Bump In The Road

In a world where the digital landscape is ever-evolving, the threat of cybercrime looms larger than ever. For Jocelyn King, a tech-savvy professional thriving in Silicon Valley, this threat became all too real. Jocelyn's story begins at the peak of her career, working with influential figures in the tech industry. However, her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when cybercriminals targeted her...

What if I told you that presence and mindfulness could be the key to overcoming life's most challenging bumps? Including isolation, a condition that many of us struggle with at one time or another.. Cole Baker-Bagwell found herself profoundly alone when she moved to a remote mountain town. Her isolation devolved into a profound sense of loneliness. She became depressed. Mindfulness, as Cole descri...

Cara Wilson-Granat was taken with Anne Frank's story. Anne Frank, as you'll recall, wrote about her experiences as a young jewish girl hiding from the Nazis as WWII approached. Her writings are published in the book The Diary of a Young Girl. So when the chance for a Hollywood audition to star in the role of Ann Frank appeared, Cara leapt at the opportunity She didn't get the role, but she did get...

Phillip Blackett's journey has taken him from the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, to the bustling streets of Wall Street, and beyond. Today he is an author. His book, Disagree without Disrespect, looks at restoring this nation's traditions civil discourse. Disagree Without Disrespect," offers a five-step framework for navigating disagreements with empathy and respect: Separate the Idea from the Ident...

Kathy Gardarian is the Founder and CEO of Qualis International Inc., a multi-million dollar sales and distribution company. She has served as a director on many boards, both corporate and non-profit, including Van's Inc., The World Business Academy, Chapman University, The Gorbachov State of the World Forum, and the Woman's Leadership Board at Harvard's JFK School. She was awarded the Lifetime Ach...

Shaan Patel is the founder and CEO of PrepExpert, an online test preparation company that has transformed the lives of over 100,000 students. Shawn's journey from struggling with SAT anxiety to becoming a successful entrepreneur and Shark Tank star is nothing short of inspiring. Shawn's story begins in the urban public schools of Las Vegas, Nevada, where he grew up in his parents' budget motel. De...

Have you ever felt like you're running through life, chasing goals, and suddenly, you hit a bump in the road? Ben Katt is a man who experienced just that. Ben was in his early thirties, a father to three young children, and a founder of three community startups. His life was full of purpose, yet one rainy morning in Seattle, while running around a familiar lake, he was stopped in his tracks by a p...

Dr. Jennifer Nash is a business leadership consultant and author of "Be Human. Lead Human," a guide for leaders who aspire to create more empathetic, connected, and high-performing teams. Jennifer's framework provides actionable steps to develop relational skills that are vital for modern leadership. Jennifer grew up in the Midwest and worked her way through school, eventually finding herself in a...

Mike Hassell was born into a family of engineers. He followed the expected path, earning his degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech. However, he soon realized that his education was narrowly focused on his profession, leaving little room for his broader interests in philosophy, humanities, and the arts. This realization led Mike to pivot his career towards publishing, focusing on the g...

This is a "how to" on surviving a divorce for your best benefit. For Stacie Shifflett, the implosion of her 28-year marriage felt like shattering into a million pieces. She likened herself to Humpty Dumpty, wondering how she would ever put herself back together. Stacie's story offers a road map for everyone going through the dissolution of a marriage. Stacie's journey began with the shock and grie...

Joe Hippensteel is an extraordinary athlete and innovator in the field of sports medicine. From a young age, Joe was passionate about sports, but his smaller stature led him to focus on track and field, specifically the decathlon. His journey was anything but easy; it involved years of intense training, often spanning six to ten hours a day. Despite facing over 100 injuries. Traditional methods an...

Mike Vasquez is a trailblazer in healthcare technology dedicated to fighting the opioid crisis. His interest in the opioid crisis is deeply personal: his oldest son and his best friend became involved with opioids. His son's friend died. In response, Mike and his wife decided to create an evidence-based opioid treatment program from scratch. Fast forward 14 years, and their program has become one...

n a world where ageism often dictates the narrative, Mariann Aalda is proving that age is not a barrier but a stepping stone to new opportunities. At 76 years of age, starring in a film showed in Cannes. Growing up in an era where limitations were placed on young black women, Marianne defied the odds and carved out a successful acting career. Mariann's story is not just about overcoming obstacles;...

In this episode Jim Flaherty, at the age of 89, shares his remarkable journey of embracing life with vigor, curiosity, and a relentless pursuit of purpose. For Jim, age is not a barrier to productivity but an opportunity to explore new avenues and enrich one's life. Jim sees our period of greatest productivity moving with an aging demographic. Is 70 the new 50? Having authored five books, created...

Caroline Paul is a a role model as a female adventurer. She's mountain biked in the Andes, climbed Denali and sought adventure wherever possible. As she ages, she continues to push her bounds. But she asks: Why aren't women, like men, encouraged to keep adventuring into old age? And what, exactly constitutes "old age"? As an aging boomer myself, Caroline's story resonates strongly. Do we discourag...

At 51 years old, Chris Cornell (@BiggestComeback on X) found himself weighing 278 pounds, struggling to regain control of his health and fitness. Despite decades of trying various methods, nothing seemed to work. That was until he reached out to a doctor friend who recommended Gary Taubes's book, "Why We Get Fat." This book was the catalyst Chris needed. It introduced him to the concept of a low c...

Dr. Sarah Michaud is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the recovery field for over thirty years. She is the author of the book CoCrazy: One Psychologists recovery from codependency and addiction, A memoir and manual for Freedom. She has been sober for over forty years and brings her compassion, humor, wisdom, directness and insight to support folks on their journey of recovery. She recentl...

This episode is about getting out of your comfort zone to realize your dreams, using the Oxcart Technique developed by Terry Fossum. The Oxcart Technique is based on the principles of prospect theory, developed by Kahneman and Tversky in 1979. This states that people are more motivated to avoid pain than to seek pleasure. Terry's method involves creating a failure scenario alongside a success scen...

Joel Dubin is a retired cybersecurity consultant who has spent decades navigating the corporate world. Joel's experiences have culminated in his hilariously insightful book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Dysfunctional Companies". The book is a satirical guide on what not to do in business. Joel's first chapter, aptly titled "If it makes sense, don't do it", sets the tone for the rest of the book. He...

Charlynne's life is a testament to the incredible things that can happen when you embrace faith, courage, and adventure. Charlynne'is a minister, life coach, and military chaplain. Her faith is a key component of how she views the world and how she trusts to take on incredible adventures. From narrowly avoiding a beheading to the landscapes of Greece, Charlynne's story is one of embracing life. Sh...

Minding Your Mindset Gina Kunadian's story is one of childhood trauma, substance abuse, and transformation. It's also a story about how controlling our internal narrative also controls, and can rtansform, our life. Gina's family life was less than ideal. Her father died when she was young and she grew up with years of molestation. As a teen she started using the drug ecstasy. What started as a mea...

This is about medicine outside of the box. In this episode I welcome back Dr. Tonia Winchester, a naturopathic doctor, to explore the transformative power of thought. Her new book "Thinking Kindly" explores our relationship with thought and consious choice. "Thinking Kindly" introduces a seven-step process designed to help individuals shift from self-criticism to positive thinking. This method emp...

The risk of non-conformity may not be as great as it's perceived. Sure, you don't fit in. But who wants to fit in? Erica Elliot's journey took her from Navajo country to South America, from mountain climbing to medicine. But (of course!) traditional medicine didn't work for this extraordinary woman and doctor and events forced to look at healing in a new light. Erica's journey is one of self reali...

Creating Living Memories How do you keep the memory of a loved one alive? Ken lost his wife Sherry to pancreatic cancer. The void left in his life is indescribable. How could he keep her memory alive, especially during the holidays? The Answer: a heartfelt children's book titled "Christmas Sun." Ken's tale is one of transformation, from a husband and caregiver to a storyteller with a mission. Afte...

Why am I publishing this episode, this week? Because so many of us are spending time with our families over Thanksgiving and will be facing familial patterns that may or may not suit us in our current lives. IMO, all families are dysfunctional in one manner or another. What were the quirks of yours? How has that impacted your life? Modern life can be overwhelming and we usually don't pause to refl...