Adversity and Love, the perfect mix. Jon Schlegel is the founder of an extremely successful restaurant in Denver Snooze, an AM Eatery. Snooze is wildly successful now, but I wanted to know what Jon's story was like before opening a restaurant. Have you ever worried that the hardships of your family are damaging your kids in some way? Your health, financial troubles or the fact that you might not be able to help with their college could be holding them back? Jon Schlegel's mother Sandy Schlegel A.K.A Mamma Snooze joins in and shares what is it like to raise a Maverick. Spoiler Alert! It doesn't involve handouts or paying for their college. The chances of opening a restaurant and it becoming as successful as Snooze is today are not good (to say the least). So what gave Jon the confidence that his idea would work? What role did his up bring play? And now, that Jon has kids of his own, what is he doing to make sure the legacy of love his mom and dad started carries on.

Neurodiversity, Autism Spectrum Disorder and why Early Intervention is getting overlooked. Chances are either you have someone in your family or social circle that has been diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). 1 in 68 kids have Autism according to the CDC and even with plenty of kids being diagnosed, we still don't know a whole lot about ASD. Leaving most of us in the dark when it comes to raising, educating or working with people on the spectrum. We are, however extremely lucky to have found Laura Barr who is not only equipped with the education but also has first-hand knowledge of the power of early intervention and what it is like to raise a child with a high functioning autism spectrum disorder or what she calls neurodiversity. High functioning autism is something Laura Barr has a ton of experience with. As an education specialist an advocate and a mom. She has been able to not only help schools but business as well. Helping them understand the complexity of neurodiversity and the value of creating an environment that is inclusive and empathic towards all students and workers.

Empathy vs Sympathy. One of the three main pillars of being a Maverick is empathetic intelligence. Being able to respectfully understand another person is true wisdom. David Nayer explains that Knowing the difference of empathy vs sympathy is vital if you want a true understanding of any situation. David Nayer has been studying Marshall Rosenberg's work and teaching nonviolent communication for over 20 years. He has seen the positive impact of Rosenberg's system not only in the realm of parenting but also in business. This interview is the perfect introduction for you or someone you know who see's the value of authentic communication in all areas of their lives. In this Episode of How To Raise a Maverick, you will learn... What is nonviolent communication? The difference of empathy vs sympathy. Protective use of force and how to use it. Why empathy is so important. Resources Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life. Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values by Marshall Rosenberg On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers Why Kids Lie by Paul Ekman

As time pushes on we have had to make uncountable adjustments in our culture and the way we define being human. There is a new movement emerging and Bryan Ward is at the helm. As quoted from his blog ThirdWayMan.com in the past there were two options for men:

"1: The way of the asshole. OR  2.The way of the coward

The first way is the way of the Asshole. The Asshole is the man who relies on brute force to get what he wants. He is High Strength, Low Love.

The second way is the way of the Coward. The Coward is the man who plays “nice guy” in hopes someone will throw him a bone. He is High Love, Low Strength.

We reject these two equally shitty options.

We choose option three.

The THIRD WAY MAN lives a life of BENEVOLENT POWER: for his own sake, and the sake of those he serves. He is High Strength, High Love. He is the full package."

Bryans fresh take on what it mean to be a man in this modern world is refreshing, inspiring and needed.

Thanks again Bryan for introducing us to the Third Way Man!

The birds and bees talk.

It's "the birds and bees talk" month here at How to Raise a Maverick. I know, I know! It's so much easier to hear learn and see parenting articles that have to do with bedtimes and what school your kid should go to. But the sex talk is completely different than what it was when we were growing up. Why, you ask? Well, it has everything to do with the internet (as you might have guessed). If you don't talk to your kids about sex honestly they will go looking for the truth online and trust me you definitely don't want that to happen. "Talking about sex so openly with kids is weird, awkward and not the way we were raised." You know what else is weird and awkward, read these facts put out by Fight The New Drug to see the effects pornography is having on the youth of today. Many parents argue that "their kids would never get into trouble online and besides, they have all the filters to keep them safe." I personally know some really good kids that have gotten around the filters and have been pulled into nightmarish situations (I feel a rant coming on... but I'll spare you monolog).

Leadership, Military and Boy Scouts

Stephen S. Brightman graduated from West Point and was commissioned as US Army Officer from the United States Military Academy in 2010. During his seven years in the Army, he served in various leadership positions from platoon leader, assistant operations officer, an aide to a two-star general, and culminated his service as a Battery Commander, supervising over seventy Soldiers overseas. He is also an Eagle Scout, certified sexual assault/harassment victim advocate, and currently resides in North Carolina, where he is launching his own podcast Daily Leadership Lessons focused on bringing his listeners advice on how to be more effective leaders.

Co-Parenting Expert

Julie Ross, M.A., is the Executive Director of Parenting Horizons, an organization devoted to enriching children's lives through parent and teacher education. With over 30 years of experience, Ms. Ross has led parenting workshops nationwide. In New York City, she frequently works with Parents in Action, The Parent's League, The Board of Jewish Education, the NYC Public School system, and many NYC private schools. Her work can be found in Good Housekeeping, New York Family Magazine, and Real Simple, among other national publications. Mrs. Ross has appeared on the Today Show with Matt Lauer, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Montel Williams show, NPR: Weekend America, Good Day New York, and Oprah and Friends Radio's "Meet the Peetes." Julie Ross is currently a member of the American Counseling Association and runs ongoing parent workshops and support groups.

Peer Abuse & Bullying. Brenda High has become a passionate crusader, a mom on a mission to stop school bullying and peer abuse. It is not uncommon to see Brenda doing email or on the phone talking about bullying as well as advising parents, students, teachers, state and federal lawmakers, media and community members about the emotional and physical dangers of bullying, which can lead to bullycide, (a suicide attributed to bullying).

You CAN travel the world with your kids

Traveling the world with her kids and writing hilarious stories about all of it, is what A. K. Turner does best. Challenging the traditional humdrum ways of parenting, she shows all of us that the life of a digital nomad is not just for the childless free spirit anymore. In fact, she believes that taking your kids outside of the traditional walls of a school could be a better way to educate them.

After trauma support. Abry Deshong, Parenting coach and the creator of the Maia Whistle, speaks about the need for a conversation about sexual assault. She describes the steps to take moving forward from assault, the Maia Whistle mission, and the number one thing parents can do to care for a hurt child.