Coffee & Change

And just like that we are at the last episode of the 2021 Season! On this episode, I am honored to speak with Tom Cridland - singer, songwriter and podcast host of "The Greatest Music of All Time." His is a podcast you should definitely add to your New Year's listening resolutions. Tom connects with some of the world's best artists and captures the story behind the story of their music, songwriting and creative process. It was a joy to connect with a fellow music lover and lifelong student of songwriting and song. Enjoy the listen and Happy Holidays! Look forward to connecting again in the 2022 Season of Coffee and Change.

As we reflect on yet another the year of grief, growth and gathering, I want to thank all the guests this year for your courageous sharing and storytelling that helped listeners around the world grow in change. In this brief episode, before preparing to record a final interview for 2021, I share a look back and reflection alongside a poet-philosopher's quote and usher in our continued wintering with "The Beautiful Haunt" - the latest composition from the one and only Jason Latham. This beautiful piece of music will be the opening theme for the podcast in 2022. Thanks for listening!

On this bonus episode I share the audio from a November 12, 2021 webinar where I spoke to three students who co-founded the "What in the Health" Podcast and shared insights and my journey in podcasting. “What in the Health?” is a student-led podcast founded by Eric Lynch, Rina Helt, and Fateha Zannath, three undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University. The goal of this initiative is to help young adults make empowered choices about their health through the dissemination of credible information. By interviewing experts in all topics related to public health (i.e. COVID-19, patient safety, skincare, etc.), the goal is to create content that is easy to understand, relatable, and engaging. You can follow and listen to their podcast on all major platforms and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuHRfY587thBe56fcI_ohxQ

Today’s conversation is one that stemmed from an idea from a former guest. The one and only WonderMama, Kacie Linegar, who you may remember from Episode 32, approached me at a time of great change in my life and asked if she could interview me to capture learning, insights, observations and nuggets of growth. Why at this time? Well, as I embark on a new journey and new chapter, the timing seemed right. So, with care and trust, I jumped at the chance to be in the hot seat and have the tables turned and be interviewed by Kacie, who is a career-long transformation expert. She is currently a Principal at a company called ALULA, which specializes in business transformation through effective leadership. Through her career, she has partnered with public and private sector leaders such as the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Chevron and Total, helping them diagnose barriers to individual and team success. She is passionate about working with leaders to change the way they lead to enable them to realize their goals. It was an honor to have Kacie on the show again and I look forward to the follow up in the future. Enjoy the discussion.

Today’s story comes from Joseph Julian from Mount Vernon, Indiana. Joseph attends Wabash College where he is a Senior majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Political Science. I had the pleasure of meeting with Joseph on a beautiful fall day on his campus where we talked about a recent speech he delivered to his community on the topic of Queer History, Past, Present and Future. Alongside and amidst three fellow student leaders and alumni, Joseph shared from his heart and in doing so moved a community further along in the journey of inclusion and belonging. You can find the talk and speech on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZCpDbhCoDvw.

I encourage you to go listen to it in its entirety, and remember that words make worlds. And I think these men left the world a little better place for the words they spoke in honor of LGBT History Month. Enjoy the listen.

There is a word in the Irish language that holds great reverence and importance in Celtic Culture. While I am sure my pronunciation will not do it justice, my guest on this episode certainly does. That word is Seanchai and it means Storyteller.

Storytelling is part of the Irish DNA and it comes to life in the words and wisdom of a man you will meet in this next hour. That man is Irvine Nugent. Irvine originally hails from the town of Ballymagorry in Northern Ireland, where he grew up as a Child of the Troubles. His tales of adversity, resilience, rebuilding and healing laid the foundation for a great storytelling and wisdom sharing, all that was collected in a book he published in September of 2020.

Titled “Leadership Lessons from the Pub,” I read this book cover to cover one afternoon and couldn’t stop thinking about the undiscovered commonalities of our human journeys. I was honored to have Irvine join me for a nourishing and generous conversation that felt a little bit like two old friends meeting up after a long time away.

You can learn more about Irvine’s work, writings and wisdom at IrvineNugent.com. Enjoy the conversation.

Our story today comes from Chris Lovett the founder of Less is Progress, and author of Discovery of Less. His platform has been created to support individuals, families and teams be more successful, with LESS.

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Chris believes that life is complex and we are always on the go. We are consumed by countless distractions, constant comparisons and too much stuff can make us lose focus on what's important.

Having a minimalist mindset can help design a better lifestyle that works for you in any context of life. Remove the things that no longer add value to make room for unlocking the best version of you.

This is one man’s story of how he did just that. I really enjoyed the conversation, reading and discussing his book, and even taking a few detours and footpaths through a few musical throwbacks for some added joy. I definitely look forward to having Chris on for a part 2 at some point to continue the camaraderie in change.

Enjoy the listen and make sure to check out Chris’s work at LessIsProgress.com

Today’s story comes to us from Shae Sterrett. Shae is the founder and owner of The Spark, a Yoga Therapy and Healing Arts boutique based in New Hampshire. The Spark is a virtual and in person health and healing arts collective that serves clients from around the world.

Shae’s work is centered on helping men and women struggling with trauma, post traumatic stress, chronic stress and pain and persistent anxiety.

At The Spark Shae works to provide customers with innovative, personalized, and transformative experiences to help others master self-care and proceed on a lifelong healing journey. Enjoy the listen.

Learn more at: https://shaesterrett.com/the-spark-boutique

Today’s conversation and story is shared by Colin McLetchie. Colin is the owner and founder of Five Ways Forward, and partners with individuals, managers, leaders and executives to evolve, grow and thrive as human beings.

As we hear in this discussion with Colin, everything he does comes from what he believes in and what he sees in others. And what that belief and sight looks like is:

Lives worth living, leaders worth following, and teams/organizations worth being a part of... all of which create communities and a world worth living in.

Colin plays many roles in this life, as a coach, consultant, trainer, facilitator, speaker and more. I am also honored to get to call him a friend along this journey. No matter the hat he is wearing, Colin is concretely focused on helping people and teams think, feel, and believe differently so they can do differently to increase their impact on the mission and the world.

I trust this discussion and the insights explored with Colin will find a way to help you take a new step, a courageous step and a lasting step for yourself. Thanks for listening and enjoy the discussion.

You can reach out to Colin at http://www.fivewaysforward.com

On Episode 77, I take the podcast on the road, and into a studio where magic happens. Matt Schimelfenig and Augusta Koch make up the band Gladie. They were kind enough to invite me to the Ponono Mountains in Pennsylvania where they have built their own studio where they record their own music and also that of other bands and artists. Together in the perfectly creative curated space called The Bunk, we discuss how the pandemic has changed the lives of artists and the craft of music making, editing and producing. There are so many gems of inspiration from this discussion, so let your inner artist and creative listen deeply. You can find out more about Matt and August on their website at www.atthebunk.com or look for their music on your favorite platform. Thanks for listening!