Join me and Consultant, Jonathan Mahrt for an Open Conversation About Making Meaningful Upgrades to Systems, Processes, Operations

About Jonathan:

Jonathan Mahrt is the founder of Flywheel Consulting, a boutique business consulting firm focused on digital transformation and business process improvement. Growing up and working on his family’s farm, Jonathan learned the value of hard work, creative problem solving, and doing the right things the right way.

He leverages 14 years of real world business, operations, IT, and automation experience to help his clients make meaningful changes in their businesses by streamlining busywork, modernizing operations, and automating business processes. This allows business owners to spend less time working in their business so that they can spend more time working on their business.

Find Jonathan Here:

Flywheel Consulting

[email protected]

707-232-5352

Website: www.flywheelconsulting.co

Social Media links: https://www.instagram.com/flywheel_consulting, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558910588811, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmahrt/

_______________________________________________________

About the show and where you can find/follow me:

Downloads of the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast have increased by 355% in the past 30 days. I have to assume it's because people are liking what we talk about on the show. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends and colleagues or leave a review and follow the show.  

If you want to learn more about what I have going on, including events, my latest books, and more, please visit: www.shawnlangwell.com. 

More specifically, using his latest novel, The Bar Pilot as a framework, we talk about how to have fun with characters, themes, and start writing the novel you've often dreamed of.

About Tommie:

After graduating from UCLA in his still beloved City of the Angels, Tommie thought he would spent a quick three years at UC Hastings in San Francisco and then move to Los Angeles to practice law. Now, some 45 years later, he still lives in Marin County with his wife Svetlana and thoughts of moving south are only a dream. However, the law career, first as a criminal defense lawyer and then as a divorce lawyer, is winding down.

Instead, creative writing (novels, short stories and memoirs) is taking over.  In this new endeavor, Tommie is often able to offer intimate first hand and insightful views on that old adage, “Criminal lawyers see the worst people at their best, while divorce lawyers see the best people at the worst”.

However, Tommie has not limited his writing to criminal law and divorce. His first novel is about three couples. One member of each couple attends a series of personal development retreats and then deals with the consequences with their spouse when they return home. To say that the results are unexpected is an understatement. The second novel, to be published later this year, is a fictional account of his grandparents, Tom and Leone, in Arkansas, where they were farmers. Both were handicapped in their own way, Tom physically and Leone mentally. Yet four sons came of the union, all of whom overcame their parents to lead normal lives.

find him at: http://tommiewhitener.com/

__________________________________________________

If you liked this episode, please share it with friends and colleagues or leave a review and follow the show. 

If you want to learn more about what I have going on, including events, my latest books, and more, please visit: www.shawnlangwell.com. 

In January 2021, Leaning into Light founder Jessica Rios was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor. During a 9-hour brain surgery, she had a near death experience (NDE) that catapulted her greatest passion — illuminating the beauty of the human spirit by

Join us for a candid conversation about  trusting and surrendering to the divinity within and embracing our couargeous capacity for love from the inside out.

Jessica Rios is a prolific lifelong letter writer. Since childhood, Love has been her ' religion' and she has taken this devotion into her journey as a serial social entrepreneur, working on behalf of our planet Earth and to illuminate the beauty of the human spirit, so we can collectively create a world based more in Love, than fear. In 2021, she was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor that led her to release a lifelong addiction to food and sugar, and she now lives with more vitality than she ever knew was possible. On her 50th birthday, also the 50th anniversary of the UN declaring International Women's Day, Jessica performed a one-woman-show called Making Love to Fear. She is passionate about dancing, hiking, freestyle frisbee, cappuccino foam and singing Love songs. Raised in Fairfax, California, she has lived in Petaluma since 2013 with her daughter and their Goldendoodle, Jerry. 

Find Jessica at:

Website: ​www.leaningintolight.com

Social Media links: ​@makinglovetofear (IG)

_____________________________________________

# Gratitude 

_______________________________________________________

Downloads of the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast have increased by 500% in the past 30 days. I have to assume it's because people are liking what we talk about on the show.

If you liked this episode, please share it with friends, and colleagues or leave a review and follow the show. 

If you want to learn more about what I have going on, including events, my latest books, and more, please visit: www.shawnlangwell.com. 

This is a special treat to hear Crissi's story about Overcoming Compulsive Overeating, Sugar Addiction, and Body Image Issues.

Join us for a vulnerable and inspiring conversation about real  struggles with food and sugar addiction and her struggle to accept the concept of a higher power. A power, program, and new way of thinking and relating to food that has helped her make the positive mental, physical, emotional, and spirtual shifts with lasting results: Ilosing 50+ pounds, and reclaiming a sense of power and serenity around food and body issues over the past 2+ years.

About Crissi: 

Crissi L. is living in food recovery and has celebrated more than two years of abstinence from compulsive eating. As both an author and a storyteller, she shares openly about her journey to encourage others who are seeking freedom from food obsession and body shame. Find her on substack at foodaddict.substack.com. 

_______________________________________________________

Downloads of the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast have increased by 500% in the past 30 days. I have to assume it's because people are liking what we talk about on the show.

If you liked this episode, please share it with friends, and colleagues or leave a review and follow the show. 

If you want to learn more about what I have going on, including events, my latest books, and more, please visit: www.shawnlangwell.com. 

Challenging systems takes courage and tenaciity as well as humble curiosity and a willingness to look in the mirror to connect with who we really are.

Join me and Tanya in this unedited and real conversation about working for the State of California under Governor Gavin Newsom, and how she has leveraged social advocacy through goodtroubleforchange.com and her coaching practice to help people identify, clarify, and replace old stories with new ones.

Tanya M. Thompson, MPA, CPM, is the founder of Level Up Coaching and creator of The Storyboard MethodTM, a framework that helps individuals, leaders, and organizations transform lived experience into strategy for growth and resilience. With 30 years across law enforcement, education, and social work, Tanya brings expertise in personal empowerment, cultural transformation, and organizational change.

Her work bridges the personal and the systemic: guiding individuals to reclaim their voice and purpose, equipping leaders to foster inclusion and integrity, and supporting organizations to

She holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a focus on Organizational Change and Counseling, and is a Certified Public Manager, a national designation for leaders in public service. Through her coaching, speaking, and advocacy, Tanya challenges systems while equipping people at every level to step into freedom, power, and possibility.

Her coaching website is under construction but you can reach Tanya by email: [email protected]

or through her other website: goodtroubleforchange.com or on IG https://www.youtube.com/@WWB-Good-Trouble; @levelupcoaching2023

_______________________________________________________

# Gratitude

Downloads of the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast have increased by 500% in the past 30 days. I have to assume it's because people are liking what we talk about on the show.

If you liked this episode, please share it with friends, and colleagues or leave a review and follow the show. 

If you want to learn more about what I have going on, including events, my latest books, and more, please visit: www.shawnlangwell.com. 

ABOUT RALPH 

He's an award-winning producer with a get-it-done (with a smile) attitude, Ralph Scott produces audiobooks, audio theatre, scripted entertainment, commercial spots, or pretty much anything within the live or recorded audio arena.

The characters Ralph creates on the spot (we lost count just north of 83) are only bested by the number of children’s verses he has written since he was handed a cocktail napkin on a dare back in 1993. (That would be just north of 1,700.) Give him three words and he’ll compose a witty poem for you in under five minutes.

Give him a studio and your manuscript and he’ll vibrantly breathe life into any character you craft.

Together with his roster of expert thespians, Ralph turns the studio into a theatre for the ear. Be sure to grab a chair the next time you download one of his audiobook productions. Dim the lights. And don’t forget the popcorn.

You’ll swear you’re in a movie.

URL: www.squeakycheeseproductions.com  PH: (707) 971 9419

Connect above and learn how to infuse your novel or nonfiction story with authentic characters and narrators through the power of radio theatre.

Why use one narrator to tell your story…when you can now afford three, four…even ten!

(Of course, for the Purists, we also produce Solo; Duet; Dual; and Dual-hybrid audiobooks, tapping an entire troupe of award-winning talent.)

– Miller Thomas, Author –

Wolf Hunter Inquisition

To find out what else I have going on, please visit shawnlangwell.com

Crissi Langwell is a romance author who writes heartfelt stories filled with humor, emotion, and a heavy dose of angst. She has been publishing books for over a decade, including her beachy Sunset Bay romance series, and now her steamy small town romance series, Lahoma Springs. When she’s not writing, Crissi stays busy as president of her local writers’ club Redwood Writers, serving as Communications Director of Oakmont Village Association, and getting lost in a good book (everything from romance to fantasy to thriller). She lives in Northern California with her writerly husband, Maine Coon cat Cleo, and a chair of laundry she swears she’ll fold any day now.

Join our conversation about writing process, fun backstory insights, and recent success with her recent Sunset Bay series and current release, The Jilted Lovers Club. in the Lahoma Springs Series.

Recent release (Summer 2025)

The Writer’s Healing Reset

The Writer’s Healing Reset is a gentle companion for burnt-out creatives, offering essays and journal prompts to help you untangle creative block, rediscover your voice, and return to the page with clarity and compassion. Whether you’re stuck in self-doubt or simply weary from the grind, this book invites you to reset on your own terms.

Find all her books here:  Crissi's full library, including the Sunset Bay Series, of published books.

Find her here:

Contact

facebook

Insta

PS: she is also is an outstanding Editor, Book Formatter, and Cover Desiger. Learn more at North Coast Stories.

On a personal note, she has done the covers and formatted every one of my books and is a dynamite human being I am proud to call my best friend and wife!

What started as a way to connect to her young adult daughter as an act of love and support, became somethng magical and much bigger.  

Join us as we "Lean Into Our Light" with her first ever podcast episode talking  about her process and her first book, an award-winnng gem that has been featured in several publications including The New York Telegraph Women's Reporter, CEO Times and Women's Insider.

One of the joys about this show is having raw, unedited conversations with my guests and trusting that what is supposed to happen will happen and the questions and answers that come out of it are what people will want to hear.

The irony is both MaryEllen and I have written books about trusting this process and learning how to overcome self-doubt while also building self-confidence. 

There are no mistakes! Only opportuities to learn, grow and improve.

Learn more about MaryEllen here: Lean Into Your Light

[email protected] 

MaryEllen moved from New York to Northern California to attend San Francisco State University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Marketing and enjoyed many years in sales.

As an entrepreneur, she has started several businesses and most recently Co-Founded a nonprofit and serves on the Board of Directors.

She’s also a dedicated fitness enthusiast, having discovered yoga after the birth of her daughter. It became a huge passion, and she enrolled in an Advanced Studies/Teacher Training program. She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) with the Yoga Alliance and has been leading classes, workshops, and retreats for over 23 years.

When not on her yoga mat, she loves traveling to explore new cultures. Closer to home, she can be found hiking the local hills, walking her dogs, and spending time with family.

Find her on here: Facebook Page

Find me at Shawn Langwell Author | Speaker | Teacher | Coach

Gloria Steinem put it simply:

Dusty Roads “started it all.”  

Elaine Rock is the author of Dusty Roads: Meet the Hidden Figure Who Really Ignited the Women’s Movement, a groundbreaking biography that brings to light the untold story of a trailblazing stewardess who reshaped history. A lifelong advocate for women’s rights, Elaine draws on her experience as a history teacher and technology executive to illuminate stories that inspire and empower. Elaine is passionate about uncovering the lives of courageous, unsung women and men whose persistence and resilience help change the world.

When released on Amazon, Dusty Roads immediately became a #1 Hot New Release in Biographies and Memoirs, Social Activist Biographies, and Feminist Theory. The audiobook will be available soon.

Elaine and Dusty Roads were featured in the PBS American Experience documentary Fly With Me, a history of flight attendants, broadcast in 2024 and March 2025 for Women’s History Month. Elaine lives in Sonoma County, California.

 And just for fun (FYI), here’s a short blurb on the book:

Barbara “Dusty” Roads was a trailblazing stewardess and union leader who challenged the airline industry’s sexist policies in the 1950s and ’60s. Fighting against marriage bans, age limits, weight restrictions, unequal pay, and humiliating girdle checks, she refused to back down. As one of the first female union lobbyists to Congress, she advocated for workplace equality and later made history by filing the first-ever Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discrimination complaint in the United States. Her efforts helped prevent a nationwide strike, transformed airline policies, and opened doors for employment for both women and men nationwide.

Website:  ElaineRock.com

Social Media links:

Instagram: @ElaineRockAuthor

Facebook: ElaineRockAuthor

LinkedIn: in/ElaineRock/

Pinterest: ElaineRockAuthor

If you like this episode, please share it, like it and spread the word.

One of the great joys in my life is getting to have personal, meaningful, and impactful conversations like this one with Elaine, on topics that matter.

to learn more about what I have going on, please visit shawnlangwell.com

New Release From Shawn Langwell

Chill: Embrace the Space Between Extremes

Contrary to popular false narratives, the world isn’t out to get us. We are not all victims of circumstance. We owe it to ourselves to learn healthier ways of taking responsibility for our own lives and to start cultivating compassion with ourselves, others, and the world.

At its core, Chill is a self-awareness relationship book that reveals a deep secret you already know, but often are too scared to put into practice. The path to true freedom, connection, and happiness is found when we learn how to Chill and embrace the space between extremes.

Available now: https://a.co/d/3kOE76B

Shawn Langwell is an inspirational author, speaker, marketing mentor, and confidence coach who is passionate about helping others dare to take a chance on themselves. The author of Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness, and Morning Motivation, he lives in Northern California with his wife Crissi and their Maine Coon cat Cleo.

Find Shawn at www.shawnlangwell.com