Podcasts about holyoke

Stephanie O'Brien formed her company, Coach Client Connection, 13 years ago to help coaches and experts connect with the people who need their services. She grew up in Manitoba Canada. She says that as a child she had great difficulties in developing relationships with her fellow children. As she said during our conversation, she tended to be too clingy among other things.   She began writing at an early age and wrote her first full-length novel at the age of twelve. She has written 14 books, four of which she self-published. As she matured, she began connecting with writers online and found that she could create relationships with them. She then learned how to make others around her feel interesting and thus also began learning how to establish real relationships with others.   As she tells us, she also began meeting with coaches and others to improve herself and her self-esteem.   We talk quite a bit during this episode about coaching and how Stephanie has created a program to help coaches better interact with clients and others. She even gives us a free gift to help us learn how to choose and interact with coaches.     About the Guest:   Stephanie O'Brien, founder of Coach Client Connection, has been helping coaches and experts to connect with the people who need them since 2013.   Throughout her childhood, she struggled to make connections with others. As the kid who was always sending invitations to the other kids, and seldom being invited herself, she knows what it's like to feel invisible and unwanted.   She immersed herself in her writing, and completed her first full-length novel at the age of 12. She went on to write 14 novels, four of which she self-published as ebooks (she calls the rest “teenage practice”).   As she began to connect with other writers online, she gradually honed the art of building relationships by making the people around her feel interesting, wanted, and understood. She also sought healing through coaching and therapy, and experienced firsthand the transformations coaching can bring. This gave her a passion for helping coaches to share those transformations with more people, so those people can enjoy the same freedom, joy, and recovery from old wounds that she did.   Since then, Stephanie has spent over 10 years helping coaches to get noticed, connect with the people who need them, and turn their expertise into coaching programs that their clients can easily understand, implement, and turn into real results.   When serving clients, she draws on her decades of practice in writing fiction and nonfiction, her ability to see both the big picture and the little details, and her experience as a client of both great coaches and coaches who left her discouraged and disappointed. She also uses the relationship principles she discovered to help set coaches at ease, draw out more of their expertise than they even knew they had, and make the process of creating their programs easy and fun. Ways to connect with Stephanie:   https://www.coachclientconnection.com/ https://www.instagram.com/stephanieobriencoaching/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-obrien-program-design/ https://www.facebook.com/StephanieOBrienCoaching   Free Gift: https://www.coachclientconnection.com/How-to-Pick-a-Coaching-Topic-that-SELLS/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. We're going to try to be unstoppable today as much as much as we can. Our guest is Stephanie O'Brien. O'Brien, good Swedish name Stephanie. I couldn't resist. It's a it's pleasure to have you here, and it's a pleasure to have all of you listening. Stephanie has been involved in coaching and connecting coaches and clients for 13 years now, my gosh, a long time, and we're going to learn all about that. And I know that Stephanie's got a lot of words of wisdom to talk about. So without further ado, as it were, let's get into all of this. So Stephanie, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 02:03 Thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me here. I'm looking forward to this,   Michael Hingson ** 02:07 and as I told Stephanie earlier, the rule of the podcast is you got to have fun. So, you know, we do our best. But anyway, let's start out with kind of the early Stephanie, growing up and all that. And you know, just to learn a little bit about you if we can   Stephanie O'Brien ** 02:22 sure, a big part of the reason why later came to have a focus on helping coaches connect with people was because for me, connecting people was connecting with people was really difficult. When I was young, I'd be the kid who on Saturday morning, I'd get on the phone at a call each of my friends one by one, only to be told that they didn't want to hang out. And I was seldom the one who got a call in return. So I had a really hard time connecting with people. Admittedly, I could be a bit clingy and boring, so I have to recognize my own faults and where I had to grow from there, but at the time, I didn't really know how to fix that. So yeah, I had a hard time connecting with people. Eventually, I started connecting with people through writing. I was a pretty prolific novelist. I finished my first novel when I was 12 years old. Terrible novel. Mom told me, Steph, don't delete it. And I tell her, no, no, it's so bad I'll never want to see it again. Mother knew best. I shouldn't have deleted it. But I went on to write 14 novels, four of which were good enough by adult needs standards, to Self Publish. And while I was doing all this writing, I started connecting with other writers, talking with them about their stories. I got very good at building relationships and asking the right questions to keep the conversation going, but I just kind of learned how to connect with people through trial and error. Though I've been still worked with some mentors to get better at it still. So now I use that experience, the writing experience, the ability to phrase things in a way that's easy to understand and connect with that experience. With building relationships, I help coaches to connect with more of their ideal clients now.   Michael Hingson ** 03:49 So have you always been in Manitoba? Yeah,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 03:53 I've always lived in Manitoba. Sometimes vacations are traveled outside if it always lived here, oh   Michael Hingson ** 03:58 yeah, lot of snow in the winter, oh   Stephanie O'Brien ** 04:01 yeah, it's been less severe lately, like it's in the last few years, we've had more 30 degree days in summer, fewer 40 degree below days in winter. But it still can get pretty cold.   Michael Hingson ** 04:14 Isn't that crazy? Well, but, and of course, some people say there's no such thing as climate change. So what do you do?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 04:20 You put out the pictures of me trick or treating as a kid versus me at Halloween this year, like I went from trick or treating in blizzards to walking on grass in November one. There's a difference.   Michael Hingson ** 04:33 Well, so you you went to school? Did you go to university? Or any of that? I   Stephanie O'Brien ** 04:38 was actually homeschooled, and I went to Athabasca University online, but I didn't take a full formal university education. Instead, I learned. I took courses from various coaches and business owners to learn how to run an online business. Wow, Peter, if you're gonna do a secondary education, you may as well learn from someone who's doing what you want to do, and to teach you how to do it   Michael Hingson ** 04:57 well. And as long as that, we're. For you that that's a good thing to do.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 05:01 Yeah, you've got to choose your education based on what you're trying to learn and what you're trying to accomplish. I don't like the cookie cutter model, or you got to get a college education because, yeah, learn what's relevant.   Michael Hingson ** 05:13 Well, I think there's value in college and or university, absolutely. And I went, I went to to the university, and I think for me, probably it was the best thing to do, because back in well, in 68 to 76 when I was at the University of California at Irvine, there weren't a lot of alternatives other than college for getting access to material, accessible stuff wasn't there. In fact, majoring in physics, my books had to be transcribed into Braille and and that that was a challenge, because professors didn't always want to provide information about what books they were going to use until as late in the process as they could, just in case a new book came out. And that that didn't work for me, and so one of the things that I learned was how to work with professors, and when necessary, use higher authorities than professors at the university to get them to provide what needed to be done. So that was that was useful, but the material wasn't accessible without me making a major effort. So probably college was would have been, anyway, for me, the way to do it. But obviously what you did worked for you. And so, you know, I figure it's important to   Stephanie O'Brien ** 06:29 just go to figure out what you want to do with your life, figure out what information or courses you need on that, and then, you know, pick the source that is most appropriate to provide it. It's there's no one size fits all,   Michael Hingson ** 06:41 no, and I agree. What do you do with people who say I don't know what I want to do with my life?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 06:48 Those generally don't tend to be our target audience, but I can help them in a few ways. I can give them a few questions that they can answer. You know, they can look at what is something that they really love to talk about can't get enough of talking about so they could study this forever. Is it something that they could you know, an area where they can help get results for people. Let's say they are really into relationships. They're fascinated by human relationships. Can they help people to communicate better? Can they help people to find better, healthier partners? Can they help them to avoid common conflicts with other people? Or, you know, what's a problem that they've solved for themselves, that they've healed in their own life. You know, maybe they had a really rough cancer journey and found out, you know, what went wrong, what went right, what could have gone right more to make it easier for them. Now, I know one person who she got through breast cancer and now teaches other people how to navigate that journey a lot more smoothly than what she experienced. Yeah. So, yeah, I encourage people to, you know, look at their lives. Look at what you do for free, if you had the option, if money wasn't an object, what fascinate? See what you're passionate about, and just see, is there a way you can use that to make other people's lives better?   Michael Hingson ** 07:54 Well? And that makes a lot of sense. And we, we all should do a whole lot more introspection and analyze what we do and and even ask ourselves why we do it, because we we tend to just move ahead and do stuff and we don't think about it. And the other part of what happens as a result of that is that we try to control everything that we do, we don't think about what we're doing, and we're a lot more afraid than we should be, and then we need to be, if we would only take the time to really be introspective and learn what is it that really is going on? Why do I feel this way? And as you're pointing out, what can I do about it? But if we really take the time to analyze. Then we figure out somewhere along the line, you don't need to worry about what you can't control, just focus on the things that you can and your life is a whole lot better anyway. Oh yeah,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 08:54 yeah, at Holyoke, give me the strength to control, our strength to change what I can the grace to accept what I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 09:02 well, and the reality is that one of the things that I talk about a lot is the mind's a muscle, and you need to develop it whoever you are, and the best way to do that is to think about what you do. I've learned that I'm not my own worst critic, I'm my own best teacher, and that's the way it should be. But I have to be open to learning and letting me and my inner voice teach. But if I do that, then I'm oftentimes, as I think back on it, very amazed at what I suddenly discovered that I didn't know before because I wouldn't take the time to think about it and study it.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 09:40 Yeah, we can get so busy, so caught up in our day to day lives, so ingrained in our routine. Sometimes it can be challenging to rattle ourselves out of that, and sometimes we need another set of eyes, or someone asking the right questions,   Michael Hingson ** 09:53 yeah, and then, and we need to take that time so. So for you. You, you studied, you worked with people. And so you what? Well, what kind of jobs did you have early in your your job world? Or did you always coach?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 10:12 Um, my first jobs, that was actually a waitress for a restaurant my mom owned, along with a couple other people. They were going to run the restaurant along with us. They were going to be the main ones owning the restaurant, and then they just kind of ditched us and left us with a restaurant we didn't know what to do with. So I was a waitress there for a bit before we sold the building and moved on. Then we tried owning rental properties for a bit, and honestly, no, never again. We were not cut out for that. It   Michael Hingson ** 10:34 was terrible, scary thing. Yeah,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 10:37 yeah, it's done. I can still lose like I'm fine with being responsible for me. I don't need theory to be responsible for me and all the tenants who call me during supper to mediate between their fights. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 10:50 this only so many hours in a day, and people need to take responsibility for themselves. So I hear you. So what did you do after that? That   Stephanie O'Brien ** 10:57 was after that that we started getting into coaching. You I'd been writing novels for pretty much as long as I could write, and I was going with mom. She was becoming a coach. She was studying under Mary Morrissey, so I went with her to learn how to use my fiction writing skills for business. And I started studying under Brendan Norman and then Ted McGrath. And yeah, they it was actually Brenda Norman who introduced me to the world of writing for marketing, and, you know, knowing how to focus on the results that people care about instead of the process that they don't really care about, how to phrase things in terms of the actual experiences that they long for, instead of just giving dry, vague descriptions issues kind of my gateway To the world of marketing.   Michael Hingson ** 11:37 So you you really, essentially came by the whole concept of coaching pretty naturally, by by just the the evolution of of what you did, which is pretty cool. How about your books, though, are, are any of them still available for people to get?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 11:56 Yeah, got four novels on my website. It's Stephanie O'Brien books.com where I host my novels, my short stories, my comics, my art, basically all my creative stuff that isn't coaching. And I've also got one non fiction book, one month program builder up on my website. I have written another one tell people with their marketing message, but that one needs to be updated. I'm planning to update and republish it eventually, but it just hasn't been   Michael Hingson ** 12:20 a top priority. So have you published all of your own books? Or have you worked at all with traditional   Stephanie O'Brien ** 12:26 publishers? It's all been self published. A lot of the traditional publishing route just seems like too much of a pain for them, still expecting me to do Mark most of the marketing. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 12:35 that's one of the things that has happened, is that publishers tend to not do nearly the marketing that they used to, which is, which is fine for those who really do know how to market, but there is also value in publishers doing a lot more to help than I think probably a lot of them do, but it's the way the world is going that we've we are so steeped in social media and everything now, people think that's the only way to market and it's not.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 13:06 Yeah. Anytime someone says their way is the only way, I immediately get suspicious, like they instantly lose credibility. There are so many different ways to market yourself and grow a business. The important thing is finding a way that works for you. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 13:21 And ultimately, one of the tests of whether it works for you is whether you see results or not. But, but true, it is still there is not just one way to market or sell for that matter,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 13:32 yeah, and if you're not having fun doing it, you know, it's kind of like your podcast, if you're not having fun doing it, especially because, yeah, I found that if I try and commit to a marketing method that I just really hate doing, I will struggle every day to get it done. I'll wind up procrastinating, I won't do it as consistently as I should, and I won't get results. So yeah, when you're choosing your marketing method, you gotta pick something that even if you're not totally ecstatic about it, you at least enjoy it enough that you can do it consistently   Michael Hingson ** 14:00 well, and you may discover later that you really do enjoy it, and that's that's part of it. We don't always necessarily know everything in our own minds the way we ought to. But if we, if we keep looking and we keep trying things and we find something, well, this is working. I'm not a great fan of it, but 10 years from now, you may discover that you learned a lot and you really love it.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 14:23 Yeah, you can always just experiment with it. You'll give it a 90 day shot it, don't. You don't want to just poke at it and then go, Oh, it didn't work instantly. But, you know, give it a be a good old college try. Give it a 90 day genuine try. And if you're really hating it, if it's not getting results, be willing to let it go. If it's getting results, if you're enjoying it, keep on going, working on refining it   Michael Hingson ** 14:42 well. And if you're getting results and you don't enjoy it, then it's probably worth exploring. Why don't you enjoy it? Yeah, that might be very telling also.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 14:53 And if it's something that can be outsourced, then you might want to look at outsourcing. Actually, it depends on the nature of what it is you.   Michael Hingson ** 15:00 Yeah, there is that. But if it's working that that, in of itself, is something right off the bat. Yeah, you   Stephanie O'Brien ** 15:06 don't want to ditch what's working unless you got something better to replace this.   Michael Hingson ** 15:10 That's that is always true. Well, so anyway, so you started studying, and eventually, when did you start your your business, and start coaching, seriously.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 15:24 Um, see, I kind of, I was kind of half probably coaching, partly writing for people, as early as 2013 that's where I got my start. And then just kind of gradually got more and more into coaching, as opposed to writing for people. So of course, even the other process of writing for people still involves a certain amount of coaching, because you have to help them understand, Okay, here's why I'm doing it this way. Here's what we need to communicate. Here's what you need to communicate as a follow up afterward. So there's a certain amount of coaching involved in that too, but it's been the last few years that I've shifted my focus more fully to helping people create their coaching programs, as opposed to, you know, writing marketing materials for the programs they already have. Now,   Michael Hingson ** 16:00 you've written a number of fiction books, right? Tell me about that that I'm still trying to figure out how to write a fiction book   Stephanie O'Brien ** 16:10 for me. Most of the time. It starts with me having a few ideas for scenes or relationships, etc, and then spending the rest of the time trying to justify their existence. Like here are a few really great scenes, and now I need to figure out all the other plot points that lead to this moment the books I've published so far. One of them is called cat girl roommate. It takes the concept of a cat girl, except that instead of being the stereotypical sexy cat girl, she's a cat girl who actually acts like a cat and thinks like a cat. I've owned cats pretty much as long as I can remember, so I just took a whole bunch of their ridiculous shenanigans, and put them into this one cat girl, like, how she'll, you know, the her roommate who's taking care of her, he'll make the same meal for both of them. But she doesn't want her. She wants his. It's the exact same thing, but she's sure that his is better. Such a cat thing to do another it's called a heroic lies. It's, um, kind of a dark twist on the superhero genre, where you've got this villain who keeps on kidnapping people, keeps on trying to fight the hero, except that there seems to be nothing in it for him. It kind of explores that whole Why is the villain putting so much into the fighting the hero instead of making his own life better with his own genius, and kind of puts dark twists on it? Oh, shoot. That's why.   Michael Hingson ** 17:20 Cute. Well, and speaking of cats, see who I have on the back of my desk chair here. Yeah,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 17:28 I noticed him moving around. But enough, I got one sitting in a chair right over there.   Michael Hingson ** 17:32 Well, stitch usually isn't in with me, but our house is being cleaned, and so her bed is is under attack, as far as she's concerned. So, so she came in here, which she usually does, and she'll just stay up on the chair. She's fine,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 17:48 yeah? My cat tape laundry day sometimes I finished, you know, laundering the sheets and making the bed. Okay, Brandy, your bed is ready.   Michael Hingson ** 17:56 Yeah? Well, stitch, stitch copes pretty well. And then there's my guide dog, Alamo, who's down on the floor. You can't see him, but he's he's down there and quite content. But stitch seems to be pretty well. She moves around a little bit, but she's planted herself on the back of the chair. And I didn't even think about it when I bought this desk chair to get something wide enough so that she could be on it, but it's worked out really well.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 18:23 And yeah, she seems very cozy and   Michael Hingson ** 18:25 content she is. And for those who don't know, stitch is my, my main coon rescue cat. We've had her now for 10 years, over 10 years. So since the bed is is being made and washed and all that. Then she's in here and she's fine. She'll get bored eventually,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 18:47 Hey, as long as she isn't wandering around screaming, as mine sometimes does.   Michael Hingson ** 18:50 Yeah, yeah, that's the big issue. Well, so you you got into this whole business of of coaching, and how did you start or working with her? How did you decide to start working with other coaches and coaching them in terms of dealing with clients and so on. While   Stephanie O'Brien ** 19:11 I was accompanying my mom to all these the training events, I just started falling in love with coaches and coaching. I saw all these amazing people who are trying to be their best selves, live their best lives, break free from their old patterns and beliefs and ways of being, instead of just being ruled by them their whole lives, and trying to help others to do the same. I just fell in love with it, of the idea of the ripple effect I could make by helping these people. I also became a client of some coaches, and I found it was really it really changed my life in a lot of ways, like helping me to overcome the emotional difficulties from that childhood I described, where people didn't want to be around me, where I couldn't make friends seeing the change it made in myself. I wanted to help more people to experience those transformations, and I wanted to help the amazing coaches who were making such a change to have more success and joy in their own lives, too. Yeah. But you know, as I was interacting with them, I found that I think they were in some ways, kind of too educated for their own good, because they say stuff like, I help you shift your paradigms. And I think I might have mentioned that earlier, but yeah, they they didn't realize that these things that had so much meaning for them wouldn't have the same meaning for someone who didn't have their training. So, you know, they here shift your paradigms, and they can instantly mentally connect it with a result, whereas the lay person here is that they can kind of speculate about the result that they don't immediately look up and say, Yes, that's the exact change I need in my life. But I was kind of the universal translator from Star Trek, helping them translate their coach speak jargon into layperson's terms and into the terms of here's what the people actually want.   Michael Hingson ** 20:42 If you were to define it, what would you say is the definition of a coach? What is a coach?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 20:50 I'd say it's somebody who that works. Doesn't just put a training program for someone to go through on their own pace. It actually works directly with the person. You're helping that person find the answers that they need, helping them to work through their own minds, their own circumstances, their own desires, and helps them ask the right questions is someone who helped them to figure out their own life or some specific aspect of their own life. They don't just give education. They also receive what the client has to say, and help the clients to work through it and understand it.   Michael Hingson ** 21:21 Yeah, I once heard a definition the difference between a coach and a therapist, mainly is that a therapist helps you find the answers, but the therapist knows the answers and can give you the answers, but a coach guide you, because you're the one who really has to discover the answers and figure out what it is that you need to deal with. So the coach will guide you and help you discover, but you have to be the one to do with the coach doesn't necessarily know nor provide the answers.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 21:56 Yeah, and when I'm working with coaches, that's definitely the case where you know they're the subject matter expert on whatever they're trying to teach on. I'm just the person who knows which questions to ask to draw out their expertise and help them to share it in a more effective way and to come up with it. Or you could draw it out of hiding in a more efficient way, instead of spending weeks trying to figure out what to say. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 22:19 So in general, what I you've talked about a little bit, but what are some of the challenges that you first saw in dealing with coaches when you first started?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 22:29 Well, there was the one I mentioned, where they didn't really know how to explain their services in a way that resonated with people. You know, they talked about the process they took them through, or the amount of content they were going to give them, or the amount of time they were going to spend with the person. Thing is, you're asking for a bunch of a person's time. That's not a selling point. That's a chore. You're you're going to spend five hours of your weekend on this. That's an anti selling point by helping if they one of those challenges then was, you know, not knowing what it is that their clients really want and addressing that. Another is time. Is a huge issue, I think, in the business world in general. So a lot of people struggle to find the time to create their coaching programs, or what time they have they don't use it officially, because they don't have a system for quickly and easily drawing out all that content and organizing it. Another is money. A lot of coaches are having trouble finding the right clients, connecting with them, conveying the value of their products and services to them, so that they actually go get those clients and get the money. So those I find, are three of the big challenges that coaches run into.   Michael Hingson ** 23:31 Yeah, I can say, having observed a lot about it, that a lot of people seriously undervalue or don't recognize the value that they bring, and so as a result, when they're creating courses or coaching or whatever, they undersell and don't charge what they're necessarily really worth. And there are reasons to avoid that and really charge what you're worth, but you also have to learn how to do that and learn how to figure that out. But people do tend to sell themselves short way too often.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 24:13 Yeah, when you're really immersed in your own expertise, can be so easy to start feeling like what you know is common knowledge, when in reality, it's stuff that a lot of people don't know. And even if they know some of the surface stuff, they don't know the same kind of depth as they don't know it in the same kind of depth as you do. Now, I've actually got exercises I take my clients through so they can kind of remind themselves of the depth of their own expertise and how much they know that their clients don't know. I'd be happy to share that if you want. Sure. Yeah. And for those of you who are listening, I hope you've got something to write this down and record this so I'm going to walk you through this exercise. Not only does it help you to really boost your confidence in your own expertise, it'll also help you come up with a ton of content for your coaching programs, your training programs, your content marketing, podcasts, newsletters, social media, posts. So, so yeah, definitely be ready to take notes on this. So your first step is to figure out what are the things that you can help people with. You know, just write it down in broad categories. Maybe you could say, I help them with marketing, with JVs, with getting referrals. So you put those broad categories, kind of break them down by the results. What are the results that you can help people get then pick one of those results. I like to use the example of a relationship coach who helps a single men to meet and marry the woman of their dreams. So the result is that this person has a loving marriage with the woman of his dreams, but right now he's single and lonely and doesn't know how to approach women. So then for step two, what you do is you'd write down the steps that you take your clients through, preferably in chronological order. I know not everyone can do chronological order, because some processes just don't happen in a specific timeline or a specific sequence, but if you can do it in chronological order, it's best to do so. So the steps that you'd write down say you're this coach you could write down, helping him to figure out what kind of woman he wants to meet, helping him to figure out where these types of women might hang out, how to approach her, how to have a conversation, how to get a first date, how to see if, how to conduct himself on that first date, and see if she's the kind of person he wants to keep dating. How to get a second date, if he wants and so forth. So once you've written down all these steps in chronological order, pick one of those steps and break it down further, this is where you really start to see the depth of the expertise that you have. So step one was figure out what kind of woman you want to meet. So you could ask questions like, what kinds of experiences do you want to have with your partner, and what kind of person would want to have those experiences with you? What kind of experiences do you not want to have, and what kind of person would give you those bad experiences? What kind of positive experiences have you had in the past that you want more of you if you need help to figure out what you want? Does Do you want a partner who wants to be a homemaker or a career woman or a business owner? Do you want a partner who wants to have kids with you, or who I'd rather stay childless? Does give them really specific questions that they can ask themselves to better understand you know what they wanted to better understand how they can go about this. And if you want to give them instructions for how to do something, make those instructions so specific that if an alien never even heard of your subject of expertise before were to read the instructions, the alien would know exactly how to do it. You don't feel like those software developers who go, okay, just click on this tab, this tab and this tab, okay, but how do I get to that tab in the first place? Don't assume that your clients know how to do the first few steps. Some of them will some of them won't. You don't want to leave that second category behind. And you can also look at what are the best practices they can use while doing this. What are some common mistakes? What are some examples you can give them of people actually doing this. And by doing going through this exercise, you can really get a clear view of just how much depth and detail you know about every single step in this entire process. And when you really break it down, every single step that goes into the process has so much nuance, so much detail, so many things that you could teach them, so many nuggets of wisdom you probably have that you might have even forgotten since it's become so second nature. I encourage you to do that exercise and remind yourself what an expert you are and come up with a huge amount of content at the same time.   Michael Hingson ** 28:22 Right? And then what happens? So   Stephanie O'Brien ** 28:27 what happens next? Of course, depends on what you're trying to accomplish. You know, if you once you've done this exercise, if you're trying to create a coaching program, you still need to figure out how you're going to deliver it, whether it's in group coaching calls one on one, a hybrid, or if you want to make a training program as opposed to a coaching program, you need to figure out how to price it, how what kind of posting software you want to use to deliver it. Those are some of the steps that come after. And of course, you need to figure out how to sell it, how to market it in a way that works for you   Michael Hingson ** 28:59 well. So coaches are human, like, like everyone else, at least, that's, that's the theory. And so you observed coaches having challenges. You've observed people not necessarily dealing with discovering the things that they should discover in order to be able to coach or to to progress. How do you find or how do they overcome those challenges? What do you do to help them overcome those challenges?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 29:31 It kind of depends what the situation is that's preventing them from progressing. So yeah, my first step would be, of course, to talk with them and figure out, Okay, what's stopping you from progressing? Is it that you feel you don't know enough to create a coaching program? In that case, let's see how we can draw out more information from you. Is it that you have too much information and you don't know which information to put in each offer because you don't want to try and shove it all in the same offer? It's just going to get cluttered, and people will feel it ripped off if they're paying for information they don't need. That might help them figure out if they. How many offers Do you want to make? What information goes into each offer if they're having trouble with time in my program, creation Made Easy. Course, the first thing I do with people is actually look at their schedule and figure out, okay, what are your priorities? What needs to be in your schedule, what can be paired out? Where can we make time to actually create your coaching program? So those are some examples of how I help people with some common challenges.   Michael Hingson ** 30:24 Do you find a lot of resistance people don't want to, or think they don't want to overcome the challenges because they don't really exist? Do you see a lot of that kind of challenge and that people just resist because they're really not thinking in as I put it, being introspective.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 30:44 I'd say one of the biggest challenges I find people run into that stops them from working with me is they want to do it on their own. And some people can do it on their own, but others wind up working on it for weeks on end. You say, Oh yeah, I'm working on figuring out this content. Then weeks later, I follow up, hey, how are you doing? I'm still working on it. We could have had it done in 60 to 90 minutes. Here, just one call with me, 60 to 90 minutes, and that could have been done. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 31:10 well, that's your expertise that brings that. And the result is that, again, people aren't thinking it through, and so the result is that they they continue to go in circles and not necessarily move to where they ought to be as quickly as they should. But at the same time, there's only so much you can do, because you can't force people to listen.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 31:39 Yeah, all I can do is, as with any business owner, work on getting better and better at communicating my value and helping people see why they're better off working with me.   Michael Hingson ** 31:47 Well, that's an interesting point. It's as much a learning experience for you, isn't it?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 31:55 Yeah, absolutely. Anytime you're finding that people aren't really responding here to your messaging, you need to look at your messaging or the way you're presenting it, and see, okay, Where can this be improved, and even if your messaging has been working, you know, things can shift to trends can shift. People can get overloaded on a certain amount of certain type of messaging. So you need to be prepared to adapt and to listen to people and see how their needs and their preferences are evolving.   Michael Hingson ** 32:19 Yeah, and I you, you bring up a really good point that I like a lot, and that is that things may be working. You may be doing something well, the question is, can you do it better? And I think that's a question that we should always be asking ourselves, can I even improve what I'm doing that takes humility to be able to ask that question. But it is still true. It's something that we should do, and that is really look at by doing this the best way I can. Can I improve it? And of course, that is something that you as a coach brings to it as well, because sometimes, if they consult with you, they can find out that you may approve of what they're doing, you may like what they're doing, but you can come up with other solutions that are even better. I love the whole idea of collaboration, and we don't. We don't see nearly as much of it as we should, and I think way too often, as you point out, people just want to do things on their own, but none of us are really an island.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 33:27 Yeah, I've had lots of mentors who helped me to get where I am, and I'm still learning from other people as I go, it   Michael Hingson ** 33:35 gets to be a real challenge. And again, you can't force people to do things that never is going to work. So you can't necessarily do that. And   Stephanie O'Brien ** 33:45 I hate that sales tactic where you try and force or bully someone into it, go run to the bathroom room and buy my stuff, or else you're going to be a failure in business forever. I am so over that, and if someone tries to pressure me into it, that tells me that they care more about their agenda than they care about me, and then they don't respect my boundaries in that point, their odds of making a sale pretty much hit the floor and start digging.   Michael Hingson ** 34:06 Yeah, you know, I learned a long time ago that people who really sell and do it well recognize that what they truly are are educators or counselors. You don't force people to do things. You need to really look at what a person needs and wants, and if you've got something to help them, then you you bring that into the conversation, but you don't, and you shouldn't force people. I've had so many situations where I sold a product and the product that I well, I should say I wanted to sell a product, but my product wouldn't necessarily do what the customer really needed. There were issues, whatever they are. So what am I to do? I could try to just continue to push our product on them, but I know that in the end, that's going to backfire. It's. Not going to work, people are then going to hate me or resent me, and they're never going to want to do business with me. So it's important to not push something that doesn't work. But I also took it a step further, more than once, which is to say, here's what will work, even though my company doesn't happen to have it, and when you really develop that level of trust by being honest with someone and pointing out this is what really works in the long run, that's going to earn you a whole lot more than you would have ever gotten any other way.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 35:34 Absolutely, it can make you more of a go to authority. I mean, people need something. They can come to you, even if it's not what you offer, you may not be the provider, but you know the provider, and it helps to foster good relationships with other business owners. If you have people that you know is trust and can refer to, I recently sought out a grant a person who's an expert in Grant. I've noticed her on a networking event, and I'm not really looking for a grant myself. Don't have much interest in grants at the moment, but I've had a few people for some reason, approach me and ask me, Hey, can you help me get a grant? No, not remotely. And you know, the first few times I had nobody I could even refer to, I tried to find some people who I could refer to, but couldn't really find anyone appropriate. So I finally find this one just, Oh, thank goodness you actually help people to find grants. Like these people wanted me to help them find a grant. Never mind, apply for it. Find one in first place, and I can't do that like I could learn, but I don't want to. But then here's this person who specifically teaches people how to do it, though, even though it wasn't my expertise or even something I needed, I sought her out just so I'd have that ability to refer people next time.   Michael Hingson ** 36:36 Well, that's pretty important to be able to do. I in my case, I'm thinking of a particular incident where we, I and a sales guy, one of my sales people, who had set up an appointment to go see a customer, and they wanted his manager to come, which was me, and we went. And I'm unusual anyway. I mean, how often do you see a blind sales guy coming in, holding a laptop projector and doing other things like that. And I actually did the presentation, and I also happened to be very technical, and so I asked a lot of questions, and learned that our product wasn't going to do what these people needed. But by the time we were done with the whole presentation, I said, and you can probably see our product won't do what you need, and here's why. But then I did, and that's the first time I really did it. I took the next step and said, but here's a company, and here's what product really will do exactly what you need, and here's why. The result of that was that two weeks later, we got a call from the same company saying we really took what you said to heart, and now we have another project. And because of everything you taught us, we know that what you have to offer is exactly what we need. Just tell us what it's going to cost, and we will order it today. We're not even going to put it on for bid, and that's what trust is all about,   37:59 absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 38:01 and it's, and it's so exciting, but it's, it's unfortunate that all too often, people don't really look at the whole value of developing that trusting relationship, and that's got to be a volitional part of whatever you do in coaching, or anything that we do in business, or anything in our lives?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 38:21 Yeah, I've had too many people try and pitch me without first, building that trusted. And even if it's a free thing, like a free webinar, there's no such thing as free, yeah, even a free webinar still costs time that I won't get back. So it's like and see when COVID just comes crashing into my inbox. Pitch first that tells me they care a lot more about their agenda than they do about me, especially if it's something that's clearly in applicable, like, No, I am not going to join your group for single mothers. I've never had a kid. I mean, granted, I have this cat, and she is kind of a toddler, but I've never had the kind of kids you teach people to work with.   Michael Hingson ** 38:54 Yeah? So you've, you've never had kids yet.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 38:58 I'm not really planning to have already got cats.   Michael Hingson ** 39:00 Yeah? Have you gotten married? No, so you're not even in that but you've got cats. Well, that's fine. Now, when my when my wife and I got married, we decided that we were going to have kids. She was in a wheelchair her whole life, and she said that she was concerned it would have too much of a bad effect on our body. And what we decided to do, in addition to having dogs and cats, was to welcome nieces and nephews into the house, because we could kick them out at the end of the day, and that worked out   Stephanie O'Brien ** 39:31 really well, yeah, just hop them up on sugar and send them back. Yeah, that's what my grandparents did,   Michael Hingson ** 39:37 yeah. Well, worked for them, right? Yep, you seem to be surviving as a result. Well, I didn't die. Yeah, you're still you're still coaching. So that's pretty cool. Well, let me ask you this, if I can, if someone is thinking about being a coach or selling their expertise, how do they determine. Or how can you help them determine whether they're really qualified? Or how can they decide that they're qualified?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 40:07 I'd say the big thing is just to ask yourself, can I consistently get people results in this area? Now, obviously that depends on the other person actually doing the work to get the results. But do you know how people can get results in a specific area in a repeatable, reliable way. It could be anything from your relationships, improving your relationships, improving your health, improving your business, and it doesn't even have to be the whole journey. As long as you can help people take one significant step, you can help improve their lives, like even if you can't help a person go from single to married, if you can, say, Help married couples to stop having a specific type of argument. And for that matter, the more specific the problem you solve, the more people who have that problem. I want to see, oh, that's exactly what I need you. I don't need this generic relationship advice. I need relationship advice. I want this thing in particular, like, think about when you're, say, having a technical issue, and you want to say, let's say last night, I was looking for how to widen the navigation bar in a WordPress site, and I see all these results for you, how to improve your navigation bar, how to make a navigation bar, how to change a navigation bar. No, I just want it wider. The only result I'm interested in clicking on is how to make it wider. It's the same thing with your customers. You know, the more specific the result you can help them to get, the more the people looking for it are going to say that's exactly what I need. So don't assume that you're disqualified if you can't help them with their entire journey. Just focus on what is one big result that I can help people get. If you know how to get that, help them get that result, then you can help them to do that,   Michael Hingson ** 41:42 and it might also be that you do what you can do. But again, like you said about the lady who you've met who does grants, you can also get people in touch with other people who may be able to augment the successes or the results that you've already achieved, who may be able to do it better than you? So that you create essentially a teaming approach, even though each of you are working individually to help this individual? Yeah,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 42:10 absolutely. And you can do it kind of sequentially or concurrently. You could have someone be offer a guest module in your coaching course, if you say, you help people with nine steps out of 10, but it's one step in the middle. Isn't your expertise that you can have a guest expert come in and present in your course. Or if you help them with one step of the journey, but not the subsequent step, once they're done working with you, you can refer them to somebody else. Or if they're not ready to work with you, let's say you help people get on stages and present, but they that only really works and can be monetized if the person has something worth selling to sell. So if you meet someone who wants to get on stages but has nothing worth selling, though, you could refer them back to me, and I could get them ready for your services,   Michael Hingson ** 42:52 right? It's a process. And again, a lot of people don't think they're they're capable of selling. They they don't have the self worth, or don't think they have the self worth. And even the whole concept of this podcast, as I've said to many people, one of the main reasons that I love doing this is I get to show our audience members that they're more unstoppable than unstoppable than they think they are. And whenever I hear someone say, I learned this from this particular podcast, and it really showed me how I can be better than I thought I was. That doesn't get better than that. Oh yeah. And even   Stephanie O'Brien ** 43:35 if you're just starting out, just starting out, can actually be kind of a superpower, as I was mentioning earlier in this interview, people can get so ingrained in their own expertise, it can become so second nature. They forget what other people don't know, which can result in overly broad or vague explanations. Like I've seen some mindset coaches saying stuff like, notice what stories you're telling about the telling yourself about this situation, or notice what limiting beliefs you have well, if not, unless you're trained for that, you're not going to notice what the story or what's a limiting belief versus what's just a fact. You don't know how to tell the difference. So that's an example of how a coach who's really in their own expertise can totally forget that other people don't know how to do what they do. For someone who's just starting out and who remembers the very vividly what it's like not to know these things. It's less likely to make that mistake, more likely to be able to put themselves in the client's shoes, understand what the client does and does not know, and explain it in ways that a person who's new to this can understand. I thought to say a more seasoned coach can't do that, but there is that risk that they'll forget. So if you're just starting out, it can be just easier to relate to people who are also starting out and who are just a step behind you.   Michael Hingson ** 44:44 How do you teach people who are clearly experts in what they do, but who have forgotten that they weren't always experts in the people they're dealing with aren't experts? How do you teach them to go back and recognize. Recognize that and remember those things that they've clearly forgotten that would make them so much better, because they could then relate better to other people,   Stephanie O'Brien ** 45:08 mostly by asking questions. Do I kind of come at it from the standpoint as if I was their client? Okay, you just told me to do this, but how exactly do I do it? What are the exact steps I need to take, or what questions can you ask me to help me to figure this out. Now I basically act like I was there. We don't necessarily role play, but I do ask questions as if I was their client and didn't know how to do this thing.   Michael Hingson ** 45:30 Yeah. What do you do to help the person who's say, fairly new to coaching and doesn't think that they're good enough? And how do you teach them to recognize that really maybe they are or or maybe they'll discover that they're really not. But how do you how do you deal with that?   Stephanie O'Brien ** 45:50 Um, I take one of the things I do is I take them through that exercise I did earlier with you. Write out the list of steps you take. Break it down into sub steps. I often remind them how being new can be a superpower. I also invite them to look at the results they've gotten for themselves and other people in the past. Have you healed this issue in yourself? Have you helped yourself to lose weight? Have you helped yourself to raise your kids better? Have you helped yourself to improve your health? Or have you helped other people? Is this something that other people come to you for advice, and have those other people gotten results from working with you. Now, if you've never really gotten results for yourself or for other people, then you might want to make sure that you're able to actually get those results before try to teach people, because if you don't know how to get the result, then you're really not qualified to coach but if you can get the result, then you know how you got the result and can replicate that process with other people, then you are ready to coach people. You are ready to help them to do what you know how to do. One of   Michael Hingson ** 46:46 the things that I have always done when I hire new sales people, or even today, when I'm talking to people who are fairly new and something that they've decided to explore, take at least a year and be a student. You should always be a student, but especially for the first year, play the student card. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Don't hesitate even to ask your customer questions, because the more you ask, the more you'll learn. Because mostly people really want you to succeed, and they want to succeed, and you're bringing something to the party, you may need to figure out what it is, but if you start by being a student, then you're really at least half the way there to figuring it all out.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 47:35 Yeah, absolutely. And you know, having a podcast can be good for that. You can interview people and get there to share all this free information, and they get exposure. You get free information, you get content to share with your audience. It's a great way to open doors.   Michael Hingson ** 47:49 Well, it's true, and you know, in the it works both ways, because hopefully, for example, when I ask questions or we're talking about different subjects, hopefully you get something out of it too, and that's, that's what makes it really fair,   Speaker 1 ** 48:05 that's important to have win wins, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 48:08 well, so clearly, you know, we're dealing with a lot of different kinds of environments, and you're dealing With a lot of people. What about the person who doesn't think they have the expertise and so they're reluctant to charge more or charge what they should be charging? I think I probably know the answer to this, but I'm going to, you know, ask anyway, what do you how do you help those people recognize, let's assume, that they do have the expertise to expertise, but they don't think they do.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 48:44 One thing I can help them to do is look at the results they get and see just how valuable it is for their clients. So for example, let's say you help somebody to sleep better at night and have more energy. Obviously, there are health benefits for that. Here, you are less likely to have diseases. You're less likely to get into a car crash because you were groggy. You're probably going to have a better immune system the breakdown. I could break it down by the various categories of life. What are the benefits in their health, of course, in their relationships, if they have more energy, if they're less cranky, if they're in a better mood, they'll be more pleasant to be around people who want to be around them more they'll probably have better relationships with their kid, their friends, their spouse, their boss, their clients, their coworkers, and understand relationships that's healthy. And also look at time. How much time are they wasting on doing things slow, hard way because they're groggy and brain foggy and unable to work well? Yeah, I encourage you to look at every different area of your life that it the client's problem is affecting and that would be affected positively by the solution you give. I think this will help remind you just how valuable your solution really is. And if you're not completely sure that you can help people to get results, you know, look at the results you've gotten for yourself. Look at the results you've gotten for others. If you. Do have a good track record of getting results, then you know that's the site that you already have proof that you can if you don't have a history of getting results, then you need to work on developing your skill set learning systems that can get results consistently, or look at some other area of your life where you've already gotten results. But yeah, the important thing is that you need to be able to get results. And of course, you do have to also be realistic about okay, you can teach people how to get these results. You can also do things with them to help maximize the chances that they actually do the things you're teaching them and thus get results. But you do have to recognize that some people are going to choose not to do the things, and they will therefore not get the results. So as long as you know that if your system is followed and will get results, you've done your part, the rest is also on them.   Michael Hingson ** 50:47 Yeah, and a lot of times they may not get results, and who knows specifically why, but it's really important that they understand why they're not getting results. And maybe it is only, and I don't want to mitigate it, but it's only they don't have the confidence to ask, or they don't have the confidence to to reach out to help somebody get the results, which is also part of what they need to work on.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 51:14 Yeah, one thing coach that I like did, instead of just asking, do you hold He did ask, Do you have any questions? But if the people on he was coaching with didn't in his group called, didn't have any questions, he'd ask them to give an update. You know, what were you working on this week? What results were you trying to get? What results did you get? And this often resulted in him finding things to coach on that the person hadn't thought to ask. So, yeah, it's important to check in with your clients to see what kind of results they're getting, what kind of results they're not getting, and if they're not getting results, then explore that with them. You know, why are you not getting results? What did you do the action steps? Okay, if so, did you do them right? Did you do them wrong? If they didn't do the action steps, why not? And how can we adjust your schedule so that you actually can fit them in? What kind of resistance is there against doing these action steps, and how can we clear that resistance? That's really important to stay in touch with your clients and to get consistent updates on what milestones they are or are not hitting and why they are not are not hitting them, and be be prepared to address those underlying issues. Because often, while you're working on doing something, questions will come up that you didn't think you had earlier. You you discover nuances to it that you didn't know about, or you'll meet mental resistance that you didn't realize you were going to have.   Michael Hingson ** 52:29 Part of it, though, is also the art of asking questions and the art of asking the right questions. I, for example, really don't like to ask yes or no questions, closed ended questions, if you will, because you don't learn much that way. And so that was also one of the things that I did with the customer we mentioned earlier. I'll always ask open ended questions, because I really want to get not only the information that they they have that I feel is important for me to have, but I also get to know them a lot better. When I ask open ended questions and get them to really give me a detailed response, I'll learn a lot about them as well, and I think that's extremely important.   53:12 Now that makes total sense,   Michael Hingson ** 53:15 yeah, because it's it's so important to be able to ask tell me more about this. Or what is it that you find doesn't really work here? Or why do you like that? And really get questions that will make people think that also helps keep me alert when I when I keep thinking of questions. So it works both ways.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 53:43 Yeah, I'd say the ability to ask the right questions is one of the most important things for a coach.   Michael Hingson ** 53:47 Yeah, and if you don't necessarily know the right question, again, asking some open ended questions, and sometimes you might even want to say, what else is there that you want to tell me about this, or tell me more about this, so that you get people to offer information? And I've been in situations where I wasn't sure what to ask, but I can always ask something that will get people to offer more, that will help me think about, oh, I need to ask about this. Yeah.   Stephanie O'Brien ** 54:18 And you could kind of write a list of the pieces of information that you need to know about your clients you know, like, say, going back to that relationship coach, example, the piece of things that you need to know in order to help someone

7/14/25: Dr. Angel Foster & Dr. D: the Mass Medication Abortion Access Project. Megan Zinn w/ Kate Russo, author of "Until Alison,” coming to the Odyssey. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: local school control & federal $miilions withheld. Ehmptn Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, the new state Commr of Conservation & Recreation.

Hello! Welcome to/back to the Doll Mom Podcast! In this episode, I have on Nancy Holyoke! Ms. Holyoke has written several of A Smart Girl's Guide advice books and was the founding editor of the American Girl Magazine! In this episode, Ms. Holyoke discusses how she became an author for American Girl and why she wanted to become an author in general. We also discuss the behind-the-scenes process of writing books for American Girl. Later, we talk about how she was the founding editor of the American Girl magazine and what her role entailed! Thank you so much, Nancy, for coming on the Doll Mom Podcast! I really appreciate it and had SO much fun making this episode with you! Be sure to check out the tenth edition of A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors & Secrets! Feel free to check me out as well!My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dolliesandrainbows/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/dolliesandrainbows/?sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dolliesandrainbows⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Make sure that you are following the Doll Mom Podcast on different platforms!Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dollmompodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dollmompodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thank you SO much for listening!! I appreciate you listening to this episode of the Doll Mom Podcast!~Mal

6/27/25: Atty Maria Freese: threats to Social Security & the solution. Adam Hinds, CEO of the Kennedy Center for the U.S. Senate: saved by the parliamentarian? Rep Mindy Domb: a new, improved & more transparent legislature? Laurie Sanders & W'hmptn Library Dir Meaghan Schwelm: Lounging for Literacy. –really! Donnabelle Casis w/ Dean Brown of PULP Holyoke: fabulous new exhibit of Marcy Hermansader.

6/26/25: MTA Pres Max Page: Holyoke's schools out of receivership -- mostly! Eric Reeves: the humanitarian disaster in Sudan. Rev Carole Bull on Mary Magdelene, organized religion & personal spirituality. Jon Anz w/ vocalist & trumpeter Bria Skonber – coming to Tanglewood.

  The Ruckus Report Quick take: The "lone wolf" leader is a toxic myth that's burning out school administrators and failing students. Veronica Holyoke proves that transformational leadership happens in community, not isolation — and one hour a week can change everything. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Veronica Holyoke is a 25-year education veteran and Utah's 2024 Assistant Principal of the Year. A former 5th grade teacher with master's degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership, she's spent her fourth year as an elementary Assistant Principal in Jordan School District. Beyond her accolades, Veronica has navigated supporting her husband through serious disability while excelling in her leadership role — proving that community support transforms both professional and personal resilience. Breaking Down the Old Rules

The horrors persist, so have some good newsStories UsedJanehttps://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/group-celebrates-20-years-of-steering-surplus-office-furniture-away-from-landfill-and-into-communities/https://apnews.com/article/bookstore-book-brigade-chelsea-michigan-03c553623c91c16a272b8a8149e4c298Alicehttps://www.ddw-online.com/european-universities-offer-scientific-refuge-to-us-researchers-34143-202503/#:~:text=Several%20prestigious%20European%20universities%20are,scientific%20facts%20and%20against%20researchers%E2%80%9D https://www.yahoo.com/news/80-birds-rescued-animal-fighting-161256363.html?guccounter=1 Laurenhttps://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/04/17/Manhattan-turkey-Astoria-returns/2421744909473/ https://birdfact.com/articles/can-wild-turkeys-fly https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/04/16/raccoon-storm-drain-grate-Holyoke-Massachusetts/9771744821648/

4/30/25: Dir Clay Pearson on Saturday's Hampshire Pride w/ Co-Founder Mary Wang-Boucher of Northampton Resists. Anika Lopes: Ancestral Bridges new location opening on May 7. Brian Adams w/ Board Pres Gregory Mori & member Susie McCrey of New England Small Farm Institute. Youth Poetry Slam winner Julianys Centeno from Holyoke High School w/ Lyrical Faith.

3/10/25: Amherst Prof Ilan Stavans: "Lamentations of Nezahualcoyotl,” translations from the Aztec, stories from an extraordinary, flawed empire. Megan Zinn w/ Nathaniel Miller whose new novel is “Red Dog Farm,” tomorrow at the Odyssey. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: feds denying his city $20 Million, sanctuary, school receivership, & St. Paddy's Day celebration. UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz & Tom Weiner, co-authors of ““In Defiance: 20 Abolitionists You Were Never Taught in School.”

Keith Harmon-Snow - Exposing Child TraffickingJanuary 12Keith Harmon-Snow is a recovered scientist formerly paid highly to 'imagineer' U.S. government classified weapons systems, Snow's recovery included bicycling across underdeveloped countries. He has worked in 41 countries, including as a war correspondent in Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan and Mongolia, and has been an expert witness in U.S. immigration asylum hearings for Rwandans. He held audience with Muammar Gaddafi prior to the U.S. invasion, and testified before the International Court of Justice in Spain, supporting the war crimes indictments against current Rwandan government officials. He is now considered persona non grata in both Rwanda and Ethiopia. In 2009, he was banned for life from Smith, Hampshire, and Mt. Holyoke colleges.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

2/20/25: DHG & Recorder Ex Ed Dan Crowley: honest coverage in the era of Trump -plus local eggs. Activist Paki Wieland: Sunday's anti-militarism rally at Barnes USAF base. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: the city as a green manuf'g center, alternative police responses & his re-election campaign. Ruth Griggs w/ world class trumpeter Joe Magnarelli.

2/18/25: Alice Rothchild, author of "Inspired and Outraged: the Making of a Feminist Physician." Happier Valley Comedy Quiz on sunshine(!) w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & friends. Smith prof Carrie Baker w/Carmen Nieves, E.D. of Alianza, Holyoke's DV org. Gov's Councilor Tara Jacobs: here comes the judges(s).

2/18/25: Alice Rothchild, author of "Inspired and Outraged: the Making of a Feminist Physician." Happier Valley Comedy Quiz on sunshine(!) w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & friends. Smith prof Carrie Baker w/Carmen Nieves, E.D. of Alianza, Holyoke's DV org. Gov's Councilor Tara Jacobs: here comes the judges(s).

2/18/25: Alice Rothchild, author of "Inspired and Outraged: the Making of a Feminist Physician." Happier Valley Comedy Quiz on sunshine(!) w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & friends. Smith prof Carrie Baker w/Carmen Nieves, E.D. of Alianza, Holyoke's DV org. Gov's Councilor Tara Jacobs: here comes the judges(s).

2/18/25: Alice Rothchild, author of "Inspired and Outraged: the Making of a Feminist Physician." Happier Valley Comedy Quiz on sunshine(!) w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & friends. Smith prof Carrie Baker w/Carmen Nieves, E.D. of Alianza, Holyoke's DV org. Gov's Councilor Tara Jacobs: here comes the judges(s).

Dr. Armin Feldman's Pretrial Prelitigation Medical Legal Consulting Coaching Program will teach you to build your own nonclinical consulting business as a valued consultant to attorneys without doing med mal cases or expert witness work. Armin will teach you everything from business concepts to the medicine involved when launching your new consulting business during one year of unlimited coaching. For more information go to nonclinicalphysicians.com/mlconsulting/ Learn the business and management skills you need by enrolling in the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program at nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba. Get the FREE GUIDE to 10 Nonclinical Careers at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freeguide. Get a list of 70 nontraditional jobs at nonclinicalphysicians.com/70jobs.                                                                                                 =============== Robert J. Cooper, MD, is an attending physician in the Department of Endocrinology at Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, and completed residency training in internal medicine at Long Island Jewish Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York. He completed fellowship training in endocrinology at Long Island Jewish Hospital and Winthrop–University Hospital, Mineola, New York. He lectured this past year at SEAK on combating physician burnout with nonclinical diversification, including knowledge consulting. He provides keynote lectures and/or provide workshops to physician groups interested in combining nonclinical and clinical activities. During these lectures, he provides a roadmap for entrance to nonclinical work while maintaining a flexible clinical presence. In this week's interview, Robert explains how and why he started adding nonclinical part-time work to his career, as he cut back on his clinical time. John and Robert discuss several types of knowledge consulting, including expert witness consulting. And Robert provides advice for those physicians who want to pursue these opportunities, including how to optimize earnings, and how to please the organizations looking for your assistance. You'll find links mentioned in the episode at nonclinicalphysicians.com/part-time-consulting/ 

DJ Tucker understands the value of the Children's Museum at Holyoke — after all, he grew up in the city and spent a lot of time there as a kid. Today, as the museum's executive director, he has a much deeper understanding of its ties to the community, corporate supporters, and the families and kids who benefit from all that educational, interactive fun.  For the next episode of BusinessTalk, Tucker talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about all that and much more, including why it's important that “children discover how the world works by doing.” It's must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Keith Harmon-Snow - Exposing Child TraffickingJanuary 12Keith Harmon-Snow is a recovered scientist formerly paid highly to 'imagineer' U.S. government classified weapons systems, Snow's recovery included bicycling across underdeveloped countries. He has worked in 41 countries, including as a war correspondent in Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan and Mongolia, and has been an expert witness in U.S. immigration asylum hearings for Rwandans. He held audience with Muammar Gaddafi prior to the U.S. invasion, and testified before the International Court of Justice in Spain, supporting the war crimes indictments against current Rwandan government officials. He is now considered persona non grata in both Rwanda and Ethiopia. In 2009, he was banned for life from Smith, Hampshire, and Mt. Holyoke colleges.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

1/13/25: Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: in frigid weather, protecting the most vulnerable. Bill & Buz: Trump”s coming kakistocracy. Betsy Leondar-Wright: "Is It Racist? Is It Sexist?" Megan Zinn w/ Broadside Bookshop's Roz Kreshak-Hayden: 2024 faves & 2025's best reads.

Dawn Corderio and John Grossman, the dynamic duo behind amazing business we know, and love called Holyoke Hummus. Now in their 11th year the partners in life and business have pivoted many times to continue to prove their success with the brand. From small batch beginnings to a food truck, to a restaurant in Holyoke, to commercial kitchens, to Mycroterra Farm where they currently make their product. The road has been long and winding, but they put in the work on each other and their business. Listen in as we talk about the Great Garbanzo, kids, catering, retail, wholesale, Hummus Flavored Hummus, and who is the real Chief Falafalier. Learn more at: www.holyokehummuscompany.com. Thank you for listening into the WMBS. We appreciate you very much.

Dawn Corderio and John Grossman, the dynamic duo behind amazing business we know, and love called Holyoke Hummus. Now in their 11th year the partners in life and business have pivoted many times to continue to prove their success with the brand. From small batch beginnings to a food truck, to a restaurant in Holyoke, to commercial kitchens, to Mycroterra Farm where they currently make their product. The road has been long and winding, but they put in the work on each other and their business. Listen in as we talk about the Great Garbanzo, kids, catering, retail, wholesale, Hummus Flavored Hummus, and who is the real Chief Falafalier. Learn more at: www.holyokehummuscompany.com. Thank you for listening into the WMBS. We appreciate you very much.

Dawn Corderio and John Grossman, the dynamic duo behind amazing business we know, and love called Holyoke Hummus. Now in their 11th year the partners in life and business have pivoted many times to continue to prove their success with the brand. From small batch beginnings to a food truck, to a restaurant in Holyoke, to commercial kitchens, to Mycroterra Farm where they currently make their product. The road has been long and winding, but they put in the work on each other and their business. Listen in as we talk about the Great Garbanzo, kids, catering, retail, wholesale, Hummus Flavored Hummus, and who is the real Chief Falafalier. Learn more at: www.holyokehummuscompany.com. Thank you for listening into the WMBS. We appreciate you very much.

Dawn Corderio and John Grossman, the dynamic duo behind amazing business we know, and love called Holyoke Hummus. Now in their 11th year the partners in life and business have pivoted many times to continue to prove their success with the brand. From small batch beginnings to a food truck, to a restaurant in Holyoke, to commercial kitchens, to Mycroterra Farm where they currently make their product. The road has been long and winding, but they put in the work on each other and their business. Listen in as we talk about the Great Garbanzo, kids, catering, retail, wholesale, Hummus Flavored Hummus, and who is the real Chief Falafalier. Learn more at: www.holyokehummuscompany.com. Thank you for listening into the WMBS. We appreciate you very much.

12/9/24: Holyoke Mayor Josh Garcia on the city's new Police Chief. Prof Amilcar Shabazz: Reparations Now! Ctr for New Americans' Laurie Millman, Jean Blakeman & Christine Mirabal: the poetry of our & immigrants' lives. Megan Zinn w/ author Rachel Zimmerman: "Us, After: A Memoir of Love & Suicide.”

Corporate responsibility. There's a lot that goes into that two-word phrase — everything from writing checks to nonprofits to volunteerism within the community to the companies on a venture's vendor list. And all of this makes a statement, according to Matt Bannister, senior vice president of Marketing and Corporate Responsibility at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank, who talks about this broad subject with BusinessWest contributing writer George O'Brien on the next episode of BusinessTalk. Increasingly, Bannister says, how a business conducts itself, and with whom, is of growing importance to consumers, investors, and employees. It's must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Through Mick Corduff's long association with the Log Cabin, Delaney House, and D. Hotel Spa, the respected family of hospitality businesses in Holyoke, he has gleaned plenty about what customers want. Over the past year-plus, since taking the reins of the properties, he has continued to learn, bringing fresh ideas and some intriguing growth plans to the company. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Corduff talks to BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the many challenges that restaurants and banquet facilities face today, the promise of a busy holiday party season, and how he and his team are keeping things fresh. It's must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Through Mick Corduff's long association with the Log Cabin, Delaney House, and D. Hotel Spa, the respected family of hospitality businesses in Holyoke, he has gleaned plenty about what customers want. Over the past year-plus, since taking the reins of the properties, he has continued to learn, bringing fresh ideas and some intriguing growth plans to the company. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Corduff talks to BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the many challenges that restaurants and banquet facilities face today, the promise of a busy holiday party season, and how he and his team are keeping things fresh. It's must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

11/15/24: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa on House decisions: independent audit of the House, the Climate & Econ Devel bills. MTA Max Page on what will happen after the vote to remove MCAS as grad req't. Donnabelle Casis w/ Holyoke artist & PULP owner Dean Brown on upcoming exhibit. Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge. CEO Adam Hinds of Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate on the US Senate's Advise & Consent role.

11/15/24: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa on House decisions: independent audit of the House, the Climate & Econ Devel bills. MTA Max Page on what will happen after the vote to remove MCAS as grad req't. Donnabelle Casis w/ Holyoke artist & PULP owner Dean Brown on upcoming exhibit. Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge. CEO Adam Hinds of Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate on the US Senate's Advise & Consent role.

11/15/24: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa on House decisions: independent audit of the House, the Climate & Econ Devel bills. MTA Max Page on what will happen after the vote to remove MCAS as grad req't. Donnabelle Casis w/ Holyoke artist & PULP owner Dean Brown on upcoming exhibit. Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge. CEO Adam Hinds of Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate on the US Senate's Advise & Consent role.

11/15/24: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa on House decisions: independent audit of the House, the Climate & Econ Devel bills. MTA Max Page on what will happen after the vote to remove MCAS as grad req't. Donnabelle Casis w/ Holyoke artist & PULP owner Dean Brown on upcoming exhibit. Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge. CEO Adam Hinds of Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate on the US Senate's Advise & Consent role.

11/15/24: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa on House decisions: independent audit of the House, the Climate & Econ Devel bills. MTA Max Page on what will happen after the vote to remove MCAS as grad req't. Donnabelle Casis w/ Holyoke artist & PULP owner Dean Brown on upcoming exhibit. Northampton Police Chief John Cartledge. CEO Adam Hinds of Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate on the US Senate's Advise & Consent role.

The the wrap of this week's news and information.

Desde Loíza, Puerto Rico, recibimos en el estudio al músico, compositor y educador, William Cepeda, quien cuenta con una vasta trayectoria que abarca varias décadas como impulsor de la cultura puertorriqueña desde sus raíces Taínas y africanas, hasta la incursión en géneros como el jazz y experimentaciones con diferentes estructuras e instrumentaciones. Durante su visita a Holyoke para una residencia artística con estudiantes de Holyoke High School, William nos visita para compartir lo que ha sido su trabajo a lo largo de los años, al igual que sus proyectos más recientes. En esta conversación se destaca la importancia de no solo documentar, sino continuar generando música que represente a Puerto Rico y pasar este conocimiento a futuras generaciones, por lo que el haber compartido con jóvenes de herencia boricua en Holyoke, lo llena de mucho orgullo. Queremos agradecer a Blues to Green por su asistencia para hacer posible esta entrevista. La dirección técnica estuvo a cargo de Isaura Reyes-Soto, estudiante senior del campus Dean de Holyoke High School.

11/13/24: Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: the end of school receivership urban blight, & the election. Filmmaker Larry Hott: "ACLU: A History" & "The Bibi (Netanyahu) Files." Brian Adams w/ climate therapist Sadie Forsythe: Trump, dread, despair & action. Dr. Jonathan Bayuk: our health care system in crisis.

Holyoke Media, en asociación con WHMP radio, emiten diariamente la Síntesis informativa en español a través del 101.5 FM y en el 1240 / 1400 AM. Esta es la síntesis informativa del miércoles 30 de octubre de 2024: La administración Healey-Driscoll anuncia la salida provisional del la administración judicial estatal de las escuelas públicas de Holyoke. La Administración Healey-Driscoll anunció el martes la decisión provisional de sacar a las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke de la administración judicial a partir del primero de julio de 2025, luego de nueve años de control estatal. El Comisionado interino de Educación Primaria y Secundaria, Russell D. Johnston, finalizará la decisión en junio, dependiendo del progreso del Comité Escolar de Holyoke en la implementación de su plan de desarrollo de capacidades.  Durante la primavera y el verano de este año, el subcomité de control local del comité escolar de Holyoke trabajó con el departamento de educación primaria y secundaria, o por sus siglas en inglés, DESE, para crear un plan de desarrollo de capacidades, y el comité escolar en pleno lo aprobó en agosto. El plan se centra en la implementación de actividades de gobierno con apoyos de capacitación específicos en cuatro áreas clave del gobierno del distrito escolar: Contratar a un superintendente, evaluar al superintendente, presupuesto y finanzas, y desarrollar políticas.  El departamento de educación primaria y secundaria, (DESE por sus siglas en inglés) seguirá apoyando al Comité Escolar en la implementación de su plan de transición durante el año escolar actual.   FUENTE: HOLYOKE MEDIA Trump dice que su mitin en Nueva York, marcado por insultos groseros y racistas, “fue como una fiesta de amor”. El martes, Donald Trump calificó su acto en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York, un evento marcado por insultos crudos y racistas por parte de varios oradores, como un “festival de amor”. Ese es un término que el expresidente también ha utilizado para referirse al motín del 6 de enero de 2021 en el Capitolio de Estados Unidos. En declaraciones a periodistas y partidarios en su resort Mar-a-Lago, Trump afirmó que “nunca ha habido un evento tan hermoso” como su mitin del domingo por la noche en su ciudad natal, la ciudad de Nueva York. “El amor en esa sala. Fue impresionante”, dijo. “Fue como un festival de amor, un festival de amor absoluto. Y fue un honor para mí participar”. Eso es a pesar de las críticas de la campaña de la vicepresidenta demócrata Kamala Harris y de muchos de los que vieron el evento, incluidos los republicanos, sobre los comentarios racistas hechos por los oradores durante el pre-show dirigidos a latinos, negros, judíos y palestinos, junto con insultos sexistas dirigidos a Harris y la exsecretaria de Estado Hillary Clinton. El comediante Tony Hinchcliffe bromeó diciendo que Puerto Rico era una “isla flotante de basura” y provocó un enojo particular dada la importancia electoral de los puertorriqueños que viven en Pensilvania y otros estados clave. La campaña de Trump tomó la inusual medida de distanciarse de la broma de Hinchcliffe sobre Puerto Rico, pero no de otros comentarios. El presidente del Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico, Ángel Cintrón, calificó el “pobre intento de comedia” de Hinchcliffe de “vergonzoso, ignorante y totalmente reprensible”. A solo una semana del día de las elecciones, algunos aliados de Trump han expresado su alarma de que el evento, que se suponía que resaltaría su mensaje de cierre, ha servido en cambio como una distracción, destacando las preocupaciones de los votantes sobre su retórica y su inclinación por la controversia en la recta final de la carrera. Hablando antes del evento con ABC News, Trump dijo que no conocía al comediante que pronunció los insultos más atroces, pero tampoco denunció los comentarios. FUENTE: AP

10/16/24: Paul Newlin: Grammy-nominated “Ball in the House”—coming to Whately. Larry Hott hosts “In Light of Time” w/ artists Mary Ann Kelly, Laura Radwell & Carolyn Webb. Defense expert Michael Klare: bigger wars –soon? now? Prof Michael Meeropol: fascism v. democracy –the choice before the country again. Sexual harassment & the Holyoke police with Shoestring Investigative Editor Dusty Christensen.

10/16/24: Paul Newlin: Grammy-nominated “Ball in the House”—coming to Whately. Larry Hott hosts “In Light of Time” w/ artists Mary Ann Kelly, Laura Radwell & Carolyn Webb. Defense expert Michael Klare: bigger wars –soon? now? Prof Michael Meeropol: fascism v. democracy –the choice before the country again. Sexual harassment & the Holyoke police with Shoestring Investigative Editor Dusty Christensen.

10/16/24: Paul Newlin: Grammy-nominated “Ball in the House”—coming to Whately. Larry Hott hosts “In Light of Time” w/ artists Mary Ann Kelly, Laura Radwell & Carolyn Webb. Defense expert Michael Klare: bigger wars –soon? now? Prof Michael Meeropol: fascism v. democracy –the choice before the country again. Sexual harassment & the Holyoke police with Shoestring Investigative Editor Dusty Christensen.

10/16/24: Paul Newlin: Grammy-nominated “Ball in the House”—coming to Whately. Larry Hott hosts “In Light of Time” w/ artists Mary Ann Kelly, Laura Radwell & Carolyn Webb. Defense expert Michael Klare: bigger wars –soon? now? Prof Michael Meeropol: fascism v. democracy –the choice before the country again. Sexual harassment & the Holyoke police with Shoestring Investigative Editor Dusty Christensen.

10/16/24: Paul Newlin: Grammy-nominated “Ball in the House”—coming to Whately. Larry Hott hosts “In Light of Time” w/ artists Mary Ann Kelly, Laura Radwell & Carolyn Webb. Defense expert Michael Klare: bigger wars –soon? now? Prof Michael Meeropol: fascism v. democracy –the choice before the country again. Sexual harassment & the Holyoke police with Shoestring Investigative Editor Dusty Christensen.

9/9/24: Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia on policing & schools. UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz w/ Performance Project's Julie Lichtenberg & James Arana: "Mother Tongue." Barry Werth: “Prisoner of Lies:  Jack Downey ... America's Longest-Held POW."  Megan Zinn w/ author Rachel Kushner: her novel “Creation Lake.”

At St. Patrick's Parish in Holyoke, Archbishop Aquila gives a homily concluding the eucharistic series. Archbishop Aquila asks the congregation: Who is Jesus? Do you believe Him? Who do you serve? Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082524.cfm 

Today, we have the pleasure of chatting with Polly Holyoke, the brilliant mind behind the award-winning Neptune Trilogy (Disney/Hyperion), and the captivating new book Skyriders (Viking Children's Books), where we discussed publishing middle-grade books. Polly, who grew up in the beautiful state of Colorado, shares her journey from writing her first book with her best friend in fifth grade to becoming a beloved author and former seventh-grade teacher. With over 300 school visits under her belt, Polly has a knack for inspiring students to read, write, and embrace the power of daydreaming. In this insightful interview, Polly reveals the inspirations behind her underwater adventures in the Neptune Trilogy and the thrilling tales in Skyriders. We delve into her creative process, discussing how her experiences in education have influenced her writing and the importance of encouraging kids to unplug and let their imaginations soar. Polly also shares memorable moments from her school visits, advice for aspiring young writers, and how her love for the outdoors has influenced her storytelling. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming projects and offers a fantastic book recommendation for middle-grade fantasy enthusiasts. Tune in for an episode filled with inspiration, creativity, and the magic of storytelling. Whether you're a fan of Polly's books or looking for tips to ignite your own writing journey, this conversation is not to be missed. Visit Polly's website at PollyHolyoke.com to learn more about her work and stay updated on her latest adventures. Don't forget to rate our podcast and share it with fellow book lovers to help us bring more fantastic authors and stories to your ears. Thank you for listening! ------------------------------------ SHOW ME LOVE OVER AT PATREON -  https://patreon.com/authorsalcovepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink BUY THE WRITING PROGRAM SCRIVENER - $60! Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing. It is by far my personal favorite writing app! https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=angela46 TAKE A COURSE AT KNOWADAYS! Guaranteed work as a proofreader/editor, if you pass the exam with an 80% or higher!!: https://give.knowadays.com/6DcL9W ------------------------------------ Links discussed in show:  https://pollyholyoke.com If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy listening to my interview with… If you are interested in being a guest on my episode, you may fill out the form on my website: http://authorsalcove.com/be-a-guest You can also follow me on:   Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsalcove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsalcovepodcast/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnes-wolfe-20bb47288/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EQYPBl1LtZh08qCdIRHTy?si=aa56d7a9565a49fa YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVCbL470bDCgeg23kziYAg Patreon:  (Possible Affiliate Links Above)  

8/21/24:  Larry Hott w/ Maggie Mailer: "How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer." Producer Robert Freeman & actor Jaris Hanson on the play "My Mama and the Full Scale Invasion."  Brian Adams & ED Tim Johnson of Native Plant Trust.  Dusty Christensen: Democratic Convention & Holyoke police dragnet?

8/21/24:  Larry Hott w/ Maggie Mailer: "How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer." Producer Robert Freeman & actor Jaris Hanson on the play "My Mama and the Full Scale Invasion."  Brian Adams & ED Tim Johnson of Native Plant Trust.  Dusty Christensen: Democratic Convention & Holyoke police dragnet?

Send us a Text Message.Author and teacher Polly Holyoke talks about what middle grade fiction is, how to successfully develop a middle grade story, and why it is so important for younger audiences.▬Check out Polly's website:http://www.pollyholyoke.com/Follow Polly on her socials:https://instagram.com/pollyholyoke/https://twitter.com/PollyHolyokehttps://facebook.com/PollyHolyokeAuthor

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Jimmy's summer travels roll on! This week, a stop in Holyoke, Massachusetts to catch up with some malt and grain powerhouses you may remember from past episodes…Chatting with Jimmy are Andrea Stanley, co-owner of Valley Malt and Ground Up Grain; Kyle Fiasconaro, owner and chef at Brewer's Foods; and Matthew Steinberg, co-founder and head brewer at Exhibit ‘A' Brewing in Framingham, Massachusetts.This episode has been years in the making! Some of the first grain and craft malt stories on BSR were brought to you by Andrea. Plus, what have Kyle and Matthew been up to since we last caught up with them?All of this and more this week on BSR! Tune in! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Beer Sessions Radio by becoming a member!Beer Sessions Radio is Powered by Simplecast.

On this day in 1895, the first game of volleyball was played at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.