Podcasts about why elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers is a graduate of the Disparities Leadership Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh where she received a Doctorate in epidemiology with a focus on understanding barriers associated with chronic disease and disability prevention. She is an expert in custom holistic health services with one-of-a-kind expertise in chronic diseases, disability prevention, and healthy aging. Between her extensive education and own experience struggling to overcome chronic health issues of 30 years, she is passionate about customized holistic healthcare that addresses root causes of pain, not just the symptoms. Join Dr. Michelle and Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers in Part 1 as they talk about: Elizabeth Rodgers| Healthy Transformation with the Heart What an epidemiologist is and her role in helping people during their wellness journeys. How she helps people get to the root cause of their health problems. What many epidemiologists focus on including community health, cancer, virology, longevity, and chronic illness. Her tragic experience going into septic shock from internal bleeding during a routine surgery, surviving death, and shifting her focus on life. Michelle's mission to help adolescents, especially young adults get on a path to whole person health for the rest of their lives. Why Elizabeth believes she developed kidney stones at the young age of 23 years old and as a woman due to her lifestyle habits as a child into adulthood. The impact that chronic dehydration and a diet high in protein can have in contributing to the formation of kidney stones. How her over the top work ethic and lack of a healthy social support group impacted her wellbeing as an undergrad and graduate student. Her PTSD after her kidney stone surgery and how it took her many years to fully heal that trauma emotionally and mentally. Common poor health trends she is seeing and why it isn't just physical or emotional symptoms but a combination. The negative impact of mainstream medicine and how it has stripped people of hope with all of the trauma they have experienced from it. Mentioned In This Episode Elizabeth Rodgers Healthy Transformation with the Heart Wellness On A Shoestring by Dr. Michelle Robin SCBS Sleep Campaign Your Wellness Connection SCBS 40 Days of Gratitude SCBS 31-Day Kindness Campaign Big Shifts Foundation CommunityAmerica Credit Union AdventHealth Connect with Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers via: Instagram Women's Wellness Collective on Facebook

Hey you wild women! My next guest started her career in technology after securing an MBA from Loyola University of Maryland back in the early nineties. Elizabeth Dodson climbed the career ladder at an early-stage start-up in the commercial construction technology industry to Director of Business Development and demonstrated success driving multi-million-dollar sales growth while providing award-winning sales leadership.  After a personal challenge managing her home, Elizabeth decided to build the very solution she needed to save money, save time, and reduce her stress. Now she is the Co-Founder of HomeZada, an online and mobile home management portal that helps homeowners manage their homes to save time and money and reduce stress. Specifically, HomeZada educates homeowners in the areas of home management, inventory, maintenance, remodeling projects, and finances. She recently won the 2019 Quesnay Female Founders in Fintech Pitch Competition and appeared on the NASDAQ channel. Elizabeth also offers her experience as an active mentor in programs offered by Stevenson and Loyola Universities and American Corporate Partners. In this episode you will learn about: Why Elizabeth started her company Who their ideal customer is and why  Why knowing more about your home can save you so much money and time How you need to have fortitude/resilience to be able to withstand the naysayers and the people who don't believe in you and how those people can help you refine your message The importance of being open to incorporating feedback but also being able to decipher between ‘the noise' and what's real What keeps her going when she feels like the company's not progressing as quickly as she would like it to What it's like to work with your spouse and the boundaries she sets around her work relationship and why clarity is key How the ‘rules' around working with your spouse can apply to working with business partners and senior management HIGHLIGHTS (7:45) What inspired you to start Homezada? (25:30) What are the most important elements to operating and owning a business?  (32:20) What keeps you going when you feel like the company is not progressing as fast as you would like?  (35:48) Tell us, what's it like working with your spouse and what tips would you give others who consider working with their spouse?  Public Shoutouts: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday Chasing The Brightside by Jess Ekstrom Resources: Website: HomeZada.com LinkedIn: @edodson Instagram: @edodson2 Twitter: @frankiezada What it means to be a wild woman: "Someone who takes chances, someone who becomes almost fearless. There's still a touch of fear there because it can push you, but that you really want to make a difference and you really want to get yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone." - Elizabeth Dodson ------------------------------- Renée Warren is an award-winning entrepreneur, a 7-figure business starter, and the founder of We Wild Women, a business dedicated to helping women launch their dream business. She previously founded an industry-recognized PR agency that worked with funded technology startups from South Africa to San Diego. She's a mom to Irish Twins (not planned), a published author, and a drummer. Rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcast "I love Into The Wild, and think it's the best thing since sliced bread."

An interview with Elizabeth Solaru, the founder of Elizabeth's Cake Emporium and maker of luxury wedding cakes. Elizabeth has a fascinating story to tell about multiple reinventions including a new one accelerated by the global pandemic. She's the mistress of creating opportunity out of challenge. We talk about: Elizabeth's careers before cake-making Being a microbiologist and working for the health service The trauma of child loss Why Elizabeth went back to college to study for an MBA How she started headhunting while still studying Making the leap into luxury cake making Famous clients and exotic locations Coping during Covid when your business is wedding cakes Being open to possibility and curious about how to fix issues Feeling the fear and doing it anyway And more! Find out more about Elizabeth: Her websites:  Elizabeth's Cake Emporium | Luxury Wedding Cakes London Create the Luxury Business of Your Dreams | Luxury Business Emporium Facebook | Instagram | Twitter If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave a review on iTunes or wherever you're listening. Find out how to leave a review here: bit.ly/leavepodcastreview You can find out more information and get the show notes to every episode at magnificentmidlife.com. That's also where you'll find strategies, support and resources to help make your midlife magnificent. There's a midlife wellness program, courses, midlife mentoring to help make the most of your next chapter and our online Members Club. If not now, when?

In this episode, Ronan sits down with Stephanie Simbari and Elizabeth Kott, the hosts of “That’s So Retrograde” to discuss the importance of being okay with where you are. Then, what keeps them curious about wellness, how to follow your intuition, and why psychedelic therapies can play a cosmic role in your life. Plus, the three discuss how astrology has influenced Stephanie and Elizabeth’s business relationship, the ever-evolving idea of self, and compare traditional mental health treatments to psychedelics – like psilocybin and ketamine.  Check out “That’s So Retrograde” here:Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5xZA5H8yIe0gQrK6Pdhbv7?si=tvC9L-4QTZGNTQL6jPkd6g&nd=1Website: https://www.thatssoretrograde.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soretrograde/ Show Notes: 1.51 - Where Stephanie and Elizabeth got their interest in astrology. 3.27 - How Stephanie’s astrology chart helped make sense of her traits and characteristics. 5.11 - How Stephanie and Elizabeth use their birth charts in their working relationship and their self-discovery. 8.30 - The intersection between pop culture and astrology.10.05 - How Stephanie and Elizabeth got to where they are today. 16.26 - The effects of motivation by fear, especially amongst entrepreneurs. 17.37 - How Elizabeth transitioned into entrepreneurship. 19.50 - Stephanie’s struggle to let go of the identity associated with her past career. 21.45 - The difficulties and necessities of letting go.25.07 - How your mindset affects your healing process.28.28 - What Stephanie and Elizabeth have seen evolve in the wellness space over the past six years. 30.41 - Why Elizabeth believes there is such a hype around cannabis.32.31 - Stephanie’s theory of why alcohol is accepted, but consciousness-expanding drugs are not. 34.00 - Stephanie’s take on ketamine. 36.50 - Following your instincts when it comes to psychedelics. 39.30 - Stephanie’s thoughts on Western medicine’s approach to mental health treatments. 40.56 - Elizabeth’s perspective on psychedelics. 43.00 - The effects of micro-dosing.

Meet Elizabeth Ann, the first cloned endangered species in the United States! How'd it happen? Why Elizabeth? What kind of animal IS she? Listen on... Have a story we should hear? Email us at StaceyAndJonah@gmail.com

Elizabeth Van Metre is currently an Alert Desk Anchor/Reporter/Fill-In Anchor on Channel 13. Upon graduating college, she got an editorial internship at a Tabloid, researching storylines, collecting information, attending red carpets, and transcribing interviews. She was offered a full time reporting job shortly after. Subsequently, she worked at The New York Daily News and Entertainment Tonight, before getting her Master in Journalism at Columbia University. She has spent the last 3.5 years working in front of the camera in News. She produced and anchored the daily morning show "Today in Wyoming," before moving to her current role in Missouri. In this episode, we talk about: • In Tabloids, who are these so called 'sources' and why Tabloids can't completely make up stories (though maybe the sources can) • Do the Kardashians call in the Tabloids? • "The Amanda Bynes Story" or where Elizabeth draws the line • How she grew her >52K Tik Tok following • Great advice for people wanting to get into Entertainment, including if you haven’t seen the job you want listed • What these sources often get in return for their stories • What happens when a tabloid calls a PR team with a story? • What sort of photo do the paparazzi and tabloids hope to get • Why it’s important that your PR team thinks you are their number 1 priority • After a Tik Tok blew up, a celebrity's team contacted her directly • Why Paris Hilton commented on her Tik Tok story • Why Elizabeth gave up Entertainment reporting for a career in News outside of NYC • Whether she ever hopes to come back to NYC for her career • Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-vanmetre-93958327/ Tik Tok: @ElizabethVanMetre Instagram: @Elizabethrosevm Website: https://www.liketoknow.it/ElizabethRoseVM Host: Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Elizabeth Hartke has a superpower. She helps people get back to their original dream. Elizabeth helps successful businesses, brands, influencers and creatives scale their businesses and their lives. Along the way with a successful corporate career, she paid close attention to the “successful” entrepreneurs who were just slaves to their industry or unfulfilled and underpaid. And she saw the ones who built a huge following or massive wealth, but they hardly knew their kids, had their health or remembered why they started in the first place. Elizabeth went a different way, and along with her husband and three young kids, has created a 7-figure life with integrity to their original dream: build generational wealth, make a massive impact, create freedom. Now she is here to help others! With her top-rated podcast, Scaling Up, to her masterminds, events and one-on-one coaching, she is fiercely committed to helping more people get back to their original dream through scaling their impact, income and independence.  In this free-flowing and engaging conversation, Kari and Elizabeth talk about how to build your business to support your dream lifestyle, the importance of giving yourself permission to make mistakes, what our kids have to teach us, and so much more. Both put their own expertise to work in this actionable and inspiring conversation. And The Activate Academy is now accepting applicants!  Are you looking to gain momentum for your business or get to work on building a solid foundation? Then The Activate Academy is for you! Learn more at https://kari-keating.com/activateacademy.    Highlights of our conversation: 8:07 - Holding space for God during the day  11:13 - Remembering to look at the big picture 14:00 - Taking a step back to evaluate 17:16 - Building a business to support your dream lifestyle  22:37 - How managing expectations can lead to the freedom you seek 27:38 - Why Elizabeth stopped teaching one-year goals 33:31 - When to scale your business 38:54 - Kari talks about her business model 43:38 - Changing the definition of entrepreneurship 48:14 - Giving yourself permission to not have it figured out 53:14 - Being real instead of being perfect  59:32 - Taking the time to create space for yourself  1:06:09 - Learning to see flaws as strengths 1:09:10 - Do you feel equipped to help shape your kids for adulthood? 1:15:54 - A few "getting to know you questions"   Connect with Elizabeth: Visit her website - https://elizabethhartke.com/ Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elizhartke/ Listen to her podcast - https://elizabethhartke.com/podcast    About me: I’m Kari Keating, mom of 3 young boys, that ditched a 17-year, 6 figure corporate career to go after her dreams. I’ve been coaching professionally for over 2 years and have had a wide variety of clients from recording artists, website developers, photographers, professional network marketers and other life coaches. My zone of genius lies in helping soul-based entrepreneurs get out of their heads and into inspired action, so they can make the impact they crave and the income they deserve. Find me at my website - https://www.kari-keating.com/ Connect on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karikeating/   Credits: Interview - Elizabeth Hartke Podcast edited and mixed by 51 features. Connect with Andrew at andrew {at} 51features {dot} com.

Elizabeth Bagger is a passionate advocate for family businesses and the Director General at the Institute for Family Business (IFB) in the UK, a membership organization she’s been proud to serve for close to a decade. The IFB works to support and promote the UK family business community by providing members with unique learning and networking opportunities and by lobbying Government as the voice of the family business sector. Prior to joining the IFB, Elizabeth spent almost a decade working for her own family business. In this episode, we discuss: How we tend to treat family worse in business than employees Why Elizabeth supports family business so strongly How Elizabeth became the voice of family business in the UK

Elizabeth Engen is an Online Business Strategist and Founder of Premier SEO Ninjas - a digital marketing agency that helps doctors and lawyers grow their practices by creating online strategies that increase their number of clients and boost their bottom line. Premier SEO Ninjas aims to be the leading provider of innovative, comprehensive, state-of-the-art, and results-driven digital and Internet marketing solutions to enable their clients to become successful. What you'll learn about in this episode: Elizabeth’s path that made her realize that she’d been in the wrong line of work for 18 years The struggles many business owners go through trying to balance the desire to gain customers in any way possible with learning to focus on the niche that suits them How Elizabeth learned to keep negative ideas and beliefs from gaining a foothold and prevent her from pursuing promising business opportunities The way Elizabeth approaches sales with the mindset of what she’s got to offer versus what she’s going to gain from the encounter The advice she received from mentors to get herself into a “beautiful state” when it came time to approach a new business opportunity The technique Elizabeth’s team use to start each morning, where they answer questions designed to establish the tone of how they’d approach the rest of the day Why Elizabeth feels it’s important for entrepreneurs to start out with solid goals and an idea of the traits their ideal client would have The way Elizabeth learned to use the story of her own path to bond with potential new customers and give them a reason to want to do business with her How her company differentiated themselves from other competitors by proving their worth to clients with solid research Elizabeth’s recommendations to new business owners to use affirmative prayer, reflection, and set yourself up properly for the next chapter in your life Ways to contact Elizabeth: Website: premierseoninjas.com/onward-nation LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/%E2%9C%AF-elizabeth-engen-630460113 YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCgq84bc2q8Wbh56335qiEDA/videos

In today’s episode of “Chasing Dreams” Aimee is chatting with Elizabeth Varghese, a woman who’s chasing her dream of serving the community at the UMMA Center, an education and training facility located in one of the poorest communities in the metro Chicago area. Along with working hard to help students progress along their educational and career paths at UMMA, Elizabeth is an active member of the Indian Orthodox Church where she spends most of her time and dedicates most of her talents. Along with dancing, traveling, coloring and lollygagging with friends, she enjoys spending time in the service of others. You’ll enjoy hearing Elizabeth’s story of moving from a business management education into a life of full time service to her community. TWEET: From a business management degree to a community service career A business management degree that took a turn for the better. When today’s guest on Chasing Dreams, Elizabeth Varghese, graduated from college it was a business management degree that she held in her hand. She was happy to have her degree but wasn’t sure what it would mean in terms of her future work. Through a string of events, including a trip to India, Elizabeth became convinced that she needed to do something a bit unorthodox by stepping outside her intended career path to “give back” to the community in some way. In this episode you’re going to hear that story and how Elizabeth has become a full time employee at the UMMA Center, an educational facility in the heart of the city. Chasing your dreams doesn’t always mean you build bigger and better things in the culture’s eyes. Sometimes it means you find a place you can serve. The trip that changed everything. Elizabeth Varghese had graduated college and decided to go on a trip to India, the land her family was from. As she visited the northern regions of that vast country she saw conditions that people were living in daily that were far below poverty levels in the United States. Her heart went out to the people she saw there and something inside her stirred. She knew that she wanted to do something to help. But being engaged to a wonderful man back in the U.S. told her right away that her desire may need to be channeled in a different direction. When she returned from her trip Elizabeth heard about the UMMA Center and walked in to volunteer. What happened was not what she expected but exactly what her heart was telling her she should do. Hear her story on this episode. TWEET: Chasing the dream of helping her community, with Elizabeth Varghese Service for the sake of people, not results. Elizabeth Varghese admits that one of the hardest parts of the work she does at the UMMA center is waiting to see the results of the love and concern she pours into the lives of those who come into the center. And sometimes she never gets to see any fruit from her efforts. But the dream she’s chasing is not about seeing the results, it’s simply about serving people in ways that matter. The education and training her work provides for those who live in poverty or difficult circumstances is doing exactly that. So even though she doesn’t always see the changes in people’s lives that she is hoping for, she’s accomplishing exactly what she set out to do. Elizabeth’s perspective is refreshing, so be sure you get a dose of it for yourself by listening. How could your dreams be used to serve others? Whether you’re making music or painting portraits, teaching children or serving in a community center like Elizabeth Varghese, your dream should in some way be about helping others. Even business ventures can be structured in a way that people are being served. What is your dream and how does it relate to being a blessing to the people it will touch? You are the only one who can ask that question and make its answer become a reality. That’s what the Chasing Dreams podcast is all about - encouraging you not only to chase your dream, but to make it become a reality so that people are helped. Listen to this episode to hear how Elizabeth is doing that and to be inspired to chase your dreams more fully. TWEET: Making a difference in the heart of the city, with Elizabeth Varghese OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE: [0:47] Aimee’s introduction of Elizabeth and the story of her background. [3:40] From a degree in business management to helping others through social work. [5:52] Why Elizabeth showed up and offered to help and how it turned into a full time position at the center. [7:48] The blessing of finding her dream job soon after college. [8:40] How a trip to India motivated Elizabeth to come home to the U.S. and serve. [10:22] The desire to serve fits wherever Elizabeth is. [12:11] Do you ever want to spread the desire to serve? [14:30] The difficulty of waiting on change in the lives of those she serves to become apparent. [15:30] Lessons from Elizabeth’s mom about helping herself before she can help others. [16:19] A lesson learned that has stuck with Elizabeth. [20:03] The Rapid Fire game. [23:12] Elizabeth’s recommendation and Aimee’s reaction. [25:07] Aimee’s summary and thanks. ELIZABETH’S RECOMMENDATION: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi THE RAPID FIRE GAME! - Category: Ice Cream Flavors Aimee and her guest randomly select a category, alternate turns quickly saying something that fits the category, and the first one to hesitate too long, repeat an answer, or give an obviously false answer is the loser! Who will win? RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The UMMA Center - www.ummacenters.org TWEETS YOU CAN USE: TWEET: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~ Mahatma Ghandi TWEET: If we all give our best energy to helping the world, only good can happen ~ Elizabeth Varghese

Ep. 32: Why Elizabeth and I raise the bar; why, surprisingly, teasing can be a happiness stumbling block--and we want your comments about the Four Tendencies!  Want to get in touch? @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com; happiercast.com/32; 774-277-9336. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 29: Why Elizabeth and I lower the bar ("don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"), use the clean slate to change habits, and try to end food waste.  Want to get in touch? @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com; happiercast.com/29; 774-277-9336. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ll learn how a podcast and a pigeon lead Elizabeth Coughlin to return to her great grandfather’s hometown of Terlizzi and fulfill her grandmother’s dream of reconnecting with her family in Italy. Enjoy this interview get inspired to find your roots and your home. Topics we cover: Why Elizabeth’s family said they came from Bari when they actually came from Terlizzi Where the families around this area who left Italy settled in the US, including areas around Boston and Hoboken How Beth found us and how that lead to her finding her long lost family How her grandfather’s draft card lead to her finding Terlizzi Beth’s new tagline for Villa Cappelli “Eating at Villa Cappelli is like eating Sunday lunch every day.” Our signature cocktail made with Villa Cappelli extra virgin olive oil (recipe below) How the Spanish influenza influenced Italian immigrants in the U.S. Specifically how from the Spanish influenza killed Beth’s great grandfather’s first wife and her great grandmother’s first husband as well as how it killed Paul’s grandfather’s first wife The story of Paul’s family and how his grandfather married How Beth’s Nonna was a big influence for her research and trip Beth’s entire story of how to found her family again and how, almost magically, they were in the Terlizzi, the closest town to the villa (see Beth’s full story in her own words below) How a pigeon plays a big role in Beth’s decision to come to Villa Cappelli (from the book: Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small) How strange it is for Italians to understand the need for people to seek out their families in Italy, since for them, their families have always been from the town they grew up in How Beth’s Nonna came along for their trip How Beth’s trip has made her appreciate appreciate each moment and how this is just the beginning of the trip How Beth and Paul might be related   Villa Cappelli Cocktail Recipe (makes one drink): 3 medium basil leaves, torn, plus one small basil leaf for garnish 1.5 ounces fresh grapefruit juice 1.5 ounces vodka .5 ounce Villa Cappelli extra virgin olive oil .25 ounce simple syrup (optional)   Drop torn basil leaves into a cocktail shaker and fill shaker with ice. Add grapefruit juice, vodka, Villa Cappelli extra virgin olive oil and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for at least 10 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with small basil leaf. You can also blend all the ingredients together in a high-powered blender.   Elizabeth’s full story:   Returning to Family by Elizabeth Coughlin Nanas and grandpas are an amazing gift. My Nana, Angela “Angie” Gesmundo, was just that - a beautiful gift from God. To me she was a friend, a teacher, and my hero. When I needed a problem solved, or just wanted to share a story, Nana was the one I talked to. With her ‘say it like it is’ approach, she taught me life lessons: self-respect, the importance of family, and to always keep things honest. Her points were direct. “Don’t spit in the wind or it might come back and hit you in the face” is one example. Or she would say, “Listen, I won’t tell you what to do, but I will tell you what I will put up with!” Besides lessons about life, she taught love of life by example. Nana loved to dance, to sing and she wore bright stylish clothes and make up. A hairdresser by trade, she constantly surprised us with a new hair color. She was so full of youthful fun, most strangers assumed she was my mom. In her fingers, which were adorned with extremely long nails usually painted sparkly white, she often held a Marlboro cigarette, a habit she never was able to kick. Nana often talked about her family. Her mother, she recalled, came from San Giovanni la Punta in Sicily and her father, Giuseppe “Joe” Gesmundo, was from the province of Bari in Italy. Giuseppe came to America with his first wife, Anna, with whom he had three sons. Sadly, Anna died from the flu in the early 1900s. Nana’s now widowed father needed help raising his children, so he married his housekeeper, Maria, whose husband had also just died of the flu. While Maria was raising Giuseppe’s three boys, the couple had two children of their own, my Nana Angela and her brother, Joe. For reasons unknown to me, Nana did not know much about her father’s history, including where he was from. She did recall stories about his having farmed in Italy and about owning some type of land. There were also stories of his possible political ties. This historical gap left me to wonder, who was great grandfather Giuseppe and where did he come from? Nana clearly remembered from her own childhood that Joe Gesmundo had been a strict man who dressed impeccably and grew an enormous garden of row upon row of tomatoes and other vegetables at their home in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He had strict rules for his family and she never crossed them because he demanded they be followed, or else… She also recalled how her dad found his first job in America. He approached a group of Italian construction workers and asked one of them, “How do I ask the boss for a job in English?” Instead of giving him the correct response, the worker told him English swear words. The boss, did not find any humor in the bad language, and asked my great grandfather, “Who told you to say such words?” Giuseppe pointed to the man, who was laughing. The boss turned to my great grandfather and said, “You need a job? Well now you have one--- his!” According to my Nana, her dad worked as a janitor at the local bank for many years. He also started the Italian Credit Union in Haverhill, an accomplishment in which Nana took great pride. Giuseppe Gesmundo, my great grandfather, suffered a fatal heart attack on his 71st birthday on April 18, 1958, in Haverhill. It was Nana’s dream to someday visit Italy and find her relatives. She would talk about it often, looking into the distance as if she somehow knew it would remain just a dream. Sadly, shortly after I turned 18, my best friend, my Nana, my rock, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive cancer that attacks the bones, and she died on August 20, 1990, before she could go to Italy. We now live in an age of information, when it is almost too easy to find out anything about anyone. So a few years ago I began my search, to fulfill my Nana’s dream to find her family in Italy. I began my research on the website ancestory.com where I discovered bits and pieces about Giuseppe, but nothing concrete. Then one day in my search I found his World War I draft card. On his card he had written that he was from a town in Italy called Terlizzi. As I never knew what town he was from, only that he came from Bari province, it was an important part of the puzzle. A few years went by and life got in the way, and I drifted away from my heritage research. Then in 2014 I began listening to a podcast on health and fitness, ‘The Angriest Trainer’, with Vinnie Tortorich and Anna Vocino. That is when everything changed. The podcast is hilariously entertaining, as well as informative. It was and still is an addictive show to listen to. Their down to earth approach reminded me a lot of myself as well as my Italian relatives. No coincidence, because Vinnie and Anna happen to be Italian. As I continued to listen to my new favorite podcast, I heard their ad for a 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, called Villa Cappelli. As a longtime foodie, I decided to look up this olive oil and its history. After looking through their website, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Their 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil was made in, of all places, Terlizzi, Italy! Not only could I buy delicious food from this company, but I discovered that they also rent their villa! Wow! As I stared at the screen and imagined going to the villa and finding my family, realistically I thought it would be impossible. I put my dreams aside, little knowing that my Nana from up above would intervene. August 25, 2014 was an oppressively hot day in my hometown of Topsfield, outside of Boston, Massachusetts. As I stepped outside, I noticed a beautiful pigeon sitting in my driveway. I thought that seemed strange but left my house to do some errands. When I came back the pigeon was waiting for me. I decided to feed the visitor some breadcrumbs and water, and he seemed most grateful. For three days my new friend jumped around my yard, sat on my roof and one time even sat at my front door peering in the side window as if to say, “Do you notice me?” After the pigeon left a not so friendly gift on the top of my husband’s car, we decided our visitor needed to be returned to his owner. He had a couple of identity bands around his ankle, but nothing that indicated his home. I decided to look up, via the internet, local racing pigeon clubs and found the contact information for a guy named Ron. After some exchange of correspondence, we agreed to meet and that I would hand over the bird. With great help and effort from my son, Thomas, we managed to get our new friend into a pet carrier, and we went to meet Ron and his wife at an agreed location. Ron and his wife were an older couple, and immediately we knew they were genuine folks. Ron explained that sometimes when racing, pigeons can get lost. He looked over our pigeon friend and determined he was only about four months old and quite thin. He was most grateful we called him because he actually thought he might know who owned the bird. The next day I received this email from Ron:  “Hello Again Beth,  I want to thank you for the trouble you and your son went thru to get this bird. I spoke to the owner and he wanted me to thank you also... If there were more people like you and your family, this world could be a better place for us all...  I wish you nothing but good health and happiness in your Life...”  After reading Ron’s touching email I decided to look up what it meant to have a pigeon come into your life. I grabbed a book off my shelf, Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by Ted Andrews. He writes, “The Pigeon has a long history associated with the home and with fertility. The real name of Christopher Columbus was “Colombo”, which is the Italian word for “pigeon”…It is because of this that they are often symbols for a time or a need to return to the security of home. Pigeons can teach us how to find our way back when we are lost. They help us to remember and find the love of home and home life that we have either given up or lost…Have we forgotten our basic foundations, the heritage we have had passed on to us through home and family?” Speechless, I closed the book and thought about the villa in Terlizzi and made my decision. We were going. After exchanging some family emails, I found a relative in Michigan who had an address in Terlizzi, as one of my Nana’s brothers did visit family over 25 years ago. I quickly wrote a letter, explained who I was and my interest in meeting my lost relatives. I then emailed the villa, put down a deposit and announced to my parents, we were going to Terlizzi, to finish Nana’s dream to find her dad’s family. Three months went by and we heard nothing. Just when I was about to lose hope, a letter arrived. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I danced around my kitchen, and my kids finally demanded I open it. The letter was from my great-grandfather’s brother’s family. They wrote how happy they were to hear from us and that they would be very excited to meet us in July, 2015. As I sat in my kitchen holding the letter, I thought about all the events that led up to this moment - the World War I draftcard from ancestory.com, Vinnie Tortorich’s podcast, the Villa Cappelli 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, and my beautiful pigeon “colombo” friend. In my heart, I know each event was carefully orchestrated by my Nana, in her quest to see her families unite, to finish one dream and start another. Never give up just because a loved one has died. I believe our love and dreams for each other live on. We only need to stop, and inhale the small wonders our loved ones leave us each day. Maybe it’s a shiny penny or a small feather, a familiar smile, or a scent that takes us back to a loved one. All of these are signs that their love for us lives on. Now, when I see a pigeon look at me just right, I take a moment and smile and remember, that my Nana will always love me.   One last video, just for fun.  Orso welcoming Thomas to the villa:        

  Expressing Motherhood's Podcast talks to creative moms, finding out what they are up to and when they are finding the time to create. In this episode Producer Lindsay Kavet talks to ExMo alum Elizabet Soutter. We cover:   Why Elizabeth shut down her popular blog in 2011.Women need to stop giving away their creativity for free.Why Elizabeth was not willing to blog about something if it meant compromising her integrity.How her creativity was on hold while caring for her very sick daughter.