Welcome to Season 2! I’m so excited for this season and the bold, brave and badass women I’ve gotten to meet, interview and learn from. In this episode we talk about some upcoming highlights of this Season and what I’ve been up to this Summer when I decided to take a big leap of faith, sell all my things and move to Europe, only to be banned due to COVID-19!  I get into how dreams deferred aren’t dreams denied, how  I’ve learned to find peace while pivoting, and finally learning a big life lesson for heard-headed “A” types like me, that is OK for life to be easy for a while even while the rest of the world is in chaos.   

I hope you are as excited for Season 2 as I am and am looking forward to connecting with each and every one of you, so follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mountolympusgrp/, and send me your ideas and feedback and if you like the podcast, please share it with your friends and subscribe.

And stay tuned for our #20BoldWomen campaign coming out in October!

Additional Resources:
For more information on Elizabeth DiAlto and “ Less Control More Magic” find her on Instagram

Institute For Embodied Living (@elizabethdialto) • Instagram photos and videos    or go to Untame Yourself or check out The Institute for EMBODIED Living . In the month of October she’ll be offering a special series on that subject so go check it out!

My amazing realtors Lori & Marcy  in Miami  [email protected]  https://www.instagram.com/gimmesheltercompass/

Charity Highlight of the Week:

Save The Children Coronavirus Response Fund

Coronavirus Response Fund - Save the Children

This series was born out of a Zoom catch up call with 3 of my long time friends. We were catching up and having a conversation on some of the things going on in Summer 2020 with the BLM movement, riots, counter protests and more.  And when we were talking about our perspectives I decided that I should #passthemic and give my friends Staceye and Michelle the opportunity to give their perspectives as women of color not only dealing with what’s going on today, but historically.  Obviously this is a lot to jam into one episode so we’ve broken the conversation up into pieces because it was more important to  give voices to different perspectives than being expedient.  Sad but true, while these episodes address things going on in 2020 it’s unfortunately a timeless problem in America.  So buckle up, and be prepared for some brutally honest viewpoints filled with a lot of laughter  **THIS IS DEFINITELY A NSFW & KIDS EPISODE**** 

In part two we continue the conversation on the possibilities of redemption, and the difference between forgiving versus excusing, the potential for enlightenment and the different standards white people and POC are held to every day and in the legal, political and professional arenas. We also got into the deviant, nihilistic nature of racism and how it’s ingrained in both white and black children from an early age, how to be a better ally and lastly their views on how we start leveling the playing field going forward. We also got into ignorant sh*t well-meaning people say about Bill Cosby and stereotypes about black people.

Stay tuned for the last installment in the series… where we tackle the” defund the police” movement and more.

Guest Bios:

Michelle Carr
Artist, Agriculturalist, Agitator, Michelle Carr is an Education Management professional working in the non-profit industry. Michelle has been active in neighborhood outreach and engagement for over a decade. She is dedicated to family, friends, and the goal of tech-savvy autonomy for all.

Staceye James
Staceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay! 

Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health.

Charity Highlight: 
Green Worker Cooperatives   Green Worker Cooperatives

Our Mission

GREEN WORKER COOPERATIVES IS BASED IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND SERVES IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.  WE BUILD, GROW, AND SUSTAIN WORKER-OWNED GREEN BUSINESSES TO CREATE A STRONG, LOCAL, AND DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY ROOTED IN RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY.

Our Vision

WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE ENJOY AND ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.  WORKING COOPERATIVELY, WE HAVE EQUITABLE POWER, WEALTH, AND RESOURCES.  WE NURTURE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE EARTH.

This episode was born out of a Zoom catch up call with 3 of my long time friends. We were catching up and having a conversation on some of the things going on in Summer 2020 with the BLM movement, riots, counter protests and more.  And when we were talking about our perspectives I decided that I should #passthemic and give my friends Staceye and Michelle the opportunity to give their perspectives as women of color not only dealing with what’s going on today, but historically.  Obviously this is a lot to jam into one episode so we’ve broken the conversation up into pieces because it was more important to  give voices to different perspectives than being expedient.  Sad but true, while these episodes address things going on in 2020 it’s unfortunately a timeless problem in America.  So buckle up, and be prepared for some brutally honest viewpoints filled with a lot of laughter  **THIS IS DEFINITELY A NSFW & KIDS EPISODE**** 

In part one we get into the American phenomenon of  defining people as black or white as well as  the treatment of non-Anglo Saxon immigrants to the US contrasted with the treatment of people of color, the collective consciousness of “white guilt” in the US and  its ancestral ties to slavery as well as its legacy of hate . Then we get into the insanity and ignorance of the rising neo-nazi movement in the US and the symbolism of the confederate flag and the role of social media in protests/riots/false facts/inciting violence etc. We also touched upon how the rise of multi-ethnic children in the world is causing elevated consciousness and awareness of historical racism and its lasting problems( which we will dig into deeper on the next episode)  and the fear of raising brown children in these turbulent times.  Lastly we got into freedom of speech versus the freedom of consequences of your speech and the limits on claiming ignorance in 2020.  

Guest Bios:

Michelle Carr
Artist, Agriculturalist, Agitator, Michelle Carr is an Education Management professional working in the non-profit industry. Michelle has been active in neighborhood outreach and engagement for over a decade. She is dedicated to family, friends, and the goal of tech-savvy autonomy for all.

Staceye James
Staceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay! 

Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health.

Charity Highlight:
Green Worker Cooperatives   Green Worker Cooperatives

Our Mission

GREEN WORKER COOPERATIVES IS BASED IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND SERVES IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.  WE BUILD, GROW, AND SUSTAIN WORKER-OWNED GREEN BUSINESSES TO CREATE A STRONG, LOCAL, AND DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY ROOTED IN RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY.

Our Vision

WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE ENJOY AND ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL.  WORKING COOPERATIVELY, WE HAVE EQUITABLE POWER, WEALTH, AND RESOURCES.  WE NURTURE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE EARTH.

In this episode we talk with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Staceye James, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and double pneumonia in March of this year. We get into how you need to advocate for yourself like your life depends on it,how having a big mouth can save your life and the lives of others and resources for people navigating the US healthcare system on their own.  We also talk about some funny stuff that kept her focused on living during the long days fighting the virus alone in her apartment, coming to terms with your own mortality and how sometimes you just need to tell the Grim Reaper, “ Not today bitch!”

Guest Bio:
Staceye James is a Belly Dancer, Actress, Singer, Costume & Jewelry Designer who lives for wine, travel, Carnival, Halloween and Cosplay! 

Using her slogan, "MBA educated and daily medicated", she uses her struggle with major depression to advocate for breaking the stigma in the Black and Latino communities when it comes to seeking help for their mental health.

Additional Resources:
Long after a Covid-19 infection, mental and neurological effects smolder

Kaiser Bridge Program: https://charitablehealth.kaiserpermanente.org/georgia/

Charity Highlight:
Shelter for Women & Children

My Sister’s House, a 264-bed facility located at 921 Howell Mill Road, offers overnight shelter and residential discipleship programs for homeless women, as well as for women with children.“I’ll never forget our first night at My Sister’s House,” says Heidi, a young single mom. “I finally felt at peace. It was a place for us to be safe at night, where I wouldn’t have to worry about how we will eat or sleep. It felt like family.”That family feel starts with a loving, safe and secure environment where a woman’s and her children’s basic needs are met. My Sister’s House also provides counselors, referrals to job training programs, and help in finding housing, medical, and legal resources. And we have a fully developed childcare facility staffed with teachers and behavioral specialists.

I wanted to start off Season 2 with a bang and I couldn’t call this show Boldly Spoken if I didn’t address a lot of what I’ve been seeing over the last year in regards to the stifling of the First Amendment and our deepening ideological divides here in the US.  I reflect on where I see our country headed, where we are forgetting about history, and share my thoughts on what we should do to move forward.  Even before I was in law school the First Amendment was my favorite, and as the host of a show called Boldly Spoken you probably could have guessed that, and I invite you to listen to this episode with an open heart and mind all the way through.  I may lose or gain some listeners and that’s OK with me. What’s more important is walking the walk and using my voice even when it’s not popular or fun to do so. And I’ll continue to use my voice and this platform until someone makes me stop.

But in the meanwhile..  I want to help create subcultures and communities that are encouraging of open debate.  And I will be bringing more people of diverse backgrounds, thoughts and viewpoints to the show. I hope they make us all learn and grow. I don’t ask or expect you to agree with me or them and to be honest, I hope you don't. I hope you challenge me back to learn and grow and hope we grow our audience to be one of those communities where we can exchange ideas. And if not, that’s OK with me. Cancel away. I'll keep talking anyway. That's the great thing of liberty. You gotta use it, or you lose it. 

Additional Resources:
A woke coup at the New York Times

In defence of Bari Weiss - spiked

Op-Ed: Those who exercise free speech should also defend it — even when it's offensive

Opinion | Do Progressives Have a Free Speech Problem?

 A Letter on Justice and Open Debate

 The Harper's 'letter' proves we need to have a serious talk about free speech

 https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-Red-Scare#ref613189

Organization Highlight:

https://www.allsides.com/about

We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other. Our balanced news coverage, media bias ratings, civil dialogue opportunities, and technology platform are available for everyone and can be integrated by schools, nonprofits, media companies, and more.

AllSides frees people from filter bubbles so they can better understand the world — and each other. To do that, AllSides provides:

• Balanced, unbiased news to combat media bias, fake news, manipulation, and hidden agendas
• Media bias ratings to help us easily identify different perspectives
• Issues and perspectives across the political spectrum so we can decide what we think for ourselves
• Civil dialogue to find common ground
• School programs to help the next generation learn media literacy, respectful dialogue, and critical thinking

Hi all! I can’t believe we’ve already come to a close on our first season.  I’ve been so blessed to get to share so many inspiring stories and each one holds a special place in my heart.  I’m really looking forward to re-listening to them while I head off on my adventures this Summer and I hope you are too!  I’m a firm believer in taking time off to rest, recharge and reboot and this Summer is no exception and so  I’m heading off to parts unknown for a Summer filled with solo adventures and meetups with friends around the world, and potentially a new home base. So stay tuned and  get ready for a Season 2 filled with exciting talks with women from around the world as we expand our horizons globally.  We’re also cooking up some format changes and potential guest hosts so it’s a really exciting creative incubation period for the show. I also wanted to give a special shout out to two of my friends and mentors in the podcasting world, Terri Cole and Elizabeth DiAlto, you both inspired me to use my voice to be bigger, bolder and braver than I could have ever imagined, and my lovely editor Caroline Hull at Wild Home Podcasting for keeping me sane, answering all my questions and making it sound like I (halfway) know what I’m doing.  So please check out links to their podcasts below for more information and to send some good vibes their way.

And for our friends, family  and listeners, thank you so much for your support and your patience through our growth spurts, wonky audio glitches and tapping into what you want and need to hear. It means more than you’ll ever know.

And, as always, remember.. heads up, heels on, ever going boldly. XO

Additional Resources:
The Terri Cole Show: Podcast
Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto: PODCAST
Wild Home Podcasting: Wild Home Podcast — Wild Home Podcasting | Podcast Editing and Launch Services

Charity spotlight:
Save The Children, Coronavirus Response Fund

Donate to Global Action Fund

From the beginning, Save the Children has been on the ground protecting children and families from COVID-19. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of children in the U.S. and around the world are protected.

More than 1 billion children are now out of school. Child poverty is rising. Refugees living in over-crowded camps and those living in conflict will be hit the hardest. We desperately need your help to address the immediate and long-term threats of COVID-19. We must act now to protect a generation.

This was a lovely conversation with Hannah Beadle, one of my favorite people from across the pond! We talked about what it was like growing up a three sport athlete competing at the highest levels in the UK starting from when she was very young,  how sports were her happy place growing up, and most importantly how she dealt with bullying and those that wanted to see her give up.  Hannah never gave up and refused to make the world make her be small and instead built upon that determination,  and now,  she has taken her lifelong love of sport and took the leap to become a business owner this past year.  We talked about how she got the confidence to figure it out along the way at such a young age and she really had amazing advice for both young athletes and entrepreneurs.  And lastly, we got into the Wildfitness whole body approach to doing what we are designed to do as humans,  and some of her quick tips for connecting with our inherent wildness without ever leaving your hometown or making big changes in your day.  This is a PG friendly episode that I encourage all of you to listen to with the girls and young women in your life that you love!

Guest Bio:
With a background in high level sports and over a decade of coaching experience Hannah has grown up in the health and fitness industry.  After coaching with them for the last five years, Hannah is now the proud new owner and CEO of Wildfitness Ltd., a transformative fitness holidays company that runs on the extremely simple yet incredibly powerful philosophy of listening to your body and mind and responding to your instinctual needs to move naturally, for deep relaxation and for unprocessed food. “For me Wildfitness is not just a philosophy but a natural, sustainable, fundamentally human and truly transformational way of life. My drive and passion lies in the fact that every day on a retreat I have the platform to help, inspire and motivate people from all walks of life and am able to witness a true change in the lives of everyone that experiences Wildfitness."

When she isn’t teaching Hannah likes nothing more than hiking or adventuring in the great outdoors with friends, playing any sport she can get her hands on and even participating in the odd pub quiz.

Additional Resources:
Wildfitness: Home
IG:Wildfitness Retreats (@wildfitnessofficial)
YouTube: Wildfitness

Forest School Association | What is Forest School? | Forest Schools

Charity Highlight:
Go Wild with US UK:  Nature reconnection | Go Wild With Us UK | England

Go Wild With Us has a mission to try and reconnect people with nature and their own wildness. We believe that everyone needs regular contact with nature and the outdoors, and both research and personal experience tells us that being outdoors and spending time in nature is absolutely essential for good mental health and physical well being.  Let's restore the balance of our over-stimulated and technology heavy lifestyles a little, by reconnecting with nature through fun.  Go on! Go Wild With Us! :)

This is a great, fun conversation with my Comadre, Gelsandra “Gelly” Guzman. Born into an entrepreneurial family, she leveraged her innate drive and adaptability to make multiple pivots along her career path while learning along the way. We got into the challenges women run into trying to fit into expected images forced upon them versus encouraging individualism and creativity and how she leveraged listening to other people’s stories as a way to hone in on what lights her up.  We talk about her battles with postpartum depression and putting herself back together after each pregnancy and how she bet on herself like there was no Plan B it to leave her full time job to launch her business full time.  She talks about how she’s used her obstacles to  propel her to create and run a successful multi-platform business while being a wife and mom to two kids.  Gelly makes great recommendations for other busy moms and women who are looking to make a change and encountering challenges along the way. She is bold and driven and so motivating that you can’t help from feeling supercharged after listening to her story and if you don’t one, she is definitely the “ Hell Yeah!” person you need in your life. Gelly will light a fire in your heart and spirit, and I can’t think of a better way to start your week!

Additional Resources:
Posh Palma Website Pre-Launch: Subscribe here to get insider access to the launch of Pash Palma Boutique coming May 2020!  

https://poshpalmastyles.com/a/pre-launch

Postpartum Depression Hotline: Help for Moms

Las Comadres Club
Email Info :[email protected].
Website:https://www.lascomadres.club/

About Las Comadres: In Latin American and Hispanic culture, mothers and godmothers call each other “comadre” but  it’s also a term of endearment close female friends use with one another. Our vision is that every woman is empowered to be who she really is so that she can be free. This is a community welcome to all self-identifying women. Comadres trust each other with the most important pieces of their lives. Las Comadres℠ is an invitation for us to be guardians of each others' dreams and successesIt’s a community of women entrepreneurs reclaiming sisterhood, and uplifting one another up in life and in business and is opening its doors to the online community starting May 4th, 2020!  

Guest Bio:

Gelsandra was born in “Little Rhody” , graduated from FIT in NYC with a Fashion Merchandising Degree and has over 10 years of experience in Buying, Merchandising and Marketing. She’s a self described wifey, mommy of 2 and trend-setting fashion stylist ready to help women feel good in their skin and empowered with confidence and style!

Website: https://www.poshpalma.com/

IG: poshpalmaxgelly

Email: [email protected]

Charity Highlight:  Fundación Pasos de Victoria Innovadores 

Their mission is to provide children in the Dominican Republic with meals, clothing and other necessities of daily life.   Please reach out to Gabriel Montesino on Instagram for more information IG: thefinancialdiplomat 

This episode was recorded about a week ago and about a month since the Coronavirus pandemic really impacted our local community in South Florida. I wanted to share Janine’s story with you all right away once I heard it, so you could hear an uplifting story of connection, community and gratitude.  Even with being faced with losing the two incomes in her household, Janine was able to create space for creativity and tap into the  abundance mindset she had cultivated over the last year.  And by doing so she figured out an innovative way to give back to the South Florida community which has then led to additional abundance in her life.   With so many people wanting to give back at this time without the income to do so, we hope that this episode will inspire you to think outside of the box, shift towards using your time and talent creatively, and to be confident that what you give you’ll get back tenfold. 

Guest Bio:
Janine Stone is a Miami based portrait and event photographer who has been capturing South Florida families and events for over 20 years. Janine prides herself in capturing life's most precious moments creatively and artistically to create timeless keepsake her clients will have for many years to come.

Janine found a way to use her art to create connection among the community even as they are forced to stay separate at home. She created Portrait of our Neighborhood sessions, which fully benefit Feeding South Florida, the largest, most efficient food bank serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. She has raised over $4500  in only one month of shoots in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Additional Resources:
Portrait of Our Neighborhood project link: https://www.janinestonephotography.com/portfolio/portraitofourneighborhood/

Website:www.janinestonephotography.com
Social Media: Insta @janinestonephoto, @janinestoneofficial Twitter @janinestone

Las Comadres https://www.lascomadres.club/

Charity Highlight: Feeding South Florida
https://feedingsouthflorida.org/

Feeding South Florida is the largest, most efficient food bank serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. More than 98% of all donations are put back into the community and is South Florida’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving 25% of the state’s food insecure population.

Through innovative direct-service programs and a network of nonprofit partner agencies, Feeding South Florida distributed nearly 62 million pounds (51.5 million meals) of food last fiscal year to over 706,000 individuals – 236,000 of whom are children and 100,000 are older adults.

Today’s show starts with a familiar immigrant kid story but very early on pivots to the quest for being happy. Masha talks about how she had to walk through the perfect storm of multiple crises of career, illness and the end of her relationship to drive her to change her life and walk away from the addiction of thriving on chaos that most of us have today.  We talk about how she has never been afraid to pivot and drew upon her inherent resourcefulness to become successful in business several times over, but most importantly we talk about how she drew upon those skills and planning for the unknown to help her not only overcome a cancer diagnosis but also led her to become an innovative leader in the cannabis industry. Masha shares with us great resources on the cannabis industry, how she is working tirelessly to remove the stigma around it, and even has provided special links for free information on products and discount codes but has also selflessly offered to help anyone who wants resume help or coaching to enter the cannabis industry. This episode is a bit longer than usual but worth every minute!

ADDITIONAL  RESOURCES:
Dr Joe Dispenza: https://drjoedispenza.com/
Extract Collective: https://www.extractcollective.co/
Full spectrum HEMP PRODUCTS https://globaladvancedbotanicals.com/  | 10% off discount ExtractCollective

Hemp and CBD Analytical Testing https://acslabcannabis.com/blog/  

EMAIL: [email protected] For tutorials on how to read a COA, coaching on launching a new HEMP/CBD product 

PAY IT FORWARD:  Masha has offered to provide  resume reviews and career coaching for those interested in getting into the Cannabis industry. Please reach out at: [email protected]

Guest Bio:
Masha Belinson’s roots were planted in the soil of technology and grew through a passion for building businesses in ever-changing markets. For the last 15+ years Ms. Belinson has resolved major challenges for Fortune 500 companies in the areas of Omnichannel Marketing, eCommerce, Application Development, Compliance, Talent Acquisition, Resource Planning and Brand Activations.

In the last 12 months, Masha built one of Florida’s most successful cannabis educational organizations with the support from the state’s licensed cannabis brands: Trulieve, Surterra, Curaleaf, Medmen, Alt/Med(Muv), Grow Healthy and VidaCann/Tikun Olam. Extract Collective’s mission is to speak the truth; unite like-minded business leaders, medical professionals, and curious citizens to break through the stigma and promote conscious market growth. 

Today Ms. Belinson spends a majority of her time working in-house with ACS Laboratory; corporate development, strategic partnerships, content strategy and education.  As a cancer survivor and medical cannabis patient, Masha is driven to master complex regulations and change the narrative about cannabis through curated content, proper patient navigation and brand experiences. 

Charity Highlight:
Lotus House Shelter – where hope blossoms

Our mission is to improve the lives of homeless women, youth and children by providing sanctuary, support, education, tools and resources that empower them to improve the quality of their lives on every level, achieve greater self sufficiency, and build safe, secure lives. In their dreams come true, we enrich our community with the fruit of their potential realized.To support our mission, we also advocate on behalf of homeless women, youth and children to raise awareness of their special needs; inspire innovative, holistic solutions that truly break the cycle of childhood abuse, domestic violence and homelessness; and advance research and enlightened social policies for greater understanding, social inclusion and resources for homeless women and children. Our vision is that every homeless woman, youth and child will have the opportunity to heal, learn and grow, build the foundation for a brighter future, and blossom into who they are truly meant to be.