In 1999, during a cervical checkup, TV anchorwoman Ysabel Duron's gynecologist discovered a golfball sized cancerous tumor in her pelvic region. The diagnosis: Hodgkin lymphoma. She felt healthy and, strangely, unworried. So, Duron, who had been on the air in San Francisco for years, turned the camera on herself - and on the larger issue of cancer treatment.

In September 2003 she founded Latinas Contra Cancer (LCC) - Latinas Against Cancer, an organization committed to educating, supporting, and providing essential services to low-income Spanish speakers suffering from the disease. There is much more to her journey and story!

In 2013, at the age of 66, Duron was named the encore.org Purpose Prize Winner for her extraordinary contributions in encore (aged 60+) careers. Encore.org is at the vanguard of a large and growing movement of individuals in their encore years, helping to solve many of the toughest problems facing our nation and the world today. Immersed in her work and cause, Duron is a strong voice for an uneducated, underrepresented population without a voice.

We learn about the Encore Movement (career people aged 60+) and how it's vital for boomers to be engaged, relevant, valued and in better health. We learn about the significance of using skills sets developed over a lifetime and giving back to the community. We heard how the word retirement, as traditionally defined, is now an "old concept."

Ysabel shares how she gained clarity about her cancer fighting mission and how her San Jose, CA based organization, is putting a spotlight on a disease that impacts the Spanish speaking population and how it helps people shift fear into action.

Wonderful insights and inspiration here. Listen and learn!

Tony Mayo is an experienced executive coach to top executives and their teams. He is a master of analogy and anecdote whose illustrations are as likely to come from his studies of brain science, high energy physics or eastern philosophy as from his years of management and sales in high-technology. Whether speaking from a platform, coaching one-on-one, or facilitating a workshop, Tony maintains a laser focus on his goal of helping people realize their dreams.

Tony earned his MBA from the University of Chicago (now, Booth School of Business) at age twenty-one, after three years each of high school and college. He immediately started a business that he sold in 1982.

Tony has worked with Arthur Andersen & General Electric, founded boot-strap and venture-backed start-ups, and taught at the college, graduate, and executive levels. His most important activities today are family fun, working with top executives, and total health. All with one unifying purpose: to promote workplaces of humanity and prosperity where people can be productive and satisfied.

Tony's recently published book, "The Courage to Be in Community" served as the underlying focus for our conversation. He shared his distinctions between courage and bravery, and authenticity versus genuineness. We talked about the significance in communities of five "C's": courage, connection, choice, compassion and conversation. And we explored relationship, acting from the heart, mothering touch, vulnerability and 'costumes,' again in the context of community.

Tony can be reached via his web site: www.tonymayo.com. His book details/free audio can be accessed at tiny.cc/oncourage

Dr. Rebecca Keller is first and foremost a mom. She wrote Real Science-4-Kids for her three kids and for her friends’ kids. She started homeschooling her three children somewhere between doing laundry, planning meals, changing diapers and finishing her Ph.D. She remembers the days when she was furiously working on her dissertation and nervous about homeschooling her kids. She wanted a science curriculum that would present real science in a way that was easy for her kids to understand and easy for her to use. She went to a local homeschool conference, and failing to find what she was looking for, sat down one weekend to teach her oldest daughter a little physics. Her little weekend project has grown into what it is today — a small independent publishing company called Gravitas Publications, producing her now award-winning science program Real Science-4-Kids.

Real learning is deep enough to stimulate understanding. This can only occur when a student has had enough time to absorb the material being presented. For this reason the RS4K curriculum focuses on providing the essential building blocks for science and does not overwhelm a student with too much information. When one building block has been understood, then the student is ready to begin on the next one.

Rebecca's goal in creating the Real Science-4-Kids curriculum is to teach kids about science from a very early age so they will have much better science comprehension by the time they are ready for high school and college level classes.

Her curriculum is designed to help kids make sense of science, find it fun to learn, and make it easy for their parents and other educators to teach the subjects of chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy and geology. She believes all of this has been accomplished with the unique Real Science-4-Kids home school science curriculum.

Yet Rebecca never planned to become a children's book author and launch an independent publishing company. She shares how her personal and professional paths have unfolded.

In May 2013, Rebecca's youngest child, her 21 year-old son took his own life having struggled with a rare, progressive disease that was diagnosed when he was 15. She shares a bit about mother's intuition, how life is really about our stories, two types of tragedies we encounter in life, and how her son Christopher's death has forced her to focus on what she wants to do with her next life "act." This includes choosing to become her childhood hero; the 2015 launch of her Dr. Beakers character and a full roll out of The Christopher T. Keller Foundation.

Guest host Barbara Allisen and her guest Renee Shupe explore and discuss the prospects and process of reinventing ourselves concurrent with learning more about 'Who we are' and 'What we do.'

As "Chief Redhead" at Redhead Business Solutions, Renee speaks about new ways to share ourselves, our ventures and adventures. Renee talks about ways to face change, with adaptability and self-discipline as well as tips on how and where to start as a new entrepreneur.

Renee and Barbara agreed that to be successful and happy as entrepreneurs, "Do What You Love!", align with your passions, research them and find/join like-minded support groups or being part of new communities. They also contrasted past skills and how they may not always apply to new endeavors.

Learn more about Barbara and her work by visiting www.123kindergarten.com and Renee's business site: redheadbusinesssolutions.com

Former IRS Audit Supervisor Nellie Williams has a heart for the small business owner. For over 25 years Nellie has helped entrepreneurs, coaches and small business owners pay their lowest legal tax and still sleep at night. She has provided superior services to thousands of clients with tax return preparation, audit representation, estate planning and small business consulting.

She is a frequent lecturer and key-note speaker, the past-president of the Arizona Society and Central Arizona Chapter of Enrolled Agents, a Graduate Fellow of the National Association of Enrolled Agents’ National Tax Practice Institute, and a founding member of the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals. She was proudly a charter member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Forum for Improvement of Taxation (AFIT) and in 1999 was honored by the IRS at their National Tax Forum in Las Vegas and chosen Arizona’s 1999 Exemplary Electronic Return Originator.

Nellie’s unique talents, education and dedication to exceed her client’s expectations have led her to create BulletProofYourTaxes.com. Her goal is to share all of her insider secrets on how to avoid an IRS tax audit with as many entrepreneurs and small business owners as possible. Nellie has her own weekly blog on www.BulletProofYourTaxes.com and her own radio program, Bullet Proof Your Taxes, on www.RockStarWorldwide.com.

Nellie explains what and Enrolled Agent (EA) is; what a Tax Auditor does; the importance of keeping tax related documentation for specified periods; the need to tread cautiously around the Federal category "Miscellaneous"; the significance of penalties associated with delayed filing, negligence and omissions; what to do if/when the IRS thinks you are guilty and; much, much more.

Nellie shares helpful and important insights into the Federal Agency that many people fear as well as how to avoid getting audited!

Chris Teunissen is a Dutch national, who has made his professional career in Asia with leading European and Asian banks. He has worked and resided in Asia since 1990 and has a special interest in China, given his in-depth knowledge of the Chinese language and its business culture. He has served in multiple capacities as a development banking consultant who provides on-site strategic management since 2003.

As a bank executive and former CEO of a Trade and Development Bank, Chris focuses on developing profitable client relationships and on the capacity building of his local teams. His clients have ranged from the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’, right up to influential State Owned Enterprises. He has worked throughout the region including engagements in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, The Philippines, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, and Mongolia. Some of his expertise has directly benefited private sector entrepreneurs.

Chris is energetic and engaging, well-traveled in Asia and enjoys overcoming the multicultural challenges he meets in daily situations. He resides in Taipei and outside his work is engaged in vocational associations and in community projects. He loves swimming, cycling and outdoor sports, is married and has a 17 years old son who attends a mandarin speaking local high-school.

This is an informative show for those considering relocation as part of their retirement planning. Chris (who speaks five languages) talks about his 30 years of living and working throughout the Far East; the need for and value in possessing cultural awareness before and after arriving in a new country; some pros and cons of living overseas; doing what we love even in a foreign country; life as a "modern nomad"; family considerations, and more practical wisdom from a 30-year expatriate.

Chris also recommended the book: "Mr. China - A Memoir" by Tim Clissold. A classic coming of age story that tells a tale of a young man going to a foreign county with misguided notions. A worthy read for anyone considering moving somewhere other than their home country.

This segment of Awakening to Awareness was hosted by my friend and coaching colleague - the delightfully energetic, Audra Erwin. Tune in and listen to her "High on Life" nuggets. Audra is appropriately known as The "High on Life" Coach, as a result of her witty personality & zest for life. She is an international speaker, writer, author & host of her very own radio show, The "Happy" Hour, Friday's at Noon Eastern on Toginet Talk Radio. She is a Certified Professional Coach & a Registered Corporate Coach through The Worldwide Association of Business Coaches & also serves as a Results Coach for the Anthony Robbins Organization.

Audra passionately encourages others to celebrate their own uniqueness & to live a self-approved authentic life. Audra invited her "soul sister" Tamara Montana as her guest and they engaged in an authentic conversation about swimming dolphins, aligning with spirit, allowing flow, diamonds, Rumi, tapestries, the power in "surrender," choice, and one's sphere of influence. A 'must listen' to show for those who get or aspire to the quote "We're desperate until we're not."

Jim Breen has been with the Albuquerque Fire Department for over 23 years and has been the Fire Chief since December 2009. During his tenure as Fire Chief, Jim instituted many reforms that transformed AFD into a premiere emergency response agency. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Battalion Commander for the city’s busiest battalion for the six years. He has extensive experience in Incident Command and Heavy Rescue Operations. He also was directly responsible for the initial development of Albuquerque’s Heavy Rescue Program. Jim had previously been appointed to the mayor’s task force and governor’s commission on matters relating to the fire service and emergency management, and has taught for local colleges and at several EMS and fire service conferences throughout the Southwest United States.

Risking his life for decades to be in service to others, Jim shared thoughts and experiences re: the qualities and traits that make for being in service, how he values the concept of mentoring, strengthening and rebuilding family connections, reconnecting with life post-retirement, and how important it is to realize each of us has a greater purpose.

Ricky Powell is a Southern California native and grew up as a child actor working with some of Hollywood’s biggest legends. After college, he began his second career behind the camera and has worked at NBC for the past 23 years where he continues to prep every show that airs on the network.

Although Ricky has devoted his whole life to the entertainment industry, several years ago, he became passionate about the subject of happiness. He is the founder of Lifelong Happiness.com, author of the book, Happiness Rocks: A Powerful Blueprint to Master the Art of Lifelong Happiness, and creator of Ricky Powell’s Love Your Life system.

Aside from his job at NBC, Ricky is a speaker, coach and consultant for both individuals who want to experience happiness on a daily basis and for companies who want to improve their bottom line with employees who are engaged, productive and thrilled to be on the job.

We learned about Ricky's Happiness Rocks Blueprint which covers: Happiness, habits, Attitude is Everything, People Power, Planing, Inspiring Others, Never Giving Up, Excused Be Gone, Serving Others, Staying Focused on What Matters, Reinventing Yourself, Overcoming Limiting Beliefs, Cultivating Relationships, Killer Quotes, and Sharpening the Saw.

All of this in the context of his journey, your journey, hardships, mindsets, learning, and how you can live your very best life in every moment.

Home Movies are the most organic physical evidence we have our families. Each reel is like a time machine, peeling back the layers of the onion, often revealing secrets that we have not had the opportunity to access any other way. They can be a Pandora’s Box that may result in uncovering astonishing information, creating an opportunity to shift our focus and transform our understanding. Rhonda Vigeant is a business owner, author, speaker, radio show host, and home movie consultant. She and husband Phil own Pro8mm in Burbank, California, a company dedicated to the professional use of Super 8 film for both production and archiving for 40 years. Their technology provides studios opportunities create Super 8 film sequences for thousands of projects, including major motion pictures and popular television programs. Rhonda raises the collective consciousness to get old reels out of the closets, and educate people how to best preserve, share, digitize and repurpose family legacies on film. "Home movies can be used as a vital part of any genealogy project and are a journey in self discovery. Her work helps to shift the focus and transform the understanding of family dynamics." Rhonda talks about the importance of media preservation, acknowledging why - not just the how of moving film into digital life, developing sustainable legacies via film, creating family youtube channels using film, and her vision for a fully digitized and archived online database populated by film.