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Passioneer® Ann Ronan, Founder of Authentic Life Institute

July 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 21st, we interviewed Ann Ronan who  is the vision generator at  Authentic Life Institute, a training and publishing company she founded to share what she’s discovered about achieving self-employment dreams and minister who founded the Virtual Center for Spiritual Living, using teleconferencing to share ideas about living a spiritual life in a practical world to those who do not live near Centers for Spiritual Living or who are unaffiliated with any religion. She can be reached at authenticlifeinstitute.com.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9:30am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilities

Ann’s Passioneer  Q & A

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?

A feeling of joy, being in the flow, anticipation -when a topic or activity lights you up

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?

Often people see themselves as so much smaller than they truly are -they limit themselves -or are not living THEIR life in a way they’d truly love to live.  Through writing, speaking and coaching I hope to open them up to acknowledging what they truly love and to do more of whatever that is.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

I left a university career to create Authentic Life Institute – faced fear as I shed that “identity” and had to create a new one.  Addressed it by working with a coach to dismantle all my imagined obstacles and then just did it!

SO: What have been the key factors in your success?

Persistence and consistency, listening to that small, still voice within that always guides me in the right direction, not being afraid to make mistakes

SO: What one word/quality best describes your journey?

Enthusiastic

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

For me a prosperous life is one in which you live where you want to live, hang out with people you want to be with and do what you want to do – and money is a wonderful energy to be in flow with. I’m living in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, married to a man who is wonderfully supportive, have amazing friends and work from home doing things i love. I’ve tripled the amount of money that flows into my life since I left my former employment

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

When you have a deep desire you already have everything you need to bring it to fruition -sure you might need to gather information, learn some new things, and ask questions -and you can make it happen!

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

Husband -i began expressing the qualities I was seeking in a man – I realized how can i attract someone with certain qualities if I am not embracing them myself.  Friends – I listen deeply and make time to nurture these relationships -join biz groups and stay connected to other ministers via technology, phone calls

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Take the smallest step you can to move forward -that tiny step will be “under the radar” of your resistance.  Keep moving forward -don’t try to do it alone -get support.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Blog, Coaches, Passioneer Providers, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Bill Roth, Green Entrepreneur, Author

July 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 21st, we interviewed Bill Roth the founder of EARTH 2017 and author of The Secret Green Sauce, a book that profiles the best practices of actual companies succeeding in growing revenues by aligning value with values. He is a nationally recognized expert, including serving as the Green Business Coach for Entreprenuer.com. EARTH 2017 is focused upon helping companies grow revenues by aligning with the growing numbers of customers seeking solutions that will enhance their heath, their pocket book and the environment. He can be reached at http://www.earth2017.com.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilities

Bill’s Passioneering Q&A

SO: Your definition of “passion” – your “WHY” for being on the planet?

My passion is to enable sustainable solutions to the strategic questions facing our country like Energy Independence, Climate Change, Wellness and Economic Growth. I am passionate about helping individuals and businesses achieve the financial, wellness and environmental results we need right now to get our country, health care system and economy back on track. My focus upon people also exposes me to their individual challenges. I hear their hurt and see the courage that it takes to confront their challenges. So I try very hard to be positive, to be encouraging and if asked, to share lessons learned from others who have survived what I call their wilderness experiences.

SO: Your biggest passions for serving others, and how you’re expressing them (include hobbies, volunteering, if you wish)?

I created my own business around the time of the Enron scandal in response to the issues of ethics and emissions that I saw within the energy industry. This gave me the freedom of working with people and companies aligned with my goal of making money responsibly. Working with companies across the country has convinced me that having a bottom line business focus that solves our big problems is our country’s best path to finding the solutions we need. My business is focus upon equipping companies with proven best practices that achieve top line revenue growth and bottom line profits by aligning with the common good. I work seven days a week. It isn’t work most of the time. It is who I am, what gives me energy and a sense of purpose.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in expressing your passions for serving others and how you’ve addressed them?

I feel very privileged to have served as the leader for milestone projects like the launch of the first hydrogen fueled Prius, development of utility scale solar power and pioneering meter linked energy information systems that help companies reduce their electricity consumption and related emissions. At the same time, helping companies make the mental link between doing right and making money has been more of a challenge than I ever imagined. You would think if you had “The Secret Green Sauce” for growing revenues that businesses would beat a path to your door. Fortunately, today there is a growing consumer movement seeking meaningful change. This is beginning to create opportunities for my business of helping companies grow revenues by aligning value with values. And I have been applying the best practices in the book and seeing success in my own marketing and sales success. So by giving, I am now receiving. That is wonderful to experience.

SO: They say that when you do what you love, the rest follows.  What has been your experience of prosperity, as you define it?

I truly believe that. I live well and I see a path for realizing my financial dreams. How many people in this economy today can say that? But more importantly, I am a very rich person in terms of the quality time I have with those that mean most to me. I have had the time to be there for my children, including those challenging teenage years. It is very heart warming when your loved ones tell you that the time I committed to them was more valuable than any material things they will ever own. I was also there for my Dad during his last days and will carry that blessing with me forever. I live in a beautiful part of the world where I can ride my mountain bike during most lunch periods. However, I am a Type A individual that measures myself based upon performance so too often I fail to see how blessed I am. That is a huge challenge for all us in this world that seems to see performance as a measure of a person, when what really counts is what you mean to others and what they mean to you.

SO:The biggest lesson that you’ve learned in making the leap?

Faith and that quitting is not an option. They tie together. Sometimes in life the best you can do is just not quit. Not quitting can be a huge step toward success if you are trying to make a leap. Because leaping can just as often result in falling rather than soaring. So being able to not quit no matter how many leaps end up in a fall is a hugely important strength. And the other strength tied to not quitting is faith. You just have to believe even when there is no evidence. If you wait for evidence you often run out of time or opportunity.

SO: The biggest keys to your success (e.g., talent, quality, skill, etc.)?

God gave me the gift of analysis that enables me to see things as they could be. I have now published enough books and articles forecasting the future that have turned out to have been correct that I figure one of these days someone in media like Bloomberg or Oprah will discover me. I really do have unique insights and best practices for restoring our jobs, economy, individual wellness and the environment. I also have a huge capacity for learning and teaching. My drive to learn has resulted in me finding this unbelievably wonderful national network of people and companies that are teaching me their best practices for making money going green. For example there is a woman that has developed what I believe to be the first healthy fast food restaurant that is price-competitive with McDonalds. There is a hotel in Texas that is toxin free and has a huge repeat customer business because their customers report sleeping better in their toxin-free room than in their own beds at their homes. I love hearing stories like these and I also get to met so many technologists who have great visions for producing the product solutions for our economy, wellness and environment. Then I am have the fun of sharing all these insights via my EARTH 2017 website, books, speeches and coaching. Everyday is fun because I get to meet yet another wonderful person or company that is making a positive difference, and then I get to write or talk about them.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

Great question because no one can do it alone. I have my family who has been wonderfully supportive of my efforts at putting doing right in front of making money. I am truly blessed. And I have a small but highly trustworthy group of mentor/friends. They really have my best interests at heart because they believe in what I am trying to enable. I developed these mentors/friends over a couple of decades of trial and error. One great advantage of putting your neck on the line is you find out who will chop it off for a buck and who will really help you. Going through those experiences are disheartening but really valuable in the long run because you end with wonderful, trusting relationships.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Look, sky diving is not for everyone. But that doesn’t mean in your own way you can’t try to take a leap. Find a place in your life you think you can take some risk. Maybe it isn’t in your business, maybe it is at church or at school or within the community. And then try. It’s like dating in high school, the goal isn’t to get a date with every request. The goal is to figure out how to date. Try, learn, try again. It’s a path, not an event.

SO: What’s your next big milestone?

I am looking for a path to the “big stage.” I know I have developed answers, insights and best practices that will restore our jobs, economy, individual-wellness and environment. I will keep plugging away a day at a time building credibility one step at a time in the hopes that maybe one of those connections will be the one that gets me to the stage where my insights and best practices can produce the greatest benefit.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Blog, Coaches, Entrepreneur, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Candace Silvers, Celebrity Acting Coach, Philanthropist

July 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 14th, we’re interviewing Candace Silvers who has dedicated the past 15 years to coaching and nurturing the creative process.  Known for unlocking the secrets of behavior and removing limitations, her students experience profound changes. Every student who works with Candace Silvers gains a new level of insight and inspiration that readily transform daily events into opportunities for purpose and success. As the mother of four children and a daughter of Emmy and Tony award winner Phil Silvers, Candace Silvers continues to coach students around the world transforming obstacles into opportunities, stress into joy and achievement into fulfillment. She can be reached at www.candacesilversstudios.com/site

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 4pm PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

Candace’s Q&A

SO: What is your definition of passion?

My definition of passion “Passion: PASS-I(me)-ON”.  When one is passing himself/herself on he/she becomes the vessel that information passes through.  Passion is something we’re born with.  One can see something pop out of the ethers that no one else can see.  He/she has a direct visceral experience with it.  Through the depth of that experience he/she spends his/her life giving that experience back.  Whether he/she is a doctor, actor or plumber is irrelevant.

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others and how are you expressing them? ( Also include hobbies and volunteering)

Taking care of my grandson and children.  Watching people grow.  Seeing where someone is missing something in their life.  Seeing where a person has a desire to get on in their life and are missing the tools that take them from “hole” to “whole”.  It’s my honor to serve on the board of the New Possibilities Children’s Foundation.  The New Possibilities Children’s Foundation was founded as I took my first group to India four years ago.  It currently cares for 200 children in Rishikesh , India .  We did a heart transplant and a leg amputation.  We’re building a school.  All of this happens in such joy.  None of this is raising money as work.  What begins to happen is you start to want to give more and giving becomes a way of life.  You begin to see how much you could be doing or how much more there is to do from a place of joy or fulfillment, not need or loss. My hobbies are what’s needed.

SO: Your biggest challenges in leaping into your passions for serving others and how have you addressed them?

Wow.  I can’t say I have challenges.  I have no challenges.  There’s a vision of you, a sight, an activity, an investigation and a day. I can’t say I have challenges.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success?

I can’t say that I know what the key factors are because to know would be intellectual and to intellectualize something would be like playing tennis only catching the ball [instead of hitting it back].  I would “stop the ball” in the “I know what it is” which means I would be expecting it and want more of it, which is the beginning of the end.  [The knowing] stops the ability to be available to what is, which is always new and coming over the fence.  Expecting what you believe it to be and speaking about it would take possibility out of the equation and possibility is what sends the world into motion.  That the possibility is always changing and always full of delight is what keeps presence present

SO: What one word or quality best describes your journey?

Magic.

SO:  Your experience of prosperity, as you define it, in making the leap?

I don’t make a leap, I am a leap.  The leap is me.  Prosperity is totality.  Living in the macrocosm of possibility, fully responsible and bowing head below heart.  Prosperity is available and is present to what is, not the minds idea of what’s missing.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

The leap and I are one.  I am in the arch of that leap.  The leap is called my life.  To answer your questions, the biggest lesson is to bow and to keep my head below my heart no matter what.

SO: What does your support system look like and how did you create it?

It looks like the Lotus.  I didn’t create it, it created me.  As it looks in the cultural form right now, I have an assistant and a producer and a team who works for that team and a financial investor and students who all support this team because it’s a village.  People don’t come to get, they come to give and in the giving they receive everything.  The Lotus never stops moving, opening and closing as people move in and out.  Each petal is held by grace.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who is scared or discouraged in their own leap.

“Wisdom” is “wise from being dumb.”  “Dom” is “dumb” or wanting it to be different than it is.  “Is” is the leap in the moment.  It is what none of us want to do if our intellect is present and what all of us want to do if our enteloct is present.  My guidance would be different in each individual according to what they energetically manifest and hold in front of them as true.  It would be directly related against the surrender of what the mind is saying they cannot have or do.  The activity can be an action against or it can be laying dormant.  The activity is paradoxical according to how the energy manifests itself.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Blog, Coaches, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Ken Ludwig, Radio Show Host, Speaker, Coach

July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 14th, we’re interviewing Ken Ludwig, a speaker, coach and radio talk show host.  He has been sharing his inspirational story of living a more conscious and spiritual life to national audiences for many years through diverse mediums. Like many children of the 60′s, Ken thoroughly enjoyed the sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle that gave him an up close and personal look at the bottom of the barrel.  Today, Ken still rocks, but now he does it with a passion for a spiritual practice that saved his life, many times over.  Ken is a coaching licensee with Business Growth Solutions and a Licensed Practitioner for the United Centers for Spiritual Living.  You can hear more from Ken on his radio shows, “What We’re Thinking About” on Co-CreatorNetwork.com and “Making It Out Alive” on Spirit Media Network.  He is passionate about teaching and supporting the teens and young adults at Mile Hi Church, being a regular presenter at The Red Door Sanctuary and facilitating weekly Meditation Mastery groups all in Denver, Colorado. He can be reached at www.MakingItOutAlive.com.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 4pm PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?

Passion is an attitude of life. It’s about living from your heart – wide open and out loud.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success and what one word best describes it?

Knowing that every situation & circumstance is serving my greatness and my highest good. Recognizing that success is the application of a simple formula of discipline, willingness and practice.

SO: What has been your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions, and how you have addressed them?

The usual hang-ups around worthiness and being good enough. Developing the awareness to short circuit those thoughts and affirm the Spiritual truth of who I am

SO: Who or what inspired you to leap into your passion?

A career intuitive indirectly invited me to take a look at why I am here.

SO: Do you have a quote that you would like to share that speaks of you and your passion?

“My life is my message.”

SO: What do you hope people would say about you when you’re gone?

That my life was my message and that it was a great model for others to follow.

SO: What three brief tips can you give to somebody making the leap into their passion?

Develop a daily Spiritual practice – whatever that looks like for each individual. Know that you must practice anything you wish to be good at. Once you have set your intention stand firmly in the truth that you will not be moved.

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Filed Under: Blog, Coaches, Featured Passioneers, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneers® Elise Kloter and Jill Pagano, The Sisters of Sizzle, Share their Passioneering Journey

July 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 7th, we interviewed Elise and Jill of The Sisters of Sizzle radio show.  Jill Pagano is a passionate advocate for people to stop suffering and start living. A self-described personal growth seeker, she follows her interests, learns about them and then shares them with those looking for more in their life. Her outlets for this sharing are as Co-Producer and Personality of Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio and as a Black-Belt Nia teacher. Elise Kloter loves helping people turn their fizzle into sizzle! An adventurer with many passions, Elise co-hosts The Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio, inspiring her listeners to laugh, learn, and love their lives.  They can be reached at www.sistersofsizzle.com.

www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

Jill and Elise’s Passioneer Q&A

SO: What’s your definition of “passion?”


JILL: That buzz that will not let me go. Whenever I go back to it, there is a shot of pleasure and feeling that I am in the perfect spot.

ELISE: That feeling of being lit up, and in love with life

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?

JILL:Sharing what I learn is a huge passion of mine. And also, sharing/promoting other people’s passions. I get so excited for people who embody their passion I want the world to take notice. Another passion is dancing and cultivating a healthy, sensory relationship with my body. I express that through the joy of movement, teaching Nia and being in relationship with my bodies desires and needs.

ELISE: I love seeing people move from depressed to happy, blah to excited, muddy to clear, fizzle to sizzle, and knowing I’ve been a catalyst in their movement. As a Certified Passion Test Facilitator and Mentor, I help people get clear on their passions and give them the support to begin change in their lives. As co-host of The Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio, I provide inspirational examples of embracing your passion and taking risks, as well as a forum for guests to share their stories. As a stylist for Stella and Dot jewelry I get to watch gals light up when they put something on that makes them feel beautiful. Aren’t I lucky?!

SO:Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

JILL: Monetizing my passions has been my biggest challenge. Creating a way to continue to serve others and also serve my desires for sustainable income.

ELISE: Creating a lucrative business around what I do naturally. Lots of educating myself and getting help from the experts.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success?

JILL: Adaptability. Creativity. A willingness and curiosity to learn more, something new.

ELISE: Perseverance, coaching from others, support systems, partnering

SO: What one word/quality best describes your journey?

JILL: Freedom    ELISE: Adventure

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

JILL: I prosper in what I value the most—relationships and the freedom to dictate what I do with my time.

ELISE: Loving what I do every day, having freedom, making a difference, making enough $ to not have to worry about it

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

JILL: Partnering with someone that compliments my weaknesses.

ELISE: I’ve always loved what I am doing at the time…if I don’t, I’m willing to change it. Must be open to change

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it? I’m still learning to do this.

JILL: With the value of freedom also comes the shadow side of autonomy. With autonomy comes a “do it myself” attitude that often hinders creating a support system.

ELISE: Friends that are positive and interesting and passionate, business connections through networking events and organizations, spiritually like-minded people, coaches to keep me on track

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

JILL: Know yourself. Be willing to see where you may need help. Look at your habit, places you have been stuck before and reach out for getting past those. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and preparing for them.

ELISE: My mantra has always been “what’s the worse that can happen?”. When I ask that, I realize I can always go back to the old, can always get a second job to make $. But if I don’t try, all I have is regret, which is worse than anything else that can happen in life.

Thanks Sisters of Sizzle and Happy Passioneering![/private][/private]

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Passioneer® Shannon Cutts, Founder of MentorConnect, the 1st Eating Disorder Community

July 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday July 7th, at 9am PST, we’re interviewing Shannon Cutts, the author of Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back and the founder/director of MentorCONNECT, the first global eating disorders mentoring community. Shannon is a proud “survivor and thriver” after a fifteen-year battle with anorexia and bulimia. Her work has recently been featured in Woman’s Day, Glamour, and the Huffington Post. She can be reached at www.key-to-life.com.

SO: What’s your definition of passion?

Passion for me means being simply unable to stop pursuing my dreams. In my life, I have often felt like my passion or calling has pursued me, and that has given me a great deal of confidence and stamina to persevere when the passion has persisted but the path has seemed unclear.

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?

When I was recovering from my eating disorder, not much was known about eating disorders and no one was sharing their story of recovery, so I felt all alone for years and years as I battled to break free. Today my passion and purpose is to ensure that no one who is striving to recover from an eating disorder ever has to feel all alone on that journey. My book, Beating Ana, is structured around 27 chapters of all the things I did on a daily basis to recover from my eating disorder, and features correspondence from five of my longtime mentees who wrote to me and shared their private struggles, fears, and hopes. MentorCONNECT is a global mentoring network that provides one-on-one mentoring matches and group mentoring opportunities for individuals ages 14 and up who need support. We are using the power of the internet to connect with even those in isolated areas where support resources are hard to find. Beyond these activities, not only do I speak frequently to share insight into our current “culture of thin” and what it takes to achieve lasting recovery, but I serve as a mentor myself, run MentorCONNECT with my amazing leadership team, and continue to blog and write on the subject of mental health and eating disorders.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

Having no funding to start MentorCONNECT or get the message out about eating disorders mentoring was a huge perceived obstacle when I first started working with my team to create the organization in Sept 2007. So I researched and learned everything I could about low-cost website hosts and applications, taught myself about the basics of web design, and built the system we now use for our global mentoring interface. It was also challenging and a bit daunting at first to begin advocating for the inclusion of a lay recovery mentor to the treatment team and approaching treatment professionals inviting them to give lay survivors their voice and place on a sufferer’s recovery support team. But I was pleasantly surprised by how warmly eating disorders mentoring was received and how eagerly therapists and dietitians in particular have embraced Beating Ana and MentorCONNECT as quality source of ancillary support for their clients.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

Prosperity to me means trusting that I will always have what I need when I need it. For instance, there was a lot of fear in launching a new organization, in writing a book – will anyone join? Will anyone buy my book? I think this is normal – that fear of the unknown is biologically programmed into us at some level. To overcome this fear and make the leap I challenged myself to review my history over the long-term and ask myself one simple question, “Have you ever not had what you needed when you really needed it?” This question encompassed having a friend to talk to, a mentor to consult, money to pay rent and bills, and inspiration to keep working hard to pursue my passions. When I honestly took inventory of my life, I was able to answer, “I have always – somehow – had what I needed when I really needed it.” So that is my definition of “prosperity”.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

I have learned that it is important to stay centered in each moment – like Eminem sings in his autobiographical movie “8 Mile” (a movie I devote an entire chapter of my book Beating Ana to) “opportunity comes once in a lifetime” – and he asks, when that moment comes, will we be ready? Part of being ready is paying attention, staying focused, practicing good self-care, taking rest time when the opportunity presents itself, and working hard when hard work is what is needed. I have also learned that my own expectations for when things should happen or how I will succeed need to take a back seat to what is actually occurring in my life and in the unfolding of my passion. I have to be willing to eject self-critical thoughts and embrace patience, and challenge myself to see and embrace hidden blessings. Each person’s path will be different – and that includes mine.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

My longtime support team consists of my mentors, family, and friends. I have mentors in many different areas of life – from recovery mentors to business mentors. I rely on my mentors’ advice, expertise, wisdom, and most of all their willingness and ability to authentically mirror back to me who I am and what I am capable of achieving. My close friendships are longstanding and nurturing, and I continually focus in all of my activities on quality over quantity. And after many years of feeling somewhat disconnected to my family due to my eating disorder, I am happy to report today that I enjoy their company and take much inspiration from their own stories and insights.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

If you are the one who sees the problem or the need, then you are probably the one who is both well-position and well-equipped to address that problem or meet that need. I think it was Mother Teresa who said, “your work is where your deep desire and the world’s deep hunger meet” (check quote). Over the years I have learned that there is a combination of hard work and serendipity (which some call luck, some call fate, and some call faith) that is required to bring great ideas to fruition. In my experience, those who succeed are the ones who find creative ways to never, ever, give up! So if you see a leap, and your heart leaps in your chest when you contemplate making it, then re-frame that energy not as “fear” but as “e-motion” – and use that energy to JUMP!

SO: What’s your next big milestone?

We are working on several big projects right now related to MentorCONNECT. The first is an upgrade to our web platform that is challenging me to really examine our current processes and how we can better serve our members. MentorCONNECT is also in the process of designing our first clinical research survey to gather data to support the effectiveness of adding a lay recovery mentor to the sufferer’s treatment team so we are really excited about that! And in a parallel process, I am working hard with my management team to expand the focus of my speaking engagements to connect individuals who struggle with eating disorders back into the mainstream of society – my passion there is to promote better understanding of how our brains work and learn to work with our strengths rather than against our weaknesses. Plus, I am always trying to figure out how to get more sleep, and I would love to hear from anyone who has idea for how to keep my pet bird, Pearl, from shrieking during my phone calls!

Thanks Shannon and Happy Passioneering![/private][/private]

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Guest Post: Passioneer® Elisabeth Manning, Founder of Conscious Conception

July 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]

Passion and Perseverance

By Elisabeth Manning

I am a poster child for perseverance from the day I was born. Perseverance itself was the beginning of my own dawn to pursue human potential, which led  to discovering my passion in work.

Persevere, according to Webster means to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.

I persevere now at a whole new level today, because I have passion for my life, my work, my self, my future, and the service I offer to planetary evolution. But I had a few hoops to jump through first to understand the value and source of passion and of human potential, and looking back I built a very big perseverance muscle which I learned comes easy when you have passion. Early on however, it was about survival.

How it all began you ask? Being raised in an alcoholic single parent home in a small town, living on welfare. My grandparents were millionaires, go figure.

Perseverance then was about showing up for a wounded mother.  Most of my family says I raised her. She checked herself into a mental institution when I was three but they threw her out and said she wasn’t crazy enough.

It was about survival and doing what had to be done. I was opening cans of soup by climbing on a chair at the kitchen counter when I was 5. I was allowed to miss school because my mom always got me out of bed at 2 am to listen to her cry to Barry Manilow records about how she was never approved of by her own father, and then she’d fall asleep drunk with a cigarette in her hand.  I would routinely transfer my pillow to her crooked neck, put out her cigarette, and crawl gratefully back into bed.

Perseverance then to me was about getting to school, my source of hope out of this cycle. Once I missed 21 days in a row because my mom liked the company. One day the principal came and we played possum and my mom squeezed lemon juice through the mailbox slot when he tried to peek in. Perseverance then was about having enough school supplies, so I stole them. Got escorted home by a nice policeman and had to go visit a probation officer who felt I had to have been wrongly accused, I was “too good”. So we had nice visits for the next 6 months while he scratched his head. Then I was taken away when I was 13 when mom was deemed “unfit.” But arguably in her defense, there was love. I just didn’t ever see her love herself.

Then came the day in psychology class at age 16 where we were introduced to Maslow’s Heirarchy of Self Actualization. I heard a voice and “it” took my pencil tip to the tippy top and said, “you are going HERE.” It was like an angel had given me a road map to life.

Fast forward 20 years of struggle, self loathing, self discovery, and finally consciously coming into my life’s work. It is no wonder I am passionate about sparing the children by helping parents see infertility as an opportunity to awaken to their potential to heal, and to consciously conceive, which leads to conscious parenting and broken destructive family patterns.

Today, I cannot NOT include my story in my current passion for my work. My life and work is ALL about stepping into our highest human potential to become worthy of the children coming into the world. And I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe my definition of perseverance today: passion in action.

I couldn’t have had a better road map.

*********************

Elisabeth Manning is a Certified Spirit Coach and is a teacher in training at the Foundation for Spiritual Development in San Rafael California. Unlike traditional coaching Elisabeth works at the spirit and energetic levels to get to the root of the issues blocking her clients from achieving their soul purpose and unlimited nature. At this level sustainable healing and growth is achieve whereby the clients become their own guru and healer. She has a practice called Conscious Conception empowering women and couples to co-create fertility in all areas of their lives to regain health and wealth of spirit mind and body, and to prepare to live a mindful parenting path.  You can reach her at www.consciousconception.net, and please click here for her radio show interview.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Blog, Entrepreneur, Featured Passioneers, Guest Bloggers, Passioneers, Spirituality Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Jim Dailakis, Comedian, Actor, Shares Laughter and Love

June 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday June 30th, at 4pm PST, we’re interviewing Jim Dailakis,  actor/writer/comedian and voiceover artist.  He is based in New York City and has been touring the USA for the last twelve years headlining in the major comedy clubs.  A New York trained actor, he’s played in several films, and has been featured on a variety of radio shows.  He has worked with the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin and Weird Al Yankovic.  On stage, Dailakis talks about relationships, love, and mimics movie stars with an uncanny ability of being able to contort his face so he can look like them too. His performances have earned him standing ovations and adoration from audiences across the USA.  He can be reached at www.jimdailakis.com.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9am PST

at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

Jim’s Passioneer Q&A

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?

When you put your heart, soul, body and mind into your life’s desires and mix it with the ingredients of love, hope, determination, persistence, diligence and discipline to follow through and not let go until you succeed. To enjoy the journey so much that any financial gain is simply a byproduct of your life’s work.

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?

Even with my career choice as an actor comedian, knowing that I have affected people in a positive way through laughter, hope and joy. To hear a collection of souls laughing simultaneously and knowing I’m the catalyst, is indescribable. I give a percentage of my DVD/CD sales to the American Cancer Society. In addition, a movie that I wrote called, Not until She Sings is slowly coming to fruition. I’m determined to give a portion of the box office to charity. This motivates me even further because now not only doing something that I’m passionate about for myself, but for those who are less fortunate.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

Finding the time and having such a busy schedule as well as probably overcoming laziness and getting over the fact that just because I’m not a millionaire doesn’t mean I cannot help. Confronting this issue is as always with me, the ultimate remedy.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success?

Persistence, determination, discipline and enjoying every minute of what I do. I’m convinced that you cannot be successful if you’re not happy with yourself and enjoying what you do.

SO: What one word/quality best describes your journey? Faith.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

Prosperity for me is without a cloud of doubt, being healthy. To be happy doing what you’re doing. To wake up every day and look forward to it and feel that in some shape way or form, I’m helping others or at the very least, making a difference. If I can affect just one person for a particular day, I’m satisfied. Without being selfish, sometimes it’s important to understand that you make yourself happy as well.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

It’s reinforced me to count my blessings. Something I do sometimes on an hourly basis. If I feel disappointed or sense impending anger, I simply play the game of count your blessings. By the time I get to my 10th blessing, I’m fine.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

My number one blessing is that I came from such a loving and wonderful family. If everybody had my parents, this would be a very happy world. They’re certainly not perfect, but my foundation is very solid because of the support I get from them and my genuine friends. They’re my sanctuary, my support system, my safety net and my nest of pure unconditional love. Spiritually, Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi and Mother Teresa are shining examples of how to live one’s life.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

To confront their fears. More often than not, it’s never as bad as one would assume. It’s very liberating. When you’ve conquered your fears, my belief is that you’ve conquered yourself. Like Helen Keller said; “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Authors, Blog, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Jill Jayne, Nation’s Only Rockstar Nutritionist, Shares Her Journey

June 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday June 30th, we’re interviewing Jill Jayne, the country’s only Rockstar Nutritionist. She is the leading expert in creating and delivering interactive media about health to kids and families. As President and Creative Director of Note to Health, Jayne creates interactive programming that fuses health education with music. Jills’ knack for rock ‘n roll nutrition is the result of being a registered dietitian mixed with her musical experience as lead singer-songwriter of her band Sunset West. Jill hold her master’s degree in nutrition education from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in nutrition and theater from Penn State University.  She can be reached at www.jumpwithjill.com

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

Jill’s Passioneer Q&A    

SO: What’s your definition of “passion” – your WHY that drives you?

My definition of passion is channeling your strong feelings about something into action. I am appalled by the current state of health habits among today’s kids, and inspired by the effectiveness of advertising, so I’ve developed a way to reach kids in an effective way.

SO; What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?

I develop counter media—music-based properties that teach kids and families how to be healthy in ways that are entertaining. I make sure that what I create is equal in production value to what people are used to seeing on a TV or computer screen from major media companies.

SO:Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

The Challenge: Capital. My Solution: Find the stable revenue stream that can then fund the rest of my projects. For me, this has been getting my CDs into catalogs so that the music keeps selling for me even when I’m not out pounding the pavement. This stream helps fund the next project.

The Challenge: Time. Taking on a problem like childhood obesity is no easy task. I’m up late and get up early. Sometimes I’m so physically exhausted from performing live and traveling, I can’t even see straight. My Solution: As my approach has caught on, I’ve been able to hire out more to additional staff so that I can focus on the creative. I set 6 month, yearly, and 5 year goals with post it notes on my wall so that I feel focused on the task at hand and don’t become overwhelmed as easily. I’m in this for the long haul and have to make this sustainable for my own physical body and the future of a healthy company.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

Being able to make a living at solving a social problem. So far, so good.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

Plan. Develop. Execute. Do not execute before you have a plan.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

Mentors from many periods of my life who know me very well, so when I am in crisis they can talk me up or down from a decision. They have become my unofficial board of advisors, the president of my board being my mom.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Alleviate all your fears by making a plan. Seriously sit down and map out what you want to accomplish (big goal) and then work backwards through each step to get to the big goal. A small step can be getting a nice headshot, making a website, etc. Each of these things take way more time than you would ever expect when you do it well, but you are doing all the hard work to lay a sturdy foundation that you will then build your idea on. I see it much less of a leap and much more of a strategic plan.

Getting on a “national” talk show like Good Morning America, Today, or Ellen.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Authors, Blog, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Dallas Woodburn, Author, Philanthropist

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday June 23rd, we’re interviewing Dallas Woodburn,  who is the author of two collections of stories and a forthcoming novel. She is also the founder of a nonprofit youth literacy foundation, Write On!, that encourages kids to discover confidence, joy, self-expression and connection through reading and writing.  She can be reached at www.writeonbooks.org.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties

Dallas’s Passioneer Q&A

SO: Your definition of “passion” – your “WHY” for being on the planet?

Writing is my passion – I feel most alive when I am writing and sharing my writing with others. I can’t imagine what I would be doing if I were not pursuing a career as an author! I believe writing can touch people in incredible ways. One of my favorite things is hearing from a young person who is inspired to follow his or her passion after reading one of my stories.

SO: Your biggest passions for serving others, and how you’re expressing them (include hobbies, volunteering, if you wish)?

In a recent national assessment conducted by the National Literacy Institute (NLI) of fourth-grade students, 13% reported never reading for fun on their own; an additional 16% only read for fun once a month. I think this is a travesty. Reading has brought me so much excitement, confidence and has opened so many doors for me, including a tremendous college education and a career that I love. Writing and reading have given me so much fulfillment and self-confidence, and opportunities that I never would have been given otherwise – like traveling to New York to be a guest on The CBS Early Show when I was writing a column for Family Circle magazine. I feel other kids should be exposed to writing and reading as well, to encourage their self-confidence and self-expression. When I published my first book, There’s a Huge Pimple On My Nose, in fifth grade, the teachers in my elementary school asked me to talk to their classes, and then I spoke to other classes throughout the school district. I still enjoy talking to kids about writing. At the beginning of my talk, I ask the kids if any of them are interested in writing, and usually a few shy hands raise. In contrast, at the end of my talk when I ask the same question, nearly all hands raise. Many students tell me they didn’t know that kids could be writers. They didn’t know writing could be fun.

I started “Write On! For Literacy” in 2001 to encourage kids to discover confidence, joy, a means of self-expression and connection to others through reading and writing. My website www.writeonbooks.org features writing contests, book reviews, fun writing prompts, and more. I organize and teach fun writing camps for kids and award scholarships for young writers. I also hold an annual Holiday Book Drive to collect and distribute new books to disadvantaged kids — more than 11,000 books have been donated to date.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in expressing your passions for serving others and how you’ve addressed them?

There aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do! I sometimes tend to stretch myself too thin and take on too many projects at once, and then not be able to give anything the attention it deserves. Thankfully, I’ve been paired up with a great mentor through this wonderful organization called Youth Venture, and she has helped me organize and streamline Write On! into a much more focused organization. She helped me write a mission statement, create defineable and achieveable goals, and move forward on the projects I care most deeply about. I have learned the importance of prioritizing and delegation!

SO: They say that when you do what you love, the rest follows.  What has been your experience of prosperity, as you define it?

I try to live my life by John Wooden’s saying: “Make each day your masterpiece.” To me, “prosperity” is living by this mantra. What makes up a masterpiece for you? For me, a masterpiece day is one that includes everything I love most: my family, friends, writing, beauty, and giving to others. I also think it is very important to have balance and to be “prosperous” in all are as of your life: your relationships, health, career, community endeavors.

SO: The biggest lesson that you’ve learned in making the leap?

Following my passion has taught me not to be afraid to take risks. Take the initiative when you have an idea and make it happen yourself rather than letting fear and doubt make you wait. Because, why wait? Take small steps towards your dreams, and small steps can snowball into amazingly big opportunities!

SO: The biggest keys to your success (e.g., talent, quality, skill, etc.)?

I was fortunate to discover my passion and dive into my writing career at such an early age because I wasn’t afraid or self-conscious about my writing. I think as we get older, we tend to lose that child-like pride and confidence in ourselves and our work. I published my first book when I was in fifth grade. I wasn’t afraid of rejection, so I sent my book out to anyone and everyone I thought might read it. Sure, I didn’t hear back from a lot of them. But I did score reviews in The Los Angeles Times, Girls’ Life Magazine, Cosmo Girl Magazine, and others. Many terrific doors were opened for me because I wasn’t afraid to hear the word “no.”  I try to hold on to that child inside myself and live fearlessly.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

My parents and my younger brother, Greg, are my absolutely biggest fans. I am truly lucky to have been born into such a phenomenal support system. My dad is also a writer, and he is the first person who reads my work – his feedback and encouragement are invaluable. I remember when I was little, he would let me type out stories on his computer once he had filed his column for the day – how special that was! I also have had amazing teachers who have been very encouraging of my love of writing. I remember in second my teacher, Diane Sather, had me read one of my stories to the class. I got such a burst of joy from sharing what I had written with others. In college, I met other students my age who also loved to write and they remain close friends. I also was able to take a fiction writing class with Aimee Bender, a writer I have long admired, who turned out to be one the most kind, creative, and generous people I have ever met. I feel very lucky to now call her my mentor and friend. I think when building a support system, it is important to find people who will be honest with you but who also believe in you deeply. No matter what happens, I know I have a safety net of love that will catch me. That is freeing in the best way.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Rejection is something that everyone has to deal with. As a writer, I joke that I could wallpaper all four of my bedroom walls with all the rejection letters I have received from editors! The important thing is not to take it personally. When I get a rejection letter, I first read the comments to see if there is any advice I can glean or ways I can improve for next time. Then, I submit my story or essay or article somewhere else. It took me more than a year to find my literary agent. A year of rejection, rejection, rejection – until finally, I found my perfect match. My agent understands my writing and has faith in my career. I just had to have the patience and perseverance to find her!

SO: What’s your next big milestone?

In August, I’m moving from California to Indiana to enter the graduate school program at Purdue University for fiction writing. I feel so honored to have been accepted to such a great program, and I know I am going to grow enormously as a writer during my three years there. I am looking forward to bringing Write On! to my new writing family and plan to start a Holiday Book Drive and Young Writers Camp at Purdue.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Authors, Blog, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Sandy Harper Coaches and Inspires Others to Be Grateful

June 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]On Wednesday, June 23rd, we’re interviewing Sandy Harper who is first and foremost a Mommy.  She is blessed to be the Creator & Coach of ‘Gratitude Boot Camp’, which affords her the opportunity to help others to live in Gratitude and create a life of happiness, peace, love, success, and abundance. She can be reached at www.GratitudeBootCamp.com.

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties.

Sandy’s Passioneer Q&A

SO: What’s your definition of “passion?” Passion is what drives you to be your best self; to work through the challenges that arise; and makes you excited that you’ve been given the gift of a new day.

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)? Since losing my parents as a teenager, I am often asked how I remain so strong and positive.  It is my passion to inspire and empower others to make the choice to live in Gratitude and Positivity, no matter what circumstances arise in their life.  I created Gratitude Boot Camp to coach people on how to accomplish that.  I also contributed a Chapter in a forth-coming book “Visionaries with Guts”; am writing my first book; and speak to organizations and groups about living in Gratitude.  Since giving birth to my son three years ago (as a single Mom), I have not had a chance to do much in the way of hobbies or to volunteer.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them? My biggest challenges are the time and money necessary to launch a new career while raising a child alone.  I address them by having a daily routine that includes counting my blessings & reciting positive affirmations; by sticking to a schedule that helps me to focus on my priorities; and by surrounding myself with positive, like-minded individuals.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success? Maintaining a positive attitude; expressing Gratitude; striving to serve others; a strong sense of humor; being a self-starter; studying self-development; and having successful associations.

SO: What one word/quality best describes your journey? Strength

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap? I have made plenty of bad decisions and have, at times, become complacent even while doing well financially in real estate (my career for 20+ years).  Whenever my child was born (which was my “later in life” miracle) and with my 50th birthday approaching, I decided to pursue my lifelong passion of being a writer and speaker; which is leading to a type of prosperity that I’ve never experienced before…a type that encompasses every aspect of my life.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap? That, when challenges arise, you need to pause…take some deep breaths & count your blessings…and then take the time to access the situation or crises and decide the best course of action to take, with a clear head instead of reacting hastily.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it? I am blessed to be surrounded by a great group of friends…some have been with me since childhood and some are newer & yet give me such encouragement that I feel that I can accomplish anything!  I learned a long, long time ago that true friends are more precious than gold and that to have great friends; you must be a great friend.

Take it one day at a time.  Surround yourself with positive people who applaud your successes and who encourage you to hang in there.  And, know that it is okay (and necessary) to end toxic relationships.  Learn to forgive quickly (including yourself).  And…always remember to count your blessings and express Gratitude every chance that you get.[/private][/private]

Filed Under: Blog, Passioneers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Passioneer® Justin Sachs, Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Coach

June 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[private][private]We’re interviewing Justin Sachs on Wednesday, June 16th, 4pm PST.  Justin is the best-selling author of The Power of Persistence, and the best-selling author of Your Mailbox Is Full (written when he was only 18). His work in personal development started at the age of 13 while working for Tony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, and ultimately, starting the Peak Performance Lifestyles Foundation in which Justin empowered teenagers to become leaders in their communities. Justin has spoken throughout the world to teenagers and adults on the topics of leadership, living the life of your dreams, and creating success.

He recently founded Motivational Press, Inc. a leading mid-tier publishing company of personal and business development titles in which he aligns with the greatest and most distinguished experts in the world to transform the lives of millions throughout the world.

Justin lives in San Diego, California. You can contact Justin for more information about his coaching services or book him to speak at your next event by emailing the following address: Justin@JustinSachsCompanies.com

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 4pm PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilties.

[/private][/private]

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