Gary Chivichyan — also known as “The Armenian Sniper” — made history as the first Armenian to be drafted into the NBA G League, becoming a trailblazer for an entire community that had never seen itself represented on that stage before.

Now 29, Gary is in a new chapter — one defined not just by basketball, but by identity, reinvention, and purpose. He’s a husband, a mentor, and a speaker who’s using his platform to remind the next generation that success isn’t always about becoming the next Michael Jordan — sometimes it’s about becoming the most authentic version of yourself, again and again.

00:00 Tattoo Stories and Their Meanings

01:47 Journey into Basketball

07:14 Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success

26:00 The Journey of Jamie Kern Lima

26:56 Embracing Individuality and Authenticity

31:46 Guidance, Growth, and Future Aspirations

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:Gary Chivichyan | Social

Host: Ellina Abovian | KTLA 5 News reporter, Armenian American storyteller, and proud single mom

Episode 55 of Breaking Through, I’m sitting down with someone I not only admire professionally, but care for personally — my friend Dr. Dave Dickie.

Dave works in national security as a Senior Intelligence Analyst for Peraton, where he helps guide teams operating in high-stakes, high-pressure environments. He’s a father, a husband, a coach, and someone who understands what it means to carry a lot at once — emotionally, mentally, and operationally.

But the reason he’s here today is because of the journey that shaped his new book, The Stoic Cheat Sheet — a book he wrote while navigating more than two years of caregiving and hospice for his father. In that season of intense responsibility — balancing family, work, caregiving, and personal resilience — Dave turned to Stoicism not as a philosophy to study, but as a toolkit to survive. And eventually, to transform.

Today we’re talking about strength, presence, pressure, caregiving, grief, and the kind of inner steadiness that can carry us through our hardest chapters.

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:Dr. Dave Dickie | Social

Host: Ellina Abovian | KTLA 5 News reporter, Armenian American storyteller, and proud single mom

Dr. Kate Balestrieri is a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist. She is the author of “What Happened to My Sex Life?: A Sex Therapist’s Guide to Reclaiming Lost Desire, Connection, and Pleasure.” Dr. Kate …. Is the founder of Modern Intimacy, and host of the podcast Get Naked with Dr. Kate―uncovers the twelve most common causes of a loss of libido.

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:Dr. Kate Balestieri | Social

How to Break Up with Someone

Host: Ellina Abovian | KTLA 5 News reporter, Armenian American storyteller, and proud single mom

After waking up blind in the ICU at UCLA, enduring 19 surgeries, and making a miraculous full recovery (beating the 17% odds), Scott is devoted to helping others experience their own awakening with the awareness that tomorrow is never guaranteed. He shares his journey as proof that growth and meaning can emerge from even the most unexpected and challenging moments.

Scott graduated from Georgetown University and received his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. A native Texan, he now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Tracy, and their two teenagers.

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:Scott Minker | Social Media | Instagram 

Tania Khazaal is a family healing educator and reconnection mentor specializing in mother–daughter dynamics, emotional safety, and generational trauma repair. Her work blends compassionate communication, boundary restoration, and trauma-informed practices to help families move from conflict and estrangement into healthier, more secure relationships. Rooted in her own personal story of separating — and ultimately reconnecting — with her mother, Tania’s teachings combine lived experience with a deep understanding of emotional patterns and family systems. She now guides thousands through workshops, writing, and one-on-one support designed to help people heal the wounds they once believed were impossible to mend.

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:(866) 222-2020

Guest: Tania Khazaal

Award-Winning Journalist, Parenting Educator, and Author

Tania | Instagram: instagram.com/taniakhazaal/

Host: Ellina Abovian | KTLA 5 News reporter, Armenian American storyteller, and proud single mom

Episode Description (Solo Q&A – Ellina Abovian | Breaking Through Podcast)

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:(866) 222-2020

00:00 Celebrating 50 Episodes: A Journey of Growth and Learning

09:12 Navigating Social Media and Personal Challenges

13:58 Career Reflections and Personal Insights

30:39 Navigating the Dating World

34:29 Self-Discovery and Personal Growth

38:49 Life Lessons and Reflections

Donna Tetreault is an award-winning journalist, parenting educator, and author whose work has been featured on The Dr. Phil Show, NBC’s Today Show, CNN, and The Washington Post.

She’s spent years translating child-development science into real-life guidance for families — helping parents everywhere build homes rooted in connection, compassion, and calm.

Her new book, The CASTLE Method, offers a framework of seven pillars — Compassion, Acceptance, Security, Trust, Love, Expectations, and Education — a roadmap for creating emotionally safe, resilient families.

Today, we’re breaking through the myth of “perfect parenting” and exploring what it truly means to build emotional foundations strong enough to hold the hearts of our children — and our own.

00:00 The Unexpected Call from Dr. Phil

01:07 From Reporting to Parenting

03:50 The Castle Method: Building Your Dream Family

25:36 Embracing Children's Unique Talents

26:43 The Importance of Trust and Gentle Parenting

40:15 Setting Expectations and Encouraging Leadership

Sponsored by Keosian Law, LLP

Website: https://keosianlaw.com/

Phone:www.donnatetreault.com/ | Donna | Instagram

Host: Ellina Abovian | KTLA 5 News reporter, Armenian American storyteller, and proud single mom

Nona Melkonian is a Multimedia Journalist, Event/Red Carpet Host and Content Creator. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Nona moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment and lifestyle journalism and has interviewed hundreds of prominent figures and celebrities. Recently, she’s launched her own media company, Melkoni Media where she amplifies small businesses, local events and fascinating people and organizations. When not interviewing celebrities on award shows and red carpets, she enjoys telling stories on and off camera. She believes everyone has a story and using her voice to help amplify the voices of others is the best way bring attention to new perspectives, build connections and and create community.

Thank you, Keosia Law, LLP for sponsoring this episode

https://keosianlaw.com/

Nona Melkonian | Social

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Dr. Natalie Harvey is a licensed clinical psychologist and trauma expert who has spent over two decades helping people understand the invisible threads that shape their sense of self. Through her work, she explores how unresolved childhood wounds—especially those tied to attachment, abandonment, and “daddy issues”—often manifest in adult relationships, self-worth, and patterns of self-sabotage. Known for her compassionate yet direct approach, Dr. Harvey bridges neuroscience and emotional healing, helping people recognize that trauma isn’t just what happened to us—it’s what continues to live within us. She specializes in relational trauma, self-esteem rebuilding, and inner-child work, guiding clients and audiences alike toward reclaiming their power and rewriting the stories they’ve carried for too long.

Thank you, Keosina Law, LLP for sponsoring this episode

https://keosianlaw.com/

Dr. Natalie Harvey | Social

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https://www.instagram.com/drnatalieharvey?igsh=YnB2dHlqdWFndWd1

Rebecca Kordecki is a life and relationship coach, breathwork facilitator, and motivational speaker who has spent more than 30 years helping people transform their lives — first from the outside in, and now from the inside out.

A former celebrity fitness trainer and wellness expert, Rebecca built a successful career training Hollywood A-listers, professional athletes, and high performers, helping them build physical strength and mental resilience. But over time, she realized that true transformation doesn’t begin in the body — it begins in the heart.

Today, through her signature SOAR Method and transformational programs like Reclaim Your Heart and Boss of Your Happy Bootcamp, Rebecca helps people heal heartbreak, regulate their emotions, and reclaim their self-worth. She’s been featured in Forbes, Shape, Women’s Health, and The Today Show, and is known for her bold, no-BS coaching style grounded in deep compassion and authenticity.

On this episode of Breaking Through, Rebecca shares how heartbreak became her greatest teacher, why emotional freedom is the new success, and what it truly means to age like a boss and live unapologetically free.