Shock Your Potential

Find Your Career Sweet Spot - Dr. Benjamin Ritter

“The reason why a job is a right job is that there's a multitude of factors that come together to create some level of satisfaction.” Benjamin Ritter
One of the most recognized and effective ways to giving back to society is providing mentorship. It is an important development and learning experience that enhances the lives of people both professionally and personally.  Our guest today, Benjamin Ritter, has been providing career mentorship at different levels and capacities and says that it is about encouraging people to find roles that bring satisfaction and fulfilment.
Dr. Benjamin Ritter, is a leadership and career coach, values geek, regional learning manager for YPO, national speaker, podcaster, author, mentor, and passionate about guiding others in finding, creating, and sustaining a career they love. With over 10 years of experience coaching and a background in organizational leadership and learning theory, Ben understands how to navigate any career path you decide you want to travel.
Since launching his coaching practice he has guided hundreds of professionals toward creating the career they love and has impacted thousands through his events and media content. From empowering young professionals to get unstuck, to guiding senior leadership on how to stand out from the competition and develop executive presence, Ben is an expert in his field and will guide you toward truly living for yourself at work and in life. Ben received his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a focus on value congruence and job satisfaction and earned an MBA in entrepreneurial management and an MPH in health policy administration.
In today’s episode, our guest will talk to us about ways in which we can find fulfilment in our careers. He will also touch on how he gives back to society and the best way to get into offering service in the community.
 
Listen in!
 
Social media Handles:
https://instagram.com/ritterbenj  
https://linkedin.com/in/ritterbenj  
https://youtube.com/c/benjaminritter
I work with senior leaders on discovering what that career is, something they can say that they love. [4:21]
I also work with organizations to help them create an environment that people can feel that way in because I believe in personal accountability and empowerment when it comes to your career. [4:33]
Most of the time organizations are not built in a way where people can come in and have a conversation with their leader that then helps them create a professional plan to create the career they love. [4:49]
People tend to hop from thing to thing, ultimately, always feeling stuck, but having about a six-month window in each job where they feel like they are in the right place. [5:00]
We are often promised the perfect job which then leads us in our decisions. [6:39]
We can shock some people's potential today, by helping them realize that your perfect job is going to change as you change and learn. [6:58]
There's the career sweet spot which is where your skills overlap with what you want to grow towards. [7:09
As you grow professionally, where you are supposed to be in your job, career, or organization is going to change. [7:31]
People used to go to work, take their paycheck and go home and there wasn’t a plethora of options or the ability to compare themselves to the rest of the world. [9:21]
Our communities used to be where we worked and who we worked with were also strong relationships. [10:09]
The environment and culture of work have changed and we don't have those immediate close relationships. [10:40]
We don't often feel like we're giving back to our community because we're working within such a small little bubble. [10:55]
It is normal to feel like you want meaningful work. [11:03]
When it comes to job satisfaction, it is just highlighting what job satisfaction is. [12:17]
The reason why a job is the right job is that there's a multitude of factors that come together to create some level of satisfaction for you. [12:26]
The big one is relationships and the other pieces the actual work that you do and whether you find your work meaningful. [12:35]
You have to somehow connect meaning to your work and feel that what you're doing is purposeful. [13:51]
If you feel like you're wasting your time, that's going to lend itself to you also feeling stuck again and less fulfilled. [13:54]
A lot of times people try to make things hard for themselves when it comes to improving their careers. [18:05
A lot of our negativity is usually just attached to the stories that we've been telling ourselves. [18:16]
Commercial break [19:48]
Your career is a combination of jobs, and job experiences and the challenge is asking whether the thing you're doing now is what you thought were going to do 10 years ago. [22:11]
It is better to get started working towards the things you're interested in, light you up and get you excited, and continuously learn what lights you up and what you enjoy. [22:29]
Where I spend a lot of my extra time is through mentorship programs in three of my past universities and three different incubators. [23:52]
When we want to give back to our communities, I would suggest that everyone take some time and look around for organizations within your community that are trying to help develop people. [24:19]
A lot of times someone just needs someone to talk to who has a little bit more experience that isn't going to judge them and will be there to help them. [24:54]
When you're talking to someone at a completely different stage of life who are looking at you for advice and you're not looking to gain anything from them, it's a beautiful space to be in. [25:53]
People do sometimes need to hear the voice in their head and reaffirm from some people that they respect and that they trust. [27:45]
Most people tend to regret decisions they have not made, not decisions that they did. [28:58]
When it comes to your career if you have an inkling that you're interested in something go get a taste of it. [29:07]
…………………..…..
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.
 

Hello Gorgeous! - Kim Becker

“There's something so fulfilling about being able to help other people.” Kim Becker
Most business leaders find that helping others in whichever capacity comes as a natural extension of their responsibilities. Similarly, studies and history show that giving back and helping others has a common positive outcome for people. Our guest today, Kim Becker, is a businesswoman who found her passion in community service, and she says it is all about finding that one thing that you feel you ought to do and incorporating it into your daily routine.
Kim Becker is a motivational and inspirational speaker and an award-winning author of two books about beauty, cancer and the amazing scope of the human spirit. Kim is a dynamic communicator with an incredible story of faith, hope and service to others, and the founder of Hello Gorgeous! of HOPE, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides Red-Carpet Experiences for women battling all cancers across the United State.
Kim has been a business owner and national educator for more than 30 years. Through her many experiences in the for-profit and non-profit business worlds, Kim has become a businesswoman, fundraiser, event planner, educator, public speaker, author and the face of Hello Gorgeous! Kim received the Mom`s Choice Award for her first book, “Hello Gorgeous!: A Journey of Faith, Love and Hope”. Kim received the 2011 Spirit of Women Award, an American Cancer Society 2014 Coaches Versus Cancer Inspirational Award, she received the prestigious George H. W. Bush, Points of Light award in 2015 and in 2019 Kim received the Shero Award from Zeta Phi Beta Society.
In today’s episode, Kim will talk about her journey that led to the birth of Hello Gorgeous! and the impact it is making in the community.
Listen in!
Social media handles:
https://www.facebook.com/kim.scanlanbecker
https://www.facebook.com/HelloGorgeousIN/?ref=pages_you_manage
https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Becker-Inspires-2039277739522480/?ref=pages_you_manage
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kibecker/
 
I am a hairdresser and owned a salon and my late husband had a degree in pre-Columbian archaeology from Purdue University. [4:25]
In the beginning, I was a hairdresser and my dream was always to open a salon. [4:38]
When we started talking about opening a salon, my husband suggested that call the salon ‘Hello gorgeous,’ and I said that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. [4:45]
We opened a salon and owned it for 10 years and did not call it ‘Hello gorgeous’ but ‘Cheveu,’ which meant hair in French. [5:07]
The whole time that I own the salon, I always felt that there was just something that was missing. [5:13]
I remodeled the salon and we grew from one station to seven stations and outgrew from 1000 square feet and went to 3000 square feet with 17 stylists and massage therapists and receptionists. [5:33]
That still didn't fulfil that emptiness I was feeling and I thought what maybe I needed was to work on myself. [5:45]
I started training at all these places and there was still this emptiness that I was feeling. [5:51]
Mike and I had the conversations about something more we should be doing and one day all of a sudden it felt in my heart. [6:02]
We needed to have a mobile Day Spa that caters to cancer patients to treat them during a time where they don't feel very special. [6:23]
I pitched this idea to him about this beautiful mobile Day Spa and that we were going to it for free and suggested to call it ‘Hello gorgeous.’ [6:58]
Part of the program that we do is in-person makeovers and considering that most women are often selfless, we try to make sure that we surprise them. [10:20]
It is usually a nomination process where each of the women is nominated by family and friends and then we show up unannounced and give a head to toe makeover. [10:55]
I never promise to make them look like Miss America, but I try to make her look normal and so that they can participate in your everyday life [12:04]
We've been doing this almost 16 years and so I don't know whether I ever realize the impact and the ripple effect. [12:44]
When she's smiling, everybody else smiles around her and so it's not just her that we help. It's all the other people that surround her. [13:05]
I've had to change my verbiage to how can I support you because when you ask a different question, you elicit a different response. [14:38]
Commercial break. [16:46]
There is a ripple effect as far as the work that we do with the women. [19:07]
I worked with a life coach for a really long time and she always talks about your areas of genius and that I can't be good at everything but I can be good at some things. [19:20]
There are things that other people are really good at that I'm not good at but I can use those talents and their time to help me further my mission. [19:29]
I've had to kind of narrow down to my areas of genius and had people come forward and help because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. [19:37]
One of the things that we do is we have a salon affiliate program where I found salon owners to train them to create the ‘Hello Gorgeous’ experience. [20:06]
I like to tell business owners and business people that one of the things that they should do is team up with nonprofits. [21:12]
I did find that as soon as we open the salon affiliates across the United States, that's what made them stand out in their community. [21:54]
If you could do anything in the whole wide world that you wanted to do, and you didn't have to get paid to do it, what would it be? [22:38]
Find out what that is and if you're not doing it in your daily work, find out what would feed that in you and find a nonprofit that's already doing that and go help them. [22:45]
There's something so fulfilling about being able to help other people. [24:25]
If you have a something that you feel like you're supposed to be doing, even if you don't feel like you're qualified to do it, go ahead and do it. [24:32]
…………………..…..
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.
 
 
 

Grow Through What You Go Through - Stacey Sassine

“The loss of a parent or sibling is the number one biggest derailer of development in young people. “Stacey Sassine
Bereavement is a difficult part of life and for young people, it may cause significant disruption of their lives. Considering their limited knowledge and life experience, young people often find it difficult to understand grief and loss situations. This means that they need professional assistance to support them during this process. Our guest today, Stacy Sassine, finds purpose in working with young people who have encountered loss to keep them on track.
Stacey Sassine, Certified Grief Coach and founder of Epic Reboot, understand the depths of grief and loss and has created a safe space to allow those navigating their grief journey to unplug, reset, recharge, and reboot. Stacey’s programs are built upon its signature framework to help individuals not just navigate grief but transform through the process. This framework was the foundation for Stacey’s personal growth and has proven to be life-changing for others who utilize it as well.
When you invite Stacey on your grief journey, she will customize her three steps to meet your needs right where you are. By supporting you in changing your mindset and habits, she guides you to heal your body, mind, and soul allowing you the freedom to live a beautiful, more fulfilling life. Grief doesn’t have to hold you back; it can be a catalyst to help you see life in new and more purposeful ways.
Stacey is also the Founder and President of One Million Monarchs, a nonprofit organization that supports the complex needs of bereaved teens who are grieving the death of a parent, sibling or close friend. Having been a bereaved teen herself, she understands what is truly needed to support a grieving teen. Her book, “Caterpillars Can’t Talk; A Children’s Story About Love, Loss and Transformation” https://amzn.to/2XO8bHH, which was written by her mother before her death was published to assist children in their grief journey. Stacey has dedicated her life to helping others heal after a devastating loss.
In today’s episode, Stacey will discuss her journey and the events that led her to her current passion.
 
Listen in!
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/1MMonarchs  
https://www.facebook.com/myepicreboot  
https://www.facebook.com/CaterpillarsCantTalk  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-sassine-94b64a5/
 Websites:
https://epic-reboot.com/  
https://www.onemillionmonarchs.org/
My early career centred around nonprofit leadership until I had a friend who was in sales who showed me her paycheck. [4:02]
It prompted me to get into sales because I wanted an income like that, which led to sales leadership. [4:18]
I spent the last 20 years of my life leading sales teams for large corporations. [4:27]
In late 2019, I decided to take on a little project of having a book published that my mom wrote back in the early 80s. [4:44]
She wrote it to help a little boy who had lost his dad and it was a children's book about the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. [4:54]
That story was really around what happens to us when we die and trying to help a young child understand what happened. [5:08]
My mum had tried to get the book published back in the early 80s but it wasn't as easy to get a book published at all. [5:16]
Not too long later after she had written the book, she passed away, and so I was 16 years old when she passed. [5:32]
In late 2019, the book, ‘Caterpillars Can't Talk’ was published and it's just beautiful. [5:44]
I started looking around for children's grief organizations that I could potentially talk to about this book but there weren't any in my area. [6:10]
The book prompted me to start up my nonprofit organization called 1 million monarchs. [6:49]
We support teams who are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling and then continuing to grow and morphing. [6:51]
I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to helping people who had lost a close loved one. [7:11]
I work full time now with 1 million monarchs. An epic reboot is sort of my offering to support people along their grief journey which I find fulfilling. [7:17]
The potential for a teen to derail a little bit after a loss is great and so it is critical to support them. [9:00]
The loss of a friend can have a very profound effect on a peer group in general. [10:06]
Educators need help in understanding how to support grieving children and teenagers and so working with educators is another part of my schedule. [10:40]
I've noticed that people are extremely judgmental about other people's grief and loss and if I could do one thing, it would be to help people understand that they can’t assess another person's loss. [11:31]
My mother was an artist and was fascinated by butterflies so she would paint them all the time. [12:35]
Butterflies were always a symbol to me that my mom was near. [12:47]
When I heard the statistic that there are 1.5 million bereaved children in the country today, I hoped every single one of them had that sense that their loved one is nearby. [13:02]
The loss of a parent or sibling is the number one biggest derailer of development in young people yet it's not something we think about unless it hits close to home. [14:10]
It is important that we do something about it, that we look at it as an opportunity to intervene and to help keep those kids on track. [14:50]
Commercial break. [15:08]
I think about the intervention that we're providing teenagers who are going through the hardest time in their life and the whole end game for me is to help them reach their full potential. [17:01]
My healing came when I started doing something about the grief and started addressing it and helping others with it. [19:20]
Our motto at 1 million monarchs is ‘Go through what you go through and we try to practice that and try to help others through what we've experienced ourselves. [19:58]
Our educators and our support staff at our schools are so overwhelmed because their caseloads are huge. [20:58]
To be somebody that can partner with the schools to help them support their students is important to me. [21:33]
I'm always getting feedback from the schools that they appreciate the help and being able to still support their students but not have to be as hands-on. [21:45]
I want to encourage people to volunteer and support organizations that they believe in and it will make the world a better place to live in. [23:09]
…………………..…..
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.

Be Fearful and Do It Anyway! - Daralyse Lyons

"Be curious about learning from differences as opposed to rejecting differences." Daralyse Lyons
Creating environments that are all-inclusive goes beyond the narrow distinctions already in existence. This is because social constructs and spaces are always evolving and efforts need to focus on research, data, and continuous training to achieve desirable impacts. Daralyse Lyons has been in this space for a while and insists that it all starts from identifying and acknowledging the multiple identities that characterize an individual, then extending the same understanding to others.
Daralyse Lyons is a journalist, an actor, and an activist. She has written more than two dozen full-length books, a handful of short stories, and countless articles, performed in various plays and in improve comedy shows. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a summa cum laude graduate of NYU, with a double-major in English and Religious Studies and a minor in History.
After writing an award-winning children's book (I'm Mixed!) about embracing her multiethnic heritage, Daralyse found her passion and purpose in educating others about the need to embrace all aspects of themselves. She then went on to create the Demystifying Diversity Podcast and to write the book Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity https://amzn.to/2XssIS9. She works tirelessly as a full-time DEI expert and inclusivity strategist.
In today's episode, our guest will dive deeper ,/ into the concept of diversity and how she facilitates conversations around being different and inclusivity.
Listen in!
Social media:
https://www.demystifyingdiversitypodcast.com/  
https://www.daralyselyons.com/  
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAEPNoJUSd3Nfoq0MXtfdg  
https://www.facebook.com/The-Transformational-Storyteller1056439807729364/
https://twitter.com/daralyselyons  
https://www.instagram.com/daralyselyons/
https://www.amazon.com/Daralyse
Lyons/e/B00J9NBV9S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1512953330&sr=1-1
I do a lot of work on the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, which entails interviewing people on topics about diversity, equity, and inclusion. [4:04]
I also do a lot of writing that brings stories and voices to the forefront that I think sometimes are silenced and unheard and share those stories with my audience. [4:49]
I feel like the work that I do is deeply individual. It occurs within the context of the individual and society and the various communities we're members of. [5:35]
We are all part of various communal ecosystems, and there's no way for those ecosystems to thrive without supporting the individuals to thrive in the fullness of their identity. [5:56]
One of the problems with lack of diversity is that it makes it so that we don't question the paradigms that we're operating in. [7:12]
Exposure to the fluidity of interpretation of experience has allowed more freedom for people of all genders to question their circumstances. [8:04]
The more exposure we gain to difference, the more it allows us to question real beliefs and value systems. [8:07]
So many people feel limited by certain rules and cultural norms, but sometimes it takes one person to be courageous enough to step outside the box to motivate others. [13:01]
I encourage people to create safety in your community and be willing to ask questions. [14:47]
Being an independent thinker and not just falling into the status quo is probably the greatest asset. [17:50]
Fear is a natural human response, and fear of being different and going against the grain is something that most of us will experience even while we're being different and going against the grain. [19:24]
I have a bigger sense of purpose, meaning, and connection to other people and a desire to pave the way for a better tomorrow that I'm willing to take that step. [19:42]
I would encourage people to be fearful, not fearless, because if you're courageous, the chances are you're probably operating within your same old comfort zone. [20:36]
Commercial break. [20:59]
My book amplifies stories of people who have experienced a vast array of what it is to be human,. [22:44]
Most of us have several different identities and belong to a number of different communities. This opens us up to the richness of our complex and interconnected social matrix. [24:12]
This awareness that we can belong to multiple communities and want to feel embraced in the fullness of who we are, in and of itself, can be hugely empowering for people. [25:08]
There's always something that is different between you and someone else, and there's always something that is there that is similar or overlapping. [27:25]
I would just encourage people to look at us all as these beautiful, unique human fingerprints, but all very similar at the end of the day. [27:34]
Most people have an experience of being misjudged, and it's always painful to be on the receiving end of that, yet most of us are walking around judging people all the time. [28:56]
The most meaningful human interactions I have had have been with people who think very differently than I think or have been through different experiences than me. [29:27]
I encourage people to be curious about learning from difference as opposed to rejecting difference. [31:37]
Be yourself and then also create opportunities for others to be themselves. It is not a one-day event but a daily practice. [33:17]
Find what you need to change within yourself to create that safety where you lead with listening and love; the world would be a much better place. [33:59]
…………………..…..
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.
 
 

Providence Heights - Christine Soule

"We are all unqualified, and that is a beautiful place to be. Just keep learning and growing." Christine Soule
In the course of life, we go through different experiences that largely shape our present selves. Some of these we have control of and some we don't, yet they all prepare us for a greater purpose ahead. Our guest today, Christine Soule, has been through the most challenging moments in her life. Yet, she overcame them and now uses her experiences to provide life changing opportunities for women undergoing similar circumstances as she did in her community.
Christine Soule's parents were divorced when she was only five years old. For the remainder of her childhood, she only saw her dad a handful of times. Her mom was married four times, and she considers her to be her absolute hero. All her mum's marriages except the last were filled with adultery, abuse, neglect, and addiction. Christine has three biological siblings, of which two of her brothers were raised by her dad, whereas her sister bounced back and forth. She met another fifteen of them at her dad's funeral. Her sister ended up having an affair with her adopted father, which made her sister become her stepmom and her dad her brother-in-law. This made her begin to spiral out of control.
 Christine began doing drugs and alcohol at thirteen, and by the time she was seventeen, she was pregnant with her first baby girl. Less than two years later, she had identical twin boys. While living a gay lifestyle, Christine was also a drug addict and an alcoholic being abused and trafficked. She then realized she can't live like this any longer and that her babies deserved more.
One day, Christine fell to her knees, and I cried out to God, "if you are real, take my life - it's yours!" Right then, she tangibly felt the power and presence of God, and she knew He was real. She knew He could change her life and that she needed to put her trust in Him. She ended up throwing away all of the drugs and alcohol and never had a desire, temptation or withdrawal since! She was completely set free and has never turned back since.  Today, she is married to the most amazing man on planet earth, and they have five children and two grandbabies. They have followed hard after God, and as a result, feel so abundantly blessed in every way.
In today's episode, Christine will talk about her passion for helping women on the verge of being homeless and her motivation to bring out the potential of people around her.
Listen in!
Social Media:
http://christinesoule.com/  
https://www.facebook.com/Christinesoulewriter/about/
https://www.instagram.com/authorchristinesoule/g
My parents were divorced when I was five years old, started doing drugs at the age of 10, got pregnant with my first child at 17 years, and less than two years later, I had identical twin boys. [2:49]
I hated the world, and one day at 21, I fell to my knees, cried out to God to take my life, and I so tangibly felt the power and presence of God. [3:15]
My experience set me out on this journey of figuring out who this Jesus guy is and how to survive with my three babies. [3:42]
I wrote a check to the only person I knew who went to a Christian church and is also the person I've been married to for 24 years. [4:15]
I went from extreme poverty to marrying what I believe is the most generous man in the world who allowed me to live a life of philanthropy. [4:37]
For many years, I had the opportunity to pour into people's lives working with other organizations to have an impact. [5:46]
One day I was driving down the road and encountered a homeless woman sitting on the side of the road. [6:00]
At that moment in my car, I knew that I needed to go and make an impact, and that's where providence heights began. [6:42]
There are so many amazing organizations that work with the homeless, and for us, we target to get them before they end up with all of the trauma of being homeless. [7:02]
All of us, at some point in our lives have been at the edge of the cliff and the next critical steps that we take determines whether we start to fall off that cliff. [7:54]
We are all about prevention, and when we bring them in, we offer entrepreneurial skills where we discover who they are and let them run with it. [8:40]
We are in the Red Lion Hotel in Bellevue, Washington, with 88 rooms available to us in the first year and a plan to expand to 138 rooms in the second year. [13:24]
We are focused on having a spirit of excellence in everything that we do so that when we bring our next group of ladies in, the original ones will be training the next group. [14:11]
We partner with Union gospel mission and other shelters in the area, so we're like step two for the women or preventive before they end up homeless. [15:34]
We have amazing structures where we ask that they focus on programs working on their collective or life coaching. [16:44]
Commercial break. [19:52]
We have a vision that we're going to have apartment complexes with retail space, office space, and apartment complexes for everyday people to live in and women in need. [21:51]
Everything we make at Providence heights 100% rolls right back into caring for people in need. [22:43]
The objective is to create more and more buildings to house more and more people, set them free, and launch them into their destiny. [23:06]
Amazing donors, friends, and partners that we have are how we're funding this. [24:04]
Sustainability has been a real focus from the very beginning, and it is critical, not only for us but also for the ladies. [25:53]
Believe in yourself, go for it, and go big. There's so much potential and purpose in a person's life. [28:06]
So many people get stuck in the career they started in, yet they have zero desire to do it, so start to pursue your passion and be creative. [28:14]
…………………..…..
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 Tough Topics Mom - Kimberly King

“Reinforce with your kids not keeping any secrets, and push for that open communication.” Kimberly King
Children worldwide are prone to suffer insidious forms of violence, exploitation and abuse. The key to stamping out these vices lies in educating both adults and kids on prevention and management of cases when they occur. Our guest today, Kimberly King, is no coward of conversations that center around tough topics on sexual abuse in kids. She believes that having these conversations protects children and families by getting ahead of problems before they happen. 
Kimberly King, “The Tough Topics Mom,” is the author of the best-selling, most highly recommended book for children on prevention called “I Said No! A kid-to-kid guide to keeping private parts private. https://amzn.to/3F1CjQE” Kimberly is a mom of three children, a survivor, a Sexual Abuse Prevention Facilitator with D2L.org, and a Sexual Assualt Crisis Counselor with The Rowan Center. She spends her time training adults and children on prevention strategies and sharing her expertise as a consultant, advisor, and media source.
Kimberly holds an M.S. in Education from Wheelock College and a B.S. in Child Development and Family Studies from the University of Maine. King is a kindergarten teacher in Westport, Ct and lives in Coastal Connecticut with her family and therapy dog, Alfie. Her award-winning books for children on tough topics have sold over 300,000 copies across the globe. King is the owner of Safe and Sound Kids Collaborative where she provides proactive parenting coaching and consulting. King specializes in helping parents gain the confidence to talk about tough topics before issues occur.
Her prevention-based, kid-friendly educational resources are available via books, online parenting classes, online kids classes, private zoom Family Safety Chats, Body Boss Bootcamp for Kids, Simply-Safe Camp Training, Author Visits, Book Readings, and Speaking Events. Her work has been featured in various magazines, podcasts, and blogs, including; ABC, NBC, Ticker News, The Chicago Tribune, Stop The Demand, Women’s Fitness, Child Mind Institute, Social Work Now, US News and World Report, The Health Journal, Modern Mom, PopSugar, Child Life Mom, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Thrive Global, Medium, Dads Divorce, Split, Consent Parenting, Pretty Wellness Podcast, iHeart Radio, and is highly recommended as a resource by national prevention organizations.
In today’s episode, Kimberly will discuss about the importance of training and educating children on their sexuality from a young age. She also provides insights on the role of adults in preventing and managing sexual abuse in minors.
 
Listen in!
 
 Social media handles;
https://www.kimberlykingbooks.com/ 
https://www.kimberlykingbooks.com/ 
https://tough-topics-mom.mykajabi.com/body-boss-bootcamp 
https://tough-topics-mom.mykajabi.com/body-boss-bootcamp
https://www.instagram.com/toughtopicsmom 
https://m.facebook.com/Isaidnoinfo
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlykingbooks
I call myself the tough topics mom because I do talk about a lot of tough topics. [3:27]
I help parents get comfortable talking about really tough issues in a collaborative, authentic way so that they can get ahead of problems before they happen and protect their families. [3:31]
I do that with my books and my online classes. [3:46]
I had trained my kids in the basics about like your body's private which saved my five-year-old on this night that I was away. [4:11]
What's interesting is that 70% of kids don't tell about abuse because they're not educated on the topic. [5:57]
My son’s experience triggered a lot of things for me and I developed the book with him. [6:17]
As a military wife, I had that problem of always moving so I decided to just write children's books and teach people how to keep their kids safe. [6:29]
When it happened, I was angry at everybody and myself and had to do something to cool the anger so I started journaling. [7:23]
My son also wanted to talk and write about it and in doing this, I realized there were so many things that we could teach other people that would help them. [7:53]
We put my journal and his together and we used his voice and I tried to weave that into the book that has talking points with little goofy things and a little sass that make it kid friendly. [8:06]
Most of us were not educated properly on normal sexuality or normal child development, consent or boundaries. [10:09]
We're in a different place now where it's okay to talk about those things and one of the critical things is for kids to know their body parts and their correct names of their private parts. [10:23]
In reporting, every single person knows the word penis or the word vagina and there's no confusion about it. [11:25]
Knowing those words is a detriment to abusers which protects the kids. [11:28]
During potty training is a good time to start teaching and modelling the terms, privacy and consents. [11:12]
Commercial break. [14:04]
A lot of the advice I give people even if they don't have kids is to learn the facts on this topic so that you can reduce the risks. [16:20]
One of the biggest mistakes everybody makes is assuming that this type of thing only happens in bad neighborhoods or only with strangers. [16:32]
90% of child sexual abuse happens within the inner circles of the people we already know where 40% of child sexual abuse happens from older, more powerful children. [16:46]
Another huge risk category is children of divorce, because they are exposed to different situations. [17:24]
Once you learn, you start talking to it with other parents and your kids start talking about it with their friends which causes a ripple effect. [18:14]
The other thing is, once your kid is educated in this, it's really important for parents to reduce the risks by being very upfront about what your kids with new people and your policies. [18:46]
When I did in person parent trainings before Covid, every single person indicated an awareness of someone they know who was sexually abused. [21:32]
There are so many tools for parents now and you can start really early and then have open communication with your kids, when they're started. [21:55]
Empowering your children and educating them absolutely can prevent abuse. [23:24]
Even with some of this stuff, abuse can still happen but if your kids know that it's okay to tell, you have a chance of them telling you which will prevent more abuse. [23:39]
Try to find five adults that your children can call in all emergencies no matter what and train those five adults in receiving a report. [24:32]
You have to teach that person a few steps like, listening to the child, thanking the child for telling you telling them they're very brave, telling them it's not their fault and then just having a calm conversation about it. [25:06]
This will encourage them to talk more and give you more details without feeling judged. [25:19]
It is really important to do a real quick body safety review and talk about your body parts and the private part rules. [26:49]
Reinforce with your kids about how you don't want them to keep any secrets, and then push that open communication. [27:00]
…………………..…..
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.
t

Philantrotrecking - Jeff Rasley

“When getting involved in charitable work, find something that you enjoy doing that is helpful to the community.” Jeff Rasley
 The one-on-one experiences between people is what builds strong communities. At its core, community is anchored in the belief that people are part of something bigger than themselves, and that they have a right and duty to participate in its progress. His whole life, Jeff Rasley has been part of multiple communities and believes that it is all about experiencing life together by being present and contributing positively.
Jeff Rasley's commitment to social activism began in high school when he co-founded the Goshen Walk for Hunger. In law school he fought for renters' rights and organized the first rent strike in Indiana as president of the Indianapolis Tenants Association. As a young lawyer Jeff founded free legal clinics at two inner-city churches in Indianapolis. He was lead counsel on class action suits for prisoners which resulted in the construction of two new jails in Central Indiana. He spent five days working for NOLA Habitat for Humanity post Katrina. Jeff was plaintiff in a class action requiring clean-up of the White River after it was polluted by an industrial chemical spill. The Jeff and Alicia Rasley Internship Program was created by the Rasleys for the ACLU of Indiana in December, 2020.
Jeff is the founder of the Basa Village Foundation, which funds culturally sensitive development in Nepal. He served a term as president of Indianapolis Scientech, which promotes scientific inquiry and learning. Jeff is a director of six non-profits, including the Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center, University of Chicago Alumni Club, and Phi Beta Kappa of Indiana. He is U.S. liaison for the Himalayan expedition company Adventure GeoTreks Ltd. He has taught courses on "culturally sensitive development" and philanthropy at Butler and Marian Universities and memoir writing at the Indiana Writing Center
Jeff's BA is from University of Chicago magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, All-Academic All-State Football, letter winner in swimming and football; JD Indiana University Law School cum laude, Moot Court, Indiana Law Review; MDiv Christian Theological Seminary magna cum laude, covaledictorian and Faculty Award Scholar. He has been admitted to the Indiana, US District, and US Supreme Court Bars.
 Jeff has published numerous articles in academic and mainstream periodicals, including Newsweek, Chicago Magazine, ABA Journal, Family Law Review, The Journal of Communal Societies, and Friends Journal. He is an award-winning photographer and his pictures taken in the Himalayas and on Caribbean and Pacific islands have been published in several journals. He has appeared as a featured guest on over 100 radio and podcast programs.
In today’s episode, our guest will talk about building and upholding cohesive communities. He will give us an account of his experience travelling to Basa village in Nepal and his interest in culturally sensitive developments.
Listen in!
Social media handles:
Website: http://www.jeffreyrasley.com/
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Rasley/e/B004Q3D6B2
Personal Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/jrasley
Facebook publisher site: https://www.facebook.com/JeffRasleyAndMidsummerBooks/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffrasley  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-rasley/  
Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4114763.Jeffrey_Rasley  
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pinner362436/
Midsummer Books link: http://www.jeffreyrasley.com/midsummer%20books.htm  
Basa Foundation link on my website: http://www.jeffreyrasley.com/Basa%20Projects.htm
I grew up in a town Goshen, Indiana that my ancestors were early settlers so I felt so rooted in that community. [4:00]
Because I felt so rooted in that community, it was deeply a part of me and from a really age felt involved in it. [4:27]
Community goes two ways where if you feel embedded in a community, you want to get back to it but you also have certain expectations of it. [5:04]
One of the aspects of our modern culture is that people don't stay in their home communities. [6:12]
One of the beautiful things I experienced in Basa Village is the fact that the villagers were so rooted in their community. [6:43]
For the west, we have to be very conscientious about developing and supporting community, because we don't have that organic embeddedness that the traditional communities have. [7:48]
Community leadership is so important when deciding about what is right for your community. [8:49]
When you have an established culture, it is risky to start changing really fundamental experiences for people in the community and especially for children. [9:55]
Learning how in the 21st century, there are still these communities which are so well integrated and the people looking out for each other was amazing. [12:37]
Commercial break. [18:23]
What really works, for almost anybody in terms of getting involved in charitable work is to find something that you enjoy doing that is helpful to the community. [21:19]
I had fallen in love with trekking and mountaineering in the Himalayas and so I combined going over there on a track or an expedition with doing some philanthropic project [21:53]
Each time I went back, I just tried to do something a little bigger and then I went from things to money to developing a foundation. [21:18]
It may take some introspection but anybody who wants to give back can figure out something that they enjoy. [22:47]
Hearing stories from from my great grandmother about what Goshen was like when she was young, it was very similar to the way people live in Basa today. [26:45]
There are real risks for Basa in the sense that a road has come to the village, the internet and cell phones have come and this worries the village elders. [27:37]
The kids are now being exposed to a world that is very different from what they have known for hundreds of years. [28:11]
This exposure can lead to a lot of them being attracted to leave the village and for those that will stay, they will want to change the village in ways that were unforeseen. [28:20]
The fundamental values of the villagers, including the kids have not changed and part of that is because they have such a strong tradition on environmental responsibility and a sense of community. [28:41]
I hope it stays, because not only is it a wonderful thing, but also in terms of happiness, the villagers have a very high happiness quotient. [30:10]
Find something that moves you and one that you enjoy, but will move you to be involved with your community in a productive giving way and it will give back to you. [32:11]
…………………..…..
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 Spare Room - Emily Chang

“You're especially designed to do something because no one's here to do nothing.” Emily Chang
We are all part of something bigger than ourselves, the larger community. Better and functional communities are not built in a day but rather, it is about consistently performing acts of service that uplift others. Emily Chang has been enthusiastic about supporting and building her community, and says it is not so much about the big things, but rather, it is the small acts that really contribute to a thriving community.
Emily Chang is the CEO of McCann Worldgroup, China. Prior to accepting this new role, she took a year off to write a book called The Spare Room, the topic of her first TEDx Talk. Before that, she served as CMO for Starbucks China, where she cared for the teams that helped open the first Starbucks Roastery outside of Seattle and commercialized the brand’s digital gifting and delivery programs. Lotus (Chapter five) lived with Emily’s family while she worked at Starbucks.
A strategic business leader with over 20 years of experience, Emily is known for globalization, cross-cultural team leadership, and innovative brand building. Recognized for her ability to drive change and renew organizations, Emily approaches opportunities with an entrepreneurial mind set to establish a culture, set a vision, and build capability. She is known first and foremost as a people leader and team builder.
Prior to Starbucks, Emily was the Chief Commercial Officer for IHG, Greater China, where she looked after 320 hotels and an extended team of 5,200 members. While she was at IHG, Emily’s family cared for five kids, including Teo (Chapter four). Moving to Shanghai in 2011, Emily led the marketing organization that established the face of Apple Retail in Asia Pacific. While working at Apple, Emily’s family cared for three young people, including Jaesin (Chapter three).
She first developed her General Management, Marketing and Brand expertise at Proctor & Gamble. Five young people shared her spare room in the 11 years that Emily worked at P&G. Today, Emily sits on the board of SOS Children’s Villages and has spoken at select conferences and events, including the Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit in Hong Kong, C2 in Montreal, and has delivered three TEDx Talks.
In her free time, Emily loves to teach, read, and write. She challenges herself to learn a new “big thing” every year (2019 was all about the book, and she’s spent much of 2020 straddling a cajon drum). Most of all, Emily enjoys spending time with family: her husband of 20 years, her 12-year old daughter Laini, Holly Berry their rescued mutt, and Jellybean, their pygmy hedgehog.
In today’s episode, our guest will talk about how she found her positive thing that contributes towards her community. She will also discuss her book and what it entails.
Listen in! 
Social Media Handles:
Author Website: https://social-legacy.com/  
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/emilychang8621  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.chang.925602  
Instagram: https://instagram.com.thespareroombook
The first thing is that for me, it's never been about work life balance but about work life integration. [4:11]
As I've gotten older, one of the things I realized was I had an opportunity to better integrate my personal life with my professional. [4:36]
We always had these kids in our spare room and it was something that we certainly didn't hide, but also didn't really bring to the forefront either. [4:42]
As we identified the spare room as a social offering to our community, we started to realize that talking about it isn't really about ego. [5:14]
We embraced the idea of talking about the spare room with a TEDx talk and then took a year to write the boo [5:36]
We believe this builds into our community and pays tribute to each of the people that we've had the privilege of sharing our spare room with. [5:43]
You don't have to do very big things but something that you are specially designed to do that will actively support and build into your community, however you define it. [5:53]
I don't think it's the best use of time to try and convince somebody else of your thing, everybody will come into it on their own. [7:28}
If everybody starts identifying their offer and their offense, we can create communities that go after improving their communities. [7:43]
I did a talk a few years ago called ‘The power of And,’ which was all about the power of paradox and how you can take two ideas that seem in congruent and find the mutuality in the middle of them. [9:26]
Sometimes we look at people who look like they've arrived and it looks like they have it all togetherand think that they have these intentions but usually it's not [10:26]
It doesn't always have to be intentional or some grandiose gesture, sometimes it's your heart saying, I can do something about this. [11:07]
We are capable of so much more than we can possibly imagine but we don't have to go after the grand gesture or the fully designed, well orchestrated, intentional, purpose driven thing. [11:27]
We can do what helps us feel like we're doing something positive and when you find that moment, then you've hit on something where you can naturally add value to your community. [11:40]
You want to position yourself in a way to maximize the value contribution that you can leave in the place around you without the risk of falling into the ego trap. [14:21]
Commercial break. [15:40]
When we talk about community service, or CSR, sometimes it feels like something that has to be sacrificial and that is human nature. [17:54]
If we take an abundance mindset where we want to contribute more than we consume. We want to leave something more than what we've taken from this world. [18:06]
The format of the book is written in very much a self reflection, action-oriented mindset and I don't want this to be a book but a movement. [18:58]
If this can become something that's good for the world which helps people articulate how they contribute more than they consume, then that is something that I would feel really good about. [19:34]
I do believe people are good and generally want to contribute more than they consume but may not know where to direct that attention or what they can [19:44]
The construct of the book is a Venn diagram where in chapter one, you've got your offer and the second chapter talks about offense, then chapter three is the intersection of 1 and 2. [20:00]
Chapters four and five talks about the action plan and the last part of the book is about, what I want to look back on that can have people say something about me after I've passed. [21:38]
I've always believed that defining the end state helps you become much more intentional, with your time, priorities, and your investment. [21:54]
There's positive power in positive words so we want to define the things that we're good at and embrace [23:56]
Nobody should do nothing and nobody wants to do nothing, so feel empowered even if you do a small thing. [25:48]
People came from very ordinary and said, I think I can go do something about this and they ended up changing the world for somebody. [26:14]
…………………..…..
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.
 

20 Minute Communities - Neil Kitching

“I don't think tackling climate change is anything to fear. It's really something to embrace.” Neil Kitching
As climate change threatens to progressively transform the world, concerns are being directed on human activity and how it contributes to worsening the situation. Despite the hurdles faced in tackling this issue, many proponents of the matter still believe that it is possible to address climate change. Neil Kitching has a passion for climate change and believes that it all starts with every one taking personal responsibility of their actions and making an effort to choose better alternatives.   
Neil Kitching is a geographer and energy specialist from Scotland. He has written his first book, Carbon Choices on the common-sense solutions to our climate and nature crises; https://amzn.to/39cOETs. He works for a public sector agency promoting the opportunities for business to benefit from low carbon heating and water technologies. Neil had a mid-life career change from accountant to working in sustainable development then energy. This book arose from Neil’s frustration that so many people lack a basic understanding of climate change and its serious impacts. Education is the first step towards taking action. Community is one way to galvanize that action.
In today’s episode, Neil will discuss more about the state of climate change and some of the simple actions that can be done by individuals in an effort to reduce their carbon emissions.
Listen in.
Social Media
https://www.carbonchoices.uk    
https://www.instagram.com/carbonchoices   
www.facebook.com/carbonchoices  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-kitching-55833314/
I was brought up in Paris at the centre of Scotland at the edge of the highlands and I always enjoyed the great outdoors. [2:28
I completed a geography degree at Edinburgh University, and then came out during the midst of one of the great recessions when there was no jobs available. [2:43]
I was desperately looking for work and I applied to be an accountant because I was always quite good at maths and numbers. [2:56]
I trained to be an accountant in London and then worked away visibly as an accountant for 20 years, but always had in the back of a rage that I wasn't very satisfied with this career choice. [3:02]
Eventually, 20 years later, I had a midlife crisis, and did successfully change my career and moved into sustainable development policy and now I work as an energy specialist. [3:16]
I learned about climate change 30 years ago in geography and it was all very factual as I could see how sensitive they sheets were to a changing climate. [3:45]
For the time I was working in business, nobody seemed to care and no one was acting on it and I could never understand why that was the case. [4:04]
When I moved into the environmental area, I seeme to be speaking to the same people all the time ad so I just thought it was good to write a book. [4:12]
My aim was to try and influence and change some people and some government policies I also wanted to get the book out prior to Glasgow conference on climate change. [4:27]
A few years back there was a lot of scepticism but we've seen the effects of climate change hitting all over the world. [5:38]
Unfortunately, climate change will affect us all, either directly, or indirectly and there's no escaping that. [6:45]
My book really lays out the role of the different players and overlaps between all of them. [8:12]
It's up to individuals and communities to influence leaders act on climate change and businesses to act in more sustainable ways. [8:36]
Commercial break. [10:47]
In terms of what we can do as individuals, the starting point for me is where you choose to live and also cut on carbon impact by changing lifestyle. [12:54]
We have a concept here called 20-minute communities where all services or nearly all services are accessible within walking or cycling 20 minutes from your house. [12:24]
In the West, we consume so much stuff and that's been ever increasing but it just means we buy lots of stuff that we use once and then throw away. [16:55]
That's probably getting worse globally because other countries are copying the bad habits. [17:23]
For every good thing you see, there's another bad thing and so they almost balance each other out therefore we just need to do more of the good things. [18:20]
Consumption is a big thing and the worrying thing is if you go to developing countries, you just see a sea of plastic rubbish along the roads. [18:28]
We have landfills that were on the coast and now with rising sea levels and coastal erosion, the waves are washing out these landfills. [19:10]
The third big area in our lives that we could change is our choice of diets with regards to how much we eat and food wastage. [19:54]
The big issue around our diet is eating beef, mutton and dairy products basically because cows and sheep are ruminants and they produce methane which is a strong, powerful greenhouse gas. [20:33]
That's the big area that governments don't like to talk about due to fear of upsetting businesses and the farmers but as individuals, it's an area we can change overnight if we choose to do so. [20:49]
All our food waste should be composted because if you don't and choose to put it in a plastic bag, and it goes to landfill, it rots down and starts to produce methane. [22:25]
I think people think of the environment as being a problem but to me, going for a low carbon future is better. [24:34]
We can start by making lifestyle changes as all are good choices that we should be striving for. [24:43]
…………………..…..
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.
 
 

Promoting Women in Tech - Raj Goodman Anand

“Let us try to give other people opportunities and chances to shine and to be the best version of themselves.” Raj Goodman Anand
Often we get caught up in the endless pursuit of things and forget to look around for the opportunities to touch people’s lives and make a difference. By being more thoughtful, we get to slow down and deliberately look out for ways in which we can contribute towards making life better for another person. This is according to our guest today, Raj Goodman Anand, whose realization of the need to make a difference led him to a passion of creating self and career development opportunities for women around the world.
Raj Goodman Anand is the founder of Goodman Lantern, a team of native English content writing services that help businesses sell better and grow faster. An engineer by profession, he has founded three start-ups, raised capital, and taken one venture from zero to acquisition. He has not only had a flourishing career within start-ups but also with large and mid-sized organizations, working on launching start-ups or new products within them. Products he has built have made companies an income in excess of £45m.
Raj has also won BusinessWeek’s Europe’s Young Entrepreneur (2007) and has been named one of Revolution Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People in Digital (2009). He has spoken at various venues including the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, British Library, and several universities including LSE. Raj and his entrepreneurial ventures have had coverage in The Telegraph, Guardian, BusinessWeek, and Observer.
In today’s episode, Raj will talk about his journey and the events that led him to what he does today which is providing opportunities for women to grow and flourish and the freedom of working remotely.
Listen in!
Social media handles:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajanand/   
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajanand/
I am a father and a husband and we love traveling as a family and I'm currently traveling from London and currently in Bangkok. [3:12]
I talk about travel first was because in all my life, I worked pretty hard to get where I am and for a purpose which for me one is personal and another is to give back to the world. [3:58]
I worked incredibly hard at university and got into engineering and then AI and later got into marketing. [4:10]
After eight years of working really hard, I realized that I was taking 320 flights per year for the companies I was working for and it was just painful. [4:20]
I thought that it will be really good to actually live in a way where I choose my terms and the thought about remote working came up. [4:43]
I started a company eight years back now to kind of focus on helping people in business to content writing. [4:50]
I challenged the world I live in and decided to set a company where I can work from anywhere in the world. [5:01]
Goodman lantem, is my company has been remote from day one and all our team members are all remote and have the freedom to work on what they are good at. [5:09]
It is about bringing team members who have the same passion as you do and I'm a big believer of having that sort of same passion and the same core values. [6:42]
When I hire people, I hire them on basis off the values as much as I hire them on basis on their skills. [7:02]
Before Goodman Lanten, I was all about making money but somewhere, I felt that I'm missing out the human element. [7:13]
I started to do some soul searching and saying, what can I actually contribute to this world and to the community I belong to. [7:34]
I have seen several times that women who much smarter than I am not make it to the top because they weren't given the right representation. [7:41]
I thought that I should make it my mission to help women in a particular way and for the last seven, eight years we have hired a lot of women in a company in our departments. [8:18]
This is an opportunity for them to work on awesome projects at their comfort and really be inspired to grow themselves and the family as well. [8:45]
Some countries such as South Africa has the largest statistics on women-based violence in the world meaning it is not safe for women to go out. [9:22]
We're trying to do what we can from outside to make them safe and earn a good living. [9:38]
As company, we are really focused not only in what we bring to the world, but also to our clients so we only work for subscription-based customers. [10:12]
Most of our customers are B2B and what we do for them is to create content to help them tell their story as well as rank higher on search engines. [10:38]
The other side of story is we bring in women into our company and we train them in the space of software service so that they can then start working with these awesome companies. [10:59]
We're growing really fast and we are getting a lot of new projects and so we need a lot of people on board. [13:11]
Commercial break [13:39]
Prior to writing content for an organization or individuals, there is a lot of effort, which goes behind it which includes thinking about the mission, the vision, the values and the tone. [15:48]
Content is only good if it hits multiple points, which tick marks different things for you as a company, your audience, and the SEO part as well. [16:36]
Planning is super important but people forget that planning step and jump right into execution. [16:46]
Most customers today we target at least are ones who have a team and bringing in 10 to 500 million in revenues and so they know what they're doing but they need to scale up. [18:14]
This is because scaling up is not easy and needs team members who have the right skills and who understand that the company's vision, mission and core values. [18:40]
When we come in, we help our clients scale up their art in production in all areas. [18:54]
It's important to build a business to earn income but let us try to focus on the greater good and give other people opportunities and chances to shine to be the best version of themselves. [20:03]
It goes a long way not only from the point of view of making revenue, but also read karma as well. [20:30]
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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.