Act 2: You're On!

Whose up for a reinvention story at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, connection, and community? Meet Beverly Klau - educator, facilitator, connector, and mom whose mission in life has been to build inclusive communities allowing individuals to show up with dignity and authenticity.  You’ll learn how this community activist launched multiple programs to build community and packaged up that know-how, creating Verbina, which you’ll want to immediately go download in the app store! Designed to foster a deep sense of connection and community using technology, Verbina is an easy, accessible app helping families share messages of support to loved ones living with an illness. Tune in for a fabulous conversation about reinvention and invention.Highlights include:“...if you have the app on your phone, and you're ready to invite people into a conversation, your next step is to create an invitation. And I have a sample gallery on the app - it's called "Support for Susan." So it really illustrates like, "Oh, how does this work?" - and you see that there is an invitation, a woman who's saying, you know, this is Deb, I'm Susan's friend, Susan's battling cancer. And she invites other people in to send messages of support to her friend, Susan, who is battling cancer. And so Deb has invited others into this conversation. And that's really how the app works. So you have a curator, and they invite others contributors to contribute their video messages of love and support.”“I couldn't sleep because, like, there was this very loud voice, like a call - like, “You're gonna have to build this - you figured out that there's a need.” I then was like, “All right, I guess I'm gonna start to see what this is all about.” So then I started the process of interviewing developers and going down that path. But to answer your question, I really wanted to replicate the power of holding space that I had been able to do in person. I thought if we could bring that to scale but also make it asynchronous so that people could hold space in a global way and also asynchronously. So I thought, well -  let's see if we can make this work.”For more info about Bev:Website: https://verbina.app/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/VerbinaApphttps://www.jewishboston.com/read/jewish-mom-launches-verbina-a-digital-storytelling-app/Support the show

Got a great idea? Feel like you and your great idea could make a bigger impact on the world? Wonder how to find the courage to create a practical plan and make it happen? Could you do it with four young kids in tow? Well, meet Carolyn Kenney - gym owner, personal trainer, and elementary school teacher - on a mission to help others and herself feel the best within the parameters of reality.From her personal life philosophy, Carolyn created the 85/15 Health & Fitness Studio - a boutique studio offering personal and small group training in yoga, barre, pi-yo, Zumba, HIIT, and Burn. Learn how Carolyn leads a talented group of instructors to create an incredibly effective and welcoming environment where everyone is welcome, whether you worked out yesterday or you have not broken a sweat in years. A podcast with the blueprint for bringing a dream to reality with the blueprint for living your best life. Highlights include:“Most of the time, people ask me sometimes, are you always happy? Well, always no, I don't think that's realistic, but 85% of the time? Absolutely. So I think that when you look at things with optimism, it doesn't mean that you're just a realist. If you kind of think about what actually has to occur to make something happen, it just means that you're trying to figure out how you can actually do what you want to do, instead of just dreaming….”“So 85/15 is 85% fitness or discipline is the word that I really use and 15% fun. That's really the balance for a healthy lifestyle and so many different aspects of the way that we live.”“So if you surround yourself, like you mentioned Kate, with a good team - so not only my family, but my instructors have been the same since I opened, which is almost unheard of in a gym. But it's because I found people that I could trust that trusted me - that my members like and then know what they're doing and do a good job. And so, by surrounding myself with all of those people and letting them help me, I've been able to get to where I am. If I really tried to be completely independent about it, I don't think it would have.”For more information about Carolyn:Website : 8515healthandfitness.comSocial Media: Facebook.com/8515healthandfitnessSupport the show

In a conversation that will not only inspire but warm your heart, you get to meet Debbie and Baylee Donovan, the remarkable mother-daughter team behind a charming little but hugely noteworthy boutique called Baylee Bee. These remarkable entrepreneurs have always shared a deep interest in fashion - not couture, per se - but affordable, fun fashion and the duo saw an opportunity in their hometown. After a lot of hard work and planning - they cannonballed into business. The boutique has been a phenomenal success - not only financially but also personally for the twosome. Baylee Bee opened in November of 2020 - and despite the pandemic - Baylee Bee has not looked back; in fact, they are in the midst of negotiations about opening up other sites. With an exceptional vibe and a savvy finger on the ever-changing fashion industry, Baylee is one of the few boutiques appropriate for every generation.   Learn how the store has helped Baylee find her voice, providing Debbie with the dream of thriving alongside her daughter, and collaborating on something they love. Settle in for an inspirational reinvention and transformation story. Highlights Include:“...if you want really want to do something, you’ve just got to do it. You can't wait; you have got to make it happen. And it's so much work. But…it's so worth it. I mean, we're here, sometimes 12 hours a day, but if you love it - I mean, we love it. So that's great. But…you’ve just got to do it.” - Debbie“If you're trying to open a business or just in general, I think being confident in yourself is helpful, also self-talk… I know, that's weird to say. But sometimes, you just have to look yourself in the mirror and say, “Hey, you got it today.” I think that like changes your output on yourself and your outlook…even if  something's hard, ask for help communicating…and then just go from there.” - BayleeFor more information :Links:Website : www.bayleebee.comFacebook: @bayleebeeclothingInstagram: bayleebeeclothingSupport the show

Interested in interior design? Would you like to learn some great design tips that will immediately improve your daily life and spruce up your seasonal decor that won’t break the bank? Want to hear about the design industry with all the knowledge and none of the snoot? Act 2: You’re On is delighted to introduce Mark Haddad, an award-winning interior designer and President of Interiology Design Co. - a full-service, certified interior design firm based in the greater Boston area.Known for its unparalleled client experience, innovative design solutions, and impeccable service, Interiology helps clients transform their homes into luxurious, exquisitely executed, inspiring spaces that express their distinctive style and envelop the way they live. The results are custom-tailored interiors that clients are excited to come home to and share with those they love.Interiology Design Co. launched The Experience Studio in 2019 to put what’s best for clients at the heart of everything they do. The Experience Studio is a meticulously curated collection of the finest furnishings, fixtures, and finishes installed and operational in residential spaces for a uniquely immersive design experience. So whether you are interested in hiring the best Boston has to offer or you are just interested in design, you are in for a wonderful conversation.Highlights include:“I worked with a professional coach in 2001, and decided that I had so many years of teaching behind me that I should set goals, that would be a three year learning process. And if I didn't meet those goals, with my experience, I could go back and teach. And about 18 months into that process, I met all the goals and never looked back.”“ I had already gotten a master's degree, but I was willing to get another one. And the best advice they gave me is they said, I learned more on the job in those three years of going through that process than I would ever get other than the theoretical nature of going back to school.”“I think it's also being willing to take the chance, because that's that's probably the biggest hurdle is to take that leap. You know, there's risk is there's personal risk based financial risk is professional risk, there's so many risks involved that, that I know, so many people that wouldn't have the gumption to do that. And I think it's being able to have the support system in place, and the personal drive to say, I'm going to take the chance and do that.”interiology.comIG: @interiologydesigncoFB: interiologydesigncoTW: interiologycoSupport the show

In one of our most compelling podcasts ever, in a conversation chockablock full of hard truths on mental health challenges faced by our armed forces, their families as well as our civilian population, you’ll meet one of our nation’s most decorated leaders and a compassionate, purpose-driven change maker, Brigadier General Jack Hammond. Do you have a challenging relationship with change? Maybe, you view change as an opportunity for growth. Or, has life forced change out of the challenge in the most unexpected ways? Today we're going to discuss how one organization addresses the profound effects of military service on veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Not only can their unique experiences present a change in their physical health, but often this population faces issues such as post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorder, and family relationship challenges. Today's guest is United States Army Brigadier General retired Jack Hammond. General Hammond is here to help us all learn about the groundbreaking work being done at home base to help heal the trauma.  Brigadier General Jack Hammond is a retired US Army General Officer and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. General Hammond served as the chief executive for Home Base, an innovative partnership between the Boston Red Sox and the Massachusetts General Hospital. It operates the nation's premier center of excellence for the mental health and brain injuries that affect our veterans and their families. General Hammond is a proven combat leader and has led strategic and tactical formations of the US and allied forces in combat and counterterrorism operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. General Hammond has advised President Obama's commission on military compensation and retirement monetization and presented at his White House veterans and military family mental health conference. He later served as a member of President George W. Bush's health and  Task Force and his veteran wellness Alliance. In addition, Hammond served on Secretary Bob MacDonald's My VA Advisory Committee, Governor Mitt Romney's Homeland Security Advisory Council, and Governor Charlie Baker's health care transition team and veteran advisory council General Hammond's military awards and decorations include: the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit medal for combat service, the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal for valor to Valorous Unit awards, a combat action band, General Hammond earned a bachelor's from the University of Massachusetts, a master's from Boston University and completed a national security fellowship at Harvard University. Highlights Include: “What we do is we have this episodic point of care, where we basically allow the person to hit the pause button on life and focus for two weeks to get better. ...And so that's what we've done in working through with a group of people to build this out was really leveraging the collective intellect of a broader group  - cause one person can have a great idea - but a group of people working on a challenge can come up with a fantastic solution.”“Fortune does favor the bold as people look to that next transition in their life. It takes courage because the status quo is comfortable. When you make a change, when you make big changes, it's uncomfortable. And that's deeply rooted in our lizard brains; in our amygdala, change is uncertain and uncertainly provokes fear and triggers base responses to avoid it. You have to fight through that. When you believe there's something you want to do, you've got to summon the courage - and build that courage - to move forward with and pursue your dreams.”Find out more about Home Base atHomebase.orgSupport the show

In Part II, Courtney delves into the common misconceptions that keep a kid from thriving. Neuro-divergent kids often get classified as behavioral issues and struggle with the shame of “not trying hard enough”- and there’s plenty of shame and judgment thrown at parents and their parenting. In this episode, Courtney welcomes us to collaborate with our kids and to embrace a more compassionate curiosity for our kids, ourselves and the less traditional and known path. Taking the shame out of our parenting can help our kids journey. In a world leaning into diversity, let’s embrace neuro-diversity and learn more about the virtues of an exceptional brain that might just reveal some super-powers.  “...if a child is dysregulated if They're in there, as they refer to it, their downstairs brain, their lizard brain, there, you can't use logic with them. And so often, as parents, we try to use logic with our kids when they're emotionally dysregulated. And it's just not going to work. So we have to start with getting connected with them first and helping them get to a calm state because when they're in a calm state, they can then at least access their frontal lobes, they can access the executive functions that they do have. And they can think logically. So if kids are in a dysregulated state, we first just have to offer them compassion and CO-regulate, and the CO-regulation requires us to be calm. And so in order to connect, we have to be calm, we have to be patient. And we have to be forgiving in the moment and understand that this is a brain-based disability, this is a brain-based moment in which they are dysregulated. And they can't control it. And they first and foremost need someone to just care enough to say, let's just breathe, let's stay calm.”“...they have to feel heard, we need to give them a voice to help so that we can understand where they're coming from, they can understand where we're coming from. And then we look for the win-win. And we invite their ideas for solutions. And we keep having that back-and-forth conversation with compassionate curiosity. And we meet remaining calm, which helps them remain calm, and helps them feel validated, because we're naming back to them what we hear, instead of just being directive, we're getting curious and figuring out, because when their brains work differently than ours, our solutions may not work for them. And we may not have thought of solutions that they're going to think of that actually can work as a win-win. Because their brain thinks differently than ours. And they might come up with a solution. And we need to honor and give it a chance to work and see what happens. Because magically, they might be able to actually do something that's a win-win that we hadn't thought of. That was their idea. And so that's sort of the concept.”For more information about Courtney Edman:Website: 2TametheShameLinked in: 2TametheShame or Courtney EdmanFacebook: 2tametheshame

Do you or someone you love struggle with learning differences, behavioral issues, or mental health challenges? We all know the modern world is a complex place societally, environmentally, and politically - so, how are we supposed to navigate this complexity without …say - executive function skills - or when our complex learning differences leave us with self-esteem so low we are tripping over it? Well, if you have ever wondered how to get the help you or a struggling loved one might need, you are tuning in to a fascinating conversation that might reignite a sense of hope. In this episode, we talk to Courtney Edman because Courtney has been in your shoes. She is not only a coach but also the parent of a neurodivergent young adult son with ADHD anxiety and significant lagging executive function skills. She will explain what it takes to guide you and your child to a place of calm and connection while also giving your family the tools that will lead to understanding and success. She developed some of these skills during her years as a pediatric early intervention physical therapist, serving as the Executive Director of a home-based pulmonary physical therapy practice, and her over 22 years of parenting three young adult children. She is the coach and the solution you've been searching for. No matter your child's age, stage, or diagnosis, Courtney will help to unpack the knowledge and skills to help you, your child, and your family. Courtney believes that kids do well if they can, and so does Act 2 You're On! Highlights Include:“I've learned so much about what it takes to be a parent, and to have an incredible relationship with your child after having a very, very challenging relationship with my son that was filled with shame and filled with for me….”“Mental health is at the forefront of conversations that we're having, and anxiety and learning disabilities aren't necessarily grouped within mental health, but they are invisible disabilities in the same way that mental health challenges are also invisible many times. And they are brain-based. And they are neuro biologically neuro chemically based, right? And it all has to do with the way that the brain is wired. And the way that the brain functions.”“...the reason I brought up COVID…is because I think it just resulted in a heightened level of anxiety and depression, which then impacts the brain. And these ADHD and autism and dyslexia, dyspraxia, all of these neurodiverse diagnoses are brain-based. And I think that that is the piece that culture, in general, is missing. We know that they're brain-based, and yet we're taking a behavioral modification approach to change the manifestations of these disabilities, and that's not getting at the root of the skills that aren't there.For more information about Courtney Edman:Website: 2TametheShameLinked in: 2TametheShame or Courtney EdmanFacebook: 2tametheshame

Do you compare yourself to others or some ideal and always come up short? Do you see yourself as simultaneously better than and less than others? Do you often beat up on yourself for even the smallest mistake? What is your inner critic costing you? And are you asking these things? Even though maybe outward measures say, you're a success? These poignant questions come to us by way of Dr. Anita Kite, a leadership and couples coach who has worked with over 350 clients. Her key areas of coaching expertise include navigating uncertainty, managing difficult conversations, giving and receiving feedback, achieving work-life integration, navigating power dynamics, and managing distributed teams. Anita is often driven by her passion for adult and organizational learning, as well as her fascination with humans' unique capacity to continue to evolve, grow and improve Anita believes transformation happens through self-awareness and self-acceptance. In this fun, candid, poignant conversation, you’ll gain insight and practical skills - so dive in.Highlights include:“I would say that awareness is the unsung hero of transformation because it seems so non-action-oriented, but it actually provides a great basis from which to work. Its baseline: where am I at?” “So the deal is to have that self-awareness, as an opening, to have some self-compassion and Self-awareness, and from that place, begin to make some subtle changes, not having that awareness as another way to sort of put yourself down.”“...the question isn't really what do you want? The question is, what are you willing to do in order to get what you want? That is really the key question. And so, thinking about what is the effort that you're willing to put in the action-oriented effort that you're willing to put in? So transformation, unlike in Hollywood, or in some books, even I guess, is not a flip of a switch? Right? It is a slow, incremental process. But as long as you're making these steps - over time, they will accumulate into something bigger. And ultimately, over time, they will create that bigger shift.” “...your task is to win the chess game. Given that some of the pieces aren't glued down. You have to be able to win the chess game with the pieces that are glued down. You can't move certain pieces. And when those pieces don't move, and you accept that it opens up another world of possibilities, but the more focused you are on the things that you can't change, the less it is apparent to you what else you can do.”For more information on Anita Kite:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-kite/Support the show

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this podcast honors survivors and victims and seeks to raise awareness. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence published these statistics: in the United States, more than 10 million adults experience domestic violence annually. If each of these adults experienced only one incident of violence, an adult in the US would experience violence every three seconds; one in four women and one in 10 Men experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. From 2016 through 2018, the number of intimate partner violence victimizations in the United States increased by 42%. Domestic violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger systemic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. At the end of this episode, we're going to share some resources with our audience so we all know where to go and what to do if faced with domestic violence. Lynda Monks is a social worker who works with people, day in and day out, who are affected by domestic violence. She has been a medical advocate at a level two trauma center outside of Philadelphia for the past 20 years. She specializes in working with victims of domestic violence, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Before her work in Pennsylvania, she worked at domestic violence programs in Colorado, California, and Pennsylvania. As an advocate, counselor, and community educator, Lynda, we are so grateful to have you in the app to your own studio. Highlights include:“The big picture is, and we do it in the county that I work in, I think you need to teach kids from K to 12 - what a healthy relationship is age appropriately.”“...make sure you're doing something that feeds you, either spiritually or creatively or whatever. Because there's enough hard stuff out there that we're all going to have to deal with. And we can't rely on other people to give us our nuggets. I don't know. But you got to kind of give it to yourself. And, and I think, bringing it back to kind of the topic that we're talking about when it comes to domestic violence, victims of domestic violence that's taken away from them. Right, that's taken away what they need, but what feeds them all of that stuff? And it kind of erases your spirit a little bit. So making sure that you can feed it, you gave yourself a little time every day to feed it. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, no matter what you're doing, or no matter what your next move is that you have to take care of yourself first.”“I love being on the front lines, I've never really aspired to kind of going up administratively or anything like that. I think my wheelhouse is working with victims in a crisis. It's kind of where I thrive. So I think I'm gonna stay here for a little while.”Websites:https://www.thehotline.org/https://humantraffickinghotline.org/https://ncea.acl.gov/Support the show

Ready for one of the most inspiring conversations that will get you thinking about how you can change the world? Interested in understanding how entrepreneurs achieve success? Are you curious about the mindset of those who see and create opportunities in their lives? Do you wonder how our world will reinvent itself to address our climate’s needs and come together as a global society? Today's guest has the answers. Adam Sulkowski is an associate professor of Law & Sustainability at Babson College. Adam specializes in teaching research and consulting in law, CSR, corporate social responsibility, green business and sustainable development. He has earned tenure twice, won teaching and research awards, published over 50 times and was a Fulbright Scholar. In addition, he ran a business and worked as an attorney, and his book, Extreme Entrepreneurship was the number one best seller on several lists. Highlights include: The universal theme is start, don't wait. Nobody that I've met says, oh, yeah, take an extra day to plan. It's not to say don't plan at all. But the point is to start, and there's magic in starting, because by sharing your crazy idea, your crazy plan, somebody will nudge you in the right direction, or give feedback. People will come out of the woodwork wanting to help. It's happened to me, it's happened to others.“...starting doesn't mean… get in the car and cross into a warzone today. Start means maybe ask and say, “I do intend to do this, so how do I do it? And that's a form of starting that is short of, you know, quitting your job right now, which some of your listeners apparently are thinking about career changes; it doesn't necessarily mean quit everything now, divorce your family and walk away from your kids and jump into this new life, right? It could be iterative steps of here's my crazy idea. How can I do this? In a way that makes sense. And it's still a form of starting - the instinct to begin.”“...that quote, that we're not scared of ISIS, we're scared that we're not prepping the next generation to think about sustainability, to think about entrepreneurship that was kind of mind blowing. To be this close, as close as I am to this screen right now talking to you, and have the guy who's literally called in airstrikes. He was like the equivalent of national security adviser I think, literally the guy who's paid to obsess about national security and bombs and guns and stuff like that. And when he says, I'm actually more scared that we're not training people to be entrepreneurs. I'm scared about sustainability issues. That was when I turned to my friends who writes about war and terrorism and stuff like that. ““...how do you authentically get the value out of corporate social responsibility or sustainability, some of the big takeaways to boil it down a few sentences is frame your story, right? And make it authentic and set up measurable milestones towards a big goal. And if it is a good story, and you're making progress, and you can show that you can deliver progress towards a better reality, that is not just something that helps you sleep better at night, it's the killer business tool, it is the ultimate superpower that we humans have is storytelling, people will die, we're watching it, they will voluntarily die or risked their lives at least for a good story. Your job as a business leader, your job as a human right now is to find the stories that matter to you find the stories that checkout because there's plenty of BS stories out there. But find the stories that matter commit to them and be ready to pivot on the way but it's storytelling. That's that's really the power and setting measurable milestones towards a goal that is better than what is today.”Support the show

Do you feel stuck? Is your energy low? Are you in chronic pain? Beyond the reactive approach of Western medicine, are you ready to explore other proven methods that bring with them 1000s of years of evidence and efficacy? Well, meet Orla Callahan who received her master's in acupuncture in 2008 and is licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Medicine she has been practicing in the Metrowest Boston area since 2016. Orla is also a Qigong instructor and she uses this practice to help her patients and herself with self cultivation and all kinds of health issues deeply wise and contemplative. A session with Orla is purposeful, carefully considered, tailored and healing for the body, mind and spirit. You’ll also enjoy the lilt of her accent as she grew up and lived in Ireland until her twenties.Highlights include: “It was a very male oriented world, which has definitely influenced me now and where I want to go with my big picture of my purpose, which is helping women find a level playing field in the world. So anyway, in my work as an engineering consultant, it actually wasn't at full 180 degree turn, I realized, because it was all about solving problems. And really what that meant for me was helping people work together. The heads of different departments would often clash -  not speak to each other or whatever, those kinds of problems…. However, there is such an amazing similarity because the work I do now is helping all of the body parts integrate, work together, communicate with each other, so that we are at our optimal level of functioning.”“This is the ancient Chinese sages, when they were meditating or practicing Qigong, they pretty much downloaded the whole acupuncture system, the meridians. And it is, basically acupuncture is a spiritual practice, which comes from Qigong, which is a more obvious spiritual practice. It's, it's comparable to yoga, I guess, right? Because so many people know what yoga is. Qigong is like the Chinese - I don't want to say it's the Chinese equivalent, but that's a good way to start thinking about. The postures are pretty much all standing postures. And it is really a way of connecting with universal energy to help you, us, all of us heal ourselves. So the reason I love it so much, right is because it's like acupuncture. It's like acupuncture without the needles, which is always like people love that concept, right? But it's even more powerful than acupuncture because you are doing the work you have to do the work is right. So you are doing the work yourself. There's no middleman. It's just you connecting with the universe and stretching out your meridians and getting the Chi from the universe getting the energy from the universe to heal yourself on all these levels, body mind spirit.”For more information about our guest:Website: https://orlacallahan.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orla-callahan-1977133/Support the show

We are thrilled to introduce a slightly different type of podcast. This week,  we are featuring a new platform for Act 2 Share Our Stage called Spotlight on Success. And, what a way to begin with this energizing, heart-centered conversation with our first Spotlight On Success, highlighting an up-and-comer, Patrick Conaway. A creative entrepreneur, a dreamer and a doer, Patrick is doing something special, new and noteworthy in the creation of  Actors Company of Natick, a new non-profit theater company bringing theater with purpose to the Metrowest Boston area. Our podcast is just part of the way we support the recipient of a Spotlight on Success; we foster success by sponsoring an event, giving them assistance with their bio, their advertisements, and a press release. So the A2YO Studio is proud to shine the spotlight on Patrick Conaway. Patrick Conaway is the Founder and Artistic and Executive Director of ACON. Patrick attended the Heart School in Hartford, Connecticut, where he received his bachelor's of Fine Arts in acting. Patrick continued his acting training at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox Mass, The Drama Studio -  London and Ealing unit, United Kingdom - Monash University in Prato, Italy, and the Company One Theater here in Boston, Mass. Once settled in, Patrick acted at many theaters in the Boston area, including: The Central Square Theater, FTLO Theater, The Bostonian Society, The Theater Company of Saugus, the Firehouse Center for the Arts and New York Ensemble to mention a few. Patrick also has worked regionally at the Saratoga Shakespeare Company and The Hartford Stage which reveals a lot about the quality of his craft, because he's always been working, landing gigs, basically - crushing it. Aside from acting. Patrick also lives and works at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Welcome to our first Spotlight On Success, Patrick Conaway,Highlights include: “I have been humbled and overwhelmed by people's willingness to come and share their time with me. God, that is something I didn't really fully experience before making this decision to start this company - the honor and value of people's time, truly, being able to give it up and create something and take time out of their lives to help make this happen. And that has been the most humbling experience of my life.”“I think it's important to, to share your thoughts with others, and to, ultimately, come up with a decision by yourself.”“This summer, starting on July 22, we're performing: Julius Caesar, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, alternating shows. There'll be 11 performances in total of the two productions until July 31. And throughout that period, if you happen to be in Natick or Natick center on the night of July 27, we will be participating in the Natick Cultural Center's Nick recreations’ Spotlight Concert Series at the Natick Common.  Please come check us out on the Natick Green -  it will be a lot of fun…. There's a lot more information about that at www.actorscompanyofnatick.com. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We are just building from the ground up. So any support we can get, nothing is too small, we are ready to bring theater with purpose.”For more information about our Guest: Website: https://www.actorscompanyofnatick.com/Tickets: https://www.actorscompanyofnatick.com/ticketsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/actorscompanyofnatickInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/actorscompanyofnatick/?hl=enSupport the show

Are you someone who has an idea to make something, maybe publishing, composing, designing something? Can you envision this something and is it completely different from what you are trained to do? Well, this is a great podcast for you. Matt Rufo is from Framingham, Massachusetts, and is the owner and operator of Everything Quality Construction. Matt is also a children's author with three published works and one more soon to be released. Despite the rigors of construction and the time consuming nature of owning a business, Matt has found time to write out often short stories. His wife Tara, an elementary school teacher, pushed him to continue writing. When schools and businesses shut down at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Matt told stories to his four year old daughter and then Freddy the Frog was born…not to mention Amanda the Anteater. Listen in to learn more about this fun loving amphibian and this hardworking and creative businessman who defied his college advisor who told him to give up on writing! Kids and teachers everywhere are so happy he has kept his passion for writing alive and you will be, too.Enjoy this wonderful reinvention story embedded with great life lessons, persistence, the humility to grow, and homage to family - not to mention Matt’s major principle and how to live a full and fulfilling life.Highlights: “I actually had a guidance counselor in college that sat down and told me that UMass Amherst, I don't remember the name, but this person said, you maybe should think about a different major. This really isn't for you. So, it's always been in the back of my mind for everything that I do, where I'm like, “You know what, I don't care if someone says you can't do it.” It just makes me want to go - you know, try to do it more… the whole never give up thing. It doesn't matter if maybe you're not that good at it, you know, you can keep trying harder, keep working at it….” “Never give up on whatever your dream is. Even if it's something you have, you might not even know anything about what the actual thing is, like a children's book or writing a song or, you know, whatever, it really doesn't matter. You just always have to keep going. You fail, you get up, you fall, you fail  -but  you get up. It doesn't matter how many times that you fail. And I feel like every millionaire failed like 100 times before they made that if that's your goal, but whatever your dream is, whatever your thing is, you just have to put yourself out there and give 110% and sometimes more than that, too. But always  - never give up.”For more information about Matt:Website: https://authormattrufo.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kidsauthorrufo/Support the show

Arianna Huffington once said, "Fearlessness is the mother of reinvention." Well, she might have been talking about Laura Lakin’s life and career. Laura stands as a model of how reinvention can be embraced and celebrated. This episode features a person who equally embodies bravery in her civilian life and her service as a citizen-soldier. Laura Lakin has served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard for 15 years, and is currently a Captain. Laura has been a Guardsman for most of these years, which means she has also worked a civilian job while upholding her military responsibilities. Laura has worked for Massachusetts Army National Guard, helping run the state's Resilience Risk Reduction & Suicide Prevention program. She served as commander to the signal company, worked as a veteran's Outreach Coordinator for the Home Base organization out of Boston and shifted into clinical administration over the years, ultimately becoming the Director of Business Administration, and business analytics for the organization. Laura oversaw two significant projects during her time at Home Base, and we're going to talk about those in a little bit. Eight months ago, Laura left Home Base and began her work as a project manager managing at Suffolk Construction. Laura Lakin is a shining example of service, co-leading her veterans group at Suffolk as a member of the First Corps of Cadets Association in Boston, serving on the Red, White and Blue Alliance board for Home Base not to mention a deployment to Afghanistan. Laura holds her Bachelor's in political science and a master's degree in social work. If you are looking for a reinvention and invention and invention story, this is the episode you have been waiting for.Highlights: If you are considering changing your career, changing your hobbies, changing where you live, whatever it may be, even if you don't think that everything is perfectly lined up, that you're not perfectly qualified - it's never too late to make that change. It's never too early to make that change. You know, there's never going to be “the” perfect time. So if you find yourself revisiting something over and over again, it's probably a sign that you should make that jump and take that risk. And if you're willing to be open to asking questions, being humble about what you know, and what you don't know, then you'll be successful in whatever you do.On women in leadership in the military and in business: There's all kinds of gender, you know, stereotypes, and we all know all about them. But for me, some of those are true, I can be a little bit more, wear my heart on my sleeve  - a little bit more emotional. When I was leading soldiers in the signal company, I would sometimes be close to tears talking to them, if I was addressing them at the end of the day, or at the end of the drill weekend, because I felt so passionately about them. And I wanted them to see - that to not being afraid to be who you are, whatever that may look like if it's stereotypical or not. And just having a little confidence that, yeah, you might be the only woman at that table. And people will say that you might have only gotten there because you're a woman and you're filling a quota or something. But regardless of what anyone says or thinks, you deserve to be there, and more women deserve to be there. And if that's a role that you want to play, you know, just be yourself and bring confidence every time.For more information about our guest:Suffolk: Our veterans, our family: Meet Laura LakinInstagramLinkedInSupport the show

Are you sick of walking around in pain? Maybe your injury has healed, but you still have a nagging sense of discomfort. Yes. Are you a golfer and your game is just off? Are you looking for something to give you a winning edge? Have you had to give up activities you love because those activities no longer feel good in your body? Well, you have tuned into the right podcast because there is a chance not all those activities that you love are gone for good. And we have just the person to address some of the questions you might be having about daily ailments that are limiting your fun and sense of well-being. So, let me tell you a little bit about our guest today. Dr. Sharon Sharpe is the owner of Achieve Therapeutics. She is a licensed athletic trainer and licensed massage therapist with a doctorate in Biomechanics from BU; it is Sharon's goal to provide care for individuals who have some sort of ongoing or recurring issue that keeps them from doing the activities they enjoy. Sharon has a vast toolkit of hands-on therapies. She has helped people for over 30 years in injury care, and she believes people do not have to live in pain. And, wait until you hear about the groundbreaking work she's doing with golfers. And, here's the thing about Achieve Therapeutics. It provides a new path to wellness and freedom of movement through myofascial release therapy, and other treatments. Their goal is to remove any stress or unnecessary tension and to make you feel relaxed and comfortable and able to resume and excel at the things you love to do. Highlights include:“...if you think of like Spider Man's outfit. And because the fascia is all interconnected, so if I grabbed the shoulder of Spider Man's outfit and yank on it, the whole outfit goes that way, not just the shoulder, you can have pain in your shoulder, that's really the result of something that's happening in your hip, or your knee or anywhere. All my treatments are full-body treatments with a focus on the problem area. Sometimes the problem area isn't the problem.”“ It's just a technique where you hold; you get a body part in a position and you sort of balance it with your hands. And you hold it there, and you just wait. And sometimes it takes forever. Sometimes it's pretty quick, but eventually the tissues will soften. It's kind of a craft, you know, you have to figure out where you need to put it to get it to balance.”  “I have a wide range of ages and activity levels. So I have one young man who is a hardcore, you know, weightlifting; he runs, he does all this stuff. And I have an a woman who's in her 90s, who has a hip problem, and she just wants to be able to walk around her house. And I do treat younger kids, sometimes not very often, but they have to come in with their parents.”“I'm looking for the cause. I'm looking for, why do you have this problem? Or, why does it keep coming back? And because you get hurt, you stopped doing whatever you were doing, and you feel better. But then as soon as you start doing it again, your pain comes back. So to me, there's a fascial restriction somewhere, - somewhere, that's putting undue stress on whatever it is that's hurting. So I'm looking for that. I'm not necessarily looking solely at your shoulder, if you have shoulder pain, I'm looking at your upper back, I'm looking at your ribs and your neck. And I'm looking at your hips, because it could come from a restriction in any of those places. So I'm, I'm trying to solve that puzzle.”For more information about our guest, Sharon click on the link below:FacebookWebsite Support the show

Many of our listeners are trying to figure out how to fulfill dreams and “bring a life visions for themselves, launch a business or bring their creative work to light? So, what gets in the way? Well, in this delightful conversation, you will be invited to consider that it is often as simple as Stuff and Clutter, disorganization, a lack of systems that prevent us from realizing our dreams. If this is something you have experienced, you're going to really enjoy our conversation with our guest, Nancy Bagwell, a professional organizer and owner of Ducks in a Row professional organizing services in Huntsville, Alabama. Nancy studied Family and Child Development at Auburn University and for as long as she can remember, she has found pleasure creating order out of chaos. As the child of an army officer and the wife of a pastor, Nancy changed homes many times, thus providing her with an abundance of opportunities to refine packing, unpacking and organizing skills. Now, Nancy helps residents of North Alabama declutter their homes and regain their control with guidance and compassion. She listens to her clients struggles and guides them through the organizing process in a way that respects both them and their belongings. The result is a space where the occupants can not only relax, but thrive. Whether you struggle with clutter and disorganization or you just love to hear about how to make your life easier, we are thrilled to invite you into our conversation with Nancy, today. Highlights include:“But I think we're also seeing a relatively new phenomenon. And I say relatively new, because I think it's really been in the last 20 to 30 years of it being - I don't wanna say epidemic, but pretty typical, for the average American home - to average, middle class, American home, to be filled with clutter. And I've been studying up on that. And the really very interesting part of it has to do with our ability to acquire things more easily than we could in the past. You know, what you think back to our great grandparents, and they might have only had a few treasured possessions, things were not as easy to come by shopping was more of a challenge. Today, click, click, click with our thumbs, and it can be delivered to your home within 24 to 48 hours. It's much easier now, despite inflation, we have a lot more disposable income, that we can purchase things for ourselves. And I think these things coupled together makes us a real consumer driven society. ““...every family is different. Everybody operates differently. And so I have to learn while working with my clients. How do they operate as a family? How do they operate within their home? How do they use their space, and then help them to use unused spaces better, and also create some new habits for how they just come and go within their home. So for example, if one of the problems is paper clutter, mail comes in, and piles on the kitchen counter, because everybody doesn't pile stuff on their kitchen counter. It's just a drop zone, right? Everything comes in lands. We don't want that to keep happening. So we've set up a place where they pay bills. And all of the new bills go to this one particular place. That's the only place they go. But even before that, you kind of back it up and say Okay, so where which door do you come in when you bring in the mail, front door, side door garage, okay, whatever door you come in, we need to set up a recycling bin and maybe a shredder, and you stop at the door. And everything that's junk mail that's not sensitive, goes straight to recycling, and everything that is sensitive, but you don't need goes straight to the shredder.”You can find out more about Nancy at : https://www.ducksinarowhsv.com/Support the show

Our guest is a true change maker, small business owner and what he does is something unique and impactful and just plain cool. Chris English is a small business owner, educator, and farmer. He owns and operates Edible Homescapes where he designs and installs customized edible gardens, offers workshops and grows food on his one-acre market garden with a mission to help secure local food systems and improve the health of our society and environment. Chris is a co-founder of the NPO Revive the Roots, which just celebrated its 10 year anniversary. During his time at Revive the Roots, he initiated the Food for Thought program, which resulted in the establishment of two educational gardens at Smithfield Public Schools in Rhode Island. He also managed the community gardens and facilitated community workshops. Chris holds four certifications in permaculture design and was part of the Providence Zen Center Permaculture Project in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In this fantastic conversation, you’ll get inspired to try your hand at growing your own garden - whether you have a tiny patch on a porch or a big backyard. Chris wants everyone to feel empowered to get back in touch with the earth and to get in on the movement to stop just consuming and maybe get producing. A charming interview, Chris is part farmer, part philosopher.Highlights include:“Some people live on second apartments with nothing but a balcony. And some people might have large, sprawling backyards, with forests or water features. So there's a huge amount of diversity in the way that it can take shape. Essentially, the idea is trying to incorporate some kind of edible or productive element into your home scape into your home setting.”“Environmental destruction, in the name of farming, loss of topsoil shifts the sheer amount of fossil fuels; it's necessary to support our agricultural infrastructure, transportation, synthetics, all those things really are having a huge toll on the environment and significantly contributing to climate change, and just the overall health of the environment. In general, when you shift our practices - to a form that's more localized, and more regenerative in proving environments and ecosystems, rather than drawing them down, you are directly impacting and helping to mitigate climate change, and making a healthier society for everybody. It's immediately affected by it.”“I have my one small farm, it's about one acre. I'm trying to make that a great example, a great demonstration of what a one-acre kind of miniature homestead could sort of look like  - how to make it hyper efficient on the small scale that it is and still viable for the market and profitable. And what I really want to do is start to go more heavily to some agroforestry practices on a larger acreage. So I would love to do tree crops with intermittent grazing animals, I'm keeping my eye out for land and trying to find places that I could rent or create partnerships relationships with to take that experience of regenerative farming to the next scale up and where I'm actually at right now, that seems so thrilling and exciting. But it's hard. It's hard to find land and places where you can really do it.”To find out about Chris and Edible Homescapes visit: https://www.ediblehomescapes.com/

How much of your Act Two is spent taking care of someone else? Your children, your parents, a senior someone, how are you managing this role? Not well? Well, you have come to the right podcast and are about to hear of a book Tanya has written that might ease this challenging journey. How are you taking care of yourself and the many other demands in your life while you're being a caregiver? Today, our next guest is going to join us in the conversation about how to navigate our best lives while taking on that role.Meet Tanya Straker. She is on a mission as a family caregiver advocate, author and speaker; she wants to change how we think about and support the millions of women and men providing care for family, friends and neighbors. As a family caregiver and life strategist, she wants every family caregiver of a chronically ill adult to have what she had an extraordinary, life-affirming, transformative caregiving experience. For 20 plus years as a coach, trainer and hospital administrator. Tanya has indulged her passion for innovation and helping individuals and teams grow and achieve away from the distractions of her job, she became her own life coach applying all the tools of her profession to better her and her mother's lives. Tanya is also the author of 6 Life Hacks for Family Caregivers: Be your own coach and beat burnout. Highlights Include:“And it's really coming to understand and accept that role and be and feel empowered in that role. That's where you, that's how you beat the burnout is, is really aligning the comprehensiveness of that role. And the fact that you've done all these other things in your life, you can do this, right, I got this, you have to get to that point where you realize, yeah, I can do all the things I've done in my life, I can handle this. And I can do it in a way that is energizing for myself and for my care receiver.”“...what is it that moved me from being exhausted and resentful that I was playing this role that my brothers are living in another state calling me saying you can do this? Okay, fine. I have to do this. Right. So I'm resentful and not feeling that I'm necessarily doing the job well. What moved me to feeling that I was living the best possible life I ever could and helped me deal with the fact that I wasn't bringing in an income. I wasn't contributing to my own retirement, right. My whole entire life trajectory had changed. What are those things? And I said, I need to write a book about it. I need to talk about the mindset that allowed me to have a different experience, because that's what's not being talked about - this incredible, emotionally rich experience.”“I'm not suggesting in this book that these things don't happen. I'm not suggesting that I didn't ever feel sad. But what I am saying is that by putting wellbeing at the center of everything, no matter what came up, that was what was going to have to ground the day it was going to have to ground the experience it was going to have to ground, my life or else what was I going to say about having left my professional life to be to be doing this right? The message of the book is your life is not on hold. Your life is not on hold.”For more information on Tanya:Website: https://www.careyearsacademy.com/user/tanya/Buy her book on Amazon at:  6 Life Hacks for Family Caregivers: Be your own coach and beat burnout.Support the show

Who doesn’t like a success story? Well, Paul Lamar Hunter is the embodiment of our mission you hear in the opening real of Act Two You’re On! He's a changemaker - someone committed to personal and societal growth. And he's just a very inspiring gentleman. Can you imagine facing down the odds of surviving poverty, neglect and trauma and having the wherewithal to become the first person in the history of your family ever to go to college? Could you then become a successful businessman and publish your story and have the courage and willpower and drive to inspire others to do the same?Paul Lamar Hunter is the 19th of 21 children born to James and Louise Hunter. His childhood experience included poverty, neglect and tragedy. After the deaths of his father and brother, Paul's mother, Louise, focused her energy on the homeless shelter she founded called Love and Charity Shelter. Though this was meant to be a stabilizing influence for her family and a respite for the downtrodden, it was in fact a breeding ground of dysfunction. A determined spirit and an unshakable faith lifted Paul to earn a degree in business administration from upper Iowa University. Father to four adult children, Paul wrote his autobiography entitled, No love, No Charity: The Success of the 19th Child. The book earned attention by Ebony Magazine, and he has appeared on several television shows, including Travis Smiley, Tom Joyner, and Fox and Friends and now he's honoring the Act 2: You’re On studio. Highlights include:“I think that parents need to understand that they are parents, and they are not their children’s friends. I saw it in my own family, even as a father myself. You cannot say, "I like this daughter or that son better than this daughter." You can't play favorites. You must have structure. You must have discipline. You must be loving. You must be caring and you must have boundaries as parents.”“I have to say this, that it was just great men and women that were in my life, you know. I thank God for great pastors, great women that were - you know, instrumental into developing me as a man and also telling me that they believed in me. And when you come from the inner city, there's only one direction you can go. So when I was at upper Iowa University, I knew that I represented the inner city. And I knew there was only one direction I could go. And that was up. And so I really do thank God for good mentors coming into my life.”“And there's nothing wrong with talking to a psychologist and let them know what type of background that you come from and what you had experienced in your life. So the book was very cathartic for me, because it relieved a lot of pain and a lot of anger. And it worked.”“I wish I would have known that the end is always better than the beginning. So I want to close with these words, and encourage young people or all people to understand that the end is always better than the beginning. That you are not pitiful. You are powerful. You are extraordinary. You are bright, you are beautiful. You are intelligent. Now, go out and manifest all of your dreams. You can change the world.”Find more information on Paul at his website: https://www.paullamarhunter.com/Twitter: @PaulLamarHunterFacebook: Paul Lamar HunterInstagram: PAULLAMARHUNTERTikTok: PLH19Support the show

In what is one of our most informative and equally inspiring conversations ever, Dr. Richard Margil generously shares the remarkable work taking chiropractic services way beyond perhaps the common understanding of chiropractic care. What if you could reclaim a sense of well-being, find energy, dispel brain fog and regain clarity of thought? What if you could feel good in your body again, maybe get the whole of you  - body, mind, and spirit aligned and working together? Maybe you feel detached from your body? Do you wonder if we all just have to settle that this general malaise, this low energy, overwhelm and societal funk is just how life is now. Well, the good news is, you’ve tuned into a conversation that will immediately teach you concepts of self-care you have never heard before and can put into practice directly after the podcast.For over three decades, Dr. Rich has forged a highly effective multidisciplinary design for restoring his patients health and well being. Beyond restoring normal functioning to the body. His patients are amazed at the revitalization of their energy, clarity, zest for life and overall health. Dr. Rich's extensive skills include addressing over 2000 signaling pathways in the brain, rebuilding superior gut health and digestion and synthesizing functional approaches for achieving higher states of consciousness and sustained health. Dr. Rich's mission is to passionately deliver a life-changing wellness experience to people of all ages. And this is achieved through very specific chiropractic adjustments, neurological integration, and being inspired to take action for optimal health and well being. Without exaggeration, this podcast might just save your life.Highlights include: “You only have one life that I know. Make it empowering. Make it interesting, learn as much as you can. Grow. And, you know, take it to the next step, whatever that is.”“I do a lot of work with people who have had concussions. And, by the way, too much negative thinking and you can induce a concussive wave into your own body. So you don't have to get hit by something else. You can hit yourself enough, you can produce your own concussive wave that's really sobering, but I have to treat people.”“And I hope for most of you out there, the unknown is "Oh, boy!" - and instead of "oh, no!" - yeah, because when it's an "Oh, boy!" and you see it, the adventure that it really is, then the curiosity of life comes never ending, it becomes its own life, wellspring. I'm fortunate in the work that I've done.”Please visit https://margilhealing.com/ to find out more information about Dr. Richard MargilSupport the show