Conversations with Joan

After starting her own business in her fifties, Fitness expert, Liz Hilliard, realized that while she was empowering other women to be strong and more themselves, she wasn’t living what she was preaching. Having been raised in the South and constantly doing what was expected, Liz sought to please others, but not herself. With the belief that people can be powerful at any age and the resolve to liv...

Change is the one constant in life and yet most of us are addicted to certainty. We like life to be neat and tidy but the reality is, it’s anything but. One day, Emma Nadler got a call from her daughter’s doctor that changed her life forever. Faced with the realities of raising a child with a rare genetic condition, she had to confront her preconceptions of motherhood and her perfectionistic belie...

Our bodies are built to respond to stress, but it’s easy to forget about your innate power when you are facing challenges. According to Dr. Christy Gibson, it is possible remodel your brain to achieve post-traumatic growth. She explains how to embrace your power and transform your life. Dr. Gibson is a physician, change agent, and trauma clinician. She is the author of the book, The Modern Trauma...

At age 11,  Brooke Ellison was hit by a car, an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. Ten years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in cognitive neuroscience. At 23, she penned Miracles Happen, a memoir that was adapted into a movie, The Brooke Ellison Story, directed by Christopher Reeve. Brooke went on to earn he...

Ruchira Gupta is working to create a world where no child is bought or sold. As a journalist, Ruchira stumbled upon rows of villages with missing girls, which led her to became a life-long activist against sex-trafficking. She is a writer, feminist campaigner, professor at New York University, and founder of the anti-sex-trafficking organization, Apne Aap Women Worldwide. Ruchira won the Clinton G...

How does someone who appears to have it all experience a horrific fall from grace? Nadia Davis has been a public figure in California for two decades. She grew up the daughter of a famous immigrant rights attorney, and later became the wife of the then State Attorney General. Her rise crashed in a drama-filled public fall that included drug abuse, a sex tape, blackmail, incarceration, and many yea...

This time of year people begin to think about warmer temperatures and getting into shape. They rev up their exercise routines or start new ones. And with that comes the risk of injury. When you’re testing your limits, even a minor injury can alter your performance. Craig Alexander talks about the importance of physical fitness and having a plan to protect yourself from injuries. Craig is a former...

When things break down or don’t go as planned, we can find ourselves struggling to survive. Finding the resilience to keep moving forward can be a daily challenge. Mark Nepo discusses how we can meet adversity by using the timeless teachings of the heart. Mark is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for over 40 years. He’s a  #1  New York Times bestselling...

Have you ever wondered why you make yourself invisible, procrastinate, or please others to get their approval? According to Dr. Friedemann Schaub, our subconscious employs these types of survival patterns to protect us. But, living in a survival mode has significant downsides. Dr. Schaub discusses how to break free from the six most common survival patterns - the victim, the invisible, the procras...

Living with a narcissist can be challenging. But when that person is your parent, it can damage emotional growth and the ability to trust. Dr. Karyl McBride, a pioneer on the devastating effects of narcissistic abuse. discusses how we can understand and heal from narcissistic family abuse. Dr. McBride is a licensed marriage and family therapist with more than 40 years of experience in public and p...

There’s a rise in hate speech online. Bullying is a growing problem. We have divided governments. Sometimes it may feel like we’re surrounded by hate. Matthew Williams, founder and director of HateLab and a professor of criminology, talks about how we can stop the proliferation of hate. Matthew is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in hate crime and hate speech. He advises and has con...

With all the friends we have on social media, are we really creating valuable, sustainable relationships? There is a growing loneliness epidemic and while we appear to be more connected than ever, many are lonelier than ever before. Why are we struggling to find the human connection we seek? Christie Tate, believes that it’s important for females to consciously recognize and elevate their friendsh...

Anyone who is navigating grief often feels like there is no end to the pain. Life as they know it is over and there doesn’t feel like there is a way out. Karen Johnson’s professional career as a federal judge came to an abrupt halt when she lost her 27-year-old son to a heroin overdose. Rather than grieve in a way that made people around her comfortable, she did the unexpected. She quit her lifeti...

Imagine building a seven figure business that requires fewer than five hours of work per week. Graham Cochrane did just that. Graham founded The Recording Revolution, a once no-name blog about music and he turned it into a seven-figure business while working only a few hours per week.  He discusses how to better prioritize tasks, capitalize on the knowledge you already possess, and earn more in th...

Can we live our lives more fully knowing some day we will die? Barbara Becker, an ordained interfaith chaplain and human rights activist, tested the ancient wisdom of living with the end in mind by allowing death to become her teacher. Barbara discusses how we can explore our curiosity and learn to live life to the fullest. Barbara is the author of the book, Heartwood: The Art of Living with the E...

Many of us allow fear to stop us from achieving what our heart desires. We don’t take risks. Lisa Thompson climbs mountains to challenge herself physically and to explore her own inner landscape. She teaches that we are responsible for defining our own boundaries, finding our own happiness, and facing our fears head-on. Lisa is a mountaineer, cancer survivor, and sought-after speaker and coach. Si...

Stress adds up in our bodies. We wake up with it, we carry it with us, and we pile on more throughout each day. It’s often a challenge to handle the daily hassles of life. According to Dr. Elissa Epel, we don’t have to live this way. She offers a prescription to living with more joy and ease. Dr. Epel is an internationally renowned health psychologist who is focusing on how to live well and thrive...

Each January many people set goals for the year. They resolve to lose weight and get in shape. And while we know what we should do, usually a few weeks into our attempts at change, we fall back into our old patterns and habits. According to Dr. Andreas Michaelides, when it comes to your goals, having the right mindset is key to any successful change in behavior. You might know what you should do,...

We all experience challenges in life. For some, it’s difficult to express their feelings and so they mask their hidden pain with substance abuse, anxiety, depression, isolation, or even violence. Matthew Quick understand that pain. Matthew experienced a “dark night of the soul” after using alcohol and drugs to treat his extreme anxiety and depression. He got sober in 2018, only to experience five...

Sometimes we get caught up with drama or the darkness that surrounds us. And when that happens, we can lose our way. Rabbi Daniel Cohen believes we all possess the power to reignite our inner light and share it with the world. He offers guidance and explains The Secret of the Light, which is the title of his new book. Music:  www.purple-planet.com Show site:  www.cyacyl.com

The mind is miraculous, it never stops. It can take you to the highest highs and without warning, plummet you into darkness. According to Art Dielhenn, the mind is so relentlessly compelling that man has tried to manage it, understand it, control it, ignore it, teach it, and fix it. He offers strategies to help us get out of our head. Art had a successful Hollywood career, where he directed over 3...

How do we approach a loved one with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders in a way that affirms their continuing self-identity? Dr. Stephen Post has worked around the world helping caregivers navigate the challenges of a loved one’s cognitive decline. According to Dr. Post, focusing discussion and resources on the dignity of these individuals and the respite needs of their caregivers is vital....

Anyone who has watched the Holiday Classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, can fondly recall Clarence, the guardian angel sent to earth to aid George Bailey in his time of need. Clarence helped George see the value in his life, and George helped Clarence earn his wings. This touching story has led many to wonder if there really are angels by our side and what their role may be in our lives. Lorna Byrne ha...

Many people spend their working years looking forward to the time when they can retire. But when that time comes, leaving a steady income and identity a job provides can be scary. How does a person know if he or she is ready, or even wants to retire? Steve Lopez, a longtime columnist for the Los Angeles Times, faces the same questions. Grappling with his own decision, he used his reporter skills n...

Do you experience moments of self-doubt about your achievements? Do you think that everyone else knows more than you do? Do you have trouble seeing the value in the services you provide? Imposter syndrome is that little voice in your head that casts doubt and makes you feel like you are not good enough. It can stop you from moving forward and miss out on opportunities. It’s been reported that entr...