Shock Your Potential

Enjoy the Freedom you Fought For - Rob Campbell

“Book writing is very entrepreneurial and I believe more people have books inside of them, especially veterans.” Rob Campbell
Regardless of the context and nature of change, to have persistent optimism when facing change is not very easy. Nevertheless, being adaptable is an attribute that comes with many benefits to be gained. Our guest today Rob Campbell has extensive experience on handling change both at an individual and organizational level and says that it all entails embracing flexibility and being adaptable.
Rob Campbell is a husband, father, author, and entrepreneur.  Rob began a career in the Army as an infantry officer in 1990.  He served in a variety of command and staff positions in a career spanning 27 years.  His culminating assignment was command of an infantry brigade in the 101st Airborne Division.  Rob retired in 2016, wrote a book on leadership and founded his own speaking and consulting business. 
In today’s episode, Rob talks to us about his career, overcoming organizational challenges and bringing about change. His goal is to help people be optimistic and be positive about their lives.
Listen in as he walks us through his successes, failures, and lessons that he has learned along the way. 
 
Resources
It’s Personal, Not Personnel: Leadership Lessons For The Battlefield And The Boardroom (https://amzn.to/3dLzMLH)
At Ease: Enjoying The Freedom You Fought For -- A Soldier's Story And Perspectives On The Journey To An Encore Life And Career(https://amzn.to/3gdBQ0u)
Social handles;
https://www.facebook.com/robcampbellleadership/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-campbell-361757b6/
https://www.instagram.com/robcampbell_leadership/
Website: https://www.robcampbellleadership.com
 
I joined the National Guard in 1987 and found out I liked it so I got immersed in the military and chose to go on active duty in 1990. [2:50]
The military is a great place to shock your potential because they throw you into scenarios and training and of course combats that are shocking. [3:40]
It was a tremendous career growth for me which placed me in places I would not have thrust myself and so it did me wonders. [3:57]
Everything was a team effort and so our experience doing that over 27 years and 16 moves, I believe served us well. [5:27]
My children and my wife heard me talk about leadership and how it was all about the organization and not about me. [5:56]
It is tough for the spouses and they serve just as much as veterans and I believe in them so much because they are leaders in their own right. [6:09]
They learned a lot of the same values that are infused in me and bring the same kind of things into their own core life. [6:34]
Veterans are well equipped to be entrepreneurs and we're just not doing a very good job in military transition of exposing them to that and convincing them that they are. [7:30]
The military rule really helped hone many skills for me, which I think are very critical for running successful business. [7:58]
There are some obstacles to overcome but we can adapt quickly and so that's how it really helped me to be able to step in and be an entrepreneur. [8:06]
Commercial break. [9:51]
Book writing is very entrepreneurial and I believe more people have books inside of them, especially veterans. [11:43]
I coach a lot of folks to try and take that leap and get into book writing, because that wasn't my grand plan but I have managed to write two books with a third on the way. [11:50]
When I got out, I didn't know what I wanted to do and that's what a lot of veterans experience. [12:07]
In 2016, I had my blank sheet of paper, and I decided to take some time off and I kind of stumbled into book writing and I started my entrepreneurship journey there. [12:37]
I also the Executive Director for a non-profit, which is a live virtual entrepreneurship program that is taught by entrepreneurs who have decades of experience in business. [13:07]
Part of the problem with a lot of these entrepreneurs programs out there on the veteran side is they're taught by veterans, not entrepreneurs. [13:19]
We get an audience from across the world and they realize they still need to be schooled up on how to go through the entrepreneurial journey. So that's been a great journey. [13:33]
I do a wide variety of things which include consulting, teaching, coaching and speaking and coaching and speaking of the two things that I love to do most. [14:08]
What I do in those roles across the board is shining a light on something that an individual cannot see. [14:25]
The most ROI for me, is when the light bulb comes on and somebody sees that they have the potential to do something. [14:54]
You need a coach to be able to pull that out and kind of bring you up to that next level, even at the ripe old age. [15:09]
A lot of veterans get out and they don't know what they want to do and that's what my second book is all about. [15:53]
The title of the book is called At Ease, which is a term when said calmly means that it's going to be okay and that's what I was trying to say in the book. [16:11]
There's this weird sense of we don't have that complete freedom because we were always beholden to the bigger institution of the military and we had to seek that approval. [17:04]
That is the struggle that I address in the book and share that you're at ease and that transitioning is a journey that you're traveling. [17:30
One of the things that I discovered after the book was out last year, it speaks not only to veterans, but anybody making a major transition in life. [20:43]
One of the chapters in the book is about Be careful not to drop an anchor and what I mean by that is veterans and anybody making a big transition need to remain flexible. [21:17]
Many veterans are starting to question their service specifically to Afghanistan but reflecting back on those things that we provided for them, we all did the very best we could. [25:50]
I believe many of us are a shining example of service and sacrifice and will remain so especially the fallen. [27:12]
When you thank a veteran, you're still doing the right thing and it means a lot and so they need that and a friend going forward. [27:25]
We are at a really important time in our country and we as veterans and non-veterans can really come together, form of friendship and get to know each other better. [27:33]
…………………………………….
Thank you to our April Sponsor: Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being or Wayne Titus
Imagine starting a long journey without a map…or even a clear idea of the obstacles ahead. That’s exactly what it’s like for entrepreneurs who start companies with a lot of passion, but without the financial expertise to grow and scale their businesses and create long-term wealth for their families.
 Wayne Titus shows you how to find a financial adviser who can help you map a better journey. In his book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being.  With the right adviser at your side, you’ll have the freedom to focus on what really matters to you.
Get The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being at Amazon.com and in the virtual bookstore on the Shock Your Potential app.

What is Your Money Temperament- Ted McLyman

“Behavioural financial wellness means you understand what makes you tick with money, how you're naturally wired, and work for a one size fits you approach.” Ted McLyman
One of the major aspirations for individuals is financial security. In order to support the efforts towards achievement this goal, experts continue to improve the population’s financial capabilities by conducting programs that enhance individual financial knowledge and financial behavior. Ted McLyman has been in involved in numerous programs that deal with financial education and says that the concept of having a money coach should be normalized.
Ted McLyman is an entrepreneur, business owner, author, speaker, trainer, Lt Col, USMC (Ret), and Ironman All World age group triathlete. Ted has over 30 years of award-winning experience, helping individuals and organizations achieve peak performance. He has al BA Social Relations from Colgate University; a MA Public Administration from Pepperdine University; and MS Instructional and Performance Technology from Boise State University.
Ted is the founder of Apexx Behavioural Financial Group, Director of Behavioural Finance, DreamSmartAcademy.com, financial advisor/agent; economics instructor, US Naval Academy; Aide to the Under Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management; Head, Marine Corp Training Management Division; Commander, USMC Financial Management School; artillery officer; Executive Office, Battle Assessment Team, Operation Desert Storm.
He has authored three books on behavioral finance and has also created Quick Scan Money Temperament Assessment. He is a technical consultant for "Behind the Money" program at Impact television and Director for Behavioral Finance, and Advisory Board Member at DreamSmartAcademy.com.
In today’s episode, Ted will talk about his career in the military and the opportunities that helped him build knowledge and skills in financial management.
Listen in!
 
Social media handles
​Website: www.tedmclyman.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TedMcLyman/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedmclyman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TedMcLyman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-mclyman/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tedmclyman
 
I didn't know how important and consequential it would be to become a vet until I became one. [3:05]
I grew up in upstate New York in the Finger Lakes area and after University I decided to join the military. [3:39]
I served on several assignments and then put in a letter to get out of the Marine which wasn't accepted. [4:22]
I picked up my first graduate degree at Pepperdine and my payback was to teach economics at the Naval Academy which was incredible. [[5:00]
It was an opportunity to work with some of the future leaders of the country, the best and the brightest. [5:10]
I was teaching classical economics which led me to my career on money behavior. [5:16]
I picked up another master's degree in performance technology, worked more for the military and after retirement, I opened my first financial planning practice. [5:48]
I started realizing that my job as an entrepreneur was to build my business and take care of my clients. [6:33]
I also learned that I was in the business of managing behavior, not money and that became the basis of my writing where we are right now and It has been a great experience. [6:40]
The wrong decisions I witnessed being made by young people who had joined the military was absolutely the catalyst for me getting started in this. [8:22]
The institutional side was reactive rather than proactive and held marines accountable and the programs we had were never dealing with the behavior. [9:13]
We have to understand that money is a subset of modern culture and being human our brains are designed to keep us alive and pass on our genes and not planning. [10:32]
We talk about behavior and consequences, accountability and coaching in almost everything else in our life but nobody ever talks about a money coach. [11:30]
The question I always ask myself is how do you know if you're hardwired to do the things that we are expecting you to do. [11:54]
There's a money mindset and a wealth mindset where a money mindset is to spend while the wealth mindset is to build equity, pass it on and create true wealth. [12:47]
In the modern military you're trained to be resourceful, innovative, resilient, and get the job done. [14:38]
You are encouraged to think of all the scenarios to put together plans and alternatives and so I found the transitioning to entrepreneurship not that difficult. [15:07]
I had the opportunity to do all kinds of incredible things because I raised my hand and gave it a shot. [16:27]
Delegation means as an entrepreneur you focus on what you're good at, you become an expert, a professional, and then you build your team around you to compensate. [18:11]
A successful entrepreneur has a plan and if you've got a military background, all you've got to do is think of the planning cycle you went through for your first deployment. [19:01]
Commercial break. [21:30]
I help people understand their behavior with money because behavior is unique to everyone. [23:30]
I dropped all my licenses, sold my practice, and I'm working full time as an author, speaker and a coach, trying to change the dialogue about money. [23:54]
In our culture, particularly United States, we look at money as an independent entity. [24:04]
Our brains are wired to do things very differently than society wants them to do so our biology gets in the way of our feeling brain. [24:40]
Modern society demands some accountability which tasks our thinking brain to do things that are uncomfortable and that's usually money stuff and for most people, the default is do nothin [25:04]
What I am trying to do right now is launch a movement comprising of group of motivated people that are fed up with business as usual in the financial industry. [25:33]
If you want to know what your values are, take a look at your calendar and your bank statement. [26:24]
The next thing you've got to look at is your money temperament because you've got a unique spending pattern which is a function of where you grew. [27:32]
Culture is an incredible driver in our money perspective whose influences on our brain are putting us into a spending state that we've never had to deal with before. [27:49]
I am trying to get people to understand that we need to start moving to a behavioral approach to money. [29:37]
Behavioral financial wellness means you understand what makes you tick with money, how you're naturally wired, and work for a one size fits you approach. [29:44]
For the veterans out there, you stepped out and took a risk to join the military and worked out. It's the same thing would be an entrepreneur. [35:30]
You can be an entrepreneur within an organization by starting small. Take an assessment of who you are and find out what you're good at and step out. [35:55]
…………………………………….
Thank you to our April Sponsor: Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being or Wayne Titus
Imagine starting a long journey without a map…or even a clear idea of the obstacles ahead. That’s exactly what it’s like for entrepreneurs who start companies with a lot of passion, but without the financial expertise to grow and scale their businesses and create long-term wealth for their families.
 Wayne Titus shows you how to find a financial adviser who can help you map a better journey. In his book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being.  With the right adviser at your side, you’ll have the freedom to focus on what really matters to you.
Get The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being at Amazon.com and in the virtual bookstore on the Shock Your Potential app.

Disabled American Veterans- Rob Lougee

“When you learn what you have to do, and you understand how it works, the path of least resistance is laid before you to help move on.” Rob Lougee
Access to information is a primary factor to ensuring that veterans going through tough situations receive available assistance. Our guest today has been working with the disabled veterans for a long time to help them set up successful businesses and careers.
Rob E. Lougee, a service-connected disabled veteran of the Persian Gulf War, was appointed Assistant National Employment Director of the 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in March 21, 2016. From the DAV National Headquarters located in Cold Spring, Kentucky, Mr. Lougee manages special employment initiatives and works with private and public sector entities to develop and build partnerships to address joblessness and underemployment, as well as facilitate job fairs and lead efforts to connect veterans and transitioning service members to employers.
A Boston native, Mr. Lougee enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1983 and served until 1992 in the First Armored and First Calvary Divisions, attaining the rank of specialist. His awards included the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Medal with three bronze stars and the Kuwait Liberation Medal.
Mr. Lougee joined DAV’s professional staff as a National Service Officer Trainee in 1993. Three years later, he was promoted to National Service Officer Supervisor and served as a National Area Supervisor from 2002 to 2008 until an appointment to serve as Adjutant and Executive Director for the DAV Department of Colorado. Mr. Lougee returned to serving as a National Service Officer Supervisor and National Area Supervisor following more than a year in the Department of Colorado’s top post. He is a life member of DAV Chapter 19 in Cold Spring, Kentucky. Mr. Lougee studied business at Central Texas College. He lives in Hebron, Kentucky. He has a daughter named Amanda living in Colorado.
In today’s episode, Rob will talk about his work caring for disabled veterans and the various resources that they can leverage for their good.
Listen in!
Social Media;
LinkedIn link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-lougee-9710526
Most of the males in my family all served in the military and I joined the military back in 83. [12:54]
I was blessed to be able to serve in outstanding military units and came back thankfully with all my appendages. [3:18]
The military taught me so much about my ability to endure the unknown and to think strategically, to understand what commitment is, and to think on my feet. [3:38]
I've been with the DAV now professionally for 26 years and I enjoy taking care of my fellow veterans and their families. [4:28]
We give disabled vets a chance and we try to take care of them through the many programs and services that we have. [5:05]
It is my pleasure to try to engage veterans and meaningful employment opportunities and provide them the tools and the information to get it. [5:27]
I always encourage all people who have served in the military to register with the VA, regardless of whether they need the assistance or not. [7:46]
Every veteran that wore the uniform, put their lives out there for their country, whether they actually went to war or not and so deserve all the benefits that they are entitled to. [8:49]
The DAV wants to engage with any entity that is interested in hiring veterans and here many companies that have hired veterans. [10:27]
I ask veterans to keep an open mind, not just think about what they did in the military but understand their capabilities and take a chance every now and then. [11:59]
You may not always get what you want or what you think you need, but you have to start somewhere. [12:17]
Predominantly, a lot of us join the military start right after our 18th birthday and often don't know what we want to do with our lives. [13:55]
During your military journey, you realize your capabilities and the different things about yourself, and you learn to grow like everybody else does. [14:14]
The military culture is a little more stringent where people are trained very specifically to do their [14:28]
You should volunteer for every school the military is willing to send you to because at the end of the day, that's going to help you when you get out of the military. [14:46]
Commercial Break. [15:22]
The proportion of service disabled veteran owned small businesses. versus civilian businesses how that we have a greater percentage of just under 9% are veteran owned. [19:56]
We are hoping that more veterans are engaged through entities such as SBA in different levels help them set up their business. [21:00]
45% of veterans that are leaving the military are more likely to think about beginning their own small business and one out of 10 small businesses in the US is veteran owned. [22:09]
The skill set of problem solving is probably the greatest attribute that a veteran entrepreneur possesses. [22:47]
We are working diligently through several government entities to try to level the playing field and get the privileges that minority groups are entitled to. [24:08]
One of the issues that you have in small business world is that you have small businesses that fail, because they don't understand the business concept of small business. [26:38]
We have a lot of resources out there to help veterans, whether disabled or not and even women veterans. [27:14]
I want to ensure that every veteran that has an idea and wants to explore it have the information they need to go down that path to see if it is for them or not. [27:42]
Regardless of whether you are a non-profit or for profit, to be in business for 100 years is an achievement. [29:53]
We are very excited to be able to finally celebrate our centennial celebration where September 26, and 27th will be the major dates. [30:36]
You always want to make sure that you're trying to do it better than the generation before you and da v has a track record of doing it better. [31:27]
We understand that you have to evolve and so we're very proud of the fact that we've been able to stand the test of time. [31:38]
We welcome all veterans out there that may want to become a part of our group, we can help find them find something to do within their capability level. [32:19]
We live in a technological age and we have to maximize the potential of that not only for our donors sake, but for reaching out to that veteran or a service member. [33:19]
When you learn what you have to do, and you understand how it works, the path of least resistance is laid before you to help move on. [33:38]
They'll always be issues with transitioning out of the military and so we try to put that in some type of context. [34:11]
Any veteran that is thinking about getting in or starting a business, there is a bunch of different resources available to help you push forward. [36:25]
The VA has the office of small and disadvantaged business utilization; SBA has the Veterans Bennet business development. [36:38]
The OVBV has an office that guides members through all the steps and starting a business; and the Institute of Veterans and Military Families which teach veterans and their families how to start and run a business. [37:00]
There is also entrepreneurship bootcamp for veterans and patriot bootcamp who assist military members to creators, innovators and entrepreneurs. [37:52]
We also have the Women Veteran Entrepreneurship for women veterans and the GSA who have a federal surplus for personal property donation program. [38:47]
Think outside the box because you are capable of doing much more than what the military ever taught you. [41:35]
…………………………………….
Thank you to our April Sponsor: Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being or Wayne Titus
Imagine starting a long journey without a map…or even a clear idea of the obstacles ahead. That’s exactly what it’s like for entrepreneurs who start companies with a lot of passion, but without the financial expertise to grow and scale their businesses and create long-term wealth for their families.
 Wayne Titus shows you how to find a financial adviser who can help you map a better journey. In his book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being.  With the right adviser at your side, you’ll have the freedom to focus on what really matters to you.
Get The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-Being at Amazon.com and in the virtual bookstore on the Shock Your Potential app.

Caring for the Caregiver - Nancy Poland

“Learning to mitigate a caregiving crisis in one’s personal life will help you be more effective and productive in your professional life.” Nancy Poland
As the demand for family caregivers increases, one of the biggest challenges that comes up is the unawareness of what to do and when due to the lack of preparedness. Our guest today Nancy Poland, has been a caregiver and says that planning for caregiving responsibilities ahead of time can go along way into helping people get through the challenges. 
Nancy Poland, owner of Nancy R Poland Connect, is a writer and speaker focusing on caregiving. As a volunteer educator for the Alzheimer’s Association, she brings her experience as a caregiver for her dad, who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. She published her first book, “Dancing With Lewy: A Father Daughter Dance Before and After Lewy Body Dementia Came to Live With Us”, narrating their experience. Her second book, “Remarkable Caregiving: The Care of Family and Friends” will be released in November 2021. “Remarkable Caregiving” is a collection of true stories from six caregivers thrust into unplanned circumstances as they emerge wiser and more resilient.
Nancy issues a monthly newsletter, “Caring for the Caregiver”, blogs about caregiving, and communicates to caregivers in social media and in person. She is looking forward to more group presentations as her business contacts grow, and COVID-19 subsides. A life-long resident of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Nancy and her husband John raised two sons and continue to contribute to their communities.
Professionally Nancy is a Contracts and Compliance Manager where she utilizes her writing and negotiation skills to support the mission of a non-profit corporation. She is a trainer and mentor, both professionally, and in a volunteer capacity.
In today’s episode, Nancy will talk about her work of connecting caregivers to resources, teaching them how they can better the lives of their loved ones, as well as themselves.
Listen in!
 
Social Media
Website: https://nancyrpoland.com  
The caregiver resources: https://nancyrpoland.com/caregiver-resources/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-poland-a4632632/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancypoland  
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/nancy.poland  
Facebook (business): https://www.facebook.com/nancyrpoland  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancypoland/
 
As my parents aged, they became more fragile and so we were balancing taking care of my parents, while working, travelling and raising our teenage son. [3:16]
I learned that it's really hard to be your full potential at work when you're also trying to balance all these other things. [4:36]
A lot of us don't plan for our parents aging and becoming fragile but it's really something that if we can think about ahead of time, it can help us get through those days. [4:48]
We tend as human beings to go into denial and don't want to think about our parents aging and getting fragile. [5:44]
One of my main goals is to educate future caregivers to help people face the reality that if we all live long enough, we will probably become medically fragile and therefore need to plan for it. [6:32]
I tried to provide a place in my website where I have resources for caregivers where seniors can get help to keep them safe, and to keep them functioning in those homes. [10:35]
Once my mom passed away, my dad couldn't live on his own so we moved him to a senior apartment building that had services you could buy up. [11:46]
People shouldn't feel guilty because you just have to deal with life too and also be your best at work. [12:26]
Commercial break. [13:00]
I think it's so important to be a functioning member of the community and fortunately, the work places have gotten more flexible, especially since COVID. [15:44]
If we can take care of our health and our well being, while we're taking care of our loved ones, it's just going to benefit everybody and us especially. [17:19]
There's not enough assisted living opportunities or nursing homes that take care of people, and it's hard to get some new nursing home unless you're willing to pay. [18:50]
One of the most important things I emphasize, is to get your legal paperwork in order to prevent a lot of heartache in case of anything. [19:07]
I have lots of links for caregiving resources and accounts of very practical things to do in different situations. [23:02]
One really exciting thing I have today is for the first 10 people who send me an email, I will send them a free copy an E copy of Dancing With Louie. [23:35]
Break yourself out of the denial mode and search for resources ahead of time if your parents or grandparents are starting to get frail. [25:02]
Try to plan ahead and to find resources s well as getting your legal paperwork in order. [25:33]
Take care of yourself, because that's the only way you're going to be able to take care of your loved ones, and you have to have a life after they pass away. [26:07]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.

Creating Fresh Thoughts - Anita Bentata

“You can see things differently depending on how you interpret things and that influences how you respond to it.” Anita Bentata
The link between healing of trauma and neuroscience is something that has received considerable attention in practice. Our guest today, Anita Bentata, has spent most of her time researching and learning about trauma and the healing process in an effort to help people overcome their past and embody a better self.
Anita Bentata is a psychotherapist, author, online group facilitator, thought leader and speaker, specializing in trauma, abuse, stress, relationships and love. Anita is based in Melbourne, Australia and is the recipient of multi-international awards and national recognition for her approach and program for women impacted by trauma, isolation and abuse. Anita has spoken at conferences about her model and theories, as well as participated in numerous interviews and being involved as a consultant and primary interviewee for a documentary about domestic violence.
Anita’s focus is showing people they can feel free, resilient and resourced, in mind and body; no matter their past, or any current situation. So, people can embody wellbeing, healthy life energy and clarity in life choices, as opposed to passivity, repetition or reactions. After nearly 3 decades in the field, including 4 years of specialist training in trauma and defense systems, Anita came to realize why people get stuck in trauma or therapy for longer than is needed. This vital framework forms The Essentials Method™, based on neuroscience and the best of whole brain body Western and Eastern science and psychology; along with countless hours spent with clients. Combined, this led Anita to realize what was missing in personal and community life skill development, and within the field of psychology. This awareness of what was missing in the field and necessary for complete trauma resolution, and to face anything in life as well as to move forward free from the past, was also informed by the personal work Anita undertook prior to her qualification.
It was her journey as a client which led Anita to change careers from accounts and book-keeping, and into psychotherapy. Undertaking therapy to resolve trauma from a childhood of abuse and neglect, and from later escaping domestic violence with her two young children. Client journeys, parenting her children through trauma, and two significant life events led Anita to understand more of what is needed to fully resolve the unbearable and the uncomfortable.
Anita created the Living in Flow online, live, group or 1:1 program consisting of a series of modules to skill people to live life from The Essentials Method™. People are not taught now to take advantage of the brilliance of the brain and body and instead are held captive by old, learnt styles of coping. Coping methods which didn’t develop, along with other life skills, has meant people tend to know what they don’t want, and what they do want, but not know how to transition from the old to the new. People end up in with limited beliefs, behaviors and habits and perceive this is ‘normal’ not realizing what could be named as ‘normal’ and possible for healthy and vibrant living and relationships. Anita’s values are joy, ease and growth. This creates a life of love, flow and creativity.
Anita believes we’re all creators and life is about creative living, and when we don’t have access to the our whole brain and body we do keep creating, but we’re re-creating old patterns and worries, going over the past, maintaining, coping or managing through the use of any skills, including wonderful trauma techniques which of their own still do not provide the full map to move on in life and can end up deepening the connections to the past when there is not enough understanding about how the brain works and what it needs from us.
In today’s episode, Anita will discuss more about listening to their emotions and feelings rather than entirely depending on reason in healing trauma. She will also highlight on the importance of working in groups when going through the healing process.
Listen in!
Social media handles:
https://www.facebook.com/thewolfinasuit
https://www.facebook.com/targetingabetterwayinrelationships
 https://facebook.com/groups/BigHeartedWomenCommunity/
 https://www.instagram.com/anitabentata 
https://www.twitter.com/anitabentata 
https://au.linkedin.com/in/anita-bentata 
https://www.youtube.com/user/anidrb 
https://www.anitabentata.com 
https://anita-bentata.teachable.com
 
I've been working in the field 26 years and it's taken me on a huge journey that's highly influenced my personal life. [3:26]
I used to work in bookkeeping and accounts and I changed careers and became a therapist and did specialist studies on trauma and understanding what happens. [3:36]
I came to this work through my own personal journey and I went into therapy to make sure I didn't get into more abuse because I grew up with abuse and trauma. [4:46]
My passion is about assisting people to activate the brain and the body out of the trauma response, to be able to listen and to take action. [5:27]
My personal life experiences have given me such a gift of understanding my own journey by questioning things from a personal perspective and resonate as well as connect with my clients. [6:00]
After working many years, I started noticing patterns with people and I started creating my own theories because I felt like there wasn't adequate answers. [6:29]
My organization is all about being able to tap into the whole self, and into our life energy, to be able to make better decisions and to have greater emotional muscle to go beyond the repeat. [7:55]
I show people in my neuroscience backed program, how to have fresh thoughts and be mobilized into action that's aligned with our feelings and our thoughts so that there isn't an internal conflict. [8:38]
I'm really passionate about is teaching people about our brilliant brain, because there's nothing faulty from my perspective ever going on in our brain. [10:44]
Often people don't realize that it's feelings that changes neural pathways and so we need to find a way to be able to take care of the feeling. [11:02]
Along the way, I've discovered how people miss label things and I've created a neuroscience way of how we talk to ourselves based on how we talk to ourselves. [14:05]
The more we know how to use our own brain, the more then we can fire and wire because feelings is what activates the wiring together. [14:33]
I also found that people keep looping to what the brain does most recently and most frequently, not necessarily because of the trauma that's happened. [15:55]
People often don't have the skills on how to move forward in a genuine way that's not through willpower and not through positive thinking. [17:06]
It is a powerful thing to be able to label things so that our environment doesn't define how we are. [19:14]
You can see things differently depending on how you interpret things and that influences how you respond to it. [20:16]
Commercial break. [20:38]
The most important thing is to be able to tell yourself that there are more possibilities of how I can perceive what's going on or be able to talk to somebody that I feel like can connect with where I'm at. [23:13
Most traumas happen in relationship to people and so we get stuck more on a social or an interpersonal level. [23:51]
The most important thing is to be able to know there's always a new way of addressing something that we don't know about. [24:02]
From my perspective based on my experience, we notice things because we're conscious and we end up hooking into them and retelling the same story which loops us into those neural pathways. [25:40]
It is about how to find a way to not get hooked into those old patterns and those old stories so that our system can move on. [26:02]
We can start putting out energy and focus into firing and wiring the new map otherwise, we just keep re looping. [26:15]
A lot of my work is actually helping people to label and talk to themselves through the transition, and how to engineer things so that it gets in that optimal generative way. [28:13]
I also help people to trust the inner reality, and stop trusting the outer reality because the outer reality is just a momentum of what's been happening of the past. [28:27]
One of the most important things is, what you focus on is what keeps deepening in your system. [31:06]
It is about taking that step for ourselves and experimenting to find out whether it feels better. [31:58]
Just keep trying and following what feels better because if you keep following through the day, instead of following what you think you should be doing, everything will keep getting easier. [32:11]
Often, I find that people can create a faster change quicker when they do it in a group because they're motivated and inspired. [33:09]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.
 

End of Life Ceremonies - Louise Crooks and Vicki Lichtman

“Most of us can't choose how we're going to die but we can choose our choices then within that we can prepare for them.” Louise J. Crooks
Loss is an integral part of the existence of humanity. By understanding and acknowledging this fact, we get to have a different perception and attitude to towards grieving. Victoria Lichtman and Louise J. Crooks believe that no one deserves to die alone. They have taken the path of supporting people facing death and loss with an aim of easing their experience. They do this by creating an environment that enables sharing of the experiences of death and bereavement.  
When Victoria developed a ceremony for her beloved friend that was passing…gathering all who loved him to pave his path with love while he left this world, something magical happened. People gathered from around the world on an online platform. It was an amazing experience...humbling in its beauty and an honour to be present to. Her close friend, fellow healer and marketing guru, Louise, was deeply touched and together they decided they should do this for others.
Suddenly, all Victoria’s life’s work pulled together and End of Life Ceremonies was created. Victoria has always deeply understood there are only three things we can share with people in this world; their birth, their life and all that happens in it, and their death. To her, all are sacred. She has had the privilege and honour to be with people that are entering transition, both with those passing and with the loved ones left behind.
According to Victoria, these are the moments when the pretences of life are left behind and only truth is left…the desire for identifying and delving into our spiritual beliefs, facing our emotions, asking how to let go and experiencing the truth of love and true forgiveness…which is where true healing lies. Connecting with others on such a deep level brings Victoria great joy and fulfillment and the craving to do so has been a driving force in her lifelong work in her private practice, her public speaking and her dynamic workshops on emotional awareness, forgiveness, spirituality and healing.
Victoria teaches how to feel emotion and live life to its fullest no matter what events are happening in their lives. With the gift of being able to create a safe and sacred space, she helps others on their healing path emotionally, physically and spiritually. She has been a force in the human potential movement and healing arts for more than 40 years. She is a Senior Practitioner and Presenter for the global organization, The Journey, a transformational cellular level healing modality. She has an MPS in Counseling, 2ce certified in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), is an International certified Life Coach, a Conscious Leadership Coach and international speaker.
For Louise Crooks, after experiencing the transitioning ceremony Victoria held for their friend, she was deeply moved. So much so, the next day they decided wholeheartedly that they needed to do this for people in a bigger way - they knew it was so needed. That was the beginning of End of Life Ceremonies. Louise and Victoria met over a decade ago through an organization called The Journey. Having learnt ways to hold space for those in need, this felt like the perfect next step.
Louise had been thinking about death and what it meant, especially during the Covid pandemic. So many people were dying alone. This was one of her greatest fears - dying alone. Her concern previously had been that she had no children - so who was going to look after her, and be at her bedside when the time came. Seeing how people transitioning could be held with love through the ceremony Victoria performed for their friend, was the spark that lit this fire. And after being at the bedside of two family members - and seeing the life spark leave their body, Louise knew that that spark couldn’t just disappear, and has a long-held belief since then that our loved ones are still with us beyond death.
Holding the space for the passing not just while they are here but into the beyond is something she believes is important - our love ‘paves the path home’. Louise Crooks has been a holistic marketing and visibility coach for the healing and coaching community for the past 15 years. She’s been on a lifelong healing journey herself and knows the importance of healing work in the world - driving the passion she has for serving her clients through her foundational marketing work and in turn helping more people heal. Her extensive marketing experience in this community lends itself well to End of Life Ceremonies and she is not only a co-founder but the Marketing Director too.
Ultimately Louise is here in this life to serve, to heal, and to be here for those going through the struggles of life and help them grow and feel supported - even in death. Louise has an Arts Degree, is a fully qualified Life Coach (ICF recognized) and Business Coach, and has immersed herself in programs such as The Journey, The Enneagram, Access Consciousness and Human Design.
In this episode, our guests will talk about the birth of their business and the importance of being present in all the events that happen in our lives. They will also discuss on why seeking support is important when experiencing loss.
Listen in!
Links:
Facebook group: http://fb.me/groups/endoflifeconversations
Facebook page: http://fb.me/pavethepathhome  
Website: www.endoflifeceremonies.com  
(Offering) Grief Meditation webpage: www.healingthroughlossmeditation.com
I've been an entrepreneur for my whole working life and for years when someone passes on, I would take my crystal singing bowl and I would play it and sing their soul home. [3:09]
I told what I did to a friend who was such a beautiful teacher and healer and he said he wanted this for himself. [3:36]
At his passing time, people from around the world gathered and it was so engrossing where we gave him final wishes. [4:00]
I've done this for years and years and I've studied death and dying my whole life and what happens to us when we die and our belief systems. [4:40]
This was a turning point for me being able to start this and Louise called me the next day because she also loved Bodhi dearly. [
She suggested the we bring this to the world together and that's how this [5:27]
I've always known that there's only three times we can be present for another and I had been present in every one of them; birth, life and all that happens in it, and death. [5:45]
It's the moments we truly come together that we witness and connect and when we do the important transitions in our lives when present they all become sacred. [6:02]
It's such an honor for us to be able to hold the space for people going through this experience. [6:45]
So many people reached out to us sharing how wowed over they were by the experience and how deeply they felt it. [6:58]
Death happens, but in many cultures, this is avoided and it is rarely a shared experience and so we don't really give death, the same recognition and importance as other life events. [7:18]
Whether it's us in the dying process or it is the people that we're leaving behind, it's all an emotional experience, and most of the time, we suppress and try to block it [7:57]
This is an opportunity for us to really embrace the dying process and, and recognize the beauty in it. [8:11]
We have made this so that it is available for adults and children. [10:38]
It's recognizing that live spark has to energetically go somewhere and from that point of view, we really do feel that we want to sing souls home, even beyond death. [11:55]
We have three ceremonies that we do, and one of them is after they die to pave that path for them even beyond death. [12:10]
Part of what we're doing, not only with the ceremonies, but with the work that we do with individuals and in groups is to help them to let go and to have peace with the whole process. [13:02]
We were about giving people choice in how they die, and giving their loved one’s choice in how they support their loved ones. [15:45]
Most of us can't choose how we're going to die but we can choose our choices then within that we can prepare for them. [16:06]
Commercial break. [17:11]
We have the celebration of life ceremony, pave the path home ceremony and the end-of-life ceremony. [15:58]
The celebration of life ceremony before you go is about being able to connect with all your loved ones and not leave without saying goodbye. [19:22]
The pave the path home ceremony is done to support you through the experience of leaving this physical plane. [19:49]
The end of life ceremony happens after you pass and is for your loved ones to offer comfort and give you wings of love and prayer as your soul transitions on to the next plane. [20:47]
Our mission is we don't want anybody to have to be alone but to leave knowing that there are loved ones paving the path. [22:57]
I am not scared of death or what happens after death but I'm scared of dying alone which is so what happened with COVID. [23:42]
This brought up some beautiful opportunities for some beautiful ways of thinking and created for us an opportunity to do a phenomenal grief meditation. [24:09]
There are so many people that are scared of dying alone go and are asking if they can buy one of these ceremonies. [25:16]
It is our mission that we grow this business and get this out there to the world and get more people involved. [25:44]
The bereavement is part of the deeper work we do and it's about helping people to move through that grief as well and heal. [26:53]
There's so much that can be supported through this experience and we do all of that through one on one work and through our bereavement groups. [29:01]
One of the biggest things that we work with is emotion and to feel emotion in a healthy way. [30:51]
Don’t let grief to ruin your life as it hinders you from living a full life. You are not dishonoring your loved one by allowing yourself to let go. [31:00]
Vicki does a beautiful meditation helping people through that process in this grief meditation. [33:36]
No matter what is happening, be totally present in the here and now and don't miss one moment of what's happening in your life. [35:52]
Be honest about what's really in your heart, and be who you are for you are so precious. [36:08]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.

Speak Faithfully for Greater Justice - Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford

“It's up to us to fully self-actualize, and one of the greatest ways to do that is to be engaged in social justice action.”   Dr. Marcia Ledford
Now more than ever, a wider and deeper understanding of the church’s role in social and political life is needed. Many church leaders continue to work towards providing important platforms from which people can deal with political, social and economic matters, as well as the relations between the state and wider society. Our guest today, Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford, has been working towards greater social justice by empowering people to act on social injustices faced by different groups.
The Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford’s ministry is in Southwest Detroit’s Latinx population—an international port with an aggressive regional ICE director. Dr. Ledford is a civil rights attorney representing society’s most marginalized. An Episcopal priest, she holds a Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She earned her Doctor of Ministry in political theology from Pacific School of Religion.
Dr. Ledford founded Political Theology Matters, LLC, to help the faithful develop public theology mission and broadcast messaging for greater social justice. She is trained for community organizing through the Industrial Areas Foundation and volunteers with Michigan United. PTM is a for profit company but is also an altruistic or philanthropic enterprise.
Dr. Ledford want to inspire people to do good--to shock their potential for justice. She believes that she needs to make a living ethically and via positive contributions to society. Engaging in political theology, speaking faithfully in public, for social justice, represents the culmination of her life's work and experiences.
She is passionate about achieving greater social justice in American society. Her message's foundation in progressive Christian theology intersects with the US Constitution, especially the First Amendment. She brings humor, poignant stories, and inspiration in her conversations. She sparks dynamic, vital conversations about the most important issues of our time--protecting civil rights and our beloved constitution and democracy.
In today’s episode, our guest will talk about her journey towards advocating for social injustices. She will also elaborate more about spiritual resistance and what it entails.
Social media handles:
http://www.politicaltheologymatters.com/  
https://www.facebook.com/politicaltheologymatters  
https://linkedin/marcialedford  
https://www.instagram.com/docledford  
https://www.twitter.com/docledford
 
I write, speak, teach and preach to help people get better equipped to be faith based advocates in the public square for social justice. [3:32]
Political theology is taking your faith formation and using that as a basis for calling out injustice and demanding greater equality across our social spectrum. [3:49]
My mission came to be after my being absolutely appalled at what our archaic immigration laws are doing to Latino families in southwest Detroit. [4:43]
We want to be sure and get our demands in with respect to pathways to citizenship. [5:45]
Spanish, like the romance languages are all inflected, meaning that nouns can have a gender assigned to them. [6:51]
The practice has been adapted to start saying Latin x, which is neutral, and is intended to include everybody. [7:07]
This has been an ongoing effort to be more inclusive when terms from this inflected language are used. [7:30]
When I was coming of age in the late 70s and early 80s, I came out as a lesbian. [10:09]
I had been very involved in my church growing up and so I had a really difficult coming out process, at least, with my own personal struggle. [10:20]
I felt like I had to choose between my faith and being who I was and this is very true even today. [10:44]
I had to navigate the society as a lesbian which means that I couldn’t access some things. [11:14]
I recognize that my white privilege affords me certain benefits and give me opportunities that I wouldn't ordinarily have as a person of color. [11:56]
I still was a second class citizen in many of the fundamental ways that we regard being an American. [12:14]
Over time, I became more sensitive to the call to ministry that I had experienced from when I was a teenager. [12:32]
I wasn't seeing women and I certainly wasn't seeing lesbians up at the pulpit in the altar but I finally agreed to go do this and be ordained and asked for help from the holy spirit. [12:44]
I became ordained in the Episcopal Church, where I serve the Latin x community. [13:06]
It was a combination of my love of the gospel, and my experience as a civil rights attorney, that really fueled this mission. [13:16]
Even though I don't know exactly what it's like to be a person of color, I decided that if we didn't do anything about the ills, it wasn’t going to stop. [14:06]
I think sometimes people think that when a law is made that it's carved into stone. [15:35]
Our Congress has the power to change those laws, and if they won't change them, then we need to put people in there who will. [16:27]
The fact that all these voter suppression bills are pending throughout the country is an indicator that elected people know that they are in danger of being voted out for not doing the will of the people. [17:18]
What I advocate for is the First Amendment which gives us a place to go where everybody can talk and not have to worry about slandering the crown. [19:03]
I wanted to create a place for us to work stuff out and that means that our best chance of doing that is when as many voices come together as possible to say their piece. [19:52]
By talking about it, we identify the problems and the issues, and we try to work out a solution that serves the majority of the people. [20:12]
Once people realize that they can do it, then we have to instill confidence and provide tools and resources to get people basically off their doffs and go advocate for justice. [20:47]
Commercial break. [21:17]
The immigration issues affect our country on a national basis and so if immigration is something that you want to work on, you certainly can. [23:32]
I really believe in what's called the spirituality of resistance. [23:48]
Things bother us, but we feel like they are such big complex problems and I don't really know what to do about it. [24:01]
We're all human beings and have a human connection to one another and therefore we got to have everybody. [24:29]
The spirituality of resistance involves two things which are digging deep into yourself to determine what issues really bothers you, and finding a group that works on these issues to work with them. [25:23]
It is one of the most empowering things I have ever experienced in my life, which is why I work with Michigan united. [26:19]
If you feel like your representatives in the Congress are not doing what you want them to do, then you need to be in touch. [28:09]
There's lots of ways to be involved even if you're super busy and feels overwhelming. [29:14]
One of the mottos I try to live by is we don't get a dress rehearsal and it's up to us to fully self-actualize, and one of the greatest ways to do that is to be engaged in social justice action. [30:27]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.

Day of Dignity - Lissa Zanville

“It is important to listen as well as give your opinion on things because it's important both ways.” Lisa Zanville
Effective community work requires bringing together the expertise and skills of different people to focus towards common goals. This collaboration is important for community outreach and engagement. Our guest today, Lisa Zanville has been working with various organizations that focus on community service and says that much more is achieved when there are organized efforts towards helping the community.
Lissa Mozur Zanville has more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit, public, and private sectors, including government affairs, media relations, crisis management, community relations, strategic planning, spokesperson training, and stakeholder management. A graduate of UCLA, Zanville worked for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., the California Democratic Party, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, the California State Assembly, and Pacific Bell (now AT&T) where she was Director of Media Relations and primary spokesperson.
Lissa started LMZ Communications in 1990. The company provided spokesperson training to corporate, sports, entertainment, and political clients such as Toyota, Microsoft, City of Los Angeles, Knott’s Berry Farm, IBM, Claritin, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the United States Equestrian Federation. Immediately before joining Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities in 2016, Zanville was with the PHASE ONE Foundation, a non-profit that supports early cancer research and clinical trials. For nine years she has served as the sole staff and Executive Director of this $16 million foundation. Zanville lives in Los Angeles with her husband Stuart.
In today’s episode, Lissa will be telling us about Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities and the different ways in which they give back to the community.
Listen in!
Contacts:
Website: https://www.latlc.org 
We started about 15 years ago and it was started by a small group of plaintiff attorneys who felt together they could do so much more than they were as individuals. [3:22]
We supported organizations that were in Los Angeles, and there were a few volunteer projects and over the years, it has developed into a large group, making a difference. [4:25]
We believe in helping the community in five areas which are children, education, survivors of abuse, persons with disabilities, and homelessness. [4:43]
The first way we help is that we raise money, and over the years, we've given over $5 million in both grants, goods, and gifts to the community. [4:59]
We also do it in volunteer projects where we've done over 6000 volunteer hours working in projects that make a difference. [5:58]
We also have signature events where we give out all kinds of things to make individual families a little better by making a difference for them. [6:31]
We also have the great trike giveaway where we give out adaptive tricycles to children with disabilities. [7:21]
We also started something called the day of dignity for the homeless where we provide them services that they want to feel the kind of love and dignity that we want them to feel. [8:05]
Some of our favourite volunteer projects are the ones where we talk to and deal with people. [10:24]
During the pandemic, we decided to do a St. Patrick's Day zoom event where we had interaction and felt face to face with people. [10:33]
In every community, some organizations try to make a change. [14:42]
Commercial Break. [16:05]
Our event has evolved because we try to identify the individual needs by listening as well as projecting what we think people want so that we could make things happen. [18:15]
It is important to listen as well as give your opinion on things because it's important both ways. [22:08]
We want to help other plaintiffs, attorneys and local organizations mixed where they'll be able to help their local charities. [23:09]
We've learned in the last year and a half that we all have to pivot, think outside the box and do what needs to be done to help the [25:03]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.
 

The Power of Reconomics - Storm Cunningham

“What we restore restores us, what we revitalize revitalizes us.” Storm Cunningham
For communities to remain stable and thrive, effort needs to be directed towards strengthening and diversifying the existing elements. However, most communities struggle with community development projects due to a lack of understanding of and failure to integrate processes in their implementation. Our guest today, Storm Cunningham has decades of experience working in community development initiatives across the world and reiterates the importance of creating processes that guide these initiatives as well as having people who can facilitate the processes.
Based in Washington DC for the past 30 years, Storm primarily focuses on the three areas which include  Community renewal, nature restoration and climate resilience. He is also an author of three books his latest release being ‘Reconomics,’ and does inspirational talks and how-to workshops for non-profits & governments worldwide.
 A former Green Beret, his hard-hitting, humorous, silo-busting talks can focus on multiple areas including water, housing, job growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, natural resources, downtowns, brownfields, heritage, climate, social justice or education.
In today’s episode, Storm will talk about what makes sustainable communities especially the initiatives that ensure resilience and revitalization. He will also highlight the principles that ensure the minimum viable process when carrying out community initiatives.
 
Listen in!
 
 Social Media:
https://reconomics.org/   
https://www.linkedin.com/in/restorm  
https://twitter.com/restorm  
https://www.facebook.com/storm.cunningham  
https://www.patreon.com/stormcunningham  
https://stormcunningham.com/
One thing I've learned is that most communities need to be shocked big time everywhere you go. [3:32]
Communities have revitalization and resilience initiatives underway but hardly anybody is accomplishing anywhere near what they're hoping to accomplish. [3:46]
One of the most common reasons is that most communities suffer from perpetual planning syndrome. [4:41]
Some communities have dedicated leaders who are honestly trying to revitalize or become more resilient but don't know how since they've gotten no training in this. [6:18]
They're no real degrees and how to revitalize but you can more reliably manage emergent complexities if you have an actual process. [6:32]
The world knows you need a process to reliably produce anything but the people who run communities don't seem to know that. [7:10]
The focus of my most recent book, ‘Reconomics,’ is that process. [7:24]
I've spent the last 20 years tracking down exactly what is the minimum viable process that needs to be in place in a community to reliably produce revitalization or resilience? [7:29]
Most places are good at projects and most do succeed but the trouble is the projects don't produce revitalization. [9:03]
Projects are the last step of the revitalization process where before you get to that kind of action, you need to lay the groundwork to make sure that the momentum from each successful project is captured. [9:42]
The end goal that you're shooting for at least amongst their goals is increasing the confidence in their future. [10:01]
By not increasing the confidence in the future of a place, you're going to continue losing residents, employers and investors, and you're not going to be attracting new ones. [10:22]
You need to have an ongoing program because revitalization and regeneration is something that needs to be happening every moment of every day. [10:36]
As I describe in Reconomics, the home for this ongoing program should not be a government agency, it should not be subject to the vicissitudes of changes of administration. [11:57]
Some projects do this is a strategy, I call the three re strategy, which is repurpose, renew, reconnect and when that's put into effect, real magic can happen. [16:02]
If a project is big enough, ambitious enough, and uses the right strategy, it can revitalize, but the best thing is to have a complete process. [16:17]
Commercial break. [20:32]
The easiest way to overcome the credibility factor in terms of can we revitalize is to tell stories and showing communities that had similar problems who overcame them. [22:45]
Two sources for the credibility problem include genuine skepticism arising from false promises and failed projects and people seeing revitalization as a mystery that probably cannot be successfully engineered. [23:03]
Our focus at economics Institute economics.org is on certifying revitalization and resilience facilitators. [24:31]
The first step to help communities create these processes is having somebody who knows what the process i. [24:52]
The facilitators basically can take a look at what the community is currently doing and do a gap analysis and fill in until they get that minimum viable process, which just has six parts. [25:14]
The six elements make the minimum viable process so you can add to it but can't take away as this is the minimum that's necessary to have a reliable process to produce revitalization and resilience. [25:54]
The first job of that ongoing program is to create a shared vision of the future. [26:16]
The next step is to have a strategy to overcome the primary obstacles to achieving that vision. [26:26]
The next is taking a look at the policies and find out what policies are going to get in the way of achieving that strategy and vision. [26:46]
The fourth step is going ahead and putting together some partnerships. [27:01]
The last step is using the resources that the partnerships bring to the table to do the actual projects. [27:08]
It's not enough just to have a program vision strategy, policies, partnerships and projects, each one of them has to be regenerative to produce revitalization and resilience
Both revitalization and resilience are based on repurposing, renewing and reconnecting and are natural and built-in socio-economic environments.
By combining them, now, you've got the short term benefits of revitalization with the long term benefits of resilience, which helps fund and build public support for both of them.
This doesn't have to be done as a profession, we've got people who are becoming certified revitalization resilience facilitators because they want to be more effective volunteers.
What we restore restores us, what we revitalize revitalizes us.
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.
 

Reach the Best Version of Yourself - Hina Siddiqui

“Stop making goals and instead have a vision for your life because goals are future based which stops us from living in the present moment.” Hina Siddiqui
Learning to consciously live in the present will allow you to not only apply the lessons and knowledge from your past but also give you the space to bring into perspective your vision for the future. This means that you will be able to recognize what makes you happy and fulfilled and focus on making it a part of your daily life.  According to our guest today, Hina Siddiqui, being present in the moment helps people to truly appreciate little but important things that often go unnoticed.
Hina Siddiqui, is an Indian woman with wings and is the author of Five Non-fiction Books, including Road To Riches Of Life; https://amzn.to/3kvoB04. Design A Career you Love and Secrets of the 6 Figure Employee with Zero Stress; https://amzn.to/3kwmWaE. If there’s one thing she can change in the world, it would be how working professionals live and do their jobs. No surprise, she keeps on learning, creating and refining the transformation strategies that people can instantly use for gorgeous and quick results.
Hina teaches and writes about creating a life vision, and personal mastery to achieve that. She is a lover of yoga, guitars, trees, wind and the food that her mom cooks. When she’s not working on her passion projects, Hina spends her time reading, taking solo trips, chitchatting with strangers, and cooking for her favourite kids -her niece and nephew.
In today’s episode, Hina will discuss the importance of living in the present moment and the work she does to help people settle in careers that are aligned with their personalities.
Listen in!
Social Media handles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorhina/  
https://twitter.com/hina_2016  
https://www.facebook.com/authorhina
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRoCRQfpWcdtCxETZH1YDzQ
https://www.pinterest.com.au/author_hina/
 https://medium.com/@authorhina  
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15203992.Hina_Siddiqui
https://www.instagram.com/authorhina/  
https://www.authorhina.com/
  Resources
https://amzn.to/2U1oNty
 https://amzn.to/3Ctvt5d
https://amzn.to/3jA5tMJ
 
My journey started when I wrote my first book which was published in 2016 and it was the road to riches of life. [2:45]
Before that, I was in the corporate sector working with various corporate jobs and I was also struggling like most people who are incorporate. [2:55]
I had some natural talents that I had forgotten about that I call the side effects of growing up. [3:13]
Luckily, I have been one of those fortunate few people who figure out that we are sent into this world for a specific purpose. [3:43]
In my childhood days, it was mostly writing short stories for kids and coaching them in my imperfect ways. [4:12]
After a long time, I remembered that this is what I wanted to do when I was a child and started paying attention to it. [4:40]
I learned some perfect ways where I did my certification courses and did my lots of lots of study around being a life coach. [5:02]
I have written five books and my latest book is Secrets of the Six Figure Employees with zero stress where I have mentioned a lot about my experiences of working with corporate houses. [5:20]
My mission is to help people incorporate who feel stuck in their jobs and don't feel [5:43]
I come in to picture and help them to choose a job, which goes with their personality and one that resonates with them. [6:11]
Most of the people who have approached me are usually confused and don't know what to do. [8:04]
I always say that there's not a single ideal job that is ideal but there is a perfect one for you. [8:42]
Switching a career is difficult for people but like me, I always tell them to trust that everything is going to fall into place if they follow their passion and heart. [9:54]
Being in the moment helps a lot because most of the problems are created in minds. [11:59]
By thinking about what's going on currently and doing the best in that present moment, things automatically get solved. [12:36]
Commercial break. [12:55]
It's very important to be present at the moment and definitely when we are ourselves. We are better equipped to help you People and help our communities to show up their potential. [14:50]
I believe everyone has limitless potential and no matter what position a person has reached there's still something more that they can do. [15:04]
I believe it is the responsibility of every single person in the community to reach the best version of themselves. [16:25]
We don't have control over the world and cannot change the people around but when we change ourselves, then lots of things around us change. [18:03]
Stop making goals and instead have a vision for your life because goals are the future based which stops us from living in the present moment. [19:30]
Make systems of achieving it and start living that vision just right away because there are lots of things that we can do. [19:55]
It is very important to live in the present moment as it makes life way easier because I'm not getting attached to the results. [20:35]
…………………..…..
TopDog Learning Group, LLC is a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, FL, USA but with “TopDoggers” (aka consultants) throughout North America and beyond.
They focus on training programs (both virtual and face-to-face), keynotes and “lunch and learns,” group and 1:1 coaching, and off-the-shelf solutions.
One such solution is their Masterclass on The Top 3 Strategies to be Resilient in Times of Change.
This thoughtful self-paced online training will guide you through three tactics you can immediately use to—not just survive—but thrive when change comes at you.
Use the code RESIL50OFF for 50% off the program! Just go to https://bit.ly/3a5mIS6 and enter the code RESIL50OFF, in all capitals, to redeem your 50% off coupon. The link and code will be available in our show notes for easy access.