"What's Next?" With Steve Blasen

I was so intrigued when Michelle told me she was a mortician, of course, I had to have her on the podcast! She is not at all what I would expect a mortician would be, however, I do not know how one should be! Michelle grew up in the outskirts of Sacramento, CA., moved to Portland after high school to beat the heat as well as attended Mortuary School then made her way back to California. In high sc...

Avid bicycler, athlete, teacher, Naval Officer, Father, Traveler. Rodney was the oldest of five on a dairy farm in rural Mayville, Wisconsin. Rodney went to college, left, and joined the Navy at the age of 20, then went back to college to obtain his teaching degree, and taught kindergarten for a few years but wanderlust took hold, and he went back to the Navy! His first enlistment was spent on Die...

I had a chance to sit down with Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji of the Army Green Beret, A–Team Special Forces. Now retired and living with his wife in California. Changiz, along with Ralph Pezzullo Authored Full Battle Rattle , giving firsthand accounts of over one hundred completed combat missions in Afghanistan. Changiz was the First Muslim Green Beret, serving twenty-four years on the special...

Hannah has been a client for 6 plus years now. A local yoga and barre instructor who is also on the verge of completing her master’s degree in Ayurveda from the Maharishi International University. Ayurveda is unfamiliar territory, and I was curious to learn more about Ayurveda and Hannah. Ayurveda is the oldest written form in health care, originating in India. It is the sister science of yoga, fo...

Had a great conversation getting to know a new client Menaka, a Physical Therapist/Intuitive Life coach/Screenwriter, here on assignment until mid-July. Earning a Masters degree in Physiotherapy (aka physical therapy) in 1995, Menaka has worked both in Canada and the United States for over 27 years. She shares her interests in life as well as what it is like to work as a Physical Therapist in vari...

This podcast was buried in our vault and was originally recorded on December 7, 2021. I had the pleasure of conversing with one of my newer clients, Stephen Green. A career assessment in the 8th grade thought he would be a good realtor, and look at that, coming full circle after a career in city government. Stephen retired in 2019, after working 35 years in city government. Throughout the years, h...

Christopher became a client in 2022 and I did not know too much about him. We have had great conversations, so I thought let’s do a podcast! Now throughout the podcast, Christopher refers to himself as a “ski bum,” however he is far from it. Hailing from Vermont, he worked in the service/restaurant industry for many years which allowed him to ski in some amazing places. From Jackson Hole to Durang...

I’ve known Mark for a little over 10 years now. He came to me looking for pain relief at my first studio in Old Town Salinas. He believed in my craft so much that he offered to help create Live Well’s internet presence and take it out of the stone age. It wasn’t easy but we did it.  I hardly see the guy now that he is living in Colorado but man when I do, it is always a great time. Mark grew up in...

Mandy is a newer client and when she told me she was into Roller Derby, I just had to know more. We had such a fun time recording this podcast with Mandy Carswell aka Mad McWrath #713 and Kristen DeMers aka Stevie Hits #10, skaters for Monterey Bay Roller Derby. These ladies really enjoy the sport, and you can hear it in this podcast! I know little about roller derby and these ladies break down th...

Recently meeting Anthony, I was fascinated his roots are 10,000 years strong and I had to know more! Monterey County was once home to 7 different tribes, the Mutsun tribe was one of the biggest. Anthony’s Great Grandmother Ascención Solórsano was a medicine woman, a storyteller, and historian. When she was dying, she had a vision of an angel that was going to save Mutson history. That angel turned...

I met Chuck last year after his wife referred him to Live Well Therapeutic Massage for his back pain. This happens all the time, I get to talk with my clients and find their lives interesting! Chuck is no exception and here we are doing a podcast! He is the owner of Esquin Wine and Spirits and shares the journey of how he got to where he is today. From golf instructor to working in Alaska during t...

When I met Rick last year, we traded war stories about making stupid decisions when we were young. I am amazed by his positivity, family values, and work ethic. He has an inspiring story to tell, and I asked him to join me in What’s Next. This young man in his late 20s has worked hard to be where he is today. A mistake in his early 20s made him rethink his path. By educating himself and surroundin...

Growing up, both Russ and I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau and after hearing some of Russ’s experiences, I wanted to get him on a podcast. Russ knew he wanted to be an oceanographer, but life took him in other directions before it eventually brought him back to his dream. From being a competitive mountain biker to obtaining a degree in forestry and fighting fires, then becoming a backcountry w...

Growing up in my father’s lumbar company, it is not a surprise I was instantly intrigued by Mr. Tad Mason. He has been in forest management since 1979, after graduating from Berkley with a degree in Forestry. Tad is a consultant in the private sector and finds markets for undervalued forest material (small limbs, top of trees, small trees) after logging and forest thinning. Finding companies who n...

While vacationing in Monterey during wintertime, Adam became a client of mine right before the pandemic started. I knew very little about what he did until now. He truly has a passion for clean tech, renewable energy, and the ocean. One of his early projects was the overseeing of Europe’s largest wind park. A Clean Tech angel investor and venture capitalist with 20 years of experience, we cover a...

Had a very interesting podcast with Ms. Elena Nezhinsky. We discuss topics such as Enlightenment, meditating, transforming, spiritual awakening, escaping pain from childhood, conditioning from generations, and conformity just to name a few. Elena has traveled the world trying to make sense of it all and continues to seek the truth. This podcast was recorded on December 14, 2021.

Lisa Leininger, a Kinesiology professor, and Jackie Grallo, Interim dean of the library became friends after meeting at work at CSUMB. Lisa, an avid runner and athlete, wrangled Jackie into the sport. They discuss their careers as well as the training behind marathon preparation and marathon participation during the pandemic. (Recorded 12/7/21)

Austin Palacios came in looking for some pain relief and we hit it off right off the bat. With common interests such as cars, music, blue collar work, this podcast was like shootin the shit with a friend. From growing up in his family restaurant, starting up his own auto detailing business, to doing stand up comedy to so much more, Austin knew the value of hard work at a young age. He also finds h...

Cherri Metzger is one of my clients and a wonderful human! As she slowly transitions to the R stage of life (retirement,) she is asking herself what is her purpose in life. What is up with the world today? Cheryl came into my studio looking for pain relief after many years of working with her hands and body. I soon came to find out she also worked almost 20 years as a massage therapist in the Bay...

This is our very first podcast and we are honored to have this charismatic and amazing human being. Recorded in September 2021. Benjamin Forest served 25 years in the Air Force before retiring this year. From an eclectic childhood and upbringing, to the regimented life and commitment of both the military and marriage, he has a very interesting story to tell. Now a civilian, Benjamin is on a quest...