bLUTalks

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Flaherty is 90 (going on 60) — a former Manhattan advertising creative director, country innkeeper, TEDx speaker, novelist, and relentlessly cheerful authority on aging well. He has published five books, including his latest, Loving Longevity: Make Your Next Years Your Best Years (written, naturally, with a ten-year plan printed under his name). A father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he lives and creates in an art-filled converted 1940s dairy barn in the foothills of the Berkshires. A Directing Elder in his church, he also sings in the choir — and has a TV series, screenplay, and Broadway musical waiting for the right agent. His daughters’ favorite review of his life: “You never bore us.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sarah Jefferis holds a BA and MA from Hollins University, an MFA in Poetry from Cornell, and a PhD in American Lit/Creative Writing from Binghamton University. Poetry publications include Lucky to Have You (Finishing Line Press, May 2026). Forgetting the Salt (Foothills Press, 2008) and What Enters the Mouth (Standing Stone Books, 2017), as well as poems/essays that have appeared in The North American Review, The Catamaran, The Cimarron Review, Rhino, The American Literary Review, and others. She has been a poetry and essay fellow at the Saltonstall Foundation of the Arts, the Community of Writers, MASS MoCA, and the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference.

In addition to being a Senior Lecturer at Cornell, where she teaches rhetorical writing, she is also the CEO and intuitive writing coach of her own writing consulting business, called Write. Now, whose mission includes using yoga/meditation to help clients overcome writer's block. She offers poetry readings and keynote addresses on the use of writing as a healing modality. As a Lisa Nichols Certified Facilitator and a certified Vinyasa and Yin Yoga teacher, Dr. Jefferis founded Mat to Pen, a Yin Yoga workshop that designs reflective journal prompts to help participants move from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth in personal transformation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a 30-year career as a global sales educator, Lauren specializes in helping sales leaders develop resilience and high-performance strategies. She teaches executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to work effectively with emotions, build unshakable confidence, and reduce risk in high-stakes environments.Lauren’s groundbreaking work blends psychological theory with practical insights to help individuals tap into their empathetic abilities. This approach facilitates emotional regulation and informed decision-making, leading to stronger relationships and improved financial outcomes. As a trusted partner to organizations such as Dynamic Funds, Sun Life, and Industrial Alliance, Lauren has helped thousands shift how they engage with clients and employees, fostering trust and driving revenue growth.Her books address professional challenges such as imposter syndrome and recovering from setbacks. Lauren also contributes to Advisor.ca, sharing insights on emotions, wealth management, and financial advice. Known for her engaging speaking style, Lauren not only inspires but also equips audiences with practical tools they can apply immediately. Lauren’s mission is clear: to create empathetic professionals by shifting their perspectives of themselves and others, to everyone’s benefit.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Omar L. Harris is a leadership strategist, author, and founder of Intent Consulting, focused on building high-performing teams through character-based leadership. He created the W.H.O.M. framework—Work-Ethic, Heart, Optimism, and Maturity—to help organizations hire, develop, and lead talent more effectively. With experience in global pharmaceutical leadership, Omar brings practical insight into what drives performance at scale. He is the author of multiple leadership works and the voice behind Leadership Unmasked, offering direct perspectives on modern leadership challenges. Omar partners with executives to strengthen culture, elevate leadership, and unlock sustainable growth through disciplined execution and trust.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dennis Dowdell is a leadership mentor, author, and speaker whose life journey proves that extraordinary success can come from the most unlikely beginnings.

Starting as a school bus driver with no business background, Dennis went on to build a global organization of more than 250,000 people across 50 countries, with over 300 individuals reaching the top 1% income level in their field.

Dennis believes that when people maximize their potential, they can transform not only their careers but their families, communities, and leadership roles.

Today he is passionate about helping others unlock their hidden potential.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faith Rumer is a Dynamic Presence & Authentic Communication Coach, speaker, and author of the best-selling book Truly Be Seen and Heard.

For over 25 years, she has helped creative professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs unlock their authentic voice, elevate their presence, and connect with impact.

A professional singer-songwriter and performer, Faith has shared stages with legends like Rod Stewart and Earth, Wind & Fire, and sang the National Anthem for 50,000 people.

As the founder of Raising Your Impact and The Artist First Voice & Acting Studio, Faith blends artistry, science, and personal transformation to help her clients confidently express themselves and expand their impact. They step out of invisibility, embrace their true voice, and create lasting influence in their careers, organizations, and lives.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

54 years into a spectacular marriage, here to do Tikkun Olam, repairing the world.  Been a legal secretary, a Stage Mom (great stories there too), and a charity worker, loving my home, my garden, my cats.

My book, "Are Relationships For Suckers?" is my legacy.  We make all the mistakes and STAYED TOGETHER, working out the solutions, all of them.  I need to share all of that with anyone who'll listen, to stop all the unnecessary heartbreak, fear of commitment, pain and sorrow love can cause and find the joy that doing it well brings.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonya McDonald is a TEDx Speaker, High-Performance Coach, and International Bestselling Author of Unshakable: Unlocking Your Blueprint to Living Well Despite Limitations. With over 30 years as a Registered Nurse and a powerful personal journey through autoimmune illness, she blends clinical expertise with lived experience to help high achievers regulate stress, restore energy, and build resilience.

Known as the “Emotional Defibrillator,” Sonya helps people reset their nervous system, regain clarity, and take back control when stress and burnout take over. Through her Energy Intelligence Method™, she empowers individuals around the world to rise into the most unshakable version of themselves. Her message is simple and powerful: ignite your light, transform your life, and live unshakable.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allisa Verhille is the Founder & CEO of Dracarys Coaching, a Master Certified Leadership Coach, author, and international speaker recognized for transforming leaders and organizations worldwide. With over two decades of executive leadership experience — including directing IT Project Management Offices for major organizations — she blends corporate expertise with hard-won resilience to deliver results that last.

Creator of the proprietary Flame Spiral™ framework and author of the upcoming The Fire Within series, Allisa equips professionals to reclaim their voice, align with purpose, and accelerate growth without sacrificing well-being. Her talks are described as magnetic, raw, and unforgettable—delivering not just insight, but the breakthrough clarity leaders need to rise authentically.

From the boardroom to the global stage, Allisa’s mission is clear: to ignite inner fire, drive sustainable success, and empower leaders to become catalysts for lasting change.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices