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

Discover the gripping truth behind proper hand exercise as Dr. Terry Zachary, the hand expert, reveals the shocking muscle imbalances caused by traditional methods, his revolutionary Handmaster Plus device, and the battle to get people to prioritize their hand health.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Just like our posture, we do things in front of us all day. If we don't do something to offset that imbalance, we're going to have problems." - Dr. Terry Zachary

Introducing Dr. Terry Zachary - a sports chiropractor with an extraordinary expertise in hand health and performance. Growing up with sports and having observed numerous hand injuries among athletes, he re-evaluated the traditional routines of hand exercises, developing a novel approach that focuses on the equilibrium of hand muscles. His invention, Handmaster Plus, further simplifies this methodology, making it accessible for everyone. His stellar contributions are not only celebrated by athletes but by musicians and professionals who depend heavily on their hands for work. Dr. Zachary’s passion for understanding the body’s design, and his relentless pursuit of improving hand health has truly set a new precedent in the industry.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Discover the crucial role of frequent hand workouts in maintaining optimal hand functionality and vitality.

Uncover the merits of the Handmaster Plus tool in promoting effective hand exercises.

Understand the link between a firm grip and a long, healthy life and why it shouldn't be ignored.

Explore how improved blood circulation and lymphatic drainage impacts not just hand, but overall body wellbeing.

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Terry here

Email: info (at) doczac.com

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. Oh, I am so happy to be with you for another one of our wonderful interviews that we're going to have today. And I already know it's going to be wonderful. I'm just telling you right off the bat. I know it. So I want to introduce you to our guest today. His name is Dr. Terry Zachary, and he is the author of Great Hands, Great Life, and he's also an inventor of a product called Handmaster Plus. And he has been a sports chiropractor. And in that capacity, he broke the code on faulty hand exercise that he witnessed in pro golfers. And so he took these lessons to the wider worlds of sports, music, workplaces, gamers, hobbyists, and smartphones. And that was really what intrigued me about when I met him and why I wanted to have him on the show. So, first off, I want to welcome you, Dr. Terry, to live, love, engage.

Dr. Terry Zachary

Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm looking forward to speaking to you.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah, well, I'm very curious. We met during a publicity summit a couple of months ago, and hands are something that are very important to me because I've been a musician, I'm a writer. I also, in my youth, well, one of my first jobs was working at McDonald's, and so I was cooking fries and doing all this type of work, but especially even doing I've always been like a typer and working in different jobs. And at one point, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrists, and so I had to have surgery done on it because for those of you who may not know what that is, it's a condition, and you could probably explain even better. But basically, my hand would go numb, and sometimes it was so bad that it was actually painful, and that was the part that forced me to get surgery. When it's just numbness, you can kind of live with it, but when it starts hurting, that's no fun. I was intrigued to know about what you were up to in the world and how you were helping people, that you noticed the hand exercises and things or how people were using their hands wasn't helpful, shall we say. So I would love for you to explain to our audience a little bit about what got you really interested, because as a chiropractor, normally, people don't necessarily think about hands with chiropractor. They think more about the back and the spine and whatnot. So what got you interested in really being focused in as now a hand expert?

Dr. Terry Zachary

Well, Gloria, first of all, that's about as good of an intro as possible into what I do, because when I first started it, and again, specifically, I had about half my practice was sports chiropractic, and half my practice was family practice. And what had happened was, you know, we had seen so many and I'm in the Vancouver area is where my practice was. So a lot of what we did was focused on hockey players. And I have a background in golf. I played in college, so a lot of professional hockey players, a lot of professional golfers, as the Canadian Tour would come through town, but also, of course, high level and everyday weekend athletes as well. And because of my background and growing up in sports, I always was told, take this thing and squeeze it. It could be spring loaded, it could be a coiled unit, might just be a tennis ball or a racquet ball. And as I got to really started studying the body, which is my passion, it's one of my base passions in my life is really studying the wonder of the body. And how did this body, how were we designed by our maker, however, designed this tricky pattern, and it's fascinating. So as I started to study it more, I realized, Wait a minute, I saw all these injuries. And this was specifically in sports when we started out, Gloria. We looked at why are these athletes having so many finger and thumb problems and carpal tunnel problems, by the way, that you already mentioned, and a lot of elbow problems. And as we got into looking at them, we would do a history and ask them what type of exercise they did, if it was a repetitive grip situation like a golf or a tennis or a hockey, et cetera, et cetera. A lot of times they would either be doing nothing or they would be taking something and squeezing it, just like traditionally, most of your viewers and myself, when I was early in my path, thought was the right way to do it. But as I started studying, I said, Why do we do things this way? I could clearly see that the muscles that close the hand are getting overpowering on the muscles that open the hand. And we're seeing the mechanics of the fingers and thumb and carpal tunnel and wrist and elbow all change because of that. So that was how it all started. I got very interested in it, and I saw great results. I was doing four or five exercises with the hand, which you can imagine, these athletes have other areas to be exercised, and the last thing they want to be doing is four or five exercises. But we started with that, had great results because we were simply following the pattern of the body and starting to learn how the body moves. And just working with that. It wasn't Terry Zachary saying, well, I think you should do, you know. I think you should put these muscles it's like, wow, the body's designed like this. Why don't we follow those instructions? And I simply exercised these patients’ hand muscles through a full range of motion. Now, I don't want to go on and on about it, but the thing that keeps people away from this, I believe why somebody didn't come up with this process earlier is that the hand muscles are very tricky. And if you follow the paths of the hand muscles, all the origins and insertions, if you talk to a hand surgeon, for example, what they would, they would just talk in circles. It's so intricate, and I think it scares people away. So I would approach it that you have nine muscles that close your hand that are generally located on the front of your fingers and thumbs and hands and wrists and carpal tunnels and elbow. And then you have nine muscles that open the hand, which are on the back of all of those same structures. So it made sense to me to exercise them all in balance. And once we did, the results were just clear as day, and that's what got me interested in it. I realized this is being done wrong. I learned wrong before I was educated. And then, because I work with athletes and I'd always been so interested in sports, I saw it clear as day, and that's what got me interested.

Gloria Grace Rand

Wow. And you're right, because now that I think back to it, I remember, I think when I was probably first going to a doctor, they would recommend that you get, like, one of these little kind of squishy balls and just squeeze it periodically, and that was supposed to help. So could you just give an example of maybe one exercise that you would do instead of doing that? Do you still recommend that they do that? But if maybe you do some other things in addition to…

Dr. Terry Zachary

Yeah, excellent question. So the viewers and this is probably a new concept to most that are listening, just to give it some framework, it's very similar to posture. Your hand muscles actually work very similar to posture. So if I saw somebody with , if anybody saw somebody with poor posture, the last thing we would tell them to do is slouch more. Does that make sense? And that's really the concept to go with. So if you were working your example, you're working in McDonald's, you're using your hands, you're gripping, you're also a musician, you're also writing. Everything is an inflection situation. So just like our posture, we do things in front of us all day. If we don't do something to offset that imbalance, we're going to have problems with our spine and our ribs and our breathing and our organs, et cetera. It's the same thing that we want to do. We want to strengthen the muscles that open and spread. So, yeah, there's so many ways to look at this. And we designed the Handmaster Plus so you could do literally, instead of four or five exercises,...

We’ve probably heard the phrase ‘You are what you eat,’ many times, but how often do we follow that mantra? Our health is our most important asset. Tune it to learn why it’s important to treat it that way, especially as entrepreneurs.

Show Notes

"Eat smart, work smart" is more than just a catchy phrase. It's about realizing how closely tied our work performance is to our physical health. As a spiritual business coach and entrepreneur, I've learned that success starts on our plates, and ends in our products, our services, and the quality of our connections.

In this episode, you will learn:

How transforming your diet could be the game-changer your business needs.

How sugary snacks and carbs affected my productivty

The relationship between eating fruits and vegetables and creativity

Why journaling can help you maintain a healthy diet

18TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE PODCAST AWARDS

Vote for Live. Love. Engage. in the Education and People's Choice categories at PodcastAwards.com. Nominations are open until July 31, 2023. We appreciate your support!

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Noah St. John Unveils the Key to Conquering Your Inner Critic

Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity with Dr. David Bernstein

Optimize Your Health with Small Steps: Emily Gold Mears Reveals How

Resources:

Learn more about the Soulful Women's Network here

Join the Soulful Women's Network Facebook group here

Engage with Gloria here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

Tired of the same old advice on conquering your "inner critic" and still finding yourself stuck? In this episode, we're breaking down why positive thinking isn't always enough, and introducing transformative strategies like Afformations® and beneficial habits to tackle head trash. Say goodbye to self-doubt and hello to the success you're truly capable of. Get ready, it's time to turn up your potential!

Show Notes | Transcript

"Instead of asking lousy questions that lead to lousy answers, start asking empowering questions that lead to phenomenal answers and create a wonderful life." - Dr. Noah St. John

Today, we have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Noah St. John, a trailblazer in personal growth and self-help strategies. His journey from poverty and depression to becoming the Father of Afformations® is truly inspiring. He's well-regarded for his unique perspective on self-limiting beliefs and mental blocks. Noah's Afformations strategy has made a significant difference in the lives of many, including Hollywood celebrities and CEOs, steering them towards financial growth and personal well-being.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Unearth the might of Afformations, and how they differ from Affirmations, reshaping your perception of self.

Break free from the chains of self-limiting beliefs, paving the path for immense possibilities.

Discover the detrimental impact of head trash on personal growth and how to effectively cleanse it.

Master the technique of leveraging habits for propelling achievement.

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Mindset Mastery for Female Entrepreneurs: Conquer Fear and Self-Doubt

Tapping for Money Mindset Blocks with Erin Newman

Mindset and Blind Spots with Jarrod Haning

Resources:

Connect with Noah here

Get Noah's free book, Get Rid of Your Head Trash about Money here

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. Oh, and welcome to Live Love engage. Welcome if you are one of our wonderful subscribers and whether on podcast platform or on YouTube, and if you're new to the show, I'm just so glad that all of you are here today because I've got a great guest. But before I do that, let me just share with you a little bit more about me, especially if you are new. I am Gloria Grace, the light messenger and spiritual alignment coach and women entrepreneurs hire me to clear the inner blocks, keeping you stuck so you can put yourself first and live the life you want now. And today we've got an interesting guest who's going to be really sharing, I know, some amazing information and I'm just delighted to welcome Noah St. John. He is the author of Get Rid of Your Head Trash about Money, which I love that concept. He's also known as the Father of Afformations, not affirmations, but Afformations and the mental health coach to the stars. So he's worked with Hollywood celebrities, eight figure company CEOs, and professional athletes. And he's ultimately famous for helping entrepreneurs make more in just twelve weeks than they made in the last twelve months while winning their lives back, which is so important because it's not enough to be successful in one area of your life. It really is nice to be having everything going in harmony, I like to say. So I am going to be bringing on Dr. Noah St. John to the show. So welcome to the program. I'm so glad to have you here.

Dr. Noah St. John

Thanks, Gloria. Great to be here.

Gloria Grace Rand

I love asking our guests a little bit about their background and the one thing that when we connected at a publicity summit a while ago and when you mentioned that you were the father of Afformations, which is different from affirmations, which people may have heard about before, I was intrigued and wondering, what is the difference? So how did you become known as that and what do you mean by that?

Dr. Noah St. John

Well, I'll answer that in two parts, if I may. So I'll give you the quick story of how I became the father of Afformations. So I grew up poor in a rich neighborhood, and I know that's a total cliche, but it's totally true. I grew up in a little town called Kennebunkport, Maine, which is one of the wealthiest communities in New England. But my family was dirt poor, and I mean that literally because we lived at the bottom of a dirt road in a drafty unfinished home that my parents ended up losing to foreclosure when I was just 15 years old. So from a very young age, I was painfully exposed to the gap, the chasm between the haves and the have nots. The haves was everyone else in the community, and the have nots was my family. Now you hear these motivational speakers, they get on stage and we've all heard them and they say, well, we were poor, but we were happy. We didn't know we were poor. Well, in my family, we freaking knew we were poor because my mother, bless her heart, reminded us every day that we were poor and miserable. So, Noah wasn't happy. It sucked. And so I hated that life of poverty. I hated being poor because I saw that right down the street there's great wealth and abundance. So literally, from the time I was a young kid, I said, how the heck do I get from here to there? And of course, there was no one who could answer that question. This was long before the Internet or anything like that. So I did the only thing I could think of to do, which is I went to the library and started reading every book. I read every book that I could on personal growth and self-help, all the classics, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey. I read every book that I could, and I really tried to apply them. I tried to work hard to be more successful. The problem was I couldn't get it to work. And so at the age of 25, I decided to commit suicide because I was so frustrated and depressed and lonely and broke. And at the very last minute, my life was spared, but I didn't know why. And so I went on another long journey to find what is my purpose here on the Earth? Why am I still here? And it wasn't until five years after that experience that I actually had the discovery that led to me becoming the father of Afformations. So you can see, it was a long and winding road that actually caused me to end up where I am today. And all these years later, we've helped our clients in over 120 countries to, you know, add over $2 billion in found revenues as a result of using my method. So I wanted to give you that first, and then we could talk about my afformations method.

Gloria Grace Rand

Okay, well, let's just dive into that now. Let's talk about that first, and then I definitely want to ask you a little bit more about head trash.

Dr. Noah St. John

absolutely. Okay, so everybody listening to this program knows what an affirmation is, right? An affirmation is what the gurus have been teaching for decades, right? And as an executive coach, a business coach, I'm also a keynote speaker, so I get to speak at conferences and events all around the country and around the world. And one of the things I like to do at my keynote speech is I like to ask everybody in the audience, I say, okay, everybody, we're going to play a game. And everybody say an affirmation, just like those guys taught us. And everybody say, I am rich. And everybody goes, I am rich. You know what happens next? Everyone starts laughing. And I go, what are you laughing at? And I go, well, I'm not rich. And I say, but you just said you were. And they go, yeah, but I don't believe it. See, isn't that the problem with that old method, right, with the old way of doing it, right? We say these positive statements. We want to believe it, but we just don't believe it most of the time. In fact, did you know that a study was actually done on this very topic? And it actually showed scientifically that the old way, the old affirmations way only works for 25% of the people. It only works 25% of the time. So imagine if you had a smartphone that only worked one out of four times. Yeah, you'd probably trade it in for a better phone, wouldn't you? Right?

Gloria Grace Rand

Absolutely. Yeah.

Dr. Noah St. John

So that's what I did. I invented a better phone, right? A better way of using your brain. And so this was actually April 20, 1997, and I was in the shower, and in fact, in my books and my programs, I call it The Shower that Changed Everything, because I literally had that a-ha moment in the shower, which probably everybody's listening has had that right? You have those a-ha moments. Well, this was the shower that changed everything for me and now for over a million people around the world who use my Afformations method. So I was thinking about this very topic. How come I've been using these affirmations? I read all those books, they all say the same thing. How come I've been doing exactly what they said and it's not working? Right? Because I had all these statements just like they tell you: I'm happy, I'm rich, I'm successful. And the reality was, no, I'm not. I'm broke, unhappy and miserable, right? So what the heck is going on here? So I started to think about, well, what are we really talking about? We're talking about beliefs. But what's a belief? Well, a belief is just a thought. And then I said, well, what is human thought? And I realized that human thought is the process of asking and searching for answers to questions. Not statements, but questions. In fact, I can prove this to you. I can prove to everyone watching the program. All right now, if I ask you a question, I want you to see what happens. Why is the sky blue? Why is the sky blue? Now, what just happened in your brain? Your brain started to search for the answer, right?

Gloria Grace Rand

Right. Yes.

Dr. Noah St. John

...

Unravel the power of networking – the secret engine driving the most successful businesses as it paves the way for you to build strong relationships and even stronger referrals.

Show Notes

If you've ever felt that networking was too daunting, or if you've wondered how to make networking work for you, this episode is for you. Networking is more than just meeting people. It's about making meaningful connections to power the growth of your business.

In this episode, you will learn:

The magic of networking groups – An insider's tale from my 14 years of experience.

Uncover how networking can lead to new clients, inspiring podcast guests, and lifelong friendships.

The power of referrals: Hear my story about WOAMTEC – where networking resulted in a cheerleader for my business.

Uncover the unique opportunities for learning in areas such as sales, marketing, and public speaking.

Learn how networking groups can provide a platform to demonstrate your authority.

Avoid the pitfalls of networking: Don't be the person with just a business card and a sales pitch.

Learn how trust-based networking can lead to meaningful business interactions.

18TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE PODCAST AWARDS

Vote for Live. Love. Engage. in the Education and People's Choice categories at PodcastAwards.com. Nominations are open until July 31, 2023. We appreciate your support!

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Unleashing Your Professional Growth with Dr. Barnsley Brown

Expanding Your R.E.A.C.H. with Adam Hommey

Resources:

Learn more about the Women's Prosperity Network here

*Note - this is an affiliate link. You can get started with WPN for free, and if you choose to buy a membership, I will receive compensation.

Learn more about the Soulful Women's Network here

Join the Soulful Women's Network Facebook group here

Engage with Gloria here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

Join Tania Luna, the co-founder of Life Labs Learning, as she flips the script on leadership. Uncover how managing conditions, not just people, propels individuals to peak performance. Prepare to be inspired!

Show Notes | Transcript

"Managers should be role sponsors, focusing on creating an environment that allows individuals to thrive and be at their best." - Tania Luna

Meet Tania Luna, a passionate advocate for turning leadership on its head. She is the co-founder of Life Labs Learning, an organization that has empowered over 350,000 individuals at influential world enterprises, to become more compassionate, skilled, and confident leaders. Her role extends to being a researcher, educator and an advisor to Alt Protein start-ups. Tania understands that the key to successful leadership isn't in controlling people, rather in creating conditions for individuals to become the best versions of themselves.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Demystify the complex nature of leadership, breaking it down to practical skills.

Grasp why effective leadership is about crafting environments, not dictating people.

Cultivate a leadership perspective that views yourself as a designer of circumstances.

Gain insights on benefits of feedback and development in fostering individual growth.

Appreciate how leadership skills can be an asset in all walks of life.

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

The Power of Authentic Leadership: Inspiring Others through Your Purpose

Image, Presence and Leadership with Marcella Scherer

How Vulnerability Empowers You for Success with Jessi Shuraleff

Resources:

Connect with Tania here

Learn more about Life Labs Learning here

Learn about the Pig Placement Network here

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 - Gloria Grace Rand

You're listening to the Live Love Engage podcast. On today's show, why great leaders need to focus on community building rather than control. Stay tuned.

00:00:14 - Gloria Grace Rand

I am Gloria Grace Rand, founder of The Love Method and author of the number one Amazon bestseller Live Love Engage How to Stop Doubting Your 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.

00:00:49 - Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. I am so glad to be joining you for another episode of Live Love Engage. And I've got a lovely guest who I just can't wait to get started in our conversation because we've already been just having a good time before we even started recording. So I'm going to tell you all about her, and I did not double check to make sure how to pronounce your first name? I'm guessing it's Tania.

00:01:14 - Tania Luna

Ding, ding, ding.

00:01:16 - Gloria Grace Rand

Okay, good. I just want to make sure Tania Luna. So you know what? I'll just go ahead and welcome you to Live Love Engage, and then I'll read your bio. So welcome, Tania.

00:01:24 - Tania Luna

Thank you so much. And I'm already having a great time because you're one of the few people that got my name right on a first try.

00:01:31 - Gloria Grace Rand

Oh, yeah, okay, good.

00:01:33 - Tania Luna

I answered to all versions of my name.

00:01:35 - Gloria Grace Rand

All right, excellent. Well, anyway, so let me tell you all about this lovely woman. She is the co-founder of Life Labs Learning, and she's the author of The Leader Lab, Core Skills to Become a Great Manager Faster and co-host of the podcast Talk Psych to Me. And she is also a researcher, an educator, advisor to Alt protein startups, and a partner at Columbia University's Elab, which is an accelerator for entrepreneurs who increase equity and access in education. And her company, Life Labs Learning, is a real go-to training and employee development company that has helped over 350,000 people at some of the world's most influential companies, including TED, the TED Talks Folks, Yelp, Tinder, Slack, Reddit, JetBlue, and 2000 plus others. And she's helped them become more confident, competent, and compassionate leaders. And I know we're going to be talking a little bit about leadership today on the show, but I always like to well, not always, but I would say 99% of the time, I love to ask our guests to start off with telling us about what your journey is, what got you interested in leadership and really helping others with that to become better leaders.

00:03:02 - Tania Luna

Yeah. Oh, man, I wish I had an honest answer to that question. Like, this thing A happened and then B happened, and then C happened. It's more like I woke up one day and I'm like, oh, 99% of the things I'm thinking about are people skills. And I really think of leadership skills as skills we need to lead, whether we have formal leadership authority or informal leadership, if you want to get something done, if you want to catalyze change commitment, if you want to help others through interacting with others. I put that in the category of leadership. And really, I just increasingly, the more I studied leaders, the more I worked with leaders, the more I became frustrated by the fact that we seem to act like leadership is this really mysterious thing versus really breaking it down into tangible practice. And once you figure out what are the specific behavioral units and skills of leaders, then it can be very easy to become more effective and to make those skills more accessible to everyone, not just the small number of people at some metaphorical top somewhere. So I can answer your question more biographically if you prefer, but the truth is I just tumbled into it and became more and more passionate. My background is in psychology. I ran a few different businesses and I just saw leadership again and again coming up as both a pain and an opportunity.

00:04:26 - Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I love the honest answer because that is interesting because I think sometimes we do just sort of stumble into something because that's just what we're doing. Leadership has become something that's interesting to me when I became an entrepreneur and having to really think about what does that entail? And yet at the same time well, at one point I was invited to participate in one of these multi author compilation books and it was about leadership. And I started looking at leadership is not just about business. I mean, there's been opportunities or times in my life where I've had to be a leader in all sorts of different parts. I mean, if you have a family, you have to know how to lead your children.

00:05:19 - Tania Luna

All the time. Yeah. So at Life Ops Learning, at my company where we do leadership training, we hear this constantly from managers in particular. They'll go, oh, it's the strangest things. We have a workshop on leading effective one on ones. So how do you set up your one-on-one conversations with direct reports with your team to increase engagement? You would think it's the most work-related topic, but then we have people coming in the following week because we do kind of programmatic learning. It's not just one and done. And they come back and they go, I set up one on ones with my spouse. Or we'll lead a feedback skills training. And even within the workshop, they're supposed to be focusing on work and they're going, can this work with my kids? Or they'll come back and they go, I've been terrified of having this conversation with my roommate, but I did it, it worked. And it's been amazing. And I think that's wonderful because these skills are not in… Our lives are not little boxes, little compartments. You close a drawer and all the stuff from work stays there and all the stuff from home stays there. So it's wonderful. We think of using the workplace as a laboratory to develop those skills. Every day I come into the workplace, something that can feel like a challenge and a frustration can actually become this wonderful development opportunity for skills that transfer over into every area of life. So absolutely agree with you.

00:06:35 - Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah. And it's interesting too, I think, what the last couple of years showed us. And certainly the first year of the pandemic when suddenly work was at home and having to, it's like yeah, you couldn't compartmentalize it anymore because it was right in your face and you had to figure out ways to be able to make it all work. Tell me a little bit about, well, let's see, I'm trying to think where's the best way to go here? There's so many different things I want to ask you about.

00:07:04 - Tania Luna

I can also try to talk in shorter sentences so we can cover more ground.

00:07:09 - Gloria Grace Rand

Hey, you're doing good. I've had some people who just keep going and going and going and God bless them. And it's fine usually because it's interesting, but it's like once in a while I would like to get a word in edgewise. So you're doing well. I want to ask you, one of the things that when I was doing research about you and getting ready for this interview is you talk about something that you believe like great leaders should create conditions that bring out the very best in people. So I guess maybe start off with a little bit about, well, I guess we kind of know why that's important, but then maybe give some ideas about how people, how that can be accomplished.

00:07:53 - Tania Luna

I can see that. I think that you're right that we should know that that's important. I would argue, though, that so often when we go in and we do workshops with companies and we go,...

Discover how authentic leadership can empower you to lead with integrity, aligning your actions with your values and beliefs, and inspiring others with purpose.

Show Notes

In this episode, you will learn:

What we can learn about authentic leadership from The Actors' Vow

The importance of aligning your actions with your values and beliefs

How your purpose can inspire and motivate your team, clients, and customers.

How to overcome obstacles that may keep you from leading authentically

Capsho review and swag I received in the mail to celebrate their 1-year anniversary

18TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE PODCAST AWARDS

Vote for Live. Love. Engage. in the Education and People's Choice categories at PodcastAwards.com. Nominations are open until July 31, 2023. We appreciate your support!

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Embracing Empathy with Kristen Donnelly

Pride Leadership with Dr. Steve Yacovelli

Leadership: The Samurai Way with Don Schmincke

Resources:

Learn more about Capsho* here

*Note - this is an affiliate link. You can get started with Capsho for free, and if you choose to buy, I will receive compensation.

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

Join adoptive mother and resilient author Mikki Shepard as she dispels adoption myths, overcomes obstacles, and celebrates the power of love in creating a family on this empowering episode of Live Love Engage.

Show Notes | Transcript

"When we adopted, nobody talked about it back then. It was just something and boy, did we find out fast that how many people were adopted that we knew or had adopted, and they just never talked about it." - Mikki Shepard

Mikki Shepard is a loving mother who has dedicated her life to the adoption journey. As a US Air Force veteran, she has had a diverse and successful career in various fields, including real estate, marketing, and speaking. Mikki and her husband had always known that adoption would be a part of their family's story, but they never could have predicted the twists and turns that would lead them to their greatest joy. From struggling to have a child of their own, to a chance conversation with a friend, to the call that would change their lives forever, Mikki's journey to motherhood is a testament to the power of love and the beauty of unconventional families. Since then, she has used her voice as an author with her book, In a Heartbeat: The Miracle of a Family That Was Meant To Be, and as a radio show and podcast host of Adoption as a Choice to inspire and support others on their adoption journey.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Witness how adoption and love create profound connections and change lives.

Find novel strategies to make the adoption process financially feasible.

Debunk unfounded myths and misconceptions about adopting children.

Understand how transparency and openness contribute to a healthy adoptive family dynamic.

Get inspired by Mikki Shepard's unique podcast that encourages adoption as a fulfilling choice.

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Why Grandparents are Essential in the Modern Family with Gramps Jeffrey

Spiritual Parenting with Randy Rolfe

Creating Meaningful Relationships: Gavin Frye’s Guide to Intimacy

Resources:

Connect with Mikki here

Listen to Mikki's Adoption podcast here

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 - Gloria Grace Rand

You're listening to the Live Love Engage podcast on today's show, exploring some myths about adoption. Stay tuned. I am Gloria Grace Rand, founder of The Love Method and author of the number one Amazon bestseller, 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.

00:00:45 Namaste. I am so glad to be joining you on this lovely day that I'm recording it, and I've got a lovely guest on the show today who I am looking forward to having a discussion with, and I'm going to tell you all about her and so that you can get to know why I'm excited to have her on. Her name is Mikki Shepard and she is a US Air Force veteran and her career has also included things like speaking, real estate and marketing. But why she's really here today is to talk about her book. She is the author of In a Heartbeat - the Miracle of a Family That Was Meant To Be and is a true story spanning several generations of families born out of love. And she also now hosts Adoption as a Choice radio show and podcast. So I want to now officially welcome you, Mikki, to live, love, engage.

00:01:43 - Mikki Shepard

Thank you. I'm glad to be here, excited to be able to share the story.

00:01:47 - Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah, well, the podcast is about living fully, loving deeply and engaging authentically. And when we connected it was like, oh yeah, that fits right in. I mean, even though I gear this towards women entrepreneurs, but women entrepreneurs also tend to be part of families or raising families. I said, yeah, let's have you on to talk about this. So I thought we'd start off by having you share a little bit about what your journey, but in particular what prompted you to write your book.

00:02:19 - Mikki Shepard

Thank you. It was a couple of things. For many years I wanted to write a book about how it didn't take biology to create a family. And that was because of my dad. My dad was wonderful, but he didn't come into our lives until I was twelve. And being a twelve-year-old, I wasn't thrilled to have him there. But he worked at it and he was determined to win me over. And I always tell people that life used to be simpler than we all know now. I mean, back then, after he did win me over, I actually wrote to the Board of Education in New York to tell them I wanted to change my name to Shepard and they did it. It wouldn't happen today, but it was my Father's day gift to him. And then fast forward along the way. My grandmother had lost her husband, my grandfather that became a grandfather. He had lost his wife, but they were brothers, so the two of them decided they would get married. That way all the cousins became brothers and sisters. So this whole thing's been going on in my life, whether I thought about it or not. My mother was always taking in foster children. She actually brought in one person who was Ched Holmes. He was my brother, but he came into our lives at a very young age. He was twelve when he came into our lives, and he just never left. And before you knew it, I came home on a visit, and I'm asking my mother, who is this boy running around the house? And she said, oh, I forgot to tell you, that's your new brother. How'd you do that? I was gone for a few months, and you hatched a 13-year-old, because now he was 13. So it was always there. But the story hadn't happened yet, I hadn't written it. And so let's fast forward. I left the Air Force, lived in Colorado Springs, married my current husband, we've been married almost 40 years in 2023, and we wanted to have a baby, and it just wasn't happening. But I was very involved in real estate, and so what I always tell people, because I think they well, they get a kick out of it, but it's a true story. My son was literally a real estate referral. We had done everything to try to have a baby, including a very nice trip to Hawaii that didn't produce a baby, but we had a good time. But I'll go back a little bit for you.

So because I was so involved in real estate, I was president of the Board of Realtors and Governor Women's Council of Realtors, blah, blah, blah, blah, a lot of stuff, but it meant I went to a lot of meetings. So one year I was in San Antonio, and a friend of mine who had lived in Utah, but she was now living in San Antonio, where the meetings were. And she said, you know, San Antonio has changed a lot since you were in the Air Force. We don't have any meetings for the next couple of hours. Why don't we take the trolley car ride so you could see how the town has changed? I said okay. So we got on the trolley car and we're going around the town, they're pointing out sights. And we got off the trolley car, and she came over to me and she said, have you and Tom ever thought about adopting? I said, what brought that on? And she said, Mikki, every baby we've passed for the last hour and a half, your head is like olive oil just looking at the baby. And so I said, We've talked about it. And she said, well, let me ask you another question, would you, if you could? And I said in a heartbeat and that conversation took place in February 1988, and that was the end of it for me. I mean, we just continued on with our lives. And then two years later, April 4, 1990, I was at another meeting in Denver, and my husband called me in my room, and he said, Why are you in your room? You're never in your room at meetings. And my feet hurt, and I just thought I'd come in here for a little bit and sit down. Why are you calling me if you know I'm not here? No cell phone. So I'm going to let audience realize whether you call somebody then. And he said, we just got the strangest call. He said, Who's Carol Thompson? And I said, she's my women's council friend, the one that lived in Utah. She now lives in Texas. And he said, well, she has a friend who has a friend who decided this morning she wants to place her baby for adoption and wants to know if we want him.

00:06:41 - Gloria Grace Rand

Wow.

00:06:42 - Mikki Shepard

What? And I said what did you say? He said, I'm sure we do. I'll have my wife call you. And I did. And I called, talked to the friend of the friend who explained to me that Carol had told her about us for years, and that if there ever was a situation to keep us in mind and My God. And she says, So I'll let you talk to her. I didn't know what to do. And I did. And she was not a baby herself. She was 31, and she had a daughter who had MS. She was in a very bad relationship. It was not his baby, and she just knew. She said, I planned an abortion, and then I started bleeding, and I thought I lost the baby. And it's very typical, in people in unplanned pregnancies, not a big support system around them. Sometimes they don't go to doctors. And she said and then she realized she was definitely pregnant and decided that this was it. She said, But I went to this service this morning, and they told me they want to put the baby in a foster home for six months, and I don't want to do that. I want him to start out his life with you from day one. So I said, okay, stay calm. I don't know how, but we will make it all work.

And since I was there on real estate business, our board attorney was there. And he had told me years before that, if you guys ever do think about doing that, call me. I don't do adoptions,...

Discover the power of music in end-of-life care, as Linda Bryce shares heartwarming stories of how songs have brought comfort to patients and staff. But what exactly makes music such an effective tool to ease the journey from life to death? Listen to find out.

Show Notes | Transcript

Music is vibration, right? Sound vibrations. Aren't we vibration, too? So vibrations affect us, and vibrations that are synchronous are beneficial and those that clash are not. - Linda Bryce

Linda Bryce is an end-of-life care expert with a special focus on the healing power of music. Drawing from her experience with a Threshold Choir, Linda has sat by hundreds of bedsides, offering the comforting and consoling gift of song to patients and their families. With a background in teaching, Linda has also authored the award-winning book, The Courage to Care: Being Fully Present with the Dying, which emphasizes the transformative potential of music during difficult moments in life. Her passion for caring and connecting with those facing life's most critical transitions has made her an invaluable resource to caregivers and loved ones alike.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Uncover the connection between music and end-of-life care, highlighting the profound comfort it can provide during difficult times.

Get a fascinating look at Threshold Choir’s mission to offer solace through song to those in need, impacting lives one melody at a time.

Examine the proven healing effects of music on grief and explore how it supports individuals facing immense emotional challenges.

Learn the significance of maintaining presence when comforting others, and how it deepens your connections.

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

Why Hospice Care Matters with Ellen Long Stilwell

Coping with a Loved One’s Dementia with Lisa Skinner

Reconciling Grief and Happiness with Emily Thiroux Threatt

Resources:

Connect with Linda here

Learn about Alive Inside here

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 - Gloria Grace Rand

You're listening to the Live Love Engage podcast on today's show, the importance of music for living and dying. Stay tuned.

00:00:14 - Gloria Grace Rand

I am Gloria Grace Rand, founder of The Love Method and author of the number one Amazon bestseller, 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.

00:00:49 - Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. I am Gloria Grace Rand, and I am delighted to be with you today and to have a guest with us on the show. Always one of my favorite days when we are able to do interviews with wonderful, interesting people. And I met the lovely Linda Bryce here a little while ago, and I'm going to tell you all about her in a moment. But first, I want to welcome Linda to Live Love Engage.

00:01:17 - Linda Bryce

Hello, everyone. I celebrate each of you. I greet you with an open and a joyful heart. Hello, everyone. I celebrate each of you. I greet you with a joyful heart. And that's for all of you listening. And for you, Gloria.

00:01:35 - Gloria Grace Rand

Well, thank you so much. And if you couldn't tell, Linda is always singing. This is part of what she does, and that was what we really connected on. So let me tell you what she does. She leads a Threshold Choir and has sat at hundreds of bedsides singing, and we're going to talk more about that in a minute. She's also an award-winning author of The Courage to Care - Being Fully Present with the Dying, and she's a former teacher, and she also has a children's book called We're Never Far Apart, which follows the grief journey of a young girl whose best friend dies. When we met, I just thought it was so very cool that you do this work where you are part of sort of a hospice type of setting and that you wind up sitting at bedsides of folks who are either ill or possibly dying. And you can correct me on that and that you sing to them and there's this amazing healing energy with song. So I want to know more about that. Well, actually, why don't you tell us a little bit about that and then we'll go back in and talk about how you got into doing this type of work. So explain to our audience a little bit more about what is a Threshold Choir and what do you do?

00:03:07 - Linda Bryce

Okay, starting from there. Women in ancient times sang at bedsides, right? Women were the caretakers from birth through life, through illness, through dying, after death. And part of that was singing acapella when individuals were ill and when they were dying. There is a saying, it's attributed to anonymous, so I don't know from where it comes or for how long it's been around, but it's, For words and depths, for heights and depths no words can reach. Music is the soul's own speech. Music the speech of our souls. Perhaps that's why music has such a profound influence on our bodies, on our minds, on our spirits. About 22 years ago, and this now, I'm going to the modern or the more recent singing at bedsides. About 22 years ago, a woman named Kate was sitting in a hospital at the bedside of her friend who was dying, and her natural impulse was to begin singing. She had a song, she sang it. She sang that song over and over and over. His restlessness diminished and stopped. He quieted down. He seemed more at peace than he had been. She thought about this and the response, you know, that physically she could see in front of her eyes and she said, “Why don't we do this? Why doesn't everybody do this at the bedside?” So she initiated something called the Threshold Choir. And for your listeners, who would like more information, it’s Threshold Choir. All one word. Thresholdchoir.org. It was begun in California. There are now more than 200, 250 chapters across the country and in other parts of the world in the United States, most of the chapters are still sort of to the west, where it began. I'm out here in the east. But there was a woman who lived locally who would spend her winters in California, was introduced to Threshold Choir, brought the idea and the practice back here. And when I returned from sitting at the bedside of my dear aunt, I had driven from the middle of Pennsylvania up to Maine to be with her. I didn't ask, I just showed up, because I love that aunt and I'm very close, was with her and with those cousins. When I came home, there was an ad in the paper and it was looking for yes, I know, right. Divine placement.

00:06:13 - Gloria Grace Rand

Yes, exactly.

00:06:16 - Linda Bryce

Looking for singers, for a newly forming Threshold Choir to sing to individuals at the thresholds of life. That's how I came to it. And I must say that without knowing about bedside singing, it was also my natural impulse. The night that Aunt Lee was very nearing death, to just after prayers and after reading scripture from her Bible and so forth, to just begin singing. We don't go as a big group. You think of the word choir like, oh, we're going to have 20 voices coming to the bedside. No! One doesn't want to do that. And the person in the bed doesn't want to be overwhelmed with all of those people and that sound either. We typically sing in pairs, on occasion, trios, but that's so we can have harmony and that's, that's what it is. We go where we are invited. Our gift, our song is our gift.

00:07:21 - Gloria Grace Rand

It is amazing, the power of music. And I was bringing to mind I had seen a LinkedIn post of someone I'm connected with, and he was talking about his father, I think, has Alzheimer's. And so, for whatever reason, all of a sudden, I don't know that he was singing, but I think he decided to put on, like, old Motown songs. And they started going through all of these, and he was just so amazed at the difference it made in his dad and just how he sort of came alive again hearing these old songs. But do you know any? Can you speak to maybe more about the power of music in that way and how it really seems to what is the expression, music soothes the savage beast. But I think it also soothes us as well. Right?

00:08:19 - Linda Bryce

It does. I was listening to a TEDx Talk and I don't recall the gentleman who gave it, but who made the comment that music lights up more parts of our brain than absolutely anything else we experience. And I have heard and written about in my book, The Courage to Care as well about the effect of music on individuals. And yes, it's being used with individuals who have dementia. Alzheimer's is one type of dementia and I've even seen it, that individuals who have just stopped talking, they aren't talking anymore. But you either put a headset on them or you begin to play music that's generational, from their earlier years or something that's in their brain, that's from their experience. Yes, it's like music wakes them up and they begin singing along, maybe even tapping their toes or nodding their heads and for some of them even are able to then engage in some short conversations. There is an organization; here's, another resource for folks, because I love offering resources - Alive Inside. If you haven't seen the music, it is all about this, especially music and its effect on individuals with dementia. Music has also been helpful for stroke victims. That's been discovered. There's just so much I have a whole page full of benefits, of physical benefits, emotional benefits, mental benefits in the book, just there's been so much research and observation and study about the profound effect and influence that music can have on us s

Are you a spiritual entrepreneur seeking to create more impact, influence, and income while staying true to your authentic self? It might be time for you to embrace AI technology as your path to success.

Show Notes

In this episode, you will learn:

How AI can enhance your productivity, automate routine tasks, and provide invaluable insights to support your decision-making process.

Common fears and resistance towards AI, exploring ethical considerations and ways to integrate AI while maintaining authenticity and spirituality

The potential of AI to expand your reach, deepen connections, and align your business with your spiritual values.

Resources:

Create a ChatGPT account here

Create a GetMagical account here

Learn more about Capsho* here

*Note - this is an affiliate link. You can get started with Capsho for free, and if you choose to buy, I will receive compensation.

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

Join artist and creative professional Noemi Beres as she stitches together the therapeutic power of mixed media collages, revealing how the journey of creating art can lead to inner peace and stress relief in the face of emotional trauma.

Show Notes | Transcript

Art is safe and cannot hurt you... It's much healthier for you to put it out there than keep it bottled inside you. - Noemi Beres

For Noemi Beres, art was a powerful force that guided her through some of the darkest moments of her life. Faced with the heartbreak of losing her father and grandmother, along with the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, Noemi's love for collage-making became a therapeutic outlet for her grief and anxiety. As she upcycled her old canvases and created stunning hand-sewn collages, Noemi experienced a sense of serenity and hope that transcended her pain. Her remarkable journey is a touching example of how engaging with art can foster resilience and emotional well-being, even in the most trying of times.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Uncover the power of art in aiding mental health recovery and fostering inner tranquility.

Delve into Naemi Beres' artistic journey with collages and her affinity for mixed media and repurposing materials.

Understand the connection between creative outlets and stress reduction for improved mental health.

Realize the value of savoring each step of the creative journey, rather than solely the destination.

Learn about other calming pursuits that complement and enhance your artistic experiences.

Related Live. Love. Engage. episodes you may enjoy:

The Art of Living with Martin Arkenstone

Healing Power of Fairy Tales with Laura Lewis-Barr

Music and Mental Health with Kareem Daniel Ryce

Resources:

Connect with Noemi here

Follow Noemi on Instagram here

Follow Noemi on Facebook here

Join the Soulful Women's Network here

Send me a message here

☕ Support the podcast here

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

Connect with Gloria: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. I am so excited to be with you today. We have got a great guest with us who I've been, I've known for a while through email and it's so lovely to be able to actually meet her in person now. And her name is Noemi Beres and she is best known for her unique and witty mixed media hand sewn collages on canvas made from old photos, postcards, colorful yarn, textiles and old buttons. And she really loves collecting small bits and pieces that she finds fascinating and then incorporates them into this mixed media collage that usually has a vintage vibe. And for those of you watching this today on YouTube, there's a couple of pieces which I'll let her point out in a little bit. But I want to just really welcome you and I'm looking forward to talking about your fascination with art and how you use it in a way that I think will be really interesting for our audience. So welcome to live love engage.

Noemi Beres

Thank you so much for having me on your show, Gloria. And finally we met virtually in person.

Gloria Grace Rand

I know, exactly. Yeah. So, hey, let's just put in a plug for your other business before we dive into the art. So how is it that we actually connected? Tell our audience that.

Noemi Beres

I'm actually the co-owner of the Podcast Connections podcast booking agency and I've been working with Gloria for some time now. I can't even remember when we started working together some like two years ago. And we help entrepreneurs to connect to quality podcast shows. And that's my day job, that's what I do for a living. And I really enjoy connecting these awesome female and male entrepreneurs across the world. I'm based in Cyprus, but I'm originally from Hungary, from Central Europe, and I'm connecting people in the US, Canada, UK. So we are all over the place.

Gloria Grace Rand

When you told me about, you actually reached out to pitch yourself for a change and I thought that was so cool, and especially when you told me what you did. So I would love for you to start off and tell our audience a little bit about what got you interested in art and especially doing like, collages and things like that.

Noemi Beres

I was always fascinated by art, Gloria, since I was a kid. And I always did some drawing, painting, jewelry making. I was growing up with art around me, and when my parents took me to other parts of Europe and we went on holidays, we always went to galleries and museums and I was always fascinated by it. So I loved all part of it. But collage making came later on in my life when I was expecting with my son ten years ago, almost eleven, I actually discovered collages. I don't know how it came into my life, but I just used like these old buttons and old pictures and old bits and pieces, as you mentioned at the beginning of the show and I was just so fascinated by it that these small bits and pieces can create a complete piece of work and art. And it was just pretty awesome. So that's when I discovered it. And the hands on collages that I'm making right now, actually, that started in 2020 when COVID hit, life became pretty stressed and I was short of art supplies in Cyprus because we were very strict regulations. We couldn't go to the shops we ordering online. It's not what it's natural thing in Cyprus. And I had started to repurpose my old canvases and I upcycled some of them because I love upcycling. That's when I started to basically hand sew collages and not using glue or anything and not using paper, but using these buttons, these postcards, these photos. And that's how I started to create my handsome collages. But I also make digital collages and I had a couple of group exhibitions in Cyprus, in Italy and I love doing that. And my dream is to have a solo show one day. Yeah, hopefully that's going to happen sooner than later.

Gloria Grace Rand

Absolutely. Well, I'm sure it'll be wonderful because I too, I think collages are really interesting. I've seen… one of my past clients was an artist, she was a digital artist, but I think some of the things she made sort of incorporated a lot of different symbols and different pictures and things and then would all make this something new. Part of I understand, I think that how you got into art is also helping and I guess especially with COVID, but do you find that it has helped you? Actually, just how has it helped you? Let's say personally, how has that helped you?

Noemi Beres

Yeah, unfortunately, I lost my dad to cancer in 2019 and right after that it was a long battle with cancer. And after that my grandma passed away because of an accident in the same year after a couple of months. And it was a lot. And then COVID hit and so it was just like, oh, my God is collapsing around me and us and my family. I don't have brothers, I don't have sisters. I only have my mom and my only son. So it was a pretty stressful time of my life and I didn't know how to cope with it. But then I thought, it's like I always turn to art when I had any kind of problem in life. So let's do that now and let's just upcycle these canvases and just start doing something because I need that energy. And that's how I started and that's how it helped me to cope with grief and to cope with loss. I think it's the best way to turn to art because art is such a safe, art is safe and cannot hurt you. And no matter how disturbing you may think your project appears, it's much healthier you to put it out there than keep it bottled inside you because that would just cause stress and trauma and you become ill or anything can happen. And that's how it helped me to cope with grief.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, I think that's really great that you were able to do that. And it makes so much sense, too, because when you can focus your attention on something else instead of your problems, and especially when you're doing something creative like that, I think it really takes your mind out of the mundane, day to day things, and you just really get to really connect, I like to say even spiritually connect with your higher self and just be able to bring in something new and beautiful into the world. So it's wonderful that you were able to do that. Have you ever thought about maybe because doing this maybe to help other people as well? Because I know there are some people who do like, they do art therapy or just there's things called like intuitive art and things like that. Have you ever thought about maybe not necessarily right now but maybe down the road doing something in addition to having your show one day?

Noemi Beres

Yes, actually I did. I'm member of a women network group and I had a chat with a lovely lady from that group and when I told my story to her, she told me, she said exactly the same thing that you told me before. It's like, have you thought about this? I haven't, but now you're telling me it's probably it's a good idea. So that's actually my agenda and one of my goals as well, to help other people because I'm a self taught artist. I never went to school. This is everything just intentional for me and it's coming from my soul, from deep down there. But I suppose if it helped me, it can help other people too. And I can help them as well.

Gloria Grace Rand

Let me ask you this. The pieces that you create, do you see them as something like there's a certain theme or maybe this one really expresses a certain feeling or is it just in the moment and it's just I just want to just see what I can pull together. What have you found about that?

Noemi Beres

The funny thing is that, for example, I made some dark collages. I called my dark digital collages. Those were digital collages, especially after my dad passed away. So everything was pretty dark and I couldn't get away from it. I couldn't use colors, I couldn't do anything....