One Spark Stories

"When we feel lost, it is far easier to lose ourselves in the fantasy of others versus putting in the work to find ourselves." Episode Highlights 00:56 Embracing risk to find clarity, purpose, happiness. 05:48 Disconnect to reconnect . Discover meaningful opportunities through new experiences and self-discovery. 7:08 Curiosity and Chaos . Unmanaged curiosity can lead to unbelievable chaos. Make su...

"If you're going up against a resilient person, you're never going to win, because resilience will outweigh any dramatic flair that you're trying to do." Episode Highlights 02:21  Struggles in school were found to be dyslexia. Challenges led to business focus. 05:10 Curiosity in school led to business awareness and interest. 07:04 Kids mimic successful people; failure teaches. 10:55 Business gave...

"We really have come to think that it's selfish to love or find things that bring meaning to us, when in reality, the depth by which we love ourselves is what creates that capacity for us to love other people." [00:00:47] Uncertainty of future aspirations [00:03:33] Authentic connection impacts success [00:09:25] Speaking up, belief in yourself, and walking away [00:10:27] Ask meaningful questions...

"There was a transference that happened there. Joy went from me to them, and I wanted to do as much of that as possible." Growing up, Mike Brennan's love for art was his refuge. His passion for drawing helped him connect with people and bring joy to their lives. He pursued a degree in graphic design, but his career took an unexpected turn when he left it all for ministry. However, after a decade o...

"It is okay to walk away from an opportunity that may seem lucrative when it does not move your purpose forward or bring peace to your life." The eternal journey of self-discovery and finding purpose is one I fully embrace. Unfortunately, it isn't always roses. This is probably one of my move vulnerable episodes yet, but I feel it's only fair to share where I've been, what's been going on, and the...

After spending so much time surrounded by kids recently, I had a *spark* in my soul that I needed to share. Any time I hear people talk about "kids these days" I have to wonder where they're getting their information from. The kids I know are involved, engaged, and passionate about exploring all that is out in the world. And I'm not just talking about my own biological kids. I am speaking from alm...

"I attribute a good deal of my success to dumb luck. So that might be one of those areas where it kind of raises its head. But I also believe that when you put yourself in a situation where you are willing to show initiative and a spark, you will be blessed with the faith and support of those around you." Tim Bernardi is an experienced writer and entrepreneur who seemingly stumbled into a role in...

  "People need to unlearn the phrase, 'the customer is always right'. And that's not easy. I think it's important that we unlearn that so that we can relearn how to support customers and guests." Eleanor has always been passionate about empowering others and creating unique and creative solutions. Which is why after 20 years of working in hotel operations, she decided to use her experience and vis...

"Until we really tap into our deeper purpose and passions, we aren't going to show up in our best for others." Letty Benavides is a passionate people person and self-development coach who loves to help others discover their purpose and passions. She has always been a people person, wanting to support others, create joy and learning in her life and the lives of those around her. But when she turned...

"Step away from familiarity and allow yourself to grow by embracing the unexpected." Rob Midiri returns for yet another great, casual conversation. Join as we talk about: his recent experience on yet another experience at sea why more people need to embrace those moments of spontaneity and serendipity what we can learn from the feedback that stings Connect with Rob Midiri https://www.linkedin.com/...

Failing is what leads to your next biggest success. As we wrap up the new year I share some of my biggest failures and what we can all take away from them.  The Top 6 Failures of 2022: Trying to stick with a 9 - 5 schedule Saying Yes Accepting Less Not Asking for Help Doing what I thought people would want from me Not Trusting Myself What were your biggest failures this year? Send me a message let...

This episode is taking on three things we have yet to tackle on this show; Mental Fitness + Masculinity + Plant Medicine. Neal Conlon is joining to share about his journey from Marine veteran to corporate to startups and cyber security technology to what he is calling his own personal development reset. In all of that he has had one core purpose; to create and provide safety and security for other...

At the age of 5, Lauren was literally thrown into a pool so she would have something to do at her sisters' swim meets. 17 years later, with a high school state championship and a top 3 finish in the Mid-American Conference, she said goodbye to a successful swimming career. This foundation as a student athlete set the tone for high achievement in the professional world.  After 15 years in HR, Laure...

Everyone has a unique story about how they became connected to their purpose. Katie's is no different. After years of navigating ongoing challenges with fertility she finally reached the day her daughter arrived. Yet in all that joy she was surrounded by incredible loss. It was then that she decided to take a leap into an opportunity that she had been turning away from three and a half years. Thro...

While neonatal diabetes is rare and occurs in about 1 in every 400,000 live births in the United States, it is usually seen as a random genetic mutation. The Vacchio family somehow beat the random odds by welcoming their two incredible children into this world with the diagnosis.. They may be considered rare, but they aren't alone. Christy and Dan had their son Andy in April 2005, but were almost...

Part 3 of the Connect  Create Celebrate series takes a look at the mental beast of imposter syndrome. We look at the impact is has on our mind, the conundrum that comes with the opposite effect termed "Dunning Kruger Effect", and the 5 ways I have found that help over come that limiting noise so you can get back to celebrating your unique spark. Looking to ignite a spark in your purpose? Book Kati...

Stop thinking you need all the things, all the experts, and all the tools. Start reflecting on what brings YOU joy and start creating in alignment with that. During this episode I share ways that I have been able to create with purpose and live with joy, including:  Reconnecting with your Inner Kid.  Starting with Self-Education Take what serves you, dismiss what destroys you.  Creating from your...

Over the years, especially more recent ones, I have come to embrace the impact of a pause. That's why for the next three episodes I am going to force you to slow down and dig deeper on your own journey by reflecting on the ways that you connect create and celebrate with in your purpose. You're going to gain a little more insight as to how I use those three pillars in my own growth and get some too...

Remember your excitement when you accepted the job offer or started your business? Do you recall when teamwork and camaraderie made your day more fulfilling? If you are ready to get back to that work-life you loved, then this is someone you will want to connect with. Rita Ernst is owner of Ignite your Extraordinary and author of Show Up Positive. She is an advocate for all of us to stop waiting an...

Emily Nichols nudges technical people to embrace their human skills, so they can become better problem solvers, team players, and leaders. She is a professional engineer with a B.Sc. in Systems Engineering and a M.A.Sc in chemical engineering with more than 15 years of experience in manufacturing, innovation, and improving products and processes from breakfast cereal to automotive paint and electr...

"We have to get out of a place of trading time and money." Hannah Chapman is the founder of X 2 Wealth Planning and is my Financial Advisor. She has over 16 years of experience in finance…but she is not your typical financial advisor. She grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, learning that we each have the ability and responsibility to create our own wealth story, while she was also learning from...

Over the last 25+ years, Nate has switched careers over seven times and knows the frustration many people can have in not finding purpose in their careers. We dig into this in a way that has yet to be explored, so if you are ready for the real real on burnout, "quiet quitting", and the cost of complying, then this is for you. Nate has been able to see needs through his own story and now runs a bus...

Today we welcome a woman that knows how to manage like a mother… and in the most magical way. Valerie Cockerell was a leader in retail and merchandising throughout the Disney Company and as well as working within Disney institute. She is now a partner at Cockerell Consulting with her husband, and previous guest, Dan Cockerell. While her story may have started in France it has unfolded around the g...

Today is a wonderfully empowering and insightful look into one woman's journey from corporate to keynotes. Karen Laos and I first crossed paths when we joined a Speaker Sisters network in late 2019, early 2020. Over the years I have had the honor of seeing Karen's incredible transformation as she has carved her own path as a keynote speaker and leadership coach equipping women to stand out with un...

In this special episode you get to hear three women talk about how podcasting has impacted their entrepreneur journey. Cassie Tucker and I joined Rita Richa on a live recording for her podcast Bippity Boppity Business.  During this virtual event we discuss: How podcasting has helped us as entrepreneurs network with dream collaborators and clients Why podcasting is our favorite form of content crea...