Introduction of all Six voices - see show notes how to connect with them and follow their journey: What Brings Them Joy in Coaching ✨ Witnessing "aha moments" when clients experience breakthroughs Seeing clients find their voice and agency Experiencing flow state during coaching sessions Watching clients embrace challenges and coach themselves The moment when clients' eyes light up with awakening Life Beyond Coaching 🌈 Travel adventures (Andrew visiting all 7 continents!) NYC exploration (museums, restaurants, Staten Island Ferry) Scuba diving and meditation through breathing Family time and foodie adventures Animation and manga (ComicCon enthusiast!) Walking and rebuilding strength Recommended Books 📚 Atomic Habits, James Clear Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variation, Zhu Xiao-Mei Cave in the Snow, Vicki Mackenzie A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain Coaching is a partnership where both coach and client give 100%, creating space for transformation, growth, and authentic living. All six coaches are committed to continuous learning and supporting others on their journey! 🚀

🏃‍♂️ Sports as a Life Teacher - Sherfan and the host (Susanne) share stories from their triathlon and marathon races. They emphasize how sports build discipline, resilience, endurance, and focus — qualities that translate directly into professional life. 🧠 Running long distances helps with mental clarity, planning, and reflection. Long runs teach strategic pacing — balancing excitement, energy, and endurance. 🗺️ Sherfan shares how knowing the course, hydrating strategically, and adapting to unexpected situations mirror challenges in business. Example: losing a water bottle during an Ironman taught him about flexibility and problem-solving under pressure. 🏢 Sports & Business Parallels 🧩 Planning is key — but flexibility matters even more. ⏱️ External changes (like tariffs or budgets) are like unexpected race conditions; adapt and stay focused on long-term goals. 🧍‍♂️ Leadership lessons: “Celebrate every small win” 🎉 to keep motivation high and build momentum. ⚖️ The only non-negotiable KPI in business: safety — because everything else can be recovered, but people can’t. ❤️ Personal Life & Balance: Currently embracing fatherhood 👶 — his “new Ironman.” Finds joy in spending time with family, running with his baby in a stroller along Rio’s beaches 🌴🏖️.

🌟 Nan lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and 3 dogs. She has a 🎓 Doctorate in Organizational Leadership 📚 Her career is in public libraries + teaching graduate library science students at Old Dominion University 👩‍💼 Interim Executive Director of the Virginia Library Association (7,000+ members) 🎨 Amateur artist + knitter for relaxation 📖 Libraries: More Than Books 👥 5–6 million visits annually in Virginia (in-person, not counting digital) 🌍 Libraries is always a safe, inclusive spaces for everyone in the community . 💻 Free Wi-Fi, laptops, hotspots, digital collections - further 3D printers, sewing machines, podcast booths, memory labs. 🎶 Libraries-as-a-service: borrowing instruments, games, tools → the “original sharing economy” 🧠 Neuroscience + Creativity: 🪢 Knitting calms the vagus nerve, shifting from stress to creativity. 🪑 Rocking chairs in airports = neuroscience-backed stress relief. 😂 Humor + 🤝 helping others activate the prefrontal cortex, improving wellbeing. 📚 Reading & Growth 📖 Nan is a voracious reader, uses library e-resources extensively Did you know: 🌍 Reading builds empathy and emotional intelligence by experiencing lives of others ❤️ Favorite recommendation: Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund ✨ Life Lessons 🤲 Helping and humor = best brain fuel 🧘 Rest, meditation, and creative rituals = essential for leadership and resilience 📚 Libraries live at the intersection of social justice + intellectual curiosity 🌌 “Manifestation” isn’t woo-woo—it’s neuroscience (brain wiring through intention)

🌍 Karen is a strategic communicator with more than 25 years’ experience. She has been working globally with governments, militaries, and organizations. Her recent work brought her to 🇸🇳 Recent Mission (Senegal) where she trained military communications officers in Dakar for 12 weeks. 📌 Communication Principles: 🧩 It’s more than info-sharing—it’s bridge-building across cultures. 🧠 Clarity, consistency, cultural resonance are non-negotiable. 💡 Career & Mentorship Wisdom: ❌ Myth: “Confidence is everything.” 👂 Listen more than you speak; bring your unique perspective. ✈️ Living Abroad & Cultural Immersion: 🍽️ Eat local, enjoy music, traditions, and community pride. 🦁 Once-in-a-lifetime: walked with lions and saw rhinos, zebras, giraffes 🎒 What She Packs: 📖 Brings her Bible for grounding on long assignments. 🙌 Giving Back & Teaching: She is active with National Press Club; leadership in Washington Women in PR. 🎓 Adjunct professor teaching crisis communications to active-duty grads worldwide.

Important Aspects of this Podcast Conversation for YOUR healthy Lifestyle: 🥦 Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: 🥗 Nutrition – more plants, whole grains, beans, fewer processed foods. 🏃 Physical Activity – move more, even short walks add up. 😴 Sleep – aim for at least 7 hours, avoid late-night scrolling. 😌 Stress Management – find routines that calm and ground you. 🤝 Social Connection – community is key for long-term change. 🚭 Risk Reduction – avoid smoking, excess alcohol, pollutants. 🌳 Bonus: Time outdoors improves well-being. 💡 Small Shifts = Big Wins - 🚶 Just 50 minutes of brisk activity/week lowers risk of death by 20%. 🍓 Swap processed snacks for fruits/veggies. 🥣 Start with healthy breakfasts (oats, tofu scramble, beans). 📚 Replace late-night scrolling with reading to improve sleep. Learn about the Kellyn Foundation and their offerings: 🚚 Mobile markets bring fresh produce to underserved areas. 🎟️ Produce prescription programs encourage healthier food choices. 🍳 Culinary medicine teaches tasty, healthy cooking. 👥 Lifestyle change interventions create supportive groups. 🌍 Broader Impact: Chairing the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Annual Meeting (Dallas, Nov 16–19). Dr. Grega encourages everyone to be role models and create ripple effects. 🌸 Personal Rejuvenation: 👶 Time outdoors with family (daughter, twin grandbabies). 📖 Reads “brain candy” fiction for relaxation. 🎶 Weekend cooking sessions with music to prep healthy meals.

🎙️ Mark Schall is an Executive & Life Coach – helps leaders overcome fear of tough conversations to boost results in 6 months or less. He has been a longtime coach training instructor, now at Elevated Coaching Academy (MCC, ICF-accredited). 🚴 He has completed the AIDS Ride Journey where he cycled from Boston to New York: this is a transformative experience raising millions for AIDS organizations. He has been writing a one-man show about it. 🎶 One of his many passions is singing. He has been singing for 30 Years in NYC Gay Men’s Chorus where he had solos at Carnegie Hall. What is next: 🎭 Acting Comeback – starring in a one-act play at the New York Theater Festival after decades away from theater.

🎙️ LJ Finney, coach & founder of In 18 LLC — using golf + experiential learning to change behavior and build awareness. 🏌️ Why “In 18”: In 18 holes you learn a lot about yourself, your relationships, and your leadership. 💻➡️👥 Career pivot: From computer science & finance to program/program management to coaching—influence and people became the through-line. 🧠 Golf as a coaching tool: The game distracts from discomfort, surfaces habits (grip = tension!), and reveals leadership patterns. 🧰 Transferable skills: Presence, patience, etiquette, risk tolerance, resilience, and letting the tool do the work—all map back to work. 📵 Presence > phones: Golf etiquette (no phones, full attention) models meeting behavior back in the office. 🎯 Risk & learning: LJ (a self-described risk-averse planner) uses golf to practice smart risks. 🌿 Wellbeing: Nature, movement, mindfulness—health + joy as legitimate business outcomes. 💬 Listener nudge: Try something new (golf, walk-and-talks, run clubs). Take a risk and notice what you learn about how you show up.

🎙️ Episode Overview: Mica Scalin - she is an artist, innovator, coach, and co-creator of the Creative Sprint. Mica shares how her lifelong connection to art has shaped her approach to leadership development, creativity, and building organizational culture. In this episode we are talking about art, leadership, coaching, and ROI of creativity and maybe one day we do the Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island in New York. She keeps her own creativity alive with art, yoga, meditation, and beach time while she believes in recharging through creative rituals and nature.

1. Introduction and Philosophy 🌱✨: Saurabh is the founder and CEO of Passionately Curious, a solopreneur coach, writer, and teacher. He helps people and organizations show up as their best selves through empathy-driven marketing and community. He has been inspired by Seth Godin’s philosophy: 💡 Money = fuel for meaningful work, not the end goal. 2. Community and Learning 🤝📚 Community support lifts everyone up and strengthens organizations. 3. Provide feedback: “Spinach in your teeth” analogy 🥬—feedback may sting but it comes from care. Deeply influenced by Seth Godin’s works (This is Marketing 📘) with communities like Purple thrive on generosity 💜 and mutual support. 5. Future Vision 🚀🌍 : he sees himself as a teacher first, sometimes a community leader. Goal are to create spaces where people can do hard things together 💪. Works project-to-project, enabling people to overcome reluctance and embrace possibilities. 6. Energy, Renewal, and Personal Practices 🌊🎧🏊 Work energizes him rather than drains him. Practices: audiobooks 🎧, podcasts 🎙️, seaside walks 🌅, swimming 🏊. Insight: You can’t swim at home—create the right space for the right work 🏠➡️🏊. 7. Book Recommendations 📖💡 The Art of Possibility (Zander, Zander) – life-changing, listened to countless times 🔁. Big Magic (Elizabeth Gilbert) – magical and beautifully narrated ✨🎤. This is Marketing (Seth Godin) – more about human behavior than marketing 🌍. ✅ Key Takeaway: Generosity 💜, trust 🤝, and community 🌍 are the foundations for meaningful growth. Creating spaces where people can connect, support each other, and share feedback unlocks real progress 🚀.

🔮 Intuition & Mindfulness: Defines layers of intuition: Bodily interception (subconscious signals), Post-materialist perspective (consciousness as foundational). Believes cultivating intuition is crucial for human evolution alongside AI. 🎨 Personal Joy & Creativity Dr. Annie is a very strong advocate for daily meditation as it improves regulation, emotional balance, and “fine-tunes the radio of the brain.” Considers meditation and spiritual practice as hobbies. Loves to read, walk her dog, create music and art (even if imperfect). Current art project (launching November): digital art exploring imagination and putting phones down. ✅ Big Picture Takeaway: Dr. Annie emphasizes that while technology and algorithms are designed to capture our attention, we can reclaim control by anchoring ourselves in meaning, values, and mindful practices. Her work blends science, psychology, and spirituality to help people live more intentional, human-centered lives.

Big Celebration as this is the 500th Episode of "Take it from the Ironwoman" Special guest: Dr. Annie Margaret, teaching faculty at the Atlas Institute, University of Colorado Boulder. Her work: courses on the impact of technology on culture and human wellbeing. Her impressive background is in PhD in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (Northwestern University), later teaching chemistry in San Francisco. 🌐 Teaching & Research Focus: she has taught courses: Neuro hacking – nervous system health & human potential / Empathy & Technology – impact of algorithms on compassion, polarization, and connection. The central idea is that technological evolution is outpacing human & spiritual evolution, and her work helps close that gap. 📉 Social Media Addiction & Programs: Developed a five-week intervention program for “excessive media consumption.” 100% of participants move from problematic/clinical use to healthy range. A Coursera class will come shortly. 👥 Generational & Social Differences: Most research focused on 18–25-year-olds (college students). New research expanding into 40–80-year-olds with start his year. 🌱 Key Theories & Takeaways: Chimpanzees vs. Bonobos origin story: shapes how we see human nature (aggressive vs. cooperative). Social Comparison Theory: explains constant upward/downward comparisons fueled by social media.

🎙️ Introduction of the guest: Heat is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Her mission is to help people have better conversations with people who have cancer. 💬It’s okay to say: “I’m sorry this is happening. This is hard.” Avoid harmful phrases like “You’ve got the good cancer.” 🛠️ Practical Ways to Support: Offer presence: sit together, watch movies, listen to music, or even color in books. Provide tangible help: Talk with caregivers to find out what’s needed. Help with kids, pets, laundry, or errands (depending on closeness). 🃏 Cancer Cards & Tools: Cancer Cards deck: 20 scenarios with “what not to say” and “better alternatives.” These are illustrated with simple drawings + short explanations. Available as physical cards and an app (Apple & Google, search: The Cancer Cards). 🏃 Sports Parallels: Heat is an athlete (5Ks, 10Ks, sprint triathlons, trail running). Parallel with cancer support: Just like triathlons require mentorship and skills, so does navigating difficult conversations.

🌍 Life Journey & Background: Originally from Singapore, where she worked in community development and was a leader at a forward-thinking charity. Today, she lives in Berlin, teaching social work with a focus on community development at Potsdam. 🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness & Social Work: Ranga and Susanne met during the Team Up mindfulness program; Mindfulness and community work are deeply connected for her — both require empathy, non-judgment, and positive regard. 🎓 Teaching Philosophy: Ranga doesn’t follow rigid plans—prefers a flexible, student-led approach. She sees teaching as co-creation: combining her knowledge with students’ lived experiences. Uses a metaphor of Play-Doh: shaping ideas organically through shared inquiry and exploration. 🌱 Personal Growth & Reflections: she now embraces a more accepting view of herself—focused on living life authentically, not by rigid goals. Ranga reflects often on aging well and nurturing her body with compassion (e.g., talking kindly to her shoulder during physiotherapy) 🍳 Rejuvenation & Joys in Daily Life: she recharges by walking in nature (near Grunewald in Berlin), cooking, and reading real books. She finds joy in wandering, exploring new places, and embracing life’s spontaneous turns. She encourages saying yes to opportunities, even when they feel scary.

🎙️ Introduction & Background & our mutual Connections: Columbia University, a love for sports, and coaching. 💼 Professional Journey Co-founder of Collabic, a boutique L&D and executive coaching consultancy. He is a former Director of Leadership Development at Meta (Facebook). Initially, he started his career as a middle school art teacher in NYC. He is using his art background to build creative, scalable learning systems in organizations. 🎨 Art & Learning: Art education helped Ian understand how people grow and how to build systems to support growth. Art is communication—just like coaching and leadership development. 🧠 Identity & Integration: Ian emphasizes integrating identities—artist, coach, parent, leader. He realized the value in letting go of identities that no longer serve (e.g., seeing himself no longer as a runner). 🏃 Running & Lessons from Sports: Ultimately he ran the NYC Marathon and many half-marathons. Running taught him discipline, endurance, the importance of community support, and awareness of repetitive stress injuries (physical and metaphorical).

🎙️ Introduction & Background: Andrew is an internal coach at a hospital, focusing on stress and burnout. He also coaches burnout clients in private practice and does pro bono coaching for people in war-torn regions, especially refugees in the Congo. 💥 Burnout & Stress Mastery: Andrew’s coaching focus stems from personal experience: repeated cycles of burnout. He eventually developed a science-based, personalized system to live burnout-free. 🌍 Refugee Work & Pro Bono Coaching: Last year, in 2024, a trip to Goma, Congo changed his life: witnessing refugee camp conditions ignited his purpose. Inspired by a boy holding a deflated soccer ball, he began raising funds to bring joy, food, sports, and art to kids in camps. Started a GoFundMe fundraiser (now nearing $5,000) with local partners to organize healing events for children. In early 2025, the mission pivoted to survival support for his friends and the community. ❤️ ICF Approach with Empathy: Andrew blends ICF techniques with heart-centered coaching. He emphasizes patience, trust-building, and empathy, often asking only one question per session. Coaching at this level isn't about goals or outcomes, but providing consistency, presence, and love. The pace is slower, but deeply impactful. 📢 Call to Action: Support Andrew’s fundraiser to help others | Volunteer time as a coach; spread the word about coaching’s power to heal. http://spot.fund/37nspgsc

🎙️ Introduction: Lydia Hall calls herself a "professional storyteller"—working as an admissions consultant, editor, writer, and teacher. Her career path includes nonprofit work, legislative aid on Capitol Hill, and graduate studies at Columbia University. Lydia started freelance editing in grad school, eventually growing her work into in-depth admissions consulting, particularly with international students. 🎓 Admissions Consulting Journey: it began editing personal statements and application essays during grad school. Over time, her work expanded from basic grammar edits to full brainstorming, drafting, and finalizing essays. She has done interview prep, resume building, and holistic support through the college and graduate school admissions process. She helps students shape personal, authentic stories that reflect their journeys and goals. 💡 Key Services and Approach: She tailors approach to each student—some come with full drafts, others need help starting. She emphasizes authentic voice—ensures essays sound like the student. 🤖 Her View on AI in Admissions: She has a very strong stance: “Do not use AI for personal essays.” AI detection is used by universities. ✨ Success Story Highlight: she has worked with a student who wrote a 1,200-word draft for the Common App—needed to cut it to 650 words without losing its soul. 🌍 Personal Recharge and Balance: Don't judge her: she loves Bravo reality TV (Real Housewives) to unwind—lighthearted, silly, and fun. She has worked odd hours to be accessible to international clients, especially in China (12-hour time difference).

🎙️ Guest Introduction: Shoe Shoemaker is the co-founder and COO of HYBRD, a fitness app that merges strength and cardio data. 💡 About HYBRD: it combines cardio (via wearables) and strength training (via templates or photos/screenshots) data in one place. It's designed for athletes who train in multiple disciplines like triathlon. Spider chart shows fitness attributes (aerobic endurance, VO₂ max, upper/lower body strength, etc.). 🏋️ Why HYBRD: Shoe and her co-founders were tracking workouts manually in spreadsheets, despite being in 2024. Shoe is the only woman on the founding team — “Beat the Boys” is her playful motto. 🏃 From Athlete to Entrepreneur: Shoe has a lifelong background in sports: swimming, soccer, lacrosse, triathlon. 🧠 Lessons from Sports Applied to Entrepreneurship Discipline: No one pushes you; you must do the work. Teamwork & Communication: Like in team sports, you must work well with others to succeed. Endurance: Startup life is a marathon, not a sprint. Sportsmanship: Reputation matters in the long game of entrepreneurship. Supportive Competition: Friendly rivalries keep you motivated and improving. 🌍 Balance & Rejuvenation: Recharging is vital — not everything is about “grind culture.” Taking breaks (like upcoming Europe trip) helps spark creativity and improve performance. She loves being outdoors, traveling, and practicing mindful rest.

🎤 Introduction to Eve Weinberg: Eve is a principal interior architect and designer based in Toronto, Canada. We met through Purple Space, where they connected as impresarios—creative organizers of experiences or events. 🤝 Impresario Events in Toronto, Canada: Eve has curated upcycled art installations and hosted collaborative creative events. She runs a social dance collective—a non-lesson-based community gathering. Her future impresario vision includes educational material tours (tiles, lighting, appliances) for homeowners to make informed decisions. 🌟 Takeaways: Design isn’t about pictures in a magazine—it’s about life alignment, values, and well-being. Homes should support you now and into the future.

"We design homes for people and their future. Guided by strategy, grounded by your values" 🎤 Introduction to Eve Weinberg: Eve is a principal interior architect and designer based in Toronto, Canada. 🛋️ Design Philosophy: Values first, always. Eve helps clients, often in midlife or later, clarify what they value in their homes—emotionally, practically, and physically. She emphasizes ease and adaptability in design, supporting clients to age in place. Design isn't about just how things look—it's about how they feel, how they function, and how they support well-being. 🧠 Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Most people don’t know the complexities of interior design (appliances, materials, lighting, structure). Her work includes education and alignment, helping clients see what they can’t yet see. 🌱 Sustainability & Responsible Design. Eve champions sustainable and non-toxic materials, advocating for: Environmental responsibility, healthier homes, long-term thinking in design. She seeks to agitate the industry—to push for beauty that’s also ethical and future-conscious.

🔥 From Disaster to Resilience: Jenny co-founded the Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN) in 2017 after returning to Sonoma County just before the devastating wildfires. 🏕️ Rapid Response Clinics & 🚒 Supporting Firefighters: Jenny’s work expanded to helping first responders deal with physical injury, emotional trauma, and toxic exposure. Since 2020, the focus has shifted to long-term recovery and detox protocols (e.g., glutathione nebulizer treatments). High rates of cancer and mental health issues among firefighters require early intervention and ongoing care. 🌬️ New Fire Threats: The LA fires of early 2024 marked a turning point: firefighters became severely ill, many hospitalized. A new danger: burning electric vehicle batteries, especially lithium, causing extreme toxicity. 🌿 Jenny’s Personal Recovery: She is aware that also she has to take time to herself. She rejuvenates through forest bathing, spending time in redwoods and nature as a form of self-healing and mental reset. 🤝 Get Involved & volunteer: IHAN is a mostly volunteer-run nonprofit with a small part-time staff. Volunteers range from licensed healers to admin helpers—training is trauma-informed and available online. Donations of funds, supplies, supplements, and word of mouth are crucial to support continued efforts. 🌱 Mission and Vision for the future: IHAN's mission is to transform trauma into resilience for climate disaster-affected communities. The organization prepares constantly while promoting self-care for its team and building a network of support before the next disaster hits. 📢 Wisdom: Jenny reminds us that supporting others supports ourselves. Visit IHAN’s website to volunteer or donate—everyone can help, even in small ways. https://www.ihanclinics.org/