Design Your Life, Your Way - Strategic Growth for the Conscious Midlife Entrepreneur

What if the very challenges that seem to block your path are actually the key to business growth? In this enlightening episode, I sit down with Dr. Emilio Justo, a renowned ophthalmologist, cosmetic surgeon, bestselling author, and two-time TEDx speaker, to explore his powerful "Cuban Triad" for achieving your dreams.

Show Notes | Transcript

"I think of obsession as a very positive thing. Think of it like a focused energy that lights a spiritual fire inside of us to pursue our goals with love and commitment." - Dr. Emilio Justo

Dr. Justo shares his inspiring journey from Cuban refugee to successful surgeon, revealing how self-discipline, resilience, and delayed gratification became the cornerstones of his success. We dive deep into the concept of productive obsession and how it can fuel your passion and purpose in both business and life.

Discover how to:

Harness the power of productive obsession to achieve your goals

Develop self-discipline as an act of devotion to your vision

Cultivate resilience by viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth

Practice delayed gratification for long-term success

Key insights include:

The importance of celebrating small milestones along your journey

How to take calculated risks that propel you forward

Why lack of privilege is not an obstacle to achieving your dreams

The critical role of self-education in today's rapidly changing world

Dr. Justo also addresses the challenges of balancing professional success with personal relationships and shares his ongoing quest to be a better husband, father, and human being.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on achieving success without sacrificing your values or well-being. Tune in to learn how you can apply the Cuban Triad to your own life and business, and start turning your obstacles into opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Learn how you can overcome self-doubt and create a thriving business in 30 days with the Align to Shine Academy.

Connect with Dr. Emilio Justo:

Website: dremiliojusto.com

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. What if I told you that the very challenges that seem to block your path are actually your stepping stones to success? Well, today's guest is going to reveal his proven formula that embraces productive obsession and delayed gratification for business triumph. But first, I do want to welcome all of you to Live Love Engage. Especially if this is your first time and you are new. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract their ideal clients by going beyond traditional search engine optimization to embrace my definition of SEO, which is to spiritually engage others. And joining us in just a moment is Dr. Emilio Justo. He is a renowned ophthalmologist, cosmetic surgeon, bestselling author, and two time TEDx speaker. And his talks on today's subject have actually amassed millions of views. So I, without further ado, I'm going to bring him right up here if I can get my mouse to work. And we're going to welcome Dr. Emilio to live Love Engage.

Dr. Emilio Justo

Well, greetings to you, Grace. It's such a delight to be with you and it's such an honor and, and I love all the work that you're doing and it's really a privilege to be here. So thank you for the invitation.

Gloria Grace Rand

Oh, well, it's my pleasure, believe me. And because when I first heard what you were all about and I thought this is really intriguing, I really want to know more, so let's just dive right into it. I mentioned at the top you've got this formula for success that I know it has a particular name, so I wonder if you could share with us what that is and how it works.

Dr. Emilio Justo

Well, in simplistic terms, my so called formula, I don't really call it a formula. I call it my Cuban triad, being a Cuban refugee to the United States. And that triad consists of number one, self discipline, number two, resilience and perseverance, and number three, delayed gratification. And then once you mix all those three together, then a little healthy dose of a healthy obsession can top it off. Just like a little topping off your ice cream with a cherry.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I love that. And as I mentioned, your TED talk does deal with this. I watched it where you talked about productive obsession. And so maybe you could start there because it does seem a little counterintuitive. You know, when you think of obsession, you know, you think of somebody stalking someone or you know, they're obsessed with another person or they're just, you know, addicted almost. So how. How can we make this more of a tool, I guess, for us instead?

Dr. Emilio Justo

Well, sure, Grace. Well, What I refer to obsession, I'm changing the paradigm. I'm not referring to a negative connotation that we commonly think of when we think of obsession as a psychiatric disease or an obsessive compulsive disorder. To the contrary, I think of obsession as a very positive thing. And when we are healthy in our obsession, we become passionate with purpose. And that passion helps us achieve our goals and dreams and aspirations in a much more direct, focused method. And so it's like this. Think of it like a focused energy that lights a spiritual fire inside of us to pursue our goals with love and commitment and with laser like focus.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I, and I can see that. I mean, it does make sense because I know if I'm, if I'm really have a project that I'm working on and I do become laser focused on it, I, and I want to keep going on it until I get it done. So I can see that that is, I guess that probably would be the mark, I think, of a successful entrepreneur. You do have to have some of that, you know, real productive obsession with something. So how do you know though, if you are sort of practicing this healthy way of being obsessive versus maybe destructive perfectionism, let's say.

Dr. Emilio Justo

Well, I think one of the ways is that we have to be able to use that obsession to not so much fixate on the achievement, but rather channel that passion, that purpose into something meaningful and impactful. And more importantly, we have to be able to find the joy in the journey, not simply the destination. And that's where I think many of us unfortunately become fixated on the destination, on that ultimate goal. And instead not focusing on the journey and celebrating the small achievements and the milestones along the way, which is very, very important because celebrating those achievements and those milestones, we can then use that as fuel to then even further reinforce our passion and our obsession to continue climbing higher and higher. And after all, I think that really our entire life is a complete journey. I don't think we really, really rarely ever reach that destination. We think we do and then get close to it. We have a new destination that we're trying to achieve.

Gloria Grace Rand

Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, I've learned that just in my own spiritual development, for one thing, is that, you know, just when you think you got, yeah, you, like you said that you've reached that one thing, it's like, okay, I've got it handled now. And then something else comes up and it's like, okay, now I have to learn how to deal with this. So it's like we're, we're never fixed. And I think that's true even as a business owners as well, because there's always something new that you want to be able to continue to improve and innovate and continue to create something that will keep that momentum going. So, yeah, that, that makes so much sense. I wonder how, how can you actually though, maintain this self discipline and. Because that's really, I think what it is partly is, or. Well, actually, let's, let's go back a little bit because you do say that self discipline is part of this as well. So talk a little bit about that and what's, what's the importance of that?

Dr. Emilio Justo

Well, several fold. Number one, self discipline in my view is not just about controlling impulses. You know, it's about aligning our actions with a higher purpose. And so by grounding ourselves in what really, truly matters, you know, self discipline becomes what I consider to be an act of devotion to our vision and not to be viewed as something restrictive. But in simple terms, grace, you know, self discipline and delayed gratification is really just resisting the urge and the temptation for that immediate reward in favor of a later, oftentimes greater reward.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, yes, and that's not always easy. It sounds good, but, you know, in this, this day and age of, you know, we, we do want, inst. We're sort of been trained, I think, to want this instant gratification all the time. So how, how do you go about, you know, making that shift to be able to develop that self discipline.

Dr. Emilio Justo

By simple steps? We, we have to just practice. And, and I think if you just take each day and for example, tell yourself no to something that you want immediately that day. And, and the simple example would be, for example, if you go to the mall and you want to buy something, okay, you know, question to yourself, well, do you really need it? And then ponder it, you know, stop and think about it. Maybe give it a few days, give it a week. Quite often when we go back to that immediate pleasure that we wanted and we think about it, you know, a week later, quite often the urgency that we felt originally is no longer there, you know, so just being able to say no to ourselves, I think is important. Now, you're correct. It's easier said than done....

Ever feel like the Universe is throwing everything at you at once? In this heartfelt episode, I open up about my recent whirlwind of challenges - from back-to-back hurricanes to a family loss and my husband's health scare - all while trying to keep my business afloat. But here's the twist: I managed to stay centered through it all, and I'm here to share how you can too.

Show Notes | Transcript

"It is so important to have a certain structure that you can follow. Because when you do have things that come along in your life, it really helps to give you something sturdy to rely on." - Gloria Grace Rand

In this episode, I dive deep into the spiritual tools and daily practices that became my lifeline during this tumultuous time. These aren't just feel-good techniques; they're practical strategies you can start using today to transform any crisis into an opportunity for growth and self-discovery.

Discover how to:

Create a non-negotiable morning routine that grounds you in times of chaos

Harness the power of meditation and journaling to maintain inner peace

Use light language as a unique tool for energy healing and emotional balance

Key insights include:

The importance of maintaining structure when life feels out of control

How to practice self-care without guilt during challenging times

The power of trusting in divine order, even when outcomes are uncertain

I also share a sneak peek into my upcoming Align to Shine Academy, a program designed to help female entrepreneurs overcome self-doubt and build thriving businesses in just 30 days.

Whether you're facing your own personal hurricane or simply looking to build resilience for future challenges, this episode offers a blueprint for finding grace under pressure. Tune in to discover how you can stay centered and thrive, no matter what life throws your way.

Resources:

Join our free Soulful Women's Network community.

Learn how you can overcome self-doubt and create a thriving business in 30 days with the Align to Shine Academy.

Learn more about the Daily Word from Unity.

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00 - 00:15:23]

Namaste. You ever notice how challenges don't always come one at a time? The last six weeks handed me two hurricanes, not one. Two hurricanes, the loss of a dear family friend, and my husband's heart attack, all while I'm trying to run a business. Yet, gratefully, I kept my cool. And hubby's recovering, by the way. So if you want to know how, stick around, because I am going to share the exact spiritual tools that helped me stay centered through it all. Tools that you can start using today to transform any crisis into a growth opportunity.

But first, for those of you who might be tuning in for the first time to Live Love Engage, I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract ideal clients by going beyond the traditional search engine optimization strategies to embrace my definition of SEO, spiritually engaging others. So I, when I this podcast, you know, it livestreams for those of you listening may not know, but I also live stream it on Facebook and LinkedIn. And the title it came up with for this episode today, for the live stream version at least, was Grace Under Pressure. And yeah, I have been a little under pressure the last few weeks with a roller coaster, frankly, of emotions, you know, preparing tenseness, preparing for hurricanes. I live in Florida, and of course we had the lovely Helene and Milton come our way. And thankfully, I didn't really. Helene didn't even really affect me at all. And Milton only a little bit. I mean, I had a little slight damage in my balcony. The balcony floor part of the paint came up, but that was it. But it was also heartbreaking for me because I have friends who live in Asheville and they were without electricity and water for weeks. I think they just got their water back maybe last week or the week before. And so, you know, I was feeling, you know, frustrated because I couldn't, I mean, I couldn't do a lot. I. They did GoFundMe page and I contributed to that and I shared it on social media, but it was still, you know, when you're, when you've got people out there who are. Who have endured things much worse than you, you know, you feel bad and you want to be able to help. And I was feeling helpless. Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for. Then also, right before the hurricanes hit, a dear, a dear family friend of mine, he was actually a lovely gentleman. He's a godfather to my son. His. His wife passed and so, you know, he was dealing with that and of course, and, and he's an elderly guy. He's a lovely gentleman. I just love him dearly. And so I was concerned about how he was managing and doing, you know, dealing with that, preparations and all of that.

And then, you know, I just. When I thought things were, you know, maybe going to start settling down, then last week, my husband winds up in the hospital with a complete blockage of his right artery. And so I was. It was interesting spending, you know, a couple days in the hospital and with him and, you know, when I was very calm during the whole thing. But when I came home at night, I was exhausted and I thought, hmm, yeah, that's where all that stress is coming from. So, you know, in fact, even I had to cancel last week's livestream, in fact, because I was at the hospital waiting for him to get discharged. So, you know, life has just been throwing one curveball after another at me, and it wasn't. I have, you know, I'm going to go into some of the tools that I use to help me keep my cool during this thing. But I will tell you, I'm going to be honest with you, not every day was easy. You know, I'm human. And there were a couple times, especially when the hurricanes were around, where I was really feeling sad and, you know, just really low. And I know part of it, I think, is the barometric pressure was affected me, frankly. So what I did was I kept up my routine. I have a morning routine. I call them my non negotiables. And I encourage you to do something like this as well, because it is so important to have things have a certain structure that you can follow. Because when you do have things that come along in your life, it really helps to give you something sturdy to rely on, you know, and it's so important. So one of the things I do is I go out for a walk every morning. I do a half an hour walk every morning. Then I come back and I sit and I meditate for a while. And depending on the day, I may only have five or ten minutes to meditate. Sometimes I can do it for as long as a half an hour or even an hour. I've been. I've been known to do that, lose track of the time sometimes. And then when, if I really needed to pick me up, I would also ask my guides to share light language with me. You know, something. And so I would speak, speak this light language. If you're familiar with my podcast, especially my solo episodes, you may know this is a multidimensional, energy, healing form of communication. And so that would help me as well. And then I journaled, I was also I had been out of the journaling practice for a long time, but I've finally gotten back into it and I am making sure that I do at least three pages, my morning pages, as I want to say, Julia Cameron, I think who wrote a book about this stuff, something about being creative. So I do that and that helps as well. So it's so important to do these type of things and you need to figure out what works best for you.

And the other strategy that I do is I have a reminder. So I've changed. I had the room that is now my bedroom, used to be my office. And I for some reason couldn't get the whiteboard off the wall when I changed. So I decided, you know what, I'm going to go ahead and leave the whiteboard on the wall. And so I have written out the love method, which is what I write about in my book. And it's to remind me of the importance of the L in love stands for let go and let God. And that's, you know, about letting go of things you can't control. I mean, it's about letting go of a lot of things like letting go of limiting beliefs, letting go of expectations. But yeah, letting go of what you can't control and also letting go of, of, you know, that feeling of helplessness and just letting God in and really just focusing in on divine order and that everything is working in divine order. And we're gonna. I'm gonna talk about that a little later today, but I'll give you a little sneak preview about that. And then the O is open your heart to receive. Yeah, so it's about opening your heart to receive that inner wisdom and inner guidance that you can get from meditation, from journaling. I love both of those. Modalities are so great for giving, have given me ideas and have given my clients that as well. And so it's so important. The V is valuing your uniqueness. And so just remembering that I am a unique human being. I am really a spiritual being living this human existence and you know, to give myself some grace sometime as well and then to embrace my divinity. And again it's it. They all kind of flow one into another, which is kind of cool. They. And it's really about that self love and practicing self care. And I did a lot of that over these last few weeks. In fact, after my hubby got home from the hospital and he's recovering and was like this past weekend, I said, you know what? I need a massage. And so I made an appointment and Got a lovely massage and it was so good. It was just, just, just what I needed to be able to, you know, release, to be able to release some of that stress. And so I, oh at the same time, you know, while I'm trying to do all of this, I'm also, as I said, I'm, you know, I'm running my business....

Did you know that the secrets to a vibrant life may be as close as your bathroom mirror? At 89 years young, James Flaherty has mastered the art of unwrapping every morning like a precious gift.

Show Notes | Transcript

"You are as old as you think. And if you think old, you get old." - James B. Flaherty

In this uplifting episode, I sit down with the former Madison Avenue creative director turned author to explore his secrets for maintaining a bright outlook on life. James and I delve into the importance of defining your true purpose, especially as you age, and why it's crucial to stay engaged with life long after retirement.

Discover how to:

Confront your inner critic and start each day with positivity

Find and pursue your true purpose at any age

Embrace your uniqueness and "own your weird"

Key insights include:

The power of being present, living, giving, and loving

Why fear of aging often stems from childhood experiences

The importance of maintaining physical health as you age

James also shares his perspective on facing life's uncertainties and challenges, drawing from his experience as a caregiver and his adventures living abroad. His curiosity about creating a more civil and courteous world shines through as he encourages small acts of kindness that can make a big difference.

Whether you're approaching your golden years or simply seeking to put more joy into your daily life, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on aging gracefully and living fully. Tune in to learn how to embrace your age and discover why, as James puts it, "You can be better than ever!"

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Learn how you can overcome self-doubt and create a thriving business in 30 days with the Align to Shine Academy.

Connect with James B. Flaherty:

Website: jamesbflaherty.com

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Namaste. Want to know the secret to waking up happy and staying positive no matter what life throws at you? Well, 89-year-old James Flaherty shows us how he unwraps each day like a gift and keeps his bright outlook on life. Wisdom that served him well from his Madison Avenue days to his latest chapter as an author. But before I bring him on, I want to welcome you to Live Love Engage, especially if you are new to the podcast. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients by going beyond traditional search engine optimization techniques to embrace my definition of SEO, spiritually engaging others. So joining us today, as I mentioned, is Jim Flaherty, and he is a former advertising creating, creative director, creator and innkeeper of a legendary country inn in New York, also a conference center, and he's now an author. He writes fiction and nonfiction books and his latest is called Embrace Your Age, You Can be Better Than Ever. And I knew when I, when I met him I had to have him on the show. So I am going to bring him on right now and officially. There we go. Welcome you to Live Love Engage.

James B. Flaherty

Thank you, Gloria. I'm delighted to be here.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I'm delighted to have you because I just finished reading your book, as a matter of fact, and I loved all the golden wisdom nuggets that you put in there. And I know one of the things you kind of touched on a little bit in the book. Well, maybe not a little bit, but I know when I was promoting this episode, I was talking about something that you sort of consider to be a person's biggest enemy. And I was wondering if you could delve into what exactly that is and how do we conquer it?

James B. Flaherty

Okay, I'm going to go by, I'm going to assume that all of your listeners have mothers. I had a wonderful mother and she was widowed when I was quite young. And one of the things she taught me, I think I was in college when she, she sat me down. I was maybe 20 years old. And she said, I want you to understand something, that every morning of your life, you're going to have to confront your biggest critic. The most difficult person you know in your life. It's that person in your bathroom mirror. And you can either look at that person and go, good God, another day, or smile bravely and cheerfully and say, good God, another day, and get out there and grab it and go for it. And I know it sounds maybe a little corny, but it's not corny to me. And I still do that at age 89. I really do not ever wake up depressed because I think, good God, I have another day. I have another opportunity to see, hear, taste, touch, speak, share, love. I mean, that's a miracle. So I'm very happy about that. I embrace every day as a gift. Every day is an opportunity to live. And so I get very annoyed when I see people who are retreating from life and doing a horrible statistic. Something like 60 or 70% of people over 65 watch TV 48 hours a week. You know, I want them to get up and to volunteer or do things. Just start living.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, absolutely. And let's face it, because we are, you know, we live a lot longer than when, you know, Social Security was first put in place. I mean, at least here in the United States anyway. And so this idea of retiring at 65 doesn't, you know, necessarily work. And so and, actually a lot of people are finding that they want to live longer lives. So when you, when you do come across people like that who aren't really living, you know, besides looking in the mirror, which I loved that idea, giving yourself some, you know, straight talk doing that. How else can we learn to really love and embrace every day as a gift?

James B. Flaherty

Well, you know, within each of us, Gloria, we all have a goal or a purpose. And I know there's a lot of talk these days, you hear a lot of talk about purpose, but most people don't spend the time to look in, inside of themselves and define their true purpose. I mean, let's face it, we go through so many trend transitions in our life. And we have so many obligations in our lives that we have to live up to. I mean, as a young man in my generation, you know, growing up in the 50s, you knew you would go through school and then you would get a job and be self-supporting. You could not ask your parents to support you and you were not going to move back home. You would get a job and be on your own and you would meet the girl or boy of your dreams and get married and have children. Even though we didn't have a dime, it seemed to be engraved in titanium on our foreheads. That was what we had to do. And I did all that and it was fine. And my obligation was to take care of my wife and our, my babies, my, my darling baby daughters who are now 62 and 64, but still my babies. So those. My whole focus, my purpose in life was to take care of them and to do everything. Maybe in my heart of hearts I wanted to becoming another Hemingway and lock myself in a garret with a bottle of scotch and write a great novel. But I didn't have time for that. I had to earn a living, you know. But as you get older, I mean, I'm going to, I'm going to tell a story about somebody I know. She was a stick of dynamite in her 40s, 50s, and 60s. I mean, very, very important jobs. I'm not going to mention the jobs, but they were big time, big stuff. And she's a wonderful painter besides. And now she's 82 years old and sometimes the body is not kind to you as you get older. But she's not doing anything. She. And she's not even painting. And I say, why are you not painting? Why are you not? Don't get the easel out. She's really a very, very talented painter. And no, I'm busy. I said, busy doing what? Walking the dog. Paying the bills. Not cleaning things as well as they should be cleaned. I mean, I want people to look inside themselves and say, what I really want to do is I want to focus on music or I want to focus on painting or a focus on writing or on reading or on volunteering on doing good things for other people, to help out at the hospital, help out at your church, go to church. You know, nobody goes to church anymore. It's not the. It doesn't have the popularity it had when I was growing up. Now a lot of churches are closing because they, like, church is a business and they can't afford to go on maintaining everything. But I don't know, I just want people to be involved. I want them to wake up and say, hey, I'm still alive and there's a world out there and maybe I can do something to make it better.

Gloria Grace Rand

Absolutely.

James B. Flaherty

The best thing. If you can do something to help somebody else, it's great.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah, it really does make a difference. And I, I had an opportunity to do that this week and my husband was very grateful that I was able to help him out. And so I'm very glad that I had that opportunity to be there for him. You know, one of the things you said, and this kind of still goes along with what you're talking about having like that purpose. And in your book, you talked about having to summarize your life in six words. And I loved what you came up with. And I wonder if you could share that with our audience and explain, you know, what's, what's significant about that.

James B. Flaherty

Yeah, a wonderful. It was a professor somewhere that he, in a webinar, he said, I'm going to give you all five minutes. And in six, you've got to write six words that sums up who you are, what you represent and what you want to be in six words. And I. And I was thinking to myself, see, I'm kind of like, I wish I were as talented as James Michener, the fabulous author who once said, I love this quote, I can't say hello in six pages. So I worked on it, and I came up with something which I still to this day have taped to the bottom of my monitor so that I have

Did you know the numbers in your life might be shaping your business strategy? In this fascinating episode, I sit down with Suzan Owens, author of "Wisdom of Numerology," to explore the fascinating world of numerology and its potential impact on your business success.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Numerology has been around for its ancient, ancient wisdom. So what I'm doing with it today in this culture, in this lifetime, is telling people about where their strengths are, what their life path is." - Suzan Owens

Suzan breaks down the basics of numerology, explaining how your birth date and name can reveal your innate strengths and life path. Using my birthdate as an example, we discuss the significance of your "life path number" and how understanding it can help you leverage your natural talents in business. Suzan also explains the numerical signficance of the letter "Z" and why it was important for her business to include it in her first name.

Discover how numerology can:

Reveal your innate strengths and guide your career choices

Help you understand your team dynamics and hire complementary personalities

Provide insights into optimal timing for business launches and major decisions

Key insights include:

The significance of the current "universal 8 year" for business growth and authority

How your personal year number influences your experiences and opportunities

The importance of aligning your business activities with numerological cycles

Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this conversation offers a unique perspective on personal and professional development. Tune in to explore how the ancient wisdom of numerology might just hold the key to unlocking your full entrepreneurial potential!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Learn how you can overcome self-doubt and create a thriving business in 30 days with the Align to Shine Academy.

Connect with Suzan Owens:

Website: wisdomofnumerology.com

Email: wisdomofnumerology (at) gmail.com

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. Are you ready to discover the secret to unlocking your full purpose and potential? Well, stick around because today's guest is going to reveal how your life path number holds the key to your success. But first, I do want to welcome you to live, love, engage, especially if you're new to the podcast. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients by going beyond traditional search engine optimization to embrace my definition of SEO, spiritually engaging others. Now joining us today is Suzan Owens, and she is a speaker and media personality and author of the award-winning book Wisdom of Numerology, which is a useful guide to help you create a fulfilling and rewarding life. And I'm really looking forward to talking with her. We were talking before we got started today, and I'm excited to bring her on now so that we can dive into the fascinating world of numbers. So let me bring her up here. There we go. Welcome, Suzan, to live, love, engage.

Suzan Owens

Thank you so much, Gloria. I'm really excited to be here and talk about numerology, which is my passion. So I am so happy to share it with you and your listeners.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, awesome. Well, I think first off, I mean, I'm a little bit familiar with it because I've kind of dabbled in it over the years and I've had, well, not really myself, but I've had other people who knew more about it than I and would kind of, you know, help me out a little bit. But I haven't really done too much with it lately, so. And I know that we haven't even talked about it on the podcast before. So when I met you, I was like, oh, come on, we got to have you on. So for those out there who don't know anything about it, maybe you could start right there with giving us a little, little mini overview of it.

Suzan Owens

I'm excited to do that. Numerology has been around for its ancient, ancient wisdom. So what I'm doing with it today in this culture, in this lifetime, is telling people about where their strengths are, what their life path is. Now, you mentioned that earlier, so we'll talk about it. But first, let me tell you about what numerology really is. Numerology is the numbers one through nine. Basically, every number in the universe comes down to one through nine. There are no other numbers. Zero is just a space holder. So numerology, because these numbers apply to the letters. For instance, a, j, and s are all number one. B, k and t are number two. So we assign numbers to letters. So that'll tell us about our name. Our birth date is the other information that we gather a lot of data from, and that when we add all those birth date digits together, like all those numbers, you add them together and keep adding until you get one digit that tells you your life path or your superpower. So once you know what your superpowers are and what you're really good at and what the gifts are that you came in with, boy, you can use those to create anything that you want to create in your lifetime. So that's where we go with it, with the life path. Okay. That's a big, important deal. That's like a very powerful number in our chart, in our numerology chart.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, you've already taught me something new because I didn't know that you could actually, that there are letters assigned to different numbers as well. So maybe if we have time, we'll talk about that some more, too. But I do want to focus more on, yeah, you know, the life path, because I think that is important and especially, you know, our audience or entrepreneurs, and we always want to know, you know, what's going on and how we can make our lives better and our businesses better.

Suzan Owens

Absolutely. Oh, there's so much to tell you about that. First of all, I want to talk about you because you were kind enough to give me your birthday to begin with, so I added up your digits, and we don't have time to delve deep into this, but you have a master number and that you're a 33 six. So you're a six life path. And that six is all about being responsible, being a caregiver, quintessential caregiver. So I'm guessing you had a lovely family raising, and it was very important for you to raise your kids and have a good relationship through your marriage. It's really, really important. Plus, you're incredibly responsible. The thing that. And I can go deeper into that, too, Gloria, if you want to. But the other thing that I want to touch on, because it's unique to have a 33 six. Now, a master number is when you have double digits. And normally, I don't even touch on this because we have such short amount of time, but because you have this master 33, I have to tell you, because you are living it, is exactly what you're doing, because you are being responsible and you are encouraging and empowering others. And that's the 33. It's a higher vibration of the six. It's the one that says, I'm a caregiver to the world. You're here to uplift humanity and level up in consciousness, raise the consciousness of humanity. And that's what you're doing with your podcast. That's so perfect. So I wanted to, I wanted to slip that in, but so, really, interestingly, there are nine basic life paths. And if you add all your digits together and you get a number one, interesting, you're a leader, you're a trailblazer, you're the one that comes up with all the ideas. And then as you do that, you're not necessarily the one that gets everything done. You're not the doer so much as the idea creator, and you draw people to you that want you to lead them. So you're the one that manifests things through other people, but you're the idea person and the trailblazer. If you're a two, now this is interesting. A two is one that is a receptive, it's a feminine number. You're receptive. And the one that supports the one, you are the, you are the supportive, you're the diplomat. You want to make sure everybody gets along. If you're growing up in a family where there's a lot of conflict, or even not, if there wasn't, you wanted to make sure that everybody managed their differences and just everybody was happy. And being a diplomat's huge. Plus, you're intuitive. That two is a pretty intuitive. If you're three. Okay, now here I'm express myself, here. I'm a three. Three's like to talk. We're the communicators, we're the creatives. We like to write. I've written a book. I've written wisdom and numerology, and I love doing these podcasts and interviews. What's not to like? I get to be the authority and I get to talk. So it's, that really is a quintessential three plus they're the creative, so they're the dancers, the singers, the musicians. Any artist is usually a three. We have to create something. The four is the worker bee. Now this is interesting about a four, because they like routine, they like mundane. Shoot me now, I can't handle that. But a four, oh, my gosh. Loyal, responsible lawyers, accountants, beautician people that do the same, aestheticians, they'll do the same work every day, all day, and they love it. They will. They revel in routine. Fives, they're the promoters, they're the ones that want to live life to the fullest because we have five senses and they want to experience every one of them within their lifetime. And they really, and they're good talkers, too. I have to say that they really want to experience travel and live in the world as much as they can. And change, love change. They can adapt. They're so easily adaptable and really, and sometimes they'll leave quicker than they need to. They need to settle in sometimes. And don't get caught up in what can be chaos. The sixes, I already told you about a six....

Struggling with chronic fatigue that’s draining your passion and energy as an entrepreneur? In this episode, Dr. Jenny Tufenkian reveals the hidden root causes of fatigue and shares powerful strategies to help you reclaim your vitality, so you can lead your business with purpose and ease.

Show Notes | Transcript

"People who experience chronic fatigue hate the term chronic fatigue syndrome because it doesn't sound that bad, and it is a very, very serious illness." - Dr. Jenny Tufenkian

Are you constantly exhausted, struggling with brain fog, or feeling like your body's energy reserves are perpetually depleted? You might be dealing with more than just everyday fatigue. Naturopathic physician Dr. Jenny Tufenkian shares with me the complex world of chronic fatigue syndrome, or as it's more accurately known, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS).

Discover the five root causes of chronic fatigue:

The hormone triangle and how stress impacts your body's delicate balance

Reactivated chronic infections that may be silently draining your energy

Mitochondrial dysfunction and its role in energy production

The impact of toxic overload on your body's systems

How your limbic emotional brain influences your energy levels

Key insights include:

Why the term "myalgic encephalomyelitis" is replacing "chronic fatigue syndrome"

The surprising connection between ME/CFS and long COVID

How to recognize if you're unconsciously "energy budgeting" due to post-exertional malaise

The role of past traumas and stress in triggering chronic fatigue

Dr. Tukenkian also addresses the gender disparity in ME/CFS diagnoses and the frustrating dismissal many women face when seeking help. She offers hope and practical advice for those struggling with chronic fatigue, emphasizing the importance of finding the right healthcare provider who understands the complexity of this condition.

Whether you're battling chronic fatigue yourself or supporting someone who is, this episode provides valuable insights into the root causes of this debilitating condition and offers a path forward towards healing and renewed energy. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of ME/CFS and discover how you can take control of your health journey.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Dr. Jenny:

Website: drjennytufenkian.com

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. If you are an entrepreneur who is tired of being tired, stick around because today’s guest is going to reveal the hidden causes of your exhaustion and the holistic secrets to reclaiming your vibrant self. But first, I want to welcome you to live, love, engage, especially those of you who this may be your first time listening to the podcast. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients by going beyond traditional search engine optimization methods that you would use on your website to embrace my definition of SEO, which stands for to spiritually engage others. Joining us today is Dr. Jenny Tu-fen’-kian. She is a licensed Naturopathic physician, specializing in empowering health-conscious professionals to conquer long COVID and ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. And her personal battle with chronic fatigue is what led her to create a transformative system that actually addresses the five core root causes of CFS.

So normally, I would be bringing her on to the show live, but we had to actually pre-record her interview. So, I’m going to go ahead and share that with you right now. And make sure technical things work. And I’m confident it’s going to be there. Welcome, Doctor Jenny to live, love, engage.

Dr. Jenny Tufenkian

Thank you so much for having me, Gloria. It's a pleasure to be here with you today.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I am really glad that you're here, especially to tackle this subject because thankfully I have not experienced it myself, but I do, I have known friends and acquaintances that have kind of dealt with chronic fatigue and things like that. And when I mentioned in the intro, and this was something I had to look up myself because I'd never heard of the term ME/CFS before. So I thought maybe we could start with that so you could educate our audience a little bit about especially that ME part. What does that stand for? And then we'll kind of go into more.

Dr. Jenny Tufenkian

Yeah. I'm so glad you were asking this because a lot of people, even in the medical profession, have no idea what ME is. It's really, it means myalgic encephalitis. And it really is talking about there is inflammation in the brain and in the muscles. And that's what we're seeing with people who have chronic fatigue. Now, this term has actually been used by most of the world for decades to explain this phenomenon that we've been calling in the United States, chronic fatigue syndrome for decades. People who experience chronic fatigue hate the term chronic fatigue syndrome because it doesn't sound that bad, and it is a very, very serious illness. I often joke and say, if you tell somebody you have chronic fatigue syndrome, they say, oh, yeah, I'm tired too. Like, whatever, you know, can you get over it now? Whereas if you say, I have myalgic encephalitis, they're like, oh, now that actually sounds like something that is serious, and maybe we should consider bringing you some lasagna or helping you drive your kids to school. There is a movement now among the physicians and researchers in the States who work with people who are struggling with these complex chronic conditions to begin to move that naming over from chronic fatigue syndrome to the more accurate myalgic encephalitis. I also consider lung COVID to be part of the same thing. So often I talk about long COVID, I talk about myalgic encephalitis, and I talk about chronic fatigue syndrome. It's a lot of words, but we throw them all in there. Somebody gets what we're talking about.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah, well, I'm, I'm really glad that they're starting to do that, because you're right. I mean, when I hear that, I mean, first thing I think of is like, ah, yeah, I mean, encephalitis, that's I mean, something that people die from, right? I mean, protect your brain. So, yeah, so I'm glad that they're making this more serious, really.

Dr. Jenny Tufenkian

Right. One of the things that's made it easier in the United States for us to start using this term is really recent research where we've been doing PET scans, where we put patients, people who have myalgic encephalitis, people who are controls, who are normal and are matched for the same age and gender. We put them into a PET scan with dyes, and it's more detailed than an MRI. And we're starting to see their brains and their muscles flare up, light up, literally from the inflammation. So we now have a diagnostic tool where we can see what is going on physiologically with these people. It's not used yet for people to help them diagnose if they have it. It's just used for research right now. But it does give the evidence that we've been craving and looking for to say, yes, this is what's happening in my body. Here's a picture of it. And now we can start looking for treatments that actually work.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah, that is so important because that was one question I was going to ask you is it seems like it has been really hard to diagnose. So what can people do I guess now to be an advocate for themselves? Especially until this research starts getting to be more commonplace, where doctors are going to be able to know about it.

Dr. Jenny Tufenkian

We still do not have a specific test to diagnose. Whether somebody actually has long COVID or actually has myalgic encephalitis. They are both diagnosis by exclusion, meaning that you have to rule out all the other causes of your fatigue, of your brain fog, of your balance issues, all the different things of your muscle pain, all the different symptoms you may have, we have to rule out and make sure you don't have something else. And then we're left with a diagnosis of myalgic encephalitis chronic fatigue, long COVID. Now that said, there are very specific things that we're starting to look for that can key you into, to realize that you may need more support. So if you're listening to this and you're thinking, I don't know, I have not been feeling great, maybe I have this. Here are some things to pay attention to. If you are dealing with ongoing fatigue that's been going on for months or years and isn't due to something super explainable, like you just had a baby and you're up all night with your kid or you’re taking care of an elderly parent, and you're up all night if there's no real explanation for it. You just feel like you're pushing yourself through the day, like you'd rather lie down after lunch, take a nap. If you could just work a half day, that's great. You find yourself fantasizing about just being in the hammock instead of being excited about your work. These are all signs that maybe you are dealing with fatigue that is beyond just normal exhaustion from your work schedule. Another hallmark of these conditions is something called post exertional malaise, also called PEM, in abbreviated nomenclature. And that's when you do more than you usually do and you pay for it. So, for example, if you're used to being able to, you know, clean your house normally. For the people who are really sick, you know, like doing the dishes may be something they normally do, but if they do the dishes and the laundry, they are more exhausted. They have to spend the rest of the day or even week on the couch or in bed due to exhaustion or pain. If you have a more mild case, you're not so severe yet at this time,...

Have you ever felt that little nudge inside, guiding you toward a decision that doesn’t seem to align with logic but could lead to business growth? That's your intuition speaking, and it might just be the secret weapon you've been overlooking in your business. In this enlightening episode, I explore the power of intuition and how it can become a game-changer for heart-centered entrepreneurs.

Show Notes

"The more you not only listen to it, but take action on it, the more successful you're going to be, not only in business, but frankly, in life, too." - Gloria "Grace" Rand

Drawing from personal experiences and spiritual insights, I share how tuning into your inner guidance can lead to unexpected opportunities and validations from the universe. From writing books to launching retreats, I reveal how following my intuition has shaped my entrepreneurial journey, and how it can shape yours too.

Discover how to:

Differentiate between your intuition and ego

Cultivate stillness to hear your inner voice more clearly

Take inspired action on your intuitive hunches

Key insights include:

The importance of balancing intuition with analytical thinking in business decisions

How practicing stillness through meditation, journaling, or nature walks can enhance your intuitive abilities

Why acting on your intuition is crucial for continued guidance and success

I also introduce my upcoming program, Align to Shine Academy, designed to help female entrepreneurs overcome self-doubt and build thriving businesses in 30 days or less. Plus, experience a powerful light language transmission aimed at strengthening your connection to your intuition.

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode offers practical strategies for tapping into your inner wisdom and using it to fuel your business growth. Get ready to trust your gut, embrace your intuition, and watch your business soar!

Resources:

Join our free Soulful Women's Network community.

Learn how you can overcome self-doubt and create a thriving business in 30 days with the Align to Shine Academy.

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

Can you ever imagine living beyond limits? When you transform hardship into purpose, it's possible, as Deb Krier discovered. Find out how she turned a devastating cancer diagnosis into a powerful platform of hope and encouragement.

Show Notes | Transcript

"We absolutely have to be grateful, even for the most horrible, awful... There's got to be something in it. For one thing, we're still alive and kicking." - Deb Krier

Deb shares her remarkable journey from working at the American Cancer Society to facing her own battle with stage four triple-positive metastatic breast cancer. We explore how she transformed her struggle into "Trying Not to Die dot Live," a platform that provides support, resources, and community to those dealing with cancer.

Discover how Deb:

Embraced gratitude even in the darkest moments of her health journey

Created a unique support system through her "Bear Hug" care packages

Developed the L.I.V.E. acronym to empower others facing similar challenges

Key insights include:

The importance of honest communication during difficult times

How to build and nurture your support tribe, both in business and in your personal life

Why being in charge of your own health journey is crucial

Deb also shares valuable advice on asking for help, a skill many women entrepreneurs struggle with. She emphasizes the power of vulnerability and how it can lead to stronger connections and support systems.

Whether you're facing a health challenge, building a business, or simply looking to live life more fully, this conversation offers practical wisdom and heartfelt inspiration. Get ready to learn how to lead your tribe, invigorate your soul, voice your feelings, and elevate your mindset – no matter what life throws your way!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Deb Krier:

Website: tryingnottodie.LIVE

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. Imagine spending years working for the American Cancer Society, only later to have your doctor diagnose you with the disease. Well, that irony was not lost on today’s guest. But as you'll learn from her shortly, she transformed her struggle into a powerful platform of hope and empowerment for others. But first, I want to welcome you to live, love, engage, especially if you are new to the podcast. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients by going beyond traditional search engine optimization to embrace my definition of SEO, spiritually engaging others. And joining us today is Deb Krier. She is a seasoned entrepreneur, podcaster, a cancer advocate, and founder of trying not to die dot live, a platform that provides support, resources, and community to those dealing with cancer. And without further ado, I'm going to bring her up here and welcome you officially to live, love, engage.

Deb Krier

Hello. Hello. Oh, my gosh. We're going to have so much fun catching up because we have known each other for quite a while, and you know, worlds kind of went different directions, and so this is going to be fantastic.

Gloria Grace Rand

I know. Absolutely. Yes, yes. I was very privileged to be a guest on Deb's podcast many,

Deb Krier

Twice!

Gloria Grace Rand

That's right, that's right. Yes, yes. Many years ago. And finally, I get the chance to have you on the show and be able to showcase your brilliance to my audience. So I would love to start off by having you kind of dive in and tell us a little bit more about, you know, the trying not to die dot live platform. I love that you have that URL, and we'll get more into that, especially later. But why did you? And obviously, it has to do with your own journey as well. But tell us a little bit about the focus of the organization and why you started it.

Deb Krier

Well, I am so honored to be a guest on your podcast. We're going to have such a great discussion. As you mentioned, it is based on my own journey. Many years ago, I worked for an oncologist, and then I worked for the American Cancer Society. So I tell people I know just enough to be dangerous, right? And back in 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Initially they said stage zero. Let's not worry too much about this. Then through the course of several different tests and all sorts of things, they changed their mind and it went to a much more serious diagnosis. My technical diagnosis is stage four triple positive metastatic breast cancer, which is a big mouthful to say. Bleh, right? Not a lot of fun. And it was, stage four cancers, in many cases, are considered not curable. They can go away and hide, can hide for many, many years. I'm at year nine. This has actually been good. I have had two other cancer diagnoses. I had a basal cell carcinoma on my arm, which is a real fancy name for a little skin cancer. They zapped it, no big deal. In fact, it didn't even take stitches. But obviously, now I get to go to the dermatologist and what I call fondly, the strip and spin every six months to make sure there's nothing else. And then I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year. Totally new, totally different cancer. So I'm on number three. But as part of all of this, I had decided to have very traditional treatment. I was going to do chemo, then I was going to do surgery, then I was going to do radiation. My first chemo was extremely aggressive, and it darn near killed me. I ended up with septic shock in the hospital. Was told that I was not going to make it. In fact, they were saying I wouldn't make it through the day. And I remember thinking, wait a minute, I get a vote in this. Obviously, I voted and said, no, no, that's not going to happen. But it was a challenge. I've had multiple, multiple surgeries since then, primarily due to the septic shock, because it just nails your body and shuts down your organs. That is what happens. And, all sorts of fun things since then. But as part of this, I just kept going. Right? You know, you do. You just keep going. And so I kept functioning in my business. I have a company called wise women communications. And as part of that, I was participating in a group, a women's success accelerator, and was doing it. And several years ago, the woman who lead that, the fabulous Kathleen Caldwell, she told me, she said, you know, this is all well and good, but you didn't go through everything you went through without using it to help others. And I said, yeah, but I don't want to be cancer girl. You know, I didn't want to put that cape on, you know, all that that stuff. But I realized she was right. You know, I had gone through so much, and, you know, if I could help others, whether they had cancer themselves or are people supporting those who have cancer, if I can do that and use what I went through to help them, then it really was something that I needed to be doing. And so that was when we thought, okay, let's do trying not to die dot live, because we do get so caught up when we're very ill, whether it's cancer or something else, in the fact that we're trying to not die, that we forget that what we really need to be doing is living our lives.

Gloria Grace Rand

Oh, well, I gotta tell you, I mean, number one, it's no wonder that you're already, you know, nine years past, you know.

Deb Krier

Tough old bird.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, not only that, you've got this positive attitude. You are a ray of sunshine, and I believe that that is a big component of why you're still, you know, alive and kicking here. And you know, and that talking about that, trying not to die, I think that. Yeah, I mean, sometimes when you're, you know, given this diagnosis, you tend to give up, or at least. No, I'm not gonna make generalizations. I will just say that I know, just from experiencing it, watching my sister's journey, that I think she did kind of give up for a while until it got closer to the end, and then she realized she didn't want to give up. But unfortunately, by then, she had gone through, like, chemo, too, which really did a number on her as well. And she finally just said, I can't. I need some quality of life, because this is especially when it stopped really doing much to the tumor anymore. It's like, okay, well, why am I putting myself through it? Yeah. So tell us a little bit more about what your organization specifically does, because I was looking at it, and I love the one thing, so I'm not going to spoil it. I want you to maybe talk about how you help people.

Deb Krier

Right. So the trying not to die part came about because of my mother. You know, as I said, I was very, very ill on death's door, and I'm an only child, and so, of course, my husband called her, and she immediately came out and stayed for four and a half months to take care of me. That's good and bad. Right. But it was actually very much a blessing that she was able to be here. And I remember one of the times where, you know, one of my medical people came in my hospital room, and I was in the hospital for quite a long time, and they did whatever they were doing, and they left. And I got the disapproving mother face, and I went, what? And she said, you did not say thank you. And I said, oh, for God's sakes, I'm trying to not die here. But, you know, it really did much later. It was one of the things that I thought about was we absolutely have to be grateful, even for the most horrible, awful. There's got to be something in. For one thing, we're still alive and kicking. Right? I tell people how you doing today? Well, I'm not looking at 6 feet of dirt, so I'm doing pretty good. And so, yeah, it was just how are we going to live our lives? And maybe it's 5 hours, maybe it's five days, maybe it's 50 years. And you know, how can we do that?...

Have you ever felt like negative self-talk was holding you back in business? You're not alone. In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Dr. Gary Sprouse, a retired primary care physician and author, to uncover a surprising method for boosting your self-worth AND your income.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Whether we like ourselves or not, it affects our self-esteem. The problem that we've gotten into is we don't count all our achievements." - Dr. Gary Sprouse

Author of "Highway to Your Happy Place: A Roadmap to Less Stress," Dr. Gary Sprouse shares his unique perspective on self-esteem, blending his medical knowledge with psychological insights. We explore his innovative "50-point wake-up" system and how it can transform the way you view yourself and your accomplishments.

Discover how to:

Accurately assess your achievements and give yourself proper credit

Reframe your self-perception using Dr. Sprouse's three-part self-esteem model

Overcome the hidden culprits behind chronic stress and self-doubt

Key insights include:

The surprising connection between your ability to envision the future and your self-esteem

How to use "realistic optimism" to navigate challenges without succumbing to fear

A practical "worry organizer" tool to manage anxiety and boost confidence in negotiations

Dr. Sprouse also introduces his four D's - Deny, Deflect, Diminish, and Dismiss - and explains how these unconscious behaviors can either reinforce or undermine your self-esteem.

Whether you're an entrepreneur struggling with confidence or simply looking to enhance your negotiation skills, this conversation offers a fresh, science-backed approach to building unshakeable self-worth. Get ready to rewire your thinking and claim the success you truly deserve!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Gary Sprouse:

Website: TheLessStressDoc.com

Email: LessStressDoc (at) gmail.com

Books: Highway to Your Happy Place & Mindset Matters

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Today (Oct. 1, 2024) is your last chance to show your support.

Go here to vote: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

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LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

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TRANSCRIPT

Dr Gary Sprouse

So good self esteem perpetuates itself. Poor self esteem perpetuates itself. So to get out of that, you have to stop using the four ds and be willing to accept that someone's saying something nice about you.

Gloria Grace Rand

I am Gloria Grace Rand, founder of the L.O.V.E. Method and author of the number one amazon best seller Live. Love. Engage. - how to stop doubting yourself and start being yourself. In this podcast, we share practical advice from a spiritual perspective on how to live fully, love deeply, and engage authentically so you can create a life and business with more impact, influence and income. Welcome to Live. Love. Engage.

Namaste. Imagine waking up tomorrow feeling unstoppable in your business, armed with a secret formula to price your worth and negotiate like a pro. Well, stick around, because you are going to discover a physician's surprising method to boost your self-esteem, revolutionize your income, and finally claim the success you deserve. But before I bring him on, I'd like to welcome those of you who may be new to Live. Love. Engage. I am Grace Rand, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients by going beyond search engine optimization to embrace my definition of SEO, spiritually engaging others. And joining us today is Doctor Gary Sprouse. He is a retired primary care physician and author of the book highway to your happy place, a roadmap to less stress. So without further ado, I am going to bring him up onto the stage right now and welcome you to Live Love. Engage.

Dr Gary Sprouse

Great, Grace, thanks for having me here. This has been awesome. I'm really looking forward to this.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yes, me too. Because I love. Well, number one, I love the name of your book, actually, because, I don't know, I think it was last year or something. I was walking along the beach one day and I started making up my, making up a song that I'm like, I'm in my happy place, because it is. But I want to dive right in and actually talk about what I promoted today about self-esteem. So our audience is entrepreneurs, in particular, women entrepreneurs. So how can we go about boosting our self-esteem? Because I know sometimes, sometimes things happen, and it can kind of, we can kind of take a little hit on that from time to time.

Dr Gary Sprouse

Sure. So I'm a physician, right? So here's the weird part. So I consider myself a holistic doctor because I can, I have all the physiological and all the medical, chemical stuff. I have that knowledge that I learned from medical school, but I've also learned all the psychological stuff, how the brain works, things like that. And so one of the insights that I brought to this equation is that the majority of human stresses are actually side effects to our skills. So what that means is we can envision the future, but then that means we have to worry about it. That's the side effect. So my book is basically about how do you keep the skill, lose the side effect. But when it comes to self-esteem, that's such an issue, right? Because first off, we have a definition, as humans have a definition of good and bad. So the side effect, that is, you could have good self-esteem. Side effect is you could have bad self. So my dog, now, she has this cut on her back she has, like, a scar, she has a lump on her neck. Doesn't bother her self-esteem at all because she doesn't have those skills of deciding what's good and bad. So the problem with self-esteem is, what I found is I'm not sure we all define it as well as we should. When I talk about self-esteem, I talk about three parts to self-esteem. So there's how you feel about yourself and then how you feel, like, what I call self-efficacy is. So self-efficacy is where you go, hey, how would I do it in the future? Okay. And then the third part is, you know, how do I think about, how do I envision? Well, so let me go back. So it's like there's self-esteem that's broken up, and then you have. There's a thing called, one of the things that we talk about is achievements. And so what I hear from people about achievements is you shouldn't count your achievements. You should just love yourself for loving yourself. And I don't know about other psychologists, but what I find is when something goes well, I feel really good about myself. And when something doesn't go well, I don't feel good about myself. And so what I realized was our achievements and lack of achievements definitively affects our self-esteem. Whether we like ourselves or not, it affects our self-esteem. The problem that we've gotten into is we don't count all our achievements. So I have this thing that I call the 50 point wake up. So I wake up in the morning and I'm still alive. Yes, I get ten points. I have food in the refrigerator. Yes. Ten more points. I got running water. Yes. Ten more points. My wife is still alive. Another ten points. And I'm living in a safe house. Ten points. So I literally wake up, opening my eyes, and I just got 50 points. And then somebody comes along and says, hey, I got this project. If you take it on, you can get 20 points. And you're like, sure, sure, let's do it. And they go, well, but if you don't do it and you fail, well, then you're going to lose 20 points. But I woke up with 50. So if I lose 20, I'm still at plus 30. But if you wake up and you're at minus ten, when you wake up, I'm like, ugh. So I might go to work. This. Things aren't good. Somebody comes along and says, hey, I'm going to give you something. You can make 20 points. You're like, yeah, that sounds great. And then you go, yeah, but you can lose 20 if you don't do it. You're like, I'm at minus ten. I could be a plus ten and feel good. Ooh. But I'd be at -30 you know what? No. Not going to try. So then they don't even try. So what I found is part of self-esteem, then, is figuring out, hey, if I count my achievements accurately, there's no way I can have positive self-esteem because we take all these other things for granted, like, I'm still alive. That's not taken for granted. Like, I have running water, I have food. None of that's taken for granted. And when you give yourself points for all of that, then there's no way you can't have good self-esteem based on your achievement. Now, there are going to be times when things don't go well, but it won't balance. Like, if you're giving. Here's what people do, they go, well, okay, I woke up. That's one point. Well, but then this didn't go well. That's minus ten. Well, if you're going to give yourself one point for every achievement and minus ten for everything, that doesn't go well, yeah, that's going to be. That's going to make it hard.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I love that. First off, I think that is so cool. And you're right. I mean, it's not something that we would typically think about doing. And especially, I think it was so important when you talked about just assigning enough points to those things that, you know, like, yeah, you just. You woke up today. Hey, that's pretty good. I mean, it beats the alternative.

Dr Gary Sprouse

If you’re an entrepreneur, and you have a business, yeah, give yourself credit. Like. Like, I've watched my wife do this. Like, we had an apartment building and it needed a screen, and it was a weird size because it was an older building. And I'm like, well, I don't know what we're gonna do. She goes, well, I'll just make it. I'm like, wait,...

Have you ever considered that the act of hospitality could be the key to personal and business growth? In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Annie McCune, author of "Practicing Hospitality, the Joy and Grace of Loving Strangers," to explore how welcoming strangers into your life can revolutionize our lives and businesses.

Show Notes | Transcript

"A simple smile in making eye contact is just huge for the image that your business portrays. And so it ends up really helping your bottom line, because people like your business, because you have been hospitable." - Annie McCune

Annie shares her journey of opening her doors to hundreds of people from around the world, challenging our preconceptions about hospitality and connection. We delve into the transformative power of embracing strangers and how it can combat the growing epidemic of loneliness in our society.

Discover how true hospitality can:

Enrich your personal life and create lasting memories

Foster deeper connections in your community and beyond

Enhance your business practices and improve customer relations

Key insights include:

The misconceptions about hospitality that hold us back

Practical steps to overcome fear and embrace openness

How hospitality principles can be applied in various industries

The importance of creating a welcoming environment in the workplace

Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to improve your business relationships or simply seeking to add more depth to your personal life, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the power of connection. Prepare to be inspired to open your heart and your doors to new possibilities!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Listen to interview with Philip Blackett - "Dissent with Grace: Fostering Healthy Debate"

Connect with Annie McCune:

Website: anniebooks.com

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria "Grace" Rand

Namaste. Have you ever thought inviting strangers into your home could make your life richer and your business stronger? Well, stick around as my guest challenges everything you might think about hospitality and connection. In today's world, this conversation might just change how you view strangers and success. But before I bring her on, I'd like to welcome those of you who may be new to Live. Love. Engage. I am Grace Rand, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients through my definition of SEO, which is to Spiritually Engage Others. And joining us today is Annie McCune. She is a connector, a lover of people, and author of “Practicing Hospitality, the joy and grace of loving Strangers.” And Annie has opened her doors to hundreds of people from all over the world, and I can't wait to hear what she has to say about this subject. So, without further ado, I'm going to bring her on, and let's see if we can add her to the stage. There she is. So welcome, Annie to live. Love. Engage.

Annie McCune

Hello, Gloria Grace.

Gloria "Grace" Rand

Well, I want to dive right in and talk about how genuine hospitality can really transform our lives and businesses because I'm very, very intrigued by this. So I'm going to give you the stage here.

Annie McCune

Okay, well, thank you. Well, we have just been a household of who has always opened our doors. And so it helps when you come from a family like that. I grew up next to my grandmother, cousins on the other side. The doors were always open. Lots of people in and out, friends in and out. My dad would go to the international institute in Buffalo and say, does anyone need a meal? And he'd bring people home for dinner. And not all the time, but, you know, my mother would like, okay. And, you know, so that was part of my journey when I married my husband. We also just began opening our doors. And if we had an extra room and somebody needed one, we'd invite them in. And it's. I know that brings up fear in a whole lot of people. Who are you letting in the door? And then as we went on, people would call us and say, hey, we know you take in people. We don't. What would you open your door? We have somebody from Kyrgyzstan. We have somebody from Afghanistan. We have the Polish boys choir. We've got the Scottish soccer team. We've got the Lithuanian group. And we ended up just having a lifetime of memories, of fun, of growth for us, for our kids by opening up our doors. But I don't want to scare people saying, you have to do that. But as you know, we live in an age where now that we're through the COVID pandemic. We are facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. And the CDC says one in three are suffering from that. The Surgeon General just wrote, like a 90 page missive on how he suffered from it and how we've got to do something about this. And people had always told me, oh, you should write a book. So we ended up moving to Atlanta. I had some time. I wrote the book, but in the middle of writing the book, I thought, I wonder if I really am practicing hospitality. What does hospitality really mean? Because I am the farthest thing from Martha Stewart, and I love Martha Stewart, and she is an inspiration to millions. And she did tell me that it's okay not to have matching placemats, which is really helpful. But I find if I look at those things, then I get scared and I don't open my door. And so when I looked at the definition of hospitality, it actually comes from a root word, philoxenia, which means loving strangers as family. And I was shocked and relieved. It's kind of what we've been doing as a family. But I also realized that the false definition as being having to entertain really well or having to have the bandwidth if somebody invites me over there, I'm going to have to invite them over. You know, the reciprocal, having to keep raising the bar is absolutely what frightens most people from opening their door in the first place. And so I really got excited about sharing just that word. Philoxenia. Let's love strangers as family. Let's get over those fears. Let's just try it. Because I have found there is so much grace, there is so much joy. It's not about the food you cook. It's not about the decor. We are made for connection, and people just want to know you care about them enough to let them in and see your vulnerable self, which in my house is also, you know, it's the messy death. It's. It's the things that look. Oh, no, I wasn't expecting it. But I'm so glad you're here. It's that kind of loving faith, you know, family, if you're. I know you've had siblings. I know some of them have passed. But, you know, if. If one of them had showed up at your door, you wouldn't say, oh, sorry, go away. You'd let them in because. Because you just showed them some love and you wanted to be with them. And that's what we're kind of missing.

Gloria "Grace" Rand

Well, lots of stuff is going through my head at the moment with that. I mean, starting off number one, just from when you were first talking about inviting all these people in is, I did remember that. Well, number one, when I was a kid, we hosted exchange students from Norway, which was lovely. And then when my kids were younger, we actually had an opportunity to welcome a couple young women who were from France, I believe. And so my kids got to meet other people from another culture. I like to think that planting seeds and that they have both traveled to Europe now, my kids, and have been able to meet other people. So when you were also then talking about the Martha Stewart thing and being afraid, I think also sometimes I think people get maybe stressed out, and it kind of comes to that point of, my house is a mess, or how can I invite people over or things like that. So what do you have to say with regards to that? How do you advise people who maybe, maybe who are not the best housekeepers, let's say, but they would like to entertain, but, you know, they feel, you know, kind of uncomfortable. It's not quite the word I'm looking for, but maybe, maybe embarrassed even. What would you say?

Annie McCune

Well, a couple things. One is that we do have to examine, why am I afraid? And, you know, is there some standard that I have artificially set in my head of the way it should be? And so many of those are just. They're just lies, you know, and you have to just say, that's not a reality. The reality is there's somebody I want to get to know, or there's somebody that needs to get to know me. And. And so we think about the people, not about us. You know, we have to get our mind off of us and know that there's just power in opening the door and connecting with people. It's the presence. It's looking them in the eye. It's saying, hey, I would love to know your story. And giving them space, giving them room, letting them see the vulnerable you. The thing is, in this day and age, there are so many good takeouts. There's people that can do the cooking, but there's not the people to sit down and break bread with, because that's what we've closed our doors to. And that is where the power and the grace and the real change, and it just comes in, and that's what we're missing. That's what we need. That's what's so beautiful.

Gloria "Grace" Rand

Well, let's get down to some practical things here, because what are some ways that we actually can start connecting deeply with people? And especially I also want to be able to get into, well, you know what? I'm going to do that after. Let's just start first with that,...

Have you ever had self-doubt ignite and threaten your business growth? In this episode, I lay bare my own battle with insecurity and how a powerful peer community helped me extinguish those doubting thoughts.

Show Notes

"And it was so wonderful to be able to have someone hold that space for me, to allow me to have my meltdown and to help me to move forward, to help me to really get past it." - Gloria "Grace" Rand

As entrepreneurs, we often face unique challenges that can leave us feeling isolated and overwhelmed. When you listen to this episode, you'll learn some startling statistics about the mental health risks faced by business owners and why having a strong support network is crucial for our well-being and success.

Discover how:

A business retreat became a turning point in my entrepreneurial journey

Vulnerability and openness can lead to profound breakthroughs

Community support can help you overcome self-doubt and gain clarity

Key insights include:

The importance of finding your tribe - whether through networking groups, masterminds, or creating your own community

How combining analytical skills with intuition can lead to a more holistic approach to business

The power of asking for help and creating safe spaces for vulnerability

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode offers a compassionate look at the emotional challenges of business ownership and provides practical strategies for building a supportive community. Get ready to embrace vulnerability, tap into your inner wisdom, and discover the transformative power of connection!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Learn about Shannon Procise and the Business Acceleration Network

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand