Chasing Dreams with Aimee J.

Are you prepared to break through stereotypes and traditions to chase your dreams?

We welcome the second season of Chasing Dreams with two guests who can give us a new perspective on how we pursue our goals. In this episode, I get to chat with the duo from JAM & Philly, James, and Philly Mathew. We’re family, and I’ve seen the struggles, how they follow their passion, and their journey to becoming successful music artists and record label owners.

YOUNG JAM & PHILLY 

Growing up in a typical Indian household, Philly mentioned that his dream was to become a doctor or an engineer. He was so obsessed with building Lego robotics and programming that he thought he would eventually go into this career field in the future.

While JAM is not sure whether he had a dream job or not, but one thing is certain, he always had a passion for making things and organizing people. He was a member of clubs. He and his friends made a treehouse together. JAM always knew that he loved gathering people around an idea. 

Both of their parents have strong encouragement for the arts. They took the time to and made sure that JAM & Philly learned how to play the piano and their dad being a guitarist and singer also wanted his kids to do the same.

In their younger years, the brothers developed their love for music and the bonus is they had supportive parents who always wanted them to appreciate the art. 

JAM & PHILLY’S JOURNEY TOWARDS THEIR MUSIC CAREER

JAM & Philly’s journey in their music careers is not what we usually label as typical for South Asian families who have migrated to the United States. India may be filled with beautiful music and sounds but pursuing music as a professional career is not considered normal for migrant families.

The reason why they were able to break these stereotypes is that their parents did what they had to do. They went to the United States and took the risk that they couldn't go back home.

Although their parents never thought that JAM & Philly are serious about pursuing music as their career, they were still very supportive of it. Ever since they were kids, their parents paved the way, so they developed a passion for music, they gave them what they couldn’t give to themselves. 

Their love for music is not something that was recently developed, their parents opened doors, so they can learn and appreciate the art. JAM & Philly credit their parents for providing support and encouragement from the beginning. As they have heard, not all parents in their community are supportive of their kids' passion for music.

PERSPECTIVE AND MINDSET

We are often told that we can’t do two things at a time, we need to prioritize one thing over the other, and we consider this true in our career fields. We can’t be great at one thing if we don’t give 100% focus on it.

But Philly proves this otherwise, albeit being a college student, he knows to himself that he’s giving 100% to their record label, music, and his studies. He mentions “I always say that I’m a full-time artist, record label manager-executive and also a full-time student. I don’t like splitting...

After a few months off and hearing the asks, we're bringing Chasing Dreams back in 2022. Figured sharing the news on my birthday would be appropriate. Make sure you're subscribed so you can see when we return with Season 2!

We’ve reached the last episode of Chasing Dreams. 250 amazing episodes. 250 stories. So many lessons learned.

When I started this podcast, I never imagined getting to 250 episodes. I thought 50 episodes would be good. Then I thought a hundred would be okay. But I was blessed with amazing guests, listeners, and a team to keep going.  

Today, we reach the final episode of Chasing Dreams. In saying goodbye, I wanted to share with you this journey, how I got here, where I’m going and my fellow dream chasers and guests’ top five pieces of advice. 

ENDLESS GRATITUDE

I definitely can’t end this podcast without saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this journey possible. 

Thank you to all the amazing guests who were so honest in sharing their stories. When I started this podcast, I probably had around 13 names on the list and they were all my friends. They were people who were doing something amazing with their life because they were happy for themselves. They were living their life fully. 

But the podcast continuously grew and more and more amazing guests graciously joined me to share their journey and lessons they’ve learned along the way. They definitely inspired me and in each episode, I learned so much. 

So to my guests, thank you so much. Thank you for sharing your time, your journey, your honesty and your difficult stories, and for sharing the lessons you learned along the way.

And of course, this podcast would not have lasted this long without the listeners. I want to thank you guys for always tuning in, learning from our guests, and hopefully inspiring you to chase your own dreams. 

I’d also like to thank my team. The support teams that I’ve had throughout the journey are amazing - Pro Podcast Solutions, Team Podcast, Carry Greene and Team, Leon Flitton and Your Podcast Concierge Team. Thank you so much for the audio editing, show notes, and everything you’ve done. You helped ease the workload and it allowed me to keep going. 

Last but not least, I have to thank God for giving me the courage to do this. Thank You for giving me the courage to take that step to do something uncommon for Indians and women. He has blessed me in so many ways and I am eternally grateful. 

MY PODCASTING JOURNEY

How often do you come across people who are happy with what they’re doing in their lives? Before I started this podcast, I knew a handful of these people. I also knew a lot of people who were miserable with their life and had no passion in what they were doing. 

I started the Chasing Dreams Podcast in hopes of inspiring others to follow their dreams and keep the passion burning because life’s too short to live otherwise. I wanted to speak with people who were truly happy in life. It didn’t necessarily have to be because they were making a lot of money or because of their job title, but because they were doing something that made a difference and put a smile on their face. 

I started with a list of 13 people who were my friends and family to guest on the podcast. It was a good number to start with. But then as I continued, there were some months that I ran low on guests to have on the show. I sometimes ran low on happy people to talk to. But by God’s grace, I would always find...

How can you better prepare yourself to chase your dreams? 

As we enter the penultimate episode of Chasing Dreams, I try to make sure that I’m bringing you the best guests I can. In this episode, I get to chat with experienced licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Connecticut, Julie Hall - who also happens to be my cousin. I know her well and wasn’t wrong with bringing her on the second to the last episode of the show to share her knowledge and expertise. 

YOUNG JULIE

As a young girl, Julie’s dad was a mechanical engineer. He would do a lot of drawing which inspired her to become an architect. But life happened and her path changed. She went to college for engineering but pretty quickly knew that this path wasn’t where she wanted to land. So after college, she got a job in corporate as a programmer. She then moved into product management on the web side. 

Working in different sectors in corporate, having experience in government, non-profits, and start-up, Julie has had vast experience when it comes to working with different types of people in different types of companies. This was her path for more than ten years. 

During her marriage, she and her husband were having a difficult time getting pregnant. And during one of her regular check-ups with her doctor, this doctor slips her a card for a therapist. Being in shock and not knowing how to feel, Julie felt so offended. They were already dealing with issues of her physical body, but she felt the doctor wanted to tell her that there was also something wrong with her mentally. 

But, despite what she felt, Julie took the card and made an appointment with the therapist. During this session, she had a cleansing experience. She came out of the session and felt so powerful. She didn’t know that an experience like that existed. That for her, started the journey for her in her career as a therapist. 

Through that process, she really decided that she wanted to be on the other side and help people the best way she could. After a few years, she began her private practice as a therapist and Julie cannot be any happier with the path she took. 

JULIE’S JOURNEY

Julie Hall is an experienced licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Connecticut. She specialises in supporting individuals, families and couples navigating issues of self-worth, life transitions and/or trauma. Julie draws upon compassion and curiosity to foster a safe environment for clients to explore their lived experiences. She desires for her clients to feel seen, known and valued. Julie also explores family systems with clients as a tool in self understanding, strength and empowerment to ultimately foster healthy growth and change.

TWEET

“When we don’t see ourselves in therapy (or as therapists), we don’t think it’s for us.“ #chasingdreams

WHY MENTAL HEALTH AND THERAPY ISN’T TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH

Although we as a society have achieved a lot when it comes to talking about and raising awareness around mental health, the fact is that there are still hundreds of thousands of people who are afraid to talk about their own mental health struggles. 

As far as the immigrant experience, Julie...

We all have the power of choice. 

But some of us think otherwise. If you don’t believe you have a choice because of the stories that others have put in your mind, ask yourself what will you choose today to start unwiring that lie, so that you can live your life and not that story you’re telling yourself. 

In this episode of Chasing Dreams, we get to chat with the amazing Tommy Breedlove on how, through conscious actions and inner work, you can build and live a legendary life. 

Tommy Breedlove is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of the book, Legendary, and Atlanta-based business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regularly featured keynote speaker at global events. He serves clients and audiences by empowering them to build and live Legendary Lives. He guides them to build a lasting legacy, work in their zone of brilliance, obtain financial confidence, and live with meaning and balance. 

YOUNG TOMMY

Tommy grew up fairly humble on the south side of Carolina, where not many people from there are given the opportunity to go to college. As a young boy, Tommy’s dream was to drive a Coca Cola truck. He loved the product and knew the company was a good one. 

But as a young boy this dream wasn’t something he chased. His parents pushed Tommy into the college path. However, growing up in and around a lot of violence and abuse, Tommy became what he hated. At 18 years old, he committed a violent crime and was looking at seven years in prison. So all that hard work and that dream was literally lost in the blink of an eye. But luckily, it was dropped to a misdemeanor. Tommy spent his 19th birthday incarcerated as opposed to being in university. 

This was his first major wake up call and his first reset. He opened his eyes and saw that he was running in the wrong direction with the wrong people. He made a choice to redirect his life. 

But like everything in life, there are reasons for why things happen. While young Tommy was in jail, a 45 year old African-American decided to step over racial lines and mentor Tommy. One thing that was missing from his life before prison was good, solid mentorship. This man told Tommy that he wasn’t going to be part of the system. They spent several days and weeks learning from and teaching one another. Tommy was inspired. 

After serving his time, Tommy decided to start again and not waste his second chance. So he decided to work for a nuclear waste container factory and did community college at night. He went from a jail cell, to UGA, to being hired by Deloitte (one of the largest financial companies in the world), in three years.  

If you work hard on your inner game - your mind, physical, and spiritual health - all of these things will come to you. There’s nothing you can’t overcome. And in life, it’s all about the long-term game and the long-term commitment to ourselves. 

TWEET

“Hurt people hurt people. I do believe that people can change and with intentional action, you can do or be whatever you want. And so no matter what mistakes you’ve made, you can always overcome it by taking intentional action.” @TommyBreedlove #chasingdreams

We all have our own unique potential in this world. It’s up to us to find it and live up to it. Because if we aren’t living life to its full potential, then we are missing out. 

Today’s guest is someone who shares so much value on how stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to reach your full potential. 

Andrea Parker is a former police detective turned human potential coach. As an accredited International Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Andrea works with high-performing women, helping them to release the limiting beliefs that are holding them back from their greatness, and empowering them to live their most extraordinary lives.

YOUNG ANDREA

As a young child, Andrea loved asking questions, whether to herself or others. With her inquisitive mind, she knew she wanted to become either a teacher or a police officer. Innately, she loved teaching. The dream of becoming a police officer was because of her curious mind. 

Fast forward to the start of Andrea’s career in police college, she recounts not feeling that it was what she wanted to do. She felt like being where she was at the time was the furthest from what she imagined it to be. 

But she continued with her journey, finished college as class valedictorian, began working with the police force, and had been on for about a decade. However, there was always this nagging feeling in Andrea telling her that this wasn’t in alignment with her true self. She loved learning about people and the connection piece, but the overall environment was not what she had imagined. 

Not feeling connected to what she was doing and with her true self, this was the quickest way she learned what she did want in life. Today, she is a human potential coach and CEO of her own company, a place she wouldn’t have reached without first experiencing all that she went through.  

TWEET

“At the time, I didn’t understand why I was in this career. But looking back now, that was probably the quickest way that I could have learned the things that I wanted to learn to be where I am today. So I’m so grateful I did it.” @AndreaPCoaching #chasingdreams

ANDREA’S JOURNEY FROM DETECTIVE TO COACH

A lot of what Andrea teaches and does as a human potential coach is all about living from your heart, and when you live from your heart it calls you out of your comfort zone. 

Policing pulled Andrea out of her comfort zone, similarly with coaching. She became a human potential coach because she saw the impact it had on her life mostly because she spent so much of her life not feeling connected with what she was doing. 

When it came to policing, she was thriving on paper - earning seven figures, she had successful loving relationships, and health. But inside, she felt she still wasn’t enough. This sparked her personal development journey. She took courses, seminars, podcasts to improve personally and professionally. With so much knowledge that she was absorbing, she felt like she was hitting a personal development plateau. She was doing all the things and experiencing some change, but at the...

It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to.

What do you answer to? 

This is Jewel’s favourite quote and the questions she asks her guests all the time. It makes you define yourself and not have anyone else define you. This time, I was able to ask her the same question. 

For Jewel, she answers to who God defines her. She answers to being worthy of belonging in the community and to the personification of her name - Jewel - a rare and precious person. 

JEWEL’S JOURNEY

Jewel and I met sometime around September. We just hit it off at the first meeting. She has been around the world and lived life. It’s the humility she has and the care for others that emanates from her. 

Her podcast, Let’s Talk About This Offline, began last year during the COVID lockdown. Being an avid podcast listener, she kept thinking to herself that she could also be a podcaster because she had so much to say.  

Let’s Talk About This Offline came about because it was a phrase she always heard at work and the conversations she had offline were so much more interesting. These conversations made her think about the world around her more than the conversations she had online. This sparked the idea of creating a podcast of conversations with people about offline topics. 

These conversations help shine the light on differences for people and also find their commonalities. 

WE ARE ALL SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS

Jewel’s podcast is a platform where she conveys that we all go through ages, stages, and seasons. We all go through different adversities and we build resilience because of these challenges. Through these hardships that we all go through, we each have our own fire in the belly that keeps us coming back for more. 

Through her podcast, she gives people a platform to share their stories which makes her listeners see that we truly are the same and we all want the same things. 

TWEET

“Oftentimes, we forget that we are all human regardless of your race, gender, sexuality.” @jewelt73 #chasingdreams

QUOTE

“It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” - W.C Fields

YOUNG JEWEL 

As a little girl, young Jewel wanted to be a writer. She was an avid reader and loved other worlds, especially science fiction and fantasy because in those worlds you could create whenever you wanted and the rules were arbitrary. They didn’t matter because they weren’t the rules where she lived in. She loved reading because this gave her a way to travel in her head. 

She grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Their home was open to everyone, where her family and friends would always gather on Sundays after church. During these gatherings, she was able to hear so many different kinds of conversations from all walks of life. It was an eye-opener for young Jewel to know that her world was bigger than her little home. It created a wanderlust in...

TRIGGER WARNING: Topics covered may elicit strong emotions. 

Suicide is a large and growing public health problem and it has been for a while. But with COVID-19, the numbers have seen a large spike.

According to the World Health Organization, almost 800,000 people in the world die by suicide every year. “For each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Suicide and attempts have a huge ripple effect on families, friends, communities, and societies.” But there is something that we can all do to prevent this public health problem. 

Our guest for today is mental health comedian, Frank King. Frank was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. He’s fought a lifetime battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, turning that long dark journey of the soul into 6 TEDx Talks to help others.

For Frank, suicide is not a new topic. Depression and suicide run in his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count. But with help, he was able to overcome this health problem and uses his life lessons to start the conversation giving people permission to give voice to their feelings and experiences surrounding depression and suicide. He believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. The right person, at the right time, with the right information, can save a life. 

Mental health is an important topic and these are conversations we need to have more and more. Let’s start the conversation. 

FRANK’S JOURNEY

Frank’s career began as an insurance agent. But a few years into his career, he felt that this was not his calling. He then ventured out as a comedian. He knew that he would not have anything to lose if this new career path didn't work out. 

But fortunately, it did. For 2,629 nights non-stop he and his then girlfriend hit the road moving from one comedy bar to another. From the “Comedy Condo” to the corporate side of comedy. A few years into his career, his business suddenly started facing bankruptcy, and that’s where he learned what the barrel of his gun tasted like.  

But, spoiler alert - he didn’t pull the trigger. Frank used his experiences to start the conversation about suicide and mental health. 

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH COMEDY?

Who would you rather listen to for 45 minutes about mental health? A clinician or a comedian? 

Mental health comedy is not joking about mental health and suicide but funny personal anecdotes. They call it comic relief for a reason.

Frank’s love for speaking and comedy mixed with his yearning to teach others about the importance of mental health is how his career as a mental health comedian began. In January 1, 2018, he decided that he would be a suicide prevention speaker. With his family history in generational depression and suicide (from his grandmother, to his aunt, to his mother), he knew that the topic for his keynote picked him - suicide prevention. He then began speaking about suicide prevention and spreading the important message around it. 

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE?

“You can be surrounded by love but the mind can be a lonely place at times”. 

Suicide is on the rise in the United States, but people still don’t know quite how to talk about it. Although suicide awareness and mental health have come a long way, there is still so much stigma around them, which can make it difficult to talk about for those affected.  

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide has risen by 30 percent in the United States between 1999 and 2016.

It can be hard to think about suicide — much less talk about it. Many...

March is Women’s History month. During this celebration, the media usually focuses on Oprah, Michelle Obama or other famous women in history. But today’s guest should also be one of the many women to be honoured this Women’s History Month

In this episode of Chasing Dreams, we get to speak with Maaden Eshete Jones, the founder of Love, Maaden. Maaden is a wellness advocate, story teller, and lover of celebrations. She believes that community begets fearlessness, and that gathering around the table with others to share in real and vulnerable conversation is an act of self love. 

ABOUT MAADEN

Madi, as she is known to her friends, holds a Master of Public Health with a focus in Social and Behavioural Health. The driving idea behind her company -- Love, Maaden -- is to provide women, particularly mothers, with the tools needed to understand and heal from life's inevitable challenges.

She launched Love, Maaden as a means to encourage others to intentionally unplug and meet their people around a table. Madi is waging a war against fear, and encouraging a generation to overcome isolation and self-doubt in favour of community, joy, and gratitude.

While she wears many hats, she identifies with family first. A wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Friend; she currently resides in Maryland with her husband, Louis, and their young daughter.

YOUNG MAADEN

Young Madi, like most kids, thought she would be a doctor or a talk show host. When asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, whatever profession she would answer, the one thing that she would add at the end of her answer is that she wanted to be a Mom. 

Oftentimes, we see our Moms as super women - juggling professional life, personal life, and so many other things in between. As women, we recognize that being a Mom is a job. Young Maaden always saw her mom as an influence in her life and someone she looked up to and wanted to be like. This is where her journey began. 

MAADEN’S CAREER JOURNEY

Always a lover of science and healthcare, Maaden knew she wanted to be a scientist in the health industry. She knew she wanted to work in the health sector and help others with their health and overall well-being. However, in her student days, hard sciences were what was encouraged. The public health sector wasn’t something encouraged to young students. 

So how did Madi land on the path she is on now? 

At six years old, she remembered her sister being born prematurely. She accounts going back and forth to the hospital visiting her mom and her younger sister. This was the spark where she wanted to help moms and saw herself being a mom as well. She was always concerned with babies, moms, and families and this common thread continued on until her college days. 

Being fascinated with health and wellness, she took up and graduated with a Masters in Public Health. Her masteral thesis was around Maternal and Child Health. Once she got married, she experienced recurrent pregnancy loss. Putting these circumstances and events together, throughout her life, there was always this thread of being concerned with the issues that women faced and particularly for moms. 

As she worked her day job, she always had something on the side helping women and moms, including launching a women’s health non-profit that turned to a one-year project for holistic health. Helping other women and promoting women’s health and well-being was her calling and passion.

A few years after working, Maaden took a break and had a successful pregnancy. She then came back with new and uplifted spirits, and that’s when she launched Love, Maaden. 

HOW LOVE, MAADEN CAME TO BE

According to Madi, Love, Maaden is a marriage of social aspects of life, the science and the spiritual. It’s about getting together around the...

Are you a glass half-empty or half-full sort of person? What if there was another way to see it? That is, that the glass is refillable. 

No matter what you go through in life, you have the power to choose to fill and refill your life with what makes you happy. Filling your life with happiness starts from within. 

Today’s guest is the best-selling author of One Happy Thought at a Time: 30 Days to a Happier You - Rochelle Gapere. She teaches readers how to live a life that fulfills and engages them at every level. Through shared personal stories, anecdotes and life lessons, her book teaches readers how to become a happier version of themselves despite life's inevitable challenges. In her book, she shares life lessons that will empower readers to make happiness-enhancing decisions each day.

Happiness looks different for everyone. For some it may be being at peace with who you are. For others, it may be having a secure network of friends and a family who accept you unconditionally. Others may find happiness with the freedom to pursue their life goals and wildest dreams.

Regardless of your version of true happiness, living a happier and more fulfilling life is within reach. But the question is, how do we find more joy in our life? Like anything else, it takes practice to cultivate ongoing happiness.

Happiness coach, Rochelle Gapere, shares with us her insights and knowledge on creating a life of happiness. 

YOUNG ROCHELLE

Rochelle wanted to be an attorney ever since she was a child. She always liked talking a lot, and advocating on behalf of people, especially the underdog. During her early years in school, her classmates who were experiencing challenges or problems would approach her and she would fix it.

She always had a passion for helping people and fighting for the underdog. Because of this passion, she knew that going into law school and becoming a lawyer made the most sense. 

LEARNING FROM THE JOURNEY

What you think you want may be different from what you actually want in life. 

As a child, Rochelle’s dream was to become a lawyer. However, when Rochelle started law school, she realized it was not her real passion and she could not imagine herself doing this forever. But the thought of dropping out of law school did not occur to her because she had the mindset of finishing what she started. So she pushed on, finished law school, and became a lawyer. 

However, she soon realized that being an attorney is not all that it seems. TV and the media do not accurately portray legal life or the life of a lawyer. 

For Rochelle, going into law school was eye-opening. Her advice for her younger self and all other younger people chasing their dreams, is to explore what you are passionate about. Explore your interests and meet other people in your industry so that you will discover what it is you actually want to do versus what you think you want to do. 

That’s a huge difference.

After law school, Rochelle had a few years of experience working in corporate law, but found that there was more out there for her. She knew big law was not for her. This is when she ventured into new spaces. 

Looking back, Rochelle says she doesn’t have any regrets with the choices she made because law has opened up so many doors for her. She believes that she had to go through all that she did in order to get to where she is now. 

TWEET:

[bctt tweet="“Explore what you are passionate about. Explore your interests and meet other people in your industry so that you will discover what it is you actually want to do versus what you think you want to do. That’s a huge difference.” @rochellegapere #chasingdreams" username="aimeej21"]

WHY BECOME A HAPPINESS COACH?

Once Rochelle graduated from law school and started working,...