This is My Silver Lining

While we take a pause to record new content and to spend time with our families over spring break, we wanted to take this opportunity to replay a few episodes that our newer listeners may not have heard and that long-time TIMSL listeners have loved.  We hope you enjoy this fantastic 2-part conversation with Ned Johnson and Dr. William Stixrud, co-authors of parenting books The Self Driven Child an...

While we take a pause to record new content and to spend time with our families over spring break, we wanted to take this opportunity to replay a few episodes that our newer listeners may not have heard and that long-time TIMSL listeners have loved.  We hope you enjoy this fantastic 2-part conversation with Ned Johnson and Dr. William Stixrud, co-authors of parenting books The Self Driven Child an...

Welcome to Part 2 of our series highlighting stories of the achievements and challenges faced by some of the most distinguished women judges in our history.  We are honored to speak today with Professor Deborah Jones Merritt.  Debby believes that true progress only occurs in the presence of a great deal of optimism.  She witnessed such optimism in none other than Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day...

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”   Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.   Welcome to Part One of our series celebrating some of the most influential women who have—sometimes against all odds— earned their position in some of the most important places where decisions are made:  on the bench of some of the highest courts in our country.    Our inspiration for this s...

Amy Impellizzeri was a highly successful litigator in New York City for over ten years at one of the largest law firms in the world.  Working around the clock, with three young kids at home, and a husband in medical school, Amy was stretched pretty thin.  She started to wonder whether she was living her most authentic life. In 2008, the Great Recession afforded her an unexpected sabbatical and an...

Through their work, husband and wife, Jorge Bica and Marta Passerini, have a front row seat to the never ending resilience of the human spirit.  They are grateful to be “custodians of the most important moments in people’s lives.”  Marta and Jorge were both in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010 and although their paths were definitely meant to cross, they didn’t meet until some time la...

Olamide Michelle, the founder of The Boho Business Guide , speaks with us about the BOHO Method, which weaves together our personality, passions, and professional training to find successful and fulfilling careers.   Olamide is an intellectual property lawyer, brand expert, business coach, mentor, podcaster, and yoga instructor.  If you ever find yourself hitting a low energy point during the day,...

This is the last episode in our 3-part series.  If you haven’t listened to our conversation with Roy DiNicola or our conversation with Maria Stewart, hit the pause button and go back and listen to those last two episodes (links below!).   Roy spoke with us about his experience of losing his wife, Holly, to cancer in 2015.  We talked about the outpouring of love from his community and how that kept...

In Part Two of this three-episode series (listen to Part One here ), we speak with Maria Stewart about finding the strength to support her husband as he lost his battle with brain cancer, embracing the help being offered by friends and family, and ensuring that her children could rely on their family “Power Unit” throughout this incredibly difficult chapter in their lives.        In 2010, Maria’s...

It was during one of the most difficult times in his life that Roy DiNicola learned about the importance of community, and the importance of letting go of those things we cannot control.   In the spring of 2008, Roy and Holly DiNicola had been happily married for 14 years and were raising their three young boys, Ryan, Casey, and Owen, in Hopkinton, MA, just outside of Boston.  When Holly received...

We are excited to kick off a new season of This is My Silver Lining with Executive Coach, Cindy Wolpert.  Cindy is the founder of Results-Based Coaching (RBC) Associates.  She works with business leaders across all levels of seniority to maximize their leadership potential, manage successful transitions, and realize their professional goals. She is a creative and thoughtful innovator who is known...

Life is busy and there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do all the things we need and want to do.  Nobody knows this better than a chef during the holidays!  TODAY Show food contributor, Elizabeth Heiskell, also known as the Debutante Farmer, generously made time to speak with us on the Monday after Thanksgiving.   She founded her company, Elizabeth Heiskell Catering, over 22 years...

In Part 2 of this two-part series, we continue our conversation with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, authors of parenting books The Self Driven Child and What Do You Say ?  We talk with Bill and Ned about the importance of giving our kids autonomy,  helping them learn how to manage technology (the dreaded phones and video games), and the importance of a good night’s SLEEP.  And we talk about...

Any parent with a teenager at home knows that each day can be a struggle.  We want to enjoy these years before they fly from the nest, but we live with the drama and pushback that comes from enforcing the house rules while they still live under our roof.  Couple that with the pressures and anxiety teenagers face today– including those we unknowingly place on our kids– and we have a recipe for anxi...

In celebration of Thanksgiving, this week we hope you will listen –or re-listen– to one of our first episodes:  an interview with Chanda Brodnax-Nino, someone who is committed to giving.  She gives that extra degree to her students, she gives lifesaving care to her patients, and she gives kindness a priority position on the syllabus for her EMT training classes.  Chanda reminds us how important it...

Ian Holder is the Senior Vice President of Creative at Sony Music Publishing, the world’s number one music publishing company, reporting directly to the CEO.  Over the course of his career, he has signed and/or worked with artists including Post Malone, Frank Ocean, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Tjay, and Jack Harlow.  Getting here wasn’t easy or obvious for Ian, but from the time he decided in his early 20s...

Two words describe our guest today:  Uncommonly Driven.  How else would you describe someone who gets up before the sun rises each day to run 8-10 miles, then works from 5:30 AM until lunchtime, takes a short break, works out again, and then gets back to work until evening.  Our guest, Chuck Roche, is the owner of Uncommonly Driven Fitness, a USMC veteran, fitness guru, and ultrarunner.   Chuck sp...

After suffering multiple miscarriages, and delivering two healthy baby boys, Nicole and her husband knew that their family was not yet complete.  When they decided to open their hearts and their home to the possibility of adopting a third child, they did not realize that deciding to adopt was only the beginning of the journey.  Nicole, Joe, and their two young children waited with excited anticipa...

After the tragic loss of her mother in a fire set by an arsonist in 1986 at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in Puerto Rico, Susan McPherson committed herself to applying the lessons she learned from her parents about the importance of meaningfully connecting with others by offering to help.  In this episode, we speak with Susan about overcoming our fears of networking through the “Gather, Ask, Do” method,...

Jessica Baldizon understands the superpower of speaking more than one language.  She teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Cesar Batalla Elementary School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the second-largest preK thru 8 school in Connecticut.  Her students include many immigrants and refugees from around the world. Like many of her students' parents, Jessica’s mother, father, and...

As a seasoned TV and film producer, Jamie Zelermyer knows a good story when she hears one.  She loves to delight the senses of viewers through sight and sound.  In 2019, however, she began working on a podcast with her mom, Karen, weaving together the pieces of a cultural movement of the 1970s, with a true crime missing person’s case, and a deeply personal narrative of her own upbringing in West V...

Meghan Skelton has always approached her work as a Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker from a place of deep empathy.  She has never felt more connected to her clients’ needs as she has in the last two years.   Meghan speaks openly about the long and challenging road to her son’s autism diagnosis, the grief she and her husband experienced, and how they work day-to-day to meet his needs. R...

Liz Brown knows a thing or two about transitions, the ones you plan for and the ones imposed upon you by circumstances.  Having experienced serious loss, she understands the power of reflection and creating a life worth living.  If you don’t like where your life is heading, it’s time to start planning.  Liz believes it’s never too late to make changes.  Do you want to be in the same place, doing t...

Matthew Del Negro believes that we learn more about ourselves in our losses than in our victories.  He is a hugely successful actor– with major roles on the Sopranos, West Wing, Scandal, and currently starring on Showtime's City on a Hill with Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge.  Despite his long list of impressive acting credits, Matt has discovered more about his true self by overcoming the “10,00...

There is a certain magic involved in bringing to life a new character on one of the most iconic children’s television shows.  Sesame Street puppeteer, Carmen Osbahr, joins us this week as we talk about how she found her dream career as a puppeteer, and her role in creating–and performing–the lovable Rosita.   Carmen knows what it’s like to be the new kid on the block and how this can be even harde...