If you have been looking for ways to find more joy in your life and make better choices, this episode is for you! Author and entrepreneur, Tyler Lewke, joins us today to talk about his life and how he has made choices to increase his joy- and how you can increase yours too! Tyler love’s one thing the most- moving people. Their thinking, their hearts, their minds, their points of view and perspectives.

Tyler is a son, dad, partner, business guy, and he also runs a Buddhist temple. Clearly, he is a dynamic person! He is obsessed with helping others integrate their inner life and outer life so they can find their joyful life. He is the author of “Empty Empty Happy Happy” and his latest book “Happy With, Happy Without” will be released soon.

"I believe there is only one purpose of a goal, and the purpose of a goal is to define your behavior in the present moment. And so I do spend time getting clear about how I want to feel.”

“So that’s been really beneficial to me is figuring out how I want to feel and then what are the steps I need to put in place in order to achieve that.”

“I’m really concerned about our goal-oriented culture, caring about the wrong definition of a goal. And so it makes it like we are in pursuit of things and objects verses behaviors. And I think that the more we can pursue noble behavior, the faster we will have that joyful life that we’re all, I think, universally seeking.”

In this episode, you will hear: - Why Tyler prefers pursuing joy and not happiness (and the difference between the two) - His background and the struggles that he overcame - How to pursue joy and choose it on a daily basis

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/.

I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: Tyler Lewke’s website https://www.tylerlewke.com/

Empty Empty Happy Happy by Tyler Lewke https://www.emptyemptyhappyhappy.com/

Tim Ferriss Podcast with Gary Keller https://tim.blog/2019/12/12/gary-keller/

The One Thing by Gary Keller https://www.the1thing.com/

What choices do you have when you are diagnosed with cancer? Michael Mirisch will tell you that the only choice you have is to fight. He joins me today to talk about his own personal fight since being diagnosed with leukemia in 2006. We talk through how he handled his diagnosis, the lifestyle changes he made, and how cancer has actually made him a better person. Michael’s positive attitude and passion for life has helped him make choices to fight cancer each and every day.

Michael is a husband and father to two amazing teenage girls. He is a producer, promoter, fundraiser, and entrepreneur who is CEO of Hollywood Knights International which is a full service celebrity events production and promotional firm. He is a self-proclaimed workaholic who says “when you love what you do you obviously want to spend as much time doing it.”

"I think the biggest battle is the mental battle. And everybody that I talk to it seems like the mental battle is the biggest battle cause when you get up, there’s two decisions you have to make. You have one to either whine about what’s happening or get up and, you know, carpe diem, seize the day.”

“Here’s the thing with disease, at least in my eyes: I mean, life doesn’t stop. So, I think that the biggest thing to push you is that you accept the fact that you have to keep going regardless of the disease. The disease is not an excuse to let you stop.”

In this episode, you will hear: - His fears and mental battles and how he overcomes them - What has helped him to continue to fight cancer each and every day - Why he made the choice to go back to college late in life

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: Michael’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/michael.mirisch

How do you care for an aging family member? What if the family member does not think they need help or is suffering from a disease like dementia or Alzheimer’s? Statistics show that Americans are living longer and with diseases like Alzheimer’s on the rise, more of the American population will need care.  On the show today is Bill Cohen, a caregiving support consultant, who provides us with some great information and perspective on the aging community and how best to care for them. He is on Clear Choices to discuss not only the choices that he made to become a consultant later in his life but also the choices that his clients have to make in regards to caring for their aging family members.

Bill is originally from New England but has lived in Oregon for thirty years with his wife and several pets. He has done a lot in his life from being a financial advisor to working for the DMV.  His common thread has always been helping people. His life goal and milestones have been delivering value to others. What brought him to his most current role as a caregiver consultant is what he experienced when he took care of his mother whose life was ultimately taken by Alzheimer’s.  From then on, he committed himself to providing the help and support he needed, but didn’t have, when caring for his aging mother. He became a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and now provides guidance, advice, and support for caregivers and their aging family members.

"It’s so much better to prepare, be proactive and plan in advance.  One of the things I like to say is that if you are thinking that it is time for mom, dad, or whoever, to be getting additional care, it is time.  That’s the time to start planning.”

In this episode, you will hear:

- How Bill helps people as a caregiver consultant

- A list of things to consider if you have an aging family member

- How Bill guides clients through difficult choices

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Cohen Caregiving Consultants LLC

https://cohencaregivingsupport.com/

[email protected]

Bill’s Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/235240217385401/

Have you ever wished you could do what you love for a living?  Today’s guest has done just that. Marianne Frantz joins the show to tell her story of how she discovered and developed her passion and was able to create a successful career out of it.  She provides us with great insight and tips on how we can make choices in our lives that will lead to happiness and success. She is certain to inspire you and give you pause to think about the choices you are making in your life. 

Marianne grew up with a love for theater but was influenced to attain a teaching degree for more job security.  She tried teaching but quickly realized that it was not the right fit. She made some pivots and ended up working for American Express producing wine events.  She found her passion that intersected her love of theater and teaching when she was in Bordeaux, France, listening to the head of a Chateau teach about wine. She knew she wanted to make people feel the same way she felt that moment.  She went back to school to get her diploma and many other qualifications to become a sommelier and a certified wine educator in a male dominated industry- only 12% are female. In 2001, she founded the American Wine School which provides classes, educational events, and tastings.  Marianne made some hard choices to find what she loved and turn that into a successful business and career.

"All I knew was it was time to, as you say make a pivot, right, it was time for me to make a change and I realized life wasn’t going to just fall in my lap.  I had to sort of go find it.”

“And sometimes there’s hard choices that have to be made and sometimes, it’s not black and white and in front of you.  And you might stumble a couple of times, but, especially running your own business, without stumbling a couple of times, you’re probably not doing the best you can do if you don’t fail a couple of times- because boy, you learn quick.” 

“I think understanding what makes you happy and understanding how to get there- and it’s gonna be kind of a struggle and there are going to be pivots and choices to be made-  but it sure beats letting life happen to you.”

In this episode, you will hear:

- How Marianne made many changes and pivots to find her passion and her career

- How to make choices based on what makes you happy

- Her practical process for making significant decisions and choices

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at here. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: American Wine School http://americanwineschool.com/

The guest I have today has done something incredibly unique. It is not that he has lived an amazing life, which he has. It is not that he has had a successful career, which he has. What is so incredibly unique is that he made the choice that many of us fantasize about but never have the courage to act on it. Today’s guest, Brian Wilson, made the bold choice to leave the United States and move to a foreign country.

Brian grew up in Portland, Oregon, and was an elite athlete and student. He even played NCAA basketball at Pomona Pitzer College under Gregg Popovich who is now coach of the San Antonio Spurs. He had a very dynamic and successful career as an entrepreneur and corporate executive where he focused on technology innovation and new product development. Once he and his wife retired, they didn’t have an understanding of what they wanted to do next so they decided to try living overseas.

"Well, I think that is a really important word, purpose. The benefit of having some financial security and stability is that you have choices around how to spend your time and what your purpose can or should be. And I’m not fully convinced I have fully found and embraced mine yet.”

“There doesn’t seem to be a real through line to the other experiences I’ve had other than I didn’t want to regret anything. I wanted to be able to say, I tried. I did that because it was important to me.”

“Again, it’s this idea of you make the best choices that you can make given the information you have at any given time and then move on without regret.”

In this episode, you will hear: - How Brian and his wife decided on which foreign country to reside in and their experience so far - His philosophy for living and the importance of spending less than you make to enable you to have choices around your time and your purpose - His process for making big decisions by using his intellect and his gut

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

I am thrilled to welcome Pete Gail to the Clear Choices podcast! He is bringing something a little different and unique from others that I have interviewed because he is going to be telling us about how he guides others on making big decisions and choices in their lives as a youth sports consultant.

Youth sports is a big industry in America- a $17 billion industry. To put that in perspective, that is as large as Major League Baseball. Many American families are spending an average of $100-$500 per month on one child. With the increase of parents hoping to get their child athletes into college by way of scholarship, the pressure is on. There is fierce competition because only about 5.5% of high school athletes go on to play college sports. Pete joins us to provide insight into how he helps athletes and families navigate youth sports and the choices they face when trying to play at the college level.

Pete was born in Portland, Oregon, and currently lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with his family. He grew up in a sports family and was a successful soccer player playing at Duke University where he was captain of his team. He went on to play professionally and then later became a coach at Loyola Marymount University. His professional path of coaching and mentoring led him to starting his own business. He is the owner and operator of the PG Method, an athletic recruiting mentorship program which has literally helped hundreds of kids, in multiple sports, find their path to play college sports and obtain college scholarships.

"I do think that hunger and drive is essential. At the same time, I think you have to have a healthy love of the sport. That passion has to be there and if it is, you’re going to want to work hard.”

In this episode, you will hear: - How Pete made choices when faced with his own college decisions - How he helps student athletes and their families navigate the recruiting and academic college process - The process of mentorship, guidance, and strategy he provides his student athletes to help them make the best college choices for themselves

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: https://www.pgmethod.com/

I am so excited to introduce to the show, Matt Aitchison, a 31-year-old powerhouse! He is a millennial entrepreneur, seven figure real estate investor, speaker, avid adventurist, and most importantly a proud husband and father to two beautiful girls who make his life a lot richer. He is the creator of The Rich Life planner and is the host of the podcast Millionaire Mindcast.

He is a perfect guest to have on the show because he has made some amazing choices in his life- both good and bad. These choices, and what he learned from them, have enabled him to build success in his career and in his relationships. Matt shares some of his lessons learned, his productivity and intentionality hacks and tools, as well as the process he goes through to make choices and decisions.

“My definition of wealth, honestly, is to be able to look back every single day and say, “Hell yeah, I left it all out on the field.’ ”

"When all is said and done, I can look back in the rear view mirror and say, ‘Damn, that was a hell of a ride. I made some great money but most importantly, I used my money to leave a legacy for my family and to make a big difference in people’s lives.’ And the more money I have, the more I have an opportunity to do that which is ultimately what continues to drive me to chase and go and build more wealth.”

In this episode, you will hear: - The poor choices Matt made when he was younger and how he turned his life around - How he uses an intentional approach in every aspect of his life and how this makes him successful - His hacks and tips on how to live a successful and rich life

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: The Rich Life Planner https://www.therichlifestore.com/ Millionaire Mindcast http://millionairemindcast.libsyn.com// Affirmation App Think Up https://thinkup.me/

Joining us today on the podcast is, Melony Brown, an amazingly upbeat person who has a passion for life and makes a major difference in the world- all while she deals with the struggles of serious neurological issues. While she has her own story, she also has a ministry in which she shares how others have overcome challenges in an effort to inspire others. This is very much aligned with my Clear Choices podcast and why I am so excited to have her on the show!

Melony has been married to her husband for 26 years and has two adult sons. She spent 17 years teaching special education in public and private sectors, is a published writer, and now has a ministry and podcast about sharing women’s challenges and how they overcome them.

Melony’s own struggles began at the very young age of two when she suffered a stroke. Since then she has faced many neurological, physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. Even in the face of a diagnosis of a rare, progressive disease, she has not allowed these difficulties to define her. She has gone on to interview over 90 women, in the past seven years of her ministry, to help tell their stories of how they have become overcomers in the face of challenges.

“I continue to experience fatigue and it is frustrating but it is something that I am determined that it is not going to take over me. It’s not going to deter me from what I want to do with my life. It is a choice I have made. And I almost have to make it daily.”

"I’m not going to let something stand in my way. If I want to achieve it or want to have it, I’m not going to let struggles I have deter me.”

"The foundational part of my ministry is that people who go through struggles have a choice. They can live in defeat or they can fight to overcome. Now sure you’re going to live in defeat right after the diagnosis or the huge trauma in your life. You’re going to want to give up but it’s those overcomers who say: ‘I’m not going to live there.’ ”

In this episode, you will hear: - How Melony developed resilience and a passion for life despite the struggles and challenges she has faced - How she is making the powerful choice to overcome struggles almost daily and what that looks like for her - Some of the inspiring stories she shares from interviewing so many women who have overcome difficult challenges

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Overcomer Ministry http://www.melonybrown.com/ Zigzag and One Podcast http://www.melonybrown.com/zigzag-and-1-podcast/

Welcome to the podcast, Diego Corzo! Diego is from Peru and came with his family to the United States as a tourist legally when he was nine years old. After his parents visa expired six months later, they stayed in the US as undocumented immigrants. Congress calls Diego and other's like him "Dreamers" as they came into the country with their parents and have become Americanized and are now adults. They are all faced with many challenges since they are undocumented, and at this time in 2019, there is no path for Dreamers to become American citizens. Despite all of the challenges Diego faced when going to school and starting his career, he knew his "why" and pushed to build wealth and a successful career in real estate- all at the young age of 29. Because of his amazing success, Diego has been featured in Forbes and has given a Ted Talk.

"I believe if people take some kind of action, they'll either win or learn something and then they will not make mistake again hopefully."

In this episode, you will hear: - The many challenges that Diego faced in high school, college, and beyond because he was undocumented - How a strong "why" helped him overcome those challenges and not give up - Diego's principles of building wealth and how he makes critical choices

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode: Diego's Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfgUfgCZZ_I

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Minimalists Podcast https://www.theminimalists.com/podcast/

The Millionaire Next Door by William D. Danko and Thomas J. Stanley

Dave Ramsey https://www.daveramsey.com/

It is a privilege to welcome another amazing guest, Beth Abrams, to the podcast! She has led a very inspiring life and has done things that many would like to do themselves. She went to Berkeley for undergrad and got her law degree from the University of Michigan. She was an Assistant US Attorney. She has been married for 23 years and is the mother of four children.

Beth joins us today to discuss how she and her family's life forever changed when her middle child, Jackson, was diagnosed with a very rare form of pediatric brain cancer. She takes us through the most difficult time in her life and how she and her husband made a significant choice that got them through such a dark time. She blesses us on this episode with her courage, strength, and wisdom.

"Grief does not have a finite end point. And it goes in waves, not a straight line but there is definitely progression."

"I would tell everyone- you are so much stronger than you think you are. You can learn to live with your loss. It becomes part of you. It is your new normal."

"It's the getting stuck and not being able to make a choice is what holds people back in life. Sometimes you just have to go for it"

In this episode, you will hear: - The significant choice that Beth and her husband made that quite possibly saved them - The importance of pediatric cancer care and research and how healing it is for her and her family to give back in Jackson's memory - How Beth has gotten through this painful tragedy and has turned it into something that fuels her

Thank you so much for listening! Please subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

If you have a guest idea or want to connect with me, please visit my website www.clearchoices.live or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Clear-Choices-104719800920939/. I am also available for speaking engagements.

Other resources and links mentioned in this episode:

Griefhaven https://griefhaven.org/

Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation https://pcrf-kids.org/

Dribble for the Cure UCLA https://uclabruins.com/news/2019/8/22/mens-basketball-dribble-for-the-cure-set-for-oct-13-at-ucla.aspx