even five or six people clustered around each of the students holding them at the shoulder at the low back and stretching their feet. And then we incorporate, as I said, a lot of massage and acupressure and other methods.Lisa Kiefer: [00:10:58] If you're just tuning in, you're listening to Method to the Madness, a bi weekly public affairs show on K A L X Berkeley celebrating Bay Area innovators. Today, I'm speaking with faculty members of CalStar Yoga, a program that helps people with disabilities practice yoga.Saraswathi Devi: [00:11:24] We had a woman who came in the other day and this is a few months ago, and she had been injured rather badly in her back and was able to after her initial rehabilitation, this was probably 20, 15 or 20 years ago, after her initial rehabilitation, she was able to walk at first with a walker and then with a cane. And then she was able to somewhat haltingly walk in a conventional manner. And then as she started to age, gradually, she found herself in a wheelchair. However, it's a manual chair, so she gets around quite nicely. But she came in very suspicious, trepidatious, and frankly, bitter, understandably highly educated, very productive, talented woman. And she was a little resentful, understandably, of of this new loss of full action in her body and and in some ways in her personality and affect and effect. And so came into the class and we tried to humor her and love her and respect her. And then she said to us, I feel transformed. At the end of the first class now, she's a very stalwart member.Lisa Kiefer: [00:12:30] Once you founded this, what were your major challenges in getting this up and running and accepted?Claire Lavery: [00:12:37] We've had challenges. Initially, the class was really only supported by volunteers from the community and Saraswathi would put out messages in the free papers. This was several years ago before there was a big Internet presence, posters and flyers and put out the word on the street asking for people to come and volunteer. And so we struggled along and it would only be maybe five volunteers and we still have about that time, 10, 15, 20 yoga students. So we couldn't have two people working with each yoga student. We didn't have the manpower of a woman person power. So we would revolve. And we'd do some poses as one person and then we'd set them up comfortably and we'd move on to the next. So that was a little difficult. We had a really innovative and wonderful undergraduate volunteer who had a brainstorm in about 2003 and said, we should make this into a DeCal class because then students would get credit and then.Lisa Kiefer: [00:13:30] ..Tell me what a DeCal class is because some people may not know.Claire Lavery: [00:13:33] A DeCal class is an undergraduate led class in the university and there are hundreds of them. They range from things like baking, hip hop music, to electronic engineering theory or more esoteric interests that students in in Cal hold and want to share.Lisa Kiefer: [00:13:52] And there's credit, course credit?[00:13:53] There's course credits. So our student who was interested in social work and in our class really wanted to make this accessible to more calendar grads. He thought they'd be interested. And so he went registered as a DeCal. And he was right. People came. When that happened, we had many more students and we did start to get the numbers of people we wanted to see to really fully support our yoga students. I know Saraswathi's dream is to have 75 students every semester so that we can have a really full bodied support group and we get pretty close sometimes now.Lisa Kiefer: [00:14:29] Do students have to pay to get into this class?Saraswathi Devi: [00:14:32] Yeah, it's a modest fee and they get a little bit of a discount for proving that they they might come in in a wheelchair and not able to speak, but they still are required to bring a doctor verification. That's understandable.Lisa Kiefer: [00:14:43] I wanted to ask you what you think your greatest impacts have been. You've been at this for several years now,.Saraswathi Devi: [00:14:49] Since 1996.Lisa Kiefer: [00:14:50] Yes. So what do you think has been the greatest impacts or accomplishments?Saraswathi Devi: [00:14:55] I think as far as the yoga students, probably the best benefit that they derive from the class is psychological. They feel seen, respected, loved. They are touched. And I don't mean that in any kind of negative way. They're touched in a nurturing and helpful way. And many of them also experienced good physical effects. They're more relaxed. They feel more cheerful. They have better sleep. Sometimes they have a considerable reduction in pain and stiffness. Many of them find that their circulation has improved, their digestion, a whole host of physical benefits. So I would say really in some ways, though, it's more, one of our students who had been coming for some years who is living the after effects of having been assaulted. So he was brain injured. So he asked what we would call TBI, traumatic brain injury. It affects his vision. So he's legally blind, almost completely blind, and his brain somehow recovered quite amazingly. So he has a very sharp mind, but very halting speech. So he has a speech aphasia. So he walks and speaks in a halting manner and uses a cane. So one day he said to us, when I come into this room, I am treated utterly differently from anywhere else that I go. People just see me as a disability and don't see me. So that's a huge part of it. For our yoga students, volunteers, the undergrads, we always at the end of every semester we ask them to write a reflection paper and we'll give them a certain theme, but essentially it's asking them in some way or other to tell us what their experience was and what they derived from it. And many of them, well, undergrads often will try to write to what they think the professor wants to hear. But nevertheless, you can hear a lot of sincerity in it, too. Most of them will say they were, they had never met a disabled person, with a small exception of some of them who do have as Claire said a disabled person in their family. Many of them have never met a disabled person, or if they have or seen people in the community, they've discounted them or really not given them much credence or attention. And then they also will say that they were terrified that they were gonna do something wrong. They didn't want to touch or hurt anybody. And then they started to get to know our students while we're practicing. There's a lot of really fun, gossip and conversation and everybody's giving each other mutual support and mutual interest in each other's lives. And so they discovered that these are full human beings. Some of them are UC grads. As I said, some are professors. They're all incredibly interesting. And so they find their lives utterly transformed. And we've had a small percentage of of them also change their majors. We've had some who decided to be an attorney giving pro bono services to people who were disabled and any number of really interesting trajectories to their story as they moved through the semester and have their their experience transformed. For me, it's impossible to describe. It's each of the people that we serve is an entire universe as it is for any human being. And I've gotten to know almost all of them, at least those who've stayed for many, many years. I've gotten to know them very well. Some of them have become very dear and close friends. So for me, it's it's like seeing the face of all of creation in the eyes of each person. So I feel like it's the huge super consciousness of the universe. Me and this other person in this lovely communication together across all conventional societal membranes, across any way that you might think that there's an encumbrance when you are communicating with someone who is not is typically abled.Lisa Kiefer: [00:18:33] Well, that kind of leads me to the next question, which is when you're doing these movements, do you also provide some sort of a lecture on the philosophy of what you were just talking about, which is, it's so beyond the physical, that we can, you know, reach each other beyond the flesh.Saraswathi Devi: [00:18:52] We do that in a variety of really subtle ways, and we do it increasingly quietly coming in the side door for our young undergrads as the semester goes on, through reading assignments, through the opening in class, where we give them some internal practices and in some other ways. So.Claire Lavery: [00:19:11] I agree. And Saraswathy said it so beautifully. We don't approach them head on. These are skeptical young people and really don't want to be told what to think or how to think. But they do come into class pretty much glazed over and heavy and distracted. And in our opening session, where we do some meditation and some breathing exercises, you can see them visibly relax. And we have had people, undergraduates right in the end of this semester that that meditation session was what transformed their experience and how they've got to understand what we were really doing. Many of them say that they are now going to start doing yoga. Of course, as we've noted, that might just be so that they look good in our eyes. And I do see some of them in my classes, in the mainstream classes. We do have some readings that we ask them to consider. And when we veer from the very technical or practical readings into a little more theory, they're sometimes a little bit at sea. We just had them reading the Bhagavad Gita which is a pretty familiar text to many Westerners, but it's dense and it talks about a lot of mythological people that are not familiar in the Western culture, and that's enough to really put up a wall for many of the students. So when we discuss it, we have to kind of break down and ask them what did they understand? And some of them are just unwilling to engage in that. They want to be, they're scientists, they're practical, they're 21st century kids. So some of them get it from the meditation. Some of them get it from the theory and the Bhagavad Gita. Some of them have their own understanding or practice of yoga that they bring with them. And some have other traditions that are congruent or complementary to the kinds of thoughts that we were just discussing.Saraswathi Devi: [00:21:03] And partly also when we're teaching a technique because they're learning hands on as we go over the semester, we're not training them for weeks. And then we have weekend workshops throughout the semester, several of them. But part of what we're doing, too, is we're helping them to see a link between this kind of beautiful ancient ritual form of exercise and the quietness and focus of mind and emotion that comes to the yoga student who's being served, but also comes to the volunteers who are doing the serving. Because here we are, we're holding a little bit challenging position and we have to breathe slowly. Yes, there is a lot of fun conversation in between. But there's also a lot of slow, deep breathing. And anyone who experiences that kind of breath on a regular basis will find that it has a very focusing effect on the mind and emotions and makes your brain more clear. So one of the things I like to say when we're doing an opening meditation with these undergrads is this will help your memory, your ability to focus and do well on finals. So sometimes that..Lisa Kiefer: [00:22:04] that's kind of a carrot... Saraswathi Devi: [00:22:05] that helps.Lisa Kiefer: [00:22:06] Well, this Igen generation after the millennials is the first to have grown up with so much technology in their lives. Have you been able to monitor the difference in the students you've had over the years since technology has become so prevalent in their lives?Claire Lavery: [00:22:22] We kind of saw a sea change about 10 years ago in the way the attention spans worked. Students are a little, a little antsy at the start of class. They generally settle in and they can focus. They're intelligent and they're used to working hard and intellectually hard. But they're not always used to working emotionally hard or are focusing in a more subtle way. We do have them take their phones out, turn them off and put them on the side of the room for class. And that's challenging for a lot of them.Saraswathi Devi: [00:22:52] we have a little bit of fun with that.Lisa Kiefer: [00:22:55] Probably helps them in school. What you're doing?Saraswathi Devi: [00:22:58] They've said that. Yeah. So we all benefit everybody. And they. One of the things that they will say to us often is this was a great ending of my school week. I've left class feeling really refreshed and ready for the weekend.Lisa Kiefer: [00:23:12] Do you have anything else going on that you want to tell us about coming up?Saraswathi Devi: [00:23:16] People have been asking Claire and me in all of the different universes that she and I both live in. Asked if we would please do a teacher training. So we're in the very, very first steps of organizing that. And we're going to do it collaboratively between the two of us and a third person who has been an on and off volunteer with us, who's very talented. So we're just in the beginning stages of formulating that. And then we have to do outreach and funding and all of that.Lisa Kiefer: [00:23:42] And where do you see this heading out to?Saraswathi Devi: [00:23:43] We'd like to serve other yoga teachers who are interested to make a foray into this universe. And many of them, most of them have not. They couldn't even imagine it. And we'd also like to find ways of influencing and giving some practical strategies to someone who's a family member or a caregiver who could help someone with a disability at home.Lisa Kiefer: [00:24:06] It sounds like you've got a lot of data over the years that you maybe collected?Saraswathi Devi: [00:24:10] We do. It's it's very informal, but yeah.Lisa Kiefer: [00:24:13] Still, that's very valuable. I would think from a lot of different people it would be of value. Are you going to put together guidelines, like a book?Saraswathi Devi: [00:24:22] There will be our training manual. Yeah. Okay. And it may end up and we'll see. Claire, we're both so busy, but it may end up that we'll have satellite programs that will come from that where we'll we'll start with a basic teacher training and then we may find that we'll do some specialty as an extra specialty training over there. You might do some kind of weekend workshopy kinds of things. We haven't figured it all out. Yes. But it's something that we really we have a responsibility to do. We need to share it more widely than just here.Claire Lavery: [00:24:53] We would like to have medical professionals in our trainings that would learn a different way to communicate and work with the people they see on a very regular basis.Lisa Kiefer: [00:25:03] Are you talking about physical therapists?Claire Lavery: [00:25:05] Physical therapists, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, the whole spectrum. We want them to be aware that this is an alternative to the very strict regime of drugs and hope.Saraswathi Devi: [00:25:17] You know, we have the father of one of our students who lives with cerebral palsy one time said to me, what you're doing here is much better than most of the doctoring my daughter is ever going to receive. He's a physician. I thought that was maybe a little dramatic, but actually in a lot of cases, I'm sure it's quite true.Lisa Kiefer: [00:25:34] If somebody is interested in the community, whether that's a student or a regular person out there, how would they get a hold of you? Do you have a Web site? And how can they help you or join up?Saraswathi Devi: [00:25:47] One way is to contact the RSF, the recreational sports facility, on the UC Berkeley campus on Bancroft at Dana. And it's right near the student union.Lisa Kiefer: [00:25:58] Is that reachable via the Web?Claire Lavery: [00:26:00] There is an online website presence under CalStar. So if you look under recreational sports and there's a drop down menu and you'll have to look, I think it's under group exercise or you can type in the search bar. CalStar, one word C-A-L-S-T-A-R and that's the program. And if you write CalStar yoga, it should bring you to the page that describes our class.Lisa Kiefer: [00:26:24] And if people wanted to volunteer, it's the same. It is the same place you go to the same place, whether you want to volunteer or take the class.?Claire Lavery: [00:26:32] Right. And in either case, if you're interested in volunteering or in being a student, you could drop in to one of our Friday afternoon classes and just see the first class.Lisa Kiefer: [00:26:41] And where are those classes located? Where would they go?Claire Lavery: [00:26:44] They're in the RSF, the main gym on campus at Bancroft Way. They're in the combatives room, which is unfortunate for a yoga class. It's on the first floor. You'll have to tell the guard at the gate that you're going to CalStar Yoga and they'll let you in and you'll walk down the hall. It's the last door on your left.Lisa Kiefer: [00:27:00] And how long are your sessions, generally?Claire Lavery: [00:27:01] We meet from 1:30 to 3:30 Friday afternoons every week.Saraswathi Devi: [00:27:06] I like sometimes for someone who's inquiring, who might be interested. Who really wants a description of the class beforehand. Some people like to just jump in. Everybody has a different way. I would be happy to give my email address if somebody wanted to contact me. I would be very pleased to describe the program and just try to light a little psychological fire in the person. So it's info@yogalayam.org. I teach and live in a yoga and meditation center. So yogalayam is all one word spelled y o g a l a y a m.org.Claire Lavery: [00:27:42] And it is a good idea before joining the class, especially as a yoga student, to communicate with us so that we can both understand what you are going to experience.Lisa Kiefer: [00:27:52] Before we leave today, I wanted to ask you what advice you might give someone before they start this program.Saraswathi Devi: [00:27:59] And I believe you're talking about people who would come in as a volunteer and also people who would come in as a yoga student. I would say for the volunteers, please come with an open mind and realize that you will probably learn more than you thought you could and that you will enjoy what you're doing and feel a certain psychological upliftment that you might not ever have imagined you could. For the yoga students, again, I would ask the person to come to the class with an open mind and see if they feel like it's a good fit and give themselves a chance, coming even more than once to see how we can stretch the practice to accommodate anyone's needs.Claire Lavery: [00:28:42] I would also just advise everyone who comes to come with an open heart and to be open to the transformations that might not feel familiar.Lisa Kiefer: [00:28:54] It seems like this is such a valuable experience for anyone of any age to to take part.Saraswathi Devi: [00:29:01] I would say the human body, mind and heart have an amazing ability to survive. If you find yourselves, caught yourself, compromised in some way. If you're not able to garner all of the themes and abilities and structures and functions that you typically have or used to have, other people can come in and make up some of that difference. They can support you not only physically with their hands, but really, I would say psycho spiritually surrounding you and helping you to find and sustain what is profound and essential in yourself. Even if you can't do it all by yourself.Claire Lavery: [00:29:43] I can say from my experience, I am an able bodied yoga instructor. I have been fortunate to be fairly strong and healthy. I get so much out of this class. I get emotionally an uplift. I get a calming effect. I get love. And I'm a cynical New Yorker, so it works for me.Lisa Kiefer: [00:30:07] Well, I want to thank you both.Claire Lavery: [00:30:08] Thank you so much for having me.Saraswathi Devi: [00:30:09] Thank you very, very much.Lisa Kiefer: [00:30:16] You've been listening to Method to the Madness, a bi weekly public affairs show on KALX Berkeley celebrating Bay Area innovators. You can find all of our podcasts on iTunes University. We'll be back again in two weeks. 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  Introducing Claire Macpherson who empowers women, help them to see how amazing they are and that they CAN have what they want in life. To challenge the norm and shine light on different ways women can do things to make the world a better place. To break the rules that don’t serve us – those in society and those in ourselves.   TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS PODCAST EPISODE: (3:00) Growing more into yourself and what you can be (9:43) Helping your business grow (11:50) When you can’t get clients you need to ‘walk the talk’ (15:22) All about journaling (19:30) Stop focusing on the negative (23:00) Wasting too much time with webinars (27:00) Life is about experience   HEAR MORE ABOUT CLAIRE MACPHERSON Claire Machperson is a mindset and business growth coach for purpose driven women wanting to grow a business they feel passionate about. Over the past ten years, as a coach, speaker and trainer, Claire has helped thousands of women take the first steps in making their businesses a successful reality supporting them both with the mindset and strategy to hit their first five figure months and beyond. Claire’s philosophy is “soul before strategy” meaning that when we show up authentically, share from our soul, and really embrace our gifts, talents and journey in our business we magnetically attract ideal clients to us. For Claire, having a business that feels fun, fabulous and freeing is key and in this energy, she helps women unleash their uniqueness, create a powerful message and get visible for those soul clients who need them.   FAVOURITE QUOTE TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard   ONE BOOK YOU SHOULD READ Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert   CONNECT WITH CLAIRE Facebook Instagram Facebook   CONNECT WITH SASHKA Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter LinkedIn   Want to be a guest on the podcast? Apply to be featured on the No Name Brand Podcast here. SUBSCRIBE ON   

The moment you become a mother everything changes in magnificent and challenging ways. Life will never be the same as part of your heart walks outside of your body. And yet finding yourself again in motherhood is critical. Claire Hammill joins the Plus Mommy Podcast to share her journey of building a life she loves. For Claire, after being an elementary school teacher for ten years, she started to question what she wanted her out of her life. During our time together Claire shares how becoming pregnant with her son changed how she saw her body and her life forever. Claire found herself, and you can too! Finding yourself again in motherhood starts with finding that thing that makes you feel authentically you! You can't be everything for everyone unless you're there for yourself first. Learn more

For Claire and Tenny, hiking the CDT had been an ambition but they soon decided that they needed to do something else. Between the two of them, they hatched a plan to walk the entire length of the Southern Border of the US, stretching from San Diego in the west to Brownsville and the Gulf of Mexico in Texas to the east. Here's Claire.   With no defined trail, the two of them set out to make their way and learn about the issues on both sides. It was an eye-opening experience for both women. Here's Tenny. They were able to experience the kindness of strangers and the desperation of the disenfranchised. They each said that many of their pre-conceived notions were overturned by their experience. On the way, the two women wrote an excellent blog that mapped out what they saw. If you'd like to read it, go to https://walktheborder.com/ and, for pictures, you can follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/clairetenny.walktheborder/ The last five interviewees from the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market in Denver were: Andrew Sidel, of Four Points, selling his slow-burning energy bars. You can learn more at https://www.fourpointsbar.com/ Brandon Rodriguez showed me the Spark, a new knee support combining kinesiology taping and compression. This IS NOT currently available but will be out sometime towards the end of October or early November. The link (at that time) will be https://www.brownmed.com/spark. Once again, THIS LINK DOESN"T CURRENTLY TAKE YOU ANYWHERE. Come back in November. Nicole Farah of Teva introduced me to a new shoe and suggested a good Teva for a long-distance hike. Go to https://www.teva.com/ for more. Kent Hernandez of Bucklegear (https://www.bucklegear.com/) AND Bad Raccoon (https://www.badraccoonco.com/) showed me two excellent items; the Camp Gear Hanger and some old school–but new designs–handerchiefs. Finally, Tim Richard shared the story of Oboz and how they give back to the outdoors. https://obozfootwear.com

In today’s world, getting a degree isn’t the only way to making your entrepreneurial dream a reality. Jennifer talks with Claire Coder, a 21-year-old college dropout and founder/CEO of the wildly successful Aunt Flow. Her company provides high-quality menstrual products to a variety of schools, businesses, and organizations, and donates thousands more to women in need across the country. So, where did it all start? Claire takes us back to her high school days and tells Jennifer about the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey: starting a promotional products company at the age of 16. Claire was destined for sales. After becoming a top seller on Etsy and having a blast running her modest company, she realized her passion lay in the entrepreneurial world. The ultimate question for a young mind: where are you going after high school? For Claire, that question has always meant college. But knowing academia wasn’t where she would thrive, Claire kept her eyes on the horizon for any new opportunity. Sometimes inspiration can come from those day-to-day experiences that throw a wrench in your gears. While attending a 54-hour entrepreneur hackathon weekend and realizing that the bathroom had no menstrual products whatsoever, Claire knew something could be done. And thus, Aunt Flow was born. Why is better access to menstrual products so important? Claire drops the facts: in the United States, menstrual products are not covered by food stamps or by the SNAP and WIC programs and as a consequence 16 million women living at or below the poverty line don’t have dependable access to tampons and pads. In a woman’s lifetime, she will spend an average of $3000 dollars on tampons and pads, many of them subpar and overpriced. After learning about how menstrual products are made with highly dangerous ingredients like chlorine bleaches, synthetic fabrics, and dyes, Claire was driven to create a sustainable and accessible alternative. Aunt Flow now manufactures 100% organic cotton tampons and pads, and sells them to businesses and companies, which they then provide to their students, guests and employees in their bathrooms and restrooms. Every new endeavor requires sacrifices and compromise. Claire describes the contentious choice to drop out of school to start Aunt Flow, and what the first months and years of her business were like. From product sourcing, to building a website, to learning how to become an adult, Claire built up her business over two years before finally launching sales. In 2016, where does a college dropout working 3 waitressing jobs get the kind of funding to start a company? The answer was, naturally: crowdfunding. Using her experience running crowdfunding campaigns at her marketing day job, Claire raised $25,000 to purchase Aunt Flow’s first product run. So where did the name Aunt Flow come from? Jennifer asks Claire about the origin story of the name and how she turned an old-fashioned euphemism into a winning brand identity. For ridiculous reasons, most people don’t like talking about menstruation, bu Claire is all about speaking frankly. Jennifer asks Claire about her outspoken nature and how that has played into her life’s journey so far. Claire talks about her work as a nude model for artists, and how that experience has helped her embrace both her body and her self going forward. Today, Aunt Flow currently serves over a hundred businesses and organizations but it's beginnings were more humble. Claire talks about Aunt Flow’s early individual subscription model and how it eventually enabled the business to transition into the B2B space. Claire also describes the values that she held onto from the very beginning, when the company still operated on the subscription model: for every Aunt Flow box purchased, one was donated to a person in need in the United States. Aunt Flow now serves some very large organizations and companies, from Fortune 500’s to major universities. Jennifer asks Claire about how she secured her biggest clients and how these large accounts enable Aunt Flow to donate tens of thousands of menstrual products a year. Last year, Aunt Flow donated 100,000 menstrual products. This year, Claire is shooting to donate half a million. As a young woman in the business world, asking for what you want, riding out the no, and learning when and how to ask again is the not-so-secret to success. Claire fills us in on her philosophy of business and how it has enabled her company to secure great clients, as well as high-profile media attention. When it comes to their brand, Claire is the charismatic face and voice of Aunt Flow. Claire discusses the decision to use her personal profile to push conversations about menstruation into the mainstream via CEO-focused media coverage. She also talks about the more challenging aspects of being a young business woman, and how sometimes both a combination of ageism and sexism can rear its head in both client and investor interactions. As a young entrepreneur, what advice does Claire have for other young change makers trying to make the world a better place? Here’s her 2-part breakdown: Just Google it! Use the power of the information age to your advantage and don't be afraid to research.  Make a Big Ask. If you can’t find the right answer or person for your problem, don’t be afraid to get straight to the point. Everyone has role models or trailblazers they look to for inspiration. Claire talks about the success of Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, as well as her advisors at Aunt Flow.  How does Claire feel about not finishing college? Despite some mild FOMO about dormitory experiences or collective school pride, Claire has no regrets. Would she recommend her path to others? Well, figuring out whether or not college is for you is a lot cheaper if you’re not in college.   Resources & Links: ClaireCoder.com Claire Coder LinkedIn Claire Coder Instagram Claire Coder Twitter GoAuntFlow.com Go Aunt Flow Facebook Go Aunt Flow Instagram Go Aunt Flow Twitter Jeni Britton Bauer | Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams   Are you struggling with developing your personal brand? You can now download Jennifer McClure's Personal Branding Worksheet to help you ask and answer the right questions so you're making the best impression.   Check out another trailblazing HR powerhouse! HR expert Laurie Ruettiman hosts a podcast called Let’s Fix Work where she speaks with a diverse array of people about how to change the way we think and work for the better.   Give us a hand getting the word out! Do you want to spend your personal and professional time making a lasting impact on others? Do you want to be the kind of leader people love? Subscribe today and we will bring you new ways to change the world every single week.

Drums of Autumn Chapter 13 Week 8 “An Examination of Conscience” Summary: Jamie and Claire go for a stroll. Jamie speaks frog somewhat fluently. Claire wants to know what the hell is going on. Jamie shares Jocasta's big plan. They take a boat ride onto the river. Claire can't be Jamie's conscience. The overseer is dead. They arrive at the sawmill and discover a dying woman. Jamie and an old for cross paths. They plan to take a woman to safety. Inside the Chapter: Chapter 13 – An Examination of Conscience Claire and Jamie are out for a stroll. A frog joins them on the path. Apparently, Jamie speaks frog, though not fluently. They were lost in their thoughts as they continued to walk. As they sit down near the dock, Claire wants to know what's going on (p235, Nook). It is easy for her to envision how it would have played out if not for John Quincy Myers providing the incredible distraction. Claire thinks the plan is thoroughly MacKenzie like in all ways, “audacious, dramatic, and taking no account of the wishes of the persons involved.” If Jocasta would've been able to make her offer in such a public way, it would've been very difficult for Jamie to turn his Aunt down. Ulysses is not so happy that Jocasta plans to have Jamie take over the running of the estate. Since Hector died, he is Jocasta's eyes, ears, and the one who oversees all the accounts. He's honest and faithful, but likely doesn't want to lose his position to a stranger. At first, Claire assumes Jamie will turn down the offer, but then she realizes he might say yes. She equates the scents of ripening apples in the air to the temptation with a worm hidden below the shiny surface. I love how Claire draws from the natural world to make her assessments and conclusions. The temptation is for Jamie to be restored to the head of a family, to have something to care for, and people to be responsible to. Claire knows caring for his men in prison is what kept him alive and enduring. Could he own people? As they walk Claire remarks on the plant life. It's fragrant and abundant. She calls River Run, “a garden of earthly delight.”  She struggles with the reality if Jamie takes over as the heir to River Run, they will own slaves (5:00). She thinks of Joe Abernathy, her friend and the person she'd left Brianna's care. For Claire, Jamie is her temptation. Could she not stand by him if he said yes to Jocasta even if that means owning slaves? If not this offer, then Governor Tryon's to go to the back county might be chosen. Jamie must do something productive. She feels the pull of two planes of time p238, Nook). She worries he will die when he returns to Scotland. Before they go for a moonlit boat ride, he answers her unspoken questions with an “I don't know.” Jamie rows the boat, and they make their way onto the river. Neither are speaking. Jamie breaks the silence by asking Claire if she means to have nothing to say (p239, Nook). Claire understands what he means. Could she live every day, maybe for years, or forever owning slaves? If Jamie owned the slaves, so did she. She wouldn't be a guest as she is now. She couldn't pretend otherwise. I couldn't live with it. I wouldn't be able to stay permanently in that scenario. Jamie discloses even after Jocasta dies he may not be able to free the slaves. The Assembly must agree to it. Claire is incredulous hearing it. Jamie explains further (p240, Nook). She realizes Jamie has thought about the possibility of being named an heir and saying yes to the offer. Claire hadn't consciously thought about it. Jamie believes his Aunt would use him to do her bidding but give him little true authority. As he puts it, he'd “be no more than her cat's paw.” Aunt Jocasta likes the power too much to give it up to Jamie. She needs a man to do her bidding, while she maintains the reins. She seems not to want another husband, yet Ulysses cannot do the work required because of his status. Jamie is the distinctly perfect option (9:45). Claire knows she could not live as a slave owner, yet if he rejects the offer, she'll be sending him to Scotland to find suitable men to fill the land the Governor is willing to give him. She cannot tell him what to do. Finally, he finds a place to stop for a bit (p241, Nook). Even though Claire tells Jamie he's a good man; he finds himself concerned he's a man like Stephen Bonnet. The only thing that separates the two is the sense of honor Jamie has. Jamie's worried he has nothing to show for his 45 years of living (p243, Nook). The rub in all of this, is so many depend upon him, even Laoghaire (p243, Nook). I love how Claire uses humor and tenderness. Her emotions ran the gamut over the course of the past hour. She takes his hand in hers, leans into him and says, “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. Be it Scottish hill or southern forest.” She'll be there. She doesn't need finery. She needs him alone. (13:35). As they move along upriver, Claire listens to Jamie's breathing and thinks. She knows Jamie also has the MacKenzie will; he can stand up to Jocasta. She has a twinge at remembering Dougal as Jamie's dirk took his life. She also knows, Jamie had some key differences from Stephen Bonnet beyond honor: “kindness, courage, and a conscience.” Jamie had taken them to the sawmill. Claire had never been by water. She thinks it's an apt place for Jamie to battle his demons. Claire thinks it is spooky at night. Jamie doesn't like it in the daytime either. He tells her the overseer, Byrnes is dead of lockjaw (tetanus). He died that afternoon. It's not a nice way to die. Claire is upset Jamie saw the ailing man and didn't take her. She says it wasn't for him to decide for her to go or not. He was protecting her (p247, Nook).  She's mightily angry. Jamie apologizes. He goes on to explain why and he knows she would've gone no matter what. People were talking about what happened at the mill. Had Claire killed the slave? Jamie trusts the actions Claire took (p249, Nook). Arriving at the sawmill, Jamie states he told Mrs. Byrnes, he would retrieve her husband's items. Claire understands Jamie is using this opportunity to size up the whole of the property, the people, the life it would mean if he says yes to Jocasta (p.250, Nook). The area surrounding the mill near the slave huts have an utterly quiet stillness to it. Claire struggles to keep her good footing, but Jamie never falters.  Claire reflects in her mind the difference of Jamaica to here. There would have been some form of lament for the dead slave. As if to read her mind, Jamie says they are afraid. Claire and Jamie are afraid too. (19:30). As they enter the mill, Claire thinks she can still smell the blood from the altercation. No, it is fresh blood she smells. Jamie covers himself with his plaid and silently moves. Claire thinks she's going to hallucinate that terrible scene, then a groan is heard. She manages not to scream and bites her lip hard. This sounds immensely frightening. I don't know if curiosity to know what's going on would keep me from running outside. She is frightened. She wonders if it could be Jamie making the wretched sound. Finally, she can't take another moment and calls to him. He answers beckoning for her to come. She enters the small room. It's stifling, and the reek of blood is heavy. On the bed lies a woman slowly exsanguinating (bleeding to death). Claire goes into doctor mode. She talks to the woman and examines her to find the source of the bleeding. The woman is weak and tries to speak. The woman is dying (p.253, Nook). Jamie tells her God will forgive her and to go in peace. She died from a botched abortion. Who is the sergeant she wants to be told? They return to the scene the next morning with Farquard Campbell. In the light of day, it's even more horrifying. The heat, still air, and buzzing flies create a disturbing and stomach-churning atmosphere. Claire is sure of the reason for death. She left the foot-long kitchen skewer where she'd found it between the woman's legs. Farquard's job is to decide whether the woman did it to herself or someone else helped her. Claire lies and says she believes the woman did it by herself because of the laws of the colony. The dead woman is not known by Farquard. Jamie intervenes sharing the woman spoke the word sergeant. Claire provides a distraction to more questions by Farquard. She needs air and is feeling faint. Jamie stays behind to attend to the removal of the body. (22:30). Enter Phaedre to the scenario. She's waiting near the wagon outside the mill. She tells Claire she smells and looks awful. The reason Jamie and Claire lied about no one else being involved in the abortion is revealed. Phaedre found out who the other party was. A slave named Pollyanne. She ran away during the night. Claire is left to wash and prepare the body. Jamie went to keep Farquard company. As Claire and Phaedre cleaned the body, her thought ran to the night before. She feared Pollyanne would be put to death if found for inadvertently killing the woman while trying to help her. Phaedre cautions that Pollyanne needs to be found quickly. She doesn't know the woods and is only a year from Africa. Claire's use of herbs lent ceremony and gravity to the cleansing and preparation for burial. There was no minister to give her rites. Might there be people to miss her? When they finished, Jamie placed her shrouded body in the wagon. They need to find the sergeant the woman spoke about. Before they could go to the military warehouse, they had to get cleaned up, drop off Phaedre, check in on John Quincy Myers, and fill in Jocasta with the news. It so happens, she finds Farquard and John in the morning room eating and sipping tea with Jocasta. It appears someone bathed John while he was unconscious. Jocasta invites Claire to sit and have some nourishment. Claire asks John how he is doing (p262, Nook). His comments amused everyone. Jocasta laughingly assures him she knew his mother and it's unlikely his father was a bear. His mother liked a hairy man because it was a comfort on a cold night. The Native American women seem to like it too, but it might be the novelty since the Native American men are virtually hairless. Claire sipped the delicious tea, thankful to push away the events from her mind for a moment. Jamie returns clean and shaved. He needs Duncan, but Jocasta sent him and wee Ian to fetch a package for her. She expresses her favor of Duncan. Farquard leaves and Jamie asks after the package (p263, Nook). Farquard explained the basics of what happened and how the woman is a stranger. Jamie takes some offense to how Jocasta is acting as if the woman doesn't matter (p264, Nook). Claire leaves with him. (26:45). They arrive at the Crown's warehouse. It's guarded. Apparently, there are many items of value inside, but the liquor is the most valuable. They discuss the complexities of the situation and Jamie believes Farquard won't cause any trouble for Jocasta. Jamie feels the need to see the woman properly buried. They both feel a responsibility to do it. Claire feels a stab of guilt over Brianna. She's about the same age as this young woman with no family in her time. They find the sergeant in the taproom. He obviously knows Jamie by sight (p296, Nook). The sergeant is abjectly rude. Jamie tells him Mistress Cameron is his kinswoman. He introduces Claire as is wife. Jamie takes a moment to get a jeer in (p267, Nook). The sergeant gets angry and stomps out of the taproom. They follow saying it's a matter of bringing him a corpse. The sergeant knows the woman. He wants to know what happened. She was a laundress named Lissa Garver. The sergeant is emotionally moved. Jamie explains she tried to slip a bairn. Murchison will not tell Jamie if she had a husband or family, he simply says she has someone, and he's not to trouble himself further. He requires a statement from Jamie, so he and Claire go to the office. (30:30). The office is empty when he and Claire arrive. He takes the opportunity to explain to Claire the nature of his history with Murchison (p269, Nook). Jamie tells how the twins were a great menace, monsters at Ardsmuir. Claire asks if both are here. The other died at Ardsmuir. Claire notices Jamie wore his kilt to speak to the sergeant. This is not a coincidence. It's an act of purpose. He continues to explain that the other twin died at the hands of an inmate. Sergeant Murchison enters before Claire can ask Jamie if he killed the brother. Murchison demands Jamie write down his statement, date, and sign it. Jamie's crippled hand makes it an arduous and painful task to write. He doesn't write in front of others if he can help it. Claire offers to do it, but Jamie demands the clerk meet him at his aunt's house later to take the statement. They leave before the sergeant can answer. Duncan Innes and Young Ian found Pollyanne after searching for three days in the forest. She is safe at the moment. She refuses to ride a horse. The group of them, including Jocasta, discuss what must be done. Murchison had gone to the mill and declared it was murder. Claire doesn't think it was murder or suicide. It was an accident. Jamie already had it arranged with Myers to take Pollyanne to the mountains and have her adopted into a tribe of Indians. They are to leave in three days' time. (35:30). Phaedre assisted Claire in getting provision together. Claire fashions herself proper riding clothes. Jamie is curious as to her undergarment (p274, Nook). As if the brassiere isn't enough of a shock, she means to wear breeks when riding. He is aghast she wore trousers in her time (p274, Nook). This banter leads to Jamie being induced to ravishing Claire telling her to take the breeks off.  What's Coming up? Chapter 14 and 15 Drums of Autumn (DOA). How can you participate? Send your comments to contact@adramofoutlander.com or call the listener line at 719-425-9444 by Friday of each week. If you're reading ahead, you can leave comments for any part of the book too. Join the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday nights at 6 pm PT/9pm ET using the hashtag #ADoO. Comments or messages may be included in the podcast or a written post. The Outlander book series is written by Diana Gabaldon. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook All images are Wiki Commons. Click on picture for attribution link. Follow A Dram of Outlander Thank you for sharing posts, joining the discussions, and following this website or pages listed below! Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ To financially support the podcast, go to my Patreon page. Call 719-425-9444 listener/reader line to leave your comments.

When you think about public women's restrooms, you think about toilet paper, seat covers, hand soap and paper towels. But what about tampons? What about pads? Tampons and pads are used every day in public restrooms, but they aren’t provided like toilet paper and hand soap.   A few years ago, Claire Coder noticed public bathrooms weren’t offering free tampons and pads and she decided to do something about it.   Claire founded, and is the current CEO, of Aunt Flow. Aunt Flow sells and donates 100% organic cotton menstrual products. Her mission is not only to provide a great product for the general consumer, but also to provide menstrual products for everyone who needs them, regardless of their ability to afford them.   For every tampon purchased from Aunt Flow, a tampon is donated to someone in need.   In addition to donating tampons to those in need, Aunt Flow is also encouraging businesses to provide free tampons in their public restrooms. Claire and her team believe people deserve to be able to feel comfortable in the workplace.   At the end of the day, Aunt Flow, sells and donates tampons, but they do more than just sell and donate tampons. Through their efforts they work to empower women, strive toward sustainable hygiene options, advocate for the transgender community, and face up to the politics of menstruation. Claire’s mission improves life for everyone, and that is something we can all applaud.   Key Takeaways: [:04] Heather introduces Claire Coder, CEO and Founder of Aunt Flow. [:45] Claire explains what Aunt Flow is all about. [2:05] Claire touches on where her confidence comes from. [3:00] For Claire, nude modeling is a unique way to build confidence and feel comfortable in her own skin. [5:27] Overcoming the awkward topic of menstruation and tampons. [7:00] When to say “no” in business and relationships. [9:16] Claire admits self-care is not her strong suit. [11:52] What Claire (and Heather) have learned about accepting and rejecting advice and criticism. [14:42] Heather touches on workplace policies and Claire explains how her mission is an extension of workplace policies. [18:08] Thank you for listening. Follow us on Twitter @prtini. Please like, share, and review if you like what you heard today.   Mentioned in this Episode: https://rewritetherules.co Prtini.com/about @prtini Auntflow.org @GoAuntFlow ClaireCoder.com/workshops BreneBrown.com   Twitter:   “If toilet paper is offered for free, why not tampons?!”   “I’m beautiful. People respect me. And I love my body.”   “Sometimes saying ‘no’ is the best way to grow a business.”  

Claire Coder was a competitor in 2015 GSEA Competition, and also the founder of Aunt Flow. In today’s episode, she shares the stories of her business ventures, and she started her business and grew it to where it is today. On a mission to change the world one cycle at a time, Claire talks about the importance of investing in your business and nurturing your entrepreneurial inclinations from a young age.   Key Takeaways:   [:45] Claire started her first company — There’s A Badge for That — when she was only 16 years old. In a matter of two years, she grew the company, and this company got her excited and engaged in entrepreneurship. [2:50] When she was school at the Ohio State University, she got the idea for her second business: insert name. The company is growing rapidly, and the products have been well-received across 47 states. [5:45] What has been most surprising so far is the difference in reception that they’ve received from men and women when they’re selling business-to-business. They get the most criticism from females, whereas men are more likely to see the logic behind providing menstrual products in their bathrooms. [7:19] Claire was on a TLC TV Show called Girl Starter — a show design to show entrepreneurial grit and stamina. She placed second in the competition with her partner and the show. Though she had just recently launched her company, this was a great experience for her. [9:24] Their warehouse and distribution center is located about 20 minutes outside of Columbus, with a small office in downtown Columbus. About 70% of their revenue comes from selling to other businesses, while the other 30% comes from individual consumers. They also have an educational component to their company, which they feel is very important in changing lives around the world. [10:25] What’s next for Claire and Aunt Flow? As the business is growing significantly and quickly, Claire’s personal mission is to make sure everyone has access to menstrual products so she is always working to complete that mission. [11:30] Their team is in a period of transition, so by October, they are hoping to be fully staffed with two employees, as well as a few contract employees. They have received investment from an angel investor in Columbus, and Claire was also successful on a podcast called The Pitch. [14:00] People listening to the podcast can help Claire and Aunt Flow by stocking their businesses with tampons, that has all information about why it’s important to stock these in your business. If you are interested in trying the product, visit the website below! [15:15] The hard part about working with some of the public institutions is that it’s a long sales cycle, and there’s a lot that goes into selling to the public institutions. They focus primarily on the public sector but will serve the private sector as companies reach out to them. [16:38] Claire attended Ohio State University for one semester. Since she already had her business in high school, she really already knew what she wanted to do and how to do it. She made the decision to use the money she would’ve used for school to put towards her business. Though it was a little rough at first, her parents now are huge supporters of her business. [20:05] At the beginning of the business she really felt like “the lonely entrepreneur.” She worked several waitressing jobs when her company started to help pay the bills, and she wants to encourage listeners that it’s okay if you have to work a part-time job until you reach the revenue metric you need to sustain yourself. [2:28] To avoid burnout, Claire is going to take one of her first vacations in the two years since the business started. Focusing on this balance between work and life will hopefully allow her to come back to the business refreshed and ready to go harder. [23:27] For Claire personally, she had an entrepreneurial drive that her parents encouraged from a young age. She tells the story of her “first business” as a child selling beer to construction workers. This helped her learn the importance of identifying the target audience, understand the customer, and making the sale. As a parent, it is important to observe situations like these with your kids, and decide how you can respond in a nurturing way. [25:49] If there are any businesses who want to join the menstrual movement, please visit the Try Aunt Flow website below to learn more details.   Mentioned in This Episode: Columbus Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization There’s A Badge For That Aunt Flow Try Aunt Flow

Abandoned by her alcoholic dad when she was five, out of cash and evicted from their NYC apartment, Claire Hoffman, her mom and seven-year-old brother found themselves dropped into a small town in Iowa.But, not just any old town, this was a sacred enclave, Heaven on Earth, established by Transcendental Meditation founder, Maharishi Mahesh. For Claire’s mother, Transcendental Meditation and the cloistered culture around it became a source of salvation and calm. But, over time, Claire began questioning the teachings and traditions. She eventually fled the town, the practice and community and moved back in with her father.Decades later, a now established journalist and teacher and parent, and looking for answers, Claire found herself drawn back to Iowa, to reexamine her spiritual upbringing in an attempt to resolve unanswered questions rediscover a bit of lost magic.In today’s episode, we sit down with Claire and dive into this powerful, raw and revelatory journey, detailed in her memoir, Greetings from Utopia Park: Surviving a Transcendent Childhood. photo credit: Timothy Greenfield-SandersBe sure to subscribe to our weekly Good Life Updates and listen on iTunes to make sure you never miss an episode!

Acclaimed disabled dancer and choreographer, Claire Cunningham, offers up a starkly honest and intriguing challenge to anyone who's ever just assumed that someone with a disability would want to be 'cured' if they could be. For Claire being disabled makes her unique and gives her a fresh insight into life. In this compelling edition of Four Thought she considers why on earth she'd opt to be just the same as everyone else when she can be different, utterly individual, unlike anyone else.