In this thought provoking Cecilia sits down with Dror Ben Ami, author of The Vineyard and The Final Jubilee, to explore his unconventional approach to Biblical analysis.

Dror studied Comparative Literature in both the United States and Israel and was greatly influenced by scholar and mystic Maurice Nicoll. His work examines Scripture through metaphors, symbolism, language, and deeper meanings while challenging interpretations that have become widely accepted within both Christian and Jewish communities.

Dror shares his perspective on why he believes Jesus was not a carpenter but a plowman and a sower of seeds, and he explains the deeper symbolism he sees behind the terms “carpenter,” “Pharisee,” and the Biblical Tree of Life.

The conversation also explores the language of Scripture and the intriguing question of what language the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob spoke with the Son of David. Dror explains why examining Biblical words in their original context can open the door to meanings that may be lost through translation.

Whether you approach the Bible from a Christian, Jewish, academic, literary, or simply curious perspective, this conversation invites you to question assumptions and explore Scripture through a different lens.

Learn more about Dror’s work and find his articles on the Old Testament and the Gospels in several languages on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HA3f56zqb/

You can also find The Vineyard here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH1GXZB1

In this episode Cecilia sits down with Jackie Pelegrin, an award-winning instructional designer, college professor, consultant, author, and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience across higher education, corporate learning, and adult education.

Jackie is the host of Designing with Love, a podcast dedicated to helping instructional designers, educators, and professionals turn complex learning challenges into creative and actionable solutions.

Together, we explore the importance of creative confidence in education, how to blend creativity with practicality, and strategies educators can use to create more engaging and effective learning experiences.

Jackie also shares her perspective on using AI and emerging technologies in instructional design without losing the human element, the importance of storytelling and accessibility in learning, and the differences between designing for traditional students and adult learners.

We also discuss the future of instructional design, the skills aspiring instructional designers should develop, and how educators can begin making meaningful changes in their classrooms and training programs right away.

Whether you’re an educator, instructional designer, business professional, or lifelong learner, this conversation offers practical insights to help you move from big-picture ideas to meaningful action.

💜 To support Jackie and Designing with Love, visit her Buy Me a Coffee page and help keep her ideas and creativity flowing:

https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove

Jackie Pelegrin reminds us that when we design learning with creativity, intention, and love, we create experiences that can truly make an impact.

In this episode Cecilia sits down with business leader, author, and speaker Tony Bradshaw to discuss how business owners can improve the quality of life for their teams while building profitable and sustainable businesses.

Tony shares insights from more than 25 years of business leadership, including his experience in Director, VP, CIO, and COO-level roles and his involvement in helping businesses grow from $3 million to $125 million.

The conversation explores the 1% Better Every Day Rule, developing your team, increasing profits, creating meaningful life impact for employees and their families, and understanding the connection between leadership and personal financial success.

Tony also breaks down the Millionaire Choice and what it means to become money smart, build wealth intentionally, and create financially stronger families.

Whether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or someone looking to become smarter with money, this conversation offers practical lessons on leadership, wealth, personal responsibility, and creating an impact that goes beyond the bottom line.

Connect with Tony and explore his resources: https://tonybradshaw.com

In this episode  Cecilia sits down with health and lifestyle coach Brian Parana to discuss fat loss, energy, blood work, nutrition, exercise, stress, sleep, and consistency for busy men over 40.

Brian explains the common reasons A1c, fasting glucose, blood pressure, and triglycerides can start trending in the wrong direction, while sharing practical strategies around strength training, protein-first nutrition, daily movement, sleep, and accountability.

The conversation also explores stress eating, late-night cravings, travel, chaotic schedules, and how men can build a sustainable health routine without spending hours in the gym or following extreme diets.

Connect with Brian: https://thecalltorise.com/

In this episode we are joined by Ayis Caperonis, a brain tumor survivor, husband, father of three, and author of Staring Down Depression.

At 13 years old, Ayis was told that a brain tumor meant he might never walk unaided, finish school, or live a normal life. He survived experimental surgery with only about a 30 percent chance of success, but the years that followed brought another challenge: clinical depression.

In this honest conversation, Ayis shares what depression actually feels like beyond the clichés, the practical tools that can still help when motivation is gone, and what it means to keep moving forward one small step at a time.

We also discuss family, faith, resilience, and how to support someone living with depression without relying on harmful assumptions or simple answers.

Ayis is not a therapist  he is someone who has lived through these experiences and wants others to know that they are not alone. He also encourages people struggling with depression to seek support from qualified mental health professionals.

Listeners who want to explore Ayis’s practical insights further can find his book here https://www.amazon.com/Staring-Down-Depression-Practical-Perspectives-ebook/dp/B0H9JDTDLQ 

In this episode Cecilia is joined by  Zeeshan Qedwaee, an Enterprise Revenue Architect and Commercial Advisor with more than 20 years of global sales leadership experience.

Zeeshan has generated tens of millions in enterprise revenue across Fortune 500 and multinational clients and has helped B2B SaaS companies, technology exporters, and founder-led businesses overcome revenue plateaus and build predictable global sales engines across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Together, they explore what it really takes to sell complex technology in the enterprise world from cutting through AI hype and identifying genuine operational bottlenecks to proving ROI, overcoming legal, security, and procurement barriers, protecting contract margins, and building scalable international sales pipelines.

This conversation is for founders, sales leaders, SaaS companies, and technology entrepreneurs who want to stop selling features, start selling measurable outcomes, and build a commercial engine capable of sustainable global growth.

For everyone listening and would like to connect with Zeeshan his link is here for you to explore https://meetings.hubspot.com/zeeshan22 

In this we are joined by Ash Shukla, a holistic business consultant, entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, and founder of Financial CHAKRAS™.

Ash arrived in the United States from India in 1989 with just $20, no knowledge of English, and no connections. After experiencing financial struggles firsthand, he built a successful career in financial planning before transitioning into speaking, training, and business consulting.

Today, Ash has personally helped more than 5,000 business owners and entrepreneurs grow their ventures to seven-figure revenues. He’s also an Amazon best-selling author of Sell Like Crazy and has received a Congressional Honor for his work helping small businesses.

In this conversation, Ash shares the lessons behind his remarkable journey and explains why hard work alone isn’t always enough to create wealth. We explore financial mindset, consistent revenue, high-ticket clients, business scaling, burnout, wealth creation, and his holistic approach to aligning energy, strategy, and financial success.

He also introduces the philosophy behind his upcoming book, Financial CHAKRAS, and explains how entrepreneurs can identify the internal and external blocks preventing them from reaching their next level.

If you’re a purpose-driven entrepreneur, coach, or business owner struggling with inconsistent income, unpredictable sales, or a lack of clarity in your business model, Ash’s perspective offers practical ideas for creating a more scalable and aligned business.

In this episode I sit with Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360, a digital agency that helps builders and trades businesses get found, get trusted, and get chosen online.

With more than 20 years of experience building his own agency and working with real-world businesses, Wes has learned digital marketing through experience rather than theory. His approach focuses on smarter websites, practical SEO, positioning, local search, and strategies that can be measured in actual business results.

We discuss the costly website mistakes construction companies make, whether SEO still matters in the age of AI, how smaller businesses can compete with larger brands, and the local-search moves that can help businesses become more visible in their communities.

Wes also explains how businesses can create stronger offers, build credibility online, avoid wasting money on marketing tactics that don’t work, and use authenticity and human connection to stand out in an increasingly AI-driven digital world.

We also talk about his own experience building Uplift 360 through challenging economic periods and the lessons those experiences taught him about resilience, adaptation, and sustainable growth.

Learn more about Wes and Uplift 360, and access practical digital marketing insights through the company’s website and blog https://uplift360.com.au/ 

In this episode we are joined by Justin Cale II, a leatherworker, activist, entrepreneur, and former logistics coordinator for the Jenn Mack for Texas campaign.

We explore how AI is transforming the art industry, what increased dependence on AI could mean for human creativity, and why artists may play a much more important role in preserving culture and civilization than we realize.

Justin also shares his concerns about children growing up alongside AI, the possibility of people forming deeper relationships with chatbots than with other humans, and the impact AI is already having in classrooms.

We also discuss the broader political questions surrounding AI: how governments can regulate emerging technology without killing innovation, how ordinary people can advocate for responsible AI policy, and the challenges independent candidates face in American politics.

You can follow Justin and stay up to date with his work and projects on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justin_cale_ii/ 

In this episode we are joined by Michael Kelly, a world champion grappler and accomplished wrestler whose career has taken him across the globe. Michael holds the record for the most No-Gi World medals in USA Wrestling history, is a 6-time UWW Masters World Champion, has competed on more than a dozen world teams, and is the only wrestler to compete at the legendary Midlands tournament across four different decades.

We talk about his beginnings in wrestling, his transition into No-Gi grappling, competing internationally, his memorable match against Jeff Monson in Switzerland, winning the Uni-fight World Championship in Russia, training and recovery at an advanced age, and the lessons he has learned from decades of competition.

Michael also shares what it was like coaching athletes such as Clay Guida, Curtis Blaydes, Angelo Dawkins, Zach Hummel, and world champion Koy Hopke and explains the training philosophies that helped his athletes reach the highest levels of their respective fields.

Michael Kelly’s story is ultimately about much more than winning matches  it’s about building people who are prepared to succeed when the pressure is at its highest.