Nobody Knows Your Story

Josh Coffin grew up as a pleaser. He loved the praise he received for doing what others wanted him to do. He also grew up in super conservative southeastern Idaho and as he states, "In high school 75 to 80% of the students attended Mormon seminary. I assumed the rest were just inactive Mormons." As Josh relates his life story, he recalls a happy childhood which included working a variety of jobs and checking all of the Mormon boxes including going on a two year mission to Mexico at age nineteen.  Josh is a funny dude and that's a big reason he and I enjoy conversing. We play poker together and share several interests from our take on sports to our fondness of tattoos and living authentic lives.   The last twenty minutes or so are powerful as Josh talks about how he has benefited from therapy. The therapy has helped him to better understand himself, but also helped him to be a better husband and father. 

Let me start off by saying that Joe Elder tells his story in a way that I believe anyone who has battelled alcohol or drugs would find not only relatable, but inspiring.  Like many, Joe Elder has had challenges in his life. In his youth, Joe's family moved often which made it hard to make and then leave friends. But he also experienced differing ideas and views he might not have seen had he grown up in one place.Family has always been important to Joe. As he tells his story he talks about "family life" and how choices at times were affected by family decisions. Joe also talks about how during a tough period he succumbed to alcohol and ended up an alcoholic; but how this experience helped him decide what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to help others. Favorite book-Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of GodPodcast Joe hosts with Chris Wilkins-Do Your Dailies

Confidence is Contagious is a podcast hosted by Sharon McLaughlin. It's similar to Nobody Knows Your Story as the episodes contain insightful conversations and thought-provoking discussions from women who have confidence and inspire others. Guests share personal stories of resilience, mental fitness, and leadership, providing practical advice and motivational lessons. Each episode is meant to inspire, empower, and celebrate women.As you listen to Sharon's story and she recalls her life, there was a drive to work hard to become a doctor. Then, after achieving a respected position, she experienced burnout. Now she peaks to others about not just burnout, but how to move on.Recovering from burnout is a gradual process that unfolds over time.The journey toward recovery involves recognizing and acknowledging the signs and symptoms of burnout, understanding the underlying causes, and implementing sustainable changes to mitigate stressors.Author: Thriving After BurnoutWebsite: sharonmclaughlinmd.com

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Maile Jewkes and her husband Jerry over the past couple of years. But in a reversal of the norm, I actually met and became friends with Maile's parents almost thirty years ago. Maile will talk about this a bit as she shares her story. TRIGGER WARNING: Maile's story also includes a marriage where she was physically abused. If this could be triggering, you may want to skip this episode or at the very least skip this particular section which begins at the 36:00 minute mark.    

As with a number of guests I've interviewed, I know Wayne Cavicchioni on a personal level. We played softball against each other for a couple of years but I noticed that Wayne was a people person. He was also an above average player. People person, softball skill level high; it's easy to see why I reached out to Wayne to play on OUR softball team. He did and we played many years together.So back to the people person aspect. Wayne is a good hard working, blue collar dude. For the most part, he's worked for himself and when you work for yourself, you have no safety net. You are responsible for what you obtain.Life was moving along fairly smoothly for Wayne, until it wasn't. Listen as Wayne describes how he ended up with cirrhosis of the liver as a non-drinker. 

Life is all about pivoting, some might say transitioning. Mac McGregor knows all about transitioning and he talks freely about his life as a high level martial arts competitor representing the United States, as a female.As you listen to Mac's story, you will learn that Mac knew from a very young age that he was different. Over time, he learned that there was nothing wrong with this difference he felt. Eventually, it became an opportunity to pivot and he did. Today Mac is the founder and President of Positive Masculinity. The goal of Positive Masculinity is for heart-led  masculine folks who want to create a transformative path for masculinity in our world. Author of the book, Positive Masculinity NowWebsite: https://www.positivemasculinitynow.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Positivemasc/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivemasculinitynow/YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@positivemasculinity3458

Marc Schafler's story was a particularly fun one for me and I suspect many other boys now in men's bodies.  Many of us who grew up in the 60's & 70's dreamed of playing baseball in the major leagues.  Marc was a good player in his youth and he recalls some of the highlights as he tells his life story.Hawaii has been a place Marc has visited more than once. He's actually spent time on a number of the Hawaiian islands and we talk about that a bit. But his story is one in which baseball played a huge role. It helped him educationally, and in a way with his career in real estate.So, did he make it to the major leagues?  You'll need to listen to his story to find out.

Frank Ring grew up in Palisades Park, NJ with a view of the New York City skyline. He loved sports and played both basketball and baseball. He was always into physical fitness and took to running on a regular basis. Frank discovered the benefits of walking almost by accident. A severe back injury caused him to discontinue his habit of running and really take time off from exercise altogether. When he felt it was time to start back up, he began walking. Soon, he realized that walking was helping him reduce his weight, giving him opportunities to listen to podcasts, books on tape and enjoy his surroundings. Of course, walking is just a big part of Frank’s story.  If you want to see what Frank has to say about the benefits of walking; here’s a few links, you’ll want to check out. From his website: https://www.walkingforhealthandfitness.com“Walking for Health and Fitness is a health,fitness, and wellness website, books, newsletter, and digital programsdedicated to walking and all the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefitsthat come from it in order to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle!”Podcast: Walking for Health and Fitness: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walking-for-health-and-fitness/id1689142698?i=1000615839443Book: Walking for Health and Fitness. Download the first two chapters free: https://tinyurl.com/whfchaptersWalk Around the U.S. : https://www.walkingforhealthandfitness.com/blog/my-virtual-walk-around-the-united-statesMom's Life Lessons: https://www.walkingforhealthandfitness.com/blog/10-life-lessons-moms-life-well-lived

MISSION STATEMENT:I live to inspire and light a fire in the hearts of others.I want people to desire a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. ~Traci Neal~When you listen to Traci tell her story, you'll soon find that there's lots of reasons for Traci to have lost her faith. You'll also find out why she didn't.CONTACT TRACI:Tracinealspeakerpoet.com

“I write so I can explain things to myself. That they are explained to you in the process is just as important to me, but the motivation has been intrinsic to simply trying to explain things to myself in an attempt to making some kind of sense.”-Eric YoungI copied this statement from the forward in Eric’s book, I’m No Saint. It resonated with me for several reasons, one of which was its similarities on why I have this podcast. Sure, it gives my guests a forum to discuss their lives, but it also provides me a space to explain things to myself as I explain them through conversation with my guest, and eventually, the podcast listener.As you listen to Eric relate his life, you won’t soon forget the first eight minutes. We all have life events that define our character, but the events that happen to some can take an individual down a never before imagined path. A life pivot so to speak. For Eric, these events were more than a simple life pivot, they were life transformational.  Books by Eric-I’m No SaintTo Risk

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Secret Service Agent? We all think of the Secret Service protecting the President and Vice President of the United States, but they do much more. Dan Dluzneski did have security details where he protected the leaders of the United States, but he did other things too which I found to be very interesting.As he told his life story, Dan talked about growing up on a farm in Connecticut, and the strong work ethic his father instilled in him. It wasn't until college that Dan thought about law enforcement and that was only after his dream of being a sports announcer didn't work out. He retired from the Secret Service after a twenty-four year career.But, Dan was restless. Dan talks about his second career which was also centered around protecting others. Specifically, his second career dealt with protecting school students and his book, the First Five Minutes is helping do just that.  

Bret Magpiong has a bit of a Hawaiian connection, but he grew up in Southern California. As Bret shares his life story, he talks about his family and how living in the shadow of his older brother caused a bit of a course direct. Bret has dedicated his entire professional career either advising executives, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, and entertainers or as a C-Level executive for various firms and partnerships. We talk a bit about being alive with purpose and why life is to be enjoyed.Across his 35+ year professional career, he has coached and mentored scores of colleagues and clients on change, growth, and enrichment of their personal and professional lives. He is a member of the International Coaching Federation.If you'd like to find out more about Bret and what he's doing, you can reach him at connectwithbret.com. 

When Shelley Perry tells her story, you'll discover that when she sets her mind to something, she sticks with it. Words like courage, mettle, or tenacity are good describers.So how did Shelley develop these traits? Her family was involved in the restaurant business and she started working at a young age. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows there's always something to be done, and Shelley was always doing something.Shelly talks about homeschooling her girls, a desire to live and educate on the open road (which involved taking them around the country in a motorhome), and eventually ending up in Texas. But ending up in Texas was not a part of the plan. But, it's a big part of her story.Oh yeah, she's also the host of the LivGreater podcast.    

Trang Nova had a very academic-focused upbringing In Melbourne, Australia. In addition to typical schooling, Trang had tutoring after school and attended Saturday School to learn Vietnamese as she is Vietnamese Australian.As we discussed her life, she really didn't think her six day a week educational studies were that unusual, until she got a bit older. But, she's grateful for the hard work ethics her parents instilled in her.Take a listen to how Trang has pivoted in recent years and what the catalyst was for this quarter life crisis. Website: trangnova.comThe Aligned Performance Podcast

Let me start off saying that yes, Rebecca did take a slow boat to New Zealand, and it's certainly an interesting part of her story. But I'm not going to talk about it here. You'll need to listen to the episode.But Rebecca's story is worth listening to. How did a Jewish girl from Bethlehem, PA become a law professor and author? Yep, once again, you'll need to listen to her story. Reach out to Rebecca at, rebeccabratspies.comMost recent book, Naming Gotham: The Villains, Rogues, & Heroes Behind New York's Place Names

I’ve thought of having Brian West tell his life story for some time. It’s not that I knew he had some unique life experiences, (which it turns out he did), but more that I knew that talking about his life would produce a few laughs.  Brian has had a couple of careers, but for the past 18 years, Brian’s been a licensed residential loan consultant. That’s how I met Brian, and working with him, well that's how I came to know he’s a good dude. If you live in AZ, here's how to reach Brian.bwest@loandepot.com  

If ever there's been an example of someone marching to their own drummer, well that would be Leslie Olpin Peterson.As Leslie recalls her life, her story is full of twists and turns; ups and downs. From flying to Samoa at 18 on a whim, to discovering midlife a hidden talent for art, to finding out not too long ago that she...  Yeah, you'll want to listen to find out, what she found out. Why? Because it wasn't just one life changing thing, but two. Two doozies!

So,  just Who the F*ck is Nikki La Croce? You'll want to listen to her story to find out how life's twists and turns have put her in a space now where she can better understand herself. Once you've figured out who you are, you can do some pretty impactful things, like create a podcast.   Nikki's podcast  is aimed at creating connection through vulnerable conversations about each guest’s unique story of self-discovery & the valuable lessons they've learned along the way.  As we discuss Nikki's life, you'll be able to see that she is a kind, compassionate individual and better understand why she came up with the Who the F*ck? podcast. (At the beginning of the podcast I mention the episode will contain "salty language." There's actually just four f-bombs, so I really don't consider the episode very salty. ) Website: WhoTheFck.comYouTube: @whothefck_pod

In my "talk story" session with Paul, we talk about his life, but also about his health related passions. Here's an excerpt from Paul's buy me a coffee link which I included in the notes."I am a West Point graduate and Army veteran. After leaving the military in 2002, I was in poor health - 275 pounds, pre-diabetic, suffering from high blood pressure and major digestive issues, and extremely inflamed.After trying a vegan diet for two years with minimal improvement and additional problems, I discovered what I call Ancestral Health and have never looked back.I have been practicing Functional Nutritional Therapy and Health Coaching for over a decade and speak on a regular basis. Currently, I am working with 6 to 12 health coaching clients and have an online community of amazing members that I support. I have thousands of hours of experience connecting with others.After a recent divorce, I refused to go back to renting an apartment or looking for a home to purchase. I DECIDED TO PURCHASE A TEARDROP TRAILER AND LIVE OFF GRID. My mission is to travel the nation, sharing the gift of simplified nutrition, health, and LIFE by documenting my experience." How to get in touch with Paul:If you'd like to schedule some time with me, visit https://superhumantransformation.comIf you'd like to support my mission https://buymeacoffee.com/paulctijerinaIf you'd like to follow my overlanding off grid mission https://youtube.com/@operationrewildHere are Paul's social media and other links https://linktree.com/paulctijerina 

I asked Dean Jamison to describe himself. Here's what I got back. "I'm a good natured, determined competitor who thrives on a good challenge. I busted my ass all my working life to provide for my family by working every shift possible. Now that I'm retired, it's time to have fun". Dean is a friend of mine. He's proud of his Pennsylvania roots, and he loves his country.  When sitting around after a game or practice, Dean is a contributor to the conversation, but he's one who thinks before he speaks. I can't say that about too many folks I know. As with a number of friends I have, I met Dean through softball. Dean mentions this as it's a part of his story. I recruited him to our team and it's worked out pretty well for both Dean, and our team. When we won our division at the Tournament of Champions last February in Florida, Dean was our team MVP. Six Things to Know About Dean:1. He loves his wife and kids2. He loves Yuengling beer3. He's a patriotic dude4. He is into softball5. He is into pinball6. He loves music