Our season’s come to a close, but don’t worry – we’ll be back after our hiatus! Thanks so much for tuning in as we shift directions with this new season. If you have a life hack you’d love to hear Shelly discuss on the show, send us a note at lifehacks@trustory.fm. See you next season!
This week on the show, Shelly is joined by Tristan Gandolfi, the director of entrepreneurial education at Seed Spot. This company focuses on helping entrepreneurs who are creating solutions to social problems. Whether you have a great idea and are just trying to figure out how to make it happen or know you want to do something in the social space but aren’t quite sure what just yet, Seed Spot can help. They have a variety of programs, and Shelly and Tristan talk through them. They chat about the networking and mentorships that come from their programs and how they’re here to help ideas germinate and grow into successful businesses. Whether you’re trying to start up your own business or looking for ways to shift your own to be more socially responsible, this conversation is for you. Links Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube
Whether you work from home, at the office, or from the road, it can be hard focusing on the task at hand. Distractions constantly arise, not to mention habits we just can’t break. All of this can keep us from being as productive as we’d like to be. On this week’s show, Shelly is joined by musician, tech entrepreneur, and inventor Will Henshall. Will is behind focus@will, a tool that can help you find focus and achieve better productivity. Focus@will provides personalized music so you don’t feel the need to take that break every 20 minutes. People who use this music have seen a 200-400% increase in focus time. Shelly and Will talk about how different brains need different types of music, how to find out what type of music works best for your brain, how this can help kids too, and more. It’s a conversation that everyone should tune in to as it helps you figure out your own brain and what you can do to be more productive. About Will Will Henshall is a Los Angeles based tech entrepreneur, inventor and music producer. He was the founding member and main writer in the UK pop soul band Londonbeat. Their massive early 90s hit ‘I’ve Been Thinking About You’ reached #1 in the Billboard chart and was the top selling single in all major territories and won him BMI/PRS songwriter of the year. In the mid 90s, he founded San Francisco-based audio tech company Rocket Network. The “DigiDelivery” media transfer system, now part of ProTools 12 Cloud collaboration, is a standard tool used everyday in pro audio production for TV, movies and music. He sold the company to Avid in 2003. His most recent start up is focus@will, a science driven instrumental music streaming service (2m users) that helps people at work and study reduce distractions and be more productive. He holds five patents, and has a new one in the oven! Links Facebook LinkedIn Website
Life is busy as it is, but for Highly Sensitive People, or HSPs, even the smallest change can overwhelm. Today, spiritual writer, guide, and certified Reiki practitioner Alissa Boyer joins Shelly Boucher to talk about the toolkit that HSPs can use to survive our busy world. From daily tools like journaling, breathing, meditation, and diet, to finding peace through your pets and helping your HSP children as a parent, the conversation is designed to help HSPs, people with HSPs in their lives, and everyone else really who wants to be ready to help any HSPs they may come across in their day-to-day living. And let’s face it – we all could use tips on how to find inner peace these days, am I right? About Alissa Alissa Boyer is a Writer and Mentor for Highly Sensitive People & Empaths. She writes for the award-winning HSP blog, Highly Sensitive Refuge, as well as her own blog, Life By Alissa. Alissa is also a certified Reiki Energy Healer and the founder of the Highly Sensitive & Soulful Membership where she helps other HSPs and Empaths experience greater self-love, confidence, and inner peace through spiritual development. Links Facebook Instagram Highly Sensitive Soulful Membership Group Website The Highly Sensitive Person Test
Dog adoptions rose 30-40% during the pandemic over the last year. A lot of first-time dog owners are trying to figure out how to handle these energetic new members of their families. To help out, Shelly Boucher talks training tips with dog trainer and pet custody mediator Karis Nafte. They talk about dealing with separation anxiety and leash manners. The discuss the idea of “smart” dogs and what that really means for owners. They chat about the challenges of adopting different sized dogs. And they cover how to handle a variety of bad habits like chewing, barking, and digging, and how to curb them. It’s a great conversation that can help new and old dog owners alike in working with their pets to create better behaviors. About Karis Karis has worked professionally with dogs, cats, birds and their people as a dog trainer and animal behavior consultant since 1996. Originally from the USA, Karis moved to South Africa in 2005 where she has been lucky to work with cheetahs, elephants as well as household dogs. Helping dogs after divorce who were displaying signs of stress and behavior problems brought her attention to the need for animal-focused mediation about ‘who keeps the dog’ so that the best plan for the dog’s future well being is put in place. Her training as an accredited family mediator allows her to combine the expertise in the area of divorce mediation with her knowledge of dog behavior. These two skills, mediation and animal behavior, enable her to keep the best interest of the dog in the forefront of the conversations and stay in a neutral position between the people at what can be a hugely stressful and emotional time. Links Instagram LinkedIn Website
On today’s episode, Shelly talks with Dr. Foxy Fit herself, Mallory Fox! Mallory created Dr. Foxy Fit as a way to help people improve mobility, relieve tension, and reduce stress through mindful movement as a way to improve the quality of their lives. Mallory talks through stretching your mind through meditation and her mindful minute texts. She also discusses the power of stretching your body. And she’s not talking about sitting down for 30 minutes to stretch. It’s using whatever moments you have to move a little bit, like doing a leg stretch while waiting for your coffee to brew. Join Shelly as she learns from Mallory how to keep your body working, both physically and mentally, as you go through life! About Mallory Dr. Mallory Fox is a native Phoenician and local business owner of Foxy FIT where she helps busy people make time for self care through mindful movement. A former competitive swimmer, Mallory put herself through grad school working as a personal trainer. She started her business, Foxy Fitness, in 2013 and enjoyed the busy life of an entrepreneur until a car accident in 2018 left her with a traumatic brain injury and vision loss. After a lifetime of hustle and a “no pain no gain” attitude, Mallory found that recovering from her injuries required a total mindset shift: she put her energy into learning how to rest, connect to her body, and use stress to her advantage. Now, Mallory helps other people who have experienced life-changing events use mindful movement to transform their mindsets. She has a FREE mindful minute texting service to help people access one minute of mindfulness a day with a daily text to reduce stress and increase resilience. Text MINDFUL to 480-531-9810 to join! Links My Community Facebook Instagram Website Pinterest YouTube TikTok
On today’s episode, Shelly talks with the founders of the West Tenth app, Sara Sparhawk and Lyn Johnson. They created West Tenth as a place to find artisans, crafters, artists and other service providers in your area. Of course, if you’re an artisan, crafter, artist, or a service provider, it’s the perfect place to market yourself and what you do. The concept feels like a blend of NextDoor and Etsy. Join Shelly as she learns more from Lyn and Sara about their exciting app! About Sara and Lyn Lyn Johnson is the co-founder and CEO of West Tenth, a digital marketplace where you can discover women in your local community who have turned their household talents into home-based businesses. As an advocate for female entrepreneurs and economic equality, her goals for West Tenth are to create a company that generates positive change for our society, that is profitably sustainable, and that provides an economic resource for women all over the world. Before founding West Tenth, Lyn worked in the financial world at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City and then as a CFO for a private financial advisory firm in Santa Monica. She is a mom to three young boys and in her spare time Lyn loves to pursue her passion for travel, and for exploring small towns across America. Sara Sparhawk is the co-founder and COO of West Tenth. Passionate about career coaching and development, Sara wants to grow West Tenth globally and enable women to pursue their career passions with the flexibility they need. She wants to make all women-led, home-based businesses visible to their communities. Formerly, Sara began her career in New York City where she worked at PwC and Guggenheim Partners in various finance and accounting roles. In 2011, she pivoted her career to focus on Talent Acquisition and Talent Management, and successfully helped build recruiting teams at Amazon, PwC, and Apttus. She has been featured in various publications including Inc., CNBC and Fox Business. Since 2004, she has volunteered as a camp counselor or fundraising volunteer for Okizu, an organization supporting families affected by childhood cancer. Sara is also an avid world-traveler and has visited over 40 countries across 6 continents. Links Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website
It's been quite a break but Lifehacks is back! This time with a brand new host and a season of great tools and services to make the most of your time and energy!
When my kids were young, I had the good fortune to have multiple friends that were Speech and Language Pathologists. So any time I had a question or concern about my kiddo's language development, I'd turn to them for assistance, reassurance or strategies. I realize not everyone has this dynamic, so in this week's episode I've invited Sharon Soliday, a dear friend of mine (and Speech and Language Pathologist), to join me to discuss all things speech and language. ß
Over the past several weeks, we’ve talked about creating a personal spending plan and some tips about how to save money on one of your largest monthly expenses. But what about imparting some of that financial literacy to your kiddos? As far as Tim Ranzetta is concerned, having those conversations early and often is key to ensuring your kids have a firm financial foundation to avoid costly spending pitfalls and proactively manage their own finances. On this episode, Tim and I discuss all things personal finance, from saving for college (and related expectations) to opening a checking account. How to teach responsible credit card use (and why Tim recommends it!) to really understanding financial contracts. He’ll even explain how you can “lend” your good credit to your kids if you’re a long-term credit card holder. Tune in to this episode to hear all of this and more!
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cooking and meal planning. I enjoy cooking and feeding my family healthy meals, but it turns out this is something you have to do every. single. day! I get burnt out easily. AND, as you might have noticed, food is EXPENSIVE and it just seems to be getting more so. For me, it’s overwhelming to manage the logistics as well as the finances of all this eating. My guest today happens to be a master at both meal planning AND shopping on a budget. Her name is Erin Chase and she is SO good at this, that she started what is now a successful blog called 5DollarDinners.com. Erin is crazy good at pulling together nutritious meals featuring real food and putting them together for you in meal plans you can download. I downloaded Erin’s 20 meals for $150 from Costco and my family loved, loved, loved the lemon pepper chicken (haven't made the rest yet!). Do check it out. So if you’re finding yourself pressed for time, money or both when it comes to meal planning and preparation, this episode is for YOU. Tune in now and let me know YOUR family’s favorite go-to recipe on the Lifehacks Facebook page or Twitter.
When you sit down to do your finances, does your heart fill with dread and loathing? Yeah…me too. My guest in this episode is CreativeMoney.biz’s Mindy Crary and she thinks all of this finance stuff is FUN (crazy, right?) and joins me to share her approach to personal finance. Tune in to this episode to hear Mindy’s tips on the best online spending tools, how and where to start cutting back on things you probably won’t miss and ways to prioritize spending plans without going overboard. Mindy takes a lighthearted approach to this stuff and really hones in on the psychology behind why we act and spend the way we do…and how to rein ourselves in without feeling deprived. So tune in to this episode and share your own tips on the Lifehacks Facebook page or on Twitter. Mentioned Links and Resources Mint.com Getting Started with Conscious Spending (and lots of other great, FREE resources)
Last month my family and I spent a week in Utah. Several of those days we volunteered at the largest no-kill animal shelter in the country - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. This experience was a fantastic one for the entire family as you’ll hear on today’s episode. We worked with bunnies, parrots, puppies, cats and horses. You’ll hear which ones were winners and my family’s advice on volunteering at Best Friends (hint: do it!). This episode is a bit different than most so if this is your first time tuning in, I hope you enjoy!
How do you feel when you're called upon to give a presentation in front of a group of people? Nervous? Anxious? Terrified? If your public speaking skills leave a little to be desired, whether it's simply increasing your confidence or boosting your communication skills, today's episode is for you! Our topic today is one that’s near and dear to my heart and that’s how to overcome the sheer terror that can sometimes accompany the prospect of speaking in front of a group. After a particularly mortifying experience in which I thought I was going to pass out during a short presentation for my job, I was motivated to find some education on public speaking. And what I found was a local Toastmasters group where I met my guest on this week's episode. Bryndl Rohan is not only a phenomenal public speaker but she’s also reached the rank within Toastmasters of “Distinguished Toastmaster”, a level to which many aspire to but few achieve. Bryndl walks us through the ins and outs of a Toastmasters meeting, from what to expect your very first visit to how to find the right club for you.
It’s time to start thinking about Father’s Day and all of the amazing men in your life. For some of you that means double, or even triple duty, as you consider your own father or grandfather as well as the father of your precious cherubs. While the default may be to make a special breakfast or dinner for Dad and call it good, this week’s episode offers a thoughtful approach to honoring that special guy in your family’s life. My guest this week is Larry Hagner, host of The Good Dad Project podcast and he’s an endless source of really fantastic dad’s day ideas, from the basics all the way to the meaningful. Larry’s ideas are simple and thoughtful…the best kind, in my book!
It’s almost here. I can feel it. Summer and its glorious sun. As I say ‘good riddance’ to cloudy, damp weather and prepare to relish longer days and a more relaxed schedule for the kids, I dream of a summer garden. The promise contained within a flat of vegetables inspires visions of freshly picked produce on my dinner table. Each year, I try to take a teeny step forward in my gardening skill. I’ve finally reached the point where I can grow cucumbers, tomatoes and snap peas without too much trouble. I fight a mostly losing battle with the slugs over my kale. And the bunnies love all of it. The challenge of gardening for me lies in the upkeep, the maintenance and the pest management. And, if I’m honest, in the planning of it all. While I look forward to summer’s arrival all year long, when it finally appears I feel my garden plans haven’t happened in time and I’ve lost precious growing days. For those of us not born with a green thumb, gardening can be a little intimidating. Which is why I’ve invited not one, but two gardening experts to join me on this episode.
How much time do you spend thinking about your home appliances? Probably zero until you’re faced with a leaky fridge or dryer that’s no longer drying your clothing. And then it’s a minor emergency because the truth is, we depend on these appliances for modern day living. Did you know your major appliances should last 10 years or more? The key to long happy lives for your appliances is to maintain them. Angie’s List’s Cheryl Reed joins me in today’s episode to share some very simple ways to extend the life of these lovable hunks of metal. We walk through your home room by room, from kitchen to laundry room to bathroom sharing simple tips to keep everything from your dryer to your garbage disposal running smoothly. I promise you’ll learn at least one new tip that could save you money and add years to the life of your appliances. Learn all of these tips plus the Angie’s List Rule of $5,000 and how to determine whether it’s better to buy a new appliance or repair the one you have.
A few weeks ago I took to my Facebook page to ask what projects you knew you SHOULD be tackling but you just didn’t know where to start. One neglected project mentioned repeatedly had to do with photos...“organizing all my photos” or “sorting/printing pictures” and “creating yearly memory books for my kids”. And BOY can I relate. So today, I’m calling in an expert. Laurel Sittig is Editorial Manager for Photojojo, a blog and online store for photography gear and cool photo ideas. Laurel walks us through: Why we’re all so overwhelmed by our photos The “lazy” tools to use to organize (and share) your photos Ways to back up your photos (even if the internet disappears) Fun things to DO with your photos, like massive engineer prints, photo pinatas and sunglass photo frames Products that will help you be a better phone photographer
If a natural disaster struck tomorrow, would you be ready? Odd are, your answer is, "no". We've seen communities all around the world touched by horrific natural disasters, the most recent being the earthquake in Nepal. What if that was your community? Do you even know where to begin? The sad reality is that many of us are NOT prepared. But the good news is that, by listening to today's episode, you're going to get some terrific resources from my guest, Marcie Maynes. Marcie teaches all about family emergency preparedness at PreparingHeroes.org.
How many hours each week do you spend playing the calendar game over email trying to coordinate a simple phone call or in-person meeting? If your answer, like mine, is "a lot!", then keep reading. This minisode is for YOU. I've been on the hunt for a web-based tool that will essentially schedule my meetings for me. I've finally found it in Calendly. This Google-calendar-based online scheduler provides you with a link to share with others that displays only the times you tell it to, based on some general parameters as well as you existing calendar appointments. This tool is literally saving me HOURS each week. I did this minisode to explain all about it. Tune in by clicking the player bar above or on iTunes? And let me know how you like Calendly once you give it a shot! I'm @meganstrand on Twitter.